18 November 2019 - En Passant - Tunbridge Wells v Swale

En Passant - Tunbridge Wells vs Swale

Thursday 24 October 2019

White: Jerry Anisted (172) - Black: Keith Nevols (157)

Bird's Opening

A long journey down to somewhere where traditionally I had not done too well. Tunbridge Wells are a strong team and I was with the Black pieces facing a higher graded opponent.

1. f4 

Already lost. I have never faced this before and had no idea how to play it, so just started with some normal developing moves.

1. ..... Nf6

2. Nf3 d5

3. b3 c5

4. e3 Nc6

5. Bb2 Bg4

Too committal. 5. ...e6 or 5. ...Bd7 were better for development.

6. Be2 e6

7. O-O h5?!

Part of an early plan. More usual would be 7. .. Bd6 or 7. .. Be7 but I came up with an idea to try and place his king under pressure. He told me afterwards that, in all his years of starting f4, no-one had attempted h5.

8. d4?!

White plays an inaccuracy in return. Black should now go 8. ... cxd4 9. Nxd4 (9. exd4 Qb6 and White's centre is under pressure) Rc8 and then Bc5. White's pawn on e3 would look awkward.

8. ........Rh6?

But I am carrying on with the plan. This moves off the Bishop b2 diagonal as well as thinking about h4-h3 and Rg6.

9. a4 h4

10. Ne5 Bxe2

11. Qxe2 Ne4

Continuing to miss the opportunity to play cxd4.

12. Nd2 Nxd2

13. Qxd2 f6

14. Nxc6 bxc6

We can say that the Black idea has not worked. The rook on h6 has nothing to do, while Black has a worse pawn structure. Having said that, all is not lost as, although White is better, it is only a small edge.

15. Ba3 cxd4

16. Bxf8 Kxf8

17. Qxd4 Qd6

Consolidating and preparing to move in the centre.

17. .... h3 would have been interesting. 18. gxh3 Rxh3 or 18. g3 Qe7 and the engine gives the position as even.

18. Rad1 

18. b4 Kg8 would prepare e5.

18. ........ c5

19. Qd3 Rb8

To prevent Qb5 and think about Rb4. White hits the centre.

20. f5 

I thought this was a good move but the engine disagrees - preferring 20. h3 or 20. e4.

20. ......... Rh5

21. e4 d4

22. Qf3 Rg5

23. Qf4? 

An error - I was certainly pleased to see the queens go. 23. Qh3 hits the h4 and e6 squares.

23. ....... Qxf4

24. Rxf4 exf5

Black should play 24. .. Ke7 bringing the king forward. 25. Rxh4 exf5 26. exf5 Rxf5 27. Re1 Kd6 and Re5 next move and Black is better.

25. Rxh4 Re8?

And White errs in return. The simple 25. .. Kf7 keeps the eighth rank.

26. Rh8+ Kf7

27. Rxe8 Kxe8

28. exf5 Rxf5

So who is better? A rook and five pawns each. So far my unorthodox play had kept an even game but rook endings are famously complicated and my instincts, having been on the back foot, told me that I was worse.

29. Rd3 Re5

30. Kf2 Ke7

31. c3 dxc3?

31. .. Re4 32. cxd4 cxd4 and Black has a passed pawn with the White king cut off.

32. Rxc3 Ke6?

I regretted this as soon as I played it as White can now force the rooks off. g5, a5, or a6 were better just edging forwards or moving the king with Kd6.

33. Re3 Rxe3

34. Kxe3 Ke5

Opposition! I thought this might now be lost as White can force a passed pawn down the h-file. Time for some grim defence.

35. Kd3 Kd5

36. a5 a6

37. g4 

37. ........g6??

Big mistake. 37. .. g5 would keep the opposition and hold the draw. Now White can win.

38. h4! 

Zugswang! If 38. ... g5 39. h5 - if 38. .. f5 39. gxf5 gxf5 40. h5. After a long think and some counting, I go after the kingside pawns and have to hope that White goes wrong.

38. ........ Ke5

39. Kc4 Kf4

40. h5 gxh5

41. gxh5 Kg5

42. Kxc5 f5

43. Kd4 Kxh5

44. Ke3??

My luck is in. 44. b4! would win in a few moves.

44. ........ Kg4

45. Kf2? 

45. b4 was again better and would lead to a queen and pawn v queen ending.

45. ........ Kf4

46. b4 

Better late than never. I was contemplating resignation.

46. ........Ke5

47. b5 Kd6

48. b6 Kc6

49. Kf3 Kb7

Wait a minute. Can I hold this?

50. Kf4 Kc8

51. Kxf5 Kd7

52. Ke5 Kc6

53. Ke6 Kb7

I have worked out how to hold. If I stick to b8 and b7, the king keeps White at bay. Even on a8, the white king can't come to c7 or c8 as that is stalemate.

54. Kd7 Kb8

55. Kc6 Kc8

56. b7+ 

After a think, White realises the draw.

56. ......... Kb8

57. Kb6 

Stalemate. Phew.

Tunbridge Wells v Swale

Jerry Anstead (172) 1/2-1/2 Keith Nevols (157)

Russell Goodfellow (146) 1/2-/1/2 Keith Hyde (149)

Hugh Tassell (138) 0-1 David Page (144)

David Tidmarsh (130) 0-1 Rob Woolacott (141)

Stephen Bond (112) 0-1 Vytautas Gedminas (117)

James Robertson (106) 0-1 Tyrone Jefferies (114)

Tunbridge Wells 1-5 Swale

14 November 2019 - Harvey - Swale v Weald of Kent

En Passant - Swale vs Hastings

Thursday 14 November 2019

White: Keith Nevols (157) - Black: J Hart-Dyke (133)

Elephant Defence

1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 d5

The Elephant Gambit. My opponent had played this against me before and I tried hard to remember how I played it.

3. Nxe5 

Last time I played 3. exd5 Bd6 4. Bb5+ Bd7 5. Bxd7+ Nxd7 6. Qe2. Not great but comfortable. This time I am trying the other capture.

3. ......Bd6
4. d4 

The only move, really. 4. Nf3 dxe4 followed by Nf6 and Black looks good.

4. ..... dxe4
5. Nc4?! 

Developing with 5. Bc4 was my first thought but I rejected it. However I did not see 5. ... Bxe5 6. Qh5! Qe7 7. Qxe5 Qxe5 8. dxe5 with a large lead.

5. ...... Nf6

6. Be2 

I turned down  6. Nxd6 as I was unsure about 6. .. cxd6 and then ... d5.

6. .......Be6
7. Bg5 Be7
8. O-O Nbd7
9. Nc3 c6

The position is now equal.

10. Bf4 Nf8!?

An interesting relocation of the knight. While this prevents a White piece moving to d6, it also delays Black from castling.

11. a3?

A waiting move but not a very good one. I am already out of ideas. The engine recommends 11. Be5 and if 11. ..... Ng6 then 12. Bxf6 Bxf6 13. Nxe4 Qxd4 (13. ..... Bxd4?? 14. Ncd6+) 14. Nxf6+ Qxf6 15. Nd6+.

11. ........Nd5!

Exploiting the undefended bishop so that I don't have time to take the e4 pawn.

12. Nxd5 cxd5
13. Ne3 Bd6?

13. .... Ng6 14. Bg3 O-O with f5-f4 and Black has the initiative.

14. Bb5+ Ke7?!

Novel. If 14. ..Bd7 White can choose between 15. Bxd6 Bxb5 16. Bxf8 Kxf8 17. Re1 or 15. Bxd7+ Qxd7 16. Bxd6 Qxd6 17. f3! and Black is in trouble.

15. Bxd6+ Qxd6
16. Be2? 

A missed chance. With the Black king in the centre, opening up with 16. c4! looks strong.

16. ........ f5!

Taking the chance to put White under pressure.

17. Qd2 

The point was to give the knight a space and also to give the queen some more options, and connect the rooks, albeit temporarily. 

But 17. c4 was still possible. One line is 17. .. f4 18. cxd5 Bd7 (18. .... Bxd5??? 19. Nf5+) 19. Nc4 Qxd5 20. Ne5 but there is also 17. ... f4 18. cxd5 fxe3 19. dxe6 exf2+ 20. Rxf2 Ne6 21. d5 Nf4 22. Rxf4! Qxf4 23. Qd4 - a good exchange sacrifice which I did not see (and probably would not have played it if I had).

17. ...... f4

18. Nd1 h6?

Neither of us spotted that this gives the power back to the continually missed 19. c4! dxc4 20. Nc3 coming back into the centre.

19. Nc3? 

White needed to dissolve the Black centre and it was a considerable oversight to keep overlooking c4 as the means to do this.

19. ........ a6
20. Na4 f3
21. Bd1? 

The game is lost now, as Black can pin down the White king. The only chance was to give up material with 21. gxf3 Bh3 22. Kh1 (moving the rook allows the fatal Qg6+) Bxf1 23. Rxf1. White has a pawn for the exchange.

21. ...... Bh3
22. Qb4

My only chance is to get some sort of counter attack against the Black king in the centre.

22. .... Bxg2

23. Re1 Qxb4!
24. axb4 Ne6

On the way to h3.

25. Nc3 Nf4
26. Nxd5+ 

It was this or 26. h4 Nh3+ 27. Kh2 Nxf2.

26. ........Nxd5

27. Rxe4+ Kf7
28. c3 

Black is a pawn up for a piece. White tries to trap the Black king but Black defends well and calmly.

28. .......Rad8
29. Bb3 Kg6
30. Bc2 Nf6
31. Re7 Kh5
32. Re5+ g5
33. Bb3 Rd7
34. Rae1 Rf8
35. Re7 Rfd8
36. R7e5 Kh4
37. Re6 Rd6
38. Re7 Nh5
39. R7e4+ Nf4

A spirited try that really had no realistic chance. A disappointing loss.

Swale v Weald of Kent

Keith Nevols (157) 0-1 James Hart-Dyke (133)

David Page (144) 1-0 Richard Roots (125)

Rob Woolacott (141) 1-0 David Warrick (117)

Vytautas Gedminas (117) 1-0 Peter Godden (75)

Andrew Gillard (109) 1-0 Tom Dooley (75)

Alin Popa (76) 1-0 Eden Legon (75)

Swale 5-1 Weald of Kent

7 November 2019 - Swale Club Championship - Round Seven

Swale Club Chess Championship - Round Seven

Thursday 7 November 2019

White: Tyrone Jefferies (113) - Black: Keith Nevols (157)

Dutch Defence

1. d4 f5
2. Nf3 Nf6
3. Bf4 

This seems to be a popular way to play against the Dutch.

3. .....e6
4. Nd2 Be7
5. e3 O-O
6. a3!?

The reason for this is unclear. Here I follow one of the Dutch principles that if White does not fianchetto a bishop on g2 then Black should do so on b7. 

White could still play g3 but then the bishop on f4 would look awkward.

6. ......b6
7. Bc4 Bb7
8. c3 

Time for a plan. As White has not played a pawn to c4 then Black can move a pawn to d5 and set up a stonewall defence. 

8.   ..... Ne4?!

Premature. Continuing development is a better idea. The engine likes 8. .. Na6 with c5 to follow.

9. Bd3 

9. Nxe4 fxe4 10. Ne5 d5 11. Bb5 c6 12. Ba4, and then Bc2 gives White an advantage.

9. .......   d5

10. h4!

This was a surprise but the engine rates it as the best move in this position. It prevents a Black g5 and starts an initiative against the Black king while Black is behind in development. 

I had expected Rc1 intending c4 and an offensive down the c-file which has caused me difficulties in the past.

10......... Bd6

My intention is to swap off some pieces so I do not feel so crowded.

11. Ne5 

11. h5 and 11. Qe2 with castling queenside are good alternatives.

11. ...... Nd7
12. Ndf3 Nxe5
13. dxe5?

Interesting but the other two ways of taking the piece were better. The bishop will now get boxed in and if I could get something going on the queenside, I will effectively be a piece up.

13. .....Be7
14. Bxe4 fxe4?

Missing a chance. 14. .. dxe4 15. Qxd8 Rfxd8 16. Nd4 Kf7 and Black will be taking over the initiative with ideas of c5 and doubling rooks down the d-file.

15. Ng5 Bxg5

With the white queen coming in to the attack, I could not just let the knight stay there.

16. hxg5 

Better than 16. Bxg5 Qe8 with h6 coming.

16. ...... Qe8

17. Qh5 

17. Qg4 had worried me more. I continued with my plan of exchanging pieces before focussing on the queenside to exploit the placing of the bishops.

17. .........  Qxh5

18. Rxh5 Bc6

I can see the White plan - O-O-O, Rdh1, Rxh7. I have time to move my bishop over to defend.

An interesting defence would be to give up the pawn - 18. ..... Kf7!? 19. Rxh7 Rh8 20. Rxh8 Rxh8 21. O-O-O Ba6 with Bd3 and advancing the queenside pawns and the king to f5.

19. O-O-O Be8

20. Rh4 c5

20. .... Bg6 first might be more accurate as now White can consider 21. c4 with the aim of breaking up the Black centre.

21. Rdh1 Bg6

But now I am happy! The kingside is defended and I can switch over to the queenside, always bearing in mind that the white bishop on f4 is trapped off from the action whereas, if I get the chance, I can swing my own bishop back into play via e8.

22. Kd2 b5

Finally preventing a White c4.

23. Rc1 a5
24. g4 Rfc8
25. Bg3 Rab8
26. b3 b4

I thought I had lots of good moves here that I could not decide which to pick. 

26. .. c4 27. b4 Ra8 is the best.

27. axb4 axb4

28. Ra1? 

White decides to counter down the a-file but this is a mistake. 28. Rhh1 would bring the other rook into the defence.

28. ......Rb7?

I was worried about Ra7 and also intending to double my rooks down the b-file. 

However 28. ..... bxc3+ is winning - 29. Kxc3 d4+! 30. exd4 cxd4+ (31. Kxd4 Rxb3 forces checkmate! I did not see this) 31. Kb2 Rc3 32. Ra3 e3 is overwhelming.

29. R4h1 Rcb8?

29. .. bxc3+ 30. Kxc3 d4+ also mixes the possibility of a mating net with a pawn attack.

30. Rhb1? 

30. cxb4 Rxb4 31. Rhc1 and White is back in the game.

30. ..... Be8

Time for my extra piece to emerge onto the battlefield.

31. Ra5 c4!
32. cxb4 Rxb4
33. Kc3 Kf7

A bit of tidying to move the king to a safer spot.

34. Ra7+ Kg6
35. Re7 Rxb3+
36. Rxb3 Rxb3+
37. Kc2 Bf7

Our friendly engine prefers 37. .. Bb5 but I would never have chosen this line allowing White the chance of a passed pawn in the centre of the board. it continues 38. Rxe6+ Kxg5 39. Re7 g6 40. Rxh7 Kxg4 41. e6 Kf5. My nerves would not have been able to take this.

38. Rc7 Rb6

Defending the e6 pawn with the intention of bringing the bishop into the game.

39. Bf4 

With this move, and the crisis seemingly passed, White offered a draw. However, I am a pawn up and the White bishop is still entombed so I have still much to play for.

39. ........ Be8
40. Ra7 Bb5

41. Re7 Ba4+

42. Kc1 c3
43. Ra7 Bb5?

Missing 43. .. Rb4. If 44. Ra6 c2 45. Rxe6+ Kf7 and White has Rb1 to come.

44. Rc7 

Suddenly I am hit by that all-too-familiar feeling of blowing a winning position. The c-pawn is about to fall and material will be even. The queenside is about to be extinguished.

Fuming silently, and with the clock running, I have to think of a new plan - to use the white squares on the kingside and run with the h-pawn.

44. ........ Be2

45. Rxc3 Bxg4
46. Rc7 Ra6!

A crafty little move to edge the White king slightly further away from where the new battlefield will be.

47. Kb2 Ra8

En route to h8 to support the h-pawn.

48. Rc3 h5

48. ... Kf5 preparing d4 is also possible, but I am in no mood to take more chances.

49. gxh6 gxh6

50. Rc1 h5
51. Rg1 Kf5
52. Rh1 Rc8?

Missing 52. .... d4! which would result in another passed pawn.

53. Rc1 Rh8

I did not have time to calculate whether Rxc1 wins. (Answer: it does - if Black plays correctly)

54. Rc7 Kg6
55. Kc2 h4
56. Bh2 Rf8
57. Bf4 h3
58. Ra7 Rxf4

Go for it.

59. exf4 Bf3

59. .... h2 would also be good enough.

60. Ra1 h2
61. Kd2 Kf5
62. Ke3 h1=Q
63. Rxh1 Bxh1

64. Resigns

Black can mop up the rest of the pawns. A win which I made hard work of.

2 November 2019 - County U-160s - Kent v Middlesex

County Under-160s match - Kent v Middlesex

Saturday 2 November 2019

White: Keith Nevols (157) - Black: L Macallar (158)

King's Indian Defence

1. e4 g6

2. d4 Bg7

3. c4 

Steering issues into the King's Indian Defence about which I had a bit more knowledge than the Pirc Defence which would have resulted after 3. Nc3 Nf6.

3. ...... d6

4. Nc3 a6?!

An odd move which I thought served little purpose.

5. Nf3 Nd7

6. Be2 e6

7. Bg5 

7. Be3 would have been a more accurate way to take advantage of the defensive set-up that Black is putting together.

7. ..... Ne7

8. Qd2 h6

9. Be3 

The point of my manoeuvre was to delay Black from castling.

9. ...... b6

10. O-O Bb7

White has the advantage in space but Black does not have any clear weaknesses. It is the ultimate 'wall'.

White's best is 11. d5 but I was unsure about allowing Black control of c5 and e5 so I decide to prepare an offensive around f4, in the way of the Grand Prix attack with which I was a little familiar.

11. Ne1?! c5

12. f4 Qc7

13. Rd1 cxd4?!

Black decides to resolve the tension in the centre. The engine recommends continuing the wall strategy with 13. .. Rd8 and castling kingside.

14. Bxd4 Bxd4

15. Qxd4 Qc5

16. Kh1? 

Poor. 16. Nf3 brings the knight back into the action.

16. ...... Qxd4

17. Rxd4 

 

17. ........Nc8

Understandable that Black needs to defend the d6 pawn but 17. ... O-O-O and sacrificing it would have given Black a good initiative against the e4 pawn. For example, 18. Rxd6 Kc7 19. Rd1 Nc5 20. Rxd8 Rxd8 21. Bf3 Rd4 or 20. e5 Nf5.

So White's best, after 17. .... O-O-O might be to decline the sacrifice with 18. Nc2.

18. Rd1?

Too cautious. 18. Nc2 and then Ne3 would keep the pressure on.

18. ..... f5?!

Risky to open the centre with the king in the middle. 18. .. Ke7 defends d6.

19. exf5 

19. Bf3 would have been more accurate. Now Black can rid himself of the weak e-pawn.

19. ...... exf5

20. Bf3 Bxf3

21. Nxf3 Nf6

22. Rfe1+ Kf7

Black's main weaknesses are the isolated pawn on d6 and the pawns on b6 and g6 which are possibly vulnerable to attack. So 23. Nd5 is best here. Instead I think it is time to advance the King. 

23. Kg1 Ra7

24. Nd4 Re8

25. Rxe8 Kxe8

26. Re1+ 

It can't be wrong to take an open file but the engine prefers tidying up with b3 or g3.

26. ...... Kf7

27. b3 Rc7

28. Kf2 Ng4+

29. Kg3 Nf6

30. Kf3 Ng4

With a draw offer, which I accepted. I could not see how I could progress.

However, 31. Nd5 Rb7 32. h3 Nf6 33. Nxf6 Kxf6 34. Re8 Rc7 35. g4! gives White a strong initiative which, had I seen it, should have been tried.