The Great Consultation Game

On the 27th of September 2005 two intrepid armies gathered for a clashing of minds. The White Army was represented by such notables as Imraan Banderker, John van Ryneveld and Terence Daniels while the Black army had players of the ilk of Otto-Carl Marte, James Gaylard and Travers Waker in their ranks. A fierce consultation match followed. There was blood on the chess board....

Our silicon friend Fritz provided analysis of the battle.

(26) Banderker,van Ryneveld,Daniels - Marte, Gaylard, Waker [A10], Consultation analysis, [Deep Fritz (300s)]

A10: English Opening: Unusual Replies for Black
1.c4 d5 last book move 2.Nc3 d4 3.Ne4 Nf6 [3...f5 4.Ng3-/+] 4.Nxf6+ exf6 5.g3 [5.Nf3 Nc6=] 5...Bd7 [5...d3 6.Bg2=/+] 6.Bg2= Bc6 7.Nf3 d3 [7...Qd6 8.0-0=] 8.0-0 Be4?

Although Fritz didn't like this move, the Black Team felt that this was a
wonderful move.The bishop dominates the board! The development of blacks other
forces was a bit of a worry for the Black Team. Would white be able to take
advantage....

[>=8...Bc5= would keep Black in the game] 9.Re1 Be7 10.exd3 Bxd3 [10...Bf5 11.Nd4 Bc8 12.Qe2+-] 11.Nh4 [11.Qb3!? a5 12.Re3+-] 11...Nc6+/- 12.Bxc6+ [12.Qb3!? Ne5 13.Qxb7+/-] 12...bxc6+/= 13.Qf3 [13.Qg4 0-0 14.Nf5 Bxf5 15.Qxf5 Rb8+/=] 13...Qd7 14.b3 Controls c4 14...0-0

[>=14...0-0-0!?= must be considered] 15.Rxe7!+/- White is still ahead 15...Qd4

A tactical trick by black that white openly admitted to missing.
White expected black to castle queen side.

[15...Qxe7 Theme: Deflection from d3 16.Qxd3 Eliminates the defender d3] 16.Re1 [16.Bb2 Qxb2 17.Rae1 Rad8 18.Qxc6 Qxd2 19.Qxc7 g5+-] 16...Qxa1+/= 17.Qxd3 Rfe8 18.Rf1 Qxa2 19.Qc3 [19.Nf5 Rad8 20.Qf3 c5+/=] 19...a5

[19...Rab8 20.b4 Qa4 21.d3 Qxb4 22.Qxb4 Rxb4 23.Be3+/=] 20.Bb2 [20.Nf5!? Rab8 21.Qf3 Qxb3 22.Qxc6=] 20...Reb8=/+ The backward pawn on b3 becomes a target 21.Ba1 Rxb3 22.Qd4 Rab8 [22...Rb1 23.Bc3=] 23.Bc3 [23.Nf5 Rb1 24.Ne7+ Kh8+/=] 23...Rb1= 24.Qg4

The White Team launches an all-out assault on the Black King!!

Kf8 [24...h5 25.Qf4= (25.Qxh5?? Qxc4 26.d3 Qxc3-+) ] 25.Qd4 [>=25.Nf5!? Rxf1+ 26.Kxf1+/-] 25...a4= 26.Qc5+ [26.Rxb1 Qxb1+ 27.Kg2 Kg8=] 26...Kg8=/+ 27.Nf5 Qc2

Many tactical chances/tricks were available to White.

[27...Rxf1+ 28.Kxf1 Qb1+ 29.Kg2 Qe4+ 30.Kh3=/+] 28.Ne7+ Kh8 29.Qd4 [29.Qxc6 Qd3 30.Rxb1 Qxb1+ 31.Kg2 Qb7=] 29...h6

[>=29...a3 30.Rxb1 Qxb1+ (‹30...Rxb1+ 31.Kg2 Rb8 32.Qf4+/-) 31.Kg2 c5 32.Qxf6 Qe4+ (32...gxf6?? 33.Bxf6#) 33.f3 Qe2+ (33...gxf6 is refuted with the following mate in 1 34.Bxf6#) 34.Kh3 Qe6+ (34...gxf6 fails to mate in 1 35.Bxf6#) 35.Qxe6 fxe6-/+] 30.Qh4?? with this move White loses his initiative [>=30.Nxc6 and White can hope to live 30...Re8 31.Bb4=] 30...Kh7 [>=30...Qd3 and Black has triumphed 31.Rxb1 Rxb1+ (31...Qxb1+?! 32.Kg2=) 32.Kg2 Qf1+ 33.Kf3 Qh1+ 34.Kg4 Qe4+ 35.Kh3 Qxe7-+] 31.Qg4

Qd3(for black) was as a common theme suggested by Fritz.
The Black Team never seriously even considered this alternative.

[31.Qd4 a3 32.Rxb1 Qxb1+ 33.Kg2 a2-+] 31...a3 [31...Qd3!? 32.Qf5+
Qxf5 33.Nxf5-+] 32.Nf5 g6 33.Nxh6?? solves nothing [>=33.Ne3 Qd3 34.Rxb1 Rxb1+ 35.Kg2-/+] 33...Qxc3!

and the rest is history [33...Kxh6?? is impossible because of the following mate in 3 34.Qh4+ Kg7 35.Bxf6+ Kg8 36.Qh8#] 34.dxc3 a2

[34...a2 35.Qh4 a1Q 36.Ng4+ Kg8-+] 0-1

Twice the time on the clocks was increased by mutual consent. Nobody wanted to rush the conclusion of the game. The end of a wonderful game that was thoroughly enjoyed by all :-)

Claremont Invitational Final Game

The final game of the 2007 Claremont Inivitational took place at the club on Thursday evening. Charles de Villiers played Deon Solomons, with Deon needing to win to take the title.

Deon and Charles played in the main playing room, while in the other room, a small group of interested kibitzers analysed and discussed the game as it progressed. Nathan Geffen led the analysis effort and guided the discussion down some extremely complicated lines. Although the actual game was threatening to erupt into a tactical fireworks display at various times, both players seemed hesitant to take major risks in such an important game.

The eventual result of the tense game was a draw, making Charles de Villiers the winner of the first Claremont Invitational.

The strong field and many exciting games contributed to making the tournament a resounding success. Its sure to be even bigger and better next year.

Final Standings:

A Section

		(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	Total	Rank
1	Charles de Villiers	X	½	1	1	1	1	4½	1
2	Deon Solomons	½	X	1	1	½	1	4	2
3	Tinto Seotloadi	0	0	X	1	0d	1	2	3
4	Stephen Gallied	0	0	0	X	1	½	1½	5
5	Nathan Geffen	0	½	1d	0	X	½	2	3
6	Anant Dole	0	0	0	½	½	X	1	6

B Section

		(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	Total	Rank
1	Warrick Erlank	X	1	1	½	1	3½	1
2	Nick Barnett	0	X	0	½	1	1½	3
3	Laura Irving	0	1	X	1	0	2	2
4	Anzel Solomons	½	½	0	X	½	1½	3
5	Denise Frick	0	0	1	½	X	1½	3

de Villiers,C - Solomons,D

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 0-0



5.e4 d6 6.Nge2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d3 h6 9.h3 Kh7



The consensus amongst the kibitzers was that black's previous 2 moves were possibly aimed at waiting for white to commit to a plan before deciding on a counter-strategy.

10.Be3 Bd7 11.f4 Nh5 12.f5 g5 13.Kh2 Nf6 14.g4 Nd4 15.Ng3 c6 16.Rh1



16...b5

The kibitzers liked this move very much. It seems that Black has timed his break on the Queenside to perfection - just when White was signalling his intentions of attacking on the Kingside.

17.cxb5 cxb5 18.Kg1



18...b4 19.Nd5 Nxd5 20.exd5 Rc8 21.Be4



Otto was amused by the two "tall pawns" on the board - the White bishop on e4 and the Black bishop on g7.

21...Kg8 22.Rh2 Qc7 23.Rc1 Qb6 24.Rxc8 Rxc8



25.h4 White looks for counterplay on the kingside.

25...f6 26.hxg5 hxg5 27.Kh1 Be8 28.Qf1



28...Qd8

An admission by Black that White has created chances on the kingside.

29.Qh3 Rc2 30.Qh7+ Kf8 31.Bxd4 Rxh2+ 32.Qxh2 exd4 33.Ne2 Qb6 34.Qf2



The black pawn on d4 is doomed, so Black must seek compensation elsewhere.

34...Qa5 35.Qxd4 b3 36.axb3 Qa1+ 37.Kg2 Qd1 38.Ng1 Qxg4+



Deon mentioned after the game that he thought there were attacking chances for Black in this position when he steered the game towards it, but as the position came closer on the board he found that he was mistaken.

39.Kf2 Qf4+ 40.Kg2 Qg4+ 41.Kf2 Qf4+ 42.Kg2 Qg4+ ½ - ½

Claremont Invitational Round 8

Nick Barnett 0 - 1 Laura Irving
Tinto Seotloadi 0 - 1 Nathan Geffen (default)
Anant Dole ½ - ½ Stephen Gallied
Denise Frick ½ - ½ Anzel Solomons

Games from previous rounds:

Deon Solomons 1 - 0 Anant Dole
Nathan Geffen 0 - 1 Charles de Villiers

Games still to be played:

Charles de Villiers - Deon Solomons


Standings after Round 8:

A Section

		(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	Total	Rank
1	Charles de Villiers	X		1	1	1	1	4	1
2	Deon Solomons		X	1	1	½	1	3½	2
3	Tinto Seotloadi	0	0	X	1	0d	1	2	3
4	Stephen Gallied	0	0	0	X	1	½	1½	5
5	Nathan Geffen	0	½	1d	0	X	½	2	3
6	Anant Dole	0	0	0	½	½	X	1	6

B Section

		(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	Total	Rank
1	Warrick Erlank	X	1	1	½	1	3½	1
2	Nick Barnett	0	X	0	½	1	1½	3
3	Laura Irving	0	1	X	1	0	2	2
4	Anzel Solomons	½	½	0	X	½	1½	3
5	Denise Frick	0	0	1	½	X	1½	3

Claremont Open Round 7

Claremont Open Round 7

After a mighty struggle, the last game to finish on the night, Andrew Fereday was unable to end the unbeaten run of Neil Horne. Congratulations to Neil on an excellent performance and impressive consistency. Another notable performance was by Andrew McInnes who turned the tables on Rodney "The Giant Killer" Daniels.

So comes to an end an entertaining Swiss Tournament...

Results from Round 7:

Neil Horne 1 - 0 Andrew Fereday
James Gaylard 0 - 1 Jean-Paul du Plessis
Daniel Russouw 1/2 - 1/2 Otto-Carl Marte
Sam Milner 0 - 1 Errol Bathurst
Keith Breetzke 0 - 1 Travers Waker
Ben van Bruggen 0 - 1 Gershwin Kimar
Andrew McInnes 1 - 0 Rodney T Daniels

Final Standings: (# games played in brackets)

Neil Horne 6½ (7)

Oatse Wally 4 (4)
Jean-Paul du Plessis 4(4)

James Gaylard 3½ (7)
Daniel Russouw 3½ (7)

Ian Broughton 3 (3)
Ingo Holland 3 (5)
Andrew McInnes 3 (6)
John van Ryneveld 3 (6)
Andrew Fereday 3 (7)

Otto Marte 2½(4)
Andre van Reenen 2½ (5)

Imraan Banderker 2 (2)
Keith Breetzke 2 (4)

Georges Torres 2 (5)
Sam Milner 2 (6)
Errol Batthurst 2 (6)

Garry Jolly 1½ (5)
Rodney T Daniels 1½ (6)

Gershwin Kimar 1 (1)
Travers Waker 1 (1)
Jacob Rochoene 1 (2)
Emmanuel Morutwa 1 (4)
Jean Kimbona 1 (5)

Daniel Barrish 0 (1)
Arao Antonio 0 (2)

Dale Green 0 (2)
Ben van Bruggen 0 (6)

Claremont Invitational Round 7

Stephen Galleid 0 - 1 Tinto Seotloadi
Anzel Solomons ½ - ½ Nick Barnett
Warrick Erlank 1 - 0 Denise Frick
Nathan Geffen vs Charles de Villiers was postponed.
Deon Solomons vs Anant Dole was postponed.
Laura had a bye.

Postponed game from last week: Tinto Seotloadi 0 - 1 Deon Solomons

Standings after Round 7:

A Section

		(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	Total	Rank
1	Charles de Villiers	X		1	1		1	3	1
2	Deon Solomons		X	1	1	½		2½	2
3	Tinto Seotloadi	0	0	X	1		1	2	3
4	Stephen Gallied	0	0	0	X	1		1	4
5	Nathan Geffen		½		0	X	½	1	4
6	Anant Dole	0		0		½	X	½	6

B Section

		(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	Total	Rank
1	Warrick Erlank	X	1	1	½	1	3½	1
2	Nick Barnett	0	X		½	1	1½	2
3	Laura Irving	0		X	1	0	1	3
4	Anzel Solomons	½	½	0	X		1	3
5	Denise Frick	0	0	1		X	1	3

The Charles vs Deon game will decide who is the 2007 Claremont Inivitaional Champion.

Warrick has won the B section.

Claremont Invitational Round 6

Results from Round 6:

Charles de Villiers 1 - 0 Stephen Galleid
Warrick Erlank 1 - 0 Nick Barnett
Denise Frick 1 - 0 Laura Irving
Nathan Geffen ½ - ½ Anant Dole
Tinto Seotloadi vs Deon Solomons was postponed.
Anzel had a bye.

Standings after Round 6:

A Section

		(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	Total	Rank
1	Charles de Villiers	X		1	1		1	3	1
2	Deon Solomons		X		1	½		1½	2
3	Tinto Seotloadi	0		X			1	1	3
4	Stephen Gallied	0	0	0	X	1		1	3
5	Nathan Geffen		½		0	X	½	1	3
6	Anant Dole	0		0		½	X	½	6

B Section

		(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	Total	Rank
1	Warrick Erlank	X	1	1	½		2½	1
2	Nick Barnett	0	X			1	1	2
3	Laura Irving	0		X	1	0	1	2
4	Anzel Solomons	½		0	X		½	5
5	Denise Frick		0	1		X	1	2

Claremont Open Round 6

Results from Round 6:

James Gaylard ½ - ½ Neil Horne
John van Ryneveld 0 - 1 Oaitse Wally
Andrew Fereday 1 - 0 Sam Milner
Daniel Russouw 1 - 0 Andrew McInnes
Jean-Paul du Plessis 1 - 0 Jean Kimbona
Ben van Bruggen 0 - 1 Errol Batthurst
Keith Breedske 1 - 0 Arao Antonio


Standings after Round 6: (# games played in brackets)

Neil Horne 5½ (6)

Oatse Wally 4 (4)

James Gaylard 3½ (6)

Jean-Paul du Plessis 3 (3)
Ian Broughton 3 (3)
Ingo Holland 3 (5)
John van Ryneveld 3 (6)
Daniel Russouw 3 (6)
Andrew Fereday 3 (6)

Andre van Reenen 2½ (5)

Imraan Banderker 2 (2)
Keith Breetzke 2 (3)
Otto Marte 2 (3)
Andrew McInnes 2 (5)
Georges Torres 2 (5)
Sam Milner 2 (6)
Errol Batthurst 2 (6)

Garry Jolly 1½ (5)
Rodney T Daniels 1½ (5)

Jacob Rochoene 1 (2)
Emmanuel Morutwa 1 (4)
Jean Kimbona 1 (5)

Daniel Barrish 0 (1)
Arao Antonio 0 (2)

Dale Green 0 (2)
Ben van Bruggen 0 (5)

Here's James managing to end Neil's winning streak. His unbeaten streak is still intact, though.

James Gaylard – Neil Horne
C43 Petroff defence
[Analysis by James Gaylard, Neil Horne and Fritz 6]

1.e4 C43: Petroff Defence: 3 d4 1...e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4?! [4.e5 is more common. The text is good for Black assuming accurate play to follow; but also presents Black with numerous opportunities to make subtle yet fatal errors.]




4...d5? [Black has a selection of good moves here 4... Nxe4; 4.... Nc6; 4...Bc5; 4....Bb4+ would each give Black a slight lead, the move played allows white to open the e-file with advantage]

5.exd5 Nxd5 6.0–0 Be7? [ this allows a tremendous build-up of pressure by white, 6...Nb6 seems the best way to blunt white’s initiative]

7.Qxd4±.Nf6 8.Qxd8+ Bxd8 9.Re1+ Be7 10.Nc3 Nc6




11.Bf4? [White resists the immediate Nb5 and instead strives to maintain his lead in development, safe in the knowledge that the c7 pawn is there for the taking, however this is an opportunity missed. 11.Nb5 0–0 (11..Kd8 would be suicidal) 12.Nxc7 Rb8 and black’s position is very unpleasant]

11...0–0 12.Nb5 Bf5 13.Nfd4 ?! [ this appears on face value to be a killer move forcing the Black bishop to a pinned position on d4, but should be prefaced by c3 ]




13...Nxd4² 14.Nxd4 [14.Rxe7?! Nxb5 15.Bxb5 Be6 16.Bxc7 Nd5 17.Rxe6 fxe6 is interesting]

14...Be4 [the pin ensues, but how can white exploit it in the face of Black’s powerful resource of Bc5? Note that Black cannot avoid the pin. Any other move loses a piece E.g. 14…Be6 15 Nxe6 fxe6 Rxe6 is devastating]




15.Be5 [15.Bg5 seems better ] 15...Bd5 16.Bxc7? [White despairs of his dissipating initiative and snatches the pawn in a vain attempt to extract some reward from his pressure up to this point. But this is a mistake, giving Black a forced draw. 16.BxB NxB 15.c4 would have maintained some advantage for white] 16...Bxc4 17.Rxe7 Nd5 18.Rd7 Nf6 ½-½ [white must repeat the position or lose the c7 bishop e.g. 19.Rd6 Ne8]

Claremont Open Round 5

Round 5 results:

Neil Horne 1 - 0 John van Ryneveld
Ingo Holland 1 - 0 James Gaylard
Oaitse Wally 1 - 0 Georges Torres
Rodney T Daniels 0.5 - 0.5 Andre van Reenen
Garry Jolly 0 - 1 Andrew Fereday
Sam Milner 1 - 0 Arao Antonio
Errol Batthurst 0 - 1 Daniel Russouw
Keith Breetzke 1 - 0 Ben van Bruggen
Jean Kimbona 1 - 0 Dale Green

Standings after Round 5:

(Not everybody has played every round. The number in brackets indicates the number of games played)

Neil Horne 5 (5)

Ian Broughton 3 (3)
Oatse Wally 3 (3)
James Gaylard 3 (5)
John van Ryneveld 3 (5)
Ingo Holland 3 (5)

Andre van Reenen 2.5 (5)

Jean-Paul du Plessis 2 (2)
Imraan Banderker 2 (2)
Otto Marte 2 (3)
Andrew McInnes 2 (4)
Georges Torres 2 (5)
Daniel Russouw 2 (5)
Andrew Fereday 2 (5)
Sam Milner 2 (5)

Garry Jolly 1.5 (5)
Rodney T Daniels 1.5 (5)

Keith Breetzke 1 (2)
Jacob Rochoene 1 (2)
Jean Kimbona 1 (4)
Emmanuel Morutwa 1 (4)
Errol Batthurst 1 (5)

Daniel Barrish 0 (1)
Arao Antonio 0 (1)
Dale Green 0 (2)
Ben van Bruggen 0 (4)

Claremont Invitational Round 5

by James Gaylard.

Phase 1 of the tournament has been successfully completed.

Deon Solomons drew with Nathan Geffen and Charles de Villiers beat Warrick Erlank to top their respective groups in this event.

Laura Irving continued her good form of late with an upset win over Tinto. The two key games of the evening (with A section qualification at stake) were between Stephen Gallied and Nick Barnett and between Anant Dole and Anzel Solomons. Stephen and Anant both won with the white pieces to earn their spots in the Championship Section of the competition.

Anant had been credited with a default 1st round win over Tinto. Before the 5th round started however, Anand very graciously offered Tinto the opportunity to play a blitz game for the point. Tinto accepted and went on to win the game.

The other outstanding game from Phase 1 was the 4th round clash between Anant and Laura (who was unfortunately not able to play on the scheduled evening.) Sadly, the players were unable to find a time to make up the game before Sunday's deadline, and so Anant is credited with the point.

Laura finishes Phase 1 with a very creditable 2 points out of 4 games played and a performance rating of approximately 2000. Considering that she also finished 3rd in the recent Cape of Good Hope Open, this confirms that her official Chessa rating needs to do some serious catching-up with her form.

The full set of results from round 5 are:

Deon Solomons ½ - ½ Nathan Geffen
Stephen Gallied 1 - 0 Nick Barnett
Anant Dole 1 - 0 Anzel Solomons
Tinto Seotladi 0 - 1 Laura Irving
Warrick Erlank 0 - 1 Charles de Villiers
Denise Frick 1 - 0 Howard Goldberg (default)

Final group standings after Phase 1 are:

Alekhine Group

1. Deon Solomons 4
2. Nathan Geffen 3½
3. Stephen Gallied 3
4. Nick Barnett 2½
5. Denise Frick 2

Bronstein Group

1. Charles de Villiers 4
2. Tinto Seotladi, Anant Dole 2½
4. Laura Irving, Warrick Erlank, Anzel Solomons 2

The Championship Section in phase 2 will thus consist of:
Deon, Nathan, Stephen, Charles, Tinto and Anant.

The B Section will consist of:
Nick, Denise, Laura, Warrick and Anzel.

Phase 2 of the competition will take place on Thursdays 8,15 and 22 March in round-robin format with each player taking 2 results through from phase 1.

The draw for rounds 6, 7 and 8 is as follows:

Round 6, Thursday 8 March
A Section: Tinto vs Deon, Nathan vs Anant, Charles vs Stephen
B Section: Warrick vs Nick, Denise vs Laura. Anzel has a bye.

Round 7, Thursday 15 March
A Section: Stephen vs Tinto, Deon vs Anant, Nathan vs Charles
B Section: Anzel vs Nick, Warrick vs Denise. Laura has a bye.

Round 8, Thursday 22 March
A Section: Tinto vs Nathan, Anant vs Stephen, Charles vs Deon
B Section: Nick vs Laura, Denise vs Anzel. Warrick has a bye.

Standings in the 2 Sections (incorporating the 2 results carried from Phase 1) are as follows:

A Section

		(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	Total	Rank
1	Charles de Villiers	X		1			1	2	1
2	Deon Solomons		X		1	½		1½	2
3	Tinto Seotloadi	0		X			1	1	3
4	Stephen Gallied		0	0	X	1		1	3
5	Nathan Geffen		½		0	X		½	5
6	Anant Dole	0		0			X	0	6

B Section

		(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	Total	Rank
1	Warrick Erlank	X		1	½		1½	1
2	Nick Barnett		X			1	1	2
3	Laura Irving	0		X	1		1	2
4	Anzel Solomons	½		0	X		½	4
5	Denise Frick		0			X	0	5

Nick has once again obliged us by providing his 5th round game against Stephen. The analysis is by Nick.

Galleid,Stephen - Barnett,Nick
Claremont Invitational, Round 5 01.03.2007

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Bb4 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 c6 too refined.
[4...Nc6 is more usual]

5.Nf3 d6 6.0-0 Bxc3 7.bxc3 Na6 8.Rb1 Qa5 9.Qc2 0-0 10.d3 e4 11.Nd4 exd3 12.exd3 Nc5 13.Bf4 Qd8 14.Rfe1 Ne6 15.Nxe6 fxe6 16.d4 Nh5 17.Be3 Qa5 18.Be4 Nf6 19.Bd3 e5 20.dxe5 dxe5 21.c5 Kh8 22.Rb4 e4 23.Bc4 Nd5 24.Bxd5 cxd5 25.Rd1 Be6 After this Black is struggling.



The bishop should go [25...Bd7 26.Rxd5 Not (26.Rxb7 Ba4) 26...Bc6 27.Rd6 Qc7 28.Qe2 Rac8 29.a4 Rf3 30.Qc4 Qf7 And Black's grip on the White squares almost equalizes]

26.Rxb7 Qa6 27.Qb2 h6
[27...Rf7 28.Rb8+ Rf8 29.Qb5 Qxb5 30.Rxb5 Rac8 31.Rb7 a5]



28.Bxh6 [28.c4 Rf7 29.Rxf7 Bxf7 30.cxd5 Rd8 31.Qb3 Qe2]

28...Rf7 [28...Bf7 29.Bxg7+ Kxg7 30.c4+ Kg8 31.cxd5 Qg6 32.h3 Rad8 33.d6 Qf5]

29.Rxf7
The spectacular [29.Bxg7+ Rxg7 30.Rxg7 Kxg7 31.c4+ Kh7 32.cxd5 Bg4 33.Rb1 Qd3 34.Qb7+ Kh6 35.Qc6+ Kh5 also wins]

29...Bxf7



30.Be3
And again [30.Bxg7+ Kxg7 31.c4+ Qf6 Or (31...d4 when 32.Qxd4+ Kg8 33.Qxe4 Re8 34.Qg4+ Kf8 35.Qh4 Kg7 36.Rd6 Re1+ 37.Kg2 Qxa2 38.Qh6+ Kg8 39.Rd8+ Be8 40.Rd5 is deadly) 32.Qxf6+ Kxf6 33.cxd5 Rc8 34.d6 Bxa2 35.d7 Rd8 36.h3 wins, but White strangles with simple moves.]

30...Qa4 31.Rb1 Be8 32.Qb7 Bc6 33.Qf7 Qxa2
[33...Qc2 34.Rc1 Qb2 35.Qe6 Qb7 36.c4 dxc4 37.Qxc4 Rf8 offered some hope.]



34.Rb7 Brilliant

34...Bxb7 Black's flag was hovering, but [34...Qa1+ 35.Kg2 Qxc3 36.Rc7 Be8 37.Qxd5 Qf6 38.Bh6 gxh6 39.Qxe4 Bc6 40.Qxc6 Qxc6+ 41.Rxc6 is kaput]

35.Bd4 1-0

Quite ironic that, in the previous round, Nick finished off Denise with the threat of Rb7 and, in the very next round, Nick is on the receiving end of a decisive Rb7!

Claremont Invitational Round 4

Nathan Geffen 0 - 1 Stephen Gallied
Nick Barnett 1 - 0 Denise Frick
Anzel Solomons ½ - ½ Warrick Erlank
Charles de Villiers 1 - 0 Tinto Seotloadi
Laura Irving vs Anant Dole was postponed

Log after Round 4:

Alekhine Group

		(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	Total	Rank
1	Nick Barnett	X	1	½	1		0	2½	3
2	Howard Goldberg	0	X	0d	0d	0d	0	0	6
3	Deon Solomons	½	1d	X	1	1		3½	1
4	Denise Frick	0	1d	0	X	1	0	2	4
5	Stephen Gallied		1d	0	0	X	1	2	4
6	Nathan Geffen	1	1		1	0	X	3	2

Deon and Nathan are through to the Championship section in Phase 2. Stephen needs to beat Nick next week to get the 3rd spot, otherwise Nick goes through.

Deon and Nathan will be interested in the outcome of the Stephen vs Nick game. Deon takes his worst result so far (a draw against Nick) through to the next phase if Nick wins or draws, while Nathan takes his worst result so far (a loss to Stephen) through to the next phase if Stephen wins.

Bronstein Group

		(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	Total	Rank
1	Charles de Villiers	X	1	1	1		0	3	1
2	Laura Irving	0	X			0	1	1	6
3	Anant Dole	0		X	1d	½		1½	4
4	Tinto Seotloadi	0		0d	X	1	½	1½	4
5	Warrick Erlank		1	½	0	X	½	2	2
6	Anzel Solomons	1	0		½	½	X	2	2

Still anyone's game. Charles is through to Championship section, since although it is possible that 4 people can end with 3 points or more, Charles will beat at least 1 of them on the first tie-break (number of wins).

Nick kindly provided his game against Denise.

Barnett,N - Frick,D
Claremont Invitational, Round 4. 22.02.2007

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.b4 Bg7 4.Bb2 0-0 5.Bg2 a6 6.0-0 Nc6 7.a3 d6 8.d3 Rb8 9.Nbd2 e5 10.c4 b5 11.Rc1 Bd7 12.Rc2 a5 13.cxb5 Rxb5 14.Qc1 Ne7 15.Rxc7 Ned5 16.Ra7 axb4 17.Nc4 Qb8 18.Ra6 Ne8 19.a4 Rc5 20.Nfd2



20... Nc3? Nick feels that White now has the initiative and should win.

21.Bxc3 bxc3 22.Ne4 Rc6 23.Ra5 Rc8 24.Nxc3 Bc6 25.Bxc6 Rxc6 26.Nd5 Qd8 27.Ra7 Nc7 28.Nxc7 Rxc7 29.Rxc7 Qxc7



30.a5 Nick thinks he should have played [30.e4] right away to stop black from freeing her bishop.

30... Ra8 31.e4 Qc5 32.Qb1 Qd4 33.Qb7 Ra7 34.Qb6 Bf8 35.Qxd4 exd4 36.Rb1 Be7 37.Rb6 Kg7 38.a6 Kf8



39.Rb8+ 1-0

The threat of 40.Rb7 is too strong.

Nick commented:

"Not a great game. White held the initiative and a win after 20... Nc3? Then almost let Black off the hook: 30. a5 allowing Black to free her bishop, instead of 30. e4 right away."

Claremont Open Round 4 Results

Neil Horne 1 - 0 Georges Torres
Daniel Russouw ½ - ½ Andrew Fereday
Emmanuel Morutwa 0 - 1 James Gaylard
John van Ryneveld 1 - 0 Andrew McInnes
Errol Batthurst 0 - 1 Oaitse Wally
Jean Kimbona 0 - 1 Gregg Davids
Ian Broughton 1 - 0 Ingo Holland
Garry Jolly ½ - ½ Andre van Reenen
Sam Milner ½ - ½ Rodney T Daniels

Standings After Round 4:

4: Neil Horne

3: John van Ryneveld, James Gaylard, Ian Broughton

2: Ingo Holland, Otto Marte, Jean-Paul Du Plessis, Andrew McInnes, George Torres,
Imran Bandeker, Oaitse Wally

1½: Rodney T Daniels, Garry Jolly, Andre van Reenen

1: Andrew Fereday, Daniel Russouw, Emmanuel Morutwa, Errol Bathurst, Andre van Reenen, Jacob Rachoene, Gregg Davids, Sam Milner

½: Rowland Adams

0: Keith Breetzke, Ben van Bruggen, Dale Green, Daniel Barrish, Tshepiso Moksophi,
Jean Kimbona

Claremont Invitational Round 3

By James Gaylard.

We are just two rounds away from the end of Phase 1, and the race is hotting up for qualification for the top section in Phase 2.

Howard Goldberg has expressed his regrets at having to withdraw from the tournament. He will be out of town for two Thursdays and has no reasonable prospect of catching up the games before 4 March, when Phase 1 will draw to a close. This means that Deon Solomons, with 2½ out of 3 and a guaranteed point against Howard to come, is the first to qualify for the A section from the Alekhine group. Nathan Geffen is the only player in the competition to retain a perfect score (3 out of 3 to date) and we look forward to the showdown between Nathan and Deon in Round 5, which will decide the Alekhine group honours.

The Bronstein Group is wide open at this stage, with only 1 point separating first from last, meaning that no player in the group is guaranteed a place in the top section. It would be foolish to bet against Charles (with 2 out of 3) making it however. After Tinto’s upset win against Warrick, making him the only player in the group not to have lost a game over the board, he perhaps too has the momentum to carry him into the top 3. Will round 4 clarify matters, or will we be kept in suspense to the last ?

Results from Round 3:

Howard Goldberg 0 - 1 Nathan Geffen
Deon Solomons ½ - ½ Nick Barnett
Denise Frick 1 - 0 Stephen Gallied
Laura Irving 1 - 0 Anzel Solomons
Anant Dole 0 - 1 Charles de Villiers
Tinto Seotloadi 1 - 0 Warrick Erlank

Log after Round 3:

Alekhine Group

		(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	Total	Rank
1	Nick Barnett	X	1	½			0	1½	4
2	Howard Goldberg	0	X	d	d	d	0	0	6
3	Deon Solomons	½	1	X	1	1		3½	1
4	Denise Frick		1	0	X	1	0	2	3
5	Stephen Gallied		1	0	0	X		1	5
6	Nathan Geffen	1	1		1		X	3	2

Bronstein Group

		(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	Total	Rank
1	Charles de Villiers	X	1	1			0	2	1
2	Laura Irving	0	X			0	1	1	6
3	Anant Dole	0		X	1	½		1½	2
4	Tinto Seotloadi			d	X	1	½	1½	2
5	Warrick Erlank		1	½	0	X		1½	2
6	Anzel Solomons	1	0		½		X	1½	2

Two of this week’s games have been kindly supplied by the contestants, one a tactical slugfest in what seems to be typical Geffen fashion, the other a demonstration of good positional play by Nick against his much fancied opponent.

Howard Goldberg - Nathan Geffen
Claremont Invitation, 2007
Opening: a45 Trompowski Attack
[Analysis by Nathan Geffen and Fritz 4.01]

I played the opening well, started a correct powerful attack, missed a win by sacrificing a rook, got into a worse 2R v Q+2p ending and then found a saving tactic that actually gave me a won game. The last few moves are Q+2R v. 2Q - very rare. Fascinating game.

1.d4 Nf6 2.e3 d6 3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bd3 0-0 6.c3

The knight is better placed on c6 than d7. White has to waste a tempo if he wants to kick the knight. 6...Nc6

7.e4 e5 8.d5 Nb8! Black preferred this to Ne7 which would block the queen's operation on the d8-h4 diagonal in the case of White taking the e5 pawn with his knight.

9.fxe5 dxe5 10.Bg5 [10.Nxe5 Nxe4 and White is is in trouble.] 10...c6 11.c4





This allows a tactic which gives Black the much better game. 11...Qb6 12.Qd2 cxd5 13.cxd5 White had to play Bxf6. Now he gets into serious trouble.

13...Nxd5 14.exd5 e4




15.Nc3 [All other moves lose immediately.] 15...exd3 16.0-0-0 Na6 17.Bh6 Bf5 18.Bxg7 Kxg7 19.Qf4 Rac8 20.g4 d2+ 21.Nxd2 Nb4 22.Nde4 Nxa2+ 23.Kc2 Nxc3 24.bxc3




24…Rxc3+? Black spoils a choice of pretty wins with this unnecessary sacrifice.

[24...Qb4! 25.gxf5 (25.Qe5+ f6 26.Qd4 Bxe4+) 25...Rxc3+ 26.Nxc3 (26.Kd2 Rf3+) 26...Qxf4-+; 24...Qc7!-+ 25.Qxc7 E.g. 25...Bxe4+ 26.Kb3 Rxc7 27.Rhe1 f5 28.d6 Rd7]

25.Kxc3 Rc8+ 26.Kd3 Qb5+ 27.Ke3 [27.Kd2!] 27...Bxe4 28.Qxe4 [28.Kxe4 Qe2+ 29.Qe3 Re8+ -+]

28...Re8 29.Qxe8 Qxe8+ 30.Kf3 Fritz evaluates this as winning for black, but it is unclear. White's d6 pawn is strong and his rooks will co-ordinate well.

30...a5 [30...Qe5 31.d6 g5 32.d7 Qf4+ 33.Ke2 Qxg4+ 34.Kf2 Qf4+ 35.Ke2 Qg4+ 36.Kf2 Qf5+ 37.Ke2]

31.Rhe1 Qd7 32.d6 a4 33.Re7 Qc6+ 34.Kf2 Qc2+ 35.Ke1 Kf8 36.Re2 Qc3+ 37.Rdd2?





Suddenly Black looks like he might be lost. Does he have a perpetual check to stop the d6 pawn queening?

No need! White's last move is a mistake that allows an extraordinary tactic.

37...a3!-+ 38.d7 a2 Amazing! White will queen first with check and still not be able to stop black queening. Now at worst for Black he will have a queen and two clear pawns for the two rooks. Unlike earlier in the game, White does not have any powerful passed pawns after he queens and therefore Black has a won game.

39.d8Q+ Kg7 40.g5? White is lost no matter what. If he swaps queens with Qd4+, Black gets a queen and two pawns for the rooks. But the move White played hastens the loss.

40...a1Q+ 41.Kf2 Qh3 A highly unusual position with two queens v. queen and two rooks.

42.Rd1 An attempt to complicate in Black's time-trouble. [42.Re1 Qxh2+ 43.Kf3 Qc3+]

42...Qxh2+ Black is in a frantic time scramble now, but the game is easily won even though he makes heavy weather of it.

43.Kf3 Qc3+ 44.Rd3 Qh3+ 45.Ke4 Qf5+ [45...Qg4+! 46.Ke3 Qg3+ 47.Ke4 Qce5# Found by Fritz 4.01]

46.Ke3



Black had a couple of minutes left for the rest of the game and failed to record the game properly. The time-scramble was so frantic that Black cannot reconstruct the remaining moves. But there's a choice of wins. Fritz finds a mate in 4 starting with 46 ... Qc1+. 47. Rdd2 Qe5+ 48. Kf2 Qf4+ 49. Kg2 Qcf1#. Black found something else, less spectacular, but also effective.

0-1


Deon Solomons – Nick Barnett
Claremont Invitation, 2007
Opening: D32 Tarrasch Defence
[Analysis by Nick Barnett, James Gaylard and Fritz 6.0]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.e3 dxc4 5.Bxc4 Nf6 6.a3 Nc6 7.Nf3 a6 8.0–0 cxd4 9.exd4 Be7 10.Re1 0–0 11.Ba2 b5



12.h3? [with loss of time - d5 is required to maintain white’s advantage]

12.. Bb7 13. Be3 [again d5 seems to be the correct move, now White cedes the initiative to Black]

13…b4 14.axb4 Nxb4 15.Bb1 Nbd5 16.Bd2 Nxc3 [16...Qb6 17.Nxd5 Bxd5 18.Bc3]

17.Bxc3 a5 18.Qd3 g6 19.Re5 Bd5 [a well posted bishop] 20.Bd2 [20.Bc2 Qc7=]

20...Qb6 21.Bc3 a4 22.Re2 [22.Bc2 a3 23.bxa3 Rfc8]

22...Qb7 23.Bc2 Rfc8 24.Qe3 [24.Re3!? e.g. 24...Bb3 25.Bxb3 Qxb3 26.Nd2 seems to diminish Black’s advantage somewhat]

24...Bxf3 25.Qxf3 [25.gxf3 Nd5 26.Be4 Bf6 (26...Nxe3? looks tempting, but 27.Bxb7 Nf5 28.Bxc8 Rxc8 29.Rxa4+-) ]

25...Qxf3–+ 26.gxf3 a3 27.Rae1 [27.Rd2 Nd5 28.Be4 f5 29.Bxd5 exd5–+]

27...Nd5 28.Be4 Bf6 [28...Nxc3 29.bxc3 Rab8 30.d5–+] 29.Bxd5 exd5

30.Re3 ½-½.



After 30…a2 31.Ra1 Rc4, Black has a clear advantage, but as Nick says it’s difficult to find the winning plan. Against a player of Deon’s calibre, it would take a brave person not to accept the draw offer.

Claremont Open Round 3

by James Gaylard.

Neil Horne leads the field in this event with 3 out of 3. He has already won against the 2 pre-tournament favourites (Ingo Holland and Otto Marte) and he is a full point clear of the chasing pack of 9 players on 2 out of 3. Someone is going to have to pull out all the stops to prevent Neil from taking this event.

The Claremont Open and the concurrent Claremont Invitational have brought a buzz to the Club reminiscent of years gone by when we could boast a bustling membership. Visitors from other clubs have been complimentary and there is an optimism in the air that 2007 will see Claremont Chess Club restored to its former splendour.

Results from round 3:

Ingo Holland 0 - 1 Neil Horne
James Gaylard 0 - 1 Otto-Carl Marte
John van Ryneveld 1 - 0 Rodney T Daniels
Emmanuel Morutwa 0 - 1 Andrew McInnes
Garry Jolly 0 - 1 Georges Torres
Andrew Fereday 0 - 1 Ian Broughton
Daniel Russouw 1/2 - 1/2 Sam Milner
Keith Breetzke 0 - 1 Errol Bathurst
Oaitse Wally 1 - 0 Ben van Bruggen

Standings after Round 3:

3: Neil Horne

2: Ingo Holland, Otto Marte, John van Ryneveld, James Gaylard, Jean-Paul Du Plessis,
Andrew Mc Innes, George Torres, Ian Broughton, Imran Bandeker

1: Emmanuel Morutwa, Garry Jolly, Errol Bathurst, Andre van Reenen, Jacob Rachoene, Rodney T Daniels

½: Andrew Fereday, Daniel Russouw, Sam Milner, Rowland Adams

0: Keith Breetzke, Ben van Bruggen, Dale Green, Daniel Barrish, Tshepiso Moksophi,
Jean Kimbona

Claremont Open Round 2 Results

Georges Torres 0 - 1 Ingo Holland
Otto-Carl Marte 0 - 1 Neil Horne
Rodney T Daniels 0 - 1 James Gaylard
Imraan Banderker 1 - 0 Jacob Rachoene
Jean-Paul du Plessis 1 - 0 John van Ryneveld
Emmaneul Morutwa 1 - 0 Jean Kimbona
Andrew McInnes 1 - 0 Daniel Barrish
Rowland Adams ½ - ½ Andrew Fereday
Ben van Bruggen 0 - 1 Garry Jolly
Errol Bathurst 0 - 1 Ian Broughton
Andre van Reenen 1 - 0 Daniel Russouw

Standings:

Ingo Holland 2
Neil Horne 2
James Gaylard 2
Imraan Banderker 2
Jean-Paul du Plessis 2

Georges Torres 1
Otto-Carl Marte 1
Rodney T Daniels 1
Jacob Rachoene 1
John van Ryneveld 1
Emmaneul Morutwa 1
Andrew McInnes 1
Garry Jolly 1
Andre van Reenen 1
Ian Broughton 1

Rowland Adams ½
Andrew Fereday ½

Ben van Bruggen 0
Errol Bathurst 0
Daniel Russouw 0
Sam Milner 0
Dale Green 0
Tshepiso Moksophi 0
Jean Kimbona 0
Daniel Barrish 0

Claremont Invitational Round 2

Here are the results of Round 2 of the Clarmeont Invitational, played last Thursday. They are followed by the crosstables for the two groups for Phase 1.

Nathan Geffen 1 – 0 Denise Frick
Anzel Solomons ½ - ½ Tinto Seotloadi
Nick Barnett 1 – 0 Howard Goldberg
Stephen Gallied 0 – 1 Deon Solomons
Warrick Erlank ½ - ½ Anant Dole
Charles de Villiers 1 – 0 Laura Irving

Alekhine Group

		(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	Total	Rank
1	Nick Barnett	X	1				0	1	3
2	Howard Goldberg	0	X					0	4
3	Deon Solomons			X	1	1		2	1
4	Denise Frick			0	X		0	0	4
5	Stephen Gallied			0		X		0	4
6	Nathan Geffen	1			1		X	2	1

Bronstein Group

		(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	Total	Rank
1	Charles de Villiers	X	1				0	1	4
2	Laura Irving	0	X			0		0	6
3	Anant Dole			X	1	½		1½	1
4	Tinto Seotloadi			0	X		½	½	5
5	Warrick Erlank		1	½		X		1½	1
6	Anzel Solomons	1			½		X	1½	1

Claremont Open Round 1 Results

Ingo Holland 1 - 0 Emmanuel Morutwa
Otto-Carl Marte 1 - 0 Andre van Reenen
Imraan Banderker 1 - 0 Ben van Bruggen
Andrew Fereday 0 - 1 Rodney Daniels
John van Ryneveld 1 - 0 Sam Milner
James Gaylard 1 - 0 Errol Bathurst
Neil Horne 1 - 0 Garry Jolly
Georges Torres 1 - 0 Andrew McInnes
Dale Green 0 - 1 Jacob Rachoene
Jean-Paul Du Plessis 1 - 0 Tshepiso Moksophi

Round 2 takes place at the club this Thursday, starting at 7:30pm. Late entries are welcome, so even if you missed round 1, you are welcome to join the tournament. There is no entry fee and club membership is not required.

The time control is 90 minutes each with 15 minutes added after 36 moves. Please bring a chess clock if you can.

Claremont Invitational Underway

by Travers Waker

The first day of February saw the first round of a new annual tournament, the Claremont Invitational, which got underway at the club on Thursday evening.

The players who accepted their invitations were:

Charles de Villiers
Warrick Erlank
Nathan Geffen
Anant Dole
Denise Frick
Tinto Seotloadi
Howard Goldberg
Deon Solomons
Anzel Solomons (formerly Laubscher)
Laura Irving
Stephen Galleid
Nick Barnett

That's quite a diverse field in many ways, but they all have at least one thing in common - they're strong chess players. This 12-player event boasts an average rating of around 2000, and it seems likely that the trophy awarded to the winner will become one of the more sought-after prizes on the local chess calendar in future years.

One of the aims of the tournament was to attract strong past club members back to the club, particularly those who haven't been very active players in recent years. With this in mind, we were delighted that Nathan Geffen and Howard Goldberg accepted their invitations. Nathan's last tournament at classic time controls was in 1998. I haven't asked Howard when last he played serious chess yet, but the CHESSA website seems to indicate that he was registered with them in 2002, so it might be 5 years ago. Among Nathan's chess achievements are multiple victories in the Claremont Club Championships (3 or 4, I seem to remember - I'll have to check on the boards in the club to be sure). Howard has been Western Province Champion at least once (again, I'll have to look at the boards in the club to check how many times he won that title).

Rather than try to explain the tournament format, I've included the description from the invitation below.

Tournament Format

The tournament will be played by 12 players over 8 rounds, incorporating 2 phases:

PHASE 1

Players are divided into two groups of 6 with approximately equal average strength.
Player numbers 1 to 6 are randomly assigned within each group.

A round-robin (5 rounds) is played in each group according to the 6-player Berger Table.

Round1. 1vs6 2vs5 3vs4
Round2. 6vs4 5vs3 1vs2
Round3. 2vs6 3vs1 4vs5
Round4. 6vs5 1vs4 2vs3
Round5. 3vs6 4vs2 5vs1

PHASE 2

The top 3 players on the final log from PHASE1 in each group progress to SECTION A.
The bottom 3 players on the final log from PHASE1 in each group progress to SECTION B.
A round robin is played in each section.

Game scores against players in the same section from PHASE 1 will be carried through to PHASE 2. (Each player will carry 2 results through.) Thus 3 additional rounds will be played in PHASE 2.

The Claremont Invitational Championship will be decided on log points in SECTION A. In the case of a tie, the championship will be shared.

The time control for each game is 90 mins per side, with 15 minutes added to both sides after 36 moves. One round is scheduled to be played each weak, on Thursday evening.

Round 1 Results:

Deon Solomons 1 - 0 Denise Frick
Nick Barnett 0 - 1 Nathan Geffen
Laura Irving 0 - 1 Warrick Erlank
Charles de Villiers 0 - 1 Anzel Solomons
Anant Dole 1 - 0 Tinto Seotloadi (default)

Howard Goldberg vs Stephen Galleid was postponed.

It's hard to consider it an upset when a Solomons beats another player, but Anzel's victory over Charles was a bit of a surprise. I believe that Anzel recently married Deon (congratualtions to both of you!) and married life is clearly not doing her chess any harm. After her victory, there was discussion amongst the committee about exactly how many rating points the surname Solomons is worth. This got me thinking that if they have kids and one of those marries a Gluckman and takes on the double-barrel surname "Solomons-Gluckman", South Africa might have its first Grandmaster. "Solomons-Gluckman-Willenberg" and we have a World Champion!

Tinto forgot that the tournament was starting on Thursday, leaving Anant to wait out the first hour of the game in order to claim the forfeit.

Nathan kindly provided me with the moves of his game against Nick, together with some analysis.

Nick Barnett - Nathan Geffen [C78]
Claremont Invitation, 01.02.2007 Analysis by Nathan Geffen with assistance from Fritz 4.01.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5?! 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.Nxe5 Nxe5 8.d4



8... Bxd4
[8...Bb7 9.dxc5 Qe7 10.Nc3+/-;
8...Bd6? This was the move I had planned to make, but ... 9.dxe5 Bxe5 10.f4 Bd6 11.e5 Bc5+ 12.Kh1 Ne4 13.Qd5+-]

9.Qxd4+/- Nc6? [9...d6]



10.Qc5?!

This move is objectively good and Fritz's first choice. White has a number of good places to move his queen. He has a much better game than black after the text because of his strong centre and two bishops, but the resulting ending requires master technique to convert into a win. Keeping queens on with Qc3 or Qd3 would have given black considerably more practical problems at club level chess.

10...Qe7 11.Qxe7+ Nxe7 12.e5?! Nfd5



13.Nc3 With this move, white begins to lose his positional advantage.
13...Nxc3 14.bxc3 Bb7 15.Ba3?! a5 16.Rfd1 Bc6

[16...Ng6 17.Bxf7+ Kxf7 18.Rxd7+ Ke6 19.Rxc7 Bd5 20.Rxg7 Rag8-/+ Black seems better but the position is unbalanced and therefore unnecessarily complicated;
16...a4 17.Bxf7+ Kxf7 18.Rxd7 Rhe8 19.Rxc7 Be4 20.Rb1 Rad8 21.f3 Bxc2 22.Rxb5 Rc8 23.Rxc8 Rxc8 24.Rb7 Re8∞]

17.Bxe7 Kxe7



18.a4?! Rhb8-/+

[Also possible is 18...bxa4 19.Bxa4 Bxa4 20.Rxa4 Rhb8 21.Rda1 (21.Rad4 a4 22.Rxd7+ Ke8-+) 21...Rb2 22.f4 Rxc2 23.Rxa5 Rxa5 24.Rxa5 Rxc3-/+]

19.axb5 Bxb5 20.f4

[20.Bd5 Bc6 21.Bxc6 dxc6 22.Rd4 a4 23.Rb4 Rxb4 24.cxb4 Ke6-+]

20...a4 21.Bd5 Bc6 22.Bxc6 dxc6 23.Rd4 a3 24.Rb4 Rxb4 25.cxb4 Ke6 26.Kf2 Kd5 27.Ke3 Kc4



28.Ke4?

[Forced is 28.Ra2 Kxb4-/+ Black has much the better of it because of the extra pawn and the poor position of white's rook. E.g. 29.g3 Ra5 30.Ke4 Rd5 31.h4 h5 32.f5 Rd1 33.Ke3 Re1+ 34.Kd4 Rg1 35.e6 Rd1+ 36.Ke5 Re1+ 37.Kf4 fxe6 38.fxe6 Rxe6 39.Kg5 Re3 40.Kf4 Rc3 41.Kg5 Rxg3+ 42.Kxh5 Rg1 43.c4 Kb3-+]

28...a2-+ 29.f5 Kc3 30.e6 fxe6 31.fxe6 Kb2 32.Rxa2+ Kxa2 33.Ke5



The game is easily won now. White resigned on move 46. 0-1


The matches due to be played in Round 2 this Thursday are:

Nathan vs Denise
Stephen vs Deon
Nick vs Howard
Anzel vs Tinto
Warrick vs Anant
Charles vs Laura

Will Round 2 provide the first draw of the tournament?