Keverel Chess

Devon’s Team Blitz Tournament was held at the Newton Abbot Club on Sunday. Thirteen teams of 4, playing six rounds with only 12 minutes each per game for the all their moves, battled it out for the Thomas Cup. Tiverton Buzzards retained this with Bideford 2^nd and in joint 3^rd place Exmouth Eagles and Newton Abbot Rooks. The Hodge Cup, newly donated by Exmouth veteran Fred Hodge, for teams between 600 – 450 total grade, was won by Tiverton Kestrels, while the U-450 trophy was won by Torquay Boys’ G.S. Full details of all teams may be found on keverelchess.com.

Weymouth’s Allan Pleasants continued his recent run of form by winning the 47^th Dorset Congress at the Bournemouth International Hotel last weekend. This was the crucial game from the 5^th and final round.

White: Allan Pleasants (188). Black: Ian Clark (180).

Sicilian Defence – Smith-Morra Gambit [B21]

1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6 5.Nf3 e6 6.Bc4 Nge7 7.Bg5 f6 8.Bf4 Ng6 9.Bg3 a6 10.0–0 Bb4 11.a3 Bxc3 12.bxc3 0–0 13.Bd6 Re8 14.a4 Nce5 15.Nxe5 Nxe5 16.Ba2 Nf7 17.a5 b6 18.Rb1 b5 19.Bb4 Bb7 20.Qe2 Qc7 21.Rfe1 Ne5 22.Rbd1 Nc6 23.Bd6 Qxa5 24.Rd3 Both defending c3 and preparing to attack. 24…Ne7 25.Rh3 Rac8 26.Bb4 Qc7 27.Qh5 h6 28.Qg4 Kf7? saving his h-pawn and opening up a route for his rooks to move across and defend, but not the best option. Necessary was 28…Nc6 then if 29.Rxh6 Ne5 30.Qg3 a5 31.Rxf6 axb4 32.Rf5. 29.e5 f5 30.Qh5+ Kg8 31.Rg3 f4 32.Rg4 a5 White sees a winning kingside attack which does not involve his black-square bishop, so goes for it. 33.Bb1 axb4 34.Qxh6 Nf5 35.Bxf5 d5 36.Qh7+ Kf8 37.Qh8+ Ke7 38.Rxg7+ Kd8 39.Qh4+ Re7 40.Bxe6 Qxc3?? Least worst was 40…Qc5 Anything else leads to a quick mate. 41.Qxe7# 1–0

The solution to last week’s 2-mover by Grandmaster Christopher Jones was 1.Rb5! and the g-file knight threatens mate on e2 or h5. If Black’s rook’s pawn takes it then 2.Qxg3 is mate.

This position arose at the end of a game at this year’s Olympiad in Istanbul. Black is materially down but has a 3 move knockout combination up his sleeve. How did the game end?

Black to play and mate in 3