The
Gazette
February
2026
Registered
Charity Number 263049
Bringing Chess to Visually Impaired People.
BCA Website Address: www.braillechess.org.uk
Email: info@braillechess.org.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrailleChess
BCA User Group: BrailleChess@groups.io
To contact a member of the
committee, please go to the Contact page on the Braille Chess Association’s
website.
https://braillechess.org.uk/contacts
Honorary Members
Christine and Norman Andrews, Hazel and Steve Burnell, Colin Chambers, Alec Crombie, Celia Gibbs, Julie Leonard, Stan Lovell, Mike Murphy, Richard Murphy, Joan Shorrock, Gill Smith, Gerry Walsh, Roger Waters, Norman Wragg.
Trustees
Voldi Gailans (Chair of Trustees), Bill Armstrong, Abi Baker, Tristram Cole, John Fullwood, Gary Hogan, Mark Kirkham, Julie Leonard, Brandan Read, Gerry Walsh, Guy Whitehouse.
Note: The views expressed in the Gazette do not necessarily reflect the policies or views of the BCA, nor those of the editor.
CONTENTS
Millennium
Club, the BCA’s monthly lottery
Annual
Award in Memory of Graham Lilley
2026
David Hodgkins Memorial Annual Best Game Competition
Games
from the 23rd BCA Email Tournament
The
IQP (Isolated Queen’s Pawn) – A Target or a Terror? Or Both of These?
2025
BCA International Autumn Tournament 31st October to 2nd November
Games
from the International Autumn Tournament
Brandan’s
Success at the Hampshire County Championship
Inaugural
BCA Remote New Year Cup
In this
issue there are games galore, many with cavalry charges or exciting
jousts! In some games, amiable members
turn out to be wolves in sheep’s clothes!
You can read about the inaugural BCA New Year Cup, which has 36 players
jockeying for position. Voldi offers chess tips to spur you on. You’ll have to harness your brain to tackle
the latest puzzle from Mark. The
Millennium Club has been put out to pasture.
Globetrotting Abi reports on her time at an Austrian tourney and aims to
stir up interest in this year’s event. Our
treasurer reports on the stable nature of BCA finances. If you haven’t yet heard who is turning
cartwheels after a victory at a county championship, you can find out more in
these pages. Our chairman, who works
like a Trojan, invites us to buck the trend and think outside the box to devise
a new format for a weekender. To which
of his ideas are you drawn?
This
gazette contains details of upcoming tournaments and online events such as How
Good is Your Chess too. If you’re a
naysayer who’s never yet taken part, do get the bit between your teeth and give
it a try! In the main, people competing
for the first time wish they’d done it years earlier! To enter, hot hoof it along to our website!
We also
learn of nightmare health issues nagging one of our members. Naturally we hope time will fly until he’s back
in the saddle and galloping along to tournaments to indulge in his favourite
hobby again. Finally, we say farewell to
a member who was one of the great workhorses of the English chess world and had
unbridled energy.
To sum
up, this issue is fuller than a packhorse’s pannier! So, to misquote a famous Horse, Clint
Eastwood, I urge you to “Go ahead, make your day” by reading it! Kindly submit articles for the May gazette by
the end of March.
Julie Leonard
Editor’s Challenge: I’ve had fun using wordplay in my editorials. Which words or phrases connected with horses or
the word ‘horse’ can you find this time?
Some are obvious, some are hidden in or as other words, and some are very
tenuous! Members - send me your list by 28th
Feb. The punter who spots the most will
get a small prize!
Booking Conditions and Procedures
All bookings must be made through the named event organiser or via an online form on the BCA website.
See https://braillechess.org.uk/events/event-forms
The organiser will confirm the amount to be paid to the BCA and will notify the Treasurer to expect this payment from the entrant. Only when full payment has been received will the booking be complete.
When booking, please supply the organiser with the following:
1.
Name/names of everyone the booking is
for.
2.
Dates of arrival and departure.
3.
Room type (single/double/twin/accessible
room).
4.
If you will be bringing a guide dog.
5.
Any special dietary requirements.
6.
Any special requests: For example, a
preference for a bath or shower or a need for a walk-in shower; a preference to
be near the lift or stairs; a need for support in case of a fire alarm at
night.
7.
Consent for your name, dates booked, room
type and any special requirements to be sent to the hotel.
8.
Whether you require a Braille, print or
large print event programme. (The programme will
be emailed to all participants for whom an email address is held.)
9.
An emergency contact number. This is important as otherwise it puts a
great responsibility on the organiser if an emergency
arises. The organiser
will keep this information confidential and destroy it after the event.
10.
Details of any
known medical condition that you have, which could require urgent treatment
during the event. For example, if you
carry an auto injector or similar device for a severe allergic reaction or
other life-threatening emergency. With
your agreement, the organiser may share this information with people who will
help to keep you safe.
If you are taking part in the chess, please also give:
11.
Consent for your forename, surname, club,
results and gender to be sent to the ECF for rating purposes.
12.
The section you would prefer to play in
if you are under the rating limit for the Challengers.
If you have any queries about the hotel or the tournament please contact the event organiser, not the Treasurer.
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 resident members receive a refund equivalent to two nights’ accommodation after attending their first BCA 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 or after the event.
The Treasurer will acknowledge receipt of your payment and let the organiser know. You may pay in these ways:
Cheques payable to Braille Chess Association should be sent to the Treasurer.
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, you should inform the Treasurer when the payment has been made.
Bookings accepted after the closing date are at the discretion of the organiser and are subject to a £10 late booking supplement for each person.
Bookings can only be cancelled and payments refunded within the time limit set in the conditions by the hotels. Members may consider it advisable to take out holiday insurance to cover themselves.
The BCA reserves the right to exclude from its events anyone whose behaviour towards participants and tournament organisers was unacceptable or who is currently serving a time ban for cheating.
Friday 20th to Sunday 22nd March
2026 – AGM Weekend Chess Congress
This will be held at The Mercure Parkway Hotel, Sheffield. The AGM will take place at 20.15 on Saturday evening, 21st March. We shall also aim to enable members to join in via an online platform if they prefer.
The hotel is situated within an industrial area. However, Boundary Mills retail outlet is 15 minutes’ walk away along pavements with pedestrian crossings. The Meadowhall shopping centre is 10 minutes’ drive away. Whilst there are occasional buses, these cannot be relied upon. A taxi from Sheffield station to the hotel costs around £15. The old Sheffield Airport is nearby where there is a golf course and Waverley Lake which would provide a good area for dog walking. There is a substantial grass area at the back of the hotel, running the full width of the hotel and car park, for dog spending.
We are hoping there will be enough entries to hold two five round Swiss tournaments – an Open and a Challengers for those whose rating or estimated rating is 1450 or below. Both are open to blind and partially sighted players and to associate members of the BCA. The entry fee for each tournament is £12. Please state when booking which tournament you would like to enter – subject to eligibility.
Rooms will be available on the Friday afternoon from 15.00 with dinner that evening at 18.00. Likely start times for the five games are 20.00 on the Friday evening, 09.45 and 14.00 on the Saturday and 09.45 and 14.00 on the Sunday, but these times might need to be changed depending on discussions with the hotel. 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.
Any enquiries about the Hotel or the tournament should be sent to John Fullwood or Julie Leonard. John is happy to discuss any enquiries over the phone. To enter, please either send your accommodation requirements to John or Julie, with a copy to our Treasurer Tristram Cole, or complete the online form (https://braillechess.org.uk/events/event-forms). The closing date for entries is Friday 6th February 2026.
The cost of dinner, bed and breakfast for members and associate members is £77 per person per night in a single room and £66 per person per night in a double or twin room. This is also the cost for those wishing to stay Sunday night. For example, three nights in a single room is 3 times £77 and if playing chess, add the £12 entry fee, making £243. Please send full payment for your entry fee and accommodation to Tristram by the closing date.
Please send any resolutions or other items for inclusion on the AGM agenda to Guy Whitehouse by the end of December. Also, let Guy know if you are planning to join the AGM online or attend the AGM without staying at the hotel so that we can let you have the AGM papers.
Saturday 4th July to Saturday 11th
July 2026 - BCA British Championship
This will take place at The Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate. The tournament is open to all visually impaired chess players and to associate members of the BCA. The title of BCA British Champion will be awarded to the highest placed visually impaired player who has been resident in the UK for at least the last three years and has not played chess for a country other than the UK.
The event will be played over 7 rounds with one round each day. Round 1 will be played on the Saturday evening (probably commencing about 7.00 PM), with subsequent rounds played Sunday to Friday during the day. The rate of play will be all moves in two and a half hours per person. Players may request a half point bye in any one of the first six rounds. If there are sufficient numbers there will be two sections, with the Challengers’ section being limited to those whose grade or estimated grade is below 1450. If it is only possible to hold one section, there will be separate prizes for those graded below 1450. If a sufficient number of lady players enter and the majority of them are in favour of having a Ladies’ Championship, they will compete for the Julia Scott Trophy.
The cost of dinner, bed and breakfast to members and associate members of the BCA is £70 per night for dinner, bed and breakfast in a single room (£490 for the week), and £60 per person per night in a shared room (£420 for the week). Note that there is a car parking charge of £12 per day payable direct to the Hotel on arrival. The Competition entry fee is £12.
The closing date for bookings and payments is May 3rd, 2026. Bookings accepted after that date, at the discretion of the organiser, will be subject to a late booking fee of £10 per person.
All enquiries and bookings should be sent to the organiser, Bill Armstrong.
Alternatively, please complete the booking form on our website. https://braillechess.org.uk/events/event-forms
The Congress Support Scheme aims to encourage
members to take part in mainstream congresses in the UK or overseas by offering
financial assistance. During the period
of the BCA financial year (1st October to 30th September) an eligible member
can claim up to £300 over a maximum of four mainstream or non-BCA chess
events. To be eligible you must be a
visually impaired UK resident BCA member, you must have played in at least one
BCA over the board or remote tournament in the past year and you must not have received
international funding, for example to take part in an IBCA tournament.
Eligible members attending
their first ever mainstream event or non-BCA overseas event, or their first one
for ten years or more, may also be able to claim up to £150 for a sighted
guide. At the discretion of the committee,
limited funding for a personal assistant may also be granted to a profoundly
disabled member who needs to be accompanied to non-BCA events.
If you are considering
entering a mainstream event you may well find yourself in good company as some
of them are popular with BCA members!
See the All Under One Roof article for details of events that may be
suitable.
HOW TO CLAIM
In order to make a claim there
are three simple steps:
1. Contact the Congress
Support Officer by telephone or email at least one week prior to the event,
giving full details of the tournament in which you wish to compete. Retrospective claims will not normally be
accepted. The Congress Support Officer
must have enough time to check your eligibility and establish whether funding
exists to cover your claim. This scheme
is subject to available funds so if there are a lot of claims in a financial
year the money may run out.
2. Send a receipt or proof of
expenditure to the Treasurer on return from the congress. Claims can include the entry fee and
reasonable expenses for accommodation, travel or other justifiable costs. All claims should be appropriate to
expenditure. The Congress Support Scheme
does not cover claims for insurance.
3. Provide feedback on the
event to the Congress Support Officer. This does not need to be formal and will
be stored as an anonymous record for our database. It may benefit other BCA
members thinking of attending the same event in the future.
Please note that, in the
spirit of the Congress Support Scheme, failure to complete all the above steps
may mean that we cannot guarantee your claim will be processed successfully.
Tony Elbourn, Congress Support
Officer
Many thanks to Guy
Whitehouse for compiling the following list of mainstream tournaments where the
accommodation and chess playing room are in the same hotel.
2nd Cheadle FIDE Open, 3rd
- 5th February 2026, Village Hotel, Cheadle.
A maximum of 60 players can enter. This is a six-round event which is FIDE and
ECF-rated. There are no sections or
grading bands. For more details contact
the organiser Teresa Whalen.
49th Blackpool Chess
Conference, 13th - 15th February 2026, Imperial Hotel, Blackpool.
There is a FIDE-rated Open and then four sections:
a Major U-2050, an Intermediate U-1850, a Minor U-1700 and a Standard
U-1550. For more details contact the organiser Bill O’Rourke.
Jersey International Open
2026, 23rd-28th February 2026, Hotel Ambassadeur,
Jersey.
There is a seven-round Open and a seven-round
holiday for those with an Elo rating of under 1900. For more
details contact the organiser
Paul Wojciechowski.
7th Simon Bartlett
Memorial Congress, 27th February - 1st March 2026, TLH Victoria Hotel, Torquay. This is a five-round Swiss and all sections are
ECF and FIDE-rated. There’s a FIDE Open, a U-1975, a U-1750 and a U-1600. For
more information contact the organiser John Constable.
6th Bournemouth Grand
Chess Congress, 13th -15th March, West Cliff Hotel, Bournemouth.
There is an Open section, a Major U-1950, an
Intermediate U-1750 and a Minor U-1550. For more details
contact the organiser, Martin Simons.
British Rapidplay Championship, 14th-15th March 2026, Holiday Inn,
Peterborough.
There are eleven rounds. Each player has fifteen
minutes plus a ten second increment per move from move 1. For
more details contact the organiser
Mike Truran.
6th 4NCL Easter Congress,
3rd-6th April 2026, Mercure Daventry Court Hotel, Daventry.
There are seven rounds and three sections: an Open,
a U-2000 and a U-1700. For more details contact the organiser
Mike Truran.
Bill Armstrong writes:
First let me say that this proposal is not written by a disillusioned tournament player. I have won enough lately to be very happy about my success rate. Nevertheless, I have come to enjoy weekend events less because there is a whole range of activities which do not feature in our weekend programmes such as the enjoyment of being part of a team, the challenge of “How Good is Your Chess?”, rapid friendly games, the chance to analyse games with your opponent or an objective observer who can add further thoughts, matches with a local sighted team, insights provided by a strong player exploring his/her own games or a recent master game, and a simultaneous display by a top professional. Wouldn't it be lovely just occasionally to have these rather than playing yet again someone whose style and skills are very familiar?
Possible
Weekend Timetable
Friday and Saturday - three sessions.
Allocation of players to one of three carefully balanced teams so everyone is meeting opponents of their skill level in two matches. Perhaps with small prizes for anyone scoring two wins. While two teams played a match, the third group could have a How Good is Your Chess experience. Again, possible prize awards.
Sunday - two sessions.
Any two activities from the list in the first paragraph which we could arrange and preferably two which we had not tried before on an earlier occasion when we gave ourselves a break from the yearly pattern of two weekends with a tournament as the sole activity.
At the next AGM I would welcome a response on the viability of this proposal. For those who don't attend tournaments an indication on our user emails whether this would tempt you to a BCA weekend would be valuable.
After all, for those who like tournaments, each year we will always have at least one weekend tournament, a 7-day tournament and probably two remote tournaments - plus the Chess Theme Break.
The charity's financial situation remains very
positive. Our accounts are currently
being independently examined by our accountants. Since the last gazette, Freya Smith has taken
over the role of fundraiser from Carl Concannon. Between them during this period they have
raised over £21,000 for which we are all extremely grateful.
If you are shopping online, please consider using Give As
You Live which raises funds with many different retailers at no cost to you. Simply search for “give as you live online”,
sign up and choose the BCA as the charity you are supporting.
If anyone has any questions relating to these or other
related matters, please get in touch via the Officers’ Contact Details. I look forward to seeing many of you in
upcoming events.
Tris Cole, Treasurer
The most recent Millennium Club winners and numbers are:
October - Stan Lovell with number 36
November - Val Cuthbert with number 2
December - Celia Gibbs with number 23
These are not only the most recent winners and numbers,
they are also the final three. After
many successful years of fundraising, the Committee have sadly decided that it
is no longer providing value to the BCA and so it has come to an end. The numbers of people involved has been
declining for a while, despite the best efforts of members to support it. For example, this year there were only 15
people with 24 numbers between them. I
have only been involved with it for a short while, but during this period I
have been very grateful for the hard work done behind these scenes by Denise
Ross to keep it going. Procedures have
been put in place to reimburse anyone who has paid for the months past
December.
Tris Cole, Treasurer
This may be my last report as Membership Secretary. This is because Bill is standing down as Chairman at the next AGM and he has asked me to stand for election to the post of Chairman. I have agreed to do so as I feel that Bill is very keen to retire, after having given us three years instead of the one he had envisaged and I feel we must allow him to do so. Having received so much from the BCA over the years, I feel I should be prepared to serve the BCA when asked to do so. If I am not elected then I would, of course, be prepared to stand as membership secretary and would be happy to step down if someone else is prepared to take up the role.
May I warmly welcome the following new members:-
Helen Humle from Coulsdon in Surrey, Martin Sullivan from Bristol, Pamela Jenkins from Christchurch, an Associate Member and Ellie Clark, a Junior Member from Worcester.
Voldi Gailans
Julie Leonard writes:
Jon and Maria Lilley (Graham’s brother and sister-in-law) have very kindly sponsored this award, which will run from 2025 to 2027. For those members who didn’t have the chance to meet Graham, he was a former UK VI champion who represented us countless times in international events spanning more than three decades. He was very well liked and hugely respected as a skilled and tenacious chess player who also showed great determination in life generally. In particular, his loud and infectious laugh won him many friends at home and around the world.
Visually impaired UK members who’ve been with the BCA for at least a whole year, August to August, and who have played in at least one BCA rated OTB tournament during those twelve months are eligible for the award. The winner will be the player whose ECF Standard OTB rating in August has increased the most over the year. He or she will receive an engraved medal and a prize of £50. In the event of a tie, the money will be shared, and each winner will receive a medal.
Ben Fletcher-Harris won the 2025 medal, which will be presented to him during our 2026 AGM weekend in Sheffield. Jon and Maria are planning to be there to make the presentation!
By the time you read this, the August 2026 ratings will be just six months away so I urge everyone to work hard on improving their chess and see how high you can go in the ratings!
Every year BCA members and associate members are invited to submit a game for entry into the David Hodgkins Memorial Best Game Competition. With the first New Year Cup now underway, and the AGM weekend tournament approaching, now is a good time to remind members of this competition.
Any competitive game which is played in a BCA event, or by a BCA member representing the BCA in an overseas event is eligible. All games published in The Gazette will automatically be considered. The competition is open to members (including overseas members) and associate members. Please have a go and submit a game you were proud of regardless of your chess strength – it’s open to all members.
Please send your games to me to forward to Philip Doyle who is the judge for 2026. I am able to take games in braille, by phone or by email.
The result of the 2025 competition will be announced at the AGM in March and published in the May 2026 Gazette.
Steve Burnell – Coordinator
Gerry Walsh’s monthly “How Good
Is Your Chess?” training, held over Zoom, continues to grow in popularity! Students are taken through the opening moves
of a game, then asked to predict the succeeding moves for one side or the
other. Points are given to those who
guess correctly, and sometimes fewer points are given for other moves. Recordings of recent sessions are available
for anyone interested in finding out more.
Newcomers are welcome!
The sessions are very informal,
the points awarded are 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 start, and an encouragement to become involved by
suggesting moves at each stage of the game. There is no criticism of
individuals’ suggestions, and anyone is free to suggest any possible move. I highly recommend these sessions to players
of all standards!
At the end of each month, I send
a note to the email user group, reminding everyone of the next session and
asking for names of those interested in taking part. (Please email the Gazette Editor or Audio
Librarian if you have not yet joined the user group and would like to do
so.) I then liaise with the group, Gerry
and Julie Leonard who keeps score, to find a suitable day. For those not familiar with Zoom, help is
available, either for accessing the sessions online on a PC or an iPhone. It is also possible to dial in to the Zoom
meeting from any phone.
Please contact Gerry Walsh or me
if you have any questions regarding the sessions.
Voldi Gailans
RECENT SESSIONS:
November 2025
The group was delighted to
welcome Marilyn Bland and Gary Wickett to their first online How Good is Your
Chess sessions. Also, Jay Patel joined
us for a while as a spectator. This
option is also open to any member who would just like to get a feel for how the
sessions are run without committing to taking an active part.
The game under the microscope
was played at the Danish Championship in 2001, and the opening was a King's
Indian Defence E63. The opponents were two
Danish players, GM Peter Heine Nielsen, who has coached world champions Viswanathan
Anand and Magnus Carlsen, and IM Steffen Pedersen, who went on to win the
Danish Championship in 2004 and was the author of many chess books.
The final scores were as follows: Steve Bailey 41; Voldi
Gailans 33; Mark Hague 29; Abi Baker 28; Marilyn
Bland 26; Nene Clayton 25; Richard Harrington 23; Mark Noble 21; Irene Hampton and
Janet Lucas 19; Gary Wickett and Gill Smith 17; Bittor Ibanez 15; Lydia Beech 6;
and Tony Elbourn 5. Tony and Lydia had
to leave the session early otherwise their scores would undoubtedly have been much
higher!
January 2026
Twelve members met to examine a
game between Russian GM Peter Svidler and English GM
Michael Adams, played at the European Club Cup in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2000. The opening was a Ruy Lopez C78 and the game
incorporated a queen sacrifice by Svidler.
This time, we trialled giving three
minutes’ thinking time for each move, with an additional minute for an
especially tricky one. The group agreed
that it was helpful in avoiding the session overrunning, so we’ll do that again
next time. There was some fantastic
analysis by the participants, and the leading scores were all very close!
Voldi Gailans 47; Gary Wickett 46; Lydia Beech 45;
Gill Smith and Nene Clayton 44; Richard Harrington 41; Mark Hague and Steve
Bailey 39; Richard Hayward 27; and Irene Hampton 24. Irene was unlucky to receive a hefty 4-point
deduction at one stage!
Bill Armstrong writes:
I have just received the official results of the 23rd Email tournament organised by our two very efficient email controllers, Philip Doyle in Dublin and Eamonn Casey in Mullingar. Thanks are due to both for the usual smooth running of this event and their flexible approach to help our other arrangements for this year's events. Congratulations to Brandan Read on his second email tournament win. The organisers’ summary follows.
Eamonn Casey and Philip Doyle write:
Here is the final wrap up on our 23rd BCA Email Tournament. Brandan Read won his last two games and pipped Philip Doyle to the winning post in Division 1. This was a very closely fought division with no less than six draws out of 10 games. Eamonn Casey won division 2 with a perfect score, as did Tony Lawton in Division 4. Voldi Gailans won Division 3 with 3.5 out of 4.
Once again, we had a very successful and enjoyable tournament, and we would encourage all members to consider taking part in our 24th tournament which will start on April 1st, 2026. We are starting a month later to facilitate the BCA’s newest event, the New Year Cup. The notice for our next tournament will go out on the email user group in early to mid-March so be sure to look out for the announcement. We would like to thank all of those who participated this time and we hope to see you all back in April!
Division 1
Burnell drew with Doyle
Doyle drew with Armstrong
Doyle drew with Read
Burnell drew with Read
Fullwood drew with Burnell
Fullwood lost to Doyle
Armstrong drew with Burnell
Armstrong beat Fullwood
Read beat Fullwood
Read beat Armstrong
Final scores: Read 3 out of 4 points, Doyle 2.5, Armstrong and Burnell both 2, Fullwood 0.5.
Division 2
Casey beat Jones
Elbourn lost to Emery
Elbourn lost to Casey
Emery lost to Casey
Bland beat Elbourn
Casey beat Bland
Jones lost to Elbourn
Bland drew with Jones
Emery lost to Bland
Jones lost to Emery
Final scores: Casey 4 out of 4 points, Bland 2.5, Emery 2, Elbourn 1, Jones 0.5.
Division 3
Flood lost to Gailans
Flood beat Ramm
Gill Smith lost to Flood
Gill Smith beat Ramm
Gailans beat Gill Smith
Noble beat Gill Smith
Ramm lost to Noble
Ramm drew with Gailans
Noble beat Flood
Gailans beat Noble
Final scores: Gailans 3.5 points out of 4, Noble 3, Flood 2, Gill Smith 1, Ramm 0.5.
Division 4
Lawton beat Ashar Smith
Lawton beat Dod
Dod lost to Ashar Smith
Ashar Smith beat Turner
Turner lost to Lawton
Dod lost to Turner
Final scores: Lawton 3 out of 3 points, Ashar Smith 2, Turner 1, Dod 0.
All the division winners were invited to select a game for the gazette. Brandan chose his game against John and Voldi sent in his win against Gill.
Division 1: Brandan Read v John Fullwood:
1. b4 Nf6 2. Bb2 d5 3. e3 c6 4. c4 e6 5. a3 Nbd7 6. Nf3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 Bd6 8. Qc2 Qe7 9. O-O h6 10. d4 e5
11. e4 b5 12. Ba2 Bb7 13. Nbd2 O-O 14. Nb3 exd4 15. Nfxd4 Qxe4 16. Qxe4 Nxe4 17. Na5 Rab8
18. Nxb7 Rxb7 19. Nf5 Be5 20. Bxe5 Nxe5 21. Rfe1 Nxf2 22. Rxe5 Ng4 23. Re7 Rxe7 24. Nxe7+ Kh8
25. Nxc6 a6 26. Rf1 Re8 27. Bxf7 Rf8 28. Bh5 Rxf1+ 29. Kxf1 Ne3+ 30. Kf2 Nc2 31. Nb8 Nxa3
32. Nxa6 Kh7 33. Ke3 g6 34. Be2 Nc2+ 35. Ke4 Na3 36. Kd5 Black resigns
Division 3: Voldi Gailans v Gill Smith:
1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. e3 d6 5. d4 e4 6. Nd2 Bf5 7. Be2 Be7 8. a3 O-O 9. Nf1 d5 10. cxd5 Nxd5
11. Ng3 Qd7 12. O-O a6 13. Nxd5 Qxd5 14. Nxf5 Qxf5 15. f3 Bd6 16. f4 b5 17. Bd2 Ne7 18. g4 Qg6
19. Kh1 Qh6 20. g5 Qh3 21. Bg4 Qxf1+ 22. Qxf1 f5 23. gxf6 ep Rxf6 24. Qg2 Raf8 25. Rg1 Ng6
26. Qxe4 Nh4 27. Be6+ Kh8 28. d5 Rg6 29. Rxg6 Nxg6 30. Qf3 Be7 31. Bc3 Bf6 32. Bxf6 Rxf6 33. Qe4 Ne7
34. b4 h6 35. Qe5 c6 36. Qb8+ Kh7 37. d6 Rxe6 38. d7 Nf5 39. d8=Q Black resigns.
Philip Doyle also sent in his first division game against John Fullwood, which Philip describes as, “A tension filled game with both sides playing their part. John was unlucky to come away from it with nothing.”
Division 1: John Fullwood v Philip Doyle. Notes are by Philip, with help from John.
1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bf4 e6 4. e3 Nbd7 5. c3 c5 6. Nbd2 c4 7. b3 b5 8. a4 b4 9. Qc2 cxb3 10. Qxb3 a5
11. c4 dxc4 12. Bxc4 Nb6 13. Rc1
Black’s Pawn push has been broken up, and he finds himself behind in development. White’s Bishop is exerting strong pressure on the d6-c7 diagonal so that great care is required.
13. … Bd7 14. Bb5 Nbd5 15. Bxd7+ Nxd7 16. Bg3 Be7 17. O-O Nc3 18. Rxc3
Probably unwise but quite understandable. 17. Nb1 would have stopped the nasty Nc3. The game now becomes very complicated especially for Black whose Queen will soon be badly hemmed in. The extra material now counts for little.
18. … bxc3 19. Qxc3 Bb4 20. Qb2 O-O 21. Ne4 Qe7 22. Bh4 f6 23. Ne5 Rac8 24. f4 Qe8 25. Nd3 Qg6
26. Nef2 Rb8 27. Qa2 Rfe8 28. e4 Qf7 29. Nh3 Bc3 30. Bf2 Rec8 31. Be3 Rb7 32. f5
White allowing Black’s Queen to escape is a mistake. Rc1 was probably better keeping up the pressure. But Black’s troubles are not over and a fascinating endgame ensues!
32. … e5 33. Qe6 exd4 White could have kept some of the initiative with 33. d5.
34. Qxf7+ Kxf7 35. Bf4 Nc5 36. Nxc5 Rxc5 37. e5 h6 38. e6+ Ke7 39. Bc1 Rb1 40. Nf4 Bb4 41. Nd3 Rc3
42. Rf3 Rcxc1+ 43. Nxc1 Rxc1+ 44. Kf2 Rc3 45. Ke2 Rxf3 46. gxf3 Kd6 47. Kd3 Kd5 48. White resigns 0-1
Bill Armstrong writes:
A game from the recent 23rd BCA Email Tournament may help explain the title.
Division 1: Bill Armstrong v John Fullwood
Black responded to White's fianchetto by an early exchange of dark squared bishops.
1. b3 Nf6 2. Bb2 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. e3 Bd6 5. d4 c6 6. Nbd2 Ne4 7. Bd3 Qa5 8. O-O Nc3 9. Qe1 Ba3
Here 10. Nc4 dxc4 allows 11. Bxc3 and White wins an advantage but 10. .... Ne2+ 11. Qxe2 dxc4 is an adequate reply to that tactic.
10. Bxa3 Qxa3 11. Nb1 Nxb1 12. Qxb1 brings the white queen to an important diagonal. This will exploit Black's neglecting of the chance to castle.
12. ... Qe7 13. c4
Now if Black castles 14. Bxh7+ wins a pawn and if Black opts for 13. ... dxc4 14. bxc4 gives White a pawn majority in the centre and increases the scope of White’s queen.
13. ... Nd7
White sets out to build a greater positional advantage. 14. g3 e5 15. cxd5 cxd5 16. dxe5
Black is left with the IQP (Isolated Queen pawn). White must prevent its advance to d4 and aim to capture Black's d pawn with his e pawn. Black's IQP is a target for attack. It is difficult to defend.
Ideally, White wants to win this pawn and if he can capture it with his e pawn then he will have an IQP which is a passed pawn and more a threat than a liability. Black’s problem is that the attack directed at h7 makes castling difficult and he needs the h8 Rook to counter White’s active pieces.
16. ... Nxe5 17. Nxe5 Qxe5 18 Re1 Qh5 giving White’s Bishop a free move before it attends to defensive duties.
19 Bb5+ Ending Black's hopes of castling.
19. ... Kf8 20. Be2 Qe5 21. Bf3 Be6 22. Qd3 a6 Preventing Qb5+ but making Black’s a and b pawns more vulnerable in the approaching endgame.
23. Red1 Rd8 24. Rac1 Qf6 25. Bg2 Bg4 26. Rd2 Be6 27. Qd4 Qxd4
28. Rxd4 fixing the d pawn on d5 as a target.
28. ... g6 29. Rcd1 Kg7 30. e4 Rd7 31. Kf1
White expected 31 ... Rhd8 and in that variation, Black cannot leave the Bishop where it is. Consider 32. exd5 and Black playing h5 to prevent White's damaging g4 move then 33. dxe6 Rxd4 34. Rxd4 Rxd4 35. e7 leaves Black unable to prevent the pawn promotion. 31. Kf1 was played with that in mind, but Black did not allow the pretty finish. Now back to what really happened after 31. Kf1.
31. ... Re8 32. exd5 Threatens the black Bishop which has limited options.
32. ... Bf5 33. g4 Bc2 The only safe square.
34. Rc1 Rc7 Setting the trap of Bd3+ and Rxc1.
35. Re1 Rd8 This little manoeuvre has given White a useful tempo. His next pawn move forces the Rook back to d7 and Rc7 is no longer playable when the Bishop is attacked again.
36. d6 Rcd7 37. Rc1 Rxd6 38. Rxd6 Rxd6
If Black had played 37. ... Bxb3, Black gains a pawn but after 38. axb3 White is well ahead on material.
39. Rxc2 Rd7
Being a piece ahead, White is winning but it’s still necessary to be patient and to have a plan. A light squared Bishop and an h pawn do not win if the defending king controls h8. First White wants the freedom of the d file.
40. Ke2 g5 41. Rd2 Rc7 The White king will defend the Kingside pawns and the Bishop can cover the a and b pawns while the Rook wins further material on the Queenside.
42. Be4 Re7 43. Kf3 h6 44. Rd6 Heading for b6. Black resigns. The elimination of Black's queen side is imminent, and the advance of White's pawns would win.
An extra pawn is good but when it’s a passed pawn in a central position, it can be a game-winning advantage. The IQP can be a weakness or a winning warrior!
Abi Baker writes:
I had a lovely flight with Austrian Airlines from Heathrow to Vienna Schwechat airport. Mahendra had arranged for me to meet with players who were flying in from France and Brunei. We then took several trains and a bus. Halfway through the journey an Austrian player joined us, which was reassuring, and sure enough, we eventually arrived in Mönichkirchen, a village in the mountains. So, all in all, my outward travel went very smoothly.
Our accommodation was in Hotel Thier, which is quiet and comfortable. My reservation had been made for me and I paid on arrival. Everyone was very welcoming. The rooms were lovely. Mine even had a balcony and although it was October, the weather was beautiful, so I had plenty of opportunities to use it. The hotel also boasts a swimming pool, with a sauna or steam room. One thing to note is that the Wi-Fi in the hotel kept dropping out. I ended up buying an eSIM card and setting it up out there, with remote help from Thuy Mallalieu in London. With the benefit of hindsight, it would have been more straightforward to have arranged that in the UK.
The food was full board and very plentiful and after a few days I felt like a house on legs! There were plenty of options at the continental style breakfast. I stuck to yoghurt and fruit. The coffee was brilliant! There were no tea and coffee facilities in the rooms, so I took my own travel kettle and supplies. Soft drinks like squash were hard to come by in the hotel, so I would recommend making your own arrangements.
The chess started at 8.30am. There was one round every day except for one double round day. The time control was 40 moves in 2 hours and then 60 minutes for the rest of the game, though this is changing to incorporate increments for the 2026 event. Kaissa clocks were provided and the arbiter started the clocks. Moves could be recorded in Braille or on a voice memo.
Moves did not have to be announced in German. English was fine, as was any other language with which the two opponents were familiar. Hotel staff spoke some English, but I had fun trying out the German I learnt in school. However, I did have to resort to Google translate to converse with the Romanians on my dinner table one evening!
Players from Austria, Belgium, Brunei, France, Germany, Kosovo and Romania were taking part. I was the only female player and the only Brit! In round 1 I got a full point bye and immediately became the tournament leader. This earned me the nickname of “The London Lioness”! In the remaining eight rounds, I faced opponents from Austria, France and Brunei. I achieved two wins and two draws and was very pleased with that performance! It was in part due to the supportive messages I received from Thuy, Simon Highsmith and Dan Rugman back home!
The social side was also very enjoyable. Some of us went for evening walks in the wonderfully fresh air and peaceful surroundings. There was a bar where people could enjoy the local wine, which is made from young grapes and does not have a very high alcohol content. There was also an organised excursion, though I didn’t go.
On the last evening the prize winners were announced quickly, then it was on to the celebrations! There were free drinks and an amazing four course gala dinner, followed by Markus Hintermair playing the accordion.
This was my first trip to the Austrian tournament, but Simon Highsmith has been twice, and we both highly recommend it! If you would like to have your own Austrian adventure in 2026, the tournament dates are Friday 2nd to Sunday 11th October. You don’t have to be a member of the Austrian BCA to take part. The entry fee is €30 and full board accommodation at Hotel Thier costs €60 per day, including tourist tax. BCA member Mahendra Galani says:
“Hi chess lovers! We invite all of you from around the world to our beautiful Austria for our Austrian chess tournament. We will be very glad to have you here!”
Editor’s
note:
Mahendra sent details of
the 2026 Austrian tournament to our user group on the 22nd of December
2025. Also, on the 16th of November, he
forwarded an invitation to the German Championship, which is open to foreigners
and takes place from the 5th to the 13th of September 2026 in Herrenberg-Gültstein in southwest Germany. If you would like to know more about either
of these events and don’t have the user group messages, please contact me.
John Ramm writes:
In writing this article I have just realised that I have attended two BCA “over the board” events in 2025, the Chess Theme Break and the International Tournament. These two events are the first time I have played chess in person competitively in many years and I enjoyed them both even though they are very different.
I’m now 61 years old and I returned to chess after many years during lockdown. I joined the BCA during that strange time, and I also joined the website lichess.org where I have played many games and solved many puzzles due to their excellent work on accessibility. I have also enjoyed various BCA Email tournaments, but I play chess mainly because I enjoy it. After all, if you don’t enjoy playing a game why play it but I’m a hobbyist really as I’m a musician, husband and father, web tester and active church member as well. The only reason I’m writing this is that, although I enjoy the challenge of chess and hope I’m getting better at it, I don’t have specific goals for my chess, and I doubt I’ll ever become a great player.
With all that in mind, as my train drew into Milton Keynes station, I was wondering how well I would cope with a five round tournament where I had chosen to enter the open section along with players all rated higher than myself … but that’s how to learn … right?
Travelling as a totally blind person is a constant adventure, but a taxi soon dropped me at the Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre, the venue for the tournament and our hotel. I was escorted to my room, which was in a separate building from the reception, accessed through a covered corridor, thankfully. I was impressed that the door had a tactile number on it as I’d heard that there were access issues with the venue in the previous year. It seemed that this at least had been improved, although the numbers looked temporary, as though they were attached using Blu Tack or similar. It wasn’t till later that I found out that the numbers had been brought and attached by the organisers … not by the venue! After I’d settled in it was off to the first building for dinner, then off to a third building for some chess.
I had my board of course but was very grateful that people had brought clocks as I don’t possess one myself as I don’t usually play in person and accessible clocks are expensive, like most other accessible things. There were 11 players in the Open section of the tournament, and 10 in the Challengers section where it became clear that I should have been as the weekend progressed.
For the first round I was drawn against Joseph D’Mello, who had travelled with his wife and daughter all the way from India to take part. He was rated 1603 FIDE – I was rated 1300 estimated. Joseph beat me fairly easily and, after a long day, I was happy to get to bed after a quick visit to the bar, which was not especially easy to find on a mezzanine level above the restaurant. There I met an excellent bar tender who was happy to tell me which ales they had, and even to find me a bottle of something lovely that had not been in the fridge – one point to the hotel.
Saturday saw me beaten by Daniel Rugman and Mark Hague respectively, while the leadership of the open section was hotting up between Chris Ross and Gary Hogan. In the Challengers section Rosie Irwin, a newcomer to BCA tournaments was doing well with 2.5 out of a possible 3 points.
On Sunday morning I was comfortably beaten by Richard Murphy so had a total of 0 points for the competition so far. I was very clear by now that I’d been overambitious by placing myself in the Open section and was expecting a final score of 0, but I was thwarted by the draw in the afternoon when I was awarded a point for a bye due to the odd number of players in the group. Meanwhile at the top of my group Chris Ross was playing to his rating and finished the competition with a maximum of 5 points followed by Gary Hogan with 4 points. In joint third place were our Chair Bill Armstrong and Voldi Gailans on 3 points which meant that Voldi won the prize for a U1450 player in this group – excellent work Voldi.
In the Challengers section Stephen Bailey won with 4.5 points, closely followed by Rosie Irwin on 4 points. The third prize was shared by Abi Baker, John Fullwood and Simon Highsmith who all gained 3 points. I didn’t manage to attend the prize giving ceremony directly after round 5 as I’d taken advantage of my fifth round bye and was totally lost in Milton Keynes, but that’s a completely different story.
In both this tournament and the Chess Theme Break the kindness of those who help us along the way has been incredibly helpful and has made both events hugely easier for those of us who cannot see. I’d like to thank all the sighted members who help so selflessly and just remind them that they need to relax and eat too, from time to time! Thanks also to the organiser, John Fullwood, who did an excellent job. Our arbiters were Alan Atkinson, who’d stepped in at the last minute when Gerry Walsh became unavailable due to health issues, and David Clayton. Together with our steward, Tris Cole, they made a great team of tournament officials!
Open
Final Ranking
On 5 points: CM Chris Ross - 1st Prize and Trophy.
On 4 points: Gary Hogan - 2nd Prize.
On 3 points: Voldi Gailans and Bill Armstrong – joint 3rd prize. Voldi also won the U1450 Rating Prize.
On 2.5 points: Joseph D’Mello and Richard Murphy.
On 2 points: Bittor Ibanez and Dan Rugman.
On 1.5 points: Mark Hague and Gary Wickett.
On 1 point: John Ramm
Challengers
Final Ranking
On 4.5 points: Steve Bailey - 1st Prize and Trophy.
On 4 points: Rosie Irwin – 2nd Prize.
On 3 points: John Fullwood, Simon Highsmith and Abi Baker – joint 3rd prize.
On 2.5 points: John Osborne.
On 2 points: Phil Rafferty – U1000 Rating Prize.
On 1.5 points: Richard Harrington
On 1 point: Lea Ryan and
Clare Gailans.
Gary
Hogan v Chris Ross, Open R3, B20: Sicilian: Mengarini
Variation, annotated by Chris Ross
1. e4 c5 2. a3 Possibly fearing Black's extensive knowledge of the Sicilian, White steers into an unusual subline, attempting to switch into a wing-gambit variation. A smart tactical choice, as tricks and traps are abundant.
2. ... g6 A direct challenge to the a1-h8 diagonal. This denies much of the potency of the wing-gambit lines, as Black is the first to fianchetto. If 3. b4 Bg7 White is forced into the undesirable choice of 4. Nc3 or 4. c3. If 2. ... d5 the game transposes into C3-Sicilian lines, where the inclusion of the move a3 would be useful for White.
3. Nf3 Bg7 4. Bc4 Developing the LSB, but this becomes a target on the a2-g8 diagonal. The best choice may be 4. d4, attempting to transpose into some lines of the Sicilian Dragon.
4. ... Nc6 5. c3 White attempts to build the centre. This is relatively slow and only leads to constant targeting of the d4-square. Since Black has fianchettoed the Dragon-Bishop, the d4-square will need constant attention. White should play around that vulnerability and focus on piece development.
5. ... e6 6. O-O White can wait to castle here. If Black castles rapidly, White may consider launching the H-pawn for a pseudo kingside attack.
6. ... Nge7 7. d4 cxd4 8. cxd4 d5 Cementing the white D-pawn on the vulnerable d4-square. From now on, this pawn becomes a tactical liability. The tempo gained on the white LSB ensures that White cannot advance with e4-e5, stubbing the Dragon-Bishop's attack on d4.
9. exd5 White's first critical positional inaccuracy. The black LSB will spring to life and develop easily. If 9. Bd3 dxe4 10. Bxe4 White is lumbered with an isolani, however, Black must be creative to develop his queenside.
9. ... exd5 10. Bb3 Since the a2-square has been created as a flight-square for the LSB, it should be utilised as such. 10. Ba2 ensures that the prelate does not become a tactical liability later.
10. ... O-O 11. Be3 h6 This rules out Ng5 to attack a future LSB on e6 and prevents the exchange of the DSB's. An additional bonus is that the king is removed from the a2-g8 diagonal and potential tactics via the white LSB. Black could exert immediate pressure on the d4-square with 11... Bg4 12. Nc3, but this is not as attractive. Black consolidates his own isolated D-pawn, before piling pressure on its counterpart.
12. Nc3 Kh7 13. h3 To prevent ...Bg4 or ...Ng4, neither of which are in Black's plans. His LSB is needed to defend the d5-pawn and the king’s knight is headed for f5, not g4. This loses a tempo for White. Black can now start claiming the advantage.
13. ... Be6 14. Rc1 Rc8 15. Re1 Following the principals of chess by developing pieces rapidly. Arguably, there will be plenty of action down the C-file, but there is little chance of any activity down the E-file. During this stage of the middlegame, White failed to see that Ne5 would blunt the Dragon-Bishop's attack on d4. Black may win a pawn on e5, so White should put a battery on the c1-h6 diagonal with Qd2 and the h6-pawn would fall in exchange. If Ne5 is accomplished by White, the f2-f4 pawn push should be supported by a rook on f1.
15. ... Nf5 16. Rc2?! A clumsy move and alarm bells should be ringing for White now. The idea is to lift the queen's rook to the E-file. If this was desired, then Qd2, Rfe1, Re2 and Rae1 should have been preferred. The LSB on b3 becomes a significant tactical liability now and Black's advantage is incrementally growing.
16. ... Qd6 Not the most attractive of squares for the lady, but the more natural d7-square runs into the Ne5 idea as already mentioned. Black wishes to bolster his D-pawn with Rfd8 before attempting any breaks on the queenside.
17. Qd2 Nxe3 18. fxe3 Black snaffled the bishop pair as he could not allow Bf4 by White. By snatching the DSB, Black further weakens the d4-square. White reinforces the d4-pawn, but at a serious cost. The e3-pawn is backward, vulnerable on a dark-square and the white pieces on the first three ranks become hopelessly entangled.
18. ... Na5 19. Ba2 Nc4 20. Qe2 Nb6 A temporary retreat, as White was threatening to undermine the c4-knight. Black just needs to develop his king’s rook to return to exerting pressure on the light-squares on the queenside.
21. Rec1 a6 22. Ne1? If White had enough time, this manoeuvre, Ne1/Nd3/Nf4 would be commendable. It would exert further pressure on d5 and the white queen has the f3-square to support in that endeavour. Again, if White could pick up his c2-rook and place it on d1, this plan would hold some water. As it is, the white rooks simply get in each other’s way. For better or worse, White needed to break out and hope that the tactics and the open position would enable him to find something. 22. e4 had to be tried at all costs. The bishop pair should ensure Black a comfortable advantage, but there is still plenty of work for him to do.
22. ... Bf5 Gaining a valuable tempo on the c2-rook and opening the E-file for devastating tactics. Since White declined to play e3-e4, Black rules this out forever. The white pieces flounder around, but they are all overloaded.
23. Nd3 Rfe8 24. Qd2 Stepping into further tactics. White wanted to avoid the natural Bxd4 tactic, as the e3-pawn is pinned down the E-file. The queen needed to defend the pinned d3-knight and hence, the overloaded nature of the white pieces. Material gain is guaranteed for Black now.
24. ... Nc4 25. Bxc4 dxc4 26. Nf4 {Giving up the exchange but more tactics await White. There's no salvation.}
26. ... Bxc2 27. Rxc2 Rxe3 The e3-pawn falls. Once this collapses, the d4-pawn will soon follow. The rook cannot be taken as 28. Qxe3 Bxd4 wins the queen.
28. Ncd5 Re4 29. Kh1 Taking the king off the g1-a7 diagonal, but it is far too late. The end comes swiftly.
29. ... Rxd4 30. Qf2 Rd1+ 31. Kh2 Rxd5 0-1
Richard Murphy v Chris Ross, Open R5, B48: Sicilian: Taimanov, annotated by Chris Ross
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Be3 A slightly unusual move order adopted by White. An immediate 5. Nc3 is best, although 5. c4 initiating the Maróczy Bind is perfectly acceptable.
5. ... Nf6 6. Nc3 Qc7 7. Nxc6 This is not an advisable exchange in most Sicilian Defence systems, especially the Taimanov, Kan or Pausen variations. In these systems though, a7-a6 has been quickly played by Black. In the post-match analysis, we examined whether 7. Ndb5 could be played. The natural response is 7. ... Qb8, and the question arose to whether White could exploit the errant a7-a6. 8. Nd5 was speculated, but Black can simply snatch material with 8... exd5 9. exd5 a6! Driving away the knight immediately avoids tricks. However, 7. Ndb5 Qb8 8. f4 a6 9. e5! gives Black considerable problems.
7. ... bxc6 8. Bd3 Logical enough. White intends to focus his LSB on a potential kingside attack. Black has no intention of allowing this prelate to become active. Since Black is slightly behind in development, White can consider rapid piece placement and queenside castling.
8. ... e5 The white LSB is entombed behind his e4-pawn. Black takes control of the major central dark-squares and creates a strong future outpost. If White is to get any activity, a significant pawn-break must be attempted. The text-move gains space in the centre. The other way to achieve this is via 8. ... d5.
9. O-O d6 Black's development is slow, but there is no obvious way to launch a rapid-fire attack against the central monarch. The black central pawns squash the white pieces and finding open lines will cause positional concessions. Black now has the option of ... Ng4, which may snaffle the bishop pair. White is concerned about this, so prevents it.
10. Be2 The preferred prophylactic move would be 10. Kh1, which is a move White wants to play in any case, moving the white king off the g1-a7 diagonal. Later, the g1-square becomes a flight square for the DSB.
10. ... Be7 11. f4
White seeks activity. Opening lines is his attempt to exploit the undeveloped nature of the black setup. However, there is no inherent danger to the black king and the positional aspects to the whole structure are of more importance. With this pawn-break, White concedes the e5-outpost.
11. ... exf4 12. Bxf4 O-O Securing the black king. It is very risky to steal a pawn with 12. ... Qb6+ 13. Kh1 Qxb2 as the black king has not yet castled. Tactical assurance has to be concrete to play such pawn-grabs.
13. Qd3 An interesting concept by White. The queen is lifted via the third rank to the kingside. In similar structures, the queen enters the kingside via e1/g3. This alternative route encourages Black to take the e5-outpost.
13. ... Nd7 14. Kh1 Ne5 15. Qg3 Be6 Black has completed development. The LSB is placed to control the c4-square. If allowed, Black will begin operations on the queenside. A simple comparison of minor pieces will demonstrate that Black is covering most of the vital squares, especially through the centre. The dominant knight on e5 straddles the position. Generating a kingside attack for White is impossible, as the bishop pair cuts through the kingside files. If White tries Bh6 it can be met with ... Ng6, and the white DSB must retreat again. It is difficult to suggest a constructive plan for White. Nd1/Ne3/Nf5 is probably his best attempt to generate activity.}
16. Bg5 Hoping that by exchanging DSB's, the d6-pawn will become vulnerable. This is true, but Black has more than enough compensation to ensure the weakness is not significant. With this exchange, the e5-knight is impervious. Although Bxe5 undesirable for White, leaving Black with the bishop pair, it is a tough to decide whether the outposted knight should remain. Preferable is 16. Rad1 awaiting a decision.
16. ... Bxg5 17. Qxg5 Rab8 Activating the queen's rook and beginning the process of tickling the white queenside pawns. Any advance of the white pawn formation will result in some kind of weakness.
18. Rab1 Qa5 19. a3 Fearing snatches on a2, though it would be a dangerous pawn to steal. Any ... Bxa2 is met with Ra1, but if Black has Rxb2 at his disposal, it may be possible. The first chink in the white queenside pawns has been achieved. Black now secures his queen and pressurises the C-file, ensuring that the c3-knight cannot wander away without dropping the c2-pawn.
19. ... Qc5 20. Rfd1 Rfd8 21. Rd2 With the future prospect of doubling on the D-file and guarding the c2-pawn in the process. This disconnects the rooks temporarily and White must be wary of Rxb2 tactics by Black, hence the white queen must remain on the defence of the d2-rook or c3-knight.
21. ... f6 22. Qg3 a5 Played to prevent the advance b2-b4 by White. Clamping down on the queenside gives Black more options. The advance also facilitates a flight square for the black queen.
23. Na4 Qa7 24. Nc3 Ignominiously retreating. However, the a4-knight was in no immediate danger and was doing the useful job of protecting the b2-pawn. 24. Rbd1 would probably force the undesirable retreat 24... Nf7 when Black would have to regroup his pieces to exert further pressure on the white queenside.
24. ... Bc4 Further probing by Black. The exchange of LSB's would allow the black knight to win the b2-pawn, while gaining a useful tempo on the d2-rook. The rear defence of the d6-pawn is a handy byproduct.
25. b3 Be6 Having provoked another weakness in the white queenside pawn structure, Black retreats meekly. Exchanges on e2 would allow the white knight to wheel around to the king-side via d4/f5.
26. Rbd1 Qc5 27. a4 The final alteration in the white queenside pawn formation. The dark-squares around the queenside are permanently weakened. The black queen can sit unhindered on c5 and the next process of creating weaknesses can commence. Small advantages by Black are slowly, but inevitably, accumulating.
27. ... Rd7 28. Rd4 Played with the intention of switching the white queen to the D-file to further pressurise the d6-pawn. At any stage, Black can defend this weakness with ... Nf7, but an active plan is difficult to see for White. His best attempt is probably 28. Bh5 with the idea of wheeling the knight around via e2.
28. ... Rb4 Seeking an exchange of a pair of rooks. The endgame is better for Black, since the white pawns are on the same colour as his bishop. Although each side has three pawn islands, the isolated pawns (e4 & a5) are not equal, as the white isolani is easier to attack. Moreover, there is more flexibility in the black pawn formation, with d6-d5 or f6-f5 as possible levers. The white queenside pawn formation has no such luxury. If the queens are exchanged, the black king will have rapid access to the centre and queenside via the dark-squares. Positionally, this is a very tricky position for White to hold. However, there were tactical resources in Black's arsenal. For example, 28. ... Bxb3! is a surprising blow. The pinned c3-knight cannot be defended after 29. cxb3 Rxb3. Then 30. Qh3 Rxc3 31. Qe6+ Kf8 32. Bh5 g6 and White's mini attack has been thwarted. After 28. … Bxb3! White can try 29. Bg4 Nxg4 (Not 29. ... Bxc2 30. Bxd7 Bxd1 31. Be6+ Kf8 32. Rxd1, which loses Black a piece for two pawns) 30. Qxg4 Bxc2 (not 30. ... Qxc3 31. Qxd7 Bxc2 32. Qe6+ Kh8 33. Qxd6 and White is fine since the b8-rook is attacked), 31. Qxd7 Bxd1 32. Rxd1 Qxc3 33. Qe6+ Kh8 34. Qxd6 Re8 and Black is easily converting this endgame. The e4-pawn will come under tremendous pressure and the weak pawn on c6 cannot be easily attacked. Technique alone would convert the victory.
Now back to the game where Black has just played 28. … Rb4.
29. Rxb4? Blundering in a very challenging position. White has been under the cosh for much of the game and now crumbles under the weight. 29. R4d2 retreats and asks Black how he will proceed. Black will eventually force through either f6-f5 or d6-d5 and the position will open up favourably with his better situated pieces. However, that will take preparation, and meanwhile White can consolidate his position. There is still a long way to go in the position. Unfortunately, White misses the obvious recapture, and his queenside pawns collapse. Much credit must be granted here, as White had given a surprising amount of resistance up to this point.
29. ... axb4 30. Nb1 Qxc2 31. Qe3 Qxb3 0-1
Voldi Gailans v Bittor
Ibanez, Open R5, with comments by Voldi
1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 c6 3. d4 d6 4. e4 e6 5. Nf3 Be7 6. Be2 c5
I was surprised at this as moving the pawn twice didn’t seem logical. A developing move might have been better.
7. dxc5 Nc6 8. cxd6 Rather hasty I think, in view of what happened. Perhaps 8. O-O would have been better.
8. ... Qxd6 Playing automatically and without thought. Perhaps e5 would have been good here.
9. Qxd6 Bxd6 10. Nb5 Again, extremely careless. Losing the e-pawn.
10. ... Nxe4 11. Nxd6+ Nxd6 12. c5 No need for this. 12. a3 would have stopped the knight coming to b4.
12. ... Nb4 13. Rb1 Ne4 14. Bb5+ Nc6 We both thought afterwards that Bd7 would have been better.
15. Nd4 Bd7 16. Nxc6 Bxc6 17. Bxc6+ bxc6 18. Be3 O-O 19. O-O Rab8 20. f3
I wondered at the time whether Rfd1 was the move here, with Rd6 to follow, after driving the knight from e4, but I think Rfd8 in reply would have left us even. My f3 enabled Bittor to obtain a very powerful knight in the centre.
20. ... Nf6 21. Rfd1 Nd5 22. Kf2 a5 23. Bd2 Nb4
I thought this was my salvation. Bittor told me afterwards that he wanted to connect his Queen's Side pawns.
24. Bxb4 axb4 25. Rd6 Rfd8 26. Rbd1 Kf8 27. Rxd8+ Rxd8 28. Rxd8+ 1-0
Rosie Irwin v Steve Bailey, Challengers R2, B07: Pirc Defence, annotated by Chris Ross
1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 Bg4 This is unusual. The black LSB is often left at home until it is clear where it will best operate. It is often fianchettoed to pressurise the e4-pawn, a focal point in most Pirc Defences.
5. Be2 h6? This move is superfluous and not a fundamental part of the Pirc defence. It creates a future target for a kingside pawn storm. Black should complete development or gain space in the centre. The usual way to do this is via an e7-e5 thrust, duly supported by ... Nbd7 and ... Qc7. If Black is not to opt for the e7-e5 thrust, then fianchettoing the Dragon bishop with g7-g6 is the alternative. In that case, h7-h6 definitely does not feature, as this would lead to more kingside pawn weaknesses. Although White cannot immediately exploit the loss of tempo with h7-h6, this is something that White can utilise at a later stage.
6. O-O Nbd7 7. Bf4?! Developing the DSB, but this is not the correct square. On f4, the DSB is a tactical liability. It will be hit with either g7-g5 or more likely e7-e5. As the d6-pawn will become a potential weakness, once Black has achieved e7-e5, White can easily consider playing a2-a4, b2-b3 and Ba3 to focus on the feature. The simpler development choice is 7. Be3.
7. ... Qc7 A scary move, putting the queen vis-à-vis with the white DSB. If Black wanted to force through e7-e5, then 7. ... Bxf3 8. Bxf3 e5 is the most efficacious way to do it. This provocative move tempts White into exploiting the precariously positioned black queen.
8. e5 Beguiling, but the tactics don't work for White. White should reinforce the pawn thrust with 8. Re1, adding weight down the E-file, especially if exchanges occur on f3. One intriguing line goes 8. Re1 e5 9. dxe5 dxe5 10. Nxe5 Bxe2 11. Nxd7 Bxd1 12. Nxf6+ gxf6 13. Bxc7 Bxc2 and despite Black having the bishop pair, White clearly has an advantage due to the shattered black pawns. The LSB is very short of squares.
8. ... Nh5 Gaining time on the loose DSB, but the knight is in an offside position. Scary as it may look, Black should steal the proffered pawn e.g. 8. ... Bxf3 9. Bxf3 dxe5 10. dxe5 Nxe5 - here it can be seen why a preparatory Re1 would have been handy - 11. Re1 Nfd7 12. Qe2 Nxf3+ 13. Qxf3 e5 and Black can calmly play ... Be7, ... Rf8 and eventually ... O-O-O. The pawn advantage and a potential king-side pawn storm should guarantee an enduring advantage.
9. exd6 A convenient zwischenzug. The pawn is salvaged, and the E-file is opened up towards the black monarch.
9. ... exd6 10. Qd2 Not wishing to waste time by the retreat of the DSB, White rushes to connect her rooks. Best was 10. Be3 O-O-O 11. d5 and White is gaining space and opening lines towards the black king. The h5-knight is more hinderance than help.
10. ... Nxf4 11. Qxf4 Be6 Maintaining the bishop pair, but on e6, the LSB is begging for d4-d5 tactics. Preferred is 11. ... Nf6 12. Rfe1 Be7 13. Ne4, although White has a distinct pull.
12. Rfe1 Good enough, bringing a rook to the open E-file, but as suggested, White should take the opportunity to disrupt the black pawn formation with for example 12. d5 cxd5 13. Nd4 and the white knights are commanding the centre. The sacrificed pawn should not be difficult to recover. Black will take considerable time to unravel his pieces and to consolidate his position.
12. ... Be7 13. Bd3 The correct notion of opening the E-file, but as suggested before, this can be done in a more pernicious manner. 13. d5 cxd5 14. Bb5 and the E-file is opened and tactics favour White.
13. ... g5 Ambitiously played. In seeking activity, Black weakens his kingside, where he may do best to secure his king. Castling either side gives Black problems, due to the loose nature of the e7-bishop. The tactic d4-d5 is always going to cause difficulties. Either side castling leaves White with pawn-levers, since c7-c6 and h7-h6 have been played. Black’s best is 13... Nf6, bringing the queen to the protection of the e7-bishop and negating the tactic d4-d5. Now, the white queen is driven to a more dominating square on the E-file.
14. Qe3 d5 Black wishes to castle queenside but doesn't want to leave the a7-pawn loose after d4-d5 thrusts. Transforming the pawn formation like this plunges Black into a strange Caro-Kann type structure, where the advance of the kingside pawns is not aiding his cause. The kingside attack is not going to break through for Black, and the backward nature of the F-pawn will challenge him in the endgame. The light-squares look vulnerable now, especially the f5-square. Ne2/Ng3/Nf5 is an inviting manoeuvre. Playing d6-d5 gives the e5-square as a convenient outpost if the f3-knight is ever prodded with g5-g4. White can already claim a significant advantage in this position and the endgame looms ominously for Black.
15. Bf5 Exploiting the pinned e6-bishop. Alternatively, 15. Ne2 with the aforementioned manoeuvre secures White a telling advantage. Black cannot unravel his pieces rapidly or effectively. The e6-bishop is like a pawn.
15. ... O-O-O? Panicking. Black didn't see the potential pin and now forsakes a pawn, plunging himself into a lost position. Up to this point, Black was clinging on, but his position disintegrates from here. The weaknesses along the light-squares give him permanent issues. If 15. ... Nf8 16. Qd3 and White would plan to land a knight on e5 with tremendous pressure on the light-squares, especially so f7 and g6. Black is incredibly cramped, but he's not yet lost. A bit of wriggling and with precise play, he could have slim drawing chances.
16. Bxe6 fxe6 17. Qxe6 Rde8 Pinning the e7-bishop unnecessarily. Black does best to move the attacked bishop. There are no devastating discoveries on the white queen. She can run away if the exchange is not thought suitable. With 17. ... Bd6 18. h3 Black is asking White to demonstrate the technique to convert the material advantage.
18. Qf5 Fearing the discoveries on the white queen, but there is no need. White would be more than willing to exchange the queen for two rooks in such a position, as the open files would give the rooks the clear dominance over the queen. White should prepare tripling on the E-file as this will cripple Black. For example, 18. Re2 Bf6 19. Qxe8+ Rxe8 20. Rxe8+ Bd8 21. Rae1 and with Ne5 to follow, the rooks will penetrate the black camp.
18. ... Rhf8 19. Qg4 Kb8 20. Qh5 Rh8 Surprisingly, Black offered a draw in this position. A pawn down with a cramped position, this is a forlorn hope. However, White, having less time, took the tactical decision to accept, hoping that Black would drop points later. Excellent play by Black in subsequent rounds allowed him to take 1st prize with a clear 4.5/5.
White could have continued with 21. Ne5 to maintain her advantage. Nothing can stop Ne2/Ng3/Nf5 and the doubling on the E-file by the white rooks would soon allow devastating penetration opportunities. The white queen would also be given a flight path down the d1-h5 diagonal. She has total control of the light-squares.
John Fullwood v Rosie Irwin, Challengers R5, D02: London Opening, annotated by Chris Ross
1. d4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. Bf4 c5 The London system, solid if somewhat indolent. White can trot out most of his moves mechanically and all the habitual methods of development are easy enough to execute. In an attempt to break down the clamp on the dark-squares, Black challenges the centre immediately.
4. e3 Nf6 5. c3 Nc6 6. Bb5 This is slightly unusual for the London System. 6. Bd3 is more consistent. White should avoid giving up the LSB, as the f1-a6 diagonal can become dangerously weak if he unwisely exchanges.
6. ... Bd7 7. O-O Be7 Black can chase the white LSB immediately before committing to kingside development. Indeed, 7... Qb6 hits the LSB and targets the b2-pawn. The a6-square should be kept clear for a rapid Bc8-Ba6.
8. Nbd2 O-O 9. Bxc6 Voluntarily giving up the bishop pair for no obvious reason. This hands the advantage to Black. Ideally, Black should have left her LSB on c8, to reach a6 as rapidly as possible, but nevertheless, she proceeds to extract it as soon as possible. Despite the solid setup by White, he has little opportunity of an effective kingside attack without the assistance of his LSB.
9. ... bxc6 With the idea of liquidating the doubled C-pawns. Black could forego this and occupy the f1-a6 diagonal immediately with her LSB and leave the b5-b4 pawn-breaks a means to lever open the queenside.
10. Ne5 cxd4 11. exd4 c5 12. Nxd7 Qxd7 13. Re1 cxd4 14. cxd4 Bb4 With the aim of obtaining a Good-Knight vs Bad-Bishop endgame. The slightly open nature of the position doesn't allow for the effective execution of this strategy, as the white DSB has plenty of scope to operate. White should take considerable pains to maintain this DSB to ensure adequate counterplay. The white d4-pawn is a weakness, and Black has established her pawns on light-squares, limiting the scope of the white pieces. The queenside majority cannot be easily mobilised by White and indeed, the C-file and the c4-square can be easily utilised by Black to pressurise the queen-side pawns. Black has a clear advantage, but it is not easy to exploit it immediately. Black should probe with 14. ... Rfc8 and even launch her A-pawn to further restrict the pawn formation. Another option is 14. ... Qb7, exerting more pressure on the queenside and keeping the queen on a light-square, where she belongs since the LSB's have been exchanged.
15. Re3 Unpinning the d2-knight and hoping for some kind of kingside attack. Without the LSB in attendance, any kingside attack is doomed.
15. ... Bxd2 Opting for that Good-Knight vs Bad-Bishop strategy. If Black can engineer the exchange of queens, this strategy may eventually prove operative. In such a wide-open position though, it is not so easy to contrive.
16. Qxd2 Rfe8 Passive. The rook serves no purpose on e8. The break e6-e5 is unlikely to be accomplished. Black’s best chance to conjure up counterplay has to be 16. ... Rfc8 with the intention of occupying the c4-square. Rc3 must be carefully calculated, as a timely ... Ne4 may ensnare material. Operations on the light-squares is Black's sole objective and by attempting to liquidate the heavy pieces, she can hope for a favourable endgame.
17. Be5 Annoying the f6-knight. Ideally, this knight should have been provided with the d7-square to flee to. ... Qb7/Qb5 should have been played previously to pressurise the white queenside and to vacate d7 as an option. Queenside pressure with ... Nb6 is possible with ... Nc4 available, and if b2-b3 is to be played, ...a7-a5-a4 will target the b3-pawn and leave White with an isolani, which will be challenging to defend. ... Nf8 retreats are possible to fortify the kingside too. Black has all the fun and much more considerable winning chances.
17. ... Ng4 18. Rg3 White offered a draw, which was accepted and secured Black outright 2nd prize. Black should unequivocally be playing on in this position. She has all the trumps and all the winning chances. The kingside attack by White is a mere mirage. 18. ... Nxe5 19. dxe5 Qe7 and the black queen comes across to the kingside to adequately defend any flank attack. The queen can flit between h4 and e4/c4 to provide adequate protection. Black has a passed D-pawn, and this will ensure her an enduring advantage in any endgame. Once the queens and rooks have been exchanged, the endgame will be easy to convert.
Steve
Bailey v John Osborne, Challengers R5
1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. f4 Nc6 4. fxe5 Nxe5 5. d4 Ng6 6. e5 Qe7 7. Bc4 Ng8 8. Nf3 d6 9. O-O Be6
10. Qe2 d5 11. Bg5 dxc4 12. Bxe7 Bxe7 13. Nb5 O-O-O 14. Nxa7+ Kb8 15. Nb5 Bg4 16. h3 Bxf3
17. Qxf3 f6 18. e6 c6 19. Nc3 Ka8 20. Rfd1 Nh6 21. Qg3 Rd6 22. d5 Nf5 23. Qf2 h5 24. dxc6 Rxd1+
25. Rxd1 bxc6 26. Rd7 c5 27. Qf3+ Kb8 28. Qb7#
Steve
Bailey v Abi Baker, Challengers R3
1. e4 Nc6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Bc4 Bb4 4. Qg4 d6 5. Qxg7 Nd4 6. Qxf7#
Brandan Reads writes:
In November I attended a mainstream congress in Hampshire, held at the Lysses House hotel. I participated in the Major U1800 section and had success – I tied for 1st and would have won on tie breaks if I had been eligible for the trophy.
The playing room was quite easy to navigate to from my room as it was a right turn out of the lift and straight forward to reach the playing room. The organisers were very understanding and were even familiar with visually impaired players and how they play having a visually impaired player at their club previously.
Round 1 was successful, I faced Roy Goode in a very wild game with a lot of opportunities for both sides, eventually I had managed to get him into a checkmating trap in the end game. The next day, in Round 2, I faced Rob Coles, who I tied first with at the end of the tournament, in a much slower game eventually agreeing to a draw. In Round 3 I won against the highest rated opponent I faced in the tournament, Nicholas Warner, in an interesting game shown below. Round 4 was a short game against Philip Walters. It was a sneaky defensive resource against a trap attempt from my opponent that got me the win. Finally, in Round 5, a draw against Austin Sopocko. I had both a positional and time advantage in the game but after attempting to put pressure on my opponent through faster moves, I had lost my advantage which extended the game to a 97 move draw.
Overall, a very successful tournament for me with a 4/5 result in a mainstream event and some very interesting games. Hopefully I can keep up this success in future tournaments!
Hampshire Chess Congress 2025. Round 3: Warner, Nicholas 1715 v Read, Brandan 1665
1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qe3 b6 5. Nc3 Bb7 6. Bd2 Nf6 7. O-O-O Qe7 8. Qg3 O-O-O
9. Nd5 Nxd5 10. exd5 Nb4 11. d6 Qxd6 12. Qb3 Qc5 13. Be3 Qa5 14. a3 Bd5 15. Rxd5 Nxd5 16. Bd2 Qc5
17. Ba6+ Kb8 18. Nh3 Bd6 19. Qf3 Qc6 20. Qxf7 g6 21. Qf3 Ne7 22. Qg4 b5 23. Ng5 Rhf8 24. Nxh7 Rxf2
25. Be3 Qxc2#
Editor’s
note: Brandan modestly neglected to mention that he was seeded 14th out of
twenty-seven players in the Major section, which makes his achievement of
finishing joint first even more impressive.
Well done, Brandan!
Julie Leonard writes:
The first ever BCA Remote New Year Cup got underway on the 3rd of January, in the very capable hands of arbiter, James Connors. There are thirty-six members from eight nations taking part. This is a record number of entries for a BCA remote event. Thanks to the high number of participants, James is running the event in two sections. Many of the competitors are having a go for the first time and we even have a mum, dad and daughter from the same family among the entrants!
Taking part in the Open are Norman Andrews, Steve Bailey, Paul Baldwin, Anthony Borg (Malta), Eamonn Casey (Ireland), Nene Clayton, Olivier Deville (France), Joseph D’Mello (India), Tony Elbourn, Colin Fisher, Ben Fletcher-Harris, Voldi Gailans, Mark Hague, Gary Hogan, Paul Inglis, Malcolm Jones, Neda Koohnavard, Stan Lovell, Brandan Read, Gary Wickett and Norman Wragg.
Players in the Challengers U1700 section are Abi Baker, Marilyn Bland (USA), Jennifer D’Mello (India), Jyoti D’Mello (India), Irene Hampton (Canada), Richard Hayward (New Zealand), Donna Jodhan (Canada), Tony Lawton, Mark Noble, John Ramm, Lea Ryan, Ashar Smith, Gill Smith, Martin Sullivan and Catherine Turner.
The tournament will last for approximately three months. Bittor Ibanez has kindly offered to collate all the games into a .pgn file for us, as he has done for recent Remote Summer Cups. I for one can’t wait to read the results in the next gazette! Good luck everyone!
As someone who learnt the moves of chess at age 11 and thinking I could play chess, it took me years to realise how much I'd missed out on fundamental advice that would have helped me enormously and which would have inspired me in my efforts. I feel it is important for us as an association to help newcomers to chess, to encourage them to want to play and to do so without fear and with enjoyment. This idea could be extended to encompass all of us so that we can help each other and become stronger as a chess playing community.
I have three tips this time as a start, and a fourth in respect of opening play.
1. Enjoy your Chess
This sounds rather obvious, but all too often during the time when we are new to chess it can all seem overwhelming and very difficult. It is important to remember that we are doing this for enjoyment and, of course, in order to learn, but don't expect to learn everything at once, learn in small chunks and if you decide you want to study the game then do it little and often rather than exhausting yourself on fewer occasions. Play as often as you can and enjoy doing it.
2. Don't be afraid of playing stronger players
A newcomer to chess might well ask “Why am I trying to play a game in which I'm bound to lose, when most of all of my opponents know so much more than I do and are bound to win?” Of course, the answer is that the more we lose, the more we learn and are therefore better prepared next time. For this reason, don't be intimidated by your opponent, give it your best shot and always concentrate on every move. This will ensure that when something goes wrong you have a chance of not making the same mistake next time. Always take opportunities to go over your games with your opponents and, if possible, as soon after the game as you can - it might be difficult after you have just lost a game, but it is well worth it as you will learn from the experience.
3. Learn to accept losses
We all lose plenty of games (at least most of us do) and so it is good to accept losses, learn from them and move on to the next game. There are plenty of opportunities to play and you need to play as often as you can to improve more quickly.
My fourth tip concerns the opening, the first few moves of the game. In the starting position the pieces are shut in behind the pawns and have relatively few options to move. It is vital that you bring each piece out into play as soon as possible and the general plan will be to move each piece off the back row, one after the other rather than moving the same piece more than once before you have moved the others. This is a principle, not a rule, so there are exceptions, but in general try this idea first: Develop your pieces, one by one and castle so that your king is sheltered behind a wall of pawns either on the King’s or Queen’s side. Your pieces will be in play, and your rooks will be protecting each other, with your king on the wing, sheltered by pawns.
I very much hope that others will send tips and advice to our editor and that we can build a stock of articles for the benefit of all.
Owen Phillips sent in this Lichess blitz game for the gazette. He says it’s one of Neda’s favourite games of his and it has a fun, rare finish!
2025.10.28 White "alimonfared" v Black Owen Phillips, B00 King's pawn opening
1. e4 b6 2. d4 e6 3. c4 g6 4. Nc3 Bg7 5. Be3 d6 6. Qd2 h6 7. O-O-O Ne7 8. f3 Bd7 9. Bd3 a6 10. Nge2 Nbc6
11. g4 Rb8 12. h3 e5 13. d5 Nd4 14. f4 Nf3 15. Qc2 Nd4 16. Qd2 Nf3 17. Qc2 Nd4 18. Bxd4 exd4
19. Nb1 b5 20. c5 dxc5 21. Qxc5 c6 22. d6 Nc8 23. Nxd4 Qf6 24. Qe5+ Qxe5 25. fxe5 Bxe5 26. Nb3 Nxd6
27. Nc3 Nc4 28. Nc5 Nxb2 29. Kxb2 b4 30. Nxd7 bxc3+ 31. Kc1 Bf4+ 32. Kc2 Kxd7 33. Kxc3 a5
34. Rhf1 Be5+ 35. Kc2 Rb2+ 36. Kc1 Ke7 37. Rd2 Rhb8 38. Rxb2 Rxb2 39. Bc4 f6 40. Rd1 Rh2
41. Rd3 Bf4+ 42. Kb1 Rh1+ 43. Kb2 Be5+ 44. Kb3 Rb1+ 45. Ka4 Rb4+ 46. Ka3 Bb2# 0-1
Julie Leonard writes:
Most readers will have heard of chess variants such as Chess960 (Fischer Random) or Four-player chess, but until recently I had never come across a form of chess that’s played underwater! At the end of 2025, the Diving Chess World Championships took place in the Netherlands, with players using weighted pieces and magnetic boards. There are no clocks. Thinking time is limited by how long a player can hold their breath as each move must be completed in a single dive. When your opponent comes up for air, that’s your cue to dive and play your move!
Dutch FM Zyon Kollen won with 5.5 points from 6 games. A separate Women's World Championship was won by 17-year-old Josephine Damen, who is also Dutch.
You might be thinking that diving chess will never catch on, but in fact the tournament in Groningen was oversubscribed! Entry was limited to 40 players due to the limited availability of special underwater chess sets.
Denise Ross graced our TV screens by appearing on ITV’s “Deal or No Deal” in November 2025. It was great to see you taking part, Denise!
On Thursday the 11th of December, John Fullwood played on board 4 for Camberley in a rated standard play friendly match in the Berkshire League. John’s team played away at the University of Reading, which is James Connors’ club! Alas, they didn’t meet each other because on the very same evening, James was playing for the University in a division 1 away match against John’s club, Camberley! Congratulations to John on getting a draw!
Now for a message from Tony Elbourn about some health issues that he’s been facing for a while. Tony has chosen to share this news so that BCA friends will understand why he and Irene have not been able to attend events in recent years and also to encourage anyone who might be experiencing similar difficulties to seek health care advice sooner rather than later.
“Just before Christmas 2022 I arranged a telephone appointment with the doctors’ surgery and after a brief discussion I was given a physical appointment which took place before the New Year. A doctor confirmed that I had an enlarged prostate and prescribed some tablets that I shall probably need to take for the rest of my life.
“Nothing further happened until 15th January 2025 when I discovered that I could not relieve myself. After three hours with no result, I decided to seek medical help. I was very unimpressed by the speed at which the doctors’ surgery would act so I contacted 111 and they made an appointment for me with the Gosport War Memorial Hospital (WMH). I managed to get there by taxi. They said they had not got the requisite equipment to deal with my problem and sent me on by taxi to Portsmouth Queen Alexandra Hospital (QA). They fitted me with a catheter and gave me an appointment on 29th January 2025. In such a situation the kidneys can be damaged, so the Consultant Urologist first arranged an ultrasound scan and then a CT scan at the QA. The scans detected a minor problem with my right kidney, and this was confirmed by a further scan in September 2025, but it was suggested that it be left until a further scan in six months.
“Back to the Prostate: On Saturday 14th October I had again the problem of relieving myself, so I had another catheter fitted and after a fortnight it was found I had to carry on using it until the prostate can be dealt with. The procedure was scheduled for 29th December at WMH but has since been postponed pending further tests.”
I’m sure we all wish Tony the very best for his ongoing treatment and that we hope to see him and Irene return to BCA events in the near future!
Julie Leonard
November 2025 Puzzle
Gustav
Neumann vs Carl Mayet, Berlin, 1866.
White mates in 2.
5rkr/pp2Rp2/1b1p1Pb1/3P2Q1/2n3P1/2P5/P4P2/4R1K1
White:
King g1, Queen g5, Rooks e7 and e1, pawns a2, c3, d5 f6, f2 and g4.
Black:
King g8, Rooks f8 and h8, Bishops b6 and g6, Knight c4, pawns a7, b7 d6 and f7.
Solution: 1. Qxg6+ fxg6 2. Rg7#
February 2026 Puzzle
Joseph Blackburne vs Martin, England, 1876. White to mate in 2.
1r1kr3/Nbppn1pp/1b6/8/6Q1/3B1P2/Pq3P1P/3RR1K1
White: King g1, Queen g4, Rooks d1 and e1, Bishop d3, Knight a7, pawns a2 f2, f3 and h2.
Black: King d8, Queen b2, Rooks b8 and e8, Bishops b7 and b6, Knight e7, pawns c7, d7, g7 and h7.
Clue: Double trouble for Black! The solution will be in the May Gazette.
Mark Hague
The BCA recently learned that David Levens passed away in hospital on the 6th of September 2025. He joined the BCA as an associate member in 2021, having started to do some coaching for us in 2020. Former Coaching Officer, Voldi Gailans, says David was always willing to coach our members. He helped Phil Gordon, who won the 2025 Chairman’s Cup, and Gary Hogan, who has represented us at international level. Gary says, “David was a good teacher, a nice guy and he taught me a lot of my fundamental chess knowledge that allowed me to build on strong foundations as my chess developed. I never actually met him in real life, but we got along well online.”
This very brief account of David’s life is largely drawn from his own words in his coaching CV that he shared with Gary Hogan and in his candidacy statement for the ECF post of Director of Junior Chess on the ECF website.
David learned chess when he was ten years old, and was a childhood friend of BCA member, David Mabbs. They went on to play for the celebrated Cedars Chess Club, which attracted ambitious youngsters from all over England.
David was a member of England U18 squad in 1956. He then trained as an electronics technician and, at the age of 22, he went to live in the Nottingham area. At his chess peak in his mid-twenties, he was ranked in the top 50 players in the UK! He was also a very successful captain at both club and county level. In addition to writing children’s storybooks, he also wrote a chess primer called “Basic Chess”, which has sold all over the world. The title has since been changed to “Chess Basics”. However, in chess circles David is probably best known for coaching juniors. He was very active, especially in Nottinghamshire, and many of his trainees went on to represent England in international competitions. He also edited the Online Junior British Chess Magazine.
Despite rapid promotion in engineering roles, David then opted for a complete change of career and managed pop groups for two years! He kept several bands in work, gaining a recording contract for one and a touring contract another. Shortly afterwards, members of different bands that he’d managed joined together to form the group “Showaddywaddy!” After this, David went into sales, where he also achieved great things, but alas the companies he worked for didn’t flourish. This prompted David to set up his own company, which was an immediate success.
David was very fit. He loved running and completed more than twenty marathons, raising money for many worthy charities. He was a qualified athletics coach and ran a boys’ football team. Aged 70, he cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats to raise funds for charity. He also made a huge impact in his local area by running a youth club and a Sunday School for the Salvation Army. Together with his wife, he fostered troubled teenagers.
Guy Whitehouse recalls meeting David at the West Nottingham Chess Club, where former BCA member, Steve Thacker, also played. Guy says of David, “Players as strong as him aren’t always the nicest of people, but David was a genuinely nice chap.” The BCA has lost a good friend. Condolences to David’s family members, who have asked me to include that if anyone wishes to make an in-memoriam donation for David in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society they can do so here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/david-levens.
Editor’s note: Tragically, the
BCA has also lost Eleanor Tew and Caroline Crombie, who both passed away on the
27th of December 2025. There will be
pieces in memory of these two lovely ladies in the next gazette.
My first February gazette as editor coincided with the start of the Chinese Year of the Sheep and when I decided to make that the subject of my editorial, I distinctly remember wondering to myself whether I’d be in post long enough to complete the whole cycle of the Chinese zodiac. After twelve years that seemed to pass in the blinking of an eye, here we are. Just to dispel any rumours though, I’m not stepping down simply because I’ve run out of Chinese zodiac animals. It’s high time for a new editorial voice in our Gazette!
I’ve absolutely loved being BCA Gazette editor! It’s been a great way to stay in touch with members, including the ones who can’t come to over the board events. I’ve also enjoyed keeping a finger on the pulse of the BCA as it’s grown, taking on remote events on online platforms because of lockdowns, coming through Covid and out the other side, stronger than ever! Someone commented to me lately that the Gazette is much bigger than it used to be. That’s partly my fault, for not having edited it down as much as I could have, but it’s also a reflection of how many fantastic events the volunteers of the BCA organise in so many different formats!
Although I’m leaving my post, I’ll still be around! I hope to continue coming to events and will no doubt still contribute to the gazette. Also, if the 2026-27 trustees wish me to continue as a trustee I shall be glad to do so.
Before signing off for the last time, I would like to thank Olly Leonard, who is my proofreader; Gerry Walsh, who checks the games; Richard Murphy and Mark Kirkham, who both work so hard on the audio versions; and, last but not least, every single member who has contributed material for the gazette or sent feedback during my editorship. I know you’ll all give the next editor as much fabulous support as you’ve given me. I hope my successor will enjoy editing the gazette as much as I have and I wish them every success! Signing off with a fond farewell, Julie.