Exeter Chess Club:

Contents

For:

Fri. 3 rd March. 2000

 

Tonight sees the start of the 25 th East Devon Congress at St. George's Hall in Exeter. It is a feature of the event that even in the top section, the Premier, there is an upper grade limit of 205. This eliminates the possibility of a lone, predatory Grandmaster coming in at the last minute to pick up the top prize of £200, and ensures that almost any of the top 20 players stands a chance of winning, and all the games are competitive. Last year, the event was set alight in Rd. 1 when one of the favourites lost to a relatively unknown newcomer. It was no fluke either, as Bruce Baer went on to take the 1 st prize.

White: David Hodge.

Black: Bruce Baer. [B06]

Exeter Premier (1), 1999

1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.Be3 c6 5.Qd2 Nd7 6.a4 Ngf6 7.Bc4 0-0 8.f3 d5 9.exd5 Nb6 10.Bb3 Nfxd5 11.Nxd5 cxd5 12.Ne2 Re8 13.0-0 a5 14.Rfd1 Bf5 15.Bf4 Rc8 16.g4 weakening the King's position. 16...Bd7 17.Qxa5 e6 18.Qd2 Nc4 19.Bxc4 dxc4 20.Nc3 Bc6 21.Ne4 Allowing White's pawns to be further weakened. 21...Bxe4 22.fxe4 c3 23.bxc3 Qh4 24.Rf1 Qxg4+ 25.Kh1 e5 26.dxe5 Bxe5 27.Qd1 Qxd1 28.Raxd1 Bxf4 29.Rxf4 Rxc3 A materially level double rook & pawn ending is reached, the difference being that White's pawns are all isolated and easily picked off. 30.Rf2 Re7 31.Rd4 Re3 32.Rf4 Re2 33.c4 Ra2 34.c5 Rc7 35.Rd5 Rxa4 36.Kg2 Rc4 37.Rf2 Rxe4 38.Rb2 Kg7 39.Kf3 Rc4 40.Rb5 f5 41.Rb6 R4xc5 42.Rxc5 Rxc5 43.Rxb7+ Kh6 44.h4 Rc3+ 45.Kg2 Rc8 46.Rf7 Rg8 47.Kg3 Rg7 48.Rf6 Kh5 49.Ra6 Rc7 50.Ra4 Rc3+ 51.Kg2 Re3 52.Ra7 h6 53.Ra6 Re4 54.Ra5 Rxh4 Winning White's final pawn. White resigned 10 moves later.

Late entries or enquiries to Alan Maynard on 01363-773313

 

The solution to last week's problem was Ne6!

The great US master, Harry Pillsbury played at the very first congress ever held in Exeter - in 1902. Shortly before his visit to Exeter, he played at Monte Carlo and had the following position against Gunsberg. Materially level, so how did he force Black's resignation 3 moves later?

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|-+-+-+-k|
|p-+-+-+p|
|r+-P-p-+|
|+p+-+-+-|
|-+-+-+-+|
|+-PKR-+-|
|-+-+-+PP|
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