Keverel Chess

The Beacon Seniors Congress finished yesterday afternoon. Jim Burnett of Doncaster was a new face on the local scene and looked impregnable early on and a likely winner. Here are his first 2 games.

White: R. Scowen (159). Black: J. Burnett (196).

French Defence [C02]

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bd7 6.Be2 Nge7 7.0–0 Ng6 8.b3 Be7 9.Ba3? There is no possibility of winning a pawn as White’s own important e-pawn would also fall. So it puts the bishop out of the game. 9…0–0 10.Bd3 b6 11.Re1 Rc8 12.Nbd2 f5 13.exf6 Rxf6 14.Bxg6? Swapping off his most active piece. 14…Rxg6 15.Ne5 Nxe5 16.dxe5 Bc6 17.f3 Qc7 18.Nf1 All White’s pieces are now at the edge of the board and none of them posing any threat. 18…Rf8 19.Kf2 Rg5 20.Qd3 Rxe5 Opening the way for Black’s queen, bishops & central pawn to flex their muscles. 21.Rxe5 Qxe5 22.Re1 Qf6 23.Bb2 e5 24.Qe2 Bd6 25.c4 d4 Creating a passed pawn and finally giving the “French bishop” room to breathe. 26.Nd2 Qh4+ 27.Kg1 e4 28.Nxe4 Bxh2+ 28…Qxh2+ 29.Kf1 Bxe4 30.Qxe4 Bg3 31.Rc1 Qh1+ 32.Ke2 Qxg2+ 33.Kd1 Qxf3+ 34.Qxf3 Rxf3 leaving White without a move on the board. 29.Kf1 Bf4 30.Nf2 Re8 31.Qd1 Be3 32.Nh3 Bxf3 0–1.

White: J. Burnett (196). Black: B. Gosling (151).

[A42]

1.d4 g6 2.Nf3 Bg7 3.c4 d6 4.g3 e5 5.Bg2 Nd7 6.e4 Ne7 7.0–0 exd4 8.Nxd4 0–0 9.Nc3 a6 10.Re1 Ne5 11.Bf1 c6 12.h3 Qb6 13.Nb3 Be6 14.Be3 Qc7 15.Nd2 b5 16.cxb5 axb5 17.Qc2 Rfc8 18.b3 b4 19.Na4 c5 20.Rac1 A speculative sacrifice follows. 20…Rxa4 21.bxa4 Qd7 22.Bb5 N5c6 23.h4 Bc3 24.f3 Qc7 25.Kg2 Nd4 26.Bxd4 cxd4 27.Red1 d5 28.Nb3 Qe5 29.Bd3 dxe4 30.fxe4 Be1 A great idea that doesn’t quite work. White must give up his queen, but having won the earlier exchange, he gets plenty of compensation for it. 31.Qxc8+ Nxc8 32.Rxe1 Bxb3 33.Rxc8+ Kg7 34.axb3 2 rooks would be equal to a queen in most positions, but with the bishop thrown in as well, the Black queen cuts a lonely figure. 34…Qe6 35.Rc4 g5 36.hxg5 Qg4 37.Rxd4 Qxg5 38.Re2 Qc5 39.Rd5 Qb6 40.Bc4 h6 41.Rf5 1–0

In last week’s position, Black won by 1…Rd1+ and White must take it or lose his queen, but then faces 2…Nf2+ forking king and queen.

Here is another Dave Collier win, this time in the British Championship. White to move and win immediately.

White to play and win immediately.