[Event "4NCL Cheddleton-Blackthorne Russia"]
[Site "Hinckley Island ENG"]
[Date "2014"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Williams, SK."]
[Black "Ledger, D."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A03"]
[PlyCount "39"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2007.03.30"]

1. f4 d5 2. e3 $5 ({Williams has dabbled in Bird/^s Opening throughout his
career, so we should take seriously this attempt to avoid} 2. Nf3 Bg4 {, as
advocated in a certain 'Beating Unusual Chess Openings'.}) 2... Nc6 3. Bb5 Qd6
4. Nf3 Bg4 {This all feels very natural from both sides by analogy with the 2
Nc3 Dutch.} 5. b3 (5. O-O a6 6. Bxc6+ Qxc6 7. b3 e6 8. Bb2 f6 $1 9. d4 $6 (9.
Nc3 Bd6 10. Qe1 $5) 9... Bd6 10. Nbd2 Qd7 11. e4 e5) 5... Nh6 $5 6. Bb2 f6 7.
O-O {Play has long left the theoretical high- and even by-ways, but Black/^s
play may be just a little too creative. Williams is quick to mount a central
challenge;} ({and} 7. h3 $5 {also looks a little better for White, since} Bh5
8. g4 $1 {leaves Black/^s kingside pieces tripping over each other and his
position a little jammed-up following} Bf7 9. Ba3 Qd7 10. Nc3 O-O-O 11. Qe2 {.}
) 7... O-O-O 8. c4 $1 Nf5 {As can be seen, Dave Ledger can be a pretty
creative player, but so too, of course, is Simon Williams, a man who must have
enjoyed the early imbalance. Ledger hopes to trouble White with ...Nh4;} ({but
perhaps he would have done better with the simple} 8... a6 9. Ba3 (9. Ba4 dxc4
$1 10. bxc4 Na5 {leaves White a little weak on c4 and d3}) 9... Qd7 10. cxd5
axb5 11. dxc6 Qxc6 12. Nc3 Kb8 13. Rc1 Qa6 {. Black should be OK here with ...
e5 on its way, but then again one might prefer not to voluntarily weaken one/
^s king/^s pawn shield when up against the Ginger GM.}) 9. Nc3 dxc4 10. bxc4 $1
(10. Bxc4 {would have saved the d-pawn, but allowed Black some chances with}
Nh4 {followed by ...e6. Instead, Williams fights for the initiative in typical
fashion.} (10... Bxf3 11. Qxf3 Qxd2 $2 12. Be6+ {wins the knight.})) 10... Bxf3
$6 {Taking up the challenge, but this entails grabbing a rather hot pawn.} ({
However, it seems that things have already gone wrong for Black, with} 10...
Nh4 11. d4 {leaving White looking quite strong in the centre and on the
queenside. Moreover,} a6 12. Ne4 Qe6 13. Bxc6 Qxc6 14. Ne5 $1 Bxd1 15. Nxc6 Bc2
16. Nxd8 Bxe4 17. Ne6 {would be a tactical line for Black to avoid.}) ({
Likewise,} 10... Bh5 11. Qa4 e6 12. Rab1 {would have left only one side
attacking.}) 11. Qxf3 Qxd2 12. Bxc6 bxc6 13. Qxc6 Rd6 $2 {This just loses,
although I dare say by this point Ledger was rather regretting not choosing a
quieter customer for his early experimentalism.} ({He had to find} 13... Qxe3+
14. Kh1 Qb6 {, although} 15. Qa8+ Kd7 16. Qd5+ Nd6 17. Na4 Qb4 18. Nc5+ Ke8 19.
Ne6 {does, quite frankly, look pretty disgusting for Black.}) 14. Qa8+ Kd7 15.
Ne4 {Not the most common fork of queen and rook, but hardly a bad one at that.}
Qxe3+ 16. Kh1 Qb6 17. Ba3 {It/^s fast turning into a massacre.} Rc6 18. Rad1+
Nd6 19. c5 Qa5 20. cxd6 1-0

[Event "4NCL Guildford-King's Head"]
[Site "Hinckley Island ENG"]
[Date "2014"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Edouard, R."]
[Black "Wallace, JP."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "E84"]
[PlyCount "122"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2007.03.30"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 O-O 6. Be3 Nc6 7. Nge2 a6 8. Qd2
Rb8 9. Rd1 ({Suffering from a sense of déjà vu? Yes, it was only last month
that we saw Edouard score a powerful victory with} 9. Rc1 {(see the March
'CHESS'). Presumably he deviated to avoid preparation, but the rook looks
better on c1, thereby keeping d1 free for a key Nd1-f2 regrouping.}) 9... Re8
$5 {Black again decides to wait.} ({Instead,} 9... b5 10. cxb5 axb5 11. d5 Ne5
12. Nd4 {is complicated, but possibly slightly in White/^s favour.}) 10. d5 {
Rather ambitious;} ({but} 10. Nc1 e5 {also seems fine for Black, especially if
he follows up with} 11. dxe5 ({or} 11. d5 Nd4) 11... Nxe5 $1 12. Be2 b5 {, as
recommended by David Vigorito in 'Attacking Chess: The King/^s Indian'.}) 10...
Ne5 11. Nd4 {It/^s worth pausing at this moment and slipping into <->How Good
is Your Chess?/^ mode.} ({Black would like to hit back with} 11. Nd4 c5 {but,
after} 12. dxc6 bxc6 {, is} 13. f4 {a problem? See how far you can calculate.})
11... c5 $1 12. dxc6 {The critical test, if new, which is testament to the
ineffectiveness of 9 Rd1 as much as anything else.} ({Previously,} 12. Nc2 Bd7
13. a4 e6 14. dxe6 Bxe6 15. Na3 Qb6 $1 {had left Black calling the shots in
Formanek-W.Watson, London 1982.}) 12... bxc6 {Six points.} (12... Nxc6 {was
possible, but fails to challenge White who must be slightly for choice with
his Maroczy Bind after} 13. Be2 {.}) 13. f4 c5 {The only consistent follow-up.
Deduct your score if you let the knight hang or moved it to g4 and saw c6 fall.
} 14. fxe5 cxd4 15. Bxd4 Ng4 {The most aggressive square for the knight;} ({
although even in the event of} 15... Nd7 16. exd6 Bxd4 17. Qxd4 Rxb2 18. dxe7
Qxe7 {, Black must have pretty decent compensation for the pawn.}) 16. exd6
Bxd4 17. Qxd4 {Take two bonus points if you visualised this far and a further
four if you analysed Wallace/^s next, as most impressively he had back on move
12.} Rxb2 $5 {Continuing in aggressive vein;} ({although the simple} 17... exd6
{wasn/^t so terrible, and if} 18. Rd2 Bb7 {, followed by ...f5.}) 18. dxe7 {
Sensibly Edouard decides to catch up in development.} ({The critical line was} 
18. d7 $1 Bxd7 19. Qxd7 Qa5 $1 (19... Qb6 20. Qd4 $1 {defends}) 20. Qxe8+ Kg7 {
, when Black is attacking but is a rook and piece in arrears. It was this
position that Wallace was trying to visualise back at move 12. He had decided
that} 21. Rd3 Rb1+ (21... Qb6 {also comes up just short:} 22. Be2 Qf2+ 23. Kd1
Ne3+ 24. Kc1 Rxe2 25. Nxe2 Qxe2 {, and now} 26. Qa4 $1 Qxd3 27. Qb3 {denies
Black even perpetual chances}) 22. Kd2 Qb4 {should give Black enough
counterplay . It/^s hard to fault such an assessment and evidently Edouard
agreed, but the ice-calm silicon may be correct that} ({whereas if} 22... Qg5+
23. Ke2 Rb2+ 24. Ke1) 23. Qa4 Rb2+ 24. Kc1 Rb1+ 25. Nxb1 $1 Qxa4 26. Rd2 Ne3
27. Be2 {doesn/^t give Black enough.}) 18... Qxe7 19. Be2 Qh4+ 20. g3 Qh3 21.
Rd2 Rxd2 22. Kxd2 {After a few fairly logical moves, my engine assures me that
the position is <->0.00/^, which might be true if you have no sense of fear,
but it/^s very hard to believe Edouard was enjoying himself. Quite simply,
White/^s position contains a number of weaknesses and his king will do well to
find a safe home.} Qh6+ 23. Kc2 (23. Kd3 $5 Ne5+ 24. Kc2 Nc6 25. Qc5 {is just
the sort of line which only a computer could proclaim to be in White/^s favour.
Probably this should have been tried, but even here <->unclear/^ will be this
annotator/^s cop-out.}) 23... Ne3+ 24. Kb1 $6 {It/^s instructive that running
the king towards the corner doesn/^t help White.} ({He would also have been in
trouble after} 24. Kb3 Be6 {: for example,} 25. Qb6 Qg5 26. a3 Rc8 {, and if}
27. Nd5 Bxd5 28. exd5 Qe5 {, followed by ...Rb8.}) ({However, remarkably,
there was a defence:} 24. Kd3 $1 {(yes, this bold advance again - if this
whets your appetite for some active play with the king, then you should enjoy
Carl Strugnell/^s piece later in this pages)} Nf5 25. Qf2 $1 {, when I haven/
^t managed to find a blow for Black. He can go} Be6 26. Bf3 Nd6 {, but after}
27. Nd5 Bxd5 28. cxd5 f5 29. exf5 Qg5 30. Bg2 $1 Qg4 31. Rc1 {, White should
be able to escape with a draw.}) 24... Bg4 $1 {It/^s always nice to develop a
bishop late and with a threat.} 25. Qd2 ({Suddenly White realises that} 25.
Bxg4 Rb8+ {would leave his king without a good square, but in any case it/^s
about to feel the heat.}) 25... Bxe2 26. Qxe2 Qg5 {Wallace is still a pawn
down, but is going to regain it on c4 and only the one king is in trouble.} 27.
Re1 Nxc4 $1 28. Ka1 {The king desperately tries to hide.} ({Instead,} 28. Qxc4
$2 Qd2 {would have been an immediate killer.}) 28... Qc5 29. Rd1 $6 (29. Qd3 {
looks like a stouter defence, and if} Rb8 30. Rb1 {.}) 29... Rb8 30. Rb1 $2 Rc8
({After such a complex game, the players were by now relying on just the
30-second increment each move, but even so one might have expected Black to
have found the terminal} 30... Rxb1+ 31. Kxb1 Na3+ 32. Kb2 Qb4+ {.}) 31. Rc1
Qd4 32. Qd1 Qf6 ({And here there was} 32... Nd2 {, but it/^s not easy with a
hanging flag and with the psychological pressure generated by facing an
opponent some 250 points higher.}) 33. Qf1 Qb6 34. Qe2 Qd4 35. Qd1 Qf6 36. Qf1
Qb6 37. Qe2 Ne5 38. Qd2 Qb4 $2 39. Nb1 $1 Qb8 40. Rxc8+ Qxc8 {Somehow Edouard
has survived and, with the time control reached, must have been feeling much
more confident, although Black can continue to press, thanks to his better
structure and safer king.} 41. Qc3 Qb8 42. Nd2 Qb5 43. Qd4 h5 44. a4 Qe2 $2 {
The queen ending is just a draw.} ({As such, Black should have preferred} 44...
Qa5 {, and if} 45. Kb2 Nc6 $1 46. Nb3 Nxd4 47. Nxa5 Nf3 48. h3 Ng5 49. Nc6 Nxh3
50. a5 g5 {, retaining some chances in the knight endgame.}) 45. Qxe5 Qxd2 46.
Qe8+ Kg7 47. Qe5+ Kg8 48. Qe8+ Kg7 49. Qe5+ Kh7 50. Qf6 Qc1+ 51. Ka2 Qc4+ 52.
Ka3 a5 53. Qe7 {Keeping everything under control. Wallace is able to win a
pawn, but only at the cost of allowing a perpetual.} Qc3+ 54. Ka2 Kg7 55. Qe8
Qc2+ 56. Ka3 Qxh2 57. Qe5+ Kh7 58. Qf4 Kg7 59. Qe5+ f6 60. Qc7+ Kh6 61. Qf4+
Kg7 1/2-1/2

[Event "4NCL Guildford-Cheddleton"]
[Site "Hinckley Island ENG"]
[Date "2014"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Jones, GC."]
[Black "Eggleston, D."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B51"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4r3/4P2R/p4rk1/7R/b2N1p2/2p5/5P1P/7K b - - 0 47"]
[PlyCount "58"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2007.03.30"]

{Suffice to say that play has been quite scrappy, and the position is still
very complex with White having just doubled rooks. Will Black perish due to
the passed e-pawn and his exposed king, or might the c-pawn tip the balance in
his favour?} 47... c2 $2 {Very natural;} ({but Eggleston had to find} 47...
Rxe7 $1 {, when} 48. R5h6+ Kg5 {leaves White with nothing better than
perpetual, as} 49. h4+ $2 Kg4 50. Rxf6 $2 {can now be met by} Rxh7 {.}) 48.
R5h6+ Kg5 49. Rh5+ Kg6 {A little repetition to emphasise who/^s boss whilst
gaining an extra 60 seconds of thinking time, but Jones already had in mind
the following stunning blow.} 50. R5h6+ Kg5 51. h4+ $1 Kg4 52. Rxf6 $1 c1=Q+
53. Kh2 {Black is queen for rook ahead, but his king is stuck in a mating net
with 54 f3# and 54 Rg6# the immediate concerns.} f3 54. Rg7+ Kh5 55. Nxf3 {
Keeping it simple.} ({"I thought} 55. Ne2 $3 {to be too flashy, but the engine
shows that it leads to mate,[+] rued Jones after the game. Indeed, this
further sacrifice would have aesthetically concluded a wonderful late attack.
Black is absolutely defenceless, in view of} fxe2 ({and} 55... Qd2 56. Kg3 $1)
56. Rh7+ Kg4 57. f3# {.}) 55... Bc2 56. Kg3 Be4 57. Rg5+ Qxg5+ 58. hxg5 $2 {
Eggleston has done well to find the only moves to stay on the board and now
the game will continue.} ({Instead,} 58. Nxg5 $1 Rxe7 59. Ne6 {would have
continued to pursue the mating attack to win the exchange and the game.}) 58...
Bxf3 59. Kf4 $1 Kh4 60. g6 {Fortunately for Jones, he still has some chances
thanks to his g-pawn and the position of the black king.} Rxe7 61. Rf7 $1 {
Continuing to play for the win.} ({I/^m sure that your engine will prefer the
mundane} 61. Kxf3 {, but after} Kg5 62. Rxa6 Kf5 {, the England no.4 was
rather concerned that this was just a dead drawn rook endgame, since the white
rook is tied to the defence of g6.}) 61... Re8 $2 {Now White wins by a tempo.}
({Material is not for once the overriding concern in this endgame and, as such,
} 61... Re1 $1 62. Kxf3 Kh5 63. g7 Rg1 {would have drawn.}) 62. Rh7+ Bh5 63. g7
Rg8 64. Kf5 {Black is a piece for a pawn ahead, but his bishop and king aren/
^t playing, and the a-pawn is just too slow to save him.} a5 65. Kf6 a4 66. Rh8
Rxg7 67. Kxg7 Kg4 68. f3+ $1 Kh4 69. f4 {The f-pawn decides.} a3 70. Kf6 Kg4
71. f5 Kh4 72. Ra8 Bg4 73. Rxa3 Kh5 74. Rg3 Be2 75. Kg7 Kh4 76. Rg6 1-0

[Event "4NCL Guildford II-Wood Green"]
[Site "Hinckley Island ENG"]
[Date "2014"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Wall, G."]
[Black "Houska, Jo"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B12"]
[PlyCount "52"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2007.03.30"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. f3 e6 ({Instead,} 3... dxe4 4. fxe4 e5 5. Nf3 Bg4 {was
recommended in Houska/^s popular 'Play the Caro-Kann', but a new edition is
currently in the works and perhaps the text will be the move of choice there.})
({Yet another option is} 3... Qb6 $5 {, which became quite trendy after games
like Ivanchuk-Jobava, Khanty-Mansiysk Olympiad 2010, although there} 4. a3 (4.
Nc3 e6 {would transpose to our main game}) 4... e5 5. exd5 Nf6 $5 6. dxe5 Bc5
$2 7. exf6 Bf2+ 8. Ke2 O-O 9. Qd2 Re8+ 10. Kd1 {did see Black coming up short.}
) 4. Nc3 Qb6 $5 ({Black usually pins with the Winaweresque} 4... Bb4 {or
fianchettoes the queen/^s bishop, but once again the queen can also move.}) 5.
Nge2 $5 {Gavin Wall is a very creative player who tends to have his own
systems quite well worked out. The knight is bound to f4 to press on d5,
hoping to dissuade both ...c5 and ...Bb4, and to leap to h5 at a timely moment.
} ({This looks more challenging than} 5. a3 {, which has been more popular,
and can lead to a rather French-like scenario after} Nf6 6. e5 Nfd7 7. Nce2 c5
8. c3 Nc6 9. f4 {.}) 5... Nf6 6. Nf4 dxe4 {The ...Qb6 lines are full of
fertile territory and, indeed, this is already a novelty.} ({Previously,} 6...
a6 7. Be2 Be7 8. Qd3 O-O 9. exd5 $2 (9. a4 c5 $1 10. a5 Qc7 {appears to open
the position in Black/^s favour}) ({so perhaps White should prefer} 9. Be3 $5)
9... cxd5 10. Rb1 Nc6 11. Be3 Ne8 $1 12. O-O Nd6 {had left Black in control in
the game Cabanas Jimenez-Almagro Llamas, Madrid 2010.}) ({Keeping the centre
closed so until after castling makes good sense for the second player,
although it is possible to open the position too, whether à la Houska, or with
} 6... c5 $5 {. A sample line runs} 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. Na4 Bf2+ 9. Ke2 Qd4 10.
Qxd4 Bxd4 11. c3 Be5 12. exd5 Nxd5 13. Nxd5 exd5 {, when the IQP may be offset
by the small loss of time White must incur bringing his knight back into play.}
) 7. fxe4 Bb4 $6 ({Even those used to leading the England women/^s team don/^t
find new, slightly irrational positions easy to navigate over the board. White
takes control after the text, so Black might prefer the thematic counterstrike
} 7... e5 $1 8. dxe5 Ng4 9. Nd3 Na6 10. Be2 h5 $5 {with a complex struggle
ahead.}) 8. e5 Nd5 9. Qd3 {Perhaps this position is playable for Black, but g7
is going to be hit and the lack of queenside development is also a cause for
concern.} c5 $1 {Black absolutely must develop some counterplay, and Houska is
up to the task.} 10. a3 {Another very natural move;} ({but one might also make
a decent case for} 10. Nfxd5 $5 exd5 11. a3 {, with the idea of} Bxc3+ 12. Qxc3
$1 {.}) 10... Bxc3+ 11. bxc3 Nc6 {After some highly-creative if also
principled play from both sides, we/^ve reached a critical position. White/^s
centre is under some pressure, but will he be able to strike on the dark
squares before it collapses?} 12. Nh5 $1 cxd4 $1 ({Much better to flee with
the king to relative sanctuary on the queenside than face} 12... g6 13. Ng7+
Kf8 14. Bh6 Kg8 15. Nh5 $1 {.}) 13. Nxg7+ Kd8 14. Bg5+ $6 {Wall is after the
black king;} ({but it was time for White to switch goals, complete development
and be happy with a pleasant edge after} 14. cxd4 $1 Qxd4 (14... Nxd4 $2 15. c4
{will win material down the d-file}) 15. Qxd4 Nxd4 16. Bd3 {. Even here Black/
^s king might well feel the pressure, so perhaps she would have had to grab
with} Nc6 17. O-O Nxe5 {, but clearly} 18. Be4 Rg8 19. Bb2 Rxg7 20. Bxe5 {
would grant White excellent compensation with those dominant bishops.}) 14...
Kc7 15. c4 $2 {The problem with closing the centre is that it helps the black
king become much safer.} ({Once again,} 15. cxd4 {was indicated, even if} Rg8
$1 {may now be OK for Black as} 16. Qxh7 {no longer threatens to capture the
rook with check.}) 15... Qa5+ 16. Kf2 Ne3 $1 {Good pragmatic play from Houska.
Black is happy to see an exchange on e3 as then e5 would fall, leaving her
with much the better endgame.} 17. Bf6 $2 {White had to go in for the
exchanges. Now it will be his king which finds itself in something of a firing
line.} Nxe5 18. Qxd4 {This drops a piece;} ({but} 18. Bxe5+ Qxe5 {would have
corralled that once great attacker on g7.}) 18... N3g4+ 19. Kg1 Nxf6 20. c5
Nfd7 21. Qd6+ Kd8 22. Rd1 {Black is tied down thanks to the pin, but she is
just a piece up and Houska had no difficulties wrapping up proceedings.} Qc3
23. Bb5 Rg8 24. h4 Qe3+ 25. Kf1 Qf4+ 26. Kg1 Nf3+ $1 0-1

[Event "4NCL Barbican-e2e4"]
[Site "Hinckley Island ENG"]
[Date "2014"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ferguson, M."]
[Black "Mladenov, P."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C55"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "4r3/2p3k1/2Pp3R/3P2p1/1PP2pP1/8/8/5K2 w - - 0 48"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "2013.??.??"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2007.03.30"]

{White might calmly retreat his rook to h2, but Ferguson found something much
stronger, trusting in the power of connected passed pawns on the sixth.} 48.
Rxd6 $1 cxd6 49. b5 Kf6 ({There/^s absolutely no stopping the pawns, as shown
too by} 49... Re4 50. b6 Rxc4 51. b7 Rb4 52. c7 {.}) 50. b6 Ke5 51. b7 Rb8 52.
c7 Rxb7 53. c8=Q Rb3 54. Qf5+ Kd4 55. Qxg5 Ke4 56. Qf5+ Kf3 57. Qc2 1-0

