Pretty good guys... getting better every match! We were
within
an ace of winning this one... Next time!nbsp; In fact, Seaton have
generously invited us for a friendly match at their club -- who's
interested in going?
[Event "Exeter Juniors vs Seaton"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.02.23"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Batten, Adam"]
[Black "Baal, Lloyd"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C41"]
[PlyCount "106"]
{Lots of good strong logical chess here... Shame about the finish, and there
were some better moves you could have played here and there, but I was very
pleased how well you tackled this game.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bc4 (3. d4 $1
3... Nd7 (3... Nf6 {is the main line, when} 4. Nc3 {is solid} (4. dxe5 {
is very annoying for Black, who cannot get an equal game after} 4... Nxe4 5.
Qd5 Nc5 6. Bg5 Be7 7. exd6 Bxg5 (7... Qxd6 8. Nc3) 8. Nxg5)) 4. Bc4 {
is better for White; there are some fancy tactics around.}) 3... Bg4 4. d4 (4.
h3) 4... Nd7 5. h3 Bh5 6. O-O Be7 7. dxe5 (7. g4 Bg6 8. Nc3) 7... Nxe5 8. Be2 {
Yes, you've got in a bit of a muddle here, but it doesn't matter.} 8... Nxf3+
9. Bxf3 Bxf3 10. Qxf3 10... c6 $2 {Just creates a weakness on d6.} 11. Nc3 Nf6
12. Rd1 Qa5 13. Bf4 Rd8 14. Rd2 $1 {Quite right!} 14... O-O 15. Rad1 15... Ne8
{Black is very tied down but still solid} (15... Qb4 $1 {is annoying but} 16.
b3 {is OK}) 16. Qg3 Qh5 17. e5 $5 (17. Qe3 $1 {
hopes to create more weaknesses on the other side, and keeps your bind.})
17... Qg6 $4 (17... d5 $1 {slides out of trouble.}) 18. exd6 Bxd6 19. Bxd6 Nxd6
20. Rxd6 (20. Qxg6) 20... Rxd6 21. Rxd6 21... Qxg3 {
The Seaton team liked to swap, even when losing!} 22. fxg3 h5 23. Rd7 Rb8 24.
Ne4 (24. Kf2 {King Up For The Endgame! [KUFTE]}) 24... Re8 25. Nd6 Re1+ 26. Kf2
Rd1 27. Ke2 (27. Rd8+ Kh7 28. Nxb7 {escapes the pin}) 27... Rd5 28. c4 Re5+ 29.
Kd3 b5 30. Rd8+ (30. Rxa7 {is simple}) 30... Kh7 31. Rh8+ $1 {Genius move.} (
31. Nxf7) 31... Kg6 32. Re8 bxc4+ 33. Kxc4 Rxe8 34. Nxe8 f5 35. Kc5 Kf7 36.
Nd6+ Ke6 37. Kxc6 a5 38. Nc4 a4 39. Kb5 (39. b3) 39... g5 40. Kxa4 Kd5 41. Ne3+
(41. Nd2 $1) 41... Ke4 42. Nxf5 {
Not necessary, but obviously you're still winning.} 42... Kxf5 43. b4 h4 44.
gxh4 gxh4 45. b5 Kf4 46. b6 Kg3 47. b7 Kxg2 48. b8=Q 48... Kxh3 {#} 49. Qb3+ (
49. Qf4 $1) 49... Kg2 50. Qg8+ Kh2 51. Kb4 51... h3 {#} 52. a4 (52. Qg4) (52.
Qh8 Kg2 53. Qxh3+ Kxh3 54. a4) 52... Kh1 53. a5 53... h2 {
Did you make a move here? You can still win if it's your move!} (53... h2 54.
Qh7 (54. Qd5+ Kg1 55. a6 h1=Q 56. Qxh1+ 56... Kxh1 {is similar}) 54... Kg1 55.
Qxh2+ {might have produced a resignation.}) 1/2-1/2
[Event "Exeter Juniors vs Seaton"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.02.23"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Burle, William"]
[Black "Gabriel, Joe"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C55"]
[PlyCount "85"]
{You played well and logically here but fell for a couple of tricks.
Experience will cure of these!} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bb4+ 5.
Bd2 Bc5 6. a3 d6 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bd2 Bg4 (8... Be6 {is often a good idea, as after
} 9. Bxe6 9... fxe6 {you have a half-open f-file to work with (N-h5-f4), but
here you have a weakness on g6, so it doesn't look so good.}) 9. h3 Bxf3 10.
Qxf3 Nd4 11. Qd1 11... d5 {Normally this is absolutely right. But there are a
couple of subtle warning signs here: (1) wasting a move (d7-d6-d5), (2)
opening up the game when your opponent has the two bishops.} 12. exd5 Nxd5 13.
Nc3 c6 14. Nxd5 cxd5 15. Ba2 O-O 16. Be3 Re8 (16... Rc8) 17. c3 17... Rc8 $1
18. O-O Ne6 19. Bxc5 Nxc5 (19... Rxc5 $1 {holds it together}) 20. Qf3 $1 {
Yes, that's annoying! You haven't done much wrong here and didn't deserve
this...} 20... Ne6 21. Qxd5 Qxd5 22. Bxd5 Rcd8 23. Bxe6 23... Rxe6 {
I'm not sure I got the next few moves right.} 24. Rad1 Rb6 25. d4 {
Now, you're losing, so swap off pawns.} 25... e4 (25... exd4 26. cxd4 (26. Rxd4
Rxd4 27. cxd4 Rd6 28. Rd1 Kf8) 26... Rbd6) 26. Rb1 f5 27. Rfd1 Kf7 28. a4 Rd5
29. c4 Ra5 30. b3 Re6 31. Kf1 Rd6 32. Ke2 Rc6 33. Ke3 g6 (33... g5) 34. g4
34... fxg4 $2 {No, that just weakens your e-pawn.} 35. hxg4 Rg5 36. Rg1 h5 37.
Kxe4 Rxg4+ 38. Rxg4 38... hxg4 {Now your g-pawns are weak too.} 39. Kf4 Rc7 40.
Kxg4 Kf6 41. f4 Rc6 42. Re1 Rd6 43. Re4 {
... and White won, but I can't follow the score.} 1-0
[Event "Exeter Juniors vs Seaton"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.02.23"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Royle, James"]
[Black "Porter, Les"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C41"]
[PlyCount "105"]
{Great game, James: a couple of things you could tighten up on but it was all
good careful stuff.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 2... d6 {
Philidor's Defence, which seems popular at Seaton.} (2... Nc6 3. Bb5 d6 4. d4
exd4 5. Nxd4 Bd7 6. Bxc6 6... bxc6 {this way Black keeps the two Bishops} 7.
Nc3) 3. Nc3 (3. d4 $1 {is more likely to cause problems.}) 3... Nc6 4. Bb5 (4.
d4 $1) 4... Bd7 5. d4 exd4 6. Bxc6 bxc6 7. Nxd4 {We've actually got into a
position of the Ruy Lopez, Steinitz Defence. White has a bit more space but
Black is pretty solid. I think people gradually found out that the best way
for White to develop is b3 and Bb2, making best use of the Bishop and shutting
off the b-file. But that's not obvious!} 7... Nf6 8. O-O Be7 9. Bg5 O-O 10.
Qf3 h6 11. Bh4 {Yes, you don't want to give Black both Bishops.} 11... Rb8 {
Yes, that's annoying.} 12. Rab1 Bg4 13. Qg3 (13. Qd3) 13... g5 $5 {
Bad but hard to refute!} 14. f3 $6 (14. Nxc6 $1 14... Qd7 15. Bxg5 hxg5 16.
Nxb8 Rxb8 17. f3 Bh5 18. Qxg5+ Bg6 19. Qg3) 14... Nh5 $4 15. Qxg4 Ng7 (15...
Nf6 16. Qh3 gxh4 17. Nxc6) 16. Be1 (16. Nxc6 $1) 16... Rb6 17. f4 Qb8 18. Na4
Ra6 19. Nc3 Bf6 20. e5 (20. Nf5 $1) 20... dxe5 21. fxe5 Bxe5 22. Bg3 {Tricky!}
22... Bxd4+ ({I was a bit afraid of} 22... f5 {because of} 23. Qd1 ({
but White can cope with} 23. Nxf5 23... Nxf5 24. Bxe5) 23... Bxg3 24. hxg3 Rd8)
23. Qxd4 23... Qb6 {White's Queen is strong, but Black must keep pieces on.}
24. Qxb6 cxb6 25. Rf6 Nh5 26. Rxc6 26... Nxg3 $2 {And again.} 27. hxg3 Kg7 28.
Kh2 {
Now, your King is a strong piece, and should be used to fight in the endgame.}
(28. Kf2) 28... Ra5 29. Kh3 29... Rf5 {Now, win when you're winning! Black's
hope is to double Rooks on the seventh, so stop that and you're winning easily.
} 30. a4 (30. Re1 Rf2 31. Re2 Rxe2 32. Nxe2 Re8 33. Nd4) 30... Rf2 31. Rc1 (31.
Nd5 Rd8 (31... Re8) 32. c4) 31... Rd8 32. Nb5 a6 33. Na3 Rdd2 34. Rg1 {
I was impressed with how well you kept everything together, but you should
never have allowed Black's rooks to get into their ideal position.} 34... Rf6 {
Black shouldn't swap., as usual.o} 35. Rxf6 Kxf6 36. Re1 h5 37. Re4 Kf5 38. Rb4
Rd6 39. Nc4 Rc6 40. Ne3+ Kg6 41. Rc4 Re6 42. Nd5 f5 43. b4 (43. Rc6 {
is a neat move to swap rooks.} 43... Rxc6 44. Ne7+ Kf6 45. Nxc6 {
and this would be very easy if only your King was doing something useful!})
43... Re1 44. Kh2 Re6 45. Nc7 Re4 46. Rc6+ (46. Rxe4 fxe4 47. Kg1 a5 48. bxa5
bxa5 49. c4 Kf5 50. Kf2 Ke5 51. Nb5 $1) 46... Kf7 47. Rxb6 Rc4 48. Nxa6 Rxc2
49. Nc5 f4 50. gxf4 50... gxf4 {Black has one last trick, to pin and win your
g-pawn, after which he might make some trouble with his last two pawns.} 51.
Ne4 (51. Nd3 $1 51... f3 (51... Rc4 52. Ne5+) 52. Ne5+ Ke7 53. Nxf3 {
and Black can resign.}) 51... f3 52. Kg1 (52. Ng5+) (52. Rf6+) 52... Re2 (52...
Rxg2+ $1 {and White still has to be careful.}) 53. gxf3 1-0