Sometimes they relate meeting a "strong" player who always beat them, but they usually cannot remember the person's name, or at least only recall a first name.
The other day, however, in my East End 'local', I was chatting to a guy who had a slightly different version of this story.
Apparently he often played someone who always beat him easily, and who eventually said to him something along the lines of: "Don't feel too bad about it. See this chess book - I have games in it."
And, unusually, the guy remembered the player's name: "Stebbings - Terry Stebbings."
I recognised the surname but it was only later in the evening that I realised Terry should be Tony.
When I got home I looked him up in my database of personal games and found we had played twice.
All of which is an excuse for recounting the games, which have interesting points, on my blog. Here is the first one.
Spanton (2060) - Anthony J Stebbings (2280)
Hastings Masters 1995-6
Sicilian Alapin
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c3 Nf6 4.e5 Nd5 5.d4 cxd4 6.cxd4 d6 7.Bd2!?
This is the second choice of Komodo13.02, behind the main move 7.Bc4.
7...Bd7 8.Nc3 Bc6 9.Bc4 Nb6 10.Bb3 N8d7 11.0-0 Be7?!
This is probably a mistake. Lê Thảo Nguyên Phạm (2319) - Sergei Movsesian (2658), Chess.com Blitz 2015, went 11...dxe5 12.Nxe5 Nxe5 13.dxe5 Qd4 14.Qe2 Be7 with equality, according to Stockfish15, although Komodo13.02 gives White a slight edge (0-1, 58 moves).
 |
| How should White proceed? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
12.Bf4?!
The engines give White the upper hand after 12.exd6 Bxd6 13.d5!, eg 13...Nxd5 14.Nxd5 exd5 15.Re1+ Kf8 (not 15...Be7?? 16.Bb4) 16.Bc3, when White is a pawn down but has a strong attack.
12...dxe5 13.Nxe5 Nxe5 14.dxe5 Qxd1 15.Rfxd1 0-0 16.Be3 Rfd8 17.a3 Rxd1+ 18.Rxd1
I offered a draw.
18...Rd8 19.f4 Rxd1+ 20.Bxd1?
The game is equal after 20.Nxd1.
20....Nc4 21.Bxa7
Even worse seems to be 21.Bc1?! Bc5+.
21....Nxb2 22.Be2 Bxa3 23.g4?!
This is probably more weakening than anything else.
23...Bb4 24.Bd4 Ba5 25.Nb5 Na4 26.Kf2 Nb6 27.Nd6 Nd5 28.f5 Bd2 29.Bc4 Bb4 30.fxe6 fxe6 31.Ke2 Kf8 32.Kd3 Ke7 33.Ne4?!
This allows Black a knight tour that ends with White losing the bishop-pair. Probably better is 33.Bb3, not fearing 33...Bxd6? 34.exd6+ Kxd6 as 35.Bxg7 gives excellent drawing chances.
33...Nf4+ 34.Ke3 Ng2+ 35.Kd3
Or 35.Kf3 Ne1+ 36.Kf4 g5+!? 37.Ke3 Nc2+ 38.Kd3 Nxd4.
35...Ne1+ 36.Ke3 Nc2+ 37.Kd3 Nxd4 38.Kxd4 Ba3 39.Ng5!?
Not much better is 39.Nc3 Bb2.
39...Bb2+ 40.Kc5 Bxe5 41.Nxe6 Bd7 42.Ng5 h6 43.Nf3 Bd6+ 44.Kb6 Bxg4 45.Nh4 g5 46.Kxb7!? gxh4 47.Bd5 Bxh2 0-1
No comments:
Post a Comment