Ginger GM Williams has kindly allowed the webmaster to publish two nice finishes from the 4NCL this weekend. Simon did originally ask me to write a poker column detailing my quest for Supernova Elite, but every poker blog I’ve ever read (with a notable exception) is mind-numbingly boring and chess is a much better game than poker anyway. So for now, you’re getting chess.
I expect Simon will be reporting on the 4NCL in due course, where his team Jutes of Kent won promotion to Division 1. Further exciting content we have lined up for the site includes a regular question and answer column with ‘Ginger IM’ Adam Hunt!
On to the chess.
Wall, G – Ansell, S. Richmond v Betsson.com, 4NCL 2009. Position after 22.. Ka8.
Gavin has comprehensively outplayed me so far. White is a pawn up. My d6 pawn is weak, the pawn break …d5 which is my only chance for counterplay will leave the Black king open and it’s really not at all easy to kick the f5 knight with …g6. On the bright side, the h4 knight is out of play for the moment and if by some miracle I can successfully open up the game (…) the White king can also become weak. Fritz doesn’t seem to be as pessimistic about the Black position as both Gavin and I were at the time, but then it’s a computer and wants to play moves like …Bxf5 which make absolutely no sense to me whatsoever.
Gavin played 23. Rd2?, looking to double on the d-file. A natural but unfortunate move. On d2 the rook will come under attack from the black knight in a lot of variations and if the c-file opens after …d5 cxd5 cxd5 then Back is sometimes threatening …Qc3. 23. Rhe1 is better, holding up …d5, when Fritz wants to play 23… Nh3, which obviously hadn’t occurred to me at all. 23… d5 Of course. 24. exd5 cxd5 25. c5 25. cxd5 Qc3! 26. Kb1 Bxd5 27. Rhd1 Qxa3! is the problem. White has to play 27. Rxd5 Rxd5 28. Qe3 in this line, when Black is better. 25… Ne4 26 Rd3
26… g6! 27. hxg6 27. Nxh6 Rh8 and the knight is trapped. That’s not the whole story (28. Qe3), but Black is right back in the game if not better already. 27… fxg6 28. Nxh6 Rgf8 Now 28… Rh8 allows 29. Nxg6 when the h1 rook defends h6.
29. Rf3? White would like to play 29. f3 to kick the e4 knight but this allows 29… Ng3. 29. Nf3 is better when 29… Rf4! was my idea. White is now two pawns up, but his h6 knight is out of play, Black has a massive horse on e4 and moves like …Rdf8 (and then possibly …Nxf2) and …Qg7 are coming. A huge improvement on the first position. 29. Rh2 is also possible when Black replies 29… Qg7 with a position where the assessment ‘unclear’ for once actually seems appropriate. 29… Qg7! 29. Qe3?! 29. Rxf8 Qxh6 is check. 29. g5 was the best try when after 29… Rf4 White has some problems to solve despite being two pawns up, but is still very much in the game. 29… Rf4!
I did mention the White king can become weak! 30. Rxf4 exf4 threatens 31… Qa1 mate. 30. Ng2 d4! 31. Qe2 Rxf3 32. Qxf3 Bd5 is incredibly strong. White is still two pawns up but his pieces are completely uncoordinated and the Black bishop and knight are well-placed, to say the least. Black is winning here.
Gavin played 30. Nxg6 Qxg6 30… d4 might actually be even stronger, but Black is winning in all lines. 31. Rxf4 exf4 32. Qxf4? 32. Qd4 is a better try when Black still has work to do. After 32… Qg7 the queen simply returns to the diagonal and White is busted.
0 – 1
Monday’s game featured a very pleasing geometrical finish.
Morris, C – Ansell, S. South Wales Dragons v Betsson.com, 4NCL 2009. Position after 49…a6.
I’ve been in control for the entire game and after much manoeuvring have recently returned my extra pawn to reach the above position where the Black bishops dominate. Rather than sit and wait for the forthcoming kingside attack White tried 50. Rxe5 dxe5 51. Qxe5
looking for play with the passed d-pawn and ideas of taking my weak c-pawn then putting his bishop on d4 with a counterattack on the dark squares. The position should be winning for Black, but there could be complications. 51… Qf6 to try and take the queens off and win the ending is certainly possible, as is 51… Bd3, but the White king is weak, my queen is on a light square already and I felt a direct attack on the king was appropriate. But how to get the queen into the game? I hadn’t seen the finish yet, but my instinct was right. I started with 51… b6, to create a passed a-pawn. My opponent replied 52. Be3, hitting the c5 pawn as above.
The drawback to Be3 suddenly occurred to me. The White king is obviously weak, and now he has no control over the back rank at all. Before his last move he could have answered a queen check on the back rank with Be1 or Qe1. And my queen is already eyeing the b1 square… 52… Bh3! threatening Qb1+ 53. Bd2 is forced (53. Bc1 loses trivially to 53… Qc2 and 53. Nxh3 allows 53… Qb1 and 54… Qf1 mate). Now the h3 bishop is threatened. I wasn’t planning on playing 53… Bf5 and repeating moves.
53… Qb1+ 54. Be1 54. Qe1 loses to 54… Qxe1 55. Bxe1 bxa5 56. Nxh3 a4 and the a-pawn is unstoppable. 54… Qd3!
The f2 knight, which is doing such a good job defending the White king, suddenly finds itself a bit overloaded.
0 – 1
After being horribly out of form all season this was a really nice way to finish. Chess is beautiful, poker isn’t.
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hi simon you must play on ps what is your username on the site please