|
|
Cavendish Chess Club |
|
|
London Chess Classic
Several Cavendish players took part in the very strong FIDE open that was run alongside the super-GM all-play-all at the London Chess Classic. The open was won by Norwegian GM Jon Hammer, with 8/9, ahead of Mark Hebden, Simon Williams and Jovanka Houska. There were very few easy games in a tournament with 9GMs and 18IMs but Cavendish players acquitted themselves admirably, scoring as follows:
Full results can be found on the tournament's website. Below is my most memorable game from the event. Conquest,Stuart C (2563) - Piper,Matthew S (2304) 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Nbd2 0-0 5.a3 Be7 6.g3 The main line goes 6.e4 d5 7.cxd5 exd5 8.e5 Nfd7 9.Bd3 c5 and is generally thought to be slightly better for White. 6...b6 7.Bg2 Bb7 8.Qc2 After 8.0-0 c5 9.b3 cxd4 it seems to me that Black has solved many of his opening problems. Swapping off the White squared bishops neutralises much of White's space advantage while Nd2 is struggling to get into the game. 8.Qc2 was an attempt to discourage 8...c5 because of 9.e4 8...c5 9.dxc5 It turns out that 9.e4 is bad because of 9...cxd4 (I was planning 9...d5 with a complicated position in which Black is not worse) 10.e5 Ng4 11.Ng5 Bxg5 12.Bxb7 Nc6 13.Bxa8 Qxa8 when Black has more than enough compensation for the exchange. 9...bxc5 10.0-0 Nc6 11.Rd1 Qb6 White has some difficulties developing his queenside. However, 12.b3 was better with approximate equality. 12.Nb3 a5! Fixing White's weak queenside pawns with gain of tempo. 13.Bf4 a4 14.Nbd2 d6 15.Bg5 Diagram
15.e4 e5 16.Bg5 Nd4 is very strong for Black; while after 15.e3 h6 White's black-squared bishop is running out of squares. 15...Nd4?! Very committal. Maybe Rfd8 was better. 16.Nxd4 cxd4 17.Bxb7 17.Ne4 Bxe4 18.Bxe4 Nxe4 19.Bxe7 is dubious becuase of 19...Nxf2 20.Kxf2 (20.Bxf8 Nxd1-+; 20.c5 Qb7 with the threat of Nh3+) 20...Qa7 21.Qe4 Qxe7 22.Qxd4 when White's pawn are extremely weak. 17...Qxb7 18.Rab1? 18.Bxf6 is far better, e.g. 18...Bxf6 19.Ne4 Be5 20.f4 d3 21.Qxd3 Bxb2 22.Rab1 Rab8 23.Nxd6 Qa7+ 24.Kg2 Qa8+ 25.Kh3 when Black has some compensation for the pawn. 18...e5 Now White's weaknesses on the queenside will begin to tell unless he does something fast. 19.Qf5 g6 20.Qh3 Nh5 21.Bxe7 Qxe7 22.Nf1? A waste of time. 22.Qg2 was better. 22...Rfc8 23.Rdc1 Ng7 24.Nd2 e4 25.Qh6 Ra5 25...f5!? 26.b4 axb3 27.Nxb3 Rh5 28.Qf4 Rf5 29.Qg4? 29.Qd2 e3 30.fxe3 dxe3 31.Qd3 Rg5 is clearly better for Black but at least the queen is in the game. Both players were getting short of time at this point. 29...h5 30.Qh3 Qe5 31.Qg2 Ne6 32.Kh1 h4 33.Nd2 hxg3 34.fxg3 34.hxg3 Rh5+ 35.Kg1 Ng5 is difficult to defend against, e.g. 36.Re1 e3 37.Nf3 exf2+ 38.Qxf2 Qe4 39.Kg2 Rxc4-+ 34...Nc5 35.Rf1 e3 36.Nf3 Qe4 37.Rb6? 37.Ng1 Rxf1 38.Rxf1 Qe6 is a more difficult win 37...d3 38.Rxd6 d2 39.g4 Rf4 40.Rd4 Diagram
40...Qxd4! 41.Nxd4 Rxf1+ 42.Qxf1 Ne4 The d-pawn is going to cost White his queen. A very pleasing game from my point of view but I'll be the first to acknowledge it was a very off-colour performance by White. 0-1 |
