Keverel Chess

Posts Tagged ‘Boniface Memorial’

Last weekend’s Steve Boniface Memorial Congress in Bristol appears to have been a closely contested affair with no one player able to dominate proceedings. Local organiser, Dave Tipper, has kindly supplied the scores which were as follows (all players Bristol-based unless otherwise indicated):

1^st= Jim Burnett (200 - Worksop) & Chris Timmins (175) both 4/6 pts.

3^rd Nigel Hosken (196 - Cheltenham) 3½. 4^th= Tyson Mordue (201); Steve Piper (181 - Salisbury); Peter Davies (174 - Cardiff) & Jody Johnson (160) all on 3 pts. 8^th= Steve Dilleigh (183); Robert Thompson (176) & Richard Edney (158-IOW) all on 2½. 11^th= Peter Jaszkiwsky (169 - Kettering); Ian Ponter (165); David Dugdale (158); Michael Meadows (156) & Ian Matthew (156 - Portsmouth). 16^th Michael Harris (159) 1½; 17^th Roger Hardy (153) 1.

The Paignton Congress starts tomorrow at the soon-to-be-redeveloped Oldway Mansion, with local grandmaster, Keith Arkell, favourite to win, after his 2^nd place at Hinckley last weekend. He will also be taking the opportunity to launch his autobiography, Arkell’s Odyssey, which will be available for sale and signing. Here is a Paignton 1988 game of his from the book.

White: Tyson Mordue (2224). Black: Keith Arkell (2430).

Sicilian Defence – Scheveningen Variation. [B85]. (Notes by the winner)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 Qc7 7.Be2 Nf6 8.0–0 Be7 9.f4 d6 10.Kh1 Bd7 11.Qe1 0–0 12.Qg3 Nxd4 If 12…b5 13.a3 (13.e5 dxe5 14.fxe5 Nxe5 15.Bh6 Ne8 16.Bf4 Bd6). 13.Bxd4 Bc6 14.Bf3 Rfd8 15.Rad1 g6 16.Rfe1 b5 17.Qf2 Rab8 18.e5 Ne8 19.Bxc6 Qxc6 20.Ne4 dxe5 21.fxe5 Ng7 22.Nf6+ Bxf6 23.exf6 Nf5 24.Be5 Rbc8 25.h3 h5 26.c3 h4 27.Qf4 Rd5 28.Kh2 Rcd8 29.Rxd5 Qxd5 30.a4 bxa4 31.Qxa4 Qd2 32.Qe4? He should have done something about this b-pawn, but in any case I obviously have a positional advantage. In the Sicilian, Black often stands well once he has survived the initial onslaught. 32…Qxb2 33.Rb1 Qf2 34.Bc7 Rd2 35.Rg1 Qc5 36.Qa8+ Kh7 37.Bf4 Rf2 38.Qe8 Rxf4 39.Qxf7+ Kh6 40.Qg8 40…Qxg1+ Not strictly necessary, but it forces a quick end to the game. 41.Kxg1 Ng3 42.Qf8+ Kh5 43.Qc5+ g5 44.Kh2 Rf1 45.Qe7 Rh1# 0–1

After last week’s difficult Olympic-themed problem, here’s a little more accessible 2-mover.

Dave Scott of Exeter, a well-known organiser of junior chess in Devon died recently aged 57. His funeral takes place on Monday at Exeter Crematorium at 1 p.m. A little more information may be found on my website keverelchess.com.

Next weekend the Bristol Chess League are organising the 5^th Steve Boniface Memorial Congress at Filton Sports Centre, details of which may be obtained from the organiser, Graham Mill-Wilson on 0779-016-7415.

The following weekend sees the start of the 61^st Paignton Congress at Oldway Mansion, one of England’s most venerable events. Round 1 will start at 2 p.m. on Sunday 4^th September. Details may be obtained from the event secretary, Alan Crickmore on 01752-768206.

Last year’s joint winners of the Boniface Memorial were Bristol stalwarts Chris Beaumont and Tyson Mordue. Here is one of their games from Round 2.

White: G. Crockart. Black: C. Beaumont.

Bird’s Opening [A02]

1.f4 The invention of the 19^th century master Henry E. Bird (1830 – 1908) who specialised in eccentric variations. These have the advantage of taking opponents away from well-known lines but have to be played very carefully or one can easily be hoist by one’s own petard. Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.b3 Bg7 4.Bb2 0–0 5.e3 c5 6.c4 Nc6 7.Be2 d5 8.cxd5 Qxd5 9.Nc3 Qf5 10.Nh4? White needs to get castled and complete development before launching into attacks that have little prospect of immediate benefit. 10…Qd7 11.Na4 b6 12.Bf3 Ba6 White’s option of castling is now taken away and his king is stuck in the centre. 13.Bxc6 Qxc6 14.Qf3 Qd7 15.d4 cxd4 16.Bxd4 Rac8 17.Rd1 Qb5 18.Nc3 Qb4 19.Rc1 Rfd8 20.Kf2 Rxd4 Giving up the exchange in order to break open the centre and get at White’s king. 21.exd4 Qxd4+ 22.Ke1 Ng4! 0-1 resigns. For example after 23.Qxg4 Qe3+ 24.Kd1 Rd8+ 25.Kc2 Qxc3+ 26.Kb1 Qb2 mate. Or 23.a3 and Black has a choice of moves e.g. 23…Bf6 attacking the immobile knight or 23…Rxc3 24.Rxc3 Qxc3+ 25.Qxc3 Bxc3+ 26.Kd1 (forced) 26…Nf2+ 27.Kc2 Nxh1 28.Kxc3 etc.

In last week’s position, Trevenen finished the game with 1.Rh8+ Kf7 2.Qxg7+! Kxg7 3.R1h7 mate where the knight covers two possible flight squares for the Black king.

Here is the starter problem for this year’s national solving championship that I first gave in June. The correct solution is e5! which threatens 2.b6 mate. Black has ten possible attempts to avoid mate, but each is refuted. There were 249 entries this year and most of them will be receiving in the post the next batch of problems to solve.

White mates in 2.