Another victim of the system

While most of East Cheshire Chess Club have been sunning themselves in various parts of Europe our top player John Reed has been honing his opening system (which he kindly shared with us in a number of recent lectures) in France.

Here is another Queen's Gambit Declined steamroller with notes by John:

My opponent is an up and coming Azerbaijani junior who plays in France rated about 2000 ELO. The opening is simliar to the Queen's Gambit exchange. Note the standard metod of nullifying his early kingside attack. I prat around a bit on moves 21 to 23 but then it is amazing how quick the game collapses after g4 and Rg1. I don't think g4 is a great computer move but deserves a ! for unsettling the game at a crucial point.

JR - R Kasimanali

1.d4 d5

2. c4 e6

3. Nc3 Be7 (avoids many openings)

4 Bf4 Nf6

5. e3 0-0

6. cxd exd

7. Bd3 c6

8. Qc2 a5

9. N1e2 Na6

10. a3 Nc7 (this is a modern way of deploying the Queen's Knight)

11. 0-0 Ne6

12. Bg3 h6

13. f3 Nh5

14. Bf2 Bd6

15. e4 (probably too soon)

15. ... Nhf4

16. e5 Nxd3

17. Qxd3 Be7

18. f4 f5 (Black Knight on e6 now crucial piece)

19. h3 b6

20. Kh1 Ba6

21. Qf3 Ra7 Black has nice position.

22. Rc1(prevaricating) Rd7

23. Rfe1 Rc7

24. g4 Kh7

25. Rg1 g6 starting to lose the thread

26. Rg2 b5

27. gxf gxf? better Rf5 ( I will attack the king, you try to win on Qside!)

28. Rcg1 (it's going)

28. ... b4 (too late)

29. Rg6 Rf7

30. Qh5 ouch Bf8

31. Re6 bxc3

32. Qg6 1 - 0

Let's hope for some similar crushes in the Stockport league this season!

Dutch Treat

This is Graham's last game of the season against Stockport. I think Graham would admit he was not particularly motivated about this game, not much to play for really, this was until his opponent chuckled when Graham played his opening move 1.....f5. To be fair to his opponent this was not a chuckle at the move but more circumstance. Grahams opponent had prepared 1. Nf3 on the basis he might get White against Dave Newell's Dutch. Apparently Stockport chess club keep a database and Dave is on it, seems to me this is taking chess a mite too seriously. So having not got Dave he abandoned the Nf3 preparation, played 1. c4 then got the Dutch anyway, bit of a bugger life sometimes.

Anyway on with the game.

1. c4 f5
2. Nc3 d6 (supporting e5, anf if White plays d4 then we are back into main line Dutch Leningrad)
3. g3 e5
4. d3 Nf6
5. Bg2 g6
6. Nf3 c6
7. O-O Bg7
8. Rab1 O-O
9. b4 Nh5
10. Qb3 f4

So the opening has gone OK, its not too far off a Leningrad structure, not sure if the pawn on e5 is strong or exposed but it turned out OK.



















11. c5+ d5
12. e4 fxe3

Is the Ne4 then Nd6 manouvre good or not?

13. fxe3 Kh8
14. e4 half a question mark maybe
14. ... d4
15. Na4 Qe8
16. Bd2 Be6
17. Qa3 cheap trick or best available?
17. ... Na6
18. Ng5 Rxf1 I think this is best although other tries are available, the Queen is probably best if it can remain on e8 for the time being, lots of options from there
19. Bxf1 Bg8
20. Be2 Nf6
Wonder if immediate h6 is better, not much in it maybe, don't believe White will want to exchange the White squared bishop for the knight, probably needs it to defend those white squares around the King if necesary



















21. Bd1 h6
22. Nf3 g5
23. Nb2 Nc7
24. Bb3? Nb5
25. Qa4 (a long way from being in the game)
25. ... Qh5
26. Kg2 (Graham clearly up here, Nxe5 is an interesting try)
26. ... Rf8 (26. ...Nf4 worth a look)
A new experience for Graham this season, bit of time trouble having been treading very carefully over the past few moves
27. Rf1 Ng4
28. h3 Ne3+
29. Bxe3 dxe3
30. g4 Qg6



















31. Bd1 Nd4
32. Re1? Nxf3
Graham with not much time analized one sequence of moves giving him a position of safety and probably a win, 32.... Nxf3 is OK, but there is a winner.

33. Bxf3 Rxf3
34. Kxf3 Qf6+
35. Kxe3 Qf4+
36. Ke2 Qh2+
37. Kd1 Qxb2
38. Re2 Qa1+
39. Kd2 Qxa2

Well I think with correct play this is eventually a win for Black but its not easy against the clock and although a few more moves were played a draw was eventually agreed. Graham's challenge for next year is to turn a few of these very good draws into wins!

A Tudor Triumph

Just to cheer up the B team after being denied their match last night here is Tudor showing us all how to swindle again Denton last month. Notes by Tudor.

T Rickards 1 J Lysons 0

1. e4 ...e5
2. Nf3 ...d6
3. Bc4 ...Be7
4. O-O ...Nf6
5. Re1 ...0-0
6. c3 ...a6
7. d4 ...e x d
8. c x d ...Nc6?! (don't like this now, must find a better move)

9. h3 ...b5
10. Bb3 ...Bb7
11. Nc3 ...h6 (shows B is running out of decent moves)
12. e5! ..dxe
13. dxe ...QxQd1
14. RxQd1 (black in some trouble).
...Nh7
15. R1d7 (wish I was White)
...Bd8

Instructive. White completely in charge but needs to find best plan. I suspect gradual strangulation. Black has to, well, just hang in there

16. Bf4 ...Bc8
17. Rd2 ...Be6!? (I like it. What else? )
18. Nd5?! ( Looks strong. Ducks the obvious 18 B x B with severe B p weaknesses to avoid (doubtful) F file counterplay? )
18. ...Na5
19. Rc1? Loses. In pursuit of a win down the c file stuffs himself. Ra1d1retains probable win


19 ...c6! (thank you, white)
Nothing to do. Black forces material gain.
20. Nb4 ...B x Bb3 and wins comfortably. White quickly finds a few more moves to lose more quickly before the endgame.

Lesson: ...Nf6 is rarely played in Philidor's defense. Game shows one reason why. If offered a simplification to a v good endgame, take it.

Keven the Najdorf Killer!

K.R.Holton v. D Toole
East Cheshire B .v. Denton
Board 2
25th March/2009

1. e4 (I had a panic attack about his battle tested Kings Indian v. my new Reti!)

1. ... c5 (I hope he doesn’t know the Sicilian as well!)
2. Nf3 (Martian logic says if you play something you don’t know make sure you really don’t know it – hence the open Sicilian!)

2. ... d6
3. d4 c/d
4. Nx d4 Nf6
5. Nc3 a6
6. Be3 e5 (Hmm he does !?...)
7. Nb3 Be6 (Mum I want to go home now!)


8. Be2 Be7
9. 0—0 Nbd7
10. f4 Qc7
11. f5 Bc4 I didn’t like f/e5 and I felt a King-side assault was my best chance
12. Bxc4 Qxc4
13. Nd2 Qc6 Fritz gives Black 0.34 at this stage but I’m still punching.

14. Qf3 Rc8 I was surprised by this expecting Nc5 keeping 0-0-0 in reserve
15. g4 ! h5 ! After the game my opponent graciously told me g4 “was an “awful move”
16. h3 h/g
17. h/g Rh4 Looks good to me, a really Tudor type slugfest. I need a good cuts man !

18. g5 Nh5?? I had thought for 20 minutes cogitating his Ng4 where after Qg3 he had Nxe3 and then after the sequence Qxh4 Nxf1 Rxf1 I was loose but with K side pressure. I think the move played loses a piece to a pawn.

19. Bf2 ! Bxg5
20. Bxh4 Bxh4 ? The Martian mind scrambler I keep down my inside leg ( no not from one of those films Jackie Smith’s house husband watches !) has done the trick he had to play Bxd2 to have any worthwhile counter play.

21. Qxh5 Qb6 +
22. Kg2 Qe3 Oh No! -- he’s up to something, why did I cheapskate with ‘Pound Shop’ batteries in the mind scrambler………….. Pleased I played g2 to hold f2 though.


23. Qxh4 Rxc3 ?! Phew mind scrambler still working what is this? I had expected Qxd2 when Rf2 held well and allowed me to attack with Qh8+. Hasn’t he given me enough material?

24. b/c Qxd2+ No perpetual here Sunny Jim !
25. Rf2 Qxc3
26. Rd1 Nf6
27. Rxd6 Ke7 Otherwise Qh8+ and mate with Qd8
28. Rf-d2 g5 A desperate shot but Nxe4 forking both rooks and the queen is not on.
29. Qxg5 His flag had fallen to deprive me of mate in two………..
I politely said I wanted to avoid his KI so played e4 “off the cuff” and didn’t know it. “It showed “ he added rather sagely…………….

Having a Ball with the French

White: McKenna Black: Graham Ball

I think Graham expected to lose this one, he had fluked a half early in the season but maybe that actually worked in his favour.

1. e4 e6
2. d4 d5
3. Nc3 Nf6
4 e5 Nfd7
5. f4 c5
6. Nf3 Nc6
7. Be3 a6
Graham likes the 7.....a6 line for no better reason than he has forgotten about the Nb5 Nd6 manouver on more than one occasion. Its also true that with a bit of cooperation from White it can produce some interesting Q side ideas. I prefer 7......cxd4


8. Qd2 b5
9. dxc Bxc5
10. Bxc5 Nxc5
11. Qf2 Qb6
12. Bd3
Not sure about this one, Graham likes to get the bits off against a better player and surely White wants to keep the light squared bishop


12. ... Nxd3ch
13. cxd3 Qxf2 ch
14. Kxf2 Bd7
15. Rhc1

After 15 minutes thought. Graham gets nervous when good players start to think, mostly because he admits he can never figure out whats to think about, too much quickplay chess!

15. ... Ke7
16. Ne2 Rhc8
17. a3 h6

Can't help but think one side or the other needs to be on b4 here but haven't sat down and analysed it.

18. h4 Ra7
19. Rc5 Rac7
20. R1c1 Kd8
21. g4 Ne7
22. RxR RxR
23. RxR KxR
24. Ng3 g6

25. h5
(25. Nd4 better maybe)
25. ... Kc6

JPM has around 15 minutes left but takes 10 of them over the next mone, GB now very nervous. now I think b4 or Nd4 probably best but JPM maybe feels he should find a winning move

26. Ng5

26. ... gxh

After sitting there for 10 minutes. GB would not have taken that Knight even if it were possible.

27. Nxf7 hxg
28. Nxh6 b4

Hard for JPM to win this now even with the extra pawn coming

29. axb Kb5
30. Nxg4 Kxb4

31. Ne3?

Dont like this move, think GB has an edge now

31. ... Kb3
32. Nd1?

Not convinced by this either (time trouble moves.)

32. ... Kc2
33. Ke2 Bb5
34. Ne3 Kxb2




35 f5?

Swapping off alright for GB, the Bishop ought to become strong.

35. ... exf
36. Ngxf5 Nexf5

Time control, now on a first look I would have thought black winning but have not yet found a winning line , the problem is the a pawn is queening on the wrong colour so if white gets his king in front of it even after losing the knight to stop the d pawn it's drawn.

37. Nxf5 Kc3
38. Nd6 Bxd3ch
39. Ke3 d4ch
40. Kf4 Bc2
41. e6 Ba4
42. Ke5 d3
43. Ne4ch Kc2
44. Kd6 d2
45. Nxd2 Kxd2
46. Kc5 Kc3 draw

Queen's Gambit Steamroller

John Reed recently sent me one of his best wins, played in the Pornic Open in France where he won the veteran prize. In John's words "it just shows the power of the Queens Gambit Exchange variation, the best opening there is." That may be true but how often do your opponents let you play it?

Here is the game with a few notes by me:

John Reed vs. T Giraud (1900)

1. d4 d5
2. c4 e6
3. Nc3 Nf6
4. cd5 ed5

The starting position of the Queen's Gambit Exchange Version. White has the half open c-file and an extra central pawn with prospects of a central pawn storm later. What does Black have? I'm not sure really! Perhaps John could explain one day? Nigel Short seems happy to play the Black pieces here anyway.

5. Bg5 Be7
6. Qc2 c6
7. e3 Bg4
8. Bd3 Nbd7
9. f3 Bh5
10. N(1)e2 Bg6
11. O-O Bd3
12. Qd3 h6
13. Bh4 O-O
14. Rad1 Re8


The opening is over. White is ready to start pushing pawns. Black adopts a wait-and-see approach which doesn't work very well!

15. Kh1 Nf8
16. Bf2 Ng6
17. e4 Bf8
18. e5 Nd7
19. f4 Bb4
20. f5 Nf8
21. Qg3 Qg5
22. Qh3 Be7
23. Rd3

Ooops! Black's queen is in danger of being trapped and most of his pieces are mere spectators.

23. ... h5
24. f6 Bf6
25. ef6 Qf6
26. Rf3 1-0
What a crush! A great reason to play 1. d4, except that most of the time you will find yourself in a Nimzo, or a King's Indian, or a Slav...

Black to play and lose

Here is how Tudor won his game last Thursday night. This was the decisive game which won us the match against Holmes Chapel.

Notes by Tudor.

Tudor Rickards v. M Roberts (127).

Here is the position after 30. cxd:


Various tactics left white with not a lot more than a slightly easier position to play in time trouble.

Black decides to simplify. But this left one winning resouce I had been hoping might come into play.

30. ... Q xd4 (I expected R xd4)

So what would you play to give yourself the chance of a quick swindle?




31. Qe2 (to appear to threaten a6, although Rd1 looks better ...)
31. ... Qd6 (Oh, yes, thank you black)
32. Qc4 and wins. Cheap but some credit for trying for the endgame with good B versus poor Kt, and the basic combo working with one pair of rooks off, and Qs still on.