Gambit Chess Club

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. g3 O-O 6. Bg2 White has played a very poor move order. This allows black to play Nc6 and e5 at least equalising. Black was going to play this but picked up the wrong piece. 6... c6 7. Nge2 Nbd7 8. O-O Rb8 A good move preparing b5. If white plays a4 the a5 gives black control of c5 for a knight. 9. b4 b5 10. c5 White decided on b4 and c5 since black's white squared bishop may become blocked. 10... Qc7 11. h3?! This must be wrong since it may or may not be needed whereas Qc2 must be played. So Qc2 and then see black's plan. 11... dxc5 12. dxc5 Rd8 13. Qc2 Ne5 14. Rb1 Nc4 A good solid sensible plan. The knight is secure and threatens d2 and a3 forks. 15. f4 e5 16. f5 Again trying to limit the bishop on c8. 16... a5 17. a3 h5!! A very good move limiting white's plan of g4, Ng3 and Qe2 steadily improving white's position. 18. a4? Since white has not got an obvious plan I decided to play a4. Although good alternatives are not clear they are better than this tactically weak move. Kh2 waiting would be better. 18... axb4 19. Rxb4 Qe7 Of course! 20. Kh2 Qxc5 21. Qb3 Bf8 22. Na2 Qa7 22... gxf5! 23. axb5 Be6 24. exf5 Nd2 wins for black. 23. fxg6 Bxb4 24. Nxb4 Rd6! I missed that one! 25. Bg5 Qxa4 26. Qf3?? And the Nd2 fork after Bxf6 26... fxg6 27. Bxf6 Nd2 28. Qf2 Nxf1+ 29. Bxf1 Qxb4 30. Be7 Be6? 30... Bd7!! wins simply but black was down to about 2 minutes for six moves and the move played seems obvious. 31. Qf6 Qxe4 32. Bxd6 Bd5 33. g4 Re8 33... h4!! seen instantly by Daniel in the post mortem wins simply. If Kg1 then Rb7 to f7 wins. 34. Ng3 Qc2+ 35. Kg1 Bf7? Last move before the time control and Daniel makes the safe move, possibly overlooking that Qc5+ does not win the bishop. Amazingly for white his pieces co-ordinate reasonably. 36. Bxe5 Kf8 37. gxh5 37. Nf5!! was a nice idea I didn't see worked. I saw if black recaptures on h5 then Nf5 wins and if not the h pawn is a winner. 37... Re6 38. Qg7+ Ke7 39. h6 Qc5+ 40. Bd4 Qg5 41. Kg2 Qd2+ 42. Bf2 Qd5+ 43. Kg1 Rf6 44. Bg2 Qd2 Black lost on time. 1-0 [Michael Barnes]

1. Nc3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. Bg5 e6 4. Nf3 White could transpose to a French Defence by playing e4 here. 4... Nbd7 5. e3 c5 6. Be2 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. b3 Re8 9. Bf4 a6 10. Bd3 b5 11. dxc5 Nxc5 12. Ne2 Bb7 13. Ned4 h6 14. Rc1 Bd6 15. Bxd6 Qxd6 16. Be2 e5 17. Nf5 Qe6 18. Ng3 Rad8 19. Qe1 Nce4 20. Qb4 Nxg3 21. hxg3 d4 22. exd4 Bxf3 23. Bxf3 Rxd4 24. Qc3 Rc8 25. Qe3 Nd5 26. Bxd5 Qxd5 27. Rfe1 f6 28. Kh2 h5 29. Re2 h4 30. f3 Taking the pawn would give black control of the h-file. 30... hxg3+ 31. Kxg3 g5 32. Rh1 Kg7 33. Qc1 e4 34. fxe4 Not a good move, but black has taken control of the game, making it hard to find one. 34.Qe3 could be met with b4 and the threat of Rc3 to follow, white is forced to play 35.c4 with the en-passant capture giving black a dangerous passed pawn. 34... Rxe4 Rc3+ would be better. 35. Rd2 A dreadful move, but white's position was already hopeless. 35... Rc3+ Black misses the chance to mate! 35... Qe5+ 36. Kf2 Rf4+ 37. Kg1 Qe3+ 38. Rf2 Qxf2+ 39. Kh2 Rh4# 36. Kf2 Qc5+ 36... Qf5+ 37. Kg1 Rce3 is even better. 37. Kf1 Rf4+ 38. Ke1 Re3+ 39. Kd1 Qc6 Incredibly, black lets white off the hook 39... Qf5 40. c3 Rf1+ 41. Rxf1 Qxf1+ 42. Kc2 Rxc3+ 43. Kxc3 Qxc1+ was the last chance to force a quick win. 40. Qb1 Rg3 41. c4 The best move here and also sets a trap which black misses. 41... Rxg2 A fatal blunder, Re4 looks best, Rh4 is also possible. 42. Qh7+ Kf8 43. Rd8+ Qe8 44. Rxe8+ 44. Qh8+ not only wins the queen outright, but also gives the quickest mate 44... Kf7 45. Qxe8+ Kg7 46. Rd7# 44... Kxe8 45. Re1+ Kd8 46. Qe7+ Kc8 47. Qc5+ Kb8 48. Re8+ Kb7 49. Qc8+ White misses another mate! 49. Re7+ Kb8 50. Qb6+ Kc8 51. Qc7# 49... Kb6 50. c5+ And another! 50. Qd8+ Kc5 51. Qe7+ Kb6 52. Rb8+ Kc6 53. Rc8+ Kb6 54. Qc7# 50... Ka5 51. a3 Rff2 Black could attempt to struggle 51... Rg1+ 52. Re1 Rd4+ 53. Kc2 Rc4+ 54. Kb2 Rg2+ 55. Kb1 Rb2+ 56. Kxb2 Rc2+ 57. Kxc2 but will eventually run out of checks 57... b4 58. Qc7+ Kb5 59. Qb6# 52. Qc7# 1-0 [Ian Fillingham]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. g3 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. d4 c6 6. Bg5 Bg2 is the usual move here, but with black's pawns blocking the long diagonal it is worth trying a different move order. 6... Be7 7. Nf3 Bf5 8. Bg2 Nbd7 9. O-O h6 10. Bxf6 Nxf6 11. Ne5 O-O 12. e3 Qc7 13. Rc1 Rad8 14. Qb3 Qb8 15. Nb1 Bd6 16. f4 Ne4 17. Bxe4 Bxe4 18. Nd2 Bh7 19. Rfe1 f6 There is no need to drive the knight away immediately, it may be better to look for play on the queenside. Bc7 intending Ba5 is one possibility. 20. Nef3 Kh8 21. a4 White may consider opening the centre here: 21. e4 dxe4 22. Nxe4 Bg8 However, the isolated d-pawn and open king do not look promising. 21... a5 22. Kf2 Rfe8 23. Nf1 Re7 24. Re2 Rde8 25. Nh4 Qc8 26. Ng2 Bb4 27. Qd1 Qg4 28. b3 Be4 29. Nd2 Qh3 Black had been steadily building an advantage, but this is a mistake. Allowing the capture of the light squared bishop makes it easier for white to stand his ground, moving it away (e.g. d3 or g6) or capturing Bxd2 would maintain the pressure. 30. Nxe4 Rxe4 31. Kg1 Qe6 32. Qd3 Bd6 33. Rf1 Bc7 34. Rfe1 Bb6 35. Qd2 Qe7 36. Kf2 Qd8 37. Qc3 R8e7 38. Qd3 Qe8 39. Qc2 Qh5 40. h4 f5 41. Qd1 R7e6 42. Rd2 Qf7 43. Rde2 Bc7 44. Qc2 Bd6 45. Qc1 Bb4 46. Rd1 Qe7 47. Rd3 Qe8 48. Qc2 1/2-1/2 [Ian Fillingham]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. Nf3 Nf6 7. h4 h6 8. h5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 Nbd7 11. Be3 11.Bf4 is usual here, but after 11... Qa5+ 12.Bd2 the same position is reached. An interesting alternative would be 11.Bd2. 11... Qa5+ 12. Bd2 Qb5 12...Qc7 would be stronger for black, avoiding the doubled pawns. 13. Qxb5 cxb5 14. O-O e6 15. Rfe1 Bd6 16. Ne5 O-O 17. Re2 17. Nxd7 Nxd7 18. Ne4 Be7 19. d5 Rfd8 20. dxe6 fxe6 may be a better line for white. 17... Rfe8 18. Rae1 Bc7 19. f4 Nxe5 20. fxe5 Nd5 21. Ne4 a5 This move weakens the doubled pawns. 22. a3 Bb6 23. c3 Rab8 23...Re7 or 23..b4 would be better. 24. Nd6 Rf8 25. Nxb5 Bd8 26. Rf1 Bg5 27. Nd6 Bxd2 28. Rxd2 Ne3 28...b5 was needed, now white has a comfortable endgame. 29. Rf3 Nf5 30. Nxf5 exf5 31. Rxf5 Rbe8 32. Kh2 g6 33. hxg6 fxg6 34. Rxf8+ Kxf8 35. g4 Ke7 36. Rf2 Rg8 37. c4 Rd8 38. d5 Rc8 39. Rc2 Rf8 40. Kg3 Rf1 41. Kg2 Re1 42. e6 Re4 43. Kf3 Rd4 44. Rc3 a4 45. b3 axb3 46. Rxb3 Rxc4 47. Rxb7+ 1-0 [Ian Fillingham]