Chess In The Med

AM making final preparations for flying to Mallorca tomorrow for a nine-day, nine-round U2400 tournament at Colònia de Sant Jordi, a small resort in the southeast of the Mediterranean island.

There are 32 entries, including a grandmaster and two international masters, with the first seven rounds at 20:00, followed by round eight at 15:30 and round nine at 10:00.

The time control is 40 moves in 90 minutes, with 15 minutes to finish, and a 30-second increment throughout.

There are also two norm tournaments and a six-round U1800 weekender.

Lessons From Crete VII: Square Of The Pawn

THE following position was reached after 50 moves in my round-seven game at the Amateur Chess Organization's 50+ 'world championships' at Fodele Beach, Crete.

Black has just played 50...h4

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White has a protected passed pawn, which makes many pawn-endings winning for White, but has to be careful not to let Black queen on the kingside.

As is well known, for a king to be able to stop an enemy pawn from promoting, the king must be within 'the square of the pawn'.

Here is a simple example.

The position is drawn even if it is Black to move, and it does not matter whether Black is playing up or down the board! 

In both cases the white king is within an imaginary square formed by counting the number of squares the pawn is from queening and then counting the same number along the rank.

For example, if White is playing up the board, then it can be seen the black pawn is three squares from queening, and the white king is within the square formed by imagining lines from g4-g1, g4-d4, d4-d1 and d1-g1.

Now look at the top diagram again, and it can be seen the white king is within the square of the g4 pawn, which may be why my opponent played 51.Bd5, but after 51...h3 White is lost, the point being the white king is not within the square of the black h pawn, so 52.Ke3, even if it did not drop the bishop, would not save White as Black could show off by playing 52...g3 53.Bf3 Bc6 54.Bxc6 Kxc6 55.Kf3 (or 55.hxg3 h2 etc) gxh2 etc.

The game saw 52.Bh1, but 52...Bc6 forced resignation as 53.Bxc6 Kxc6 54.Ke3 g3 reaches the same position as in the previous paragraph.

LESSON: the square of the pawn is a useful visualisation tool, but it is vital to be sure which enemy pawn's square your king needs to be able to enter.

Championship Chess

PLAYED last night in the Battersea club championship.

Spanton (1968) - Bathuman Madavan (1578)

1.Nc3

1.Nc3 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Bg5 Bb4!?

This and 5...Bc5!? are the top choices of Stockfish17 and Dragon1, whereas the also-popular 5...Be7 leaves Black embarrassed after 6.Nf5!

6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Qd4 Be7!?

This retreat is the commonest continuation in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database - John Nunn is among those who have played it - but perhaps 7...Qe7 is a tad better.

8.e4 0-0 9.Bd3!?

The white queen later finds itself awkwardly placed after this. The engines like 9.e5 Nd5 10.Bxe7 Qxe7 11.0-0-0, claiming at least a slight edge for White.

9...Ng4?!

The engines reckon 9...d5, or 9...h6 followed by ....d5, gives equality.

How should White respond?

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10.Bd2?!

I spent more than 20 minutes on this move, thus supporting grandmaster Nunn's rule that when a player takes such a long time it nearly always results in a very sub-optimal continuation. The engines give 10.Bxe7 Qxe7 11.Be2, preferring White.

10...Bf6 11.Qa4 Ne5!?

There was no rush to withdraw the knight, even if the move does threaten to win the bishop-pair.

12.Be2 Bb7?!

The engines reckon this is a mistake, preferring 12...d5 or 12...d6.

13.0-0-0

Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position?

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White has a lead in development (albeit the white bishops are not posted actively), fewer pawn-islands and more space in the centre. The engines reckon White has the upper hand.

13...d6 14.f4 Nd7

How should White proceed?

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15.e5!

This positional pawn sacrifice gives White a strong initiative.

15...dxe5 16.Ne4 Re8?!

The engines prefer 16..Be7, but award White the upper hand.

17.f5

Possibly even stronger is the engines' 17.Bc3!?

17...Be7 18.Bc3!?

The engines much prefer 18.Be3 or 18.Qb3.

18...Bg5+?

The engines give 18...Bd6!?, and if 19.Nxd6 cxd6 20.Rxd6 they continue 20...Qg5+, eg 21.Kb1 Nb6 22.Qa5 Qxg2!? with a messy position that they find difficult to evaluate.

19.Kb1 Be3 20.Rd3?!

This dissipates much of White's advantage, whereas 20.Bh5 (Stockfish17) and 20.Bc4 (Dragon1) give what the engines reckon is a winning position.

20...Nb6 21.Qb3 Bd4 22.Bh5 Qd5!?

The only move to save Black's game, but according to the engines it gives equality.

23.Ng5?!

Aggressive, but the position no longer justifies it. Instead the engines recommend consolidating with 23.Bf3, or playing the tricky 23.Rg3!?, but in each case Black can exchange queens, eg 23.Rg3!? Qxb3 24.axb3 Red8, although the engines reckon White has enough compensation for a pawn.

23...Qxb3?!

Black gets the upper hand, according to the engines, after 23...g6 24.fxg6 hxg6 25.Bf3 Qxb3 26.axb3, reaching a position that also arises in the game, but one that, thanks to Black's move-order, White could have avoided.

24.axb3 g6 25.fxg6 hxg6 26.Bf3?!

Probably better is 26.Bxd4 exd4 27.Bf3. After the text the game has reached the position given in the last note.

26...Bxc3 27.Rxc3 Nd5?

Black is a pawn up and winning (Stockfish17) or at least has the upper hand (Dragon1) after 27...f6 28.Ne4 Nd5.

28.Bxd5 cxd5 29.Rxc7

White has regained the sacrificed pawn and has invaded the seventh rank

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29...f6?

Black should save the bishop.

30.Rxb7?

Much stronger is 30.Nh7.

30...fxg5

How would you assess this double rook-and-pawn ending?

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Material is level, but White is more-active and has the better pawn-structure, although Black has the only passed pawn. The engines give White the upper hand.

31.Re1 a6?!

Presumably played to untie the queen's rook, but the engines reckon Black should utilise the one trump in Black's position, namely the passer, by playing 31...e4.

32.c3?!

Restraining the d pawn, but it was probably better to attack it with 32.Rd7.

32...Re6?!

Again ...e4 is almost certainly better.

33.Rd7 Rf8 34.Re2 Rf1+ 35.Kc2 e4 36.Rxd5 e3 37.Rd1 Rf2 38.Re1

Not 38.Rxf2? exf2 39.Rf1 Re2+ 40.Kd3 (40.Kd1? Rxb2 wins for Black) Rxb2=.

38...a5 39.Kd3 Rd6+

There is nothing better.

40.Kxe3 Rxe2+ 41.Rxe2 Rb6 42.Kd3 Rxb3 43.Kc4 Rb7 44.b3 Kf7 45.Re5 (1-0, 62 moves)

MY BATTERSEA SEASON 2024-5

DATE.....EVENT...........................COL..RATING..OPP'S RATING..SCORE..SEASON PERF

12/9/24  Central London League   W     1933         1886                   1            2286

26/9/24  Central London League   B      1933         2112                   1            2399

15/10/24 Club Championship        W     1968         1578                   1            2259

Lessons From Crete VI: The Most Important Factor In Chess

THERE are many candidates for what counts most in chess, including material, time, initiative and accurate analysis, all of which have been put forward by one top player or another.

But arguably all these are trumped by grandmaster Nigel Davies's "most important factor," namely king safety*, as was graphically illustrated in my round-six game at the Amateur Chess Organization's 50+ 'world championships' at Fodele Beach, Crete.

The following position arose after 30 moves.

Black has just played 30...Ke8-e7

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Black's rook-plus is only temporary, so really the material situation can be thought of as favouring White by a pawn.

Not only that, but White also has the safer king ... provided the black queen is not allowed into White's position.

I played 31.Qxh7, which turns a probable win into a loss as there is no good answer to 31...Qg4.

Instead 31.h3 would have covered the g4  square, given the white king a bolt hole at h2, and left the rook to be picked up next move.

LESSON: nothing else matters in chess if your king is not safe.

*Davies is not the only GM to emphasise king safety, but he is the one I have seen - mostly on DVDs - emphasise this factor the most.

Lessons From Crete V: Keep Active

THE following endgame position arose in my round-five game at the Amateur Chess Organization's 50+ 'world championships' at Fodele Beach, Crete.

White has just played 39.c4-c5

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I played the passive 39...Rd8, guarding the back rank, but soon lost after 40.Rxa6 Rc8 41.c6 Kf8 42.Kg3 Ke8 43.Kf4 Kd8 44.g4 Bxg4 45.hxg4 (the rook-and-pawn ending does not save Black) Kc7 46.Ra7+ Kxc6 47.Rxf7 etc.

Instead Black draws fairly comfortably after the active 39...Rc3 40.c6, and now the key move, 40...Kh7 (this could also be played before ...Rc3).

True, White can go a pawn up with 41.Rxa6, but Stockfish17 and Dragon1 call the position completely equal, a likely continuation being 41...Kh6 42.h4 Rc4 43.g3 g5 44.Ra5 g4 45.Bg2 Kg6, and White cannot make progress.

LESSON: passivity should be regarded as a last resort, only to be used when active play is demonstrably wrong.

Lessons From Crete IV: Tunnel Vision

IN round four of the Amateur Chess Organization's 50+ 'world championships' at Fodele Beach, Crete, I played an interesting pawn sacrifice to relieve pressure against my king.

Black has just played 20...Qd7-f5

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Black threatens 21...g5, followed by opening lines to the white king.

Stockfish17 and Dragon1 want White to play 21.Qxg7, which I (mistakenly) did not seriously consider.
Instead I played the engines' second choice, 21.b6, the game continuing 21...axb6 22.Rb5 Qf7 23.Rd5 Rh6 24.h4 Rg6 25.Ng5 Bxg5 26.hxg5, reaching the following position.

How should Black proceed?

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I cannot be sure, but here I suspect my opponent thought something like this:

White's pawn sacrifice caught me by surprise, and if he now regains the pawn he may well be better. I need to somehow defend d4.

At first glance 26...Qf4 looks good, especially if it leads to queens coming off, as White probably has the safer king. BUT White can reply 27.Re8+, with the forcing continuation 27...Kd7 28.Rxf8 Qxf8 29.Qh3+ Re6 (29...Ke7 looks unpleasant after both 30.Qxh5 and 30.Rf5) 30.Rxd4, when White has regained his pawn, threatens the h pawn and has a pin on the black rook.

That won't do, but instead I can defend d4 with 29...c5 and I remain a pawn up as 30.Rxd6 is a horrible blunder thanks to 30...Rxd6 31.Qxd6 Qxf2+ etc.

There is nothing wrong with White thinking like that, at least as far as the analysis goes.

But it is mistaken thinking because it focuses exclusively on defending d4, rather than looking at the bigger picture.

Instead of the game's 29...c5 the engines point out the much superior 29...c6 30.Rxd4 Rxg5, when 31.Qxg5 loses to 31...Qxf2+ 32.Kh2 Qxd4.

So White should probably play 31.Qe3, but after 31...Re5 Black is a pawn up and has successfully contested the open file.

LESSON: beware getting so engrossed in one aspect of a position that you lose focus on the bigger picture.

Lessons From Crete III: Choosing The Right Recapture

THE following instructive position arose in my round-three game at the Amateur Chess Organization's 50+ 'world championships' at Fodele Beach, Crete.

Black has just captured on d5

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REASONS FOR 26.exd5

1. A pawn on d5 gives White more space in the centre.

2. A pawn on d5 takes away the e6 square from Black's pieces, particularly the queen.

3. The e4 square is freed for a white piece, particularly the knight.

REASONS FOR 26.Rxd5

1. The d6 pawn is left backward on a half-open file.

2. A rook on d5 has pressure down the d file and is more dangerous to the black king than it is on d1.

3. The e pawn is left controlling the f5 square, which is denied to Black's pieces, particularly the queen, and might become an outpost for a white piece, particularly the knight.

I played 26.exd5, which is not even in the top two choices of Stockfish17 and Dragon1. They slightly prefer 26.f4 and much prefer 26.Rxd5.

After 26.Rxd5, the threat of f4 is hard to meet, eg 26...Ne7 (the engines' first choice) 27.f4 Qg6 (27...Nxd5 loses material to 28.fxe5 followed by exd5)28.Qxg6 N5xg6, and then 29.Rd2 leaves pressure, which cannot be evaded by 29...d5 as 30.f5 Nf4 (more-or-less forced as White threatens 31.f6+) 31.Nxf4 gxf4 32.Bxf4 wins a sound pawn as 32...dxe4 fails to 33.f6+ Kxf6 34.Bc7+.

Having played through this line, the engines come to prefer meeting 26.Rxd5 with 26...Qe6, but then 27.Rfd1 threatens 28.Bxe5+ Nxe5 29.Ng3 with Nf5(+) to come.

In the game, 26.exd5 was met by 26...Qf5, when the engines reckon Black has equalised.

The continuation 27.f4 Qg4 forced queens off and so alleviated the danger Black's king faced.

LESSON: concrete analysis in the diagrammed position shows which recapture is better, and concrete analysis is almost invariably better than positional feeling, unless a position is so complicated that reliable conclusions cannot be drawn from analysis.

Lessons From Crete II: Party Time!

THE following position arose in my round-two game from the Amateur Chess Organization's 50+ 'world championships' at Fodele Beach, Crete.

White has just played 9.Qc4-d3

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This position occurs 696 times in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database.

The vast majority - 637 games - feature 9...c4 or 9...Rc8.

After 9...c4 the commonest continuation is 10.Qd1 Rc8 11.Bg5 Be7, when Stockfish17 and Dragon1 reckon Black has fully equalised.

After 9...Rc8 the commonest continuation is 10.dxc5 Bxc5, when Stockfish17 again reckons Black has equalised, although Dragon1 fluctuates between equality and giving White a slight edge.

As well as 9...c4 and 9...Rc8, grandmasters have also played 9...Qb6, but no one over 2399 has tried my choice, 9...Nb4.

After 10.Qd1 Bc6 I thought I was doing well - White's queen has been driven back to its starting square, and the 'Catalan' bishop on g2 has an opposing bishop on the h1-a8 diagonal.

But after 11.a3 Na6 (11...Nbd5 12.e4 is worse, according to the engines) alarm bells started ringing as I had two hangers, ie two pieces (the queenside minors) unprotected by other black pieces or pawns.

The whole sequence reminds me of two of grandmaster John Nunn's axioms.

1. Invite everyone to the party.

Nunn particularly applies this to the build-up of an attack on the king.

The point is to get as many pieces as possible into the action as an attack with just two or three pieces is less likely to succeed unless the opponent's position is very bad.

Inviting everyone to the party can apply equally well to a queenside attack, which is what I had in my game, hence why ...Rc8, or ...c4 followed by ...Rc8, is the best continuation in the above diagram.

2. Loose pieces drop off.

Nunn turned this into an initialism, LPDO, for easy memorisation.

By "loose pieces" he meant any piece, or a pawn for that matter, not protected by a colleague.

After 11...Na6 I have two such pieces, at c6 and a6, while White has none.

The game continued 12.Bg5 cxd4 13.b4 h6 14.Bxf6 Qxf6 15.Qxd4 Be7 16.Nbd2 Qxd4 17.Nxd4 Bxg2 18.Kxg2 Bf6 19.N2b3 0-0, reaching the following position.

Black still has two 'loose pieces', or hangers as I like to call them, on a6 and b5

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White is winning, according to the engines, as there is no good answer to 20.Rac1.

LESSON: try to ensure your party is well-attended, and keep an eye out for lonely wallflowers who may need your assistance.

Lessons From Crete: Passivity

WHITE scores about 55% across large databases, a score that reflects the advantage of having the first move.

Moving first is an advantage, no matter how many people you come across who claim they score better as Black.

(When I ask such players what they actually score as White and what they score as Black, they can never give numbers - they just have a gut feeling).

One way of throwing away the advantage of the first move is to play passively, typically by trying to play 'solidly' in the face of a perceived Black threat.

My round-one game at the Amateur Chess Organization's 50+ 'world championships' in Crete neatly illustrates this.

Pay particular attention to White's fifth and seventh moves.

1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 c5 3.Bg2 Nc6 4.d4 Bg4 5.c3 e6 6.0-0 Qb6 7.e3

Position after White's seventh move

Spyridon Skembris, one of the ACO's resident grandmasters at its events, pointed out, after my next move, 7...Nf6, that the position looked as if Black were playing with the white pieces.

Stockfish17 and Dragon1 more-or-less confirm this by giving Black a slight edge - roughly the same edge they give White at the start of a game before a move has been played.

The fault lies with White's passive fifth and seventh moves, which, among other things, make the white queen's bishop a problem piece shut in by its own pawns (Black often has such a problem bishop in d-pawn openings).

Skembris said that, instead of 5.c3, White should play 5.Ne5.

I intended replying 5...Nxe5, which is the most popular continuation in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database, but after 6.dxe5 the engines reckon White has a positionally won game.

That may seem a bit OTT, but following 6...e6 7.c4 it is obvious Black's centre is under a lot of pressure.

White's passive 7.e3 may be a novelty.

The engines prefer 7.a4, meeting 7...Bxf3 with 8.dxc5 Qxc5 9.Bxf3.

They also like Skembris's suggested 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.b4, an idea seen in lines of the Advance Variation of the French Defence.

LESSON: White, having the advantage of the first move, can get away with more than Black in the opening, but there is a limit, and passive pawn moves are liable to hand the initiative to Black and so give away the very advantage of having the first move.

Save The Last Walk For Me

MY flight home is not till mid-afternoon, so after breakfast I made my usual trek to Fodele village for a morning espresso.

But then I carried on to the nearby Church of the Panayia (also transliterated as Panagia), an 11th-century Byzantine cruciform church dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Welcome colour along the way

Even this short stretch of road is not without a shrine for an accident victim

Greens and light browns predominate, but can be beautiful

Front view of the church

Side view - I find it sobering to think this was built about the time of the Norman Conquest

This may be a filled-in well, or was perhaps used for immersive baptisms