Bedford C vs Milton Keynes B, 2024: The lower boards deliver
A good performance, with the bottom three boards bringing home the result. The play on the top two boards was less impressive, but we escaped with two draws.
Board 1 - Andrew Bowler vs Callum Shields
This game started before the first move with Callum playing the Christmas Jumper Gambit, which seemed a little premature to an old grump like me. Bah Humbug! The game itself started with a slow line of the Four Knights Opening. Although this offers white no advantage, it is strategically rich, and I have started playing it to try to improve my understanding of such positions. Callum did not choose the best response, and I managed to grab the bishop pair and get a position where I could slowly build up an attack.
After twenty four moves we reached the following position.
White is much better here, and just has to work out a suitable plan to increase the pressure on g7. The simplest idea is 25.Re3 with the aim of playing Rg3 followed by either Qh6 or Bf3. This idea is so strong the engine wants to give up the exchange by playing . . . Re5. Also, if the white queen ever reaches h6 then black can never play . . . Rg8 to protect g7 as white then plays QXh7+, which leads to mate.
Another, possibly more sophisticated, plan is 25.c4 with the idea of increasing pressure on g7 with Qb2, but the first plan is simpler to follow. In the game I didn’t consider either of these plans playing the weaker 25.Bf3?!, and after Callum’s clever response 25. . . Ne6! much of my advantage had disappeared. Not content with playing one poor move, I responded with 26.RXg7? (After the game, Callum pointed out that I could have simply played 26.Be3, which leaves white with the better game.) and the game continued 26. . . NXg7 27.f6 Re5 (I thought that this was forced, but 27. . . Rfe8! wins material.) 28.fXg7+ QXg7+ 29.Rg1 Qf7 30.Rg3 Qf4. At this point Callum offered a draw, but I thought that there was still some life in the position so played on, even though black is a little better here. We now played another 22 moves during which I set a few feeble tricks, but Callum defended well, and we reached the following position after fifty two moves.
The game now finished 53.BXg4?? hXg4?? 54.a4, and we agreed to a draw. A little thought, and it is clear that 53. . . KXg4 is a winning pawn endgame for black. So, why the blunders on move 53? Before making my 53rd move I was wondering what, if any, opportunities I had missed earlier in the game. Then, accepting that the position was drawn, I quickly took the bishop expecting Callum to retake with the pawn. I had briefly considered 53. . . KXg4, but thought after 54.Kg2 there was still some play in the position, not even considering 54.. . . h4!. So, I let my guard down too early, and played the worst move I have for a very long time! I do not know what Callum was thinking, but he was short of time, and had been playing for the draw since his offer on move 30. I suspect he took with the bishop with the pawn as the draw is then beyond doubt.
The moral here is to keep concentrating until the end, and even if you have been under pressure for most of a game, keep looking for winning opportunities as your opponent can err on each move.
Board 2 - Alex Potts vs Alan Heath
Alex played the Bishop’s Opening, so Alan was up against his own preferred opening. Alan accepted a couple of structural weakness to start a king side attack, but when this didn’t break through he was left with a difficult position. Alex then found a neat idea that enabled him to go into a winning endgame with a knight and pawns against pawns. Unfortunately for Alex he allowed the ending to become a pawn race with both players queening a pawn, after which Alex had a queen and knight and Alan a queen. This ending is a textbook draw, and Alan had no difficulties holding the draw. (It later transpired that Alan could have won Alex’s queen instead of taking his last pawn, but that would have been a very cruel fate for Alex!)
Board 3 - James Grimditch vs George Ward
George played a Colle Opening and a fairly equal position arose. Pieces came off so that George had a queen, rook and knight against a queen, rook and bishop with equal numbers of pawns. The last time I looked George had managed to get his queen into black’s back rank, but it didn’t look terminal for James. However, George produced his usual magic, and not long after had notched up the team’s first win.
Board 3 - Mahmoud Dairi vs Thomas Evans
This game started with an f4 Sicilian Defence, but after a few moves looked more like an Advanced French Defence. Thomas probably released the central tension a bit too early. This resulted in a fairly equal position, but one without a clear plan for black. Mahmoud built up an attack on the king side, which looked threatening, but Thomas defended well, neutralising the threats to his king. Once Mahmoud’s attack had fizzled out his own king was more vulnerable. Thomas advanced his rook to c2 along the open c file, and a few moves later it combined with his queen to deliver mate on g2. Another impressive performance by Thomas.
Board 5 - Daniella Dairi vs Dominic Watson
Dominic played the Scotch Opening and Daniella erred early on and lost a pawn. Dominic nursed his advantage until he reached a winning rook endgame. The last time I looked he was two pawns up with one of his pawns on its way to queening. A well played game by Dominic who gave his opponent no chances whilst carefully converting his advantage.