Winter Jeer

TODAY should have seen the start of the Northwick Park congress and associated events run by the same organisers in North London

Instead, on Tuesday entrants were sent the following notice:

After a long and difficult meeting, we have decided to cancel all our over-the-board events this year. 

Given the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, we are unable to run an event that is both safe and up to the standard you deserve. 

We are extremely disappointed, and we apologise to all of you who were looking forward to the event and who have planned around it.

You will receive a full refund via Eventbrite.

My entry fee of £26 was refunded the same day the cancellation notice was sent.

Double Blow

HYSTERIA19 has struck twice in 24 hours, leading to the cancellation of this weekend's Northwick Park congress in North London and the annual Hastings tournaments.

Northwick Park Round 5

Spanton (1951/168) - Robert Akeya-Price (1880/175)
Nimzo-Indian
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bd2
White scores very poorly with this move in ChessBase's 2020 Mega database. But breaking a pin is logical, and the move has served me well in limited duty over 17 years, having scored +9=1-3 with it. In those games my average elo (Fide or converted ECF) was 1976, and I performed to a rating of 2046. That is a rating-plus of 70pts - exactly double White's normal rating-plus (based on database computer analysis by IM - now GM - Larry Kaufman).
4...0-0
The main reply. There is no need for Black to immediately commit to a plan of action.
5.Nf3 b6
Nimzowitsch preferred 5...d6 in a 1923 game, but switched to the text four years later. He won both games, but they were against lesser opposition.
6.e3 Bb7 7.Bd3 d6
Black is prepared to give up his dark-square bishop as long as he is ready to fight for the central dark squares with his pawns.
8.0-0 Nbd7 9.a3 Bxc3 10.Bxc3 Ne4 11.Rc1
Tony Miles played Stockfish10's choice, 11.Bxe4!?, in a 1996 win over Ivan Morovic Fernandez (2575) at the Capablanca Memorial in Cuba.
11...f5 12.b4 Qf6?!
I expected 12...Nxc3 13.Rxc3, when Stockfish10 and Komodo10 reckon Black is at least equal.
13.Ba1 Qg6 14.Ne1
Planning f3. The engines prefer 14.d5!? e5 (14...exd5?! 15.cxd5 Bxd5? 16.Rxc7 is good for White),when Stockfish10 gives 15.Nh4 Qg5 16.g3!? g6 17.f4 with a large edge for White, although Komodo10 is much-less impressed.
14...c5?
This loses a pawn. The engines quite like the prophylactic retreat 14...Nef6!?, albeit preferring White.
15.Bxe4 fxe4 16.dxc5 bxc5 17.Qxd6 Rfd8?
Black gets into more trouble after this, but the engines' 17...Qe8 leaves White well on top.
18.Qc7 Rab8 19.Rd1 Qe8?
Better was 19...Qf7, but it is easy to come up with bad moves in a bad position.
20.Nc2 e5 21.b5 Nb6?
The engines suggest 21...Ba8 or 21...Bc8, but in each case with a winning advantage for White.
22.Bxe5 Nd7 23.Bc3?!
Even stronger is 23.Rxd7 Rxd7 24.Qxb8 Qxb8 25.Bxb8, and if 25...Rd2, then 26.Na1 leaves White a piece up and winning on the queenside.
23...Ba8 24.Qxa7 Rb7 25.Qa4 Nb6 26.Qb3 Rd3 27.Rxd3?
White is still much better after this, but the move gives Black unnecessary counterplay.
27...exd3 28.Ne1?
Better is the engines' 28.Nd4! cxd4 29.Bxd4, when White has four pawns for a knight, and is about to win the d3 pawn.
28...Rd7 29.Bd2 Qe4 30.Nf3?
30.Qc3 keeps an edge as 30...Qxc4? loses to 31.Qe5, when Black has too many loose pieces, while 30...Nxc4? runs into 31.f3 Qd5 32.Rf2, when White has more-or-less consolidated a two-pawn advantage.
30...Nxc4
It was only after moving that I saw the strength of 30...Rf7!? White's best seems to be 31.Ne1 Nxc4 32.Qc3 Nxd2 33.Qxd2, but after 33...Rd7 Black has lots of pressure, despite being two pawns down. The engines reckon 30...Rd6!? is also strong.
31.Rc1?!
31.Rd1 looks stronger.
31...Bd5 32.Qc3 Qg4?!
Stockfish10's 32...Ra7 and Komodo10's 32...Qg6 seem to give Black good counterplay.
33.h3 Qg6
Black offered a draw.
34.Ne1 Ra7 35.Ra1 Qf6?
White is only a little better after 35...Nxd2 36.Qxd2 c4 37.Qb4, according to Komodo10, although Stockfish10 has White winning.

White to make his 36th move

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36.Qxd3! Qxa1?
Better is 36...Nb6, but White is three pawns up and out of danger after 37.Bc3.
37.Qxd5+ Kf8 38.Qxc4 Qxa3 39.Nf3 (1-0, 90 moves)

Northwick Park Round 4

Christopher Tombolis (1875/187) - Spanton (1951/168)
Queen's Gambit Declined
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 c5 5.e3 Nc6
The old-fashioned Normal Position of the Queen's Gambit Declined.
6.cxd5 exd5

White to make an interesting seventh move

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7.Bb5!?
7.Be2 is more popular, but the text has been played by Carlsen, Kasparov and Kramnik.
7...a6
The text and 7...Bd6 are Black's two most-popular replies.
8.Bxc6+ bxc6 9.Ne5 Bd7 10.0-0 Bd6 11.f4
White's position would be very strong if he had a light-square bishop.
11...0-0 12.h3 Qc7N 13.Qf3 Rab8 14.g4 Ne8 15.Rd1 a5 16.b3 Bc8!?
Planning to relocate the bishop on the a6-f1 diagonal.
17.Ba3 cxd4 18.Bxd6 Nxd6 19.exd4 Re8?
Black has a slight edge, according to Stockfish10 and Komodo10, after the natural 19...f6 20.Nd3 Qa7. I mistakenly thought I could develop the king's rook before evicting the e5 knight
20.Rac1
Threatens 21.Nxd5.
20...Qb7 21.Na4 f6? 1-0
The engines give 21...Ne4 22.Nc5!? Nxc5 23.Rxc5 Bd7 24.Rdc1 with the better game for White. After the text, Black's position is hopeless.

Northwick Park Round 3

Devan Patel (1867/162) - Spanton (1951/168)
 'Barry Attack'
1.d4 d5 2.Nc3 e6
Offering a French Defence - an offer that is taken up less than half of the time, at least in ChessBase's 2020 Mega database.
3.Bf4 Bd6 4.e3 Nc6!?
This more-or-less commits Black to playing for an ...e5 pawn-break, which is usually more effective, but much harder to achieve, than ...c5.
Stockfish10 reckons 4...Bxf4 slightly favours Black, but Komodo10 rates the position as equal.
5.Nf3 Qe7N 6.a3!?
This does not seem to have much point to it. Even so, the engines reckon White has a small edge.
6...Nf6 7.Bd3 h6?!
Missing a chance to get in ...e5, and creating a target in the event of kingside castling.
8.Bb5 Bd7 9.Qd2 a6 10.Bxc6 Bxc6 11.0-0-0?!
The engines are not keen on this enterprising move, but the position is unclear.
11...b5
The engines prefer 11...a5!, one point being that 12.Ne5 runs into 12...Bxa3!, when 13.bxa3? Qxa3+ 14.Kb1 Ra6 wins for Black, so White has to accept the loss of a pawn. Perhaps best for White is 12.Kb1, but then 12...b5 is very threatening.
12.Ne5 Bb7 13.Nd3 0-0
The engines give 13...Ne4 14.Nxe4 dxe4 15.Nc5 Bxc5 16.dxc5 Bc6 with a small edge for Black. 14.h4 Bxf4 15.exf4 Nd7 16.Qe3 Rac8 17.f5 c5 18.Nf4 cxd4 19.Rxd4 e5?
The simple 19...Rfe8 equalises.
20.Nfxd5 Qc5 21.Rg4 Qxe3+?
Straightening White's pawn-formation is much too accommodating, although White has the upper hand after the sensible 21...Kh7.
22.fxe3 Kh7 23.Rh3 Rc5 24.e4 Bxd5 25.Nxd5 f6!?
I rejected 25...Nf6 26.Nxf6+ gxf6 as making the position too easy for White, but the engines reckon it is objectively best.
26.Ne7?
26.h5 is very strong.
26...Rf7?
Better was 26...h5, which defends g7 indirectly by preventing White doubling rooks on the g file. 27.Ng6 Nb6 28.Rd3 Rc8
The back rank has to be covered to prevent Rd8-h8#. Certainly not 28...Rd7?? 29.Nf8+.
29.Rgg3 Rfc7 30.c3 a5 31.Rd6?
It was better to break the pin by 31.Kb1.
31...Nc4?
Missing the strength of 31...Na4, eg 32.Rd5 Nc5 33.Re3 b4 34.axb4 axb4 with threats, although the engines prefer White after 35.cxb4 Nd3+ 36.Kd1 Nxb4 37.Rd2.
32.Rd5 b4 33.axb4?!
33.a4 takes the sting out of Black's play.
33...axb4 34.Rgd3?
The engines' 34.b3 Nb6 35.Rb5 bxc3! 36.Kc2! looks strong. But not 36.Rxb6 as 36...Ra7 seems to give Black a draw.
34...bxc3
I rejected 34...b3! because of 35.Rb5, failing to find that after 35...Ra7 36.Rxb3 Ra1+ 37.Kc2, Black has 37...Rg1 with lots of counterplay.
35.Rxc3 Ne3 36.Rdd3 Nxg2 37.Kd2 Rxc3 38.bxc3 Ra8 39.Ke2?!
The engines prefer 39.h5, and if 39...Ra2+, then 40.Kc1!, which threatens forcing rooks off with 41.Rc2. The engines continue 40...Ra8 41.c4 with a very strong game for White.
39...Ra2+?
Better is 39...Ra4 40.Kf2 Nf4 41.Nxf4 exf4 with a position very similar to one reached in the game at move 42.
40.Rd2 Ra4 
Better is 40...Ra3, although White is still close to winning.
41.Kf2 Nf4 42.Nxf4?
Correct is 42.h5, forcing 42...Ra8, and only then Nxf4 etc.
42...exf4 43.Kf3 Rc4 44.Rd3 g5 45.fxg6+ Kxg6 46.Kxf4 Kh5 47.Kf5 Kxh4 48.Kxf6

Does Black still have a draw at this late stage?

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Yes.
Black had a draw with 48...Rxe4!, the point being that 49.Rd4 is met by 49...Kh5! The game finished:
48...Kg4? 49.e5 Rc6+ 50.e6 h5 57mins less 51.Kf7 Kf5 52.Rd5+ Ke4 53.Rxh5 Rxc3 54.e7 Rc7 55.Kf8 1-0

Drawing The Wrong Conclusion

HERE is my game against the top seed in round two of Northwick Park.
Spanton (1951/168) - Thomas Bonn (2199/201)
Sicilian Closed
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 a6
This may have been first played by Frank Marshall in two wins at Scheveningen 1905. Black continues to score very well with it.
3.g3 b5 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.d3
The non-committal main move.
5...e6 6.a3!?
Not a popular choice, to say the least, but it has been played by Leonid Kritz (2571). The main move is 6.f4, and if 6...b4, Stockfish10 and Komodo10 like 7.Na4!?, when they consider 7...Bc6 8.b3 Bxa4 9.bxa4 as good for White.
6...d5 7.exd5 Nf6!? 8.Nge2 Nxd5 9.0-0 Nxc3 10.Nxc3 Bxg2 11.Kxg2 Nc6 12.Be3 Nd4 13.Bxd4!?
This has been played by a 2305, but is not liked by the engines.
13...cxd4 14.Ne4
An easy improvement on 14.Qf3?? dxc3 15.Qc6+ Ke7, Klaus Neumeier (2305) - Ralf Lau (2495), Austrian Championship 2001 (0-1, 47 moves).
14...Be7 15.a4!?
Trying to induce Black to put another pawn on a dark square (his only minor piece is a dark-squared bishop).
15...0-0 16.f4 f5!?
Very double-edged. Black seizes the initiative, but creates weaknesses on the e file.
17.Nd2 g5 18.Qe2 Qd5+ 19.Qf3 Rac8 20.Qxd5 exd5 21.Rfc1?!
Passive. The engines give 21.axb5 Rxc2 22.Rf2 axb5 23.Nf3 Rxf2+ 24.Kxf2 with what they reckon is a dead-equal position.
21...gxf4 22.gxf4 Bd6
The engines give Black a slight edge after 22...b4.
23.Kf3 Rfe8 24.Nf1
I rejected 24.axb5 because of 24...Re3+, but the engines reckon 25.Kf2 axb5 26.Nb3 Bxf4 27.Nxd4 is equal.
24...b4 25.c3?
The engines give 25.Re1 Rxe1 26.Rxe1 Rxc2 27.Re6 Bc5 28.Rxa6 Rxb2 as only slightly better for Black.
25...bxc3?!
Even stronger is 25...dxc3 26.bxc3 b3.
26.bxc3 dxc3 27.Ne3 Kf7?
Better is 27...d4 28.Nxf5 Bc5.
28.Nxd5 Red8

Black offered a draw here - should White accept? 

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I always have conflicting emotions when a much higher-rated opponent offers a draw. On the one hand I assume he must dislike his position; on the other hand a draw against, in this case, a player rated 248 elo higher is not to be sniffed at. On this occasion there was the added factor that Black was getting short of time, and I now suspect this was the main (only?) reason for his draw offer.
29.Rxc3?!
Not a practical decision. White's win of a pawn is only temporary, and meanwhile Black has the better minor piece.
29...Rxc3 30.Nxc3 Bb4 31.Na2??
Black is only a little better after 31.Ne2 Rxd3+ 32.Kg2.
31...Rxd3+ 32.Ke2 Ra3 0-1

Morphing The French X

MY round-one game at the weekend's Northwick Park congress gave me my 10th chance to try to play against the French Defence in the style of Paul Morphy.
Spanton (1951/1680 - Shlok Verma (1691/156)
French Exchange
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bd3 Bd6 6.0-0 0-0 7.Nc3 c6 8.Bg5 Bg4 9.h3 Bh5
The main move.
For 9...Be6, see my game against Alan M Brown (1991/186): https://beauchess.blogspot.com/2019/09/morphing-french.html
For 9...Bxf3, see Morphy - Sicre: https://beauchess.blogspot.com/2019/07/morphy-v-french-part-six.html
10.g4!? Bg6 11.Ne5 Re8
Critical is 11...Qb6!? when Stockfish10 and Komodo10 give a move that is not in ChessBase's 2020 Mega database, namely 12.Bf4!?
Most successful of those moves played more than once, albeit from a small sample size, is 12.Bxf6. Géza Maróczy - Richard Réti, 1927 Olympiad (London), continued 12...gxf6 13.Nf3 Qxb2 14.Ne2 Qb6 15.Nh4 Re8 16.Nf5 Bf8 17.Neg3, when the engines reckon White has at least full compensation for the pawn (1-0, 43 moves).
12.f4 Bxd3 13.Qxd3
Black is lagging in development, and his next move exacerbates this, although it seems playable.
13...Be7!?
The engines suggest 13...Nbd7 or 13...Qc7!?, in each case with approximate equality.
14.Rae1 Ne4?
Seeking relief through exchanges, but the move is tactically flawed. The engines reckon White has at best a slight edge after 14...Nbd7.

White to make his 15th move

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15.Nxe4 dxe4 16.Bxe7 Qxe7
16...exd3 17.Bxd8 is good for White, eg 17...Rxd8 18.Nxd3 when White is a pawn up as 18...Rxd4?? loses instantly to 19.Re8#
17.Rxe4 Na6
If 17...f6, which Black may have been relying on, then 18.Qb3+ Kf8 (or 18...Qe6 19.Nd7! Qxb3 20.Rxe8+ Kf7 21.Rf8+ etc.) 19.Ng6+ wins for White.
18.Rfe1 Qc7 19.Nf3 Rxe4 20.Qxe4
White is a good pawn up (1-0, 66 moves).
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Morphing The French - Taking Stock
Since posting my series on Paul Morphy's play against the French Defence (the first part is here: https://beauchess.blogspot.com/2019/07/morphy-v-french.html), I have had 10 chances to try to emulate him, so this a good time to sum up how the experiment is going.
In those 10 games, I scored +6=2-2. My average elo (Fide or converted ECF) was 1928, and I preformed to a rating of 2026.
White is expected to perform at 35pts above rating, according to database computer analysis by IM - now GM - Larry Kaufman. Allowing for that, my performance is 63pts above expectation.
Ten games is a small sample size, but it is fair to say the results have been encouraging.

Northwick Park Day Two

PLAYED two juniors, both born in 2005. This morning I lost to an 1875/187; this afternoon I beat an 1880/175. My final score of +2=0-3 saw me lose 16.6 Fide elo. It was an ECF performance of 166.2.

Harrowing Time

AM playing in the five-round open section of the Northwick Park congress, which is being held alongside the London junior chess championships at Westminster University's Harrow campus, North London.
This morning in round one I beat a 1691/156 junior (born 2009); this afternoon in round two I turned down a draw against the 2199/201 top seed and lost just a few moves later; this evening in round three I lost a pawn and eventually the game to an 1867/162 junior (born 2003).