[Event "4NCL Division 1a"]
[Site "Hinckley Island ENG"]
[Date "2014.01.11"]
[Round "3.111"]
[White "Gormally, Daniel W"]
[Black "Jones, Gawain CB"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2500"]
[BlackElo "2654"]
[Annotator "Saunders,John"]
[PlyCount "149"]
[EventDate "2014.01.11"]
[WhiteTeam "Blackthorne Russia"]
[BlackTeam "Guildford 1"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 d5 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. d4 Bf5 {This move seems not to
have been played much until 2009, and was then given the seal of approval at
the highest level by Nigel Short in 2012. It should perhaps be dubbed the
Hinckley Island line (not to be confused with the Rock Island Line) as Nigel
played it at the same venue.} 6. Be3 cxd4 ({In the game referred to above
Nigel Short continued} 6... Nf6 7. Na3 cxd4 8. Nb5 O-O-O 9. Nfxd4 Ng4 10. Qe2
Nxe3 11. Qxe3 Nxd4 12. Nxd4 e6 13. Nb3 Bc2 14. Be2 Bxb3 {and now Elisabeth
Paehtz blundered with} 15. Bf3 $4 {and had to resign when her opponent played}
Qa5 {, retaining his extra piece.}) 7. Nxd4 e6 ({The move} 7... Bg6 {looks a
bit slow; Black urgently needs to get on with his development.}) 8. Nd2 (8.
Nxf5 Qxd1+ 9. Kxd1 exf5 {was played in Roberson-Maroroa, Bedford 2013. A
family variation?}) 8... Nge7 ({It's tempting to suggest} 8... Bc5 {is better,
but that may be 'annotation by result' - or rather, by foresight of the
dark-square problem that occurs in the game.}) 9. Qb3 Nxd4 10. Bxd4 a6 11. Be2
Nc6 ({After this, Black has a long-term problem defending his isolated d-pawn.
Hiarcs suggests} 11... O-O-O $5 {but that doesn't look entirely convincing
either.}) 12. Qxd5 exd5 13. Bb6 {A very decent square for the bishop, where it
keeps out of the way of the c6 knight, stops the black bishop developing to c5,
and stops a black rook supporting the d5 pawn from d8.} Bd6 14. O-O O-O 15.
Rfd1 Bc2 16. Rdc1 Bf5 17. Nf1 $1 {A quiet but potent move, getting ready to
attack the d5 pawn from e3, as well as overprotect the e3 square.} Bf4 18. Rd1
Rfe8 19. Be3 Rad8 $2 ({A very serious miscalculation. Black probably has to
settle for} 19... Bxe3 20. Nxe3 Rad8 21. Bf3 Be4 22. Nxd5 Bxf3 23. gxf3 Re2 {
when Black is a pawn down but with an active rook as compensation.}) 20. Bxf4
Rxe2 21. Ng3 {Black has to lose the exchange.} Re4 22. Nxe4 Bxe4 23. Rd2 f6 24.
Rad1 g5 25. Bg3 d4 26. f3 Bd5 27. Bf2 Bxa2 28. Bxd4 Kf7 29. Bb6 Rxd2 30. Rxd2 {
"And the rest was a matter of technique." Or perhaps should have been. Life's
never quite so simple as in old textbooks.} Ke6 31. Bc5 Bd5 32. Re2+ Kf7 33. b3
Be6 34. c4 h5 35. h4 gxh4 36. Kh2 Bf5 37. Bf2 h3 38. gxh3 Ne5 39. Kg3 Bd7 40.
h4 Kg6 41. Bd4 Nc6 42. Bc3 Kf7 43. Rd2 Be6 44. Kf4 Ke7 45. Ke4 Kf7 46. f4 Ne7
47. Rd8 Nf5 48. Be1 Ne7 49. Bc3 Nf5 50. Rb8 Bd7 51. Be1 Ne7 {It still looks
like a win but Gawain has defended stoutly and Danny starts to play
sub-optimal moves.} 52. Kd3 Bc6 53. Kd4 Ng6 54. Bg3 Ke6 55. Kc5 Kf5 56. Kb6 Kg4
57. Bf2 (57. f5 $5 {is a computer suggestion but the ideas behind it don't
immediately occur to an organic brain.}) 57... Kf3 58. Bd4 Nxh4 59. Bxf6 Nf5 {
Winning ideas are becoming more opaque so White spins the wheel.} 60. Rxb7 $5
Bxb7 61. Kxb7 Kxf4 62. Kxa6 Ke4 $2 ({Black had to strike immediately with} 
62... h4 $1 {, after which White's win has evaporated, e.g.} 63. Bxh4 Nxh4 64.
c5 Ke5 65. b4 Kd5 66. c6 Kxc6 67. b5+ Kc7 68. Ka7 Nf5 69. b6+ Kd7 70. b7 Nd4 {
and the knight is just (if unjustly) in time.}) 63. b4 $1 Ne3 ({If} 63... h4
64. Bxh4 Nxh4 65. b5 {and this time the b-pawn touches down in time to win.})
64. Kb5 {Your computer might find something quicker but this is a
straightforward way to finish the game.} Kf5 65. Bh4 Ke6 66. Bf2 Ng4 67. Bg3
Nf6 68. Kc6 Ne4 69. b5 $1 Nxg3 70. b6 h4 71. b7 h3 72. b8=Q h2 73. Qg8+ Kf5 74.
Qh7+ Ke6 75. Qxh2 1-0

[Event "4NCL Division 1a"]
[Site "Hinckley Island ENG"]
[Date "2014.01.11"]
[Round "3.132"]
[White "Greet, Andrew N"]
[Black "Tan, Justin"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2429"]
[BlackElo "2313"]
[Annotator "Saunders,John"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2krr3/p1n5/2p1p3/q1Pn4/7R/P2B2Q1/1P4P1/2KR2B1 b - - 0 40"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "2014.01.11"]
[WhiteTeam "Wood Green HK 2"]
[BlackTeam "Oxford 1"]

{Black is a pawn down, with only a glimmer of play for it against White's king.
} 40... Nc3 $5 41. Rd2 ({Only the second best move.} 41. Qe1 $1 {is a powerful
pin. Now if} N7b5 42. Kc2 $1 {and White's h4 rook covers threats on the fourth
rank. White will follow up with a3-a4 and win material.}) 41... Rg8 42. Qe5 {
Looks good but Black has another weird knight move lined up...} Nb1 $1 43. Rd1
Nxa3 44. Rd4 (44. bxa3 Qxa3+ 45. Qb2 Rxd3 {leaves Black a pawn up.}) 44... Rxd4
45. Qxd4 Nab5 46. Bxb5 $2 ({Perhaps shocked by the unexpected turn of events,
White goes wrong. It's better to leave the two knights getting in each other's
way, as Mark Dvoretsky recommended in one of his more memorable chapters (I
say 'memorable' - I can't remember which book it appears in).} 46. Qe4 {
retains an edge for White.}) 46... Qxb5 47. Qd7+ Kb7 48. Bh2 {White hasn't got
used to the changed circumstances and is still trying to win.} Qxc5+ 49. Kb1
Qf5+ 50. Kc1 $2 Qg5+ 51. Rd2 Rg7 52. Qd4 Nb5 {The tables have turned and Black
now has a slight edge.} 53. Qe4 Rd7 54. Qf4 Qxf4 55. Bxf4 Nd4 $1 56. Kd1 c5 57.
b4 $2 Rf7 $1 58. g3 e5 {Now White's in big trouble. Bishop moves leave mate in
one on f1.} 59. bxc5 Kc6 60. Rd3 exf4 61. Rxd4 f3 $2 ({Black slips up.} 61...
fxg3 $1 {would lead to a winning endgame, e.g.} 62. Rg4 Rf3 63. Ke2 Ra3 64. Rg5
a5 {, etc.}) 62. Ke1 Kxc5 63. Re4 a5 64. Kf2 Kb5 65. Re5+ Kb4 66. Re4+ Kb3 67.
Re3+ Kb2 68. Re4 Ra7 69. Kxf3 a4 70. Rb4+ Kc3 71. Rb1 a3 72. g4 $2 ({Only one
move draws for certain here:} 72. Ke4 $1 {White wants to advance his g-pawn
but 'shouldering off' with the king is vitally important too.}) 72... a2 73.
Ra1 Kb2 $2 ({Here} 73... Ra4 $1 {is Black's only winning move, cutting off the
king from supporting the advance of the g-pawn.}) 74. Rxa2+ Rxa2 75. Ke4 $1 {
The only move to draw.} Kc3 76. Kf5 $2 ({White still needed a few more precise
moves:} 76. g5 $1 Ra5 77. Kf4 $1 Kd4 78. g6 Ra1 79. Kf5 $1 Kd5 80. g7) 76...
Kd4 77. g5 Kd5 $1 78. Kf6 Kd6 79. g6 Rf2+ 80. Kg7 Ke7 0-1

[Event "4NCL Division 1b"]
[Site "Hinckley Island ENG"]
[Date "2014.01.11"]
[Round "3.156"]
[White "Eden, Tomer"]
[Black "Shaw, John K"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2212"]
[BlackElo "2427"]
[Annotator "Saunders,John"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/6p1/6qp/8/4pk2/4R2P/4R3/5K2 w - - 0 49"]
[PlyCount "2"]
[EventDate "2014.01.11"]
[WhiteTeam "e2e4.org.uk 1"]
[BlackTeam "Wood Green HK 1"]

{Definitely tricky but it should prove quite hard for Black to win if White
keeps his rooks reasonably free for action.} 49. Kf2 $4 Qb6 (49... Qb6 {It
must now have dawned on White that all he could do was shuffle the e2 rook to
e1 and back whilst awaiting the arrival of a black pawn on g3, giving check
and undermining the defence of the e3 rook. So he resigned.}) 0-1

[Event "4NCL Division 1b"]
[Site "Hinckley Island ENG"]
[Date "2014.01.11"]
[Round "3.165"]
[White "Horton, Andrew P"]
[Black "Croad, Nicolas"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2095"]
[BlackElo "2272"]
[Annotator "Saunders,John"]
[PlyCount "67"]
[EventDate "2014.01.11"]
[WhiteTeam "3Cs 1"]
[BlackTeam "White Rose 1"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. O-O O-O 6. b3 a5 7. Nc3 c6 8. d4 b6
9. Nd2 Ba6 10. e4 dxc4 11. Nxc4 Ra7 12. Ne2 a4 13. Qc2 Bb5 14. Bb2 Nbd7 15.
Rfd1 Qb8 16. Ne3 Rc8 17. Nc3 a3 18. Bc1 Ba6 19. Qd2 Bb7 20. Qe1 Bf8 21. Bd2 Re8
22. Rac1 {Cagey stuff to here, but now the game opens up.} e5 23. d5 Nc5 24.
Bf1 {This allows Black some play along the h1-a8 diagonal but White is not
without counterplay.} cxd5 25. Nexd5 Nfxe4 $1 26. Nxb6 Nxc3 27. Rxc3 Ne4 $2 ({
Black missed a difficult chance here:} 27... Qd6 $1 {and Black is on the
attack. For example, if} 28. Nc4 Qc6 29. f3 e4 $1 {and White is in real
trouble.}) 28. Nd7 Qd6 $2 ({Black should be OK after} 28... Qa8 {but perhaps,
as the higher-rated player, he didn't fancy giving White a repetition with} 29.
Nb6 Qb8 {, etc.}) 29. Be3 $1 Qg6 $4 ({A disastrous move. Black was still in
the game after} 29... Qb4 30. Rc4 Qxe1 31. Rxe1 Raa8 {, though White looks a
fair bit better.}) 30. Nxf8 Rxf8 31. Bxa7 f5 ({Maybe Black had hallucinated
and thought he had something after} 31... Nxc3 32. Qxc3 Qe4 {but of course} 33.
f3 {shuts Black out and wins.}) 32. Bg2 Ra8 33. Rc7 Ba6 34. Rdd7 1-0

[Event "4NCL Division 1a"]
[Site "Hinckley Island ENG"]
[Date "2014.01.12"]
[Round "4.128"]
[White "Steil-Antoni, Fiona"]
[Black "Maduekwe, Chiedu U"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2177"]
[BlackElo "2136"]
[Annotator "Saunders,John"]
[PlyCount "55"]
[EventDate "2014.01.12"]
[WhiteTeam "Cheddleton 1"]
[BlackTeam "Wood Green HK 2"]

1. e4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e5 c5 4. b4 {I remember having this sprung on me by Ray
Keene when he was giving a simul back in 1969. It leads to some lively chess.}
cxb4 5. a3 Nc6 6. axb4 Bxb4 7. c3 Be7 8. d4 f6 9. Bd3 fxe5 10. dxe5 {One of
the points here is that Black has to develop the knight via h6. Other ways of
untangling the kingside leave various weaknesses.} Nh6 11. Bxh6 gxh6 12. O-O
O-O {This has all been played before. Black has the extra pawn but his king
position looks a bit draughty.} 13. Na3 Bd7 14. Nb5 a6 15. Nbd4 Kh8 16. Qb1 Qc7
17. Re1 Rf7 18. Nb5 Qb8 19. Nbd4 Qa7 20. Qc1 Bf8 $2 ({Black plays passively
where he could have gone for an initiative with} 20... Nxd4 21. Nxd4 Bc5 {,
followed by 22...Raf8.}) 21. Qe3 Rc8 22. Reb1 Bc5 $2 {It's now a bit too late
for this change of plan.} 23. Qxh6 Nxd4 24. Ng5 $1 ({There's no time like the
present:} 24. cxd4 Be7 {would put a dampener on White's attack.}) 24... Nf3+ ({
The only move.} 24... Rg7 {and White finishes with} 25. Nxh7 {, etc.}) 25. gxf3
Rg8 26. Kh1 Rxg5 27. Qxg5 Be7 $2 ({Black needed to swing his queen across to
the kingside with} 27... Qb8 {, though} 28. Rg1 Qf8 29. Rg2 {leaves Black with
insoluble long-term problems.}) 28. Qh5 (28. Qh5 {After} Rg7 29. Rg1 {and
White's mating attack soon breaks through.}) 1-0

[Event "4NCL Division 1a"]
[Site "Hinckley Island ENG"]
[Date "2014.01.12"]
[Round "4.141"]
[White "Snuverink, Jochem"]
[Black "Zakarian, David"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2353"]
[BlackElo "2406"]
[Annotator "Saunders,John"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "2014.01.12"]
[WhiteTeam "Kings Head 1"]
[BlackTeam "Oxford 1"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 d6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 e5 6. Nf5 {This has been
played before, notably by Karjakin and the late, great Vugar Gashimov a couple
of years ago, but it represents a fairly unorthodox approach to the Sicilian.}
Bxf5 7. exf5 Qd7 8. g4 h5 9. g5 {White gambits a pawn but gets some
compensation in terms of development and play on the light squares.} Qxf5 10.
h4 $5 ({Previously White has interpolated} 10. Be3 {here.}) 10... Nd4 11. Be3
$5 {Looks like a beginner's move, allowing a family fork on c2, but there's a
powerful point to it.} Be7 ({Black tries to throw White off balance but he
should perhaps bite the bullet:} 11... Nxc2+ 12. Kd2 Nxe3 13. Qa4+ Kd8 14. fxe3
{gives White good compensation for the two pawns but Black would still be in
the game.}) 12. Bxd4 exd4 13. Qxd4 Qe5+ 14. Qxe5 dxe5 15. O-O-O {White is
ahead in development and is going to dominate on the light squares.} a6 16. Bg2
Rb8 17. Rhe1 f6 18. Nd5 {Black's immovable knight on g8 renders his position
as good as lost.} Bc5 19. gxf6 gxf6 20. f4 $1 Bf2 21. Re2 Bxh4 22. fxe5 Bg5+
23. Kb1 f5 24. Rf1 Nh6 25. Bh3 Rf8 (25... O-O 26. Nc7 {and the e-pawn advances.
}) 26. e6 Rc8 27. Rd1 Be7 28. Bg2 f4 29. Be4 Rf6 (29... Nf5 30. Nxf4 {is
equally hopeless.}) 30. Nxf6+ Bxf6 31. Bg6+ Kf8 32. Bxh5 Rc5 33. Bf3 Rb5 34. c4
Rb4 35. b3 Nf5 36. Rd7 Be7 37. Re4 Bd6 38. Rf7+ 1-0

[Event "4NCL Division 1b"]
[Site "Hinckley Island ENG"]
[Date "2014.01.12"]
[Round "4.165"]
[White "Franklin, Samuel GA"]
[Black "Eckersley-Waites, Adam"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2306"]
[BlackElo "2285"]
[Annotator "Saunders,John"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[EventDate "2014.01.12"]
[WhiteTeam "Barbican 4NCL 1"]
[BlackTeam "Cambridge University 1"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 Nc6 8. Qd2
O-O 9. Bc4 Bd7 10. O-O-O Rc8 11. Bb3 Ne5 12. Kb1 a6 13. h4 h5 14. g4 hxg4 15.
h5 Nxh5 16. Rdg1 Qa5 17. Bh6 Bf6 18. fxg4 Bxg4 19. Bf4 e6 ({New territory at
last.} 19... Kh7 20. Qg2 e6 21. Nd5 exd5 22. Bxe5 Bxe5 23. Qxg4 Bxd4 24. Qxh5+
{led to a win for Gopal against Javakhadze a few years ago.}) 20. Bxe5 Qxe5 21.
Rxg4 Qxd4 22. Qh6 Bg7 23. Rxg6 $1 ({In truth, White has to go for it or Black
will smash through first (after, say} 23. Qg5 {), with} Rxc3 $1) 23... fxg6 24.
Bxe6+ Rf7 25. Qxg6 Rcc7 (25... Qf6 {is Black's best chance of survival:} 26.
Qxf6 Bxf6 27. Bxc8 {and he's only a pawn down.}) 26. Rxh5 Kf8 27. Bxf7 Rxf7 28.
Rf5 Bf6 $2 (28... Rxf5 29. Qxf5+ Ke7 {is not as bad as it looks.}) 29. a3 b5
30. e5 $1 1-0

[Event "4NCL Division 1b"]
[Site "Hinckley Island ENG"]
[Date "2014.01.12"]
[Round "4.183"]
[White "Mangione, Claudio"]
[Black "Hambleton, Aman"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2178"]
[BlackElo "2481"]
[Annotator "Saunders,John"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "3r2k1/1pq4p/3Npb2/2PbNpp1/1P1p1P2/2nP2P1/6BP/R3Q1K1 b - - 0 30"]
[PlyCount "24"]
[EventDate "2014.01.12"]
[WhiteTeam "Grantham Sharks 2"]
[BlackTeam "Guildford 2"]

30... gxf4 $2 ({Black tries to slip in a pawn capture but he should probably
have played} 30... Bxg2 31. Kxg2 {and then given up the exchange for a pawn
with} Rxd6 32. cxd6 Qxd6 {, which gives him some sort of chance.}) 31. Nef7 $1
{Now the two knights cooperate effectively in the midst of Black's position.}
f3 32. Bxf3 $1 Bxf3 (32... Rf8 33. Bxd5 exd5 34. Qe6 {is hopeless.}) 33. Nxd8
e5 34. Ne6 Qb8 35. Qf2 e4 36. dxe4 fxe4 {Momentarily the black pawn centre
looks menacing, but White can dismantle it easily.} 37. Nxe4 $1 Nxe4 38. Qxf3
Qe5 39. Nf4 Nc3 40. Ra8+ Kf7 41. Qxb7+ Be7 42. Qf3 1-0

