BEAU CHESS - the post-work workings-out of a chess amateur

I begin this blog after getting back into league chess following many years' absence due to work. My post-job status also means I am able to play more tournament chess. My new club in London is Battersea and my first game for them is on Thursday September 14, 2017. I start with a Fide rating of 1858, an ECF grade of 169 (=1968 elo) and an ICCF correspondence rating of 2267. My current Fide is 2012, my ECF is 1965 and my ICCF is 2325.

Tuesday, 30 April 2024

Reaching The Top

TOMORROW sees the 10th anniversary of Magnus Carlsen reaching 2882, the highest rating in chess history.

He was to duplicate that feat in August 2019, but currently stands at 2830, although that is 27 points more than second-placed Fabio Caruana and 68 more than world champion Liren Ding.

Here is the key game from the last round of the the Gashimov Memorial in April 2014 that helped propel Carlsen to the top.

Notes in italics are by grandmaster Michał Krasenkow in ChessBase.

Magnus Carlsen (2881) - Fabiano Caruana (2783)

Gashimov Memorial (Shamkir, Azerbaijan)

Queen's Pawn Game

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 c5!?

For what it is worth, Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 do not like this

5.c3!? d5!?

It was not a good decision for Fabiano Caruana to sac the c5-pawn, taking into consideration that Magnus Carlsen is especially strong in this kind of position.

6.dxc5!?

Castling is much more popular in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database.

6...0-0 7.0-0 a5

This attempt to encircle the c5 pawn proves fruitless. 7...Qc7!? 8.b4 e5 deserves attention.

How should White proceed?

*****

*****
8.Be3!?

This seems to have been a novelty - in a position in which 10 other moves are known.

8...Nc6

8...Ng4 9.Qd2 and Black cannot recapture the pawn anyway.

Nevertheless the engines continue 9...Nxe3, claiming that the bishop-pair and an extra pawn on the centre two files give Black enough compensation, which is why they prefer 9.Bd4.

9.Na3 a4

Seven years later a 1341 in this position played 9...e5!?, which Stockfish16 reckons is an improvement.

10.Qc1 e5

Black's pawn-centre doesn't fully compensate for his missing pawn.

11.Rd1 Qe7 12.Nb5 Be6 13.Ng5

13.Nd6 was less clear in view of 13...b6.

13...Bg4 14.Nd6! h6

14...Bxe2 15.Rxd5! Nxd5 16.Bxd5 Nd8 17.Qc2 Bg4 18.Qe4 with the upper hand.

15.Nf3 Kh7

An unnecessary loss of tempo. Better is 15...b6!, a typical undermining, although White keeps the better prospects after 16.Ne1! (16.Bxh6? bxc5) e4! (16...Bxe2 17.Rxd5 Nxd5 18.Bxd5 bxc5 19.Bxc5 Ra5 20.Qe3) 17.f3 exf3 18.exf3 Be6 19.Nd3.

The engines agree with much of this analysis, but reckon 19.Nd3 leaves Black with at least a slight edge. They prefer 19.Nc2!?, when Komodo14.1 gives White a slight edge, but Stockfish16 gives a slight edge to Black. I guess this shows how far engine analysis has come in a decade.

16.h3 Be6 17.b4

This move unexpectedly gives Black good counterplay. Better is 17.Ne1.

The engines fluctuate between the two moves.

17...axb3 18.axb3 Rxa1 19.Qxa1 Ne4 20.Nd2 f5?

The engines reckon this is where Black goes wrong, recommending either 20...d4 or Krasenkow's suggestion of 20...Nd6.

21.N2xe4 dxe4

21...fxe4 22.Qb1, intending c4, eg 22...h5 23.c4 d4 24.Bc1.

22.Qb1 f4 23.Bd2 e3

This is now harmless.

24.Be1

Safely protecting White's king while his other pieces are very active. Black has no compensation for the pawn whatsoever.

24...Bf5 25.Qc1 h5 26.fxe3 fxg4 27.Bxg3 Qg5 28.e4 Qxg3 29.Rd3 Qh4 30.exf5 gxf5 31.e4

White seizes the light squares.

31...fxe4

31...f4 32.Nf5; 31...Bh6 32.Qd1.

32.Bxe4+ Kh8 33.Qe3 f4 34.Bg2 Qe7 35.Qe2 Qh4 36.b4

The rest is clear. Black has no real counterplay anymore, and the advance of White's queenside pawns decides the game.

*****

36...e4!?

Giving up a second pawn to let the black knight add to the threats around White's king. Or, to put it another way, Black is reduced to looking for a swindle.

37.Nxe4 Ne5 38.Rd5!? Kg8

So the knight can move without White being able to capture on h5 with check.

39.b5 Rf5 40.c6 bxc6 41.bxc6 Qe7 42.Nd6 Rg5 43.Nb5 Qe6 44.Rd8+ Kh7 45.Qe4+ Rg6

Black's king is proving the more vulnerable.

46.c7 Qa6 47.c8=Q Qa1+

White to play and win

*****

48.Kf2!

Not 48.Kh2? Nf3+! 49.Qxf3 (49.Bxf3 Qg1#) Be5+ and mates.

48...Qb2+ 49.Ke1 1-0

Monday, 29 April 2024

Winning Chess

THE Tegernsee Senioren Cup was won by the top seed, Austrian international master Harald Schneider-Zinner (2335).

His score of +6=3-0 meant he finished a half-point ahead of the field of 181 players.

Perhaps his most important win came in round eight, with black against then joint-leader Gottfried Schumacher (2102), a German Fide master.

Schumacher (2102) - Schneider-Zinner (2335)

Queen's Gambit Declined

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 Be7 5.e3

The somewhat passive, or at least slow, 5.e3 is probably the oldest continuation in the position, dating back to 1881 in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database

*****

Seven years were to pass before Johannes Zukertort introduced 5.Bf4 in a loss to Amos Burn at the British Chess Association congress in London.

And another four years passed before Salomon (aka Samuel) Lipschütz played 5.Bg5 in a draw against Jackson Showalter in their match for the US championship.

5...0-0 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 a6

Black plans to both expand on the queenside with ...b5, in the process gaining a tempo on White's light-square bishop, and to pressure the white centre with ...c5 and ...Bb7.

How should White meet this plan?

*****

8.a3

The stem game, Abram Rabinovich - Dawid Janowski, Prague 1908, saw White prevent Black's expansion with 8.a4, the game continuing 8...c5 9.0-0 Nc6 10.dxc5 Bxc5 11.Qe2 Qc7 12.e4 Ng4!? with a slight edge for Black, according to Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 (0-1, 37 moves).

Most popular in Mega24 is 8.0-0, reaching a position Hikaru Nakamura played with white in at least three online blitz games in 2020, winning all three. A typical continuation runs 8...b5 9.Bd3 Bb7, when most popular in Mega24 is 10.a3, but Nakamura (2763) preferred 10.Qe2!? in his blitz win over Sanan Sjugirov (2663).

8...c5 9.0-0 b5 10.Be2!?

The engines reckon this and 10.Ba2 are roughly equal in value, but they are not so keen on 10.Bd3, the point seeming to be that in many lines White plays dxc5, when, with the black queen's knight developed to d7, ...Nxc5 hits White's light-square bishop.

10...Nbd7 11.dxc5 Nxc5 12.b4

How would you assess this near-symmetrical position?

*****

The white queen's knight is more actively placed than its black counterpart, but the latter can go to b6, from where it will eye the important c4 and d5 squares. Meanwhile White's dark-square bishop will be obstructed on b2. Nevertheless it is White to move, and that can be important in symmetrical (and near-symmetrical) positions. The engines reckon the position is equal.

13.Bb2 Bb7 14.Qb3 Qb6 15.Rfd1 Rac8 16.Rd2!?

The engines prefer completing development with 16.Rac1, claiming Black is slightly better after the text.

How should Black respond?

*****

16...Bxf3!?

This seems to be a novelty. Known is 16...Rfd8, while the engines suggest, among other moves, 16...Bc6!? (Stockfish16) and 16...h6 (Komodo14.1.

17.gxf3!?

This is Stockfish16's choice. Komodo14.1 marginally prefers 17.Bxf3 Ne5 18.Be2 Nc4 19.Bxc4 Rxc4 20.Rad1.

17...Qb7 18.Ne4?!

The engines suggest 18.f4!?, fighting for the e5 square, or 18.Rad1.

18...Nxe4 19.fxe4 Nb6

White's bishop-pair does not fully compensate for the damaged pawn-structure, according to the engines

*****

20.Rad1!?

Hoping activity will compensate for being a pawn down, but the engines prefer defending the pawn, either directly with 20.f3 or 20.Bd3, or indirectly with 20.Bd4.

20...Qxe4 21.Ba1?!

Perhaps hoping to set up a battery on the long dark diagonal, but Black will always have ...Bf6, and anyway the process is slow. The engines suggest 21.Rd4, but give Black at least the upper hand.

21...Bf6

Even stronger, according to the engines, is 21...Qg6+ with ...Nc4 likely to follow.

22.Rd6?

The engines give 22.Qd3 Qh4 23.Bxf6 Qxf6 24.Qd4, albeit preferring Black.

22...Bxa1 23.Rxb6

Or 23.Rxa1 Nd5!?, when White's lack of coordination spells trouble, eg 24.Re1!? Rc3 25.Qb2 Qg6+ 26.Kh1 Qf5 with strong pressure, or 24.Rxa6 Nc3 (the reason why the engines suggest 24.Re1!?) 25.Qb2 Qg6+ 26.Kh1 Qf5 27.f3 Rfd8, after which White has regained the sacrificed pawn but still suffers from poor coordination.
23...Rc3?!

Black is winning after this, according to the engines, but much stronger is their suggestion of 23...Be5.

24.Qa2

After 24.Qb1! Qxb1 25.Rxb1 Rxa3 Black is two pawns up, but opposite-coloured bishops and the weakness of a6 give White hope, eg 26.Bf3 Bf6 27.Bb7 Rb8 28.Rxa6 Rxa6 29.Bxa6, when White has won back a pawn and there is a long way to go before Black can hope to exploit the extra kingside pawn.

24...Rc2 25.Qxa1 Rxe2 26.Qd4 Qf3?!

Much stronger is 26...Qg6+, and if 27.Kf1 then 27...Qc2, when White cannot defend both f2 and d1.

27.Rf1 Rc8 28.Qe5?

Necessary is 28.Qf4, when 28...Qxf4 29.exf4 Re4 30.Rxa6 Rxf4 leaves Black a pawn up in a rook-and-pawn ending, which is far from clear.

28...Rxf2! 0-1

Sunday, 28 April 2024

Lessons From Tegernsee IX

IN round nine my opponent shocked me - well, surprised me, at least - when, after 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6, he thought for quite some time and then uncorked 3.Bg5!?

I thought the move was quite amateurish, but, as I pointed out in my notes to the game, the move has an impressive pedigree, having been played by world champions Lasker, Petrosian and Carlsen.

If Black replies 3...Nf6, we have a Torre Attack.

I preferred 3...Be7, after which the natural 4.Bxe7 helps Black's development but swops off Black's better bishop.

Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 reckon Black has already equalised, but of course there is lots of play in the position.

CONCLUSION: modern chess, even at the highest level, as exemplified by Magnus Carlsen, often sees White heading for positions that, while objectively offering little from a theoretical perspective, put both players on their own resources, and if White happens to feel more comfortable in the position arising, that may be as good as having a theoretical edge.

Saturday, 27 April 2024

Lessons From Tegernsee VIII

IN round eight my higher-rated opponent, with white, offered a draw after six innocuous moves.

There were many reasons in favour of me accepting, including: he was higher rated, I was tired, I had black, and I was having a good tournament andso did not need to chase lost rating points.

But I played on, losing a very interesting game in 57 moves.

I did not, and do not, regret my decision, not least because I travel hundreds of miles to play chess, not to not-play chess.

CONCLUSION; such decisions come down to personal choice. I have no doubt which way my decision will almost certainly go in such cases, but I would suggest it is a good idea to come to the board having decided beforehand what to do if an early draw offer is made.

Friday, 26 April 2024

Central London League

PLAYED on board three (of five) for Battersea against Pimlico Knights in division one last night.

Spanton (1924) - David J Wilson (1987)

Sicilian Nimzowitsch

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 2.e5

More popular in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database is 3.Nc3, but the text is preferred by Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1.

3...Nd5 4.d4

Here Nc3 is much more popular.

4...cxd4 5.c4!? Nc7

This may look less active than 5...Nc6, but the knight is destined for e6.

6.Nxd4 g6 7.Nc3 Bg7 8.Bf4 Nc6 9.Nxc6

Spanton (2051) - Damir Vrban (2130), Hastings 2006-7, went 9.Nf3!? Ne6 10.Bg3 0-0 11.Bd3 Qa5 12.0-0!? Nxe5? (better is 12...d6) 13.Nxe5 Bxe5, when 14.b4! Qc7 15.Nd5 Qd6 16.Nxe7+ would have been very good for White. Instead the game saw 14.Nd5 Bxb2 15.Nxe7+ Kg7 16.Bd6? (the simple 16.Rb1 is strong) Be5 17.c5 Bxd6 18.cxd6, when White has reasonable compensation for a pawn (0-1, 31 moves).

9...bxc6 10.Be2 Ne6 11.Bg3 Qa5!?

This may be a novelty. Known are11...Rb8 and 11...0-0.

How should White respond?

*****

12.f4

Possibly better is sacrificing the pawn with 12.0-0!? Bxe5 13.Bxe5 Qxe5 14.Re1, although the engines give Black a slight edge.

12...0-0 13.Qa4

Again it was possible to sacrifice. The engines reckon 13.0-0!? Qb6+ 14.Kh1 Qxb2 15.Rf3! is completely equal.

13...Qb6 14.b4?

Too loosening. After 14.Qb3 Qxb3 15.axb3 Nd4 16.Bd1 White is embarrassed, but still in the game.

14...Qd4

This wins two pawns.

15.Qc2 Nxf4 16.Bxf4 Qxf4 17.Rd1 Qxe5 18.Ne4 d5 19.Ng3 Qc3+!?

Getting queens off the board is a well-known recipe for greatly reducing the chances of an accident.

20.Qxc3 Bxc3+ 21.Kf2 Bxb4 22.cxd5 cxd5 23.Rxd5 Be6 (0-1, 28 moves).

Battersea defaulted on board five, losing the match 1-4.

MY BATTERSEA SEASON 2023-4

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

24/10/23 London League B 1870 2102 = 2102

26/10/23 Central London League W 1870 2118 = 2110

21/11/23 Eastman Cup W 1882 2118 = 2113

14/12/23 Central London League B 1882 2152 0 2023

10/1/24 London League B 1884 2130 0 1964

11/1/24 Central London League B 1884 2278 1 2083

25/1/24 Central London League W 1884 2205 = 2100

30/1/24 Club Championship B 1884 1809 1 2114

1/2/24 Central London League W 1916 2072 0 2065

7/2/24 London League B 1916 2298 0 2048

8/2/24 Central London League B 1916 1960 0 2004

15/2/24 Central London League B 1916 1951 = 1999

29/2/24 Central London League B 1916 2014 0 1970

5/3/24 Club Championship W 1910 1990 1 2000

2/4/24 Club Championship B 1924 1927 0 1968

4/4/24 Central London League B 1924 2123 = 1978

16/4/24 London League B 1924 2393 0 1979

18/4/24 Central London League B 1924 2329 0 1976

23/4/24 London League B 1924 2118 = 1984

25/4/24 Central London League W 1924 1997 0 1964

Thursday, 25 April 2024

Lessons From Tegernsee VII

THE following position arose in my round-seven game in which I had white against a 2068.

Black has just castled - how would you assess the position?

*****

It arose from a Veresov, and is fairly typical of that opening in that Black has pressure on the queenside, while White seems well-placed in the centre and on the kingside.

Indeed, I felt I had promising chances against Black's king, not least thanks to Black having played ...h6.

Accordingly, having moved the white king to the corner, I continued 14.Rg1?!, but that is disliked by Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1.

They reckon Black's queenside attack is coming first, and so Stockfish16 suggests 14.Nd1, meeting 14...c5 with 15.c3.

Komodo14.1 is, if anything, even more defensive with its recommendation of 14.Rac1!?

I discussed the position later with someone who gave up the Veresov in favour of the Jobava-Prié (3.Bf4 instead of 3.Bg5).

He reckoned a main reason he gave up the former was because of the type of position I got, he having learnt by bitter experience that such positions tend to favour Black.

CONCLUSION: visually it is still not obvious to me that Black has a slight edge in the diagram, but such is the engines' verdict. Opposite-flank play is rarely easy to judge 100% correctly, but experience seems to show that in the Veresov, at least, Black is often ahead of White in terms of making an attack count.

Wednesday, 24 April 2024

London League

PLAYED on board six (of eight) for Battersea against Richmond & Twickenham in division one last night.

Liam Varnam (2118) - Spanton (1924)

Spanish Berlin/Open

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 a6!?

There are 437 examples of this move in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database, but 10,760 of 5...Nd6.

6.Ba4

The game has transposed from the Berlin Variation of the Spanish to the Open, with 12,915 examples in Mega24 of the continuation 6...b5

*****

6...exd4!?

I believe this pawn-grab is better than its reputation, especially if White cannot remember the theory (unfortunately my opponent could).

7.Re1 d5 8.Nxd4 Bd6!?

Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 agree this is best.

9.Nxc6 Bxh2+ 10.Kh1!

Black has a draw by repetition after 10.Kxh2 Qh4+ 11.Kg1 Qxf2+ 12.Kh1 (or 12.Kh2) Qh4+ etc, but can also consider playing on with 12...0-0!?, while 10.Kf1?! Qh4 almost certainly favours Black.

10...Qh4

White has to find, or more likely recall, two only-moves

*****

11.Rxe4+! dxe4 12.Qd8+! Qxd8 13.Nxd8+ Kxd8 14.Kxh2

Now the smoke has cleared, how would you assess the position?

*****

Black has rook and two pawns for bishop and knight - an approximate material balance. But White also has the bishop-pair and the safer king, and there is only one open file for rooks to operate on. Stockfish16 gives White the upper hand; Komodo14.1 reckon White has 'only' a slight edge. Nevertheless a few modern grandmasters have been willing to uphold the black cause.

14...Be6 15.c3!?

Preserving the bishop-pair, and covering the d1 square. The main move in Mega24 is 15.Be3 (narrowly ahead of 15.Nc3), the engines assessing 15...b5 16.Bb3 Bxb3 17.axb3 as increasing White's advantage.

15...Ke7

This is the commonest move in Mega24, but the engines prefer 15...f5!? (or 15...Kc8!?), when Tibor Tolnai (2514) - Zoltán Varga (2530), Budapest 2000, continued 16.Bg5+!? Kc8 17.Nd2 h6 18.Be3 Rg8 19.g3 g5 20.f4?! exf3 21.Nxf3 Bd5, at which point a draw was agreed. The engines reckon White would have been at least slightly better after 20.g4!? f4 21.Bd4.

16.Be3 f5 17.Nd2 h6 18.f3 exf3 19.Nxf3 g5 20.Bc5+ Kf7 21.Nd4!?

The engines reckon this is an improvement over the known 21.Ne5.

21...b5 22.Bc2 Rhd8 23.Re1 Bxa2!?

Desperation, but the engines' 23...Re8!? loses to 24.Nxe6 Rxe6 25.Bb3.

24.Re7+ Kf6 25.Bxf5?

LV said afterwards he realised his mistake as soon as he let go of the bishop.

25...Rxd4! 26.cxd4 Kxf5 27.Rxc7

How would you assess this ending?

*****

Black's extra pawn and more-active king give the upper hand, according to the engines, but it should be remembered that, in my experience at least, engines can have trouble evaluating positions with opposite-coloured bishops.

27...Re8 28.Re7?!

The engines reckon the position is more difficult for White with rooks off. Instead they suggest 28.b4, restraining Black's queenside majority.

28...Rxe7 29.Bxe7 Kxe4?!

Much better, according to the engines, is getting on with it on the queenside with 29...a5.

30.Bf8?!

The engines prefer 30.b4, which Stockfish16 reckons gives equality, but Komodo14.1 assesses as winning for Black.

30...h5

Black is better after this, according to the engines, but they reckon even stronger is 30...a5!?

31.Be7

The engines still want to prevent ...a5, but this time with 31...Bb4!?

31...g4

Again they prefer pushing the a pawn.

32.Bc5?!

The engines suggest 32.b4 or 32.Bd8.

32...a5 33.Kg3 b4?

Winning, according to the engines, are 33...Kd3, 33...Bd5 and 33...a4.

34.Kh4?

White holds with 34.Bb6.

34...Kf4?

Several moves win, including 34...Bd5 and 34...Kd3.

The game finished:

35.Bb6 a4 36.Ba5 Bd5 37.g3+ Ke4 38.Bxb4 Kxd4 39.Kxh5 Bf3 ½–½
Richmond & Twickenham won the match 7.5-0.5.

MY BATTERSEA SEASON 2023-4

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

24/10/23 London League B 1870 2102 = 2102

26/10/23 Central London League W 1870 2118 = 2110

21/11/23 Eastman Cup W 1882 2118 = 2113

14/12/23 Central London League B 1882 2152 0 2023

10/1/24 London League B 1884 2130 0 1964

11/1/24 Central London League B 1884 2278 1 2083

25/1/24 Central London League W 1884 2205 = 2100

30/1/24 Club Championship B 1884 1809 1 2114

1/2/24 Central London League W 1916 2072 0 2065

7/2/24 London League B 1916 2298 0 2048

8/2/24 Central London League B 1916 1960 0 2004

15/2/24 Central London League B 1916 1951 = 1999

29/2/24 Central London League B 1916 2014 0 1970

5/3/24 Club Championship W 1910 1990 1 2000

2/4/24 Club Championship B 1924 1927 0 1968

4/4/24 Central London League B 1924 2123 = 1978

16/4/24 London League B 1924 2393 0 1979

18/4/24 Central London League B 1924 2329 0 1976

23/4/24 London League B 1924 2118 = 1984

Tuesday, 23 April 2024

Lessons From Tegernsee VI

THE following position arose in my round-six game.

I have just played 25...h4!?

*****

At first glance 25...h4!? may look strange as, after 26.gxh4, the pawn cannot be recaptured.

Not only that but the game continuation, 26.g4?, threatens to fork Black's queen and bishop.

My 1982-rated opponent presumably thought I had blundered, or at least had been careless.

But it rarely pays to regard the opponent as an idiot, and here White should have realised that since, on the surface, ...h4 was senseless, there had to be something more that he was missing.

Indeed, I met g4 with 26...Bxf4!, and White compounded matters by continuing 27.e4.

However, even after the main variation, 27.exf4 Rxe1+ 28.Rxe1 Rxe1+ 29.Qxe1 Qxd4+, followed by 30...Qxd3, White is the equivalent of almost a rook down, according to Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1

CONCLUSION: David Bronstein pointed out that (I paraphrase) "losing your objective attitude to a position nearly always means ruining your game," and that is the case whether you treat an opponent with contempt or exaggerated respect.

Monday, 22 April 2024

Lessons From Tegernsee V

IN my round-five game I reached the following position with white against a 2061.

Position after my opponent found the best continuation in a tricky situation, 8...Nf6-g4!

*****

I saw that after 9.Qxg4!? Black does not lose a piece as he has 9...d5.

Instead our game went 9.Bxf7+ Kxf7 10.Qxg4 Bxe5, when Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 reckon Black's bishop-pair and central pawn-majority compensate for having a weakened king's position.

The engines reckon 9.Qxg4!? is the stronger option, eg 9...d5 10.Qe2 dxc4 11.f4, claiming a slight edge for White.

Also interesting is 10.Qf3 dxc4 11.Qxc6+ Bd7 12.Qxc4 Bxe5 13.0-0, when Black may not have enough compensation for a pawn.

CONCLUSION: it is easy to let excitement at a 'spectacular' or 'clever' continuation override the fact that a mundane move may be better.

Sunday, 21 April 2024

Lessons From Tegernsee IV

IN my round-four game my opponent, rated 2001, was clearly dissatisfied with his position out of the opening.

Here he played 16.d4 and offered a draw

*****

After the further moves 16...e4 17.Bg2 Re8 18.Bg5 h6 19.Bxf6 Qxf6 20.d5? cxd5 21.Qxd5 he had apparently missed that I had a strong backward-bishop move.

Position after 21...Be6

*****

White promptly resigned.

If he had thought for a while, he would surely have realised that after 22.Qxb7 Bxb3 23.axb3 the game is far from over.

True, Black is the exchange and a pawn up, but White has assets too, including a protected passed pawn and the only light-square bishop (not to mention being the higher-rated player).

CONCLUSION: it is important to keep a cool head. Many positions have hidden resources, but emotion can get in the way of clear thinking, so it is vital to give oneself time to calm down after encountering an unexpected setback.

Saturday, 20 April 2024

Lessons From Tegernsee III

THERE is a well-known equalising combination in chess when Black uses the king's knight to capture a protected pawn on e4.

The point is that when White recaptures with the queen's knight, Black plays ...d5, forking the white knight and a white bishop on c4.

Here is a simple example arising after 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bc4.

Black's best continuation is the equalising combination that starts with 4...Nxe4!

*****

There are 8,357 examples of 4...Nxe4! being played in this position in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database.

After 5.Nxe4 d5 Black has equalised, and is at least slightly better if White continues with the most popular move in Mega24, 6.Bxd5?!

Trying to avoid this sequence with 5.Bxf7+?! Kxf7 6.Nxe4 leaves Black with the centre and the bishop-pair after 6...d5 7.Neg5+ Kg8.

Now consider the following position, which arose in my round-three game in the Senioren Cup after I played 8.a4.

There are 8,540 examples of this position from the Philidor in Mega24

*****

My 2159-rated opponent played 8...Nxe4?

This has has been played by people rated 2200+, but is a mistake, as our game continuation of 9.Rxe4 d5 10.Bxd5 showed.

As a matter of fact even 9.Nxe4?! is good enough for the upper hand, according to Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1, after 9...d5 10.Bxd5 cxd5 11.Nc3, eg 11...e4 12.Nxd5!

CONCLUSION: chess cannot be played on general principles and famous motifs alone - no matter how familiar a position may seem, calculation is required.

Friday, 19 April 2024

Central London League

FACED a junior (born 2009) on board one (of five) for Battersea against HMC in division one last night.

Stanley Badacsonyi (2329) - Spanton (1924)

Jobava-Prié

1.d4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bf4 Bd6 4.Bxd6!?

More popular is 4.e3.

4...cxd6

And here blacks have generally preferred to recapture with the queen.

5.e3 Nc6 6.Nf3 Nf6 7.Bd3 0-0 8.0-0

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

*****

White has developed one more piece and has the better bishop. But Black has a pawn-majority on the central two files and is about to solve the problem of the bad bishop in a way that menaces White's setup. Stockfish16 gives Black a slight edge; Komodo14.1 reckons Black has the upper hand.

8...e5 9.dxe5!?

This may be a novelty. Known moves are 9.Be2 and 9.Re1?? The engines suggest 9.Nd2.
9...dxe5 10.e4 d4 11.Nd5!?

Perhaps White should have settled for 11.Ne2.

How should Black proceed?

*****

11...Nxe4!

The engines agree this is best, but also good is 11...Nxd5 12.exd5 Qxd5 as 13.Bxh7+?? fails to 13...Kxh7 14.Ng5+ Kg8 15.Qh5 Bf5.

12.Bxe4 f5 13.Nc3 fxe4 14.Nxe4 Bg4 15.Qd3 Bxf3 16.gxf3 Rf4 17.Qb3+ Kh8 18.Kh1

The engines reckon White should plunge in with 18.Qxb7!?, although after 18...Rc8 they agree Black's development and safer king more than compensate for being a pawn down.

18...Ne7 19.Rg1 Qd5?!

Black probably should not be encouraging an exchange of queens. The engines give 19...Qd7, claiming Black has the upper hand.

20.Nd2?

White should exchange queens.

20...Qxb3?

Black shouldn't! After 20...Qc6 the engines give Black at least the upper hand, eg 21.Rg5 Ng6 22.Rag1 Rc8 with what they reckon is a positionally won game.

21.axb3 Ng6 22.Rg4 a6 23.Rxf4 Nxf4 24.Re1?!

This may look natural but the engines much prefer 24.c4 or 24.Ne4.

What should Black play?

*****

24...Re8?!

What could be more natural than developing the rook and protecting the attacked pawn? But the move is passive, and what can be thought of as a golden rule in endings is to avoid passive rook moves. That is why the engines give 24...Rc8!, eg 25.Rxe5 h6, after which Black penetrates down the c file, and White's pawn-structure is further damaged.

25.Re4?!

Probably better is immediately activating the knight with 25.Nc4.

25...Kg8

The engines suggest 25...b5.

26.Nc4 d3

Black has a slight edge after 26...Ng6, according to the engines.

27.cxd3 Nxd3 28.Re3 e4!? 29.Kg1 b5 30.Nd6 Re6

The engines reckon Black is a tad better after 30...Rd8.

31.Nxe4 Nxb2 32.Rc3

Threatens 33.Rc8+ Kf7 34.Ng5+ etc.

32...h6 33.Kf1 b4?

The game is completely equal after 33...a5 or 33...Re8, according to the engines.

34.Rc8+ Kh7 35.Ke2

The black knight cannot be saved.

The game finished:

35...Re5 36.Rc2 Rh5 37.Rxb2 Rxh2 38.Ra2 Rh5 39.Rxa6 Rb5 40.f4 g5 41.fxg5 hxg5 42.Rc6 Re5 43.Ke3 1-0

HMC won the match 4-1.

MY BATTERSEA SEASON 2023-4

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

24/10/23 London League B 1870 2102 = 2102

26/10/23 Central London League W 1870 2118 = 2110

21/11/23 Eastman Cup W 1882 2118 = 2113

14/12/23 Central London League B 1882 2152 0 2023

10/1/24 London League B 1884 2130 0 1964

11/1/24 Central London League B 1884 2278 1 2083

25/1/24 Central London League W 1884 2205 = 2100

30/1/24 Club Championship B 1884 1809 1 2114

1/2/24 Central London League W 1916 2072 0 2065

7/2/24 London League B 1916 2298 0 2048

8/2/24 Central London League B 1916 1960 0 2004

15/2/24 Central London League B 1916 1951 = 1999

29/2/24 Central London League B 1916 2014 0 1970

5/3/24 Club Championship W 1910 1990 1 2000

2/4/24 Club Championship B 1924 1927 0 1968

4/4/24 Central London League B 1924 2123 = 1978

16/4/24 London League B 1924 2393 0 1979

18/4/24 Central London League B 1924 2329 0 1976

Thursday, 18 April 2024

Lessons From Tegernsee II

THERE are two types of 'automatic' move in chess.

One comes in the opening, when following theory and/or preparation.

I know there are some players who, even when they have the white pieces, like to spend a minute or two getting themselves into the right mood before starting the game (why they cannot do this before the clock starts, rather than afterwards, I do not understand).

The other kind of 'automatic' move comes when a move is forced, eg a recapture.

But be sure the move really is forced.

James Mason, who was the strongest player in the world for part of the 1880s, according to Chessmetrics, wisely stated: "Never make a good move too soon."

My opponent in round two would have done well to bear that in mind when the following position arose in our game.

I have just captured a pawn on c6

*****

Almost without pausing my opponent replied 19...Qxe3+?, but after 20.Kd1 he was completely lost.

The a8 rook is hanging, and White threatens 21.Re1 with 22.Re8# to come.

Black should have played 19...Rb8, after which White is well on top, but the game goes on.

CONCLUSION: before playing an 'automatic' move, make sure it really is forced. It might be a mistake, or, as Mason pointed out, even if it is a good move, there might be a better one.

Wednesday, 17 April 2024

London League

PLAYED on board five (of eight) for Battersea against Wood Green in division one last night.

Graeme Buckley (IM 2393) - Spanton (1924)

Spanish Open/Berlin

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 a6!?

An interesting wrinkle, avoiding the Berlin Wall: 5...Nd6 6.dxe5 Nf5 7.Qxd8+ etc. Magnus Carlsen is among those who have played the text.

How should White respond?

*****

6.Ba4

This transposes to the Open Variation, White can keep the game in independent lines with 6.Bxc6, when the mainline in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database runs 6...dxc6 7.Qe2 Bf5 8.dxe5, with Black's bishop-pair outweighing the disadvantages of an Exchange-style pawn-structure, according to Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1.

6...b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Bxe6

This is the starting tabiya of the Open Variation of the Spanish - there are 12,293 examples of the position in Mega24

*****

9.Be3

This is fourth-most popular, behind 9.Qe2, 9.Nbd2 and especially 9.c3.

9...Be7 10.c3 0-0 11.Nbd2 f5?!

This is probably too loosening. The engines prefer 11...Bg4, 11...Nxd2 or 11...Qd7.

12.exf6 Nxf6 13.Re1

Even stronger, according to the engines, is 13.Ng5!?

13...Ng4?!

This seems to be a novelty, and almost certainly not a good one. The engines suggest 13...Kh8 or 13...Qd7, reckoning Black is only slightly worse.

14.Bg5 Bxg5?

Better is 14...Bf7, but 15.Bxe7 Nxe7 16.Ng5 gives White at least the upper hand, according to the engines.

15.Rxe6 Qd7?

Better is 15...Na5, albeit 16.Nxg5 Qxg5 17.Nf3 costs Black the d pawn.

The game finished:

16.Nxg5 Rxf2 17.Qxg4 Rxd2 18.Qf5 1-0

Wood Green lead the match 7-0, with one game sent for adjudication.

Addendum 19/4/24: the adjudicated game came back a draw.

MY BATTERSEA SEASON 2023-4

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

24/10/23 London League B 1870 2102 = 2102

26/10/23 Central London League W 1870 2118 = 2110

21/11/23 Eastman Cup W 1882 2118 = 2113

14/12/23 Central London League B 1882 2152 0 2023

10/1/24 London League B 1884 2130 0 1964

11/1/24 Central London League B 1884 2278 1 2083

25/1/24 Central London League W 1884 2205 = 2100

30/1/24 Club Championship B 1884 1809 1 2114

1/2/24 Central London League W 1916 2072 0 2065

7/2/24 London League B 1916 2298 0 2048

8/2/24 Central London League B 1916 1960 0 2004

15/2/24 Central London League B 1916 1951 = 1999

29/2/24 Central London League B 1916 2014 0 1970

5/3/24 Club Championship W 1910 1990 1 2000

2/4/24 Club Championship B 1924 1927 0 1968

4/4/24 Central London League B 1924 2123 = 1978

16/4/24 London league B 1924 2393 0 1979

Tuesday, 16 April 2024

Lessons From Tegernsee

IN round one I had black against a Fide master.

The game started as a Queen's Gambit Declined: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6.

Usually, at least at club level, the continuation is the Exchange Variation: 4.cxd5.

However, my opponent played what is the commonest continuation in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database: 4.Bg5.

I replied 4...c5!?, which is only fifth-most popular in Mega24, but scores up to 13 percentage points better than the more-popular moves.

White normally continues 5.cxd5, the line being sometimes known as the Dutch-Peruvian Gambit.

The gambit splits at this point: 5...Qb6!? is the Peruvian line, while I played the Dutch line, 5...cxd4.

After 6.Qxd4 Be7, my opponent played the main continuation, 7.e4.

There are 150 examples of this position in Mega24

*****

Eight games saw 7...0-0?!, 141 featured the natural 7...Nc6, and just one continued with the move I played, 7...exd5!?

It only occurs once, but is the top choice of Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1.

Thanks to a transposition, there are actually two games in Mega24 with the position after 7...exd5!?

One continued 8.exd5, after which the engines reckon 8...Nc6 equalises.

The other game saw 8.e5, and Black was in trouble after replying 8...Ng8?!

I improved on this with 8...Nc6, and after 9.Bb5 the engines reckon 9...Nd7 would have at least equalised.

So what should White play at move eight?

Position after 7...exd5!?

*****

The engines reckon the best tries for an advantage are A) 8.Bb5+ and B) 8.Bxf6.

A) 8.Bb5+

They agree best-play runs 8...Nc6 9.Bxf6 Bxf6 10.e5, at which point they split.

Stockfish16 continues 10...Be7 11.Qxd5 0-0 (Komodo14.1 suggests 11...Qb6!?) 12.Nf3 a6!? 13.Qxd8 Rxd8 14.Bxc6 bxc6 15.Rd1 Bg4 16.0-0 f6!?

White is a pawn up, but Black's bishop-pair and general activity give enough compensation, according to Stockfish16 (Komodo14.1 reckons White has a slight edge)

*****

Komodo14.1 (after 10.e5) continues 10...Bg5 11.Qc5!? (both engines prefer this to 11.Qxd5) d4!? 12.Nd5!? Bd7 13.Nf3 Be7 14.Nxe7 Qxe7 15.Rc1!? Rd8 16.0-0 a6 17.Bd3 0-0.

Both engines reckon White has a slight edge

*****

B) 8.Bxf6

After this the engines agree best-play runs 8...Bxf6 9.e5 Nc6 10.Bb5, which is a transposition to A).

CONCLUSION: 4...c5!? is a little-known but viable alternative to more-popular, but less-successful and less-active, moves.

The above analysis only scratches the surface of both sides' possibilities, but the lines are sharp, and the better-prepared player should have a practical advantage.

Monday, 15 April 2024

Summing Up Tegernsee

MY score of +4=1-4 in the Senioren Cup for players born before 1975 gained 32.2 Fide elo.

There was late drama when, relaxing after the tournament, Lufthansa texted me to say they had cancelled my 14:45 plane today from Munich airport.

Instead they offered me a late-evening flight, which I declined as I was able to make a late-afternoon booking with British Airways.

I am hoping the £242 cost will be covered to a large extent by a refund and compensation from Lufthansa, although I will not be surprised if somehow I do not qualify for compensation.

I spy a spy - fun in a Rottsch-Egern garden

Sunday, 14 April 2024

Tegernsee Round Nine

Michael Bohnstorff (2030) - Spanton (1886)

Queen's Pawn Irregular

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5!?

There are 1,809 examples of this move in ChessBase's 2024 Mega database, with practitioners including Emanuel Lasker, Tigran Petrosian and Magnus Carlsen.

3...Be7 4.Qc1!?

Stockfish16 and Komodo14.1 are OK with this rare continuation, but it makes a strange impression.

4...h6 5.Bxe7 Qxe7

The only upside about this manoeuvre from White's view, as far as I can see, is that Black's good bishop has been exchanged

*****

6.e3 Nf6 7.c4 0-0 8.Nc3 Nbd7 9.Be2 dxc4 10.Bxc4 e5 11.0-0

How should Black proceed?

*****

11...e4

Stockfish16 gives 11....exd4!? 12.exd4 Nb6, claiming equality. Komodo14.1 suggests 11...c6!?, again claiming equality.

12.Nd2

The engines like 12.Nh4!?, eg 12...Nb6 (12...g6?? 13.Nxg6) 13.Ng6 Qd8 14.Bb3 Re8 15.Nf4, when Stockfish16 gives White a slight edge, but Komodo14.1 calls the position equal.

12...c5 13.Re1 Re8 14.Nf1!? Nb6 15.Bb3 Bf5 16.Ng3 Bg6 17.dxc5!?

This looks a little odd, at least at first, but it is the engines' top choice.

Can you see White's idea?

*****

17...Qxc5?!

I saw that 18.Nxe4?? loses to 18...Nxe4, but if I had spotted White's real idea I should have preferred 18...Nbd7!, which the engines agree is equal.

18.Nd5! Qd6

Or 18...Qxc1 19.Nxf6+ gxf6 20.Raxc1 with at least a slight edge, according to the engines.

19.Nf4

Probably better is 19.Qc7!?, eg 19...Qd8 20.Nxf6+ Qxf6 and either 21.Qxb7 or 21.Rad1.

19...Rac8 20.Qd1 Qxd1 21.Rexd1 Bh7

After a brief flurry of tactics, how would you assess the position?

*****

The most significant feature is probably that Black's bishop is somewhat out of play, which is presumably why the engines give White a slight edge.

22.Rac1 Kf8 23.Kf1 Ng4!? 24.h3 Ne5 25.Nd5 Rxc1 26.Rxc1 Nd3?!

Tempting, but challenging control of the open c file with 26...Rc8 is more important.

27.Rc7

What should Black play?

*****

27...Rc8?

Necessary is 27...Nxd5, but 28.Bxd5 Re7 29.Rc8+ Re8 30.Rxe8+ Kxe8 31.Nxe4 wins a pawn.

28.Rxf7+! Ke8

Objectively better, according to the engines, is 28...Kxf7!? 29.Nxb6 Kf6 30.Nxc8, but it would be astonishing if White did not go on to win.

29.Nxb6?!

Even stronger are 29.Rxg7 and 29.Nc7+!?

29...Rc1+ 30.Ke2 Bg8?

Better, or at least less worse, is 30...Rb1 31.Rxg7! Rxb2+ 32.Kf1 Rb1+ 33.Bd1!? (only move to avoid a draw) Rxd1+ 34.Ke2 Ra1 35.Nc4 Rxa2+ 36.Nd2 Ra1 37.N(either)xe4 Bxe4 38.Nxe4 Ne5 39.Rxb7, although White emerges two pawns up.

31.Rxb7

Possibly 31.Rxg7 is even stronger.

31...Bxb3 32.axb3 axb6 33.Nxe4 Nxb2 34.Rxb6 Rc2+ 35.Kf3 Nd3

White is three pawns up, and altogether the white position is worth a rook (Stockfish16) or at least a minor piece and a pawn (Komodo14.1)

*****

36.Rb7 Kf8 37.b4 Rc4 38.Nc5!?

Stockfish16 is fine with this, but Komodo14.1 is less sure. The downside is White, as well as losing one of his extra pawns, allows a rook-and-pawn ending. The upside is White no longer has any weaknesses, and accidents are much less likely without knights on the board.

38...Nxc5 39.bxc5 Rxc5 40.g4 g5 41.Rh7 Rc6

Although Black is now 'only' two pawns down, White's advantage has apparently grown thanks to the simplification, and is worth the equivalent of more than a rook and pawn (Stockfish16) or at least more than a rook (Komodo14.1)

*****

42.Ke4 Kg8 43.Rd7 Rc1 44.f4 Rh1 45.fxg5

Remaining two pawns up, but even stronger is creating connected passed pawns with 45.f5!?, according to the engines.

45...hxg5 46.Rd5 Rxh3 47.Rxg5+ Kf7

This looks similar to the notorious drawn ending of rook, h pawn and f pawn against rook, but the fact that here there is no pawn on a rook's file makes all the difference

*****

48.Kf4 Rh1 49.Ke5 Rg1 50.e4 Ke7 51.Rg6 Kf7 52.Rf6+ Ke7 53.Rf4 Ra1 54.Kf5 Ra5+ 55.e5 Kf7 56.g5 Kg7 57.Rb4 Ra7 58.Rb5 Rf7+ 59.Kg4 Re7 60.Rd5 Ra7 61.Rd6 Ra5 62.Kf5 Ra7 63.Rg6+ Kh7

How should White finish the game?
*****

*****

64.Kf6?

There are many wins, but perhaps simplest is starting with 64.Rd6.

64...Ra6+ 65.e6 Rxe6+ 66.Kxe6 ½–½