Game of the Month answer: 1. Nf6+! wins in all variations, the basic point being 1...Rxf6? 2. Qxc8+! and mate on the back rank.
Coulsdon Chess Fellowship Autumn Open
3rd – 4th September, 2005
Report by James Mansson
Not having played serious chess for about three months, I decided to enter one of the regular Coulsdon events to get back into form. Overall, my result was about par, but clearly there is room for improvement.
Round 1
I didn’t participate in the first round, because I had a prior engagement on Saturday morning.
The clear tournament favourite was Eyal Deutsch, a FM from Israel, with an estimated BCF grade of 222. The next highest rated player had a rating of 205, while the rest of us were all rated under 200!
Deutsch unsurprisingly won his first game.
Round 2
First up for me was a 170-rated opponent, whom I managed to beat pretty decisively. It was a strange game, which didn’t conform to any familiar patterns, but I was pleased to discover afterwards, after analysing it with Shredder, that I didn’t make any tactical errors.
Mansson,James - Seymour,Tim
CCF Autumn Open Coulsdon (2), 03.09.2005
[Mansson,James]
1.Nf3 f5 2.c4 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.g3 g6 5.Bg2 Bg7 6.0–0 0–0 7.Nc3 c6 8.Rb1!? A prophylactic move, to avoid tactical problems down the long diagonal. [8.d5 e5 9.dxe6 Bxe6÷] 8...Ne4 9.Qb3 [¹9.Nxe4 fxe4 10.Nd2 d5 11.e3 Be6 12.b4 b5 13.cxb5 cxb5 14.a4 bxa4 15.Qxa4 Nd7 16.Qa2 Bf7 17.Nb3 Nb6 18.Na5 Qd7 Beliavsky - Agrest, Batumi 1999 19.Bd2!?² with the idea Rfc1 and Be1 to cover f2 - Khalifman.] 9...Na6 [9...Nxc3 10.bxc3÷] 10.Rd1 Qe8?! [¹10...Qb6÷] 11.Nxe4± fxe4 12.Ng5 e5?! A mistake, as this weakens d6. [¹12...Bg4 13.Bxe4 Qc8 (13...Bxe2 14.Rd2 Bg4 15.Qxb7+-) 14.Qe3±] 13.dxe5+- Nc5 [13...Bxe5 14.Nxe4+-; 13...Qxe5 14.Bf4+-] 14.Qa3 Bxe5 [14...Bg4 15.exd6 Bxe2 16.Rd2 Bd3 17.Qxc5 Bxb1 18.d7+-] 15.b4 with the idea of Nxe4 followed by Bh6 and/or f4. 15...Ne6 The other knight moves are no better. 16.Nxe4 Nd4 17.Bh6 Nxe2+ [17...Rf7 18.f4+-] 18.Kf1 Bg7?? [18...Nd4 19.Bxf8 Qxf8+- is a better try, but still losing.] 19.Bxg7 Kxg7 20.Qb2+ White is winning a piece, so Black resigns. 1–0
Deutsch won again.
Round 3
Next, I came up against a 182-rated WFM, Jessie Gilbert, one of the stronger female players around. After a misjudgement by me just out of the opening, she gained a strong attacking position, and after a further error, she played an excellent sacrifice, which gave her a decisive initiative.
Gilbert,Jessie - Mansson,James
CCF Autumn Open Coulsdon (3), 03.09.2005
[Mansson,James]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0–0 5.Bd2 An unusual move. [5.a3 is normal.] 5...Nc6 This leads into positions normally reached after 4...Nc6. Black is playing for ...e5, with a solid position. 6.Nf3 d6 7.a3 Bxc3 8.Bxc3 a5 9.b3 Qe7 10.e3 e5 11.d5 e4?! A dubious idea, which allows White to create a strong kingside attack. [¹11...Nb8² is more sensible.] 12.dxc6!± exf3 13.gxf3 bxc6 14.Bd3 White has a strong attacking position: raking bishops and the open g-file. 14...d5 15.Rg1 Be6?! [¹15...g6 16.Qb2 Nh5±] 16.Bxh7++- Kh8 [16...Nxh7 17.Rxg7+ Kh8 18.Qxh7#] 17.Bd3 a4 18.cxd5 axb3 [18...Bxd5 19.Qb2 Bxf3 20.Rg3+-] 19.Qb2 cxd5 [19...Bxd5 does not avoid 20.Rxg7!!+-] 20.Rxg7!! Kxg7 21.Ke2 with the threat of 22 Bxf6+ Qxf6 23 Rg1+, winning the queen. 21...Bf5 [21...Ra4 22.Rg1+ Bg4 23.fxg4+-] 22.Bxf5 Ra6 23.Qxb3 Kh6 24.Bd3 Rb6 25.Qa4 Nh5 26.Rg1 [26.Qg4!+- is even stronger.] 26...f5 27.Bb4?! [¹27.Qc2+-] 27...c5± 28.Qa5 Qe6? [¹28...Rc6 29.Qa4 Re6 30.Bd2±] 29.Qxc5+- Rc8 30.Qd4 Rbc6 31.Bd2 Kh7 32.Rg5 Black lost on time. 1–0
Yet again, Deutsch won. Gilbert and Poobalasingham were half a point behind.
Round 4
My game in this round seemed to take a straightforward course: my opponent gained the initiative in a double-edged position because of a tactical oversight by myself, and then outplayed me to win. However, when I looked at the game later with Shredder, it pointed out a crushing sacrifice for me, which is not at all obvious. Yet another demonstration of the tactical power of chess computers!
Mansson,James - Bailey,Kevin
CCF Autumn Open Coulsdon (4), 04.09.2005
[Mansson,James]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0–0 9.h3 Nb8 10.d4 Nbd7 11.Nbd2 Bb7 12.Bc2 Re8 13.Nf1 Bf8 14.Ng3 g6 15.a4 Bg7 A side line. [15...c5 16.d5 c4! 17.Bg5! h6 18.Be3 Nc5 19.Qd2 h5! 20.Bg5 Be7 21.Ra3 Rb8 22.Rea1 is the main line.] 16.Bg5 Mixing up systems, cf. the main line with 15...c5 above. White should take advantage of the omission of ...c5 to put pressure on b5 by moving his bishop to d3, which cannot now be met by ...c4. [¹16.Bd3! c6 17.Bg5 with the idea Qd2. 17...h6 18.Bd2 Kh7 19.Qc2] 16...h6 17.Bd2 exd4! This works well here, as Black gains good play against the White centre. 18.cxd4 c5 19.Bf4 [19.d5 Qb6=] 19...Qb6! The best way of handling the threat to d6. Black not only covers the pawn, but puts pressure on d4. [19...Nf8²; 19...Nb6? 20.dxc5 dxc5 21.Qxd8 Raxd8 22.Bc7+-; 19...cxd4?! 20.Bxd6²; 19...Bf8²] 20.d5 [20.Bxd6? Qxd6 21.e5 Bxf3! 22.Qxf3 (22.gxf3 Qxd4–+) 22...Qxd4 23.exf6 Qxf6–+; 20.e5?! dxe5 21.dxe5 Nd5³; 20.a5 Qc6 21.d5 Qc7= 22.e5? Nxd5 23.exd6 Rxe1+ 24.Nxe1 Qd8–+; 20.axb5 axb5 21.Rxa8 Bxa8=] 20...c4!? Double-edged: Black now gains c5 for his knight, but concedes d4 to the White pieces. 21.Be3 Qc7?! This leaves b5 weak. [¹21...Nc5=] 22.axb5 axb5 23.Nd4 Rxa1 [23...Ra5 24.Qd2 Rea8 25.Rab1±] 24.Qxa1 Ra8?! [¹24...Nc5 25.Nxb5 Qb6 26.Nc3 Qb4² Black has some compensation, in the style of the Benko Gambit, for his pawn.] 25.Qc1 Qa5 26.Rd1 Kh7? [¹26...h5± is better as it avoid the tactical blow on f5 indicated in the next note.] 27.f4? White misses a fantastic chance, though the lines are very hard to calculate. [¹27.Ngf5!! gxf5 Forced, because of the threats to d6 and h6. 28.Nxf5 Ne8 If Black lets White take on d6, then the White central pawns will be more than enough for the piece. (28...Qc7 29.Bxh6 Ne8 (29...Bxh6 30.Qxh6+ Kg8 31.Qg7#) 30.Bxg7 Nxg7 31.Qh6+ Kg8 32.Qxg7#) 29.e5 threatening Nxd6 followed by Nxb7. 29...Kg8 30.Bxh6 Qd8 (30...Nxe5 31.Bxg7 Nxg7 32.Qg5 Ng6 33.Nh6+ Kf8 34.Bxg6 fxg6 35.Qxg6+-) 31.Bxg7 Nxg7 32.Nxd6+- White has three pawns for the piece and a massive attack.] 27...b4 28.Nf3 c3 29.bxc3 bxc3 30.Qb1?! [¹30.Bd4=] 30...Qa2? [¹30...Nc5³] 31.Qxb7? [¹31.Bd4 Ra3 32.Rc1±] 31...Rb8 32.Qxb8? [¹32.Bb3!µ] 32...Nxb8–+ 33.Rc1 Nfd7 34.Ne1 Na6 35.Nd3 Qc4 36.Rb1 Bd4 37.Bxd4 Qxd4+ 38.Kh2 Ndc5 39.Nxc5 Nxc5 40.Rf1 Qd2 0–1
Deutsch beat Poobalasingham, while Gilbert beat Briscoe, setting up a last-round pairing between the two.
Round 5
My last round game was against a junior and was poorly played by both sides. I played marginally less badly and managed to win.
(4) Williams,Peter A (1664) - Mansson,James (1976) [C67]
CCF Autumn Open Coulsdon (5), 04.09.2005
[Mansson,James]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0–0 Nxe4 5.Re1 [5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 is the main line.] 5...Nd6 6.Nxe5 Be7 7.Nxc6 [7.Bf1 0–0 8.d4 Nf5=; 7.Bd3 Nxe5 8.Rxe5 0–0 9.Nc3 c6=; 7.Qh5 Nxe5 8.Qxe5 0–0 9.Qxe7 Nxb5=] 7...dxc6 8.Bd3 0–0 9.Nc3 Bf6 10.Ne4 Nxe4 11.Bxe4 c5? Careless, overlooking White's reply, which wins a pawn. Fortunately Black does get some play for the pawn, due to White's backward development. [¹11...Be6=] 12.Qh5 g6 13.Qxc5 Bd4 14.Qd5 Qf6 15.Bf3? [¹15.Rf1!² is a better way to cover f2.] 15...Bxb2? This leads to a position where Black finds it hard to develop his queenside. [¹15...c6! 16.Qc4 Bg4!³ 17.Qe2 Bxf3 18.Qxf3 Rfe8³ Black's initiative is worth more than the pawn.] 16.Bxb2 Qxb2 17.Rab1 Qf6 18.Qc5 c6 19.a4 Qf4 20.d3? [¹20.d4+- White has massive queenside pressure.] 20...Qxa4 21.Ra1?! [¹21.Re7± White has strong queenside pressure.] 21...Qb5 22.Qxb5 cxb5 23.Re7? [¹23.Reb1²] 23...a6³ 24.Bxb7?? Falling into a trap. White had some compensation for the pawn so should have been content with trying to tie Black down. 24...Ra7–+ 25.Bxc8 Rxe7 26.Bg4 Ra8 27.Kf1 b4 28.Bf3 Raa7 29.Ra5 Rec7 30.Bd1 Rc3 31.Ke2 Ra3 32.Rc5 Ra2 33.d4 b3 34.Rc8+ Kg7 35.Kd2 Rb7 0–1
Deutsch and Gilbert drew quickly, to leave the former then winner by half a point.
Final results
1st Deutsch,Eyal 4.5
2nd Gilbert,Jessie 4
3rd = Poobalasingham,Peter & Taylor,Martin R 3
12 players competed.
