A game from the past 2

Below is a game played in 1957 between Ipswich and Colchester. It was played in the Essex & Suffolk Border League - a predecessor to the North Essex Chess League. G Sainsbury, with the Black pieces, was a Colchester Chess Club member for a number of years.

[Event "Essex & Suffolk Border League"] [Site "?"] [Date "1957.03.25"] [Round "?"] [White "Smith, M. C."] [Black "Sainsbury, G. H."] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A10"] [PlyCount "63"] [EventDate "1957.03.25"] [SourceDate "2016.08.18"] [WhiteTeam "Ipswich Chess Club"] [BlackTeam "Colchester Chess Club"] 1. Nf3 b6 2. g3 ({The only comments on the original score sheet (made by M. C. Smith): "What about"} 2. e4 Bb7 3. Bc4 Bxe4 $2 4. Ng5 $1 {"winning". The annotation is inaccurate though as after} d5 {Black is fine}) 2... Bb7 3. Bg2 f5 4. c4 Nf6 5. O-O e6 6. Nc3 Be7 7. Re1 O-O 8. d4 d6 9. Qc2 (9. d5 $5 { is a more dynamic choice} exd5 10. Nd4 Qd7 11. cxd5 {White has an isolated queen's pawn but has a decent long-term advantage due to the semi-open c-file.} ) 9... h6 $2 10. Nh4 {Missing a much better move} (10. Ng5 $1 {wins material} Nc6 ({the alternatives are no better - White wins the exchange no matter what Black does} 10... hxg5 11. Bxb7) (10... Bxg2 11. Nxe6 Qc8 12. Nxf8 Be4 13. Nxe4 Nxe4 14. f3 Ng5 15. Ng6) 11. Nxe6 Qd7 12. Nxf8 Rxf8) 10... Bxg2 11. Nxg2 Nc6 12. d5 {best} Nd4 $2 13. Qd3 $16 {OK, but White missed the opportunity to win material.} (13. Qd1 $1 $18 e5 14. e3 {The knight has no where to go. The difference between Qd1 and Qd3 is that on d3 the pawn moving to e3 gives Black the f3 square for the knight.}) 13... e5 14. Nh4 Ne4 15. Ng6 $1 Rf6 16. Nxe7+ Qxe7 17. f3 Ng5 18. f4 exf4 $2 (18... Ne4 $142) 19. Qxd4 {There was no need to take the knight yet} (19. Bxf4 $1 Nh3+ 20. Kg2 Nxf4+ 21. gxf4 c5 22. dxc6 Ne6 23. Nd5 Rg6+ 24. Kh1 Qf7 25. b4 {White is a pawn up and has a protected passd pawn on c6.}) 19... Nf3+ 20. exf3 Qxe1+ 21. Kg2 fxg3 22. hxg3 Rg6 $14 23. Qf2 Re8 24. Rb1 Qxf2+ $2 {With the queens swapped off the advantage of two pieces against a rook is magnified.} 25. Kxf2 a6 26. Bd2 Rf6 27. Re1 Rxe1 28. Kxe1 g5 29. Ne2 Rf7 30. Nd4 Re7+ 31. Kf2 Kf7 $2 32. Nxf5 {Resigns Played at Ipswich Chess Club Ipswich (7) - (1) Colchester (5-1 prior to adjudication) Time Limit: 36 moves in 90 minutes} 1-0

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See also: A game from the past 1

DITO 4

An opening disaster caused by playing a sideline which an opponent was able to prepare for, taken from Barnes, N (ECF:146) 0.5 - 0.5 Kjenner, S (ECF:154) (2016).

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 is the Scotch Opening. 4...Qh4 is a sideline, but not a bad one. This was the move that White had expected Black to play.

5.Nb5 is not the most common reply but does give scope for Black to go wrong. The knight threatens to fork the king and rook by capturing on c7. 5...Bc5 replies with a stronger threat.

6.Qf3 is one way of protecting the f2 pawn and also sets a trap.

6...Ne5 looks strong as it threatens the white queen on f3 and so seems to be bringing another piece into the attack with tempo.

However, Ne5 was a serious error allowing White to win material.

7.Qf4! was the prepared trap. According to the computer the best option for Black is 7...Qxf2+ 8.Qxf2 Bxf2+ 9.Kxf2 and White has won a piece for a pawn. The game continuation was 7...Qxf4. White missed the best move here - 8.Nxc7+ as after 8...Kd8 9.Bxf4 the knight on c7 is safe as 9...Kxc7 10.Bxe5+ Kd8 11.Bxg7 and White has an even greater material advantage than if Black allows the knight to take the a8 rook.

White's preparation ran out on move 7 though and 8.Bxf4 Bd6 9.Nxd6 cxd6 leaves White much better (more than +2 according to the computer) but the advantage is not as clear cut as after 8.Nxc7+.

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Previous opening disasters: DITO 1, DITO 2, DITO 3

Club competitions

The games listed below are the outstanding games from the 2015/16 Club Championship and 2015/16 Tony Locke Rapidplay. Final date for completion of these games is Wednesday 31st August. Incomplete games will be defaulted by one or both players at the discretion of the tournament secretary.

 

Club Championship

WHITE		BLACK
Pete Smith	V	Clive Bellinger
John Duff-Cole	V	Svein Kjenner
Ed Goodman	V	Mark Johnson
Svein Kjenner	V	Mark Johnson
John Duff-Cole	V	Ed Goodman
Clive Bellinger	V	Nathan Barnes
Pete Smith	V	Mark Johnson
Svein Kjenner	V	Ed Goodman
Phil Daley	V	John Duff-Cole

 

Tony Locke Rapidplay

Clive Bellinger	V	Matt Stemp
Phil Daley	V	Svein Kjenner
Nathan Barnes	V	Ed Goodman
Pete Smith	V	Dave Chatfield
John Duff-Cole	V	Pete Smith
Dave Chatfield	V	John Duff-Cole
Ed Goodman	V	Pete Smith

Trophies

Three trophies won by Colchester this year. This brings the total to seven in the last three years, after a barren period going back to 2005.

On the left is the Al Scibor trophy - awarded to the adult player with the best performance in the NECL league. This year it was won by Norbert Voelker with a 92% score from 12 league matches. This is the 3rd year in a row that this trophy has been won by a Colchester player (Alex Orava and Eldar Lachinov in the previous two years). Svein Kjenner was 2nd in the standings (for the 2nd year in a row) with Clive Bellinger, Matt Stemp, Martin Harris, Nathan Barnes and Mike Wagstaff also doing well.

In the middle is the NECL Division 3 trophy, won by the C team, who have now been promoted to Division 2.

On the right is the Roy Heppinstall Memorial Shield awarded to the winners of NECL Division 2. The B team were the winners this year, the A team the year before. So it is the C team's turn next...

The Club Honours page has been updated to show known achievements by teams representing Colchester Chess Club.

July ECF Grades

The July 2016 ECF Grading List has been published. The standard play grades for active Colchester players are:

Ref	Name	Age	Standard	Previous
139627E	Gooding, Ian		191B	189B
302172L	Voelker, Norbert		184D	182E
186371L	Stemp, Matt		176D	172D
297026A	Orava, Aleksandr		162D	163D
301977A	Schnell, Felix		155E	167E
299554C	Kjenner, Svein		152B	154D
140673F	Barnes, Nathan		148A	146A
120924D	Wagstaff, Michael		144C	148C
250046C	Bellinger, Clive		129C	133C
155695C	Daley, Phil		119C	121C
150405J	Harris, Martin		116A	118A
117812L	Remmer, Brian		110C	107C
213710A	Smith, Peter		108C	111C
293018D	Johnson, Mark		105B	104B
283272A	Harris, Peter		105D	95D
298130A	Jaufarally, Mohammud		104A	102A
301854E	Gonzales, Denzel		96F	105F
227455D	Duff-Cole, John		92C	93B
256466L	Goodman, Ed		86D	84C

A few players have increased their grades - with Peter Harris (+10) and Matt Stemp (+4) having the most significant increases.

 

The rapidplay grades for active Colchester players are:

Ref	Name	Age	Rapidplay	Previous
186371L	Stemp, Matt		175F	180F
140673F	Barnes, Nathan		149E	155E
299554C	Kjenner, Svein		149D	148D
250046C	Bellinger, Clive		139F	136F
293018D	Johnson, Mark		108D	109D
150405J	Harris, Martin		102D	101D
298130A	Jaufarally, Mohammud		97A	91B
227455D	Duff-Cole, John		92F	87F
155695C	Daley, Phil		85F	85F
256466L	Goodman, Ed		70E	74F
283272A	Harris, Peter		62E	68E
301407B	Parker, Leon	17	48F	54F

There are other Colchester players who have played some rapidplay graded games in the last half-season (but not enough to have a grade yet).

 

A few players have increased their grades - with Mo Jaufarally (+6) and John Duff-Cole (+5) having the most significant increases.

DITO 3

An opening disaster caused by not paying attention to the line being played and just playing "normal" moves for the opening without checking...

Today's DITO shows an example of a common idea against the Slav, or rather a common idea that is not often seen as Black doesn't normally allow it, taken from Forrester, A (ECF:134) 0 - 1 Barnes, N (ECF:146) (2016).

Nothing wrong with the first few moves 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Bxc4 4. e3

However, 4...Nf6 is dubious as Black is giving the pawn back and allowing White to develop freely at the same time. Nf6 is normally played in the Slav but this is not the right time, 4...b5 is best.

White's reply is obvious, but after 5. Bxc4 Black is just losing after playing another "normal" Slav move (5...Bf5).

White can now win material and get a better position, with a tactic that Black should be well aware of if they are playing this opening...

White is a pawn up, for no compensation, after just six moves and the rest (should be) simple. Black made things worse by playing 6...Qc8 7. Bxf7+ Kd8, which the computer evaluates as being nearly the equivalent of a piece down for Black.

Club Championship - round 5

The draw for the fifth round of the club championship has been made. Currently in the lead (based on completed games) are Nathan Barnes, Clive Bellinger and Norbert Voelker on 3/4, though there are a number of incomplete games so exact positions/scores could change. For the purposes of making the draw, incomplete matches have been counted as being draws - scores will be updated as matches are completed.

 

Round 5

WHITE		BLACK
Nathan Barnes (3)	V	Norbert Voelker (3)
Pete Smith (2.5)	V	Clive Bellinger (3)
Brian Remmer (2)	V	Felix Schnell (2.5)
Phil Daley (1)	V	Martin Harris (2)
John Duff-Cole (1)	V	Svein Kjenner (1.5)
Ed Goodman (1)	V	Mark Johnson (1.5)

 

Incomplete matches from previous rounds

WHITE		BLACK
Svein Kjenner	V	Mark Johnson
Felix Schnell	V	Phil Daley
Clive Bellinger	V	Felix Schnell
John Duff-Cole	V	Ed Goodman
Clive Bellinger (2.5)	V	Nathan Barnes (2.5)
Felix Schnell (2)	V	Norbert Voelker (2.5)
Pete Smith (2)	V	Mark Johnson (1.5)
Svein Kjenner (1)	V	Ed Goodman (0.5)
Phil Daley (0.5)	V	John Duff-Cole (0.5)