Keverel Chess

Last weekend saw the start of the new Inter-County season, with Somerset drawing 8-8 against Hampshire, and Cornwall losing by the odd point to Gloucestershire.

Somerset names first in each pairing:

1. J. Rudd 1-0 J. Tambini; 2. D. Buckley 0-1 M. Yeo; 3. P. Krzyzanowski1-0 I. Thompson; 4. D. Littlejohns½-½ D. Tunks; 5. A. Wong 0-1 A. McDougall; 6. P. Chaplin 1-0 O. Gill; 7. A. Footner 0-1 W. McDougall; 8. D. Painter ½-½ D. Fowler; 9. C. Purry ½-½ S. Knox; 10. N. Senior 0-1 C. Bellers; 11. J. Fewkes ½-½ P. Cooper; 12. G.Jepps 1-0 I. Stipcevic; 13. C. McKinley ½-½ F.McLeod; 14. S. Pickard 0-1 R.Marsh; 15. A. Champion ½-½ T. Davis; 16. R. Knight 1-0 S. Smith. Totals 8-8.

Glos names first in each pairing.

1. D. Lambourne ½-½ J. Menadue; 2. J. Jenkins 0-1 M. Hassall; 3. P.Meade 1-0 L. Retallack; 4. D. Vaughan ½-½ S. Bartlett; 5. P. Dodwell 0-1 J. Wilman; 6. P. Denison 1-0 G.Trudeau; 7.G. Taylor (154) 0-1 C. Sellwood; 8. M. Claypole ½-½ J. Nicholas; 9. M. Ashworth ½-½ D. J. Jenkins; 10. R. Dixon 0-1 C. Reeves; 11.A. Walker ½-½ C. Long; 12. P. Baker 1-0 D. R. Jenkins; 13. A. Richards ½-½ A. Barkhuysen; 14. P. Bending ½-½ P. Spargo; 15.I. Blencowe ½-½ D. Lucas; 16. double default. Totals 7-8.

Rudd’s game featured a finely-calculated ending by White.

White. J. Rudd (220). Black: J. Tambini (203).

Nimzowitsch Defence [B00]

1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 e5 3.dxe5 Nxe5 4.f4 Nc6 5.Bc4 Bb4+ 6.c3 Ba5 7.Nf3 Bb6 8.Na3 d6 9.Qe2 Qe7 10.Bd3 Nf6 11.Nc4 0–0 12.Nxb6 axb6 13.0–0 Re8 14.Re1 d5 15.e5 Ng4 16.h3 Qc5+ 17.Kf1 Nh6 18.Be3 Qf8 19.Qc2 g6 20.g4 f5 21.exf6 Qxf6 22.f5 Nf7 23.g5 Qd6 24.Bf4 Nfe5 25.Nxe5 Nxe5 26.Qh2 Qf8 27.Rxe5 Rxe5 28.Bxe5 Bxf5 29.Bxf5 Qxf5+ 30.Kg1 Qxg5+ 31.Qg3 Qxg3+ 32.Bxg3 c6 33.a3 Kf7 34.Rf1+ Ke6 35.Bh4 Ra4 36.Bg5 Re4 37.Kf2 Kf5 38.Bd2 g5 39.Kg3+ Kg6 40.Re1 Rxe1 41.Bxe1 Kf5 42.Kf3 h5 43.a4 g4+ 44.hxg4+ hxg4+ 45.Ke3 Ke6 46.Bg3 Kd7 47.Kd4 Ke6 48.b4 Kd7 49.a5 c5+ 50.Kxd5 Kc8 51.Ke6 cxb4 52.cxb4 bxa5 53.bxa5 b5 54.a6 If 54.axb6 Kb7 ensuring a draw. 54…b4 55.Kd5 b3 56.Kc6 b2 57.a7 1–0.

Last week’s position ended with Black’s unanswerable combination 1…Qh1+ 2.Bxh1 Nh2+ 3.Ke1 Rg1+.

Here’s an ending from Wenman’s little book “100 Remarkable Endings” in which the great American master, Marshall loses in 14 moves to Alapin (W). What remarkable 2 move combination did White play to force the win?

White to play and win.