There are direct trains from that station to Mariánské Lázně, but that would have meant waiting for over an hour, so instead I changed at Pilsen, arriving at my hotel at around 19:00 local time.
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| Central Park, Mariánské Lázně |
Friday, 17 January 2025
Getting There (Mariánské Lázně)
CAUGHT British Airways' 10:40 flight from Heathrow to Prague, and then the Airport Express bus from Prague airport to the city's main train station.
Thursday, 16 January 2025
Checking In
AM making final preparations for flying to Prague tomorrow for the CzechTour's Mariánské Lázně chess festival.
I have entered the nine-round seniors (50+), which starts on Saturday and runs through the following Saturday, meaning one double-round day.
There are 103 entries, including three from England and one from Scotland.
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| The weather can be challenging, as this photo from last year shows, but invigorating |
Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Knockout Chess
PLAYED on board six (of eight) for Battersea against University College London in the Eastman Cup last night.
Devan Patel (2052) - Spanton (1958)
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Jobava-Prié
1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 e6 3.Nc3 Bd6 4.e3!?
This popular response to ...Bd6 is the top choice of Stockfish17 and Dragon1, and is easily the main move in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, scoring 60%.
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| How should Black respond? |
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4...Nf6
This and 4...Bxf4 are equally popular in Mega25, and both have been played by Magnus Carlsen.
5.Nf3 0-0 6.Bd3 Bxf4!?
The mainline in Mega25 runs 6...c5 7.dxc5!? Bxc5 8.0-0 Nc6, with what the engines reckon is equality.
7.exf4 Qd6
Baadur Jobava (2713) - Mohamed Tissir (2380), World Blitz Championship (Dubai) 2014, saw 7...c5!? 8.dxc5 Qc7 9.Qd2 Qxc5 10.0-0-0!?, with equal chances, according to the engines (but 1-0, 28 moves).
8.Ne2!?
Apparently a novelty. The engines prefer the known moves 8.Qd2 and 8.Ne5.
8...b6
Black can grab a pawn with 8...Qb4!? 9.c3 Qxb2, but Stockfish17 reckons White has decent compensation, starting with 10.a4, although Dragon1 gives Black a slight edge.
9.c3 c5 10.Ne5 Ba6 11.0-0!?
The engines agree with not preserving White's good bishop, although note that after 11.Bc2 Bxe2!? 12.Qxe2 Black cannot win a pawn by 12...cxd4 13.cxd4 Qb4+ 14.Qd2 Qxb2?? as Black loses the queen to 15.Bxh7+ etc.
11...Bxd3
White has the upper hand after 11...c4?! 12.Bc2, according to the engines.
12.Qxd3 Ne4 13.f3!?
This evicts the black knight, but probably reduces White's chances of attacking on the kingside.
13...Nf6 14.Rfe1 Nc6
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| Now both sides have connected rooks, how would you assess the position? |
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White has a half-open file and a well-placed knight at e5, but Black has pressure against d4 and no weaknesses. The engines reckon the position is equal.
15.Qb5!?
The engines are not keen on this aggression, preferring 15.Nxc6!? Qxc6 16.f5 exf5 17.Qxf5.
15...Rfc8
The engines reckon Black is slightly better after 15...Ne7!?, the idea being that with b6 protected by the black queen, the white queen can be driven off with ...a6.
16.Rad1 cxd4?!
Better, according to the engines, are 16...Ne7!? and 16...c4!? One problem with the text is that it helps White activate his poorly knight.
17.Nxd4 Nxd4 18.Rxd4 Rc5 19.Qd3 Nd7 20.g3
If 20.c4 then 20...Nxe5, when 21.fxe5 dxc4! gives Black at least equality, while after the engines' choice, 21.Rxe5!?, Black has 21...Rd8, the engines reckoning 22.cxd5 Rxd5 23.Rexd5 exd5 gives complete equality.
20...Rd8 21.Ra4 a5 22.a3 b5!?
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| How should White respond to this pawn thrust? |
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23.Rxa5!?
The engines marginally prefer this over 23.Nxd7!?
23...Qb6?
Necessary is 23...Nxe5. when the engines reckon Black has enough for a pawn.
24.Nxd7 Rxd7 25.Qd4
Not 25.Ra8+?? Rc8+.
25...Qxa5 26.Qxc5 g6
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| White has won a good pawn |
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27.a4?!
The engines suggest consolidation with 27.Rd1.
27...Rc7
Not 27...Qa4?? 28.Qc8+, but Black is more-or-less fine after 27...d4!, when 28.Qxb5 Qa7 29.cxd4 Rd5!. with ...Rxd4 to come, gives Black good drawing chances, according to the engines.
28.Qxb5 Qa7+ 29.Kg2 Rb7 30.Qe8+ Kg7 31.Re2 Re7?
A big mistake, according to the engines, whereas they reckon 31...Qa6 followed by 32...Rb3 leaves White with at best a slight edge, despite being two pawns up, the point being Black has tremendous pressure against the white queenside.
32.Qc6 Rc7 33.Qd6 Kg8!? 34.Qe5 Rb7
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| How can White preserve all three queenside pawns? |
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35.f5!?
Ingeniously giving up a doubled pawn, so the queen can protect a4, but the engines prefer 35.g4, 35.Qd4 or 35.b4, reckoning White is still winning even after giving up a passed pawn.
35...gxf5 36.Qf4 Qa6 37.Rd2 Qc4?!
Probably better is 37...Rb3.
38.Qxc4 dxc4 39.Rd4?!
Patience is required, eg 39.Kf2!? Ra7 40.Ke3 Rxa4 41.Kd4, when material is equal but White is winning, according to the engines.
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| How should Black proceed? |
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39...Rc7?
As usual, passivity is the wrong choice in rook endings. After 39...Rxb2+ 40.Kh3 Ra2 41.Rxc4 White has major difficulties activating the queenside. Indeed Stockfish17 reckons the position is completely equal, although Dragon1 gives White a slight edge.
40.Rd8+ Kg7 41.Rb8 Kf6 42.f4 Ke7 43.Kf3 Kd6 44.Ke3 f6 45.Rb6+ Kd5 46.Rb5+ Rc5!?
At first the engines reckon this is best, but still losing. Dragon1 sticks to that verdict, but Stockfish17 comes to prefer retreating the king.
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| How should White proceed? |
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47.Rxc5+!?
This is definitely best, according to Stockfish17, although Dragon1 for quite some time prefers 47.b3!?
47...Kxc5 48.a5!? e5
Black's hope for counterplay comes from threatening to create a protected passed pawn.
49.fxe5 fxe5
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| White to play and win |
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50.g4??
This turns a win into a loss. There was no rush to break up Black's duo, so 50.h3 is good (other moves also win, including 50.Kf3), eg 50...h5 (50...e4 is met by 51.g4) 51.Kf3 Kb5 52.g4 fxg4+ 53.hxg4 hxg4+ 54.Kxg4 Kxa5 55.Kf5 Ka4 56.Kxe5 Kb3 57.Kd5 Kxb2 58.Kxc4 Ka3 59.Kb5 etc.
50...fxg4 51.a6 Kb6 52.a7 Kxa7 53.Ke4 Kb6 54.Kxe5 Kb5 55.Kd5
Also losing are 55.Kf5 and 55.Kf6.
55...h5 56.Ke4
55...h5 56.Ke4
Or 56.Kd4 h4 etc.
56...Ka4 (0-1, 63 moves)
UCL won the match 4.5-3.5
UCL won the match 4.5-3.5
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*
31/10/24 Central London League B 1968 1867 0 2061*
19/11/24 London League W 1957 1991 1 2127*
21/11/24 Central London League B 1957 2035 = 2112*
27/11/24 London League W 1957 1723 = 2056*
12/12/24 Central London League B 1965 2153 0 2018*
7/1/25 Club Championship B 1958 1785 1 2037*
9/1/25 Central London League B 1958 1851 0 1978
14/1/25 Eastman Cup B 1958 2052 1 2021*
*My season's performance is slightly better than this, the point being my win against a 1578 counts as a 1978 performance, which lowers my average despite me winning the game.
Tuesday, 14 January 2025
Correspondence Chess
ANOTHER game from a non-team event.
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Spanton (2277) - Ron van Neijhof (2136)
PC Gibbs Memorial
Spanish Exchange
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.0-0 f6
Black scores a respectable 46% with this in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database. More popular is 5...Bg4, although that scores only 43%. The mainline in Mega25 after 5...Bg4 runs 6.h3 h5!? 7.d3 (7.hxg4?! hxg4 is almost certainly good for Black) Qf6 8.Nbd2 Ne7 9.Re1 Ng6, with an equal position, according to Stockfish17 and Dragon1.
6.d4 exd4 7.Nxd4
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| This position is reached 4,057 times in Mega 25 |
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In some ways the Exchange Variation of the Spanish might be thought a bad choice at correspondence chess in that White's capture on c6 releases some of the tension from the position. However, the opening can be thought of as a battle between White's better pawn-structure and Black's bishop-pair. Over the board the latter can be very effective, but with the help of engines the bishops should not prove to be anything that White cannot handle. The better structure, on the other hand, is an advantage that is only likely to tell in an ending - an ending well beyond the engines' early event-horizon. It may be my reasoning is faulty, but this reasoning is what lies behind my decision to play the variation at correspondence chess.
7...c5 8.Ne2!?
More popular is 8.Nb3, which was Bobby Fischer's choice against Lajos Portisch in 1966 and in game nine of his 1992 rematch against Boris Spassky. Fischer won both of those encounters, but in game 27 of the rematch he switched to the text, resulting in a draw. There is probably very little to choose between the two moves, but I feel the knight is a little more flexible on e2, and and a lot less likely to be targeted by black pawns.
8...Qxd1 9.Rxd1 Bd7 10.Be3 0-0-0 11.Nbc3 Bd6
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| How should White proceed? |
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12.Bf4!?
Moving a piece for a second time, but White is slightly ahead on development, so that is not a problem, and now Black faces a dilemma.
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| How should Black respond? |
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12...Bxf4
This is the commonest continuation in Mega25. The engines marginally prefer 12...Be6 13.Bxd6 Rxd6, when after 14.Nf4!? Bf7 they suggest the apparent-novelty 15.Nfd5, although they reckon the position is equal.
13.Nxf4 Ne7 14.Nh5!?
Much more popular are 14.f3 and especially 14.Rd2.
14...Rhg8 15.Nd5 Nxd5 16.Rxd5 Rde8!? 17.f3 b6
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| How would you assess this late-middlegame? |
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Black has the better minor piece for cooperating with rooks, at least when the position is open. But here there are a lot of pawns on the board, and White has the better endgame structure. The engines reckon White is slightly better.
18.Kf2 Be6 19.Rd2 f5
RvH offered a draw.
20.exf5 Bxf5 21.Rad1
Black has succeeded in opening lines, but the engines reckon White remains slightly better.
21...Re5 22.Ng3 Be6 23.a3 Rf8 24.Re2 Rxe2 25.Kxe2 h6 26.h4 a5 27.Ke3 Bd7 28.Ne4 Bc6 29.Rd2 Re8 30.h5!? Re7 31.g3 Kb7!? 32.g4!?
The tempting 32.Rd8 can be met by 32...Ba4, when 33.c3 Kc6 gives complete equality, according to the engines.
32...Kc8
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| Black's problem is there is no real counterplay in that Black cannot create a passed pawn on the queenside (at least with normal play), so the only real question is whether White can create a dangerous passer on the kingside |
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33.Kf4 Rf7+ 34.Kg3 Re7 35.Nc3 a4 36.Ne4 Rf7
Almost certainly not 36...Bxe4?! 37.Re2.
37.Rd3 Re7 38.Kf2 Bb5 39.Re3 Rd7 40.Nc3 Bc6
RvN offered a draw.
41.Re8+ Kb7 42.Re5 Rd2+ 43.Re2 Rd7 44.Ne4 Bb5 45.Rd2
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| How should Black proceed? |
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45...Re7!?
The engines prefer allowing rooks to come off, which is putting a lot of faith in the power of the bishop. However, after the text is inputted, and then the diagram position is restored, Dragon1 comes to prefer the text, although Stockfish17 suggests 45...Kc6 or 45...Kc8.
46.Rd8 Bc4 47.Ng3 b5 48.Rd2 Rf7 49.Nf5 Be6 50.Ne3 Kc6 51.Kg3 Re7
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| At last I felt it was time to advance my kingside majority |
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52.f4
Stockfish17 approves, but Dragon1 prefers continued manoeuvring with 52.Rd8 or 52.c3.
52...Re8 53.c3 Bc8 54.Kf2 Rf8 55.Kf3 Be6 56.Rg2!? b4 57.g5!? hxg5 58.Rxg5
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| White's kingside pawns are split, but the weakest pawn on the board is probably the g pawn |
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58...Bf7 59.Ng4 Kd6 60.Ne5 bxa3!?
The engines reckon it is slightly better to avoid the rook endgame with 60...Be8, but they still have White well on top.
61.Nxf7+ Rxf7 62.bxa3
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| How would you assess this rook-and-pawn ending? |
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Material is level, and every white pawn is isolated, but so is every black pawn. The key difference is White will be able to create a passed pawn on the kingside, and that will be enough for victory as Black's three queenside pawns are held up by two white pawns.
62...Re7 63.c4!? c6 64.Kg4 Re3 65.Rg6+ Ke7 66.Rxg7+ Kf6 67.h6 Re1 68.Rg5 Rg1+ 69.Kf3 Rh1
Or 69...Rxg5 70.fxg5+ Kxg5 71.h7 etc.
70.Rxc5 Rxh6 71.Rxc6+ Kf5 72.Rc5+
Not 72.Rxh6??
72...Ke6 73.Kg4 Rg6+ 74.Rg5 Rh6 75.f5+ Kf7 76.Rg6 Rh1 77.Ra6 1-0
At the end, after RvN congratulated me, I replied that I had been unable to pinpoint the moment when the game passed from within the drawing margin to being won. He answered: "That's also a 'mystery' for me."
Monday, 13 January 2025
Summing Up Peterborough
MY score for Wessex of +1=0-1 in Division Three Knights of the Four Nations Chess League gained 4.6 ECF elo and 0.6 Fide elo.
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| Intense frost in Bluebell Wood |
Sunday, 12 January 2025
4NCL Game Two
PLAYED on board five (of six) for Wessex against The Rookies today in Division Three Knights of the Four Nations Chess League.
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Martin Burrows (2167 ECF/2042 Fide) - Spanton (1958 ECF/1946 Fide)
Spanish Berlin
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Ba4!?
This is third in popularity in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, but a long way behind 6.dxe5 and 6.Bxc6. However, the text scores 57%, five percentage points more than 6.dxe5 and three more than the main continuation, 6.Bxc6.
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| How should Black respond? |
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6...Be7?!
'Safety-first', but probably a more forcing response is necessary. The mainline in Mega25 runs 6...e4 7.Re1 Be7 8.Ne5 0-0 9.Nc3, with complete equality, according to Stockfish17 and Dragon1. However the engines slightly prefer 6...exd4, when they reckon 7.c3!? Be7 8.cxd4 b5!? 9.Bc2!? (more common is 9.Bb3) Nb4 10.Bb3 Bb7 11.Nc3 leaves White with enough for a pawn, but no more.
7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Nc3 0-0
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| Now both sides have castled, how would you assess the position? |
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White has more space in the centre and a slight lead in development, giving the upper hand, according to the engines.
9.Nd5 Nh4?!
The engines suggest 9...d6.
10.Nxh4 Bxh4 11.Bf4 Re8?!
The engines much prefer 11...Ne7!?
12.Re1
Even stronger, according to the engines, is 12.g3 Be7 13.e6!
12...d6!?
There seems nothing better.
13.exd6 Rxe1+ 14.Qxe1 cxd6 15.Rd1 Be6 16.c3
The engines point out that, among other good moves, 16.Bxd6!? is possible.
16...Qa5?!
The engines reckon 16...Ne7 is best.
17.Bb3 Re8!?
This may be best, or at least better than 17...Rd8?!. when 18.g3 Be7 19.Nxe7+ Nxe7 20.Bxe6 fxe6 21.Qxe6+ Kf8 22.Bxd6 wraps things up.
18.Bxd6
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| White is a good pawn up, with continuing pressure |
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18...Bd7 19.Qd2 Re6?
Trying for counter-chances, but weakening the back rank only makes matters worse.
20.Bf4 Bc8!? 21.Nc7 Re4
The rook cannot be saved.
22.Bc2 Rxf4 23.Qxf4 Bg5 24.Qe4 Qe5 25.Qxe5!?
Objectively stronger is 25.Qxh7+, but both moves win easily.
25...Nxe5 26.f4! 1-0
The Rookies won the match 5.5-0-5.
Saturday, 11 January 2025
4NCL Game One
PLAYED on board five (of six) for Wessex against Coventry today in Division Three Knights of the Four Nations Chess League.
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Spanton (1958 ECF/1946 Fide) - David Ireland (1932 ECF/1872 Fide)
Sicilian Bb5(+)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Nc6 4.0-0 Bg4!?
This has been played by grandmasters, and is third in popularity in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, albeit a long way behind 4...Bd7.
5.h3 Bh5 6.d4!?
There are just two examples of this move in Mega25, but it is liked by Stockfish17 and Dragon1, although they also like the main continuation, 6.c3.
6...cxd4 7.g4!?
This may be a novelty. Dušan Popović (2504) - Jakub Roubalik (2343), Prague 2024, went 7.c3!? Nf6!? 8.cxd4 a6 9.Bxc6+ bxc6 10.Nc3, with the upper hand for White, according to the engines (1-0, 42 moves).
7...Bg6 8.Nxd4 Rc8
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| How should White proceed? |
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9.f4?!
Probably too loosening. The engines reckon White is at least slightly better after 9.Nc3.
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| How should Black respond? |
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9...e5!
9...e5!
This is best, according to the engines. If 9...Bxe4!? they reckon both 10.Nc3 and 10.c4!? give more than enough compensation for a pawn.
10.Bxc6+
The engines suggest 10.fxe5 or 10.f5.
10...bxc6 11.fxe5 dxe5 12.Nf5 Bxf5?!
The engines much prefer 12...Qxd1 13.Rxd1 Nf6, claiming Black has the upper hand.
13.Qxd8+ Rxd8 14.gxf5
Equalising is 14.exf5!?, according to the engines.
14...Bc5+ 15.Kg2!? h6!?
The engines reckon this is a little slow, recommending 15...Nf6.
16.Kf3 Nf6 17.Be3 Bxe3 18.Kxe3 Nh5 19.Nd2 Ke7 20.Nf3 Kf6!? 21.Rad1 Nf4 22.h4
Probably not 22.Nxe5?! Kxe5 23.Rxd8 Ng2+ 24.Kf2 Rxd8 25.Kxf2 Kxe4, when material is level and, although the engines reckon Black is at best 'only' slightly better, the position looks much easier for Black to play.
22...Ng2+ 23.Kf2 Nf4
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| How would you assess this late-middlegame? |
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Black has a powerfully placed knight, but White has a farside pawn-majority, and the open file is evenly contested. The engines reckon complete equality.
24.Nh2 Ke7 25.Ng4 f6 26.Kf3 Rb8!? 27.b3 Rhd8 28.Rg1 Nh3 29.Rge1 Nf4 30.Ne3 Rxd1!? 31.Rxd1 Rd8?!
The knight-and-pawn ending is difficult for Black. The engines suggest 31...h5, and if 32.Nc4 they reckon 32...Rd8 33.Rxd8 Kxd8 gives Black a better version of the game's knight-and-pawn ending.
32.Rxd8 Kxd8 33.Ng2 Nh3
Not 33...Nxg2? as, after 34.Kxg2, White's three kingside pawns will hold up Black's four, leaving White's 3-2 queenside majority to decide the game.
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| What should White play? |
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34.Ne3?!
The engines' choices fluctuate, but they agree this is not best. Stockfish17 eventually decides 34.a4 and 34.Ne1 are winning, while Dragon 1 reckons 34.b4 wins, but rates its second choice, 34.Ke3, as giving at best the upper hand.
34...Nf4?!
The engines give 34...Ng1+, after which best may be triangulation with 35.Kf2 Nh3+ 36.Kg2 Nh4+ 37.Kf3, and if then 37...Nh3? the position is the same as after 34.Ne3, but with White to move, and 38.Nf1 wins, eg 38...Nf4 39.Ng3 prepares, as in the game, Ne2. Instead the engines suggest 37...h5 or 37...Ke7, but agree White is at least slightly better.
35.Nf1 Ke7 36.Ng3 Kf7 37.b4!?
The immediate 37.Ne2 Nxe2 38.Kxe2 is not so clear after 38...g6.
37...Ke7?
Much better, according to the engines, is 37...h5. but they give White the upper hand.
38.Ne2 g5
38...Nxe2? 39.Kxe2 leaves White with an easily won pawn-ending.
39.fxg6 Nxg6 40.Kg4 Kf7 41.a4 Ne7 42.Ng3 Ke6 43.c4 a6 44.h5
Not 44.Nf5?? as 44...Nxf5+ 45.exf5+ gives Black a protected passed pawn and a guaranteed draw. Interesting is 44...h5+!? 45.Kxh5 Nxf5 46.exf5+ Kxf5, but again the pawn-ending is completely equal, according to the engines.
44...c5!?
This is the engines' top choice, which only shows how desperate Black's position is.
45.b5 axb5 46.axb5 Nc8 47.Nf5 Nb6 48.Ne3 Nc8 49.Nd5 Nd6 50.b6 Kd7 51.Nxf6+ Kc6 52.Ng8 Nxc4 53.Nxh6 Nd6
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| White to play and win |
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54.Kf3?
The winning plan is to quickly mobilise the h pawn, for example 54.Nf5 Nxe4 55.h7 Nf6+ 56.Kg5 Nh7+ 57.Kg6 Nf8+ 58.Kg7 Ne6+ 59.Kf7 Ng5+ 60.Kg6 Ne6 61.Ne7+ (61.h7? only draws after 61...Nf8+ and 62...Nxh7) Kxb6 62.Kf5 Nf8 63.Ng6 Nh7 64.Nxe5 Kc7 65.Kg6 Nf8+ 66.Kf7 Nh7 67.Kg7 Ng5 68.Nf3!? Ne6+ 69.Kf7 Nd8+ 70.Kf6 etc.
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| Black to play and draw |
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54...Kxb6
The engines reckon Black had to play 54...c4!, eg 55.Nf5 c3 56.Ne3 Kxb6, or 55.Ng4 Kxb6 56.Nxe5, when the Syzygy endgame tablebase confirms 56...c3! draws, eg 57.h6 c2 58.Nd3 Nf7 etc.
55.Nf5 Nf7
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| White to play and win |
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56.h6
The engines reckon 56.Kg4! wins, and 56.Ne3!? gives an advantage, but seemingly not enough for the full point.
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| Black to play and draw |
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56...Kb5?
Three moves draw, according to the engines: 56...c4, 56...Kc6 and 56...Kc7, eg 56...c4 57.Ke3 Kc6 58.h7 Kd7 59.Kd2 c3+!? (not the only move) 60.Kxc3, which is a tablebase draw even if it is White to move.
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| White to play and win |
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57.Ke2
Winning is 57.Kg4!, eg 57...c4 58.h7 c3 59.Ne3 Kc5 60.Kf5 Kd4 61.Nc2+ Kd3 62.Nb4+ Kd2 63.Kg6.
57...Ng5 58.Kd3 Kb4 59.Ne3
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| Black to play and draw |
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59...Kb3?
The engines show both 59...Kb5 and 59...Kf7 draw.
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| White to play and win |
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60.Nc4!?
White may have a slight edge after this, but winning is 60.Ng4!, eg 60...c4+ 61.Ke3! (another only-move, according to the engines) c3 62.Nxe5 c2 63.Nd3 etc, and if 61...Nf7 then 62.h7 c3 63.Nxe5!
60...Nf7 61.h7 Kb4 62.Nd6!? Nh8 63.Kc2 c4 64.Nf5 Ng6 65.Nh4!? Nh8 66.Nf3
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| Black to play and draw |
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66...c3?
Drawing is 66...Kc5, the point being 67.Nxe5 can be answered by 67...Kd4 etc, while 66...Nf7? and 66...Ng6? are met by 67.Nxe5! anyway.
67.Nxe5 Kc5 68.Kxc3 Kd6
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| White to play and win |
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69.Kd4
The engines for quite some time reckon this wins, and also for a while like 69.Nf3, but Syzygy shows only 69.Nd3! wins. After 69.Nd3! Black can try the obvious 69...Ke6, but winning is another only-move, 70.e5!, eg 70...Kf5 71.Kd4 Kg6 72.e6! Kf6 73.Nf4 etc.
69...Ke6 70.Ng4 Kf7 71.e5
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| Black to play and draw |
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71...Ke6?
Two moves draw, 71...Kg7 and 71...Ng6, eg 71...Kg7 72.Nf6 Ng6 73.Kd5 Nxe5!? (other moves also draw) 74.Kxe5 Kh8, when White cannot make progress.
72.Ke4 Ng6 73.Nf6 Nh8 74.Nd5 Nf7 1-0 (Time)
Black is definitely lost in the final position, eg 75.Nf4+ Ke7 76.Ng6+!?, or 75...Kd7 76.e6+.
Wessex won the match 4.5-1.5
4NCL
ARRIVED in Peterborough yesterday for the 4NCL weekend.
I am playing for Wessex in Division Three Knights, against Coventry today and The Rookies tomorrow.
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| Getting from the train station to the venue, a Holiday Inn, includes a lovely walk through Thorpe Meadows |
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