Games from Paignton 1996

In the first of a series of exclusive items for the Devon Chess Record, Gary here analyses his Round 3 win, which went on to be awarded the Best Game Prize.

 

  The veteran Alan Phillips was my opponent in the third round who has recently started playing actively again with promising results. His past record includes a share of the British Championship in 1954 with Leonard Barden and is renowned as the author of the instructive book 'The Chess Teacher'.

White: Gary Lane (2405)

Black: Alan Phillips (2150)

1. e4 e5 2. Bc4

  The Bishop's Opening is an old favourite of mine. The game usually transposes to a quiet version of the Giuoco Piano after 2...Nf6 3 d3 Nc6 4 Nf3, but this move-order avoids the Petroff Defence and Latvian Gambit. 2. ....Nf6

3. d3 c6

  Louis Paulsen introduced this system in 1859 and it has fluctuated in popularity ever since.

4. Nf3 Be7

  Clearly Black must be cautious about entering the complications arising from 4...d5 5 Bb3 when the cluster of black pawns in the centre act as targets which can be undermined. After 5...Bd6 6 Nc3 Be 7 Bg5 Qa5 8 0-0 Nbd7 play might proceed:

a) 9 Re1 0-0-0 10 d4!? exd4 11 Nxd4 Bg4 12 Qd2 dxe4? 13 Nxe4 Bc7 14 Nd6+ Kb8 15 Nxf7 h6 16 Bf4 1-0 Lane-Pergericht, Brussels 1990.

b) 9 exd5 cxd5 10 Re1 0-0 11 Qd2 b6 12 Bxf6 Nxf6 13 Nxe5 d4 14 Nb1 Bb4 15 c3 Bxb3 16 cxb4 Qa6 17 b5 Qa4 18 Na3 Bd5 19 Rec1 gives White the advantage, Nunn-Murey, Lucerne Ol 1982.

5. Bb3

  Amazingly people still fall for the trick 5 Nxe5?? Qa5+ and the game is over. There is another plan that is worth considering: 5 Nbd2 g6 6 Nf1 Bg7 7 Ng3 Nbd7 8 a3 0-0 9 0-0 Nc5 10 Be3 Ne6 11 Qc1 d5 12 Ba2 Qc7 13 Re1 dxe4 14 dxe4 Bd7 15 Bh6 Nf4 16 Bxg7 Kxg7 17 Qe3 Bg4 18 h3 Bxf3 19 Qxf3= Larsen-Slipak, Mar del Plata 1995.

5. .....0-0 6. 0-0 d6

7. Re1 Na6

  Also possible 7...Nbd7 8 Re1 Qc7 9 d4 h6 10 Nbd2 Re8 11 Nf1 Nf8 12 Ng3 Be6 += S.Christopher-Milligan, London 1985.

8. c3 Nc5

9. Bc2 Bg4?!

  It is arguably a mistake to pin the knight despite it being such a natural looking move. The point is that after h3 and the usual plan of Nbd2-f1-g3 I will gain time by attacking the bishop.

10. Nbd2 Ne6

11. h3 Bh5 12. Nf1 Ne8

13. Ng3 Bg6 14. d4

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|r+-qnrk+|
|pp+-bppp|
|-+ppn+b+|
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|+-P-+NNP|
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|R-BQR-K-|
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  I am content to finally take a chance and exert some influence on the centre. The immediate aim is the simple plan of developing the rest of my forces, while contemplating some action on the kingside. In contrast Black has little room to manoeuvre and must adopt a wait and see policy. The bishop on g6 is out of the game for the moment and might as well just be a big pawn, unless he can play ...d5 to put pressure on e4.

14 ...Bf6

15. Be3 Qc7 16. a4

  If he is going to do nothing I might as well try to control space on the queenside.

16 ...a5

17. Qe2 c5?! 18. d5!

  I am happy to close the centre because Black will then have great difficulties in conjuring up counter-play. The key is that I can cheerfully line up my pieces on the kingside for the eventual pawn push while Black is simply a spectator.

18. Nf4

19. Qd2 Nh5 20. Nf5

  Suddenly the threat of g4 is a worry to Black who has to find room for the knight to retreat.

20. Bd8

21. g4 Nhf6 22. Kh2

  Making way for the rooks to add their influence. Patience is a virtue.

22. ......Qd7

23. c4

  It is worth taking time to stamp out the possibility of ...b5.

23. ...h5

  The opening of the h-file is to my advantage but Black has become frustrated by the leisurely way I am conducting the attack and decides to increase the tension.

24. Rg1 hxg4

25. hxg4 Nh7 26. Rg3 Nef6

27. Rh1 Re8 28. Bh6!

 

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|r+-br+k+|
|+p+q+ppn|
|-+-p-nbB|
|p-pPpN+-|
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  Black is busted.

28. ..Nxe4

  The alternatives do not offer any hope of long-term survival:

a) 28...gxh6 29 Qxh6 Bxf5 30 gxf5+ Kh8 31 Qg7#.

b) 28...Nxg4 29 Rxg4 gxh6 30 Qxh6 Bf6 31 Kg2 (intending Qxh7#) 31...Nf8 32 Ng5! Qd8 33 Nh7 b6 34 Nxf8 Rxf8 35 Qh7#.

29. Bxe4 gxh6 30. Qxh6 Bf6

31. Kg2 Qd8 32. g5 Bh8

33. N3h4 Resigns

 

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|r+-qr+kb|
|+p+-+p+n|
|-+-p-+bQ|
|p-pPpNP-|
|P+P+B+-N|
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|-P-+-PK+|
|+-+-+-+R|
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  Final position

  I had hoped to finish in style with 33...Nf8 (forced) 34 Qxh8+! Kxh8 35 Nxg6++ Kg8 36 Rh8#.

 

 

White: N. Crickmore (2168)

Black: P. Lane (1992) Exeter

  [Peter Lane's notes to this game]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6

3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6

5. f4 Neil's much favoured Four Pawns Attack with which he won Best Game Prize at Paignton last year. 5...0-0 6. Nf3 c5

7. d5 e6 8. Be2 exd5

9. e5

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|rnbq-rk+|
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|PP-+B+PP|
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  So far, move for move the same as last year's winner against Roland Cole: the Gunderam Gambit. Obviously Peter Lane doesn't subscribe to the Chess Record which gave Neil's full analysis on this opening.

9. ..Ne4 Here Cole played dxe5 10. cxd5 Nxc3

11. bxc3 Nd7 12. e6 Like trench warefare, the white pawns charge the enemy lines, seemingly oblivious to the heavy losses incurred, a typical feature of this opening. 12. ....Bxc3+

13. Bd2 Bxa1 14. Qxa1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  The queen now doesn't move from a1 until the final move, which is exactly where it came to rest in the Cole game. 14. ....fxe6

15. dxe6 Nb6 16. Ng5 Qf6

17. Bc3 Qe7 18. Bh8 h6

19. h4 Rxf4 20. g3 Rf8

21. h5 d5 22. hxg6 d4 At last the queen is shut out from that long diagonal, but there's little hope of respite.

23. Nf7 Rxf7 24. gxf7+ Kxh8

25. Qc1 Resigns

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|r+b+-+-k|
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|-n-+P+-p|
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|+-Q-K-+R|
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Final position.

  All four of black's pieces are helplessly marooned on the wrong side of the board and powerless to defend the isolated king. 1-0

 

  [Peter Lane's notes to this game]

After a bad start, losing his first two games, Teignmouth / Torquay Boys' Grammar School player David Hodge went on to score 4 from the next 5 games with the help of this fine win in round 5, which was subsequently made Runner-Up for the Best Game prize. Ivor Annetts won the prize for the Best Game outside the Premier.

 

White: Mark Kambites (2008)

Black: David Hodge (1944) Teignmouth

 

1. f4 e5 2. e4 exf4 By declining black's e-pawn white finds it lodged awklardly on f4 for some time

3. Nf3 d5 4. exd5 Nf6

5. Bb5+ c6 6. dxc6 Nxc6

7. d4 Bd6 8. Qe2+ Be6

 

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  White is helping black's minor piece development, while fatally neglecting his own.

9. c4 0-0 10. 0-0 Nxd4

11. Nxd4 Qb6 12. Bxf4 Qxd4+

13. Be3 Black's queen and bishop now do a shimmy that keeps white snatching at shadows.

13. ....Qe5 14. g3 Bc5

15. Re1 a6 16. Ba4 b5

17. cxb5 Ng4

 

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|p+-+b+-+|
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  Now black throws another piece into the kingside attack which keeps the queenside pieces from the action. 18. Bxc5 Qxc5+ White's kingside, weakened on move 1, finally crumbles to dust. 19. Kg2 Bd5+ 20. Kh3 The king is hunted whether it goes to f1 or h3 20. ....Nf2+

21. Kh4 Qd4+ 22. g4 Rae8

23. resigns

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|-+-+rrk+|
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|PP-+Qn-P|
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Dr. Dave