Miniatures 39

IN this occasional series I am going through my decisive games of 20 moves or fewer.

JC Walton (158 BCF) - Spanton (156 BCF)

Highbury (London) Rapid 1991

Spanish Berlin

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Re1!?

A fashionable continuation these days (and engine-approved), but much less so in the 1990s. However, my opponent had a trap in mind.

5...Nd6 6.Nxe5 Nxe5

Much more popular is 6...Be7, but the text is also fine.

7.Rxe5 Be7 8.Nc3!?

The main move is 8.Bf1!?

How should Black proceed?

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

8...Nxb5?!

Black is close to lost after this natural-looking move, which nevertheless scores 52% in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database.

9.Nxd5!

Much better than capturing the knight.

9...c6?

Stockfish17 and Dragon1 give 9...Kf8!? 10.Rxe7! c6 11.Qf3! f6 12.Qg4 Rg8 13.Re2!?, claiming the upper hand for White, one point being 13...cxd5?! runs into 14.Qb4+ etc.

10.Nxe7 Qxe7??

Better, but miserable, is 10...Kf8.

11.Nxe7 Kxe7 12.d4 d5 13.Bf4 Bf5 14.a4 Nd6 15.Qe2+ Kd7?? 16.Qe5 1-0

LESSON: it is far from immediately obvious that 8...Nxb5?! leads to difficulties, but I should not have been so readf to assume White's fifth move was a positional error.

Tube Puzzle

SPOTTED the following serial number on  a Circle Line carriage: 21497
As usual with these tube puzzles, each number should be used once, and once only, and must be added, subtracted, multiplied or divided to make a balanced equation.
There is a perfect solution, ie one that uses the digits in the order printed.
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
*****
My solution: 2 = 1 + 4 + 9 (÷ 7)

Take A Break IV

Shropshire has no mountains, at least by generally accepted standards, but rolling hills can make for great views

In the distance can just about be seen a volcano, albeit extinct

Mitchell's Fold, near the Welsh border, is a Bronze Age stone circle, probably pre-Celtic 

Across the border, in Corndon Marsh, is a 'tin chapel' - actually made with corrugated iron

Take A Break III

I am walking from a base in Church Stretton, where the church of St Laurence has this 15th-century stained-glass window 

Cunnery Road Cemetery "is cared for in a way which is sensitive to the wild creatures and plants, whilst keeping it attractive to visitors"

A stone stile by the railway at Stretton Wetlands might not be beautiful, but is certainly less wobbly than many wooden stiles

Birds are well-catered for in this garden

Random wandering in the woods means a good chance of coming across the work of Church Stretton's 'chainsaw carver'

Another piece by the chainsaw carver

Take A Break II

Clun Castle was an important Norman border fortress, defending against Welsh incursions

The castle became less important in the late-1200s, following Edward I's conquests in North Wales

It later became a hunting lodge, but was described as a ruin in the 1500s, and, today, so little remains that entry is free

Nearby are the even-more rundown remains of the 2,500-year-old Bury Ditches hillfort

How it may have looked

Take A Break

View from my hotel room after taking a break from chess to go walking in the Shropshire Hills

Much of the land is very parched

Green trees make for a stark but beautiful contrast

Higher up there is more greenery where springs have not completely dried

Long Mynd Ponies, 'mynd' being Common Brittonic, ie Old Celtic, for mountain

It has been quite tough going as, although temperatures have not exceeded the low-mid 20s, the ground is baked hard and feels like walking on concrete

Another contrast in colours

Lessons From Magdeburg VII

IN round seven, when I was Black against Dieter Stummeyer (1834), I was feeling pretty pleased with myself after playing the best move in the following position.

White has just played 76.Ke4-f4

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

I replied 76...Rxe3!, bringing about a winning pawn ending.

I analysed the ending in my original post, but here I want to look at the position that arose 10 moves later, after White played 86.Kg4-h5

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

If I had been concentrating properly, I would have played the simplest win, which is with 86...Kh3, followed by promoting the g pawn. But I played 86...Kg3, expecting 87.Kxh6? Kf4 88.Kg6 g4 etc. However, after 87.Kg6!, the win was no longer there

LESSON: it ain't over till it's over.

Lessons From Magdeburg VI

IN round six, where I was White against Gerd Niebuhr (1868), I blundered a piece in a position in which my advantage was worth getting on for a rook, according to Stockfish18 and Dragon1.

But is it any wonder, when you consider the speed at which I was playing, in a game with a time control of 40 moves in 90 minutes, a further 30 minutes to finish, and a 30-second increment throughout?

After 10 moves, I had 93 minutes on the clock, ie three more than at the start; after 20 moves, I had 92 minutes; after 30 moves, I had 89 minutes; and after 40 moves (the game finished at move 47) I had 85 minutes.

LESSON: speed kills.

Lessons From Magdeburg V

IN round five my opponent, Bernd Wagner (1872), who was White, offered a draw in the following position.

White has just played 31.b4

I had little choice but to accept as White is a pawn up, and, with the exception of the rook, all the white pieces are more active than their black counterparts.

Stockfish18 and Dragon1 reckon White's advantage is worth almost three pawns, but, even if it were less than that, White should play on.

LESSON: one sure way to avoid improving is to not play out endings in which you are at least equal.

Lessons From Magdeburg IV

THERE was an extraordinary double-oversight after the following position was reached in round four, where I was White against Hartmut Krien (1900).

I have just played 14.Bf3-h5

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

*****

White has the bishop-pair, but Black is up a pawn, and would have the upper hand after 14...h6 or 14...g4, according to Stockfish18 and Dragon1.

Instead, HK played 14...Nc4?, attacking b2, d2 and e3, but missing that it allows the winning 15.Qxe6+! Qe7 16.Qxe7+ Kxe7 17.Bxg5+.

However, I played 15.Qf3?, and it was Black who was winning, not White.

In playing ...Nc4, HK was guilty of looking at his own threats, while failing to properly consider his opponent's tactical chances.

In replying Qf3, I was guilty of looking at my opponent's threats, while failing to properly consider my own tactical chances.

LESSON: you cannot expect to play even a half-decent game of chess if you fail to consider the tactics available to BOTH SIDES.