Winning Chess

GRANDMASTER Keith Arkell won the British 65+ championship, scoring +6=1-0, finishing a point clear of the field.

Arguably the key game came in round six, where he was Black against Welsh international master John Cooper.

Cooper (2252 ECF/2194 Fide) - Arkell (2512 ECF/2390 Fide)

English Symmetrical

1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 g6 3.e3 Nf6!?

The point of playing this, rather than the 'natural' 3...Bg7, is so ...

4.d4 cxd4 5.exd4

... can be met by:

5...d5

Nevertheless, after 3...Bg7 4.d4 cxd4 5.exd4, Black can still play 5...d5!?, meeting 6.Nxd5 with 6...Be6 or 6...e6.

6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.Bc4 Nb6 8.Bb3 Bg7

The position is reminiscent of a Tarrasch Defence to the Queen's Gambit, but with colours reversed

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9.d5!?

The main move in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database is 9.Nf3, but it scores only 49%, whereas the rare text has racked up an impressive 61%.

9...0-0 10.Nge2 N8d7 11.Be3 Nf6

Stockfish18 and Dragon1 suggest 11...Ne5!?

12.0-0

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

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White's isolani has gained space in the centre, and does not look vulberable, which may be why Dragon1 gives White a slight edge. Nevertheless, it is an isolated pawn, and it is not obvious how White can use the pawn for attacking chances, eg the pawn has not created outposts for White's knights, except, perhaps, at d4. Stockfish18 calls the game equal.

12...Bd7 13.h3!?

This may be a novelty. The known move is 13.Re1.

13...Nc8!?

Heading for the blockading square d6.

14.Nd4 Nd6 15.Qe2 a6 16.a4

The engines reckon White has a slight edge after 16.Rad1 or 16.Rfe1.

16...Qa5 17.Rfd1 Rfe8 18.Bf4!? Rac8 19.Be5 Nfe4!? 20.Bxg7 Nxc3 21.bxc3 Kxg7 22.c4 Qc5!? 23.a5 Kg8!?

This retreat - perhaps withdrawal is a better word - is the engines' top choice.

24.Rac1?!

The engines do not like this pawn sacrifice

24...Qxa5 25.Ba2?!

This looks rather slow. The engines suggest 25.Qe3 or 25.Nf3.

25...Ba4 26.Bb3 Bxb3 27.Nxb3 Qb4 28.Nd2

It is hard to see what White has for a pawn

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28...b5!? 29.Rb1 Qc5 30.cxb5 axb5 31.Nb3 Qc4 32.Qe5 Qe4 33.Qg5 Qf5 34.Qe3 Qe4 35.Qg5 Rc4 36.Qd2?!

Probably better is the engines' 36.Na5, although Black remains on top.

36...Rc2 37.Qg5 Qe2 38.Qf4 Rb2 39.Nd4 Rxb1 40.Nxe2?

Better is 40.Rxb1, although 40...Qa2 gives Black the upper hand, according to the engines. The text wins the white queen, but after ...

40...Rxd1 41.Kh2 Rxd5

... Black has two rooks and two pawns for it.

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