Keverel Chess

Archive for November, 2011

The Torbay Congress finished on Sunday in beautiful Spring-like conditions at the Riviera Centre, Torquay. The winners were as follows:-

Open Section: 1^st= K. Arkell (Paignton); D. Mackle (Newton Abbot) & R. Webster (W. Bridgford) all 4 pts. Grading Prizes (180-174) A. Archer-Lock (Maidenhead) & D. Littlejohns (Taunton) both 3. U-174: J. Stephens (Exmouth) 3½.

Major Section (U-170): 1^st= R. Desmedt & P. Jackson. 3^rd R. Burton (Weymouth) 3½. GPs (156-153) R. Greatorex.

Intermediate Section (U-150): 1^st= N. Dicker (Glastonbury) & M. Wilson both 4½. 3^rd A. Papier (Bristol) 4. GPs (139-134): T. Crouch; P. Dimond (Bath) & D. Gilbert. (133-126): D. Jenkins (Camborne); T. Slade (Marhamchurch) & S. Ross.

Minor Section (U-120): 1^st A. Tatam (Plymouth) 4½. 2^nd= J. Barber-Lafon (N. Abbot); H. Welch (Seaton) & S. Grey all 4. GPs (U-110): I. Bowman (Liskeard) 3½. (U-96): B. Aldwin & G. J. Jenkins (both Exeter 3 pts).

Photographs can be seen on keverelchess.com and games accessed on chessdevon.co.uk.

This was the game between the joint leaders in the final round, in which both players probe for openings, but the defences were always equal to the attack. It was one of the last games to finish and drew a large crown of spectators, all trying to make out who might have the advantage in the endgame.

White: Dominic Mackle (197). Black: Keith Arkell (226).

Queen’s Indian Defence - [E15].

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 Bogoljubow’s favoured move in this defence. 5.Qc2 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Bxd2+ 7.Nbxd2 0–0 8.Bg2 d5 9.Ne5 c6 10.0–0 Nfd7 11.Nxd7 Nxd7 12.e4 Bb7 13.Rfe1 dxe4 14.Nxe4 Qc7 15.Rad1 Rad8 16.b4 c5 17.bxc5 bxc5 18.d5 e5 19.Rb1 Bc8 20.Qc3 Rde8 21.Rb5 a6 22.Rb2 f5 23.Ng5 Nf6 24.Rbe2 h6 25.Nf3 e4 26.Nd2 h5 27.f3 exf3 28.Rxe8 Rxe8 29.Rxe8+ Nxe8 30.Nxf3 f4 31.Ne5 fxg3 32.hxg3 Qe7 33.Ng6 Qg5 34.Nh4 Nd6 35.Kh2 Bg4 36.Qa5 Nxc4 37.Qxc5 Ne3 38.Qd4 Bd7 39.Qf4 Qxf4 40.gxf4 Kf7 41.Kg3 Kf6 42.Bf3 g5 43.fxg5+ Kxg5 44.Be2 a5 45.Nf3+ Kh6 46.Ne5 Be8 47.Nc4 Nxc4 48.Bxc4 Kg5 49.d6 h4+ 50.Kh2 Bd7 51.Bf1 Kf6 52.Bh3 Bb5 53.Bg4 Bf1 54.Kg1 Bc4 55.a3 Kf7 ½–½

No winning advantage accrued to either side so a draw was agreed, allowing Webster to catch them up.

Last week’s position was solved by 1.Qf5! which allows the pawn to move, while the King waits helplessly for 2.Qg4 mate.

This position is from a game played in this year’s Women’s Grand Prix. White to play and win quickly.

White to play and win quickly.

Exmouth were the hosts in their first match of the new season when they entertained Tiverton on Wednesday evening. The visitors’ secret weapon was the unexpected appearance of Devon’s match captain, Brian Hewson, who usually does not like to play mid-week evening matches after a long day’s stressful work, but as he is now within weeks of retirement, he’s clearly easing up in that respect.

Exmouth’s newcomer was Obie Ebanks, whose first-ever match this was. Overall, the teams were very evenly matched and very close to the maximum permitted grade limit.

In the first of two rounds at 30 mins. per player, Hewson lost a pawn and Stephens successfully ensured he paid the price. The second game was drawn. On Bd. 2 Morrison showed how quickly and originally he can play, and won with two strong attacks. On Bd. 3 Jones blundered a pawn away in the opening and played much of the game on the back foot, trying to blockade pawns from advancing. With only rooks on, he managed to break open the centre to give his own rooks some counter-play and the game was drawn. In the 2nd, he played his favourite reply to a c3 Sicilian, almost got his queen trapped in the centre of the board early on, but its presence there eventually paid dividends as he won material to a point where his black queen finally got a twin sister.

Ebanks admitted to being a bit overawed in the 1st game, but rallied and won the second, thus levelling the match score at 4-all.

John Stephens led his team to an honourable draw.

The balloon goes up as Arkell & Mackle get down to their Rd. 5 game.

In Rd. 3 it transpired that during the game between John Stephens and Jon Wells, Wells made a move and went off. Stephens made a quick reply and also went off for a stroll round. Wells got back to find that the Controller had assumed the game was over, had reset the clocks and was starting to set up the pieces in the starting position.

In Rd. 4, Exmouth’s Champion, John Stephens, and President, Mark Abbott, were drawn to play father and son combination, Chris (pere) & Adrian Archer-Lock. Father lost and son won.

Stephens (W) analysing with Archer-Lock Snr.

Arkell demonstrates his Rd. 4 win to opponent Paul Helbig, with Littlejohn, Stephens & Mackle looking on.

Final round gets under way.

The draw for Rd. 5 of the Open was as follows, with Arkell and Mackle being the obvious pairing for Bd. 1 as they were joint leaders. However, much as Arkell may have been the bookies’ favourite at the start, here he had the Black pieces and Mackle played the opening with vigour, and the GM had to call on all his defensive qualities and endgame technique to stay in the game. No question here of a quick draw to guarantee a share of 1st prize; the game went on to be one of the last to finish in the whole room, and drew a growing crowd of interested spectators, intrigued at the finely-balanced endgame position.

	Open Rd. 5
Bd.	White	Grd					Black	Grd
1	Mackle, D.	197	(3½)	½	½	(3½)	Arkell, K	226
2	Waddington, M.	187	(3)	0	1	(3)	Webster, R.	192
3	Archer-Lock, A	179	(3)	0	1	(2½)	Carr, N.	190
4	Helbig, P.	185	(2½)	0	1	(2½)	Menadue, J.	192
5	Dunn, A	167	(2½)	0	1	(2½)	Stephens, J.	173
6	Rosen, D.	186	(2)	½	½	(2)	Abbott, M.	170
7	Brusey, A. W.	174	(2)	½	½	(2)	Gregory, K.	184
8	Wheeler, J. F.	173	(2)	½	½	(2)	Bolt, G.	181
9	Bartlett, S.	162	(2)	½	½	(2)	Dilleigh, S.	180
10	Littlejohns, D.	174	(2)	1	0	(2)	Rahimli, N	170
11	Archer-Lock, C.	181	(1½)	½	½	(2)	Regis, D.	175
12	Thompson, R.	178	(1½)	1	0	(1½)	Aston, P.	152
13	Homer, S.	179	(1)	1	0	(1)	Wells, J. C.	179
14	Coburn, J.	156	(1)	½	½	(½)	Hamilton, E.	147
15	Nyman, J		(½)	1			bye

Arkell & Mackle almost swallowed up by spectators.

As games came to an end, the identity of prizewinners at all levels became apparent. This is an unofficial and somewhat incomplete list of all winners, subject to ratification.

The Torbay Individual Championships are held within the overall congress. Those eligible are players who play, or have ever played matches in the Torbay League. Thus, Ivor Annetts, although a member of an Exeter League Club, was for many years a member of Teignmouth, which qualifies him for one of these titles (see below).

The late John Whitfield was a disabled player who played whenever and wherever he could in Devon. His widow donated this relatively new cup for the best performance by a junior, won this year by 10 yr old Theo Slade of Marhamchurch in N. Cornwall. Theo is coached at distance by Dr. Dave Regis who runs the Exeter Juniors C.C. Occasionally, as at this event, they are able to interact face to face.

Theo Slade receives the Whitfield Cup from League President, Trefor Thynne.

Dave Regis analyses Theo Slade's Rd. 5 game.

Ivor Annetts (l) was the best Devon performer in the Major Section, receiving his trophy from Ray Chubb.

Hazel Welch (l) & Jacquie Barber-Lafon were delighted with their 2nd= prize in the Minor.

The 12^th Beacon Seniors Congress finished last weekend at the Royal Beacon Hotel, Exmouth, one of the best chess venues in the country. There was a high percentage of winners.

Seniors Section: 1^st= J. Dodgson, R. Everson, B. Gosling (Exmouth) & M Page (4/5 points). Grading prize (141 – 111) 1^st= S. Cranmer, N. Dicker (Glastonbury), D. Elwood & G.Naldrett (3/5 pts). U-110: P. Carrick (Bath), H. Herschmann & S. Jones (Dorchester). Over-80s: B. Sandercock & A. Sherriff.

“Juniors”: 1^st= I. Heppell & J. Wells (3½/5). Grading prize: D. Rogers (Exmouth).

“The exchange” is a term used in chess when one player loses (or wins) a rook for a minor piece, knight or bishop, and is often sufficient to be a winning advantage. In this game, the exchange is won no less than four times, but in the end, the minor pieces have the last laugh. Both players knew they had to win to qualify for a share of 1^st place, so held nothing back.

White: M. Page (168). Black: J. Footner (176).

Sicilian Defence – Paulsen Variation. [B49].

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be2 a6 7.0–0 Nf6 8.Be3 Bb4 9.f3 d5 Black’s freeing move in the Sicilian Defence, but he allows White to get a positional edge. 10.exd5 Bxc3 11.dxc6 Bxb2 12.cxb7 Bxb7 13.Rb1 Ba3 14.Rb3 Bd6 15.f4 0–0 16.c4 Rfd8 17.Qb1 Be4 18.Qb2 Nd7 19.Nf3 Nc5 The rook has no safe place to go; White needs a plan. 20.Ng5 Nxb3 21.Nxe4 White has lost the exchange. 21…Nc5 22.Nxd6 Rxd6 23.Rb1 Rad8 24.Kf1 Ne4? allowing White to regain the exchange. 25.Bb6 Regaining the exchange - again… 25…Qd7 26.Bxd8 Nd2+ … but losing it back almost immediately. 27.Ke1 Nxb1 28.Ba5 Qa7 29.c5 Rd7 30.Qxb1 Qxc5 31.Qb8+ Qf8 32.Qxf8+ Kxf8 33.Bxa6 The issues have now crystallised - 2 bishops vs a rook, with the outside pawn being the advantage, providing it can be mobilised quickly. 33…Rd4 34.Bb5 Rxf4 35.Bd2 Rf5 36.Bb4+ Kg8 37.a4 f6 The bishops now withdraw to the protection of their king, leaving the a-pawn free to make a charge for the line. 38.Bd2 Kf7 39.Be2 Ke8 The rook alone will not be able to cope with the pawn and 2 bishops so the king must swing across, but finds it’s too late to be of any use. 40.a5 Kd7 41.a6 Kc7 42.Be3 Ra5 43.a7 1-0 Resigns. Play might have continued 43…Kb7 44.Bf3+ Rd5 the least worst option. 45.Bxd5+ exd5 leaving the White king free to mop up the pawns at leisure while the Black king is tied to b7 for ever.

This 2-mover shouldn’t delay you too long.

White to play and mate in 2.

The 12^th Seniors Congress has been held all this week at the Royal Beacon Hotel, Exmouth, one of the best venues in the country. The final prizelist was only made clear yesterday afternoon, after going to press, but the early rounds produced some interesting games. In this encounter, Black holds back from any occupation of the centre early on, but this doesn’t prevent him from launching a crushing attack as soon as he knows where the White king will be stationed. The build up to it is steady and it is interesting to see how White counters in the centre and how Black denies him the time to make anything of it.

White: A. F. Footner (173). Black: M. W. Wiltshire (148).

Nimzowitsch Defence. [B00]

1.e4 b6 2.Nf3 Bb7 3.Nc3 g6 4.d4 Bg7 5.Bc4 e6 6.Bg5 Ne7 7.Qd2 h6 8.Bf4 d6 9.0–0–0 White has committed himself early to Q-side castling, and Black can make this his target for attack. 9…a6 the launching pad. 10.d5 e5 11.Be3 Nd7 12.g3 Nf6 13.Nh4 b5 14.Bb3 Bc8 Black is in no desperate hurry to launch the attack immediately, but takes time to get his pieces better positioned for the moment when he’s ready, which is all well and good as long as he is not allowing his opponent time to counter on the opposite wing. 15.f3 Bd7 16.g4 Nc8 17.g5 hxg5 18.Bxg5 Nb6 19.Qe2 the time has come. 19…b4 20.Nb1 Bb5 21.Qe1 a5 22.c3 a4 the “pawn storm” continues apace. 23.Bc2 b3 24.axb3 axb3 25.Bxb3 Black has lost a pawn during this little skirmish, but it merely opens lines to the White king for Black to exploit. 25…Qd7 26.f4 Ba4 27.Bxa4 Qxa4 28.fxe5 Ng4 29.e6 f6 sidestepping the threat and gaining a tempo at the same time. 30.Bd2 Nc4 31.Na3 Qb3 and White resigned, as he cannot avoid mate on either b2 or a1. For example, if 32.Nxc4 Ra1#.

This was an unexpected result as Footner was one of the favourites, but it was no fluke as Wiltshire went on to win his second game against another high-flier.

The 45^th Torbay Congress starts next Friday evening at the Riviera Centre. Enquiries about late entries should be directed to Mark Batten on 07971-626877.

Solvers are sure to have noticed that last week’s problem by Sam Loyd was incorrectly printed – a white piece had been inadvertently omitted, making it impossible to mate in 2 moves. Apologies for that, and here is the correct version. It is another “waiter”, where there is no immediate mating threat, but every Black move allows White in for the kill. The solution is 1.Ke8! offering his knight on e6 to be taken, but this allows 2.Qc6 mate. Now you can work out White’s replies to Black’s other moves.

Being the 11th November, it was agreed that at 11 a.m. clocks should be stopped for 2 minutes as an act of remembrance. Ewart Smith had a small transistor radio tuned to Radio 4 and at the moment the announcer said “We are now going over to the Cenotaph”… etc. he turned it up to full volume. Clocks were stopped and most people chose to stand while the bell tolled. A gun salute marked the endof the 2 minutes; clocks were re-started an hostilities re-commenced.

11.00-11.11.11. Hostilities cease for 2 minutes.

Inevitably, there were some quick draws, as some sought to get back home before dark. On the other hand, most of the potential prizewinners fought tooth and nail to the end. Everson/Dodgson was a quick draw to guarantee them at least a share of 1st place, but that left six players with the possibility of joining them. Of these, it was Martin Page and Brian Gosling who, after sharp well-judged play, came out winners, to make it a 4-way tie. In the “Juniors”, the joint leaders, Wells and Heppell fought long games, neither willing to accept a draw in case the other went on to win, but in the end, Heppell had little choice but to accept a draw, and Wells followed suite soon after.

The games finished as follows:-

Steve Dean arrives to play Wells, while Heppell v Burton is already under way.

Eventually settled down.

Top 2 games in the Seniors - Everson/Dodgson ended in a quick draw.

The draw for Rd. 4 was as follows:-

Of the 6 players on 2.5, only Dodgson and Everson won, making them joint leaders and due to meet in the final round. A number of others have a mathematical chance of becoming joint winners on 4 pts if the top 2 draw, including Openshaw, Page, John Footner, Dinah Norman, Gamble and Gosling.

The top game in the “Juniors” was between Wells on a maximum 3/3 and Heppell, a point behind having drawn 2 games. However, Heppell rediscovered his form and levelled the scores.

Rd. 4 games here:

Pt. 1: http://www.chessdevon.co.uk/HTML/bs2014/base.htm

Pt. 2: http://www.chessdevon.co.uk/HTML/bj2014a/base.htm

All “Junior” gms: http://www.chessdevon.co.uk/HTML/bj2011/base.htm

Tomorrow is the 11th day of the 11th month, 2011, and there has been talk about whether it would be appropriate to have a 2 minute pause at 11 o’clock - clocks stopped to allow folk thoughts to go where they will. The idea was explained at the start of play on Wednesday, and a show of hands to be taken today. When asked, it was clear the mark of respect was wanted.

Top 2 games in the Seniors: Dodgson v Carr: Openshaw v Page

Hazel Welch helps visually-challenged Patching, and a blind player plays Naldrett.

Top game in the Juniors was Heppell v Wells (won by White) and Dean v Orr.

Arrived this morning to be regaled with an OMG moment from Rd. 1. The perpetrator was Sid Jones (no relation), who had been playing Gerald Parfett.

They had been playing for several hours, and reached a pawn endgame. Sid, as White, made his 60th move, Kf2, to reach the following position, and left the board to get a couple of continuation scoresheets from the controller’s table.

OMG! A real senior moment!

On his return to the board he found Black had played 60…Kf4. A quick look told him that his own King could never stray from f2 and he imagined that the Black King could always get back to e5 and cover any break by the d-pawn, so Sid resigned immediately. He had, of course, overlooked the fact that the d-pawn would always be a step ahead and would queen, leaving him with a cast iron win. Talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory… Sid blames the break in concentration caused by the trip to get a new scoresheet, and calls this the biggest blunder of his chess career - at least, since the last one he forgot about.

Always philosophical, as Sid sat down for his Rd. 3 game, he placed a warning sign for all who passed by to see - “CAUTION - Senior Moment in Progress”.

Sid Jones wearing red for danger!

Round 3 ended as follows:-

Rd. 3 games here:

Pt. 1: http://www.chessdevon.co.uk/HTML/bs2013/base.htm

Pt. 2: http://www.chessdevon.co.uk/HTML/bs2013a/base.htm

All “Junior” gms: http://www.chessdevon.co.uk/bj2011/base.htm

Bds. 1 & 2 in the Seniors.

Bds. 1 & 2 in the "Juniors".

Sandercock v Hazel Welch (nearest) & Lucas v Dinah Dobson.

Numbers were boosted today as 4 players who had claimed byes for Rd. 1 arrived ready for combat.

Among the announcements at the start was a plug for Brian Gosling’s recent publication - a book on the life and work of the 19th century pioneer of problem composition, John Brown of Bridport in Dorset. He has spent c. 2 years researching his life and collecting his work and has produced the definitive biography of the man usually known as “J. B. of Bridport”. There were several copies on the bookstall and Brian was happy to sign any copies purchased, making them collectors’ items of the future.

Once play got under way, some close tussles ensued, ending as follows.

When ready, Rd. 2 games will come in 2 parts.

Part 1: http://www.chessdevon.co.uk/HTML/bs2012/base.htm

Part 2: http://www.chessdevon.co.uk/HTML/bs2012a/base.htm

All “Junior” gms: http://www.chessdevon.co.uk/HTML/bj2011/base.htm

Local chess author, Brian Gosling, in play against Seaton's Hazel Welch.

Mike Wiltshire backs up his excellent Rd. 1 win against Footner, with another against bearded Dutchman Wim Vender.

Top 2 bds (both drawn): Dodson v Gamble (nearest) & Everson v Price.

After a 1 pt bye in Rd. 1, John Ariss has to face the top seed, Jonathan Wells.

Jenkins v Cox (nearest); Waters v Patching; Wiggins v O'Rourke & Carrick v Cranmer.