Exeter Chess Club: The Tournament from Hell?

Jump to game:

(1) Ian Rescorla: a disappointing draw
(2) John Gorodi: an even more disappointing loss
(3) D Saqui: didn't get the hang of this one
(4) Frank Chambers: a good scrap, and good fortune
(5) Rich Towers: beating the tortoise

Not hell for everyone, I mean, just me - the East Devon Congress is a fine event which should be in everyone's diary (held this year at the start of March), but this year it all went wrong. I scraped up 2 1/2 out of 5 by the finish but started on 1/2 out of 3 and overall achieved a grading performance of 140 (ELO=1720; my current grade is 168=1944).

Round by round:

Round  Col  Opponent         BCF  ELO      Result  Score
  1     w    Ian Rescorla    118  1395      1/2       1/2
  2     b    John Gorodi     146  1765       0        1/2
  3     w    D Saqui         164  1910       0        1/2 
  4     b    Frank Chambers  120  1605       1      1 1/2
  5     w    Richard Towers  156  1848       1      2 1/2

So, a poor performance, which I am still puzzling about. I thought I should put a lot of effort immediately into recording my feelings and thoughts immediately after the game, in the hope that, if not now, then later I might see the error(s) of my ways. Weeks later (end of March), I still have no more than a feeling of confusion about most of the games, and can't see anything very constructive to suggest by way of alternatives.

To describe my performance as "bad form" begs a number of questions: how does this bad form manifest itself - poor analysis, poor judgment, or what?

The blunder against John Gorodi perhaps speaks for itself, but I blundered only in that game, and in post mortem analysis found a clearly better line for myself only in the game against Frank Chapman. [To be honest, that's about par for the course in a tournament where I score 4/5!]

For the others, "trying too hard to win" is a fair diagnosis, but still rather vague; "trying to win too early" might be better. Of course, having made a bad start I was anxious to make up lost ground, so this led me to take unjustifiable risks. The one game I didn't feel bad about was the last, where I built up slowly.

Maybe I should have compromised from the start and played the English Opening, but I had determined not to do that in this tournament. I believe that I should be trying to play more sharply, because I feel I don't attack well, and have started playing 1. e4 to try and improve that aspect of my game. Perhaps the line I play against the Scandinavian (Centre Counter) is to blame, but my first experiment with it (see notes to Game Three) was so rewarding that I of course persist. [If I do adopt the main line against the Scandinavian, it will be the only defence against which I play a main line system - perhaps a revealing observation. Is it about time for Beating the Sicilian 3? - but that seems like an awful lot of homework, and I don't usually feel the opening is my main weakness]

I should add, one unexpected pleasure was meeting in Real Life[TM] a character with whom I have often done battle at FICS, one tomahawk. If any other ICS player sees me at a tournament, be sure and say hello, won't you?

Regis,D (1940) - Rescorla, Ian (1605) (1) East Devon, 1997 (1/2-1/2, 36)

Friday night: a discouraging draw. Black peppered me with draw offers throughout (as he did every opponent thereafter); I kept going, trying to win, but eventually conceded the draw when I was a pawn down with a worse position!

1. e4 d5

Hmm. This month's copy of BCM calls this 'uncommon', but I seem to meet this as often as anything else. My opponent is graded 118, but in the U200 section: monstrously undergraded? a shark? a postal expert? Anyhow, he plays pretty conservatively.

2. Nc3

I don't know much about the theory: there are main lines with 2...Qxd5 and 2...Nf6 and some fancy 2...Nf6 Gambit systems which have been popularised by Keene and Levy's book.

[2. d4] [2. exd5]

2... dxe4 3. Nxe4 Bf5 4. Ng3 Bg6 5. Bc4 e6 6. Nf3 [6. Nh3] 6... Bd6 7. d3 c6 8. Qe2 Qc7

Oops, should have played h2-h4 earlier. Now Black is easily equal, I think.

9. Ne4 Bxe4 10. dxe4 Nd7 11. Bd2 Ne7 12. Bc3 b5!? [12... O-O-O] 13. Bb3 O-O-O!?

Black's last two moves are inconsistent - one or the other is OK, but now I thought I had good prospects of an attack.

14. a4 [14. e5 Bc5 15. a4 b4 16. Bd4 Bxd4 17. Nxd4 Qxe5] 14... b4 15. Bd4 [15. Bxg7 Rhg8 16. e5 Nxe5 [16... Bc5 17. Bf6 Rxg2] [16... Rxg7 17. exd6 Qxd6] 17. Bxe5 Bxe5 18. Qxe5] 15... c5 16. Be3 [16. Bxg7 Rhg8 17. Qa6+ Kb8 18. e5 Bxe5 19. Bxe5 Nxe5 20. Nxe5 Qxe5+ 21. Qe2 Qxb2 [21... Rxg2]] 16... h6 17. c3 Nc6 18. cxb4 Nxb4 19. Rc1 Kb8 20. O-O Rc8

(about here I was rewarded by the first of about a dozen draw offers)

[20... Rdg8] 21. Rfd1 [21. e5 Be7 [21... Nxe5 22. Nxe5 Bxe5 23. Rxc5] [21... Bxe5 22. Nxe5 Nxe5 23. Rxc5] 22. Qb5+ Qb7] 21... Rhd8

White's pieces lack the scope to coordinate much of an attack.

22. e5 Be7 23. a5 g5 24. h3 Qc6 25. Bc4 Rc7 26. Bb5 Qe4 27. Bxd7 [27. Rc4! Qb7 28. Rc3 but I still don't think White has anything.] 27... Rdxd7 28. Rxd7 Rxd7 29. Qb5+ Qb7 30. Qc4

(getting short of time, but the draw offers kept coming)

[30. Qxb7+ Rxb7 31. Bxc5 Nd3]

30... Rc7 31. Nd2 Nc6 32. a6 Qc8 33. Qb5+ Ka8 34. Nc4 [34. Bxc5 Nd4 35. Qb4] 34... Nb8 35. Ra1 [35. Nd6 Qxa6 36. Bxc5 Qxb5 37. Nxb5 Rxc5] 35... Rc6 36. Rd1 [36. Nd6 Bxd6 37. exd6 Rxd6 38. Bxc5 Rxa6] 36... Qxa6 1/2../strong>

[36... Qxa6 (must be better for Black!) 37. Qxa6 Nxa6 38. Nd6 f6 [38... f5]]

Gorodi, John (1765) - Regis,D (1940) (2) East Devon, 1997 (1-0, 65)

Saturday morning brought an even more discouraging loss! I tried hard to work up some pressure against White's solid centralised formation, but overlooked a simple threat and lost a piece. After that I didn't really have a chance, although it kept going for forty moves. Not to take anything away from John, who later drew against Alan Spice, an Exeter University graduate who was one of the top players in the Premier.
1. d4 g6
[After 1... Nf6 it's getting to be a novelty to see 2.c4!]
2. Nf3 Bg7 3. Bg5 c5

Trying to play sharply in the hope that my opponent will start going backwards. 4. e3?! [4. c3! Qb6 5. Qb3!? Qxb3 6. axb3 cxd4 7. Nxd4 Nc6 8. Nxc6 dxc6] 4... Qb6 5. Qc1 h6
Thinking about ...g5 but this is trying too hard; now the dark-squared Bishop inhibits ...e5.
6. Bf4 Nc6 7. c3 Nf6 8. Nbd2 d5 (else Nc4) 9. Bd3 cxd4!? ("preventing" e3-e4, but opening the e-file) 10. exd4 O-O 11. O-O Nh5 12. Be3 Qc7 13. Re1 Kh7 14. Nf1 [14. h3 Nf4 15. Bc2 e5] 14... Bg4 (idea ...Rae8 and ...e5, trying for an attack, but overlooking White's reply. With hindsight 14...f5 may have been better, but I don't fancy that e-Pawn!) 15. Ne5!?

15... Bxe5?!
[15... Nxe5 16. dxe5 Bxe5 [nor 16...Qxe5?!] 17. Bxh6 Bf4 18. Bxf4 Nxf4 19. Bc2 Ne2+ didn't seem to me to be going anywhere ]
16. dxe5 Nxe5 17. Bc2 Nc6 18. Bxh6 Rfe8

This was the position I was playing for (oddly enough): I hoped to make something out of my central Pawns.
19. h3 Bd7 20. Qg5 e5?? 21. Qxh5 (Oh, dear.) 21... f5 22. Qh4 Re6 23. g4 fxg4 24. hxg4 Rh8 25. Ng3 Kg8 26. Qg5 Kf7 27. Rad1 Ne7 28. Re3 Qb6 29. b3

This is terribly grim, White has an extra piece and a crushing position.
29... Ke8?! Releases the Bishop, but what else? [29... d4] 30. Bg7 Rh7 31. Bxe5 Rf7 32. Bd4 Qd6 33. Rde1 Rxe3 34. Qxe3 b6 35. Qe5 Qxe5 36. Bxe5 Kd8 37. Bd4 Bxg4 38. Bd3 Bf3 39. Bf1 Nc6 40. Bg2 Rf4 41. Be3 Rf7 42. Bg5+ Kc7 43. Re6 d4 44. Bxf3 Rxf3 45. cxd4 Nxd4 46. Re7+ Kc6 47. Re3 Rf7 48. Kg2 a5 49. Ne2 Nf5 50. Re6+ Kb5 51. a4+ Kc5 52. Rxg6 b5 53. axb5 Kxb5 54. Rf6 Rxf6 55. Bxf6 Kb4 56. Nc1 a4 57. bxa4 Kxa4

Well, I've got most of the Pawns off, all I need do now is sac the Knight for the Pawn and hope John doesn't know how to mate with Bishop and Knight! (well, some IMs can't)
58. Kf3 Kb5 59. Ke4 Nd6+ 60. Kd5 Nf7 61. Ne2 Kb6 62. Nd4 Kc7 63. Nf5 Kd7 64. f4 Ke8 65. Nd6+ 1-0

Regis,D (1940) - Saqui,D (1910) (3) East Devon, 1997 (0-1, 32)
Saturday afternoon: my first heavyweight opponent, but I didn't get the hang of this one at all.
1. e4 d5 (Hey!) 2. Nc3 d4 The other line, which I have had a happy experience with:
Regis,D (1820) - Sandercock,EB (1640) [B01] Paignton Challengers #6, 1995
1.e4 d5 2.Nc3 d4 3.Nce2 c5 4.Ng3 Nc6 5.Nf3 a6 6.a4 e5 7.Bc4 h6 8.d3 Nf6 9.0-0 Be7 10.Nh4 Bg4 11.f3 Bh5 12.Nxh5 Nxh5 13.Nf5 Bg5 14.f4 Nxf4 15.g3 Ne6 16.Bxe6 fxe6 17.Qh5+ Kd7 18.Qf7+ Ne7 19.Nxg7 Qb6 20.a5 Qc6 21.Bxg5 hxg5 22.Qf6 Rh3 23.Qxg5 Rah8 24.Rf2 c4 25.Raf1 Qc5 26.Qg4 R8h6 [26...R3h6] 27.Nxe6 Rxe6 28.Qxh3 Qxa5 29.Rf6 Qb6 30.Rh6 1-0
3. Nce2 e5 4. Ng3 g6 5. Nf3 Bd6 6. Bc4!? [6. c3! c5!] 6... h5 7. c3 [7. h3?!] [7. h4!?] 7... h4 8. Ne2 c5 9. d3
Afterwards, I was very dissatisfied with my opening play in this game; however the expert in this opening (Dick van Geet) has played an identical formation:
[9...h3 10. g3 Nc6 11. O-O Qe7 12. b4 Bg4 13. Ng5 Nh6 14. f3 Bd7 15. f4 = Van Geet-Scheltinga/Netherlands 1968 although he actually lost this game!]
10. cxd4 cxd4 11. Qb3 (Probably a mistake, but it looked right at the time) 11...Qc7 12. Bg5

White's position looks pretty but it isn't going anywhere from here. In particular, the Knights lack scope. 12... h3 13. gxh3?! [I feared 13. g3 Bg4!] 13... Rxh3 [13... Bxh3] 14. Nfg1 [14. Neg1] 14... Rh7 15. h4 (not an attacking idea, just trying to get rid of that lame h-Pawn) 15...Bd7

Now it all starts going downhill (...Na5): Black just drives hard for the win move by move. I think almost any move here is better than the one I chose, although I did see that 16. Rc1 doesn't really work.
16. Bd5?! Nge7 17. Rc1 Qa5+ 18. Kf1 Nxd5 19. exd5 Nb4 20. a3 Qxd5 21. Qxd5 Nxd5 22. Ng3 f6 23. Bd2 Bb5 24. Ke2 f5! 25. f3 e4 26. Nxe4?!
[26. fxe4 Nf4+!? This is what he intended; wish I'd known! 27. Bxf4 Bxf4 28. Rc5!]
[26. fxe4 Bxg3! is what I feared. Maybe he would have changed his mind if it came to the crunch]
26... fxe4 27. fxe4 Re7 28. Kf2 Nf4 29. Bxf4 Bxf4 30. Rd1 oh, dear 30... Rc8 31. Ne2 Rc2 32. Kf3 Be3 0-1

Late Saturday night: 1/2 point from three games against lower-graded players: was this the tournament from hell? I do see other people withdraw at times like this, but I thought, I'm not ill, and if I don't go back tomorrow, what else will I duck?

Chambers, PF (1605) - Regis,D (1940) (4) East Devon, 1997 (0-1, 58)
Sunday morning: A good scrap, and some good fortune. Arriving with 1/2 out of 3, I found myself drawn against a charming old boy graded 120: I had the attitude that I would sooner lose than draw. I came rather close to the former but wobbled on for a win!
1. e4 e5
Second time I've played this in a match game for 20-odd years; like I said, I was in a funny mood!
2. f4 Thank Ford for that, if it was anything else I'd be improvising even earlier. I have ventured the King's gambit myself so I know some of the theory. 2... exf4 3. Bc4 Be7

Not the most direct line against the Bishop's Gambit.
[3... Nf6] [3... d5] [3... Nc6] [3... Qh4+]
4. Nf3 Transposing to the Cunningham is what I wanted. Can White profitably avoid this? I think not by [4. Qf3!?] but [4. d4!], when we looked at [4...d5!?] I don't know if this is right, but it seems to get into a Modern Defence when the Be7 is played too early to a passive square.]
4... Nf6 5. Nc3? [5. e5! Ng4 is the main line] 5... Nxe4! I know this is supposed to be better for Black, but it's not the sort of position I like defending: I like more active play as Black, but I guess you have to play these moves to win. So, ...Nxe4 it is!
6. O-O A good response. 6... O-O!?
[6... c6!? 7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 8. Nxe4 d5 9. Ne5+ Kg8 10. Nc3 Nd7 11. d4]
[6... Nxc3?! 7. dxc3 d5 8. Bxd5 Be6 9. Bxe6 fxe6 10. Bxf4 O-O 11. Be5 Nc6]
7. Nd5! c6 8. Nxe7+ Qxe7 9. Bb3 d5 10. d3 Qc5+ 11. d4 Qd6
I liked the Knight on e4 but I still wasn't happy with this position, and I don't know what else I was supposed to do!
12. c3?! [12. c4!?] [12. Ne5!?] 12... Bg4 13. Qe1 Nd7 14. Qh4

14... Ndf6?! Confused.
[14... Bxf3! 15. Bxf4 [15. gxf3 Qf6 16. Qe1 Ng5] [15. Rxf3 g5] 15... Qf6! 16. Qxf6 Ndxf6 [16... Nexf6 17. Rxf3 Ne4 [17... Rfe8] 18. Bc2 Ndf6 19. Be5 Rfe8] 17. gxf3]
15. Bc2
[15. Ne5 He wrote down this one, which is what I expected. 15... g5!]
[Maybe 15. h3!? g5 16. Qh6 Bf5 17. Bc2 Ne8 18. Qxd6 N8xd6 but if 19. Bxe4 Nxe4 hanging on to g5]
Black is struggling for a plan. 15... Qe6 (after 30 minutes thought) 16. Bxf4 Nh5!? 17. Ng5 Nxg5 18. Bxg5 Now White has fine compensation for the single Pawn deficit.
18... h6 19. Bd2

19... g5? A foolish bet. 20. Qf2? Trusted me, I guess.
[Most King's Gambit players might have been expected to play 20. Bxg5! hxg5 21. Qxg5+ Kh8 [21... Ng7 22. Rf6] 22. Rae1 Rg8 [22... f6 23. Qh6+] 23. Qd2 Qd6 24. Rxf7 Rg7 25. Ref1 Rag8 26. Qg5]
20... Qe2! 21. Bd1 Qxf2+ 22. Rxf2 Bxd1 23. Rxd1

23... Ng7?
A real hallucination: I thought the Knight was still attacked by the Bishop on d1!
[23... f5! is better but only equal: 24. Rdf1 Rae8 [24... Ng7 25. h4 f4 26. g3 Nh5] 25. Rxf5 Rxf5 26. Rxf5 Re2 27. Rf2]
24. Rf6 Kh7 25. Rdf1 Rae8 26. Rxf7
[26. h4!? Re6! [26... gxh4 27. Rxh6+ Kg8 28. Rxh4 with an attack] 27. hxg5 hxg5 28. Rxf7 Rxf7 29. Rxf7 Re2 30. Rf2= ]
26... Rxf7 27. Rxf7 Re2 28. Bc1 [28. Rf2 Rxf2 29. Kxf2 Ne6 30. b3 Kg6] 28... Rc2 [28... Re1+ 29. Rf1 Re2 30. Rf2] 29. Rf1 Kg6 30. g4 Ne6 31. h3 Nf4 [31... c5] 32. Bxf4 gxf4 33. Rf2 Rc1+ 34. Kg2 [34. Rf1] 34... Kg5 35. Kf3 Rh1 36. Kg2 Re1 37. Kf3 Re3+ 38. Kg2 Rg3+ 39. Kh2

39... b6?! 40. a3?! [40. Re2! Kh4 41. Re7 [41. Re6 Rxh3+ 42. Kg2 Rg3+ 43. Kf2 Kxg4 44. Rxh6 c5] 41... Rxh3+ 42. Kg2 Rg3+ 43. Kf2 Rxg4 44. Rxa7]
40... Re3 41. Kg2 Rg3+ 42. Kh2 Re3 (whew, made the time control) 43. Kg2 c5 44. dxc5 [44. Rd2 c4] 44... bxc5 45. Rf3 [45. Rd2 Re5] 45... Re4 46. Rd3 d4 47. cxd4 Rxd4?! (Another foolish bet, which also came off!) 48. Rxd4?!
[48. Rc3! Rd2+ 49. Kf3 Rd5 [49... Rxb2 50. Rxc5+ Kh4 51. Rh5#] 50. Rc4 Rd3+ 51. Kg2 and Black looks over-stretched.]
48... cxd4

Two sharp young players (including young Alan, graded 194) glanced at this in the post-mortem and declared immediately "winning for White" - after all, White has potential passed Pawns on both wings! But I've counted it out.
49. Kf3 [49. Kf2 is the same] 49... d3 50. b4 Kh4 51. b5 d2 52. Ke2 Kg3! [52... Kxh3 is what White had analysed, but is missing the point.] 53. Kxd2 [53. a4 doesn't save a tempo because of the check: 53... Kg2 54. a5 f3+ 55. Kxd2 f2 56. b6 axb6 57. axb6 f1=Q 58. b7 Qb5 still works by a tempo.] 53... Kg2 [53... Kg2 54. a4 f3 55. a5 f2 56. b6 axb6 57. axb6 f1=Q 58. b7 Qb5 works by a tempo!] 0-1

Regis,D (1940) - Towers,RC (1845) (5) East Devon, 1997 (1-0, 23)
Sunday afternoon: Beating The Tortoise 3. My esteemed Exeter clubmate Rich Towers played too cautiously, allowing me a position which was advantageous without being winning, but then overlooked a shot.
1. e4 d5
Anything but this dismal bloody opening again...
Ironically, Rich had sat in on a 1.Nc3 d5 2. e4 bull session that I had been part of the previous evening, so we played our first moves v e r y . . . s l o w l y . . . in between giggling. Did he dare? Did I dare? (He did, I didn't!)
2. d4
So, no 2. Nc3 today!
2... dxe4 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. f3 (The Blackmar-Diemer gambit, which I know next to nothing about, despite having read a book on it: I know some of the attacking formations but didn't bother getting to grips with any of the critical lines)
4...e3 (The Langerheinecke Defence; a perfectly solid line, I guess.) 5. Bxe3 c6 (Still playing the Scandinavian!) 6. Bd3 [6. Bc4 has been tried] 6... Nbd7 7. Nge2 e6 [7... e5 is flying rather in the face of the four developed White minor pieces.] 8. O-O Nd5 (To develop the Bc8, but shedding another tempo. [8... Nb6] [8... Bd6 9. Ne4 Bc7 10. c4] [8... Be7]) 9. Nxd5 exd5 10. Re1 Be7 11. Ng3 O-O 12. Nf5 [12. Qe2] [12. c4] 12... Bf6 13. Qd2?! Nb6! 14. b3?!

14... Be6 Rich is determined to take no risks, but this may be his mistake! [possible is 14... c5 !? when I had resolved to sac the exchange by 15. dxc5] 15. c3 Nc8 [15... Qd7 16. Qc2] 16. Re2 Ne7 17. Ng3 g6 18. Rae1 Qd7 19. Bg5

19... Bg7 [19... Bxg5 20. Qxg5 Nf5 21. Nxf5 Bxf5 22. Bxf5 Qxf5 23. Qxf5 gxf5 24. Re7 b6 25. Rc7 Rfc8 26. Ree7] 20. Qf4 Rae8

21. Bf6
Here's where all those night with the tactics training books should pay off... but this took me 20 minutes! There is no guarantee that any of the lines have a 'solution' leading to a White win (or even a plus); the move chosen was non-forcing which makes it even worse to analyse. Also, key lines with exchanges kept failing because White gives up the e-file, so I had to feel confident. In the event Rich came up with a blunder, but we had fun analysing the position afterwards:
[21... a5!? "Pass!" 22. Qe5 [22. Bxg7 was preferred by Fritz; I didn't think long about that plan. 22... Kxg7 23. Qg5 Ng8 24. Nh5+ Kh8 25. Nf4 missed that one 25... b6 [25... f6 26. Qh4 Bf7 27. Bxg6 h6 28. Bxf7+- ] 26. Nxe6 fxe6 [26... Rxe6 27. Rxe6 fxe6 28. Qe5+] 27. Re5] 22... Bxf6 23. Qxf6 b6 24. h4 and Black cannot pass any more. 24... b5 25. h5 h6 26. hxg6 Nxg6 27. Nh5+-]
[21... Nf5 "Exchanging #1" 22. Nxf5 [22. Bxg7 Nxg7] 22... Bxf5 [22... Bxf6 23. Nd6 Rd8 24. Nxb7] 23. Bxf5 Qxf5 24. Qxf5 gxf5 25. Rxe8 [25. Bxg7 I spent a little while during the game analysing this! 25... Rxe2 26. Rxe2 Kxg7 27. Re7 Rb8 28. Kf2 Kf6 29. Rc7]]
[21... Bxf6 "Exchanging #2" 22. Qxf6 Nf5 23. Bxf5 [23. Nh5] 23... Bxf5 24. Nxf5 (stops ...Rxe2) 24... gxf5 [24... Qxf5 25. Qxf5 gxf5 26. Rxe8] 25. Rxe8?! [25. Re7 Rxe7 26. Rxe7 Qd8 27. Qe5 Qc8 28. Qc7] 25... Rxe8 26. Rxe8+ Qxe8+/= 27. Qxf5?? [27. Kf2 Qe6 28. Qd8+ Kg7 29. Qb8] 27... Qe1#]
[21... Nc8! "Reorganising" (idea Qd6/Qe7) 22. Bxg7 Kxg7 23. Qg5 Qe7 [23... h6? 24. Nh5++- ] 24. Nh5+ Kh8 25. Nf6 [25. Qh6! Rg8+/= ] 25... Rd8 unclear! White can try h4-h5 but it looks flaky. ]
Instead:
21... Kh8?? 22. Nh5
I took me ages to realise (a) that Nh5 was now a useful candidate (it was useless before), and (b) that it won, although the very first reply I thought of was 22. Qh6!
22... gxh5 23. Qh6 1-0

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