Open: 1^st David Buckley (Bath – 218). 2^nd= Tyson Mordue (S. Bristol – 195); Chris Ross (Peterborough – 207) & Paul Bonafont (H. Hempstead – 187).

Grading prize (U-170): 1^st= Graham Steer (Frome – 171) & Martin Clancey (Ringwood – 175).

Major (U-170): 1^st= R. Radford (S. Bristol – 159) & P. Jackson (Coulsdon – 165). 3^rd= C. Bellers (Wimborne – 167); G. Crockart (Yeovil – 166); S. Appleby (Gillingham – 165); A. Gregory (Bath – 145); R. Bennett (Newport -147): D. Marshall & D. Weston (both Trowbridge). Grading prize (U-50): 1^st= K. Winter (Bingley – 147) & B. Macreamionn  (Wilts).

Intermediate (U-140): 1^st A. Champion (Frome – 134). 2^nd= C. Brown (Bath – 126); O. Bennett (Newport – 128) & Phil Foley (Upminster – 129).  Grading prize: P. Horne (N. Radstock – 125)

Minor (U-115): 1^st Marian Cox (Southampton – 107). 2^nd= A. Fraser (Beckenham – 104) & R. Porter (Bristol Uni. – 110). Grading prize (U-90): M. Watson (Taunton – 79) & C. Bennett (Newport – 74).

This Rd. 5 game clinched Buckley’s 1st place.

White: D. Sully (189). Black: D. Buckley (218).

Alekhine’s Defence – Spielmann Variation. [B02]

1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.e5 Nfd7 4.e6 Rudolf Spielmann’s move, typical of his aggressive style. 4…fxe6 5.d4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Bb5 g6 8.0–0 Bg7 9.dxc5 Nxc5 10.Re1 0–0 11.Bxc6 bxc6 12.Be3 Qd6 13.Bd4 Rxf3 White feels this offer too risky, for if 14.gxf3 e5 15.Bxc5 Qxc5 16.Qd2 Bf5 and Black’s bishop pair and 4 central pawns will prove difficult to deal with, so 14.Bxg7 Rf5 15.Qd4 Nd7 16.Bh6 e5 17.Qd2 Nf6 18.h3 Bb7 19.Qe2 Rh5 20.Bd2 c5 21.f3 Rf8 22.g4 Now the rook is doomed anyway. 22…Rxh3 23.Kg2 Rh4 24.Qxe5 d4 25.Qxd6 exd6 26.Kg3 dxc3 27.bxc3 If 27.Bxc3 g5 allows the rook to escape. 27…Rxg4+ 28.fxg4 Ne4+ winning the exchange back. 29.Rxe4 Bxe4 30.Bf4 g5 31.Bxg5 Rf3+ 32.Kh4 Rxc3 33.Rf1?? Bg2 Threatening mate and the rook. 0–1

Coming up next weekend is the 45^th Cotswold Congress at St. Edward’s School, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham. Enquiries to Mike Powis on 077-4801-4988 or e-mail:mike.powis@which.net.

In last week’s position, Carlsen lost to 1.Bc6! and he must lose a piece in order to prevent a back rank mate.

He is due to meet the Indian, Vishy Anand, to contest the World Championship later this year. This week it is Anand’s turn to lose. How did White mate him in 3 moves?

White to play and mate in 3.

To give it some edge, he was offering prizes of £100, £50 & £25 for the first 3 places, and was funding a splendid lunch. 

The Manor Hotel on Exmouth’s sea-front Beacon, was booked, and the 8 players duly assembled, together with local Arbiter John Ariss.

Front: Norman Tidy; Seated: John Ariss. Roger Neat, Brian Gosling. Standing: Ivor Annetts, Malcolm Belt, Greg Pond, Fred Hodge, Bob Jones.

After 3 rounds, only Brian Gosling had a maximum score, and everyone retired to the bar for drinks and a splendid repast, while considering the chances for the afternoon; e.g. could Brian be stopped? After lunch he continued in much the same vein, reaching 5/5, but then the wheels came off, trying the Polish Opening against a Polish veteran, Bob Jones. Going in to the final round, Gosling had Black against Neat, who was also having a good tournament, while Jones had White against Hodge. If Neat could hold Gosling and Jones could beat Hodge, the individual encounter between Gosling and Jones would determine the winner.

The first bit went according to plan, as Neat agreed a draw, but the second bit went sadly awry, as Jones not only failed to win, but came within a whisker of losing. So Brian Gosling got the £100 1st prize, while Neat and Jones, the only undefeated players, shared 2nd & 3rd.

All agreed it had been a splendid day, blessed by cloudless skies and a most agreeable venue.

 Winners in bold 

Rd. 2 gets under way: Tidy-Belt (nearest) & Annetts - Gosling.

Rd. 3: The desired Neat & Tidy game.

Rd. 3: Hodge v Annetts (nearest) & Gosling v Belt.

Break for lunch

Spoilt for choice

Jones & Neat congratulate each other and share 2nd & 3rd

Brian Gosling - clear 1st and £100 winner

After Exmouth’s final home match of the season yesterday, against Teignmouth in a Division 2 match, we have further evidence to support the infection theory. In a small room with just 8 players, it can be deadly, spreading like wildfire in a very short time, each blunder more profound than the one commited just minutes earlier.

It all started on Bd. 3, where White, tempted by a hot pawn on the other side of the board, took it with his queen, thereby abandoning her protection of a rook that was being eyed up by the Black queen.  There swiftly followed …QxR+ and the game was over. The stars on top board seemed to have some natural immunity to this craziness, and Stephens, having recently realised that his strength might lie in rook+pawn endgames, true to his instincts quickly reached such a position and ran his a-pawn to queen, forcing a win. Exmouth at this stage were 2 up with 2 to play, but the infection was spreading rapidly.

On Bd. 4, the Teignmouth player attacked the enemy queen with a bishop. White responded by advancing a pawn, discovering a check by the queen. What a blunder – but instead of taking the queen, Black simply moved his king aside. Both players obviously badly infected and the outcome clearly impossible to predict. Teignmouth reduced the arrears by winning this game, but at least the Bd. 2 game was safe, where the home player was never seriously troubled and the game seemed to be heading for at least the draw required to win the match. They had got down to rook + bishop vs rook + knight, where the former had the positional advantage. But you know what knights are like……  The knight checked on a square where it could be taken by the bishop, the perpetrator fully expecting an exchange of the minor pieces. White saw the check, but not the fact that it also forked his rook. As on Bd. 4 earlier, he moved his king away and was amazed to see his rook snaffled. End of game – end of match. Exmouth had snatched a draw from the jaws of victory.

Several players considered calling in to the local A & E Dept. on the way home, but it would have done no good. As Tarrasch correctly predicted, there is no known cure.

An Exmouth team confident of victory.

The Teignmouth team.

View from the other end.

The first victim of amaurosis scachistica - but not the last.

Open: 1^st GM Nick Pert (£1,000). 2^nd= Zhuo Lim; IM Robert Bellin; FM Tony Corkett; Steve Homer (Exminster) & Roger de Coverley (£120 each). De Coverley and Homer got the British Championship qualifying places.

Challengers (U-160): 1^st Brendan O’Gorman (£300). 2^nd= Armel Collard & Barry Sandercock (£100 each).

Intermediate (U-130): 1^st= Ian Blencowe (Gloucester) & Patrick Reid (£187 each).

Minor (U-110): 1^st Tony Tatam (Plymouth – £200).

Here are a couple of instructive miniatures from the Open Section. Over-hasty attacks before piece development is completed can often rebound on the aggressor, as here.

White: Ray Gamble (167). Black: Ian Clarke (179).

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d6 3.Nbd2 Nbd7 4.e4 e5 5.Bc4 Be7 Almost universal here is 6.c3 but White chances his arm for short-term gain. 6.Bxf7+ 6…Kxf7 7.Ng5+ Kg8 8.Ne6 Qe8 9.Nxc7 Qg6 10.Nxa8 exd4 11.Nc7 Ne5 12.Rg1 Nxe4 13.Nd5 Bh4 14.Qe2 By now, White must be regretting his earlier foray. 14…Nxd2. If 14…Bg4?? 15.Qxe4; 14…Nxf2? is answered by 15.g3; If 14…Bxf2+?? 15.Qxf2 Nxf2 16.Ne7+ Kf7 17.Nxg6 Kxg6 18.Kxf2 and White is a rook up. 15.Kxd2 Bg4 16.f3 Bxf3 17.gxf3 Qxg1 18.c4 Be1+ 19.Kd1 19.Kc2 d3+ wins the queen. 19…Ba5+ wins it anyway. 0–1.

White: M. Clancy (175). Black: K. Goater (191).

1.e4 b6 2.d4 Bb7 3.Nc3 e6 4.a3 Ne7 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 a6 7.Bd3 d6 8.Nf3 Nd7 9.0–0 g5 10.Bg3 Bg7 11.Bc4 Ng6 12.Re1 g4 13.Nd2 h5 threatening 15…h4 winning the bishop. 14.f4 giving the bishop a flight square at the cost of his d-pawn. 14…Bxd4+ 15.Kf1 h4 16.Qxg4 White might have tried 16.Bf2 Bxf2 17.Kxf2 g3+ 18.Kg1 Nxf4 but things are little better. 19.Qg4 gxh2+ 20.Kxh2 Ng6 21.Nf3 h3 22.Qg3 (22.gxh3 Nde5 23.Nxe5 Nxe5 24.Qg7 Qh4). 16…hxg3 17.Qxg3 Bxc3 18.bxc3 Qf6 0–1 White is a piece down and facing a strong attack.

In last week’s position, Adams won by playing 1…QxR+! 2.RxQ NxB 3.RxR+ RxR and White cannot both save his queen and avoid mate on e1.

Magnus Carlsen won the recent Candidates’ Tournament for the right to challenge for the World Champion, Vishy Anand, a match that will take place later this year. Here is a game he lost when still a child prodigy, aged 13. How did White end the game at a stroke?

White to play and win.

Luck played a part in the team selection for both sides. Exmouth were lucky in that former player, Ken Derrick, had decided to play a more active part in Devon chess, playing both for the county and his old club of Exmouth. This, combined with Dr. Underwood’s recent return from a two year stint in Connecticut, enabled the home team to be at full strength. On the other hand, one Exeter player found himself in another country and had to be substituted at short notice. 

The first game to finish was on Bd. 4 where Kevin Hurst gained the upper hand against Simon Waters in a Petroff Defence, and it was all over in 21 moves. This was balanced by a win for Dr. Paulden who broke through Dr. Underwood’s king’s position, utilising long open lines for his pieces, queen, rook and bishops. Then Exeter took the lead as Andy Boyne got a knight established on the 6th rank, and kept all his other pieces working harmoniously. At this point, 2-1 down, and two players a pawn down, for little obvious compensation, even a drawn match looked optimistic. 

It was, in fact, like a match of two halves, with the first 3 games finishing in 21, 28 and 32 moves respectively, while the other three all went right down to the wire; in 59, 63 & 64 moves. The 6 free players and non-playing captain all looked on nervously as the games went into extra time and fortunes gradually swung around. 

Mark Abbott had looked the only one with a superior position, but this was gradually whittled away until an ending was reached where he only had 3 pawns against a rook. Fortunately, his king was able to protect them as they shuffled forward, like a shepherd coralling his last 3 sheep. The rook alone could do little as his king was trying to catch up with the action. Abbott finished prettily, underpromoting a pawn to a knight with check, allowing a 2nd pawn to queen.

Now 2-all, and the other two games, in which both Exmouth players had been a pawn down, were gradually turning around. The Stephens/Regis game had been positionally congested with 13 pawns still on the board late on, but Stephens was able to grab an open file for his rook, before invading Black’s position to winning effect.  The Pope/Shaw game came down to a N + B each with a scattering of pawns, when Shaw opted to swap his bad bishop for Pope’s good knight, after which he was able to grab a few pawns and ran his h-pawn forward to queen, which Pope was unable to prevent.

So it finished 4 – 2, which sounds a healthy margin, but the result was in doubt to the very end. It was unusual at this level to have all six games ending decisively, with no draws, indicative of how all 12 players were committed to the cause.

General view - Bd. 1 nearest.

Bds. 1 - 3 in early action.

Bds 4 - 6 in action.

Somerset’s winners were Jack Rudd, Peter Chaplin, Andrew Footner, Chris Purry, Gerry Jepps, Chris McKinlay, Adrian Champion and team captain, Roger Knight. Gloucestershire’s two winners were Matthew Claypole and Pat Baker.

This was Somerset’s win from Bd. 5.

White: P. J. Meade (168). Black: A. F.  Footner (186).

Chigorin Defence [D02].

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bf4 Bg4 4.e3 f6 Usual here is an immediate 4…e6 but the text prepares the more assertive …e5. 5.Be2 e5 6.dxe5 Bxf3 7.Bxf3 fxe5 8.Bg3 e4 This advance gives Black a grip on the centre. 9.Be2 An interesting, if unpredictable alternative, was 9.Bh5+ g6 10.Nc3 and now if 10…gxh5 11.Qxh5+ Kd7 12.Nxd5 Bd6 13.Bxd6 cxd6 14.Qg4+ Ke8 15.Qg7 Qa5+ 16.Nc3 Qe5 17.Qxb7 Nge7 18.Qxa8+ Kf7 19.Qb7 Rb8 20.Qa6 Rxb2 21.Qa3 Rb4 22.0–0 leaving White the exchange and 2 pawns up. 9…Bd6 10.c4 Bxg3 11.hxg3 dxc4 12.Nc3 Nf6 13.Bxc4 Qe7 14.Qa4 14.0–0 would have prevented Black from castling on either side in the short term. 14…0–0–0 Preventing White from also castling long. 15.Bb5 Rd6 16.Bxc6 Rxc6 17.Rd1 a6 18.0–0 Qe5 19.Qd4 White would like to exchange pieces, but Black can see the weakness of the h-file. 19…Qh5 20.Nxe4 Ng4 21.Rfe1 Also not good enough is 21.Qd7+ Kb8 22.Rfe1 Rh6 23.Kf1 Rf8 24.Ke2 (24.Qxg7 Nxe3+ 25.Rxe3 Qxd1+ 26.Re1 Rh1#) 24…Nxf2+. 21…Rh6 0–1. White resigned. Play might have continued 22.Kf1 Nh2+ 23.Kg1 Nf3+ 24.Kf1 Nxe1 25.Qd7+ Kb8 26.Kxe1 Qg6 27.Rd4 Rh2.

Somerset resident Mickey Adams is currently playing in the Alekhine Memorial Tournament and after 5 rounds was lying 2^nd jointly with Boris Gelfand, Lev Aronian and Laurent Fressinet a half point behind Vachier-Lagrave.

In last week’s position, Evans played 1.Bc6! offering his queen, but if taken he had 2.RxB mate, and Black can’t take the rook because his queen is pinned.

Here is an Adams finish from 1998. How did Black (to move) force resignation with a 2-move combination?

Black to move and win.

This was one of Devon’s wins in their recent match against Hampshire.

White: Trefor Thynne (158). Black: Barry Kocan (140).

King’s Indian Defence  [E69]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.g3 An immediate 4.Nc3 is commonest here with the top players. 4…0–0 5.Bg2 d6 6.0–0 Nbd7 7.Nc3 e5 8.e4 c6 9.h3 h6 10.Be3 Better here to continue developing with either Qc6, Qe7 or Re8. 10…Ne8 11.Qd2 g5 12.Rad1 f5 13.exf5 Rxf5 14.b3 Qe7 15.g4 Rf8 16.dxe5 Nxe5 17.Nd4 Bd7 18.f4 With all his pieces developed and nicely placed, White now contests the centre. 18…gxf4 19.Bxf4 Nf7 20.Rde1 Qd8 21.Ne6 Bxe6 22.Rxe6 Qh4 23.Ne4 Qd8 24.Ng3 merely a temporary retreat en route to f5 24…Qb6+? Losing a tempo, which helps White’s knight to join the attack. 25.Be3 Qc7 26.Nf5 Rd8 27.Ne7+ Kh8 28.Ng6+ winning the exchange. 28…Kg8 29.Nxf8 Kxf8 30.Bxh6! Kg8 If 30…Bxh6 31.Qxh6+ Ng7 (31…Kg8 32.Rg6+) 32.Qh8# 31.Bxg7 Nxg7 32.Rg6 Ne5 33.Rgf6 a5 34.Be4 b5 35.Qf4 Qe7 36.cxb5! White needs d5 for his bishop.  36…cxb5 37.Bd5+ 1-0 Black resigned, in view of 37…Nf7 (37…Kh8?? 38.Qh6#) 38.Rxf7 Qh4 39.Rf8+ Kh7 40.Be4+.

The 2^nd Bournemouth ‘Grand’ Congress started last evening at the Carrington House Hotel, with a £1,000 prize for the winner of the Open Section, and a total prize fund of over £3,000, which attracts a large entry. Last year’s winner was the 2009 British Champion, David Howell, with the help of this quick win against the 2010 West of England Champion.

White: Paul Helbig. Black: David Howell.

Scotch Game [C47]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.Nc3 Bb4 7.Bd3 0–0 8.0–0 Re8 9.Re1 d6 10.Bd2 Ng4 11.h3 Ne5 12.Bf1 Qf6 13.Na4 Bxd2 14.Qxd2 g5 15.Re3 Kh8 16.Rg3 Rg8 17.Be2 Be6 18.Rf1 Rg6 19.f4 gxf4 20.Rxf4 Qg7 21.Rxg6 Qxg6 22.Kh1 Rg8 23.Bg4 Bxg4 24.hxg4 Qh6+ 25.Kg1 Rxg4 0–1 White resigned in view of  26.Rf2 Nf3+ 27.Rxf3 Qxd2.

Last week’s game ended 1.PxP+ Kh8 2.Rf8+ Rg8 3.RxR+ KxR and the coup de grace is 4.Bc4 pinning the knight which cannot be defended.

This position arose in a game in the 1958 US Championship, between Larry Melvyn Evans and Arthur Bisguier. Both trailed in behind the first three, Fischer, Reshevsky and Sherwin, but Evans did have his moment of glory here. How did he (W) end the game at a stroke?

White to play and win immediately.

In fact, after losing the toss and having Black on Bds. 1 & 3 Seaton won the first round. With colours reversed the crucial moment came after Stephens and Wensley won on Bds 1 & 2. Jones was locked into a rook and pawn ending against the dangerous M. Adams (Martyn, not Mickey). With two minutes left each, the play was getting wild, and although Jones had what was probably a winning position – with best play -  anything could go wrong, and knowing that a draw would ensure at least a drawn match, and with it, the title, offered a draw which was quickly accepted. Another factor in his offer, was that Blake was winning on Bd. 4. but in the last few seconds the win evaporated, and the match was, in fact, drawn.

Exmouth thus finished this tournament with a win and draw against both opponents.

The Devon captain managed to hang on to most of his players, but the Hants team was much below what would been expected on the original date. Not only in strength, but numbers too, as Hampshire could only raise 7 players for what was planned as a 12 board match, thus defaulting 5 boards. Nevertheless, in spite of the comfortable-looking scoreline,  many of the Hampshire players put up a brave fight, and seven 1st team Devonians failed to find a win against opponents c. 20 grading points lower.

The details were:

General view at St. Alfred's School, Wincanton.

General view of play.

4 games follow - all drawn. Ken Derrick vs Dominic Tunks.

Bd. 3: Fowler vs Stephens.

Former British Ladies Champion, Gillian Moore, earned a draw against Oliver Wensley.

Chris Bellers (W) vs John Wheeler.

There were 21 contesting the Open with some seriously strong players in the mix. In the event, Patryk Krzyzanowski, fresh from coming 1st= in the West of England Open a fortnight earlier, cruised through the first 5 rounds with a maximum score, enabling him to take a quick draw in the final round to be sure of clear 1st place, although he was given a stern examination in the penultimate round by local schoolboy,  John Fraser. John Stephens and Richard Webster were a point behind in joint 2nd.

If the Open was something of a procession, the same cannot be said of the Major, where a host of players fought it out in the final round for a share of 1st place. However, it was Clive Pemberton, who had started with a couple of draws and was thus off the pace throughout, who stole through with a win, as all the others could only draw, and took it by a half point.

The event was organised by Ray Chubb and the Arbiter was John Ariss.

The full prize list was as follows:

General view of the action

A tough test for Krzyzanowski (facing) against John Fraser in Rd. 5.

Final round gets under way.

Jt. Runner-up John Stephens (in red) starts his last game.

Top boards in the Major, but Pembleton overtook them all.

Krzyzanowski regains the Walker Cup and a new permanent one to keep.

Flaunting his two £5 notes, John Stephens was level with Richard Webster.

Clive Pemberton crept in on the blind side to win the Major.

Major runners-up: Macarthur; Derrick; Quinn; Tatam & Adams.

U-100 grading prize winner, V. Ramesh.

U-16 winner, Zoe Strong (Clevedon) with Organiser, Ray Chubb.

U-14 winner, Tom McLaren.