The Gazette
May 2023
Registered Charity Number 263049
Bringing Chess to Visually Impaired People.
BCA
Website Address: www.braillechess.org.uk
Email: customerservices@braillechess.org.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/braillechess @braillechess
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrailleChess
User Group Email Address: BrailleChess@groups.io (Any
member wishing to join this forum should email the Editor or Website
Coordinator, who will be pleased to send an invitation.)
To contact a member of the
committee, please see the Braille Chess Association’s website where there is a
facility for emailing each officer.
Honorary
Members
Christine and Norman Andrews, Hazel and Steve Burnell, Alec Crombie, Celia and Peter Gibbs, Julie Leonard, Stan Lovell, Mike Murphy, Richard Murphy, Julia Scott, Joan Shorrock, Gill Smith, Gerry Walsh, Roger Waters, Norman Wragg.
Note:
The views expressed in the Gazette do not necessarily reflect the policies or views of the
BCA, nor those of the editor.
CONTENTS
Correspondence
Chess Director’s Report
Millennium
Club, the BCA’s monthly lottery
29th
Chess Theme Break, Lauriston Hotel, Weston-super-Mare
Winner
of the David Hodgkins Memorial Best Game Competition 2022
David
Hodgkins Memorial Annual Best Game Competition 2023
Ukraine
takes on UK in Solidarity Chess Tournament
Street
artist, Banksy, is well known for concealing his identity and shunning personal
fame, preferring to leave the limelight to his artwork. He said, “I don't know why people are so keen
to put the details of their private life in public; they forget that
invisibility is a superpower.”
No
doubt BCA members enjoy and value their privacy just as much as these
celebrities, so you’ll be pleased to know that your committee takes the matter
very seriously, especially when it comes to safeguarding your data. For this reason, our booking conditions have
been revised to reflect that we always need to get explicit permission from you
before sending any information about you to hotels or to the ECF grading
officer. Please read the new conditions
carefully and remember to give the relevant consent every time you book for one
of our events. The rules are there to
protect everybody!
Now,
I hope you’ve all found a moment to yourselves to settle down and look through
this issue of the gazette! You’ll find
all the usual officers’ reports, details of tournaments to enter and how to
take part in an exciting new coaching initiative! We also have a report on the 29th
Chess Theme Break and an update on the 18th BCA Email Tournament. Guy reports on some sad news from the
Netherlands, but by way of contrast, Personalia contains happy announcements
for no fewer than seven members. In case
you’re wondering, they have all given permission for their news to be included!
There’s
no longer any secrecy for the winner of the 2022 David Hodgkins Memorial Best
Game Competition! By the time you read
this, his or her name will have been announced at the AGM. For anyone who missed it, Paul Benson
discloses the winner’s identity in an article which also contains the annotated
game. Similarly, our Treasurer reveals
the winners of the Millennium Club draw in recent months! Alas, Millennium Club numbers have dwindled
lately so if you’re not already taking part, please do consider buying a number
for a year for just Ł12. It’s a really easy and fun way to support the BCA!
Kindly
note that while the committee will continue to defend your “invisibility
superpowers”, as Banksy put it, displays of other superpowers are not
encouraged at BCA events – unless they’re chess related, of course. So you’re respectfully
requested to leave your Superman capes at home and refrain from wearing your
underwear over your trousers at tournaments.
Please let me have articles for the August gazette by the
end of June.
Julie Leonard
Booking
Conditions and Procedures.
When making your booking please let the organiser know that you give consent for your details to be sent to the hotel. The hotel will be sent your name, dates booked, room type and any special requirements.
If taking part in the chess, you also need to confirm that you consent to the ECF being sent your forename, surname, club, results and possibly also your gender.
Also, please specify the following:
Name/names of everyone the booking is for.
Dates of arrival and departure.
Room type (single/double/twin/accessible room).
Any preference for a bath or shower or need for a walk-in shower.
If you will be bringing a guide dog.
If playing chess, which section you would prefer to play in if you are under the rating limit for the challengers.
Any special requirements, for example, a need for support in case of a fire alarm at night or a preference to be near the lift or the stairs.
If you have any queries about the hotel or the tournament please contact the organiser.
Blind and partially sighted UK residents under the age of 25 receive free entry and free accommodation when playing in BCA events. In appropriate circumstances, free accommodation is also available to a parent or guardian accompanying a junior.
Visually impaired UK residents in their first year of membership receive their first BCA weekend event free or Ł100 reduction in the cost of a week-long event. They may also be accompanied by a guide or companion who will receive the same concession. For a first event we ask for payment in advance and we then make a refund at the event.
You may pay in these ways:
Cheques payable to Braille Chess Association should be sent to Gill Smith, see the front of the Gazette for her address.
Online or telephone payments may be made to:
Account name: Braille Chess Association, sort code: 40 52 40, account number: 00082456.
If you pay by direct payment then you should inform Gill when the payment has been made.
Bookings accepted after the closing date are subject to a Ł10 late booking penalty for each person. Late bookings and entries are accepted at the discretion of the organiser.
Bookings are confirmed when full payment has been received. Payments can only be refunded within the time limit set in the terms and conditions set by the hotels. Members are advised to take out holiday insurance to cover themselves.
The BCA reserves the right to refuse or cancel any entry or to exclude any person from any event it runs.
Saturday
15th July to Saturday 22nd July 2023: Chairman’s Cup
This will take place at the Marsham Court Hotel, Bournemouth, which has proved to be a very popular venue for some of our recent events. It is very friendly and comfortable, and we also have use of an outdoor heated pool. The parking and green areas are also very good.
The tournament is open to all blind and partially sighted chess players and to associate members of the BCA. The Chairman’s Cup will be awarded to the highest placed player, whether VI or associate member, whose most recent published grade is 1750 or below (equivalent to about 140 under the old ECF grading system). A player who scores the highest number of points but does not meet the rating criterion will be recognised as the overall winner of the tournament but will not receive the Chairman’s Cup.
If there are sufficient entries we will run two sections, an Open and a Challengers for players whose rating or estimated rating is 1300 or below. Both are open to blind and partially sighted players and to associate members of the BCA. Please state when booking which tournament you would like to enter – subject to eligibility. The entry fee for each section is Ł10.
Rooms are likely to be available on the Saturday afternoon from 15.00 with dinner that evening at 18.00. The event will be played over 7 rounds with one round each day. Likely starting times for the seven rounds are 19.45 on the first Saturday evening and a morning start of 10.30 for the remaining six rounds but these times might have to be changed a little depending on discussions with the hotel. The rate of play will be all moves in two hours for each player. Players may request a half point bye in any one of the first six rounds.
In addition to the chess tournament there will be a varied programme of social activities. Anyone with ideas for social events, or who wants further information about the hotel or tournament should contact the organisers:
John and Pam Jenkins
Please send your entries to John Jenkins, with a copy to our Treasurer, Gill Smith. The closing date for entries is Friday 19th May 2023.
The cost of dinner, bed and breakfast to members and associate members of the BCA is Ł385 for the week irrespective of room type. The cost to those booking for less than the full week will be Ł55 per night for members and associate members. For anyone wishing to stay additional nights at the beginning or end of the tournament, the cost per night will be Ł75 per person regardless of room type. There are also options for guests to pay significant supplements for a sea view room or sea view plus balcony. Please contact John Jenkins if you would like to know more about these options.
Bookings accepted after the closing date of 19th May are at the discretion of the organiser and will be subject to a late booking fee of Ł10 per person. All payments should be sent to Gill Smith (see list of BCA Officers for contact details). Please note that rooms will not be reserved until full payment has been received.
29th
July to 7th October 2023: BCA Summer Cup to be played remotely.
The committee has agreed that we will continue to arrange remote events for as long as there is sufficient interest in them from members. The Summer Cup will be a five round tournament in which games are played by telephone, Skype, Zoom, or other internet based platform. Telephone will be the default method of play.
It will be a five round event, running for 10 weeks with one round every two weeks at a mutually convenient time agreed between both players. One point will be awarded for a win and half a point for a draw. Ideally, there should be a third party timekeeper for each game unless it is played on a dedicated chess server such as Lichess. If they wish, players will be able to take a half point bye in any one of the first four rounds and will be able to arrange this at fairly short notice. The arbiters will be Gerry Walsh and Julie Leonard.
The tournament will be open to all members and associate members of the BCA. Depending on the entries, we may be able to incorporate a Challengers’ section. Whether or not this is possible, the tournament will be a friendly and fairly informal event and we would urge as many members and associate members to “have a go” regardless of their playing strength. Results will be sent for grading in the ECF Online Rating system, which is separate from over the board ratings.
Please let Abi Baker have your entry by Monday 24th July, giving full contact details and which playing platforms you can use. You must also give consent for your contact details to be shared with all 2023 Summer Cup players and arbiters and for rating information to be sent to the ECF. Abi's contact details are at the start of this gazette.
10th
to 12th November 2023: International
Autumn Tournament
This year’s International Autumn Tournament will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Solihull. The hotel is located a short taxi ride from Solihull Railway Station and is also convenient for Birmingham International Airport. It has extensive grounds, a fitness centre, a sauna and a heated indoor pool and is adjacent to Solihull’s indoor shopping centre.
The format will be a five round Swiss tournament. If there are sufficient entries there will be two sections, an Open and a Challengers Tournament. The latter is for those players whose grade or estimated grade is below a specified threshold. The threshold is likely to be set at around 1300. This will be determined once the final number of players is known. When making your booking, please state the section you wish to play in. If you do not state a preference it will be assumed you wish to enter the section according to your grade.
Both tournaments are open to blind and partially sighted players and to associate members of the BCA. The entry fee for both is Ł10.
The rate of play is likely to be 90 minutes for each player for all moves. Any player can request a half point bye in any one of the first four rounds or a delay in the start of their game in round 1 of 30 minutes. Likely start times for the five games are 20.00 on the Friday evening, 09.45 and 14.15 on the Saturday and 09.45 and 14.00 on the Sunday.
Prices at the hotel have increased but we are of course doing our best to minimise the effect of this to members. The cost for dinner, bed and breakfast is Ł65 per person per night for BCA members and associate members irrespective of room type.
Payment for all accommodation (including Sunday if required), together with the Ł10 entry fee should be sent to the Treasurer, Gill Smith. The closing date for entries is 18th September.
Any queries about the tournament should be sent to John Fullwood.
Saturday
27th January to Saturday 3rd February 2024 – The 30th Chess Theme Break
The 30th Chess Theme Break will be held at the Lauriston Hotel, 6-12 Knightstone Road, Weston-super-Mare BS23 2AN. This year’s event was also held there, and it was found to be very convenient, with exceptionally friendly and helpful staff. The hotel is in an excellent location, one mile from Weston-super-Mare railway station, a short walk from the seafront and the town centre shops. Beds and bowls are provided for guide dogs. The hotel also offers a dogfood service by prior arrangement, to save owners having to transport it themselves. During the winter, dogs are allowed to run on the nearby beach.
It is anticipated that the week will closely follow the tried and trusted programme developed by Peter and Celia Gibbs over many years. It will include coaching provided by more experienced BCA members, a tournament and many social events. Please refer to Tony and Irene’s report on the 29th Chess Theme Break in this gazette to get a flavour of what the week entails. Alternatively, get in touch with the organiser, Julie Leonard, to find out more. See officers' contact details.
Any visually impaired person who wishes to learn chess or improve their chess can take part. Any member with a rating of about 1400 or higher who would like to assist with the coaching would also be most welcome, as would anyone seeking a winter break with BCA friends. Let’s try to make the 30th Chess Theme Break extra special!
For members, the cost of dinner, bed and breakfast for the week is Ł420 per person in a single room or sharing a double or twin room, and Ł455 per person for single occupancy of a double or twin room. With these prices, the Ł70 members’ grant has already been taken off and so no reimbursements will be made after the event this time. The cost of individual nights for anyone not staying the whole week is Ł70 per person in a single room or sharing, and Ł75 per person for single occupancy. If there is sufficient interest it may be possible to arrange an excursion for the free day at an additional cost.
The
normal BCA booking procedures apply to this event. When informing Julie of your requirements,
please also state whether you’re attending as a trainee, a coach or a non-chess
person and let her know when you have made your payment. The closing date for entries is 30th November
2023. Early booking is advised,
especially if you require a single room or a room with a bath as there are
limited numbers of these. Rooms will be
allocated on a first come first served basis and will only be reserved when the
BCA has received your payment. Payments
made to the BCA are refundable until such time as the money is forwarded to the
hotel, which will be in the first half of December. No refunds will be possible after that time
and therefore we strongly advise members to take out holiday insurance.
It’s
been a really good quarter for membership!
Three
visually impaired members joined our association. Glenn Crawford from Indianapolis, USA joined
as a life member and is now playing in the current BCA email tournament. Paul Baldwin from Sevenoaks, Kent joined as a
five year member and is looking to play friendly games
by telephone. Richard Allen from
Trowbridge, Wiltshire, has joined for one year.
Six
new associate members also joined. Frank
Kirkham, from Sheffield, father to Mark, has taken out life membership. Gary Hogan's wife, Alena Hogan, from Carterton,
Oxfordshire, joined for five years and is due to attend the chess tournament in
Harrogate. Steve and Hazel Burnell's son
in law, Steven Allen, from Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne, has joined for five
years and will also be at the Harrogate event.
Bill and Pat's daughter, Claire Armstrong from Leek, attended the Chess
Theme Break and has joined as a five year member. Also joining for five years are Mark Cholij from Mitcham, Surrey, and Peter Dickinson from Burnley,
Lancashire.
A
warm welcome to all the newcomers!
Change
of Name
Steve and
Hazel Burnell's daughter, Philippa, has changed her name to Philippa Allen.
Mark
Hague
In the first 3 months of 2023 our
fundraiser, Carl Concannon, helped us to raise Ł9,850, making a total of more
than Ł43,000 in the last 12 months: a remarkably successful outcome. We still receive funds from organisations
where Julia and Linda had forged relationships, in January we received Ł3,500
from one donor. The overall income from
our fundraisers for the last year is Ł57,800.
We were also raising funds through
Amazon Smile but it is no longer active. We joined in 2019 and since then we have
benefitted by Ł132.47 from the scheme.
We are still signed up to Give as You
Live which raises funds when shopping online with many different retailers.
Simply search for “give as you live online”, sign up and choose the BCA as the
charity you are supporting. Since the
last Gazette we have received Ł17.48 from Give as You Live.
Our accountants, Dunkleys,
have completed their annual independent examination of our accounts. By the time you read this I will have updated
the Charity Commission with our annual return.
Our financial position at the end of
March 2023 is:
· Cash in the bank Ł72,802, made up of general funds
Ł65,971 and restricted funds, given for a specific purpose, Ł6,831. Accounts
are held with Lloyds, CAF Bank and Virgin Money.
· Funds in investments Ł43,120, these are held
with CCLA.
· Total funds, all cash and investments,
Ł115,922.
If you would like a copy of the
accounts for the year ending September 2022 please ask and I can send one to
you.
The BCA has 2 talking chess computers,
“Talking Chess Academy endorsed by Kasparov”. If anybody would like to borrow
one, please contact me.
Gill Smith, Treasurer
47th
BCA CORRESPONDENCE Championship 2023-24
Premier - Group Leader Paul Benson
Jones 0 - 1 Phillips, Owen's Defence, 39.
Doyle 1 - 0 Jones, Nimzo-Indian, 53.
Crombie 1 - 0 Jones, Black Lion, 86.
Crombie 0 - 1 Doyle, English Defence, 38.
Phillips 0.5 - 0.5 Doyle, English Opening, 35.
Scores: Philip Doyle 2.5-3, George Phillips 1.5-2, Alec Crombie 1-2, Guy Whitehouse 0-0, Malcolm Jones 0-3.
Challengers - Group Leader Paul Benson
Gailans 1 - 0 Tew, English Opening, 26.
Dod 0 - 1 Gailans, Sicilian, 31.
Tew 0 - 1 Flood, Queen's Pawn, 26.
Tew 0 - 1 Dod, Caro-Kann, 73.
Flood 1 - 0 Gailans, Sicilian, 34.
Gallacher 0.5 - 0.5 Flood, Bishop's, 29.
Gailans 1 - 0 Gallacher, English Opening, 33.
Dod 0 - 1 Gallacher, Sicilian, 32.
Flood 0 - 1 Dod, Benoni, 26.
Scores: Voldi Gailans 3-4, Mike Flood 2.5-4, Maria Dod 2-4, Eric Gallacher 1.5-3, Eleanor Tew 0-3.
Congratulations to Voldi Gailans on winning the Challengers and gaining promotion to the Premier in the next cycle.
BCA
LEAGUE 2022-23
Division 1 - Group Leader Voldi Gailans
Final scores: Alec Crombie 2-2, Voldi Gailans 0.5, George Phillips 0.5.
Division 2 - Group Leader Guy Whitehouse
Final scores: Malcolm Jones 3-3, Mike Flood 1.5, Eric Gallacher 1.5, Eleanor Tew 0.
In closing, to those about to start a game: Break a peg!
Paul Benson
To take part in the monthly draw costs
Ł12 per number per year. You may have as
many numbers as you like at Ł12 each. Every
month a lucky winner receives Ł35. If you
wish to take part, please make a payment to the BCA.
Recent Millennium Club winners:
January: Voldi
Gailans, number 7.
February: Jim Cuthbert, number 18.
March: Norman Wragg, number 64.
Gill Smith, Treasurer
In the recent past, Gerry Walsh has kindly
undertaken some training sessions at our week-long events under the title “How
Good Is Your Chess?” In these sessions a
group of students is taken through the opening moves of a game and participants
are then asked to predict the succeeding moves for one side or the other. These sessions proved to be very popular and
so Gerry put forward the idea of running such sessions over Zoom. He held such a session in March and a
recording is available for those interested in getting an idea of this type of
training.
In view of the success of this session Gerry
has offered to run monthly sessions over Zoom for any members interested in
taking part. Having attended a couple of
these sessions myself, I can highly recommend them to players of all
standards. Each person is asked to
choose a move and points are available for those guessing the correct move and
sometimes fewer points are available for subsidiary moves. The sessions are very informal, the points
awarded are a subsidiary to the main objective, which is to provide
instruction, to give us an opportunity to work together as a group to find
solutions and to enjoy some very exciting chess. For those not used to solving chess problems
it is a wonderful way to begin, and an encouragement to become involved by
making suggestions at each stage of the game. There is no criticism of individuals’ suggestions and anyone is free to suggest any possible move. Solving puzzles is a must for all chess
players and this is a great opportunity to get started.
At the end of each month
I will send a note to the Usergroup, reminding
everyone of the next session and asking for names of those interested in taking
part in the next session. I will then
liaise with the group and Gerry to find a suitable day. For those not familiar with using Zoom, help
is available, either for accessing the sessions on a PC or an iPhone.
Please contact me if you have any questions
regarding the sessions, which I would heartily recommend to all members.
Voldi Gailans
By Irene and Tony Elbourn
Traditionally the Chess Theme Break has been held at Windermere, but last year 2022 it came south and was held at the Marsham Court Hotel in Bournemouth. This year it moved to the Lauriston Hotel, Weston-super-Mare, which is well known to some of us as it was previously run by the RNIB and is now owned by Weston College. They still welcome visually impaired visitors and have facilities for guide dogs. This is the first time that the BCA has used the Lauriston Hotel.
The BCA members all met together on Saturday 28th January. We were soon reminding ourselves of the way round the hotel and getting reacquainted with our friends among the staff and the BCA members.
On Sunday we had two sessions of coaching. Most of the coaching was carried out in the dining room whilst Gerry took a group of trainees in the bar for “How Good is Your Chess?” sessions. In the evening there was Julie’s quiz which was themed around “The West”.
Monday took the same form, but the evening entertainment was provided by Steve Cesari, who played an assortment of music from the 60's and 70's.
Tuesday followed the same format with two hour training sessions. Individual points scored after studying two How Good is Your Chess games were as follows:
Gary Wickett 60, Neda Koohnavard 53, Mark Hague 48, Jim Cuthbert 46, Richard Harrington 40, Tony Lawton 36, Tony Elbourn 35, Irene Elbourn and Gill Smith 32.
The evening entertainment was Freya’s quiz which kept our minds stretched to find the answers.
Wednesday was the day off. A trip out had been arranged to visit the Weston Museum. The staff there gave a talk on its history and described the range of exhibits some of which we were able to touch. Following the talk various items were passed round for us to handle. Included in the exhibits was an estate workers’ cottage which we toured although some of the rooms could only be viewed. There was also a work boat which was used by the people of Weston at the end of the 19th- and the beginning of the 20th-century. The tour ended back where we had started for lunch - which we had chosen and paid for in advance.
After we returned to the hotel the majority of the group gathered in the bar where Gerry read from a book by Harry Golombek on the history of chess. That evening’s entertainment was a game of “Call My Bluff”.
Thursday morning was the first day of the chess tournament played between the trainees. The playing time for each game was one hour with the stronger players being given a time handicap. It was the first time either of us had played a quick play competition. Tony’s first opponent was Lea Ryan and he had to play the game in 20 minutes whilst Lea’s clock was set for 40 minutes. Fortunately, Julie happened to see Tony mating Lea’s King a second or so before Tony’s flag fell which meant that Tony won the first game. Following a break of about fifteen minutes the second round was played.
After lunch three members of the Weston Chess Club came to play the BCA trainees. In all, nine games were played the Weston Chess Club won with a score of 7.5 BCA 1.5. The BCA’s successful players were Tony Lawton, who won a game and Mark Hague, who got a draw. That was a very good afternoon over the chessboard!
The evening entertainment was Dave Curran who sang rock and roll songs and BCA members – some totally blind - got up during the evening and made their way onto the dance floor.
The last full day of the Chess Theme Break was a busy one. In the morning rounds three and four of the tournament were played and after lunch the final fifth round, which was followed by Gerry reading another chapter or two from “The History of Chess”.
The final event of the afternoon was the prize giving, for which Peter and Celia Gibbs – who had run the Chess Theme Breaks very successfully for 27 years - were invited to attend via an internet link. The usual thanks were expressed to all coaches, guides and participants. Members of the hotel staff were in attendance and were thanked for their assistance over the week.
Tournament scores:
Gill Smith 4.5
Neda Koohnavard 4
Tony Elbourn, Mark Hague and Lea Ryan 3
Gary Wickett 2.5
Tony Lawton 2
Jim Cuthbert 1.5
Irene Elbourn and Richard Harrington 1
Gill was presented with the Peter and Celia Gibbs Trophy.
The last event of the week was the Soirée. Unfortunately, the hotel’s bar did not lend itself to such an event and the other customers were so noisy enjoying their beverages that it was difficult to listen to the performances of our members. Therefore, some of our members left the event early.
This was the first of the Chess Theme Breaks we had attended, and we found it very enjoyable, instructive and interesting.
Paul Benson writes:
Question: “What constitutes a Best Game?” A few answers quickly spring to mind.
Perhaps an attentive accumulation of advantages? Interpretation: Encourage the opponent to self-inflict a few small weaknesses. In time their game will simply fall apart.
Or maybe a placid positional pressuring? Interpretation: Keep it all under control and make all your pieces better than the opposing ones. The break-through moment should simply appear as if by magic.
Or even a tantalising tactical torrent? Interpretation: Highly entertaining slugfest with plenty of metaphorical blood on the board. It might be unsound but who cares?
All these game types could easily qualify, it is a matter of personal taste. No advance warning of what to expect here other than occasional clues scattered through the game comments.
S. Burnell (1824) vs E. Casey (1510), BCA Summer Cup Open 2022 Round 5.
Perhaps to begin with examining tournament progress of our “Warring Gladiators” might assist? Steve, top seed, started with a draw, then a loss, a couple of wins. He has 2.5 points from 4 games. Eamonn, 5th seed, excellent start of 3 wins in a row, then a loss. He has 3 points from 4 and the possibility of being joint winner? Aspirations of the players as the game proceeded is obviously not available. Is the 300+ rating points disparity going to be an influential factor on how they approach this battle?
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. e3 d5 4. Bd3 Nbd7 5. c3 Be7 6. Nbd2 O-O 7. O-O c5
At last, some tension appears in the position. Attaining early king safety combined with speedy minor piece development without aggression has been the chosen strategy by both so far. Does 7. ... c5 suggest that Black might be thinking of pushing for the full point?
8. Re1 Re8 9. e4
A thematic central pawn break which will offer the apparently entombed c1 bishop a chance to join the fun.
9. ... dxe4 10. Nxe4 Nxe4 11. Bxe4 Nf6 12. Bc2
Keeping pressure on the black kingside from a safer location. At the moment the h7 square is satisfactorily defended, but defenders can either be pushed around or voluntarily relocate.
12. ... b6
Black is also planning pressure on the light squares. White must be wary of threats along the a8 - h1 diagonal.
13. Bg5 cxd4
Releasing the central tension while giving White a mobile 3 vs 2 queenside pawn majority. Such a pawn formation might prove useful for White in a single minor piece endgame. Fine, but there is a lot of middlegame to go through before then.
14. Nxd4 Bb7 15. Qe2 Qd5
A doubler. Firstly, this black queen and bishop battery threatens Qxg2+ mate. Secondly, an attack is placed on the undefended white g5 bishop. White can nullify both immediate threats but must find a long-term means of neutralising the pressure on the a8-h1 diagonal.
16. Nf3 Rad8 17. Red1
Avoiding complications, centralising the a1 rook requires tactics to be checked, some ideas run:
(A). 17. Rad1 Qxa2 18. Ra1 Qxb2 a blunder as 19. Bxh7+ Nxh7 20. Qxb2 Nxg5 21. Nxg5 Bxg5 22. Rxa7 and Black only has the bishop pair to counter the white queen, bad news.
(B). 17. Rad1 Qxa2 18. Ra1 Qd5 19. Rxa7, is fine for White but Black can mix it up.
(C). 17. Rad1 Qxa2 18. Ra1 Bxf3 19. Rxa2 Bxe2 20. Rxe2 White has gained the bishop pair but lost a pawn in the trading, Black stands better.
(D). 17. Rad1 Qxa2 18. Ra1 Bxf3 19. Qxf3 Qxb2 20. Bxf6 Bxf6 21. Qe4 g6 22. Rxa7 Qxc3 Black has snaffled 2 pawns, the only chance for White is a potential opposite colour bishop ending.
(E). 17. Rad1 Qxa2 18. Ra1 Bxf3 19. gxf3 Qd5 20. Bxf6 Bxf6 21. Rxa7 is material equality but a highly drawish opposite colour bishop endgame seems unavoidable.
17. ... Qc6 18. Qf1
Neutralising the threat of mate on g2 at the cost of deactivating the white queen. Perhaps White is willing to adopt a defensive role until the queenside pawn majority is ready to start rolling?
18. ... Rxd1 19. Rxd1 Qc7
Black voluntarily dismantles the c6 queen plus b7 bishop battery up the a8 - h1 diagonal. With White having negated the mate threat then redeploying the black queen makes sense. However, the other side of this coin is that the white queen can now go active again. She has no sensible options at the moment, but positions can change very quickly.
20. Rd4
Known in the trade as a “Rook Lift”, this advance up the d-file gives White a couple of options. Firstly, the f1 queen might shuffle behind the d4 rook creating a battery up the d-file. Secondly, from d4 the rook can swing over into the kingside to assist with attacking ideas.
20. ... Bxf3
At last, some imbalance has been injected into the position. Now a couple of unasked questions are in the air. Will the shattered white kingside pawn structure prove to be an important weakness in the endgame? Will the lack of a black light square bishop permit White to take control of the light squares for whatever middlegame remains? Perhaps both, perhaps neither.
21. gxf3 h6
A deliberate provocation of the white dark square bishop. Perhaps hoping for white Bxf6, when an opposite colour bishop ending seems inevitable. Important decision for White here. Play safe by trading, heading for that ending or keep the fight for a win still possible by retreating. Instead black 21. ... Nd5 gives White a chance to speculate. The idea is 22. Bxh7+, the white queen can jump in with Qh3 and the d4 rook can swing kingside. Is this attack sound? Fritz and friends, not available here, could pronounce with some certainty. However Black is not silicon-based but bio-organic. Calculations of the sort required here take time, it seems an unnecessary risk has been side-stepped by Black.
22. Bh4
Fight on then, and why not? White has the bishop pair in an open position, something might appear depending on how Black plays.
22. ... Nd5
Offering White another chance to reduce material with 23. Bxe7, though this time there would be no opposite colour bishop ending. We are back into the tricky question of tournament aspirations. Who, if anyone, is still thinking of playing for a win?
23. Bg3
Probably played on the grounds that White risks nothing by continuing? The risk factor for White is indeed low. Black to play must do something about the attack on the c7 queen. Quite a few ideas available, should chew up some time on the clock.
23. ... Bd6
Black continues with the policy of seeking piece trades. Strategically this is fine and hints that Black might be content to drift towards a draw. However sometimes a desirable strategic plan can lead to undesirable tactical events.
24. Bxd6 Qxd6
With the trade of bishops the black queen gains considerable influence on the dark squares. Mind you, could there be similar opportunities for the skulking white f1 queen on the light squares?
25. Qd3
Immediate tactics fail, 25. c4 Qe5 escapes the pin with an attack on the undefended white d4 rook. Now that 3 pairs of minor pieces plus a pair of rooks have been eliminated we must discuss the relative values of the opposing queens. White has a powerful queen plus bishop battery aiming at the h7 square. The black queen plus knight have yet to coordinate in the vicinity of the white king. There is also the tiny matter of a dangerous pin on the black d5 knight to be neutralised. It seems White can throw the first punch, but be warned, Black will also be hunting the opposing king. Welcome to a fascinating “Mutual Test of Tactical Event Horizons”. King safety, or otherwise, is going to be the decisive factor.
25. ... Qe5 26. Qh7+ Kf8 27. Re4 Giving the black queen a tricky choice, attack or defend.
27. ... Qg5+
A critical decision. Black chooses to up the stakes, both kings are about to become targets in a mutual king hunt.
28. Rg4 Qc1+ 29. Kg2 Nf4+ 30. Kg3 Nh5+
Nicely played, this backwardly guards the g7 pawn with a checking gain of tempo. Now it is the white king who must make a critical decision.
31. Kh4
Very committal, a clear pronouncement of intention of playing for a win. Perhaps testing the water with 31. Kg2 wondering if Black will repeat positions with 31. ... Nf4+ was worth a try? Of course, on h4 the white king attacks the undefended black h5 knight, so this charge toward enemy territory makes sense. Black to play might be running short of time, should defensive play be sought or should active play be tried? From your armchair you have as long as you like to consider, Black might have had to make a hasty decision.
31. ... g6
A quadrupler. Firstly, the black g6 pawn protects the h5 knight. Secondly, the c1 queen backwardly protects the h6 pawn. Thirdly, the defence from the white h7 queen to the c2 bishop has been severed. Fourthly, the black h5 knight is free to move as the previously targeted g-pawn is now on the g6 square.
It seems it all hangs together for the defence, right? Fine, but what about the active exchange fork by Black? Some tactics needed crunching out, a few ideas run:
(A). 31. ... Nf6 32. Qxg7+ Ke7 33. Bg6 Nxg4 34. Qxf7+ Kd6 35. Qxe8 Qg5+ 36. Kh3 Nxf2+ mate would be a shock to all.
(B). 31. ... Nf6 32. Qxg7+ Ke7 33. Bg6 Nxg4 34. Qxf7+ Kd6 35. Qxe8 Qg5+ 36. Kg3 Ne3+ 37. Kh3 Qg2+ 38. Kh4 Qxh2+ mate is equally shocking.
(C). 31. ... Nf6 32. Qxg7+ Ke7 33. Rd4 Qxc2 34. Rf4 Qg6 Black emerges a knight up for a pawn, Black wins.
(D). 31. ... Nf6 32. Qxg7+ Ke7 33. Rg6 Qf4+ 34. Kh3 Rg8 and the best White has is 35. Qxf6+ Qxf6 36. Rxf6 Kxf6 when Black has an exchange for a pawn with the white king restricted to the h-file. Reasonable technique by Black should win this final line.
If all of the above analysis is correct then White attempting to avoid 3-fold repetition was an error and in return Black missed an opportunity to simplify into a won ending.
Tactical discussion over, we must now compare and contrast the coordination of the opposing forces. All of the white pieces, including the king, are on the attack while the black pieces are all scattered on the edge of the board. Appropriate Fischerism: “Tactics flow from a positionally superior game.”
32. Bxg6
And now it is the black f8 king which is being hunted. There is also the tiny problem of finding a defence for the black h5 knight while avoiding being mated. Only a single solution for Black, accept the bishop along with whatever follows in the wake.
32. ... fxg6 Non-acceptances fail, some ideas run:
(A). 32. ... Re7 33. Qh8+ mate.
(B). 32. ... Ke7 33. Qxf7+ Kd6 34. Qxe8 white has won a rook plus 2 pawns.
(C). 32. ... Ng7 33. Qh8+ Ke7 34. Qxg7, pinning the black f7 pawn, White has won a knight plus pawn and the attack will continue.
33. Qxg6 Qh1
Black is struggling to defend the f8 king and so opts for queen activity in the vicinity of the white king, you never know what the opponent might do. Meanwhile White has the move and if you haven't guessed yet, it is now a case of which king is going to be hunted to extinction.
34. Qxh6+
As the phrase goes: “A knight on the rim is dim”, so the black h5 knight remains untouched for the moment. With white queen and rook active near an open black king only a single thought should be in mind, hunt it down.
34. ... Ke7
Running for the queenside, staying on the kingside asks for trouble, a couple of ideas run:
(A). 34. ... Kf7 35. Qxh5+ Kf6 36. Qg5+ Kf7 37. Qg7+ mate.
(B). 34. ... Kf7 35. Qxh5+ Kf8 36. Qh8+ Kf7 37. Qg7+ mate.
35. Qh7+ Kd6 Other choices fail miserably, some ideas run:
(A). 35. ... Kf8 36. Rg8+ mate.
(B). 35. ... Kd8 36. Rd4+ Kc8 37. Qd7+ Kb8 38. Qxe8+ Kb7 39. Qxh5 and White has won a rook in the trading, the black queen will not find a perpetual check.
36. Rd4+ Ke5 Heading further into the queenside fails, a couple of ideas run:
(A). 36. ... Kc6 37. Qd7+ Kc5 38. b4+ mate.
(B). 36. ... Kc5 37. Qc7+ Kb5 38. Qc4+ Ka5 39. Qa4+ mate.
37. Qxh5+ 1-0 The end soon follows with 37. ... Kf6 38. Qg5+ Kf7 39. Rf4+ mate.
All that now remains is to pronounce the winner of the competition. Congratulations to Steve Burnell for showing fighting spirit and not fearing an attack on his own monarch while chasing down the enemy king. Well, that is the style of game I enjoy, a mutual fight to the death.
In closing some comments on the judging process might be appropriate. Approaching 60 games were received here, all carefully examined irrespective of ratings of those playing. A few games, all from the 2022 BCA Summer Cup, grabbed my attention in varying ways and should receive credit for attractive play. These are, in order in which they were discovered:
1. Challengers R3, J. Ramm - A. Baker.
Opposite-wing castling, Black grabs the initiative with some kingside activity. But what really impresses is a strong attacking manoeuvre by Black completely missed by the judge. Nice play from Abi.
2. Open R2, S. Burnell - S. Lovell.
Sharp opening skirmishes encourage White to seek early middlegame complications. Forceful play is fine when it works, but sometimes matters begin to spin undesirably out of control. Here Black kept his nerve to exploit an unsafe white king, calmly handled by Stan.
3. Open R4, E. Casey - S. Lovell.
Early middlegame complications fizzle out to permit Black to surround and snatch a pawn, rather neat. However, won positions do not win themselves. Careful technique by Black kept control while preparing to convert using the extra material, patiently done by Stan.
Just
a reminder that Norman Andrews is our judge for 2023! All BCA members, including associates and
overseas members, can enter games, which must have been played in a BCA event
or for a BCA team during 2023. So, if
you’re especially pleased with a game from the 18th BCA Email
Tournament or the AGM Weekend Congress in Harrogate don’t forget to enter
it! Eligible games that are published in
the gazette are automatically entered.
Other games can be sent to Norman either directly or via a committee
member.
Julie
Leonard
Philip Doyle and Eamonn Casey write:
Welcome to our 18th BCA email tournament! There are nineteen participants on this
occasion. We have divided these into
three divisions with five players in each of them, and one division with 4
players in it, based on BCA grades, performance in previous email tournaments
where applicable, and where possible, incorporated promotion and
relegation. In the top three divisions
each player will have two whites and two blacks. Because there are four players in Division 4,
two players will have two whites, and the other two will have two blacks,
dependent on the seeding.
Divisions 1 and 3 are being controlled
by Eamonn, while Philip is controlling Divisions 2 and 4. Play started on the 1st of March and
the event will finish no later than the end of May. However, at the time of going to press most
results are in and some of the division winners are already decided. Congratulations to Eamonn Casey and John Ramm
on topping Divisions 2 and 4 respectively.
In Division 1, the outcome rests on the result of the last game, Prasath
V Burnell. A draw gives a triple tie
while a win puts all five players on different scores. With only three games finished in Division 3,
the outcome is still unclear.
The composition of the divisions and the
results so far are as follows:
Division 1:
Steve Burnell, Bill Armstrong, Philip
Doyle, Colin Chambers, Malola Prasath.
Doyle drew with Chambers
Doyle
lost to Burnell
Chambers
drew with Prasath
Prasath
beat Doyle
Chambers
lost to Armstrong
Burnell
drew with Chambers
Armstrong
drew with Doyle
Burnell
drew with Armstrong
Armstrong
drew with Prasath
Scores so far: Armstrong 2.5/4, Burnell
and Prasath 2/3, Chambers 1.5/4, Doyle 1/4
Division 2:
Malcolm Jones, John Fullwood, Eamonn
Casey, Voldi Gailans, Glenn
Crawford.
Casey beat Jones
Fullwood
drew with Casey
Jones
beat Gailans
Jones
lost to Fullwood
Casey
beat Gailans
Crawford
lost to Casey
Scores so far: Casey 3.5/4, Fullwood,
1.5/2, Jones 1/3, Crawford 0/1, Gailans 0/2
Division 3:
Tony Elbourn,
Anton Emery, Nene Clayton, Tony Lawton, Marilyn Bland.
Clayton beat Lawton
Lawton
beat Bland
Lawton
beat Emery
Scores so far: Lawton 2/3, Clayton 1/1, Bland and Emery 0/1
Division 4:
Gill Smith, John Ramm, Michael Flood,
Richard Harrington.
Smith lost to Ramm
Smith
beat Flood
Ramm
beat Flood
Smith
beat Harrington
Ramm
beat Harrington
Scores so far: Ramm and Smith 2/3, Flood
and Harrington 0/2
I was sad to learn that this year’s Haaksbergen tournament would be the last.
For the benefit of those who have joined
the association relatively recently and who therefore might not really know
what Haaksbergen was, I should explain that Haaksbergen is a small town on the Dutch-German border
which would host a friendly annual chess tournament for the visually impaired,
usually over a weekend in April. Based
on their estimated ability players would be grouped into tables of four and
participate in three rounds of chess with each table winner being awarded a
prize.
Entertainment would be put on in the
chess venue on the Saturday evening, and at the end of the tournament players
would often go out for a meal with host families who had provided
accommodation. The atmosphere was very
friendly and much less intense than the more serious international competitions
such as the Olympiad. Quite a few of our
members played in Haaksbergen, some being very
regular participants.
Sadly, the number of participants and
the number of families volunteering to host players and their guides has been
decreasing for quite some time; covid didn’t help in this regard. The organisers have therefore decided that
this year’s event (the 46th) will be the last. As it says in the title: It’s the end of an
era.
I have written to the organisers
expressing our gratitude for all the work that went into hosting the tournament
over so many years and stressing that everyone from our association who
attended had very positive things to say about the event. I also expressed the hope that organisers and
host families had fond memories of their involvement in making the tournament
happen.
Guy Whitehouse
Editor’s note: So many members have enjoyed travelling to Haaksbergen over the years!
If you’d like to share a memory or two from this unique event, please do
get in touch. Perhaps we’ll have a
tribute to Haaksbergen in the next issue!
Paul Benson
writes:
Definition of the
adjective “Immortal”: Not subject to death.
So, is it wrong to declare a non-living chess game to be “Immortal”? Perhaps if the game never leaves the public arena
the designation is acceptable. Witness
below a game between a couple of the best tacticians on the 1994 Grand Master
circuit and decide if “Immortal” applies.
Some useful
background information on the protagonists might assist? White, about to turn 18 years old, is the
strongest female player ever known. Black,
about to turn 22 years old, sits proudly at number 2 on the FIDE rating list. A mutual test of their “Tactical Event
Horizons” is about to unfold for your entertainment. Do not feel sad if the moves are virtually
impossible to anticipate. Instead, just
sit back and enjoy a dazzling duel of dynamism.
J. Polgar (2630) -
A. Shirov (2705), Las Palmas, 1994.
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4
Welcome to the Chekhover Variation of the Sicilian Defence. Most players choose 4. Nxd4 here, so is this
early white queen sortie a mistake? Not
really. This odd-looking move has much
theory to show it must be both handled correctly by the proponent and shown
respect by the opponent.
4. ... Nc6 5. Bb5
An important move
for White in this system. To put it
bluntly, the black c6 knight must be eliminated.
5. ... Bd7 6. Bxc6 Bxc6
A black bishop now
sits on the c6 square, will it have any impact on the white centre? Early activity now over, both sides develop
before seeking interactions as the middlegame demands.
7. Nc3 Nf6 8. Bg5 e6 9. O-O-O Be7 10. Qd3
Initiating an
important 4-move plan, perhaps 5 moves if Black plays along. Clue: When a unit moves it vacates a square
for someone else.
10. ... O-O 11. Nd4
Occupying d4 with
this knight is not the real point. No,
when this unit was on f3 a dynamic option was denied White, on d4 another unit
itching to join in can now get rolling. And
forget about trading on c6, this will only give Black the joys of a semi-open
b-file.
11. ... Qa5 12. f4 Rfc8 13. f5 b5
Black finally
joins in with the expected pawn advances often observed in opposite wing
attacks. Now it is all about speeds of
the mutual assaults. Black has
deliberately offered White a dainty morsel, an e6 pawn. This is where the serious stuff begins. Should White spend time capturing a pawn while
Black is pushing on the queenside? That
announced mutual test of “Tactical Event Horizons” has begun. Who will envisage the further?
14. fxe6 fxe6 15. Nxe6 b4
White has “Swallowed
the Bait” to land a knight on e6 which seems to have little relevant to attack. Meanwhile Black threatens the white c3 knight. If it runs away Black will snatch the a2 pawn
with the a5 queen. Surely Black is
making the greater progress in this mutual king-chase?
16. Bxf6
Again, White
voluntarily gives up bishop for knight. Surely
the general rule is knights prefer closed positions while bishops enjoy open positions? Yes, that
is generally the case. So what is White, ELO 2630, missing or not understanding? Absolutely nothing, this exchange of minor
pieces fits in very well with plans for the white attack. A very useful black defender is eliminated
while the pressure on the white centre is diminished.
16. ... Bxf6
Correctly
assessing that immediate queenside aggression gets nowhere, a couple of ideas
run:
(A). 16. ... bxc3 17. Bxe7 Qxa2 18. Qxc3 Qxe6 19. Rxd6 Qxe7
20. Rxc6 Black is 2 pawns down in a heavy piece ending without compensation.
(B). 16. ... bxc3 17. Bxe7 Qxa2 18. Qxc3 Qxe6 19. Rxd6 Bd7
20. Rxe6 Rxc3 21. Rd6 Rc7 22. Rd4 and again Black is 2 pawns down without
compensation.
If Black has any ambitions of winning this game then either of the above
lines dare not be played. But this is
not the end of the story. White might
view the tactics differently, some ideas run:
(C). 16. ... bxc3 17. Bxc3 Qxa2 18. Qg3Qxe6 19. Qxg7+ mate.
(D). 16. ... bxc3 17. Bxc3 Qxa2 18. Qg3 Bf8 19. Nxf8 Rxf8
20. Qxg7+ mate.
(E). 16. ... bxc3 17. Bxc3 Qxa2 18. Qg3 Bf8 19. Nxf8 Kxf8
20. Qxg7+ Ke8 21. Rhf1 Kd8 22. Bf6+ Ke8 23. Qe7+ mate.
(F). 16. ... bxc3 17. Bxc3 Qxa2 18. Qg3 g6 19. Nf4 Bxe4 20.
Rhe1 d5 21. Nxd5 Bxd5 22. Rxe7 Black is about to be crushed on the dark
squares.
(G). 16. ... bxc3 17. Bxc3 Qxa2 18. Qg3 g6 19. Nf4 Bxe4 20.
Rhe1 Qa4 21. Rd4 Qa1+ 22. Kd2 Black has no sensible way to save both the a1
queen and the e4 bishop.
That Fischerism seems true: “Tactics flow from a positionally
superior game.”
17. Nd5 Be5
A doubler. Firstly, attacking ambition, Black needs this
bishop to contribute to whatever attack happens around the white king. Secondly, defensive duty, the potential
target g7 pawn is still backwardly defended.
Instead, 17. ... Qxa2 18. Nxf6+ gxf6 each king feels somewhat lonely but
neither attack seems to have sufficient power to succeed. So keeping the black
dark square bishop is deemed more important than snatching a superfluous white
a2 pawn.
18. Kb1
Appropriate Fischerism: “In chess it is important to know when to punch
and when to duck.” White wisely takes a
tempo to prevent an a2 invasion by the black queen.
18. ... Bb5
Intending Bc4
forcing White to respond with a queenside pawn move which will only give Black
a new target to focus on. White to play
must have anticipated this black idea and have a reply ready, but what?
19. Ne7+
A doubler. Firstly, this forks the black g8 king and c8
rook, though the black attack on the white d3 queen means the fork is not going
to win material. Secondly, when a unit
moves it vacates a square for someone else.
Fine, but are not the white knights both wandering deep into the black
position without any protection?
19. ... Kf7
Ouch! White now has the d3 queen and both knights en prise. Looks like
that “Mutual Tactical Event Horizons” test has swung strongly in the favour of Black. Oh well, short and sweet, plenty of time to
prepare for the evening meal, right?
20. Qd5
A doubler. Firstly, a dangerous x-ray attack through the
white e6 knight onto the black f7 king is set in place. Secondly, a pin is created along the 5th rank. If the black b5 bishop moves the undefended
a5 queen falls.
20. ... Kxe7
So White loses a
knight, surely it is time to resign? No
chance! There is too much white firepower
in the vicinity of the black e7 king. Combine
this with him being somewhat short of defensive cover and the “Attacking
Adrenaline” should be pulsing away.
21. Ng5
White is attacking
a queen up, those e6 and f7 squares are tremendously inviting.
21. ... Re8
An attacker turns
defender, a sign that all is not well in the black camp. This strange-looking rook move is offering a
defence to the e5 bishop. Instead, 21.
... Rf8 22. Qe6+ Kd8 23. Qxe5 picks off the e5 bishop since the d6 pawn is
pinned, and the white attack will continue.
With a rook on the e-file the e5 bishop is safe. Fine, but what about the safety of the black
king? White to play and demonstrate her
mastery of tactics.
22. Rhf1
Aha, were you
looking around for a dynamic defensive destruction? This simple developing move still keeps White effectively attacking a queen up. All white pieces apart from the white b1 king
are now actively placed for a breakthrough.
Fine, but surely the f1 rook is en prise to
the black b5 bishop?
22. ... Bxf1
Strange as it
might seem, this might actually be the best try for Black. Instead fighting to prevent a white rook
invasion on f7 is disastrous, a couple of ideas run:
(A). 22. ... Bf6 23. Qxd6+ mate would be unbelievable.
(B). 22. ... Rf8 23. Qe6+ Kd8 24. Rxf8+ Kc7 25. Rxa8 Black
has lost a couple of rooks.
23. Qxa5 Be2
Attempting to get
back to give some light square defensive cover to the black e7 king. Instead 23. ... Bxg2
24. Qd5 sets Black problems on the e6 or f7 light squares.
24. Rd2
Keeping the white
rook active on the d-file, it might appear the tactics have fizzled out, but
appearances can be deceptive.
24. ... Bg4 25. h3 Rf8
Tactics often
flourish in an open position. Black
threatens 26. ... Rf1+ leading to a back rank mate. White must have expected this position to
arise when keeping the rook on the d-file.
So, we must also assume there is a good answer in mind to avoid mate,
but what?
26. a4
When a unit moves
it vacates a square for someone else. The
white b1 king now has a potential flight route to escape the immediate black
Rf1+ mate threat. Note how the black g4
bishop cannot join the attack with Be6 as the white g5 knight will instantly
eliminate it.
26. ... Rf1+
Arguably the best try. Black is seeking
activity in the hope something might turn up.
Instead, opening up the queenside with an en passant capture does not give Black much joy. After 26. ... bxa3 27. Qxa3 Rab8 28. c3 the
white king can use the c2 square for flight.
27. Ka2 Bd7 28. Rd5
With only queen,
rook and knight remaining White is still searching for tactical ideas. Fine, but how to proceed? Firstly, Black must not be allowed time to
coordinate the rooks and bishops. Secondly,
a queen is best in an open position in which she can strike in several
directions at once. These thoughts more or less explain the remainder of the game.
28. ... Kf6
Finding a sensible
plan for Black is hard, bad positions are just waiting to fall apart. It is almost certain Black calculated the
game continuation and maybe thought this was the simplest way to end the agony?
29. Nxh7+
Surely this white
knight has jumped to a square from which there is no escape? If so, then there must be some method in the
madness, but what?
29. ... Kg6 30. Rxe5
Tactics come in a
variety of flavours. Sometimes wholesale
destruction of the defences in front of the enemy king to force mate, great
entertainment. Other times liquidation
of material transforming a middlegame into a simple endgame, calm
professionalism. Here we have the latter
method producing a position where Black has several weak points and virtually
zero coordination.
30. ... dxe5
Declining
capturing the white e5 rook does not help.
Instead 30. ... Kxh7 31. Re7 Bc6 32. Qg5 Rg8
33. Qh5+ mate exposes the lack of coordination in the black position.
31. Qa6+
Loose pieces cost
points. This fork of black g6 king and
f1 rook clinically removes all black resistance.
31. ... Kxh7
Trying to clean up
the kingside pawn structure fails. Instead 31. ... Rf6 32. Nxf6 gxf6 33. Qb7 Rd8 34. Qc7 Black
must lose the d7 bishop, an easy white win.
32. Qxf1 Bxa4
When losing both
on material and position grab whatever is going while hoping the opponent will
mishandle the kill.
33. Qf5+ Kh8 34. Qh5+ Kg8 35. Qxe5 1-0
There is nothing
sensible for Black. Grand Master
technique will easily convert this to a win.
The centralised white e5 queen is just too powerful to contain, some
ideas run:
(A). 35. ... Bxc2 36. Qd5+ Kh7 37. Qxa8 White wins the
unmoved black a8 rook.
(B). 35. ... Bc6 36. Qe6+ Kh7 37. Qxc6 White wins the black
c6 bishop.
(C). 35. ... Rf8 36. b3 Be8 37. Qc5 Black has no means of
defending both the loose a7 and b4 pawns.
Here are the April
2023 ECF Ratings for BCA members. The
ECF publishes Standard (S), Rapidplay (R) and Blitz
(B) ratings for both Over the Board (OTB) and Online (OL) chess, provided a
person has played enough games in each category.
Every effort has
been made to avoid errors or omissions but please do let the editor know if you
spot any! Bear in mind though, that if
you haven’t played a graded game recently you will probably not have a
published rating.
Andrews, Norman OTB S 1604, OL S 1709
Armstrong, Bill OTB S 1668
Bailey, Steve OTB
S 1193, OL S 1939
Baker, Abi OTB
S 1059, OL S 1529
Blencowe, Ian OTB
S 1580, OTB R 1528
Brown, Geoff OTB
S 1836, OTB R 1660, OL S 1750
Burnell, Steve OTB
S 1825, OL S 1995
Carr, Matthew OTB
S 1744, OTB R 1631, OTB B 1899, OL R 1700
Casey, Eamonn OTB S 1505, OL S 1900
Chambers, Colin OTB S 1560
Chambers, Duncan OTB S 1677, OL S 1607
Chapman, Gordon OTB S 1444
Clayton, David OTB S 1452
Clayton, Estelita OL S 1715
Cloudsdale, Peter OTB S 1823
Connors, James OTB S 1716
Cuthbert, Jim OTB
S 1060
Dickinson, Peter OTB S 1544
Elbourn, Anthony OTB S 1286,
OL S 1824
Elbourn, Irene OTB S 680
Engstrom, Olle OTB S 1615
Fisher, Colin OL S 1859
Fullwood, John OTB S 1269, OL S 1698
Gailans, Voldi OTB S 1299, OL S 1292
Galani, Mahendra OTB S 1404, OL S 1817
Gordon, Philip OTB
S 1488
Graff, Ben OTB
S 1764, OTB R 1768, OTB B 1639, OL R 1646, OL B 1687
Hague, Mark OTB
S 1332, OL S 1726
Harrington, Richard OTB S 705, OL S 1386
Highsmith, Simon OTB S 1246, OL S 1698
Hilton, Stephen OL S 1957
Hogan, Gary OTB
S 1775
Ibanez, Bittor OTB
S 1256, OTB R 1069, OL S 1782
Jenkins, John OTB
S 1304
Jones, Malcolm OTB S 1234, OL S 1821
Khare, Shubhransh OTB S 1138,
OTB R 1309
Kirkham, Mark OTB S 1553, OTB R 1498
Koohnavard, Neda OTB S 1182,
OL S 1773
Lawton, Tony OTB
S 1088, OL S 1676
Levens, David OTB
S 1756, OTB R 1694
Lovell, Stan OTB
S 1639, OL S 2028
Murphy, Richard OTB S 1622, OL S 1925
Musson, Tim OL S 1665
Osborne, John OTB
S 1103
Phillips, George OTB S 1451
Phillips, Owen OTB
S 1977, OTB R 1916, OL S 1959, OL R 1840, OL B 1828
Prasath, Malola OTB S
2072, OTB R 2099, OL S 2087
Rafferty, Phil OTB
S 946
Ramm, John OL S 1527
Ross, Chris OTB
S 2235, OL S 2193
Rugman, Dan OTB
S 1399, OL S 1702
Ryan, Lea OTB
S 844, OL S 1556
Shek, Daniel OTB
S 1861, OTB R 1878, OTB B 1628, OL S 1951, OL R 1627
Shimwell, Efe OTB S 1663, OTB R 1577
Smith, Gill OTB
S 1084, OL S 1703
Soszynski, Marek OTB S 1844,
OTB R 1858
Tew, Eleanor OTB
S 693
Tinti, Jacopo OL S 1743
Triay, Jose
Ignacio OL S 1504
Walsh, Gerard OTB
S 1598
Wickett, Gary OTB
S 1344, OL S 1588
Willis, Graham OTB S 1698
Wragg, Norman OTB S 1703, OL S 1746
Many thanks to Hugo Roman for sharing a huge collection of chess related quotes and anecdotes with your Gazette editor! The following quotes about chess and life have been selected for this issue. Perhaps readers will be inspired to send in their own thoughts about why chess is, or is not, like life? I’d love to hear your ideas!
“Life is like a game of chess, changing with each move.” - Chinese proverb
“Chess is not like life ... it has rules!” - Mark Pasternak
“Life, like chess, is about knowing to do the right move at the right time.” - Kaleb Rivera
“For me, chess is life and every game is like a new life. Every chess player gets to live many lives in one lifetime.” - Eduard Gufeld
Our game doesn’t get a great deal of coverage in national news outlets so on the 23rd of March I was pleased to stumble across a chess related article on the BBC news website. The report says that Michael Adams, the UK’s number one chess player, took on reigning Ukrainian champion, Andrei Volokitin, in an eight-minute Blitz game. Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle made the ceremonial opening move - d4. Ukraine's Ambassador to the UK replied with Nf6. The game ended in a diplomatic draw.
Sir Lindsay remarked that chess is “a wonderful game of strategy that crosses boundaries of language, age, sex, culture and disability”.
At the same time, MPs took on peers in a twelve-board match. The House of Commons won by 8.5 to 3.5.
Anyone wishing to read the article in its entirety can find it here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65054779
In the following days, GMs Adams and Volokitin competed in an eight game UK-Ukraine Solidarity Chess Match. On 30th of March, Chess.com reported on outcome of the match. The time control had been 100 minutes for 40 moves followed by 50 minutes for the rest of the game plus a 30 second increment starting on move one. Volokitin won by 4.5 to 3.5.
Julie Leonard
These puzzles are selected by Mark Hague from the website http://www.wtharvey.com, which contains many puzzles that challenge you to find a win from a position in a real game.
February 2023 Puzzle
Kjetil Stokke vs Magnus Carlsen, Oslo, 6/8/2006
1Q6/4ppkp/1p4p1/3q4/1P3n2/P4N1r/5PP1/4RK2
White: King f1, Queen b8, Rook e1, Knight f3, Pawns a3, b4, f2, g2
Black: King g7, Queen d5, Rook h3, Knight f4, Pawns b6, e7, f7, g6, h7
Black mates in two moves.
Solution: .. Rh1+, Ng1 Qxg2 mate
May 2023 Puzzle
Magnus Carlsen vs Teimour Radjabov, Porto Vecchio, 2007
4Q3/6r1/5p1k/5K1p/4p2P/5P2/8/8
White: King f5, Queen e8, pawn f3 and h4
Black: King h6, Rook g7, pawns e4, f6 and h5
White Mates in two moves. The solution will appear in the August Gazette.
Mark Hague
Belated congratulations to our terrific Treasurer, Gill Smith, who celebrated a milestone birthday on the 28th of April! Gill’s bright, cheery manner, together with her energy and enthusiasm, leads one to believe that she is quite a youngster, so readers will no doubt have difficulty believing that she’s 60 this year! (I certainly did.) However, as we know from her meticulous account keeping, she never gets her numbers wrong so it must be true. Hopefully, by the time you read this, Gill will have had a wonderful time celebrating with family and friends!
Congratulations to Norman Andrews for finishing joint second with five others in the U1700 section of the 29th 4NCL Congress, over the weekend 20th to 22nd January 2023! He scored an unbeaten four points from five rounds. As the tournament took place in The Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate, Norman was on familiar territory! And his winning streak persisted when he returned to The Old Swan for our BCA AGM Congress in mid-April. Not only did he scoop a share of a prize in the Open section (more details next time) but he also backed the winner of the Grand National at 10 to 1! Norman – may your good fortune continue!
Diamonds are beautiful and also very resilient. Perhaps that’s why it takes sixty years of marriage, for better for worse, before a couple can celebrate their Diamond anniversary. Barbara and Colin Chambers will be marking theirs on the 8th of June this year so please join me in congratulating them on this very special occasion! They’re having a family weekend away to celebrate. Happy anniversary Mum and Dad!
Meanwhile in Wokingham, wedding plans are underway for Val Warner and Jim Cuthbert who are going to tie the knot on the 30th of September, at Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church. Jim and Val are a very popular couple at BCA events and I’ve no doubt that readers will wish them well as they make the preparations for their big day!
Efe Shimwell also has an exciting year lined up! He will be playing football for England in Birmingham at the IBSA World Cup finals in August. Then, in October, he will be starting a joint degree course in History and Economics at St Peter’s College, Oxford. Please join me in wishing Efe all the best for his football and congratulating him on securing a place at such a prestigious university!
Julie Leonard
Following on from the matrimonial announcements in Personalia, readers could be forgiven for thinking that the title of this article heralds the launch of a BCA matchmaking service of a romantic nature! But no, this is something far more important.
Do you have a sad, lonely chess set hiding at the back of a cupboard because one or more of the pieces are missing? If you do, please get in touch with Julie Leonard, who has a substantial collection of spare pegged pieces, both Staunton and Merrick patterns. She might be able to supply suitable replacements and make that unloved set usable once again!