News - Bedford Chess Club

A competitive game from division 3, annotated by a former club champion (Toby, hence the mildly teasing comment on move 22!).

Please feel free to send games that you think may be of interest, thanks, Ed.

[Event "Bedford Div 3"] [Date "2025.01.16"] [White "Dairi, Mahmoud"] [Black "Cox, David"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B21"] [PlyCount "68"] [SourceVersionDate "2025.01.31"]   e4 c5 2. Be2 Nc6 3. d3 d5 4. f4 dxe4 5. dxe4 Qxd1+ 6. Bxd1 b6 7. Nc3 Bb7 8. Nf3 g6 9. O-O Bg7 10. Nd5 O-O-O 11. c4 {This move perhaps leaves some weaknesses on d3 and d4 for black to exploit if the d file opens up.} e6 12. Nc3 Nge7 13. a3 Nd4 14. e5 {Blocks in the bishop, but leaving some holes.} Nxf3+ 15. Bxf3 Nf5 16. b4 Rd3 {Now white is attacking on the flanks, but black controls the centre.} 17. Bxb7+ Kxb7 18. Ne4 Rd4 19. Re1 Kc6 20. bxc5 (20. b5+ Kc7 21. g4 {This seemed to be white's only real chance in the whole game. Closing down the whole board might allow white to make use of their massive spatial advantage.} Nh4 22. Kf2 {Kg3 is treatened, trapping the knight, and Nd6 is also now on the cards.}) 20… bxc5 21. Be3 Rxe4 22. Bd2 Rxc4 (22… Rxe1+ {Seems more staightforward to me, but clearly black is a ruthlessly accurate grandmaster.}) 23. a4 Rd8 24. Ba5 Rdd4 25. g3 Rxa4 26. Kf2 Rxa1 27. Rxa1 Rd7 28. Rc1 Kb5 29. Be1 f6 {Freeing the blocked-in bishop.} 30. Rb1+ Kc6 31. Bc3 fxe5 32. fxe5 Nd4 33. Re1 Kd5 34. Bxd4 cxd4 (34… Kxd4 35. Rd1+ {It would be a shame to fall for this one at this stage.}) 0-1