News - Page 48 of 1039 - Bedford Chess Club

In response to my call for games, I have received the following interesting skirmishes from Divisions 1 and 2. Those pesky knights feature highly in both! The random musings are mine – ignore at will.

  [Event "Bedford Division 1"] [Date "2023.11.09"] [White "James Gardner"] [Black "Paul Habershon"] [Result "1-0"]   d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 Nf3 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nc6 6. Nc2 Be7 7. g3 O-O 8. Bg2 d6 O-O Bd7 10. b3 Qc7 Bb2 Rac8 12. h3 Rfd8 13. e4 a6 14. Qe2 Ne5 15. Nd4 Qa5 16. Rfc1 Nc6 17. Nc2 (17. Nxc6 Bxc6 18. Nd5 {is interesting}) 17… Ne8 18. a3 Bf6 19. b4 Qc7 20. Bf1 Qb8 21. Kg2 Ne5 22. Ne3 Nc6 23. Ng4 Be7 Rd1 h5 25. Ne3 g6 26. f4 Bf6 27. Rd2 b5 28. Qd1 Qb6 (28… Ne7 29. Rc1 Bc6 {looks like a better plan for Black}) 29. c5 (29. Ncd5 {works well now, it causes the win when played later but Black had opportunities}) 29… dxc5 30. Ncd5 exd5 31. Nxd5 Qb7 (31… Bxh3+ Kxh3 Rxd5 33. exd5 Bxb2 34. Rxb2 Nd4 {leaves everything in the balance}) 32. Nxf6+ Nxf6 33. Bxf6 Bxh3+ (33… Nd4 {is a better try}) 34. Kxh3 {and now White finishes off with consummate efficiency} Rxd2 Qxd2 cxb4 36. f5 Kh7 37. axb4 Ne7 38. Bg2 Ng8 39. Bb2 Rc4 e5 Qc8 41. Rf1 Nh6 42. e6 Nxf5 43. Qd7

    [Event "Bedford Division 2"] [Date "2023.11.09"] [White "Richard McMorran"] [Black "Lucian Cox"] [Result "0-1"]   Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 d4 d6 5. c4 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Nc3 e5 8. d5 a5 e4 Nc5 10. Re1 Ne8 11. Be3 Na6 12. Qd2 f5 13. exf5 Bxf5 14. Ng5 Bh6 15. h4 Nb4 Be4 Bxe4 17. Ncxe4 Ng7 18. a3 Na6 19. Qd1 Qe7 20. Rc1 Nf5 Bd2 Nd4 22. Rb1 Nc5 23. Nxc5 dxc5 24. Bf4 Bxg5 25. hxg5 (25. Rxe5 Nf3+ Qxf3 Qxe5 27. Bxe5 Rxf3 28. hxg5 {is an interesting alternative}) 25… e4 f3 Qd7 27. Rxe4 Rae8 28. Kg2 Rxe4 fxe4 Re8 30. Qd3 Qg4 Re1 Rf8 32. Qe3 $2 {a moment's madness?} (32. Rf1 {… swap the bits off and push the pawns should work}) 32… Nc2 33. Qd2 Nxe1+ Kf2 Nf3 35. Qe3 Ne5 36. Kg2 Rxf4 37. Qxf4 Qxf4 38. gxf4 Nd3 (38… Nxc4 {might have saved time but Lucian knows what he's doing (I think!)}) 39. f5 Kf7 40. f6 a4 Kf3 Ne5+ 42. Kf4 Nxc4 43. e5 c6 44. e6+ Ke8 45. Ke4 cxd5+ Kxd5 Nxb2 47. Kxc5 b6+ 48. Kc6 Nc4 49. Kb5 (49. f7 Ke7 50. f8=Q Kxf8 51.Kd7 {looks scary but the knight can defend})  Nxa3+ 50. Kxa4 Nc2 e7 Nd4 52. Kb4 Ne6 53. Kb5 Nxg5 54. Kc6 Ne4 *