Club Games - Andrew Pickering at work

Taylor, M (1605) - Pickering, A (2000) (1503) [A21] Exeter vs. Rainham

1. c4 e5 2. g3

[2. Nc3]

2... f5 3. Bg2 Nf6 4. e3

(This is a good formation, going for a central roller, but obviously you need to look out for weak squares)

4... Nc6 5. Nc3 g6 6. d4 e4 7. f3

(could have been saved up; Black isn't playing ...d5 yet)

7... exf3 8. Nxf3

(White has a central pawn but must aim at e2-e4)

8... d6 9. O-O Bg7 10. b3 O-O 11. Bb2 Re8

(highlighting the down side of Bb2)

12. Re1 Bh6

(Black now formed the plan of putting a Knight on d3 supported by the Pawn on e4. What Pawn on e4? Watch!)

13. d5 Ne5 14. Nxe5 dxe5 15. Qd3 e4 16. Qd4 Bg7 17. Ne2 Qe7 18. Qd2 Ng4 19. Bxg7 Qxg7 20. Nd4 Ne5

(getting there)

21. Bf1 c5

(I think this move is a nice example of why Andrew is better than most of us. Black has a great Knight and no weaknesses, but has no other assets and no obvious way of making use of the Knight. This move, seeking open lines, suddenly opens up all sorts of possibilities for the Rooks and Bishop.)

22. dxc6

[22. Nb5]

22... bxc6 23. Be2 Rd8 24. Qc2 c5 25. Nb5 Nd3 26. Bxd3 exd3

Black is winning.

27. Qc3 Qe7 28. Qd2 Bb7 29. Nc3 Rd6 30. Kf2 Re8 31. Rad1 Qf6 32. Nb5 Rdd8 33. Qc3

[33. Nxa7 Ra8 34. Nb5 Qc6 35. e4 Rxe4]

33... Qc6 34. e4 fxe4

[34... Rxe4]

35. Re3 Rf8+ 36. Kg1 a6 37. Na3 Qd7 38. Nb1 Qg4 39. Rde1 Rf3 40. Qd2 Rdf8 41. Nc3 Qf5 42. Nd1 Rf1+ 43. Kg2 Bc8 44. g4 Qxg4+ 45. Rg3 Qf5 46. Qe3 Bb7 47. Rg5 Qf6 48. Rxc5 Rxe1 49. Qxe1 e3+ 50. Rd5 Qf3+ 51. Kg1 Bxd5 52. cxd5 d2 0-1

Pickering, A (2000) - Belt, M (1775) [B03] Exeter Rooks vs. Exmouth, 1995

1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. c4 Nb6 4. d4 d6 5. exd6 exd6 6. Nf3 Be7

[6... g6]

7. h3 Bf5 8. Bd3 Qd7 9. O-O O-O 10. Re1 Bxd3 11. Qxd3 Bf6 12. Bg5

12... Nc6 13. Bxf6 gxf6 14. Nbd2 d5 15. c5 Nc8 16. Nf1 N8e7 17. Ng3 Rae8 18. Nh5 Qf5 19. Qxf5 Nxf5 20. Nxf6+ 1-0

Keely, L (2000) - Pickering, A (2000) [B93] Exeter vs. Huddersfield, National Major Plate, 1996

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. f4 e6 7. Bd3 b5 8. O-O Bb7 9. a3

[9. Qe1]

9... Nbd7 10. Kh1 Nc5 11. Qe1

11... h5!? 12. Nf3 h4 13. e5 Nxd3 14. cxd3 Nd5 15. h3 Ne7 16. Be3 Nf5 17. Bf2

17... Rc8

[17... Bxf3!? 18. gxf3]

18. Nd4 Ng3+ 19. Bxg3 hxg3 20. Nf3 dxe5 21. fxe5 Qxd3 22. Qxg3 Rc4 23. Rad1 Qe3 24. Kh2 Rh5 25. Rfe1 Qh6!? 26. Re2 Bxa3 27. Nxb5 axb5 28. bxa3 Rc3 29. Red2 Bd5 30. Qg4 Rc4 31. Rd4 Rxd4 32. Qxd4 Rf5 33. Qb6

33... Rxf3 34. Qxb5+ Ke7 35. Qb4+ Ke8 36. gxf3 Qe3 37. Qb8+ Ke7 38. Qd6+ Ke8 39. Qb8+ Ke7 40. Qb4+ Ke8

(Time control)

41. Qd2 Qxf3 42. Rb1 Qe4 43. Re1 Qf3 44. a4 Qa3 45. a5 Qf3 46. a6 Qa3 47. Qe2 Qa4 48. Rf1 Bc4?? 49. Rf4 Qa2 50. Qxa2 Bxa2 51. Rd4 1-0

Opochensky Karel - Nimzowitsch Aaron (3) [A50] It, Marienbad (Czech Republic), 1925

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 b6 5. e4 Bb7 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. Nf3

7... Be7

Hoping to keep the dark-squared Bishop while still "muzzling" the Pawns. 8. a3 d6 9. O-O e5 10. d5 "The muzzling." 10... Nb8 11. b4 Nbd7 12. Bb2 O-O 13. Ne2? Nh5

Nimzo says that White should attack on the Q-side - and this move loosens the centre, since ...c6 is now strong. Nimzo now tempts White to further excesses on the King's-side, expecting that Black's counterplay must be sufficient.

14. Qd2 g6 15. g4 Ng7 16. Ng3 c6 17. Qh6 Rc8 18. Rac1 a6

Black wants to play ...c6xd5 when it cannot be met by e4xd5.

[18... cxd5 19. exd5 f5 20. gxf5 gxf5 21. Kh1]

19. Rfd1 Rc7 20. h4 cxd5 21. cxd5 Rxc1 22. Rxc1 Nf6 23. Nh2 Kh8 24. Qe3 Nd7 25. Nf3 Nf6 26. Nh2 Ng8 27. g5 f6 28. Nf3 fxg5 29. hxg5 Bc8