Keverel Chess

A new book from the Westcountry that is creating some interest is Arkell’s Odyssey – The Autobiography of a Chess Grandmaster (123pp ISBN 0-9531-3216-1 £15.99). Having reached his 50^th birthday, Keith Arkell decided to take a backward look and record how he came to be one of Britain’s busiest and best-known players.

In doing so, he reached deep into his inner fears and phobias, as well as recording his many tournament triumphs, to produce a candid account of his personal and chess development.

This is Game 43 from the book, in which he faces the chess master of Millfield School in the 2001 British Championship, and illustrates both his playing and writing style.

White: K. C. Arkell (2431). Black: Matthew Turner (2511).

Queen’s Gambit - Slav Defence [D17]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Nh4 Be6 6…Bc8 7.Nf5; 6…Bd7; 6…Bg6; 6…Bg4; 6…e6 are all perfectly playable here. 7.e4 g6 8.Nf3 Bg7 9.Ng5 Qd7 10.Nxe6 Qxe6 11.Qe2 Na6 12.Qxc4 Qxc4 13.Bxc4 Nb4 14.Bb3 There was no way of holding on to my two bishops, and I think he should now eliminate one of them with 14…Nd3+ 14…Ng4 15.f3 Nh6 16.Ke2 Rd8 17.Rd1 I can now enjoy the clear advantage with my bishop-pair and classic pawn centre. Matthew therefore decides he must try to break up my position somehow. 17…f5 18.Be3 fxe4 19.fxe4 Ng4 20.Bg1 Rf8 21.a5 Na6 22.d5 c5 After 22…cxd5 23.Bxd5 his queenside is indefensible. 23.h3 Ne5 24.Rf1 Rf6 25.Ba4+ Kf7 26.Bb5 Rc8 27.Bxa6 This was a difficult decision to make. I am fond of my white-squared bishop in the Slav, but I thought I would get good chances against his wrecked queenside. 27…bxa6 28.Na4 Nc4? This loses, whereas against passive defence by 28…Nd7 I don’t think I can force a win. 29.Kd3? Giving him a second chance to find …Nd7. Better were either 29.Rfc1 or 29.Nxc5. 29…Ne5+ 30.Ke2 Nc4 31.Nxc5 Nxb2 32.Rfc1 Rf4 33.Be3 Rh4 34.Bf2 Rh5 35.Ne6 Rc4 36.Rxc4 Nxc4 37.Nxg7 Kxg7 38.Rc1 Nd6 39.Rc7 Kf8 40.Kf3 g5 Even my favourite chess move won’t help him. His rook is horrendously placed! 41.Rxa7 Rh6 42.e5 Nc4 43.Ke4 1–0.

E-mail [email protected] to obtain a copy.

Last week’s problem by the 11 year old Alain White was solved by 1.Rd1!

Here is a 2-mover by Christopher Jones, the Westcountry’s latest Grandmaster. This one was composed in 1993 and won a 1^st prize in The Problemist.

White to mate in 2.