20 November 2019 - Harvey - Medway v Swale

Harvey - Medway vs Swale

Wednesday 20 November 2019

White: Paul Shevlane (139) - Black: Keith Nevols (157)

Dutch Defence

1. d4 f5
2. Nf3 Nf6
3. Bf4 e6
4. Nbd2 Be7
5. h3 

White adopts an odd set-up against my Dutch defence. The bishop on f4 can combine well if White can push with Rc1 and c4-c5. As White will not be fianchettoing on the h1-a8 diagonal, I decide to do so.

5. .......b6

6. e3 Bb7
7. Bd3 

This is good - White sets out his plan to attack down the kingside. However, the immediate 7. g4 concerned me.

7. .....  Ne4

Premature. The objective was to prevent a White e4 but he can't play it yet anyway, so 7. ... O-O or 7. .. c5 would be better. Now 8. g4 or 8. Rg1 are both dangerous. White will get to these moves but wants to take his time first.

8. Qe2 O-O

9. O-O-O d5

My plan was to try to exchange some pieces to lessen the impact of any attack.

10. Rhg1 Bd6
11. Ne5 Nd7?!

The engine recommends 11. .. Bxe5 12. dxe5 Nc5 or 12. Bxe5 Nc6. I had played the knight to d7 as I wanted to keep the options open of c5 and Ndf6.

12. f3 Nxd2

I did not see the crafty 12. ... Nec5. Backward knight moves are often hard to see.

13. Rxd2 

My luck holds. 13. Qxd2 keeps the rooks connected and adds firepower down the d-file if it opens up.

13. ....Nxe5?

Black has to play 13. .. c5 to hit back in the centre.

14. dxe5 Bc5

15. g4! 

In retrospect, perfectly timed.

15. ........Kh8

Moving off the g-file seemed sensible.

16. gxf5 exf5
17. Qg2 

White has a choice of strong moves. 17. Qh2, 17. h4 (17. ... Qxh4? 18. Qg2 Qe7 19. Qh3). But it is hard to argue with any move that threatens mate in one.

17. ........Qe7

18. c3 a5

Preventing b4 trapping the bishop.

19. Qg3 

Here comes the rook.

19. ........Bc8

Setting up a grovelling defence - Be6, Rf7, maybe Rg8 and pray. To be honest, although I was very uncomfortable, I could not see a clear way for White to breakthrough.

20. Rdg2 Rf7
21. Bh6 Be6

So how should White advance? There are two ways - firstly, just nudging the h-pawn forward. 22. h4 c6 23. h5 Rg8 24. Bg5 Qa7 then perhaps a later h6. The second way would be simply 22. Kb1 - but White chose a third way and overlooking a tactic. 

22. Bxg7+? Rxg7

Here White sat back with an audible sigh. His plan had been 23. Qxg7+ Qxg7 24. Rxg7 and only now did he see 24. .... Bxe3+ (hence the idea of the Kb1 move in the last note) and picking off the rook on g1. 

However, it is not the end of the world. 25. Kc2 Bxg1 26. Rxg1 and material is even. If anything, the pawn islands and same colour bishops give White the edge.

Instead the psychological effect - which has hit us all - comes into play.  Poker players call it 'tilt'. Where you follow up one oversight with a mistake.

23. Qf4?? Rxg2

24. Rxg2 Qf7
25. h4 Rg8

Black is a piece for a pawn up and about to invade down the g-file. White throws in the towel - perhaps prematurely but angry at himself.

26. Resigns



Medway v Swale

Paul Shevlane (139) 0-1 Keith Nevols (157)

Paul Foster (130) 0-1 David Page (144)

Aram Swiatkowski (120) 1-0 Rob Woolacott (141)

Prabhath Amarasinghe 0-1 Vytautas Gedminas (117)

Roher House 0-1 Tyrone Jefferies (114)

Danny Gavigan (96) 1-0 Alin Popa (76)

Medway 2-4 Swale