Bob Treloar VS Edward Davies
1.e4 c6 This was the first of eight rounds of Portsmouth Chess Club Championship 2007/8 season, which I eventually won with a score of 6.5/8 (5 wins and 3 draws). I got to a bad start, allowing a stalemate in a won position in the first round, (this game), and then overlooked a tactic against Simon in the second round, (though Simon has trapped me tactically many times so this wasn't surprising in hindsight), but managed to draw an unfavourable position. Apart from that, I won in six out of seven of the remaining rounds, drawing only to top seed Richard McMaster (ECF 158), so overall it was a great tournament for me, and of course meant a lot to be club champion. 2.Nc3 d5 3.Nf3 Bg4 4.h3 Bxf3 5.gxf3 I have already analysed this variation earlier on the blog so I'll focus on middlegame onwards. 5...e6 6.Rg1 Actually Fritz seems to quite like white's position, but I don't think I'd consider the open file enough compensation for the pawn structure, although in fairness both bishops can develop unimpeded. 6...Nd7 7.d4 Ne7 [7...Ngf6 I dont' really understand how Fritz can like this 8.e5 Nh5 9.Qd3 c5 10.Be3 c4 Is the h5 knight strictly bad here? g6, Ng7 suggests itself. 11.Qd2 Bb4 12.Be2 Qa5 13.f4 g6 14.a3 0–0–0 15.0–0–0 Bxc3 16.Qxc3 Qxc3 17.bxc3 Ng7 A very odd but interesting looking position. In evaluating this as equal, maybe Fritz overrates it's bishop pair. However I think white's main advantage is meant to be in the two open files for his rooks, whereas black's advantages are technically better pawn structure and knights in a closed position. In fact white's bishops look hopeless at the moment, but they can probably come into play on the kingside after f5 for example.] 8.Be3 [8.Qd3 Ng6 9.Bd2 both sides develop their pieces for a while] 8...Ng6 9.Qd2 Queen bishop battery seems natural. 9...Qc7 It seems I wanted to cover f4, but white can play f4 anyway. Therefore the queen looks more active on b6 or a5. [9...Bb4 maybe pinning knight could be useful. 10.0–0–0 Qa5 11.Kb1 (11.a3 Bxc3 12.Qxc3 Qxc3 13.bxc3 Almost the same as a recent position. The same debate applies.) 11...0–0 12.Bd3 These are all alternative lines that could result in many interesting games.; 9...Qa5 this is a lot less passive. 10.a3 (10.0–0–0 Bb4 11.a3 Bxc3 12.Qxc3 Qxc3 13.bxc3) 10...Bb4 11.0–0–0 Bxc3 12.Qxc3 Qxc3 13.bxc3 Yet again we have this odd position.] 10.f4 Fritz yellow flags this move. [10.0–0–0 0–0–0 11.Bd3 Be7 12.Kb1 Kb8 An interesting starting point.] 10...dxe4 [F1: 10...Bb4 the critical move 11.e5 (11.f5 exf5 12.exf5 Nh4 13.Qe2 (13.Be2 Nxf5) 13...Nxf5?? 14.Bf4+) 11...0–0 12.0–0–0 Qa5 13.a3 Bxc3 14.Qxc3 Qxc3 15.bxc3 This again.] 11.Nxe4 0–0–0 [11...Nb6 12.c4 Nh4] 12.0–0–0 Fritz assesses this as roughly equal. I felt I had something tangible due to white's pawn weaknesses though. 12...h6?! This gets a yellow flag from fritz. I wanted to control g5 and prevent the knight going to g5 after attacking it with f5. [12...Nf6 13.Nxf6 gxf6 14.Bc4 f5 interesting, and fritz likes this for black] 13.Bd3 [13.Kb1 Be7 14.Bd3] 13...Nh4 Aiming for f3 fork, and assuming this is covered, heading for f5 instead. 14.Qe2 Nf5 Judging by fritz's 'body language' there are several candidate moves. However my opponent's choice is not one of these and gets a yellow flag for giving away a pawn without justification. 15.Bd2? [15.c3 e.g. 15...Nb6 16.Kb1 Nd5 17.Ng3; 15.c4 e.g. 15...Kb8 16.Kb1 Nb6 17.Qe1 Be7 18.Qc3; 15.Nd2 Nf6 16.Nf3 Nd5 17.Ne5 Kb8 18.c4 Ndxe3 19.fxe3 Rg8 20.Kb1 g6 I would now personally say black is a bit worse.; 15.Ng3 Nxg3 16.fxg3 Kb8 17.Kb1 Nb6 The resulting positions seem to have many branches too.] 15...Nxd4 I assume my opponent didn't see I would win a pawn and attack the queen at the same time. 16.Qe3 c5?! Inaccurate according to fritz. In fact I can't entirely retrace my reason for playing this. It doesn't seem very wise to open up the pawns in front of my king and the knight can be pushed away by c3 leaving a pawn on c5. This pawn blocks my DSB. [16...Nc5 17.Nxc5 Bxc5 18.Qe5 Qxe5 19.fxe5 g6 A markedly different continuation to 16..Nb6. 20.Be3 Be7 21.f4 Kc7; 16...Nb6 the computer likes this and 16...Nc5. 17.Ba5 Nf5 18.Qf3 Rd5 19.Bxb6 Qxb6 20.Nc3 Ra5 similar to later in the game 21.Be4 I definitely prefer black here. 21...g6] 17.Nc3 [17.Kb1 Nb6 18.Ba5 Kb8 19.Bc4 Bd6 All of these lines seem complicated and with many options and could be analysed for hours.] 17...g6 I want to develop my bishop, also conveniently pointing to white's kingside where I have some potential play. [or 17...Nf6 18.Nb5 Nxb5 19.Bxb5 a6 20.Be2 Another many branched position. However I think white's very weakened queenside pawns put this in black's favour on balance.] 18.Rg3 Fritz doesn't like this, but there is no immediate problem. [18.Nb5 Nxb5 19.Bxb5 Bg7 20.Kb1 Kb8] 18...Bg7 consistent with my previous move, though at first fritz suggests Nb6. [18...Nb6 19.Kb1 Bg7] 19.Nb5 Nxb5 20.Bxb5 Qb6 this is fine. The nasty threat of mate on b2 pins the bishop. [20...Nb6 21.Be2 (21.Ba5 this pin is irrelevant after: 21...Bxb2+ 22.Kxb2 (22.Kb1 Rxd1+ 23.Kxb2) 22...Rxd1) 21...Kb8 22.Kb1 Black's long-term pawn structure advantages increasingly are factoring in.] 21.Qb3 Forced. 21...Qc7? According to Fritz this spoils everything and puts the position back to roughly equal. 22.Qa4? Returns the favour, and we are back to –1.00 approximately. [22.f5 Nf8 (22...exf5 23.Qxf7 Bd4 24.Rxg6 A disaster for black.) 23.Qa4 a6 24.Bd3 (24.Ba5?? doesn't work after 24...Rxd1+ 25.Kxd1 axb5 e.g. 26.Qxb5 Qe7 27.fxg6 Nxg6 28.Kc1 Be5 winning for black.) 24...Kb8 25.fxg6 Nxg6 26.Bxg6 (26.Ba5 b6 27.Bd2 Be5 28.Re3 a5 Not exactly to plan for black but still and interesting game.) 26...fxg6 27.Rxg6 Rd4 28.Qb3 c4 29.Qe3] 22...a6 [F1: 22...Nf6 23.Bd3 Qb6 24.Qb3 Qxb3 25.axb3 Nd5 26.c3 black is easily better; a pawn up and a better pawn structure.] 23.Bd3 [23.Ba5 is no good, losing a bishop pair for a rook 23...axb5 24.Bxc7 bxa4 25.Bxd8 Rxd8 –+] 23...Rhe8 maybe not the strongest, but ok [23...Bd4; 23...Nb6 24.Qa3 Bd4 25.Be3 Almost at every point there are numerous alternatives though.] 24.Ba5 I recall I had originally overlooked this reply and initially assumed I had blundered. It turns out not to be a problem though. 24...Nb6 25.Qe4 [25.Qb3 Qxf4+ 26.Rd2 Nd5 I wouldn't be so quick to play down an exchange like this. 27.Rg4 (27.Bxd8 Rxd8 28.Rg4 Qd6 29.Kb1 Qh2 30.c3 b5 Maybe computers like playing this way when they have the advantage, but how many humans do? 31.Qa3 Kb7 32.Be4 There are 32...Qxh3 33.Rg1 There are so many possibilities that such a position could be analysed forever practically. However this game will probably never occur again in the history of mankind so it isn't particularly relevant other than out of general interest.) ] 25...Rd4 The best move it would seem. A situation where the rook truly seems to belong on a square. [25...c4 initially fritz suggests this move, but it soon warms to 25...Rd4. 26.Bxb6 Bxb2+ 27.Kxb2 Qxb6+ 28.Kc1 cxd3 29.Rgxd3 Black is clearly much better here. 29...Rxd3 30.Rxd3 Rd8 31.Rc3+ Kb8 32.Qe5+ Ka7 33.Qe3 (33.Qe2 Rd5 fritz doesn't seem to know what to do 34.Qe3 Qxe3+ 35.fxe3 Kb6 36.a3 Rc5 Black should expect to win the rook ending, but only 1 pawn up it is not a foregone conclusion.) 33...Rd5] 26.Qe3 [26.Qe1 a better defence 26...c4 (26...Ra4 .. an example of some of the ridiculous tactics in this position: 27.Kb1 Bxb2 28.Bxa6 bxa6 29.Rb3 Bf6 30.Bxb6 Qxf4 31.Bxc5 Rd8 32.Rxd8+ Kxd8 33.Rb7 Ke8 34.Qh1 Qe4 There are scores of such lines.) 27.Be2 Rxd1+ 28.Bxd1 Qxf4+ 29.Qd2 Qxd2+ 30.Bxd2 Nd5 31.Be2 b5 great for black] 26...Ra4! I successful ly choose the best move in this maze of possibilities. The double threat of RxBa5 and Rxpa2 is natural enough, though usually the rook would seem offside in such a place with bishops swarming around. It all comes down to analysis in the end though. 27.Bxb6 Qxb6 White is coming under a monstrous attack, with heavy pieces and a fianchettoed bishop all openly aimed at the king's pawn cover. 28.Kd2 [no better is 28.c3 Rxa2 29.b4 Bd4 (29...Bxc3 justs leaves a totally winning endgame 30.Qxc5+ Qxc5 31.bxc5 Rxf2 32.Be4 Bf6 33.c6 b5 34.Rf3 Rxf3 35.Bxf3 Rd8 –++ Not even the opposite bishops can make up for three pawns down where the pawns are all good.) 30.Qf3 Rxf2] 28...Rd4? This is actually a bit weak, but black is still winning. I wanted to bring my rook back to the centre and also threatening c4. [28...Bd4 29.Qf3 c4 30.b3 (30.Be2 Qxb2 (30...Rd8 31.Ke1 Qxb2) 31.Ke1 Rd8 32.c3 Ra3 33.Kf1 Rxc3 34.Qe4 Rc1 35.Rxc1 Qxc1+ 36.Kg2) 30...Rxa2 31.bxc4 e5 32.Qg4+ Kc7 33.Be4 h5 34.Qg5 Qb4+ 35.Ke2 Qxc4+; 28...Rxa2 also good. 29.Ke1 Rxb2 30.Kf1 Rd8 31.Kg2 Kb8] 29.Rb1? Hopeless. But finding good defences is not easy here. This allows black to win a piece to go with his crushing attack. [29.Kc1 was a decent attempt at defence] 29...c4 This is the last recorded move I have since I was in time trouble and stopped writing down my moves in the final minutes. The game ended when I was in the process of queening a pawn in a position of with pawns on both sides where I had a rook or something of that kind, and I had about two minutes left. This was plenty to safely mate, but I rushed (perhaps I can also blame spectators for watching and putting me off :) )- and when I queened the pawn I realised I had just played a stalemate. This was early in the season and I would say remains the worst moment of my chess season, even compared to some losses. This is probably the worst and most textbook stalemate blunder I have ever played - especially in a rated longplay game - and I was anoyed with myself for weeks, (if not months), afterwards. It certainly taught me a lesson in watching out for stalemates; I thought I already knew this but I suppose you don't really learn not to play with fire until you get burnt. Generally speaking this game had a massive number of variations and starting points all the way through, perhaps due to the fact the forces weren't interlocked much and there were many options for both sides in positional and tactical situations. Sometimes it feels like a game is quite specific when analysing and there are not too many variations comparatively, whereas the analysis of this game seemed like a gulf of different variations and starting points. ½–½
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