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 1951, my ECF is 1954 and my ICCF is 2369.

Showing posts with label Croydon & District League. Show all posts

Wednesday, 1 April 2026

League Chess

PLAYED on board one (of four) for Battersea against Lewisham last night in Croydon & District League's Dave Luckin division, where teams are allowed a rating total of 6,600 elo, ie a player-average of 1650.

Anthony Agu (2091) - Spanton (1921)

Spanish Berlin

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 d5!?

Much more common is 5...0-0, but the pawn-thrust is growing in popularity

*****

6.exd5

Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1 like the text and 6.Nbd2. Naturally, 6.Nxe5 is possible, but after 6...0-0! note that 7.Nxc6 bxc6 8.Bxc6 runs into 8...Bxf2+!, with a sharp position that the engines reckon favours Black.

6...Qxd5

The engines prefer this over 6...Nxd5.

7.Bc4 Qd6

This is the commonest queen-retreat in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database.

8.0-0 0-0

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

*****

Black has more space in the centre, but White can take the initiative on the queenside, and the engines reckon this is the slightly more important factor.

9.b4 Bb6 10.a4 a6

This may be a novelty. The engines prefer 10...e4!?, when 11.dxe4 Qxd1 12.Rxd1 Nxe4 gives equal chances, according to Stockfish17.1, although Dragon1 gives White an edge.

11.Ba3 Ne7 12.Nbd2 Bf5 13.Qb3 Rad8!?

The engines fluctuate a lot, but come to more-or-less agree Black should play 13...c6 or 13...Ng6.

14.Ng5

Perhaps best is 14.a5 Ba7 15.b5 Bc5 16.Nxe5!? Qxe5 17.d4 Qf4 18.Bxc5, when White is a pawn up, has the bishop-pair and is better coordinated.

14...Bg6 15.a5 Ba7 16.Nde4 Nxe4 17.Nxe4 Qd7 18.b5 axb5 19.Qxb5 c6!?

The engines give this as best.

20.Qxe5!?

Withdrawing the queen to b2 or b3 maintains a bigger advantage, according to the engines.

20...Rfe8 21.Nc5 Qc8!? 22.Qg5 Nd5 23.a6?

The engines reckon White is slightly better after 23.Qd2.

23...b5 24.Bb3 Nxc3 25.h4?

Too slow. The engines suggest 25.Kh1!? or 25.Bb2, but prefer Black.

25...Rd4

Even stronger, according to the engines, is 25...Ne2+, and then 26...Rd4 or 26...Nd4.

26.Rfe1 Ne2+ 27.Kf1

How should Black proceed?

*****

27...h6??

27...Rg4 can be met by 28.Be6!, so best may be 27...Bxc5 28.Bxc5 Rg4 29.Qd2 Rxh4!? 30.f3 Qd8!, with equal chances, according to the engines.

28.Qxg6

The engines reckon White's advantage is worth more than a rook.

The game finished:

28...Rxh4!? 29.Bxf7+ Kh8 30.Ne6 Rxe6 31.Qxe6 Qxe6 32.Bxe6 Nd4 33.Bh3 b4 34.Bb2 Rf4 35.Re8+ Kh7 36.Re7 Rxf2+? 37.Kxf2 Nf5+ 38.Rxa7 1-0

The match ended 2-2.

My Battersea Season 2025-6

Date Event Colour Rating Opp's Rating Score Season's Perf

16/9/25 CLL W 1936 1952 0 1552

18/9/25 CLL W 1936 1797 = 1675

16/10/25 CLL W 1889 2047 0 1665

23/10/25 CLL B 1889 1823 1 1805

18/11/25 LL W 1891 1980 = 1840

20/11/25 CLL W 1891 1866 1 1911

25/11/25 BCC B 1891 1817 1 1955

9/12/25 LL W 1904 1982 1 2008

16/12/25 LL B 1904 2046 0 1968

18/12/25 CLL B 1904 2066 1 2018

6/1/26 CLL W 1929 2150 = 2066

7/1/26 LL W 1929 1971 = 2058

8/1/26 CLL B 1929 1800? = 2038

13/1/26 LL B 1929 2035 1 2067

27/1/26 LL B 1929 2089 0 2041

29/1/26 CLL B 1929 1882 = 2031

3/2/26 BCC W 1928 1836 1 2043

12/2/26 CDL B 1928 1890 1 2057

25/2/26 LL B 1928 1863 = 2047

26/2/26 CLL B 1928 2015 0 2025

3/3/26 CDL B 1914 1976 1 2043

24/3/26 BCC W 1921 1780 1 2049

26/3/26 CLL B 1921 1942 = 2045

31/3/26 CDL B 1921 2091 0 2030

CLL: Central London League

LL: London League

BCC: Battersea club championship

CDL: Croydon & District League

I also have a win-by-default in the Central London League

Wednesday, 4 March 2026

League Chess

PLAYED on board one (of four) for Battersea against Coulsdon last night in Croydon & District League's Dave Luckin division, where teams are allowed a rating total of 6,600 elo, ie a player-average of 1650.

Ishan Ramdewar (1976) - Spanton (1914)

QGD Exchange

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 c6 6.e3 h6!?

An early ...h6 used to be taboo in the Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined. The thinking was twofold. Firstly, if played before White castled, it was feared White could castle long and use the pawn as a hook for a kingside pawnstorm. Secondly, if White castled short, it was thought the third rank on the kingside should be left uncluttered as Black might want to place a rook and/or queen there to attack the white king's position. But 6...h6!? has been played by Carlsen, Kramnik, Ding, etc. What changed? Engines quite like the move, rating it marginally better than the common 6...Be7.

7.Bh4 Be7 8.Bd3 0-0 9.Nge2!?

This is massively more popular than the 'traditional' Nf3.

9...Re8 10.0-0

The position after 10.Qc2 Nbd7 11.0-0-0!? occurs 136 times in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, but 11...b5 gives Black the upper hand, according to Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1.

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

*****

Mega26 has 702 examples of this position, with White scoring a very good 59%. The engines reckon White is slightly better.

10...Nh5!? 11.Ng3!?

This seems to be a novelty. The engines prefer 11.Bxe7, followed by queenside play.

11...Bxh4 12.Nxh5!?

The engines marginally prefer this over capturing with the queen.

12...Qg5??

Blundering a piece ... or, at least, it should.

How does White win a piece?

*****

13.Nf4??

There is no satisfactory answer to the simple 13.g3, eg 13...Bg4 can be met by 14.Be2, after which the black dark-square bishop cannot be saved.

13...Qf6 14.Qc2 Be6

The engines much prefer 14...Qd6, claiming equality.

15.g3 Bg5 16.Nxe6 Qxe6

Not 16...Rxe6?? 17.f4 Rxe3 18.fxg5 Qxd4 19.Bh7+ and 20.Kg2.

17.b4 a6 18.a4 Nd7 19.b5 axb5 20.axb5 Rxa1!? 21.Rxa1

How should Black proceed?

*****

21...Bxe3??

The engines suggest 21...g6, 21...Rb8 or 21...Nb6, but in each case give White the upper hand.

22.Bf5 Qe7 23.Bxd7 Bxf2+ 24.Qxf2 Qxd7

How big is White's advantage?

*****

Two pawns come nowhere close to compensating for a knight in this middlegame position, especially with two white queenside pawns effectively holding back three black ones. The engines reckon White is approximately the equivalent of 2.5 pawns ahead.

25.Re1?!

This gives away much of White's advantage.

25...Rxe1+ 26.Qxe1 Qg4?!

After the 'ugly' 26...cxb5! Black has counterplay thanks to having a passed pawn and the safer king.

27.Qe8+ Kh7 28.Qe5 Qf3 29.Ne2?!

White is still winning after 29.Qe1, according to the engines.

29...cxb5!

'Ugly', but effective. Black now has three isolated pawns, but the engines agree having a passer is much more important.

30.Nf4 Qd1+ 31.Kg2 Qc2+?!

It is a game of equal chances after 31...b4, according to the engines.

32.Kh3?!

The engines give White the upper hand after 32.Qe2, one point being 32...Qxe2+?! 33.Nxe2 b4 fails to 34.Nf4!

32...Qd1?

The game is completely equal, according to the engines, after both 32...b4 and 32...Qc8+ 33.Kg2 b4.

33.Qf5+ Kg8

White to play and win

*****

34.Qxd5?

Both 34.Qd3 and 34.Nxd5 seem good enough for at least a slight edge, but winning is 34.Qc8+ Kh7 35.Qxb7 as 35...Qf1+ 36.Kg4 Qd1+ comes to nothing after 37.Kf5, eg 37...Qxd4 38.Qxb5 g6+ 39.Kg4 h5+ 40.Kh3, although the whole line is not easy to envisage from the diagram.
34...g5 35.Qd8+ Kg7

White to play and draw

*****

36.Nd5??

White has a draw after no fewer than seven moves, according to the engines, including 36.Ne6+!?, 36.Qd5, 36.Qe8 and 36.Qc7.

Black to play and win

*****

36...Qf1+ 37.Kg4 f5+ 38.Kh5 Qh3#

Coulsdon defaulted on board three, but the match was drawn 2-2..

My Battersea Season 2025-6

Date Event Colour Rating Opp's Rating Score Season's Perf

16/9/25 CLL W 1936 1952 0 1552

18/9/25 CLL W 1936 1797 = 1675

16/10/25 CLL W 1889 2047 0 1665

23/10/25 CLL B 1889 1823 1 1805

18/11/25 LL W 1891 1980 = 1840

20/11/25 CLL W 1891 1866 1 1911

25/11/25 BCC B 1891 1817 1 1955

9/12/25 LL W 1904 1982 1 2008

16/12/25 LL B 1904 2046 0 1968

18/12/25 CLL B 1904 2066 1 2018

6/1/26 CLL W 1929 2150 = 2066

7/1/26 LL W 1929 1971 = 2058

8/1/26 CLL B 1929 1800? = 2038

13/1/26 LL B 1929 2035 1 2067

27/1/26 LL B 1929 2089 0 2041

29/1/26 CLL B 1929 1882 = 2031

3/2/26 BCC W 1928 1836 1 2043

12/2/26 CDL B 1928 1890 1 2057

25/2/26 LL B 1928 1863 = 2047

26/2/26 CLL B 1928 2015 0 2025

3/3/26 CDL B 1914 1976 1 2043

CLL: Central London League

LL: London League

BCC: Battersea club championship

CDL: Croydon & District League

I also have a win-by-default in the Central London League

Friday, 13 February 2026

League Chess

PLAYED on board one (of four) for Battersea against South Norwood last night in Croydon & District League's Dave Luckin division, where teams are allowed a rating total of 6600, ie a player-average of 1650.

Paul Dupré (1890) - Spanton (1928)

Evans Gambit

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Bd6!?

The Stone-Ware Defence. It is fourth-most popular in ChessBase's 2026 Mega database, but scores better percentage-wise than the three more popular moves: 5...Bc5, 5...Be7 and 5...Ba5; but 5...Bf8!? scores even better, and it is hard imagining that becoming commonplace.

6.d4 Nf6 7.0-0 0-0

With both sides castling early, how would you assess the position?

*****

Black is a pawn up, but Black's setup looks clumsy. Meanwhile White enjoys a two-abreast classical pawn-centre, and, according to Stockfish17.1 and Dragon1, has a slight edge.

8.dxe5

The engines prefer developing with 8.Re1 or 8.Nbd2.

8...Nxe5

The engines suggest giving up the bishop-pair with 8...Bxe5!?, the point being that after 9.Nxe5 Nxe5 White has to spend a tempo dealing with Black's attack on the light-square bishop, eg 10.Bb3, when 10...d6 leaves Black up a pawn and not behind on development, albeit 11.f4 gives White more central/kingside space and an initiative (as well as the bishops).

9.Nxe5 Bxe5

How should White proceed?

*****

10.Ba3!

The engines agree this is best. The problem with 10.f4 Bd6 11.e5 is that Black has 11...Bc5+ 12.Kh1 and either ...Ne4 or ...d5.

10...Re8 11.f4 Bd6 12.e5

The e pawn is too vulnerable after 12.Bxd6?! cxd6.

12...Bxa3 13.Nxa3

Not 13.exf6?, when 13...Bb2 is bad enough for White, but even worse, according to the engines, is 13...Bc5+! 14.Kh1 Qxf6, when Black is two pawns up and has the bishop-pair.

13...d5!?

The only move, but quite a normal one in such positions following e5.

14.Bb3!

The engines reckon this apparent-novelty is an improvement on the known 14.Bb5, when Stephan Grochtmann (2010) - Jadranko Plenča (2435), Šolta (Croatia) 2022, continued 14...Nd7!? 15.Qh5?! c6 16.Bd3, after which 16...g6 would have left Black well on top, according to the engines (the game went 16...Nf8?! 17.Rae1 g6 18.Qh6 f5?? 19.exf6 1-0).

14...Ng4 15.Qf3 c6 16.Kh1?!

This is probably too slow. The point of the move is to make the pinning Rad1 possible, which presently is not on as 16.Rad1?? fails to 16...Qb6+ 17.Kh1 (17.Rd4 c5) Ne3. The engines suggest 16.h3 or 16.Nc2.

16...Qb6

Getting out of the pin before it arrives, but the engines do not like this prophylaxis, preferring 16...a5, 16...Qh4 or 16...Bf5.

17.Rae1 Bf5 18.Nc2

The engines suggest 18.h3 or 18.Bc2!?

What should Black play?

*****

18...Nh6!

This retreat is best, not least because it unties the bishop.

19.Nd4 Be4

How should White continue?

*****

20.Qh3

The exchange-sacrifice 20.Rxe4!? is Dragon1's top choice, but not Stockfish17.1's. After 20...dxe4 21.Qxe4 White has got back the sacrificed Evans pawn, but does not have enough for the exchange, according to both engines.

20...c5 21.Nf3 Rad8 22.Ng5 Bf5 23.Qf3

The engines prefer 23.Qh4 or 23.Qg3, but agree Black is on top.

23...c4!

This makes the d pawn backward, but of more importance is that White's bishop does not have a good move.

24.Ba4

24.Bd1 f6!? is very good for Black.

24...Re7

The rook is hanging, ie unprotected, but there seems no way for White to exploit this, and meanwhile the white bishop is also loose

*****

25.h3 Bd3 26.Rg1

Forced, as 26.Rf2? can be met by 26...f6!?

26...Qa5 27.e6!?

Opting for complications in view of 27.Bd1 Qxc3.

27...f6

Possibly even stronger is 27...Qxa4!? 28.exf7+ Rxf7.

28.Nf7!? Nxf7 29.exf7+ Rxf7 30.Be8!? Rf8 31.Bh5 g6 32.f5 gxh5 33.Qg3+ Kh8

Also winning, but somewhat hairy-looking, is 33...Kf7!?

34.Re7 Rg8 35.Qh4 Rg5 36.Rge1 Be4

White's threats are over.

The game finished:

37.R1xe4 dxe4 38.Qxe4 Qb5 39.h4 Rg4 40.Rxh7+ Kxh7 41.Qe7+ Rg7 0-1

The match finished 2-2.

My Battersea Season 2025-6

Date Event Colour Rating Opp's Rating Score Season's Perf

16/9/25 CLL W 1936 1952 0 1552

18/9/25 CLL W 1936 1797 = 1675

16/10/25 CLL W 1889 2047 0 1665

23/10/25 CLL B 1889 1823 1 1805

18/11/25 LL W 1891 1980 = 1840

20/11/25 CLL W 1891 1866 1 1911

25/11/25 BCC B 1891 1817 1 1955

9/12/25 LL W 1904 1982 1 2008

16/12/25 LL B 1904 2046 0 1968

18/12/25 CLL B 1904 2066 1 2018

6/1/26 CLL W 1929 2150 = 2066

7/1/26 LL W 1929 1971 = 2058

8/1/26 CLL B 1929 1800? = 2038

13/1/26 LL B 1929 2035 1 2067

27/1/26 LL B 1929 2089 0 2041

29/1/26 CLL B 1929 1882 = 2031

3/2/26 BCC W 1928 1836 1 2043

12/2/26 CDL B 1928 1890 1 2057

CLL: Central London League

LL: London League

BCC: Battersea club championship

CDL: Croydon & District League

I also have a win-by-default in the Central London League

Wednesday, 14 May 2025

Croydon & District League

PLAYED on board one (of four) for Battersea against West Wickham C in the Dave Luckin division, where teams are allowed a rating total of 6600, ie an average of 1650.

Spanton (1960) - Rudy Padovan (1844)

Spanish Exchange

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d4 exd4 6.Qxd4 Qxd4 7.Nxd4 Bd7 8.Be3 0-0-0 9.Nc3 Bb4

This is the main move in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, scoring an excellent 55%.

10.Ne2 f5!?

The main move in Mega25 is 10...Ne7, but the text has also been played by grandmasters, the idea presumably being that trying to open lines makes sense when possessing the bishop-pair.

How should White respond?

*****

11.e5!?

More common is 11.0-0-0, but Stockfsh17 and Dragon1 marginally prefer the text.

11...Ne7?!

Judging by his speed of play, RP had prepared this variation, but I suspect he got his lines crossed here, playing what seems a novelty (the known move is 11...Re8). However, while I have labelled the text dubious, for a reason that will son become clear, I should point out the engines are perfectly happy with it.

12.a3

This is my point - Black must lose the bishop-pair, which is the compensation for having an inferior pawn-structure. However, as I stated above, the engines are unconcerned, which suggests they are simply unimpressed by White's whole setup.

12...Bxc3!?

The engines much prefer this over 12...Ba5 13.b4 Bb6 16.Bxb6 cxb6, when they give White a slight edge.

13.Nxc3 Ng6 14.f4 Be6 15.Kf2 Ne7!?

The engines like this retrograde manoeuvre, along with moves such as 15...b6, 15...Rd7 and 15...Rhe8. The text is logical in that, with the white king guarding g2, the black knight has little future on the queenside, but may find a berth at d5 or, after ...c5, at c6, eyeing the d4 square.

16.Rad1 Rxd1 17.Rd1 Rd8 18.Rxd8+ Kxd8

How would you assess this minor-piece ending?

*****

White has the better pawn-structure, but opposite-coloured bishops, and the fact that White's is bad, make progress difficult. The engines call the position equal.

19.Ne2 b6 20.Nd4 Bd5 21.h3 c5 22.Nf3 h5 23.Nh2!?

This allows 23...h4.
23...Be4

The engines very marginally prefer this over 23...h4.

24.c3 Ke8 25.g4 g6!? 26.Kg3 Kf7 27.gxh5 gxh5 28.Nf3 Bxf3!?

The engines agree with this, although they quickly become just as happy with 28...Ng6.

29.Kxf3 Ng6

RP offered a draw.

Should I have accepted the draw?

*****

The engines reckon the position is completely equal. The point is White's protected passed pawn is easily blockaded, and the bishop has little scope. Nevertheless, White should not lose, barring something catastrophic happening (watch this space!).

30.Ke2 Ke6 31.c4 Ne7 32.Kd3 Kd7 33.Bd2 Ng6 34.Ke3 Ke6 35.b4!?

This lets Black get rid of the doubled pawn, but to make progress White has to open lines.

35...cxb4 36.axb4 Ne7 37.Be1 Ng6 38.Bg3 Ne7 39.Kd4 Nc6+ 40.Kc3 b5!? 41.Bh4

The bishop at last gets access to Black's half of the board, but Black can stop it from doing anything useful there.

41...Kd7 42.Bg5 Ke6 43.Bh6 Ke7 44.Bg7 Kf7 45.Bf6 Ke6 46.Bh4 Kd7 47.Bf2 Ne7!? 48.Kd4 Nc6+!?

How should White proceed?

*****

49.Kc5?!

This leads to a quick win, but should lose.

Black to play and win ... or lose

*****

49...bxc4?? 50.e6+ 1-0

Black apparently had a draw with 49...Ne7!? 50.cxb5 axb5 51.Kxb5 and 51...Nd5 or 51...Ng6, after which it seems White cannot make progress despite the extra pawn.

However the engines point out an extraordinary winning move: 49...Nd8!! The immediate threat is 50...Ne6+ 51.Kd5 c6#. White can play the obvious 50.cxb5, but then comes 50...Ne6+ 51.Kc4 axb5+ 52.Kxb5 Nxf4 53.h4 Nd3 54.Bd4 Ke6, when Black will be a strong pawn up in a relatively simple ending. The engines slightly prefer 50.Kd4, but then 50...Ne6+ 51.Ke3 bxc4 also loses.

Battersea won the match 3-1.

MY BATTERSEA SEASON 2024-5

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

12/9/24..Central London League....W......1933..........1886................1............2286

26/9/24..Central London League....B.......1933..........2112................1............2399

15/10/24.Club Championship.........W......1968..........1578................1............2259*

31/10/24.Central London League...B.......1968..........1867................0...........2061*

19/11/24.London League...............W.......1957..........1991................1............2127*

21/11/24.Central London League...B.......1957..........2035................=............2112*

27/11/24.London League...............W.......1957..........1723................=............2056*

12/12/24.Central London League...B.......1965..........2153................0............2018*

7/1/25.....Club Championship.........B.......1958..........1785................1............2037*

9/1/25.....Central London League...B.......1958..........1851................0............1978

14/1/25....Eastman Cup.................B........1958..........2052................1............2021*

28/1/25....London League..............B........1958..........1766................1............2033*

4/2/25......London League..............B........1980..........1757................1............2043*

6/2/25......Central London League..W.......1980..........1932................0............2006*

11/2/25....Central London League..B........1986..........2178................=............2018*

13/2/25....Central London League.W........1986..........1998................1............2042*

27/2/25....Central London League..B........1986..........1996................0............2015*

13/3/25....Central London League..B........1984..........2286................0............2008*

17/3/25....London League..............W........1984..........1870................0............1980*

3/4/25......Central London League..W.......1985...........2127...............0............1967

8/4/25......London League..............W........1985..........1992................=............1968

9/4/25......London League...............B........1985..........2004................0............1952

22/4/25....Croydon League.............B....... 1985..........1735................0............1925

13/5/25....Croydon League.............W.......1960..........1844................1............1939

*My season's performance is slightly better than this as my win against a 1578 was a 1978 performance, lowering my average despite me winning.

I also scored a default win in a Croydon League match.

Wednesday, 23 April 2025

Croydon & District League

PLAYED on board one (of four) for Battersea against HMRC Croydon in the Dave Luckin division, where teams are allowed a rating total of 6600, ie an average of 1650.

Antony Long (1735) - Spanton (1985)

Sicilian Closed

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Bc4 e6 5.Nge2 a6 6.d3 b5 7.Bb3 Bb7!?

Stockfish17 and Dragon1 prefer winning the bishop-pair, or dropping the queen's knight back to c6.

8.Nxd4 cxd4 9.Ne2 Bc5 10.0-0 Nf6!?

More popular is 10...Ne7.

11.Bg5!? h6 12.Bh4 g5!? 13.Bg3 d6

White threatened 14.Be5.

How should White proceed?

*****

14.f4?!

The engines strongly dislike this as it creates a weakness at e3. They reckon White is at least slightly better after 14.a4 or 14.h3.

14...Ng4 15.Qd2

The engines suggest an apparent-novelty in 15.Bf2!?

15...Ne3 16.Rf2 g4?

Cutting off the retreat of the knight.

17.c3 Qb6?!

Black must lose material, but the engines prefer the sharp 17...Nc4!? 18.dxc4 d3!? 19.Nd4 h5 20.Rff1 h4 21.Bf2 g3, when White is winning but the position is somewhat murky.
18.cxd4 Bxd4 19.Nxd4 Qxd4 20.Re1 h5 21.Qxe3

This is better than allowing the knight to escape after 21.Bh4?! g3.

21...Qxe3 22.Rxe3 h4 23.Rc2 hxg3 24.Rg3 Rh4 25.Rc7 Rb8 26.h3 a5 27.Rxg4 Rxg4 28.hxg4 a4 29.Bd1 d5 30.e5 d4 31.Bf3 Bxf3 32.gxf3

A rook-and-pawn ending, but one that is easily winning for White

*****

32...b4!?

This is the engines' top choice, which only shows how desperate Black's situation is.

33.Rc4 a3 34.b3 Ke7 35.Rxd4 (1-0, 55 moves)

HMRC Croydon won the match 3.5-0.5