East Cheshire member plays Nigel Short

Nigel Short recently gave a simultaneous exhibition in Manchester as part of a visit to the North West. Our own David Broadbent was there and by all accounts made Nigel work pretty hard, finally falling in a good Knight vs. bad Bishop endgame.

Here it is with David's comments:

Nigel Short vs David Broadbent

Ashton Under Lyme

20th March 2010

1. d4 d5

2. c4 e6

3. Nc3 Nf6

4. cd ed

5. Bg5 Be7

6. e3 c6

7. Bd3 Nbd7

8. Ne2 0-0

Short is preparing centre / kingside attack.

9. Qc2 Re8

10. 0-0 g6

All standard book until my 10. ... g6. The book move is Nf8 but I decided it was good tactics to block Short's Bishop and Queen and move out of book (I had a plan!)

11. Rae1 Nh5

12. Bxe7 Rxe7

13. Qd2 f5

Attempting to block a centre attack. Short now switches to the Queenside.

14. b4 Nhf6

15. f3 Qe8

16. Nc1 Kg7

17. Nb3 Rb8

Determined not to move my Queenside pawns.

18. a4 Nf8

19. a5 Bd7

20 Bc2 Qf7?

Ne6 is possibly best.

21. Nc5 Qe8

Two moves wasted. I expected Short to play e4.

22. Nd3 Ne6

23. Ne5 Nd8

24. Na4 Nf7

25. f4 Ne4

26. Bxe4 dxe4

27. Nc5 Nxe5

28. fxe5 Be6

29. g4 Rf7

Short switches to the Kingside.

30. gf gf

Short obviously has an advantage but ais running out of attacking pieces. I can still defend easily.

31. Kh1 Kh8

32. Rf4 Rd8

33. Rg1 Qe7

34. Qg2 Bc8

Looking to cover a6 / b7 in the ending.

35. Qg5 Re8

36. h4 Rg7

37. Qxe7 Rxg1+

38. Kxg1 Rxe7

39. Kh2 Kg7

40 Rf2 h6?!

h5 is maybe better? Or b6 to free the bishop?

41. Rg2+ Kh7

42. h5 Re8

43. Rg6 Rg8

44. Rxg8 Kxg8

45. Kg3 Kf7

46. Kf4 Ke7

47. Na4 Be6

48. Nc3 a6?

What else? (How about Bc4 to stop the Knight manoever? -Ed.)

49. Ne2 Kf7

50. Ng3 1-0

Instructive endgame. Short probably knew how he could win 15 moves ago. Still, 50 moves was not bad.