Keverel Chess

Archive for November, 2015

Acqui Terme, midway between Genoa and Turin, is said to be one of the prettiest towns in Italy, and for most of November has been hosting the World Seniors Chess Championships. The bulk of the English entry in the one hundred strong 50–65 yrs section, was made up of three adopted Devonians; Keith Arkell (Paignton), who came 1^st= last year, Meyrick Shaw (Exmouth) and Brian Hewson (Tiverton). This time, however, Arkell (4^th seed) couldn’t quite maintain his previous form and finished 12^th= on 7/11 points, and not very far behind him were Shaw (60^th seed) 30^th= on 6 pts and Hewson (53^rd seed), 45^th= on 5½, which made Shaw’s the stand-out performance. In Rd. 1 he was paired against a Grandmaster.

White: M. Shaw (2020). Black: GM Jens Kristianson (2420).

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bf4 b6 4.Nbd2 Bb7 5.c3 Be7 6.Qc2 c5 7.e4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Normally one would retake towards the centre with 8.cxd4 but the text is slightly better. 8…Nc6 9.Nxc6 Bxc6 10.Rd1 0–0 11.Bd3 Nh5 12.Bg3 h6 13.Nc4 Nxg3 14.hxg3 This time it’s appropriate to take towards the centre as it opens the h-file, allowing the rook to focus on the enemy king’s position. 14…Qc7 15.f4 d6 16.Ne3 Bringing forces over to the kingside. 16…Rad8 17.Qe2 Qb7 18.Ng4 Rfe8 The critical position 19.Rd2? White missed the chance of a possible win if he had proceeded with his sacrificial attack immediately.19…e5 Black would like to bring his bishop to g5 with the dual purposes of shoring up his defences and attacking along the dark diagonal. 20.Nxh6+! gxh6 21.Qg4+ Kh7 22.Qf5+ The king must remain in contact with his h-pawn. For example, if 22…Kg7 22…Kg8 23.Rxh6 and White has a number of different mating combinations. 23.Qg4+ Kh7 24.Qf5+ Drawn by forced repetition of moves. A good start in the tournament for the club player. His Rd. 7 game went like this:

White: M. Shaw (2020). Black: Brian McLaren (2176)

Dutch Defence [A80]

1.d4 f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4 e6 4.e3 b6 5.Bd3 Bb7 6.c4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 0–0 9.Qb3 d6 10.c5 Bd5 11.c4 Be4 12.cxd6 cxd6 13.Be2 Nc6 14.Qa3 A double hit on d6. 14…e5 15.dxe5 dxe5 16.Nxe5 Nxe5 17.Bxe5 Black has lost a pawn so far in these exchanges and seeks to catch up, but there’s an old adage about the danger of snatching at knights’ pawns. 17…Bxg2 18.Rg1 Bc6 19.Rd1 Suddenly all White’s pieces have long files and diagonals to exploit. 19…Qc8 20.Qd6 Ne8 21.Qh6! piling on the pressure. 21…Qb7 22.Bh5 Qe7 23.Qxc6 Qxe5 24.Qxa8 Qxh2 25.Rh1 1-0 Black is a whole rook down with no compensation.

Last week’s 2-mover was solved by 1.f4! and if Black tries to prevent 2.Qe4 mate with 1…Rh5, it allows 2.Bf3 mate.

Simon Bartlet (Newquay) and Andrew Footner (Yeovil) are regulars on the congress circuit, and here they are at the Paignton Congress in 2003. Bartlett (W) has had his opponent on the back foot for some time, but is still a pawn down. How can he win immediately?

White to play and win.

There were 3 adopted Devonians at the World Seniors Championship being held in Italy.

Mark Jordon posted this report on Rds. 7 & 8 on the ECF website.

Meyrick Shaw at the World Seniors – Rounds 7 & 8

In the last installment we reported that Keith Arkell had reached 5/6 in the 50+ and was about to face GM Mohr (2443) in Round 7. Unfortunately for his hopes of at least repeating the success of his Silver medal last time, Arkell lost against a player who is clearly on form. Therefore, to keep his chances of a medal alive, Arkell needed a win in Round 8. This was not to be, and he suffered another loss, this time at the hands of GM Ivanov (2506). If he finishes strongly he still has a chance of a medal but this is a big ask given his present position in the rankings and with only three rounds to go. If he doesn’t win a medal he at least has some compensation in the form of a win, on a tiebreak with Mohr, in the Seniors Blitz event which took place on the first rest day.

The battle for the first is proving very competitive with no-one managing to break clear of the pack. After round 8 Nikolic, tournament favourite and former World Championship Candidate, is in the lead on 6.5/8 with GMs Rosentalis, Ivanov and Mohr in hot pursuit on 6/8. Of the other English participants, Meyrick Shaw is having a very good tournament with a performance well above his current rating and a score of 4.5/8. Brian Hewson is on 3.5/8 and Owen Phillips 3/8.

His final report included this para:

Meyrick Shaw, as mentioned in previous articles, had a very good tournament, defeating IM Smolin (2295) and achieving draws against GM Kristiensen (2420) and IM Soylu (2377) along the way, and ended with a score of 6/11 and an 80 point boost to his Elo. The other English participants were Brian Hewson 5.5/11 and Owen Phillips 5/11, both of whom performed creditably.

Now that the event is over, here is a preview of the Western Morning News column for Saturday, which takes the story a little further…

Acqui Terme, midway between Genoa and Turin, is said to be one of the prettiest towns in Italy, and for most of November has been hosting the World Seniors Chess Championships. The bulk of the English entry in the one hundred strong 50–65 yrs section, was made up of three adopted Devonians; Keith Arkell (Paignton), who came 1^st= last year, Meyrick Shaw (Exmouth) and Brian Hewson (Tiverton). This time, however, Arkell (4^th seed) couldn’t quite maintain his previous form and finished 12^th= on 7/11 points, and not very far behind him were Shaw (60^th seed) 30^th= on 6 pts and Hewson (53^rd seed), 45^th= on 5½, which made Shaw’s the stand-out performance. In Rd. 1 he was paired against a Grandmaster.

White: M. Shaw (2020). Black: GM Jens Kristianson (2420).

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bf4 b6 4.Nbd2 Bb7 5.c3 Be7 6.Qc2 c5 7.e4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Normally one would retake towards the centre with 8.cxd4 but the text is slightly better. 8…Nc6 9.Nxc6 Bxc6 10.Rd1 0–0 11.Bd3 Nh5 12.Bg3 h6 13.Nc4 Nxg3 14.hxg3 This time it’s appropriate to take towards the centre as it opens the h-file, allowing the rook to focus on the enemy king’s position. 14…Qc7 15.f4 d6 16.Ne3 Bringing forces over to the kingside. 16…Rad8 17.Qe2 Qb7 18.Ng4 Rfe8 The critical position 19.Rd2? White missed the chance of a possible win if he had proceeded with his sacrificial attack immediately.19…e5 Black would like to bring his bishop to g5 with the dual purposes of shoring up his defences and attacking along the dark diagonal. 20.Nxh6+! gxh6 21.Qg4+ Kh7 22.Qf5+ The king must remain in contact with his h-pawn. For example, if 22…Kg7 22…Kg8 23.Rxh6 and White has a number of different mating combinations. 23.Qg4+ Kh7 24.Qf5+ Drawn by forced repetition of moves. A good start in the tournament for the club player. His Rd. 7 game went like this:

White: M. Shaw (2020). Black: Brian McLaren (2176)

Dutch Defence [A80]

1.d4 f5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bf4 e6 4.e3 b6 5.Bd3 Bb7 6.c4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 0–0 9.Qb3 d6 10.c5 Bd5 11.c4 Be4 12.cxd6 cxd6 13.Be2 Nc6 14.Qa3 A double hit on d6. 14…e5 15.dxe5 dxe5 16.Nxe5 Nxe5 17.Bxe5 Black has lost a pawn so far in these exchanges and seeks to catch up, but there’s an old adage about the danger of snatching at knights’ pawns. 17…Bxg2 18.Rg1 Bc6 19.Rd1 Suddenly all White’s pieces have long files and diagonals to exploit. 19…Qc8 20.Qd6 Ne8 21.Qh6! piling on the pressure. 21…Qb7 22.Bh5 Qe7 23.Qxc6 Qxe5 24.Qxa8 Qxh2 25.Rh1 1-0 Black is a whole rook down with no compensation.

There was a slight feeling of déjà vu at last weekend’s 49^th Torbay Congress as it returned to the Livermead House Hotel on Torquay seafront only weeks after the Paignton Congress had used it. Yet interest was maintained by having some new faces among the regulars. 9 yr old Adam Hussein of Truro, for example, who had not only played for Cornwall shortly before but beat his much higher-graded opponent. He finished with a creditable 3/5 pts. in the Minor.

Also, among the older players was 5-times champion of Kenya, Humphrey Andolo, recently moved to Plymouth University. Going in to the final round, Ali Jaunooby was the clear leader and only needed to draw to be assured of 1^st place, while Andolo had to win. Here’s how it went.

White: A. Jaunooby (202). Black: H. Andolo. (190).

Queen’s Pawn Game [D00]

1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 d5 3.e3 e6 4.Nd2 Bd6 5.Bg3 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.f4 0–0 8.Bd3 Ne7 9.Qf3 Qb6 10.Rb1 Preventing White from castling queen side. 10…cxd4 11.exd4 Nf5 12.Bf2 Be7 13.Ne2 Bd7 14.g4 Rather than castling, White decides to launch what he hopes will be a fierce attack. 14…Nd6 15.Ng3 Qa5 16.a3 Bb5 17.Bc2 Nc4 18.g5 Ne8 19.h4 f5 20.Nxc4 Bxc4 21.Kd2 White’s king sets off on a westward trek. 21…Nd6 22.Rhe1 Ne4+ 23.Nxe4 dxe4 24.Qd1 Rac8 25.Bb3 Bd6 26.Be3 All White’s pieces have become very cramped for space, in contrast with Black’s 26…Rfd8 27.Bxc4 Rxc4 28.Qb3 Qd5 29.Kc2 b5 30.Ra1 a5 31.h5 b4 Black picks this moment to start asking more serious questions of the White defences. 32.axb4 Bxb4! The defending pawn is pinned allowing this decisive intrusion by the bishop. 33.Kb1 Bxc3 34.Rc1 If 34.bxc3 Rb4 pinning the queen. 35.Qb2 Rxb2+ 36.Kxb2 Rb8+ 37.Kc1 Qb3 38.Kd2 Qb2+ 39.Kd1 Qxa1+ etc. 34…Bxd4 35.Rxc4 Bxe3 36.g6 If 36.Rc3 Bxf4 37.Qxd5 exd5 38.Rc5 Bxg5 39.Raxa5 36…Qd3+ 37.Qxd3 exd3 38.Rca4 d2 39.Kc2 hxg6 40.hxg6 Kf8 41.Rxa5 Ke7 42.R5a4 Rc8+ 43.Kd3 Rc1 0-1 The d-pawn must queen.

So after Andolo, Jaunooby came joint 2^nd with Paul Helbig and Robert Thompson, both of Bristol. The U-189 Grading pirze went jointly to Stephens Dilleigh (Bristol) and Homer (Newton Abbot). Other prizewinners were as follows:

Major (U-170): 1^st= R. Taylor (Malpas), P. Jackson (Coulsdon) & A. Waters (Rainham). GP U-159 1^st= J. Nyman (King’s Head) & R. D. Knight (Yeovil). U-150: J. Ayres (Scarborough).

Intermediate (U-140): 1^st= S. Williams (Cwmbran), S. Chadaway (Olton) & T. Greenaway (Torquay). GP (U-134) M. Fielding (Bristol). U-130: T. Crouch (Pimlico). Minor (U-120): 1^st= R. Ludlow (Trowbridge), P. McConnell (S. Hams), M. Jones (Newquay), A. Fraser (Bromley) & J. Blackmore (Newton Abbot).

Last week’s position was solved by 1…Nf4+ If 2.BxN the RxQ and White can’t retake because of Qe1 mate.

This 2-mover featured in this year’s British Solving Championship.

White to mate in 2

.

The Exmouth team made their annual pilgrimage to Seaton on a dark stormy midwinter night (nothing unusual there), with little hope of doing anything much against the new Champions. Sure enough, on arrival the home team were at maximum possible strength (599 rapidplay grading points) while the visitors were c. 50 points light. However, their low expectations proved unfounded as the match turned out to be what might possibly be one of the biggest upsets of the season in Devon chess.

Scott and Jones had no trouble in holding the fort in the middle order. In fact, in Game 2, Scott, with plenty of time left, a rampant queen and in no immediate trouble, let off his opponent with a draw when he had only seconds left on his clock. Blake had some careful defending to do at times in spite of his material advantage, but managed to avoid any potential pitfalls, while team captain, Mark Abbott was on top form and enjoyed 2 decisive wins against the most highly-graded rapidplay expert active in the DCCA leagues.

Everyone in Devon chess was pleased that earlier in the year Seaton had won their first DCCA trophy, the Newman Cup, very well-deserved after many years of trying, and indeed, they may yet retain it this year, in spite of this inauspicious start. But as in all sports, while winning a trophy is one thing - retaining it is quite another.

Ready for the Off - Scott v Dean (nearest) and Abbott v Underwood.

Bd. 2 gets under way, with the Newman Cup on display.

Simon Blake (W) vs Alan Dowse at the start of Rd. 2.

Seniors Final Round and Cross Table.

…and the Juniors finished as follows:-

…. and the prizewinners were……

Seniors Section:

1^st= Kenneth Norman (189) 4pts

Robert Everson (165) Dartford 4pts

David Toms (162) Sidmouth 4pts

Grading prizes:

(U-136) 1^st Richard Smith (128) Barnstaple 3½ pts

(U-115) 1^st Michael Dow (110) Barnstaple 3½ pts

“Juniors” Section:

1^st Ian Heppell (179) Wimbledon 4pts

2^nd= Mark Page (189) Kenilworth 3½ pts

Jonathan Wells (182) N. Norfolk 3½ pts

Grading prize:

(U-161) 1^st Ian McAllan (159) Sidcup 3½ pts

2^nd Ronnie Burton (160) Weymouth 3 pts

NB: The prize fund for the Junior Section, which was very strong again this year, has been increased somewhat.

Of the earlier low-graded high-fliers, Michael Dow and Joseph Clapp refused to be intimidated and continued their flight in the upper atmosphere. There was bad luck for one high-flier when his phone went off, not once but twice. Which reminded me of what happened to an Exmouth clubmate a few years ago in the same room, when a friend phoned him up to ask when he might be free, and the phone went off. Q: What time do you think your game might finish? A: It just has!

The surprise of the Junior Section was how Sellwood, on the back of his best-ever (short) run of results, now fell to Blencowe, which, in turn, was Ian’s best-ever tournament result, showing what an unpredictable thing chess can be… especially at a Seniors event.

In all his 15 previous Seniors Tournaments, David Burt had to confess he’d never before been as high as Board 2, and nor could Michael Dow nor Marian Cox have expected to be flying so high, and it fell to me to be playing last year’s winner. But, like Icarus, we were perhaps flying too near the sun, and the force of gravity would surely reassert itself. And so it did. Even Colin Sellwood in the Juniors, after his dream weekend taking the heads of Johhn Wheeler and Steve Dilleigh in the space of 24 hours, fell to earth with a bump.

Here are the Rd. 3 details, Seniors table first:-

Top boards in the Seniors: never has the bearded Dave Burt been as high as No. 2 in all his previous 15 appearances, nor Marian Cox as high as Bd. 7

Colin Sellwood (nearest) still on a high after his Rd. 1 win over Dilliegh.

The 2 Controllers - Ewart Smith (l) now enjoying his new role as player as Tony Tatam succeeds him.

The Round 2 draw and early results were as follows:

Bd. 1 Norman vs Price and Bd. 3 Gosling vs Adaway.

At the other end of the room could be found Richard Smith vs Stephen Thorpe-Tracey (nearest) and Bob Hurn vs Peter Leggett.

Next to them were Andrew Queen vs Reg Cox & Mike Kaye vs Tom Maloney

Rd. 2 pairings in the Juniors included Steve Dean vs Ronnie Burton (nearest) and Peter Halmkin vs Mark Brown.

The day finally dawned, with all the bookstall still to be taken down to the Royal Beacon Hotel and set up, and the playing kit to be laid out. I’d taken this down the day before (Sunday), to find the hall beautifully set up with tables and starched tablecloths, and chairs… enough for 100 players! We only had 62 entries, so a fair amount of pruning had to be done. This didn’t take long, and left players with more elbow room and floor space.

There were one or two minor glitches as 1 o’clock approached, but nothing to prevent a prompt start.

Here are the day’s results.

Most excitement for the neutrals seemed to centre on the Junior’s Section, where Colin Sellwood enjoyed a storming win against the normally rock-solid Steve Dilleigh, 2nd seed, while top seed Mark Page lost to Ian McAllan, thus throwing the section wide open from Day 1.

Here’s the scene as play got under way…..

General view of the playing hall.

2nd seed, Andrew Footner, playing a pensive Barry Sandercock (facing)

Steve Dean makes his move in the self-contained "Junior" Section.

Reg Cox (stripes) in action, while his wife, Marian plays Roger Waters (out of shot).