A cracking start to the season, with Newton Abbot blooding some new talent. I hope this result doesn't discourage them! In fact, the opposition board 1 scored ahead of the entire Exeter team at the Devon Championships, so as is often the case, the result is more lop-sided than the games.

Reece Whittington 1-0 Jim Knott Taylor Finch 1-0 Ben Sanders-Wyatt Edmund Kelly 1-0 Toby Donaghue Leif Hafstad 1-0 Calum Germain

[Event "Bloodworth Cup"]
[Site "Newton Abbot"]
[Date "2013.??.??"]
[Round "?.4"]
[White "Germain"]
[Black "Hafstad"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C00"]
[Annotator "Regis,Dave"]
[PlyCount "116"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
{White made a series of second-best moves and Black didn't miss any chances.
Well, maybe one.} 1. e4 e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. f3 {White's moves aren't bad, but some
good ideas have been worked out before and are easy to learn.} Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7
5. d4 c5 6. Bb5 Be7 (6... cxd4 $1 {makes an immediate hole in White's wall of
pawns.} 7. Qxd4 a6 8. Bxd7+ $1 (8. Ba4 b5 9. Bb3 Nc6 10. Qf2 Ndxe5) 8... Bxd7)
7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. Nge2 O-O 9. Bxd7 Bxd7 10. Qd3 Nc6 {White is already having to
respond to Black's threats.} 11. Qb5 $6 {lines the Queen up against the Bd7} (
11. f4 $1) 11... Bb6 $6 {No need to retreat!} (11... Qb6) (11... b6) 12. h4 $2
Nxe5 $1 {Peekaboo from d7.} 13. Qb4 Nc6 14. Qd6 Qc7 (14... Rc8 $1) 15. Qxc7
Bxc7 16. Bf4 Bxf4 17. Nxf4 Rac8 {Black is a pawn up, and just needs to convert.
} 18. Nb5 $6 {White should develop before trying to pick a fight.} Nb4 $1 {
Black correctly refuses to defend, and makes use of his active pieces.} 19. Nd4
e5 $5 {I expect I would have played this too!  But it's not the most accurate,
because one of the White Knights can dodge and make some threats.} (19... Nxc2+
$1 20. Nxc2 Rxc2) 20. a3 (20. c3 $1 Na6 21. Nxd5 $1 exd4 22. Ne7+ $1) 20... Na6
21. Nfe2 $2 (21. Nxd5 $1 {Forward!  Going backwards must lose.}) 21... exd4 22.
Nxd4 Rfe8+ 23. Kd2 g6 24. g4 Nc5 25. h5 Ne6 26. Ne2 Ng5 27. Nf4 Rcd8 (27... Rc4
$1) 28. Nxd5 Bc6 29. c4 Nxf3+ 30. Kd3 Bxd5 31. cxd5 Rxd5+ 32. Kc4 Rg5 33. hxg6
hxg6 (33... Rxg4+ 34. Kc3 hxg6) 34. Rh3 Ne5+ 35. Kd5 Nxg4+ 36. Kd6 $2 {into
the Valley of Death.} Rh5 $2 (36... Nf6 $1 {threatens mate in two:} 37. b4 Rd5+
38. Kc7 Rd7#) 37. Rg3 Nf6 38. Rf1 Ne4+ ({again} 38... Rd5+ 39. Kc7 Rd7#) 39.
Kd7 Nxg3 {Hard to resist!} (39... Rhe5 $1 {mates!}) 40. Rg1 Re3 41. Rc1 Re2 42.
Rc8+ Kg7 43. Rc3 Nf5 44. Rc5 Rxb2 45. Ra5 a6 46. Kc7 Ng3 47. Rxh5 Nxh5 (47...
gxh5) 48. a4 Rd2 (48... Kf6) (48... g5) 49. Kxb7 g5 50. Kxa6 g4 51. Kb7 g3 52.
a5 g2 53. a6 g1=Q 54. a7 Rb2+ 55. Ka8 Ra2 (55... Qg2#) 56. Kb8 Qxa7+ 57. Kc8
Rc2+ 58. Kd8 Rb2 0-1

[Event "Bloodworth Cup"]
[Site "Newton Abbot"]
[Date "2013.??.??"]
[Round "?.3"]
[White "Kelly"]
[Black "O'Donaghue"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C44"]
[Annotator "Regis,Dave"]
[PlyCount "67"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
{White was allowed to steal a pawn, then showed good endgame technique to get
the win.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 Bd6 $2 {This has some point to it but will
lead to problems developing the Bc8.} (3... exd4 {is the only move that has
ever been played with success in this position.}) 4. dxe5 $2 {This of course
solves Black's problem with the Bc8.} (4. Nc3 $1) 4... Bxe5 $6 {I don't give
up Bishops so lightly!} 5. Nxe5 Nxe5 {Black can feel relieved, but still has
no answer to White's extra central control.} 6. Nc3 ({White can try and follow
up his earlier moves with the consistent} 6. f4 Nc6 7. Bc4 Qh4+ 8. g3 Qe7 9.
Qe2 Nf6 10. Nc3 d6 11. Bd2 {with some long-term hopes of making use of the
space.}) 6... Nf6 7. Bf4 (7. f4) 7... d6 8. Bxe5 {Again, the Bishop is an
asset.} dxe5 9. Qxd8+ Kxd8 {with an endgame, or at least a queenless
middlegame.} 10. Bc4 b6 $2 {Ignoring White's threat.} (10... Ke7) 11. Bxf7 {
Now it's up to White to convert the extra pawn into a win.  Swapping off
pieces is the easiest way...} Bb7 12. f3 Rf8 13. Be6 c6 14. O-O-O+ Kc7 15. Rhf1
Rfe8 16. Bh3 (16. Bb3 {might keep more options for this piece.}) 16... Red8 17.
Rxd8 Rxd8 18. Rd1 Rxd1+ 19. Kxd1 {With an open file, the Rook swaps are hard
to avoid.  White now gets the King working...} Bc8 $2 {But Black should keep
pieces on, and try and swap off pawns.  If all the pawns come off except
White's extra one, then the game must be drawn.} 20. Bxc8 Kxc8 21. Kd2 h5 22.
Ke3 g5 23. g3 g4 24. f4 exf4+ 25. Kxf4 a5 26. Kf5 {White's King is a monster.}
Nd7 27. Kg5 b5 28. a3 $2 {That can only help Black.} b4 29. axb4 axb4 30. Na2
c5 31. Kxh5 Ne5 32. Nc1 c4 33. b3 cxb3 34. cxb3 1-0

[Event "Bloodworth Cup"]
[Site "Newton Abbot"]
[Date "2013.??.??"]
[Round "?.2"]
[White "Sanders-Wyatt"]
[Black "Finch"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C02"]
[Annotator "Regis,Dave"]
[PlyCount "84"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
{A short but intense opening phase decided the game. White soon drifted into
trouble with some natural-looking but vague moves against the French Defence.}
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. Nf3 (4. c3 Nc6 5. Be3 Qb6 6. Qd2 cxd4 7. cxd4 Bb4
8. Nc3 {and White is doing OK}) 4... Nc6 {Not bad.} (4... cxd4 {immediately
puts a hole in White's nice centre.  When this has been played before, White
usually decides to play around the d-pawn, hoping to make something out of the
wedge on e5.} 5. Bd3) 5. Be3 $6 {You sometimes see this idea after 4.c3, but
it looks inaccurate here.  White has a chance to get back into some known
variations - if he knows them himself!} (5. c3 $1 Qb6 {returns us to the main
line.}) 5... Qb6 (5... Nh6 $5) 6. b3 {Already a concession.} (6. dxc5) (6. Nc3)
6... Bd7 (6... Nh6 {also makes a point about White's early Be3}) 7. Nc3 $2 {
The undefended Knight is at risk} Nh6 $6 {Sensible, but the iron was already
hot, and it was time to strike!} (7... cxd4 $1 8. Nxd4 $2 ({White has to
abandon a pawn with} 8. Na4 {to save the Knight}) 8... Bb4 $1 9. Qd2 Qc5 $1 10.
Nxc6 (10. Nde2 d4 $1 11. O-O-O $1 Bxc3 $1 12. Nxc3 Qxc3 $19) 10... Qxc6 11. Bd4
Rc8 $19) 8. Bd3 $2 {Blocking the defence of d4, and ignoring the danger to c3.}
(8. dxc5 $1 {and White can hang on}) 8... cxd4 $1 9. Bxd4 $4 (9. Na4 $1) 9...
Nxd4 $19 {with an extra piece.} 10. O-O Nxf3+ 11. Qxf3 Qc7 12. Nb5 Qxe5 13. c4
$6 {Technically a mistake, but in practical play, White has to do something to
get some activity and chances for Black to go wrong.  So ? for the analysis
and ! for the practical decision.} dxc4 $2 {Allowing White some counterplay -
Black is still fine, but I see no reason to give White any hope!} (13... Bxb5
14. cxb5 Bd6) 14. Qxb7 $1 Rb8 15. Rfe1 (15. Nc7+ $1 {has to be tried} Ke7 16.
Qxb8 $1) 15... Qxb5 $1 {and it's all over.} 16. Qxb5 Bxb5 17. bxc4 Bd7 18. h3
g6 19. Rac1 Nf5 20. c5 Bh6 21. Rc4 Bb5 22. Rb4 a6 23. a4 Bd2 24. Rxb5 axb5 25.
Bxb5+ Rxb5 26. axb5 Bxe1 27. b6 Kd7 28. Kf1 Bb4 29. g4 Ne7 30. Ke2 Bxc5 31. b7
Kd6 32. f3 f6 33. Kd3 Kc6 34. Kc4 Rb8 35. h4 Rxb7 36. Kd3 Kd5 37. Ke2 h6 38.
Kf1 Rb2 39. Ke1 Kd4 40. Kd1 Bb4 41. Kc1 Re2 42. Kd1 Kd3 0-1

[Event "Bloodworth Cup"]
[Site "Newton Abbot"]
[Date "2013.??.??"]
[Round "?.1"]
[White "Whittington"]
[Black "Knott"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D15"]
[Annotator "Regis,Dave"]
[PlyCount "111"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
{A tough game where both sides had chances to win, but White's pressure gave
him the result in the end.} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 b5 $2 {Black
should know this defence more deeply than 3 moves!  ...b5 is a common idea in
the Slav, but right here it just loses a pawn.} (4... dxc4 {is the usual move})
(4... a6 {is trendy, and definitely threatens ...b5}) (4... e6 {gets into a
related system, the Semi-Slav}) 5. cxb5 cxb5 6. Nxb5 e6 7. Nc3 {No need to
retreat yet.} (7. Bf4 Qa5+ 8. Nc3) 7... Nc6 8. Bg5 Bb4 (8... Qb6 9. Rb1 Ne4 {
is more active for Black}) 9. e3 h6 10. Bb5 Bb7 11. Bf4 a6 12. Ba4 Ne4 13. Qb3
Qa5 14. Rc1 O-O 15. O-O f6 $2 16. a3 (16. Nxe4 $1 dxe4 {opens up lots of lines
for White, and wins a piece I think: Black has obvious problems on c6 and e6,
and a less obvious one on b4} 17. Nh4 $5 (17. Bxc6 $1 Bxc6 18. Rxc6 exf3 19. a3
)) 16... Bxc3 17. bxc3 e5 $6 18. Bg3 (18. dxe5 $1) 18... g5 19. Bxc6 Bxc6 20.
Qb4 {Sensible but there was another pawn on offer.} (20. dxe5 $1) 20... Qxb4
21. axb4 exd4 22. Nxd4 Rac8 23. f3 Nd2 24. Rfd1 Nc4 {A fine square for the
Knight} 25. Nxc6 Rxc6 26. Kf2 h5 {What could Black's idea possibly be?} 27.
Rxd5 $4 {White doesn't care...} h4 $1 28. Bxh4 gxh4 29. Rh5 Re8 30. e4 Rd8 31.
Rxh4 {Black has a plus, but White's pawns will have a say.} Rdc8 32. Rg4+ Kf7
33. f4 Ke6 (33... Nd6 $1) 34. h4 Nb2 35. Rg3 Kf7 36. h5 f5 $6 37. exf5 Kf6 {
Whte is making progress.} 38. Rg6+ Kf7 $2 (38... Kxf5 {was the only way to
keep going}) 39. Rxc6 Rxc6 40. Ke3 Kf6 41. Ke4 (41. g4 $1 $18) 41... Rc4+ 42.
Kd5 $4 {Deciding to swap which side to play on, but really White's advantage
is on the King's wing.} (42. Ke3) 42... Rxf4 $1 {Now Black can survive.} 43. c4
Rxf5+ 44. Kd6 Rxh5 45. c5 Rh4 (45... Nd3 $1) 46. c6 {White is making progress
again!} Nc4+ 47. Kc5 $1 Ne5 $2 48. c7 Rh8 49. Kb6 Nf7 50. Kxa6 Ke7 51. b5 (51.
c8=Q {is simpler!}) 51... Kd7 52. b6 Rh6 $2 53. c8=Q+ Ke7 54. Qc5+ Nd6 55. Re1+
Kd7 56. Qc7# 1-0