Sunday, 5 May 2019

Cup Match

MY game today for Hastings & St Leonards against Petts Wood & Orpington in the semi-finals of the Kent League's Stevenson Cup (155 average) had an anti-climatic finish when my opponent lost material in what was already a very difficult position.
Black to make his 49th move in Spanton (171) - Jean-Baptiste Jugand (184)
Black has the bishop-pair but that does not compensate sufficiently for his poor pawn-structure (weak kingside pawns, a pawn-majority that cannot make a passer).
49...Ne6?
Komodo9 and Stockfish10 give best play as 49...Nb7 50.g4 Be6, when White has a pleasant choice between, among others, 51.Nfe5, 51.g5 and 51.Ng5.
50.Nh4 Bf8
There is nothing better.
51.Nxf5+
White is two pawns up on the kingside and merely has to watch out for tricks on the queenside based on Black capturing on c4 with the idea of creating a far-advanced passed pawn by ...b3 etc. I succeeded in converting my advantage, helping Hastings & St Leonards to a 4-2 win. Unfortunately I am unavailable for the final as I have already committed to a tournament in Germany.

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