Merry Christmas to All People of Goodwill!

In the Christmas time we should postpone the rattling of weapons and start to think about more spiritual matters.
Let me thank to all readers of this website for their interest, let me wish you Merry Christmas....
And I cannot imagine better music for this particular occassion than Missa solemnis Festis Nativitatis D. J. Ch. accommodata in linguam bohemicam musikamque redacta – que redacta per Jac. Joa. Ryba - sorry for my Latin. 
The English translation is Czech Christmas Mass or according to its opening words, it is also known as Hail, Master! or Hey, Master! (in Czech: Hej, mistře!) and the composer was Jakub Šimon Jan Ryba (26 October 1765 – 8 April 1815). He wrote his famous work in 1796.
I hope you will like this work as much as I do despite that lyrics of this mass is written in Czech language.
Please, do enjoy this opus.

Lincolnshire Chess Association - Minor Counties Competition 2012-13

Lincolnshire Chess Association - Minor Counties Competition 2012-13:

You can download all available games of this match in pgn format from here.

Ivanchuk missed mate in one in Blitz!

This is something what you can't see every day. And I found this video in my timeline on Facebook!
The fact that even grandmaster of Ivanchuk's calibre can miss the mate in one is surprising and very unchareacteristical. On the other hand this fact just proves that even GM's are ordinary mortals and humans.
Simply said: "Nobody's perfect!"

Lincolnshire vs Leicestershire, part three: Labour of Hercules

At this point I have to skip what happened on the board 10 because so far I have not received this game and I will proceed to the board 11.

11. Ivan David vs Karl Potter

Playing White I chose for rather unambitious opening known as London System. This is something very common at the club level and I have mentioned some strategies in my previous posts. Karl opted for non-nonsense approach and immediately challenged my dark-squared Bishop. Then he decided to exchanged bishops. His strategy led to the blocked position  where my very good Knight played against his very bad Bishop. I tried to employ the principle of two weaknesses, alas, this position was bullet-proof. Draw in better position was very sad but inevitable result.

Kevin MCarthy (right) and I fighting abreast.

12. Steve Wylie vs Kevin McCarthy

I am not sure whether Steve was inspired by the game on board 11, however, both player reached the same position in the London system. Steve had a different opinion how to play this line and avoided dark-squared Bishop swap by playing 5.Ne5, but Kevin did not protest to give up his Bishop pair and swapped the Knight for his Bishop! After some other simplifications the position arising can be characterised as a balanced. Two Bishop vs better pawn structure.
Kevin finally obtained two passed-pawns on the Queen-side for the price of weakening the position of his King.
Before time control both players made several mistakes and draw was agreed in position which was worse (if not even lost) for Black. Make opinion for yourself.
Good luck was on the Lincolnshire side this time!




13. Alastair Summers vs Jim Miller

Duch defence was chosen by Jim Miller and the game was equal till the move 13 (!) when Alastair overlooked a fork which cost him an exchange.
He had continued fighting but his position was objectively lost. Jim however, was not perhaps happy with his position and material advantage because he offered draw in move 28 which was immediately accepted. The question is: Which position should be played for win if not a position with an exchange up like this?


14. Greg Adcock vs Stuart Macdonald

Sicilian defence in the "Dragon" style had been played where Black kept his King surprisingly in the centre of the board and very uncharacteristically he attacked the White King with h-pawn! Rather wild game with tactical clashes where Stuart kept his opponent in the bay... Just enjoy the game and it was another full point for Lincolnshire.

15. Denis Georgiou vs Mike Cowley

In the first 14 moves, in the game which started like Giuoco Piano, both players weakened position around their Kings. Denis by his "sortie" h3-g4 and Mike when he allowed the exchange of Knight for Bishop on f6. 
Then Denis perhaps should have gone after opponent's King with Qd2 planing some activities on the king-side. 
He swapped his lovely centralised Knight for Bishop on b6. He remained with bad Bishop first, and he allowed Mike to launch some attack on the king-side by h-pawn. The dark squares around his King were rather weak. Then he overlooked a tactical trick which cost him a central pawn. 
Finally both players exchanged most of pieces and went into the rook and pawns ending where Denis was a pawn down and passive. The end  of White King was inevitable.





16. Philip Harlow vs Graham Ladds

A classical line of Caro-Kann was played in solid but not very exciting fashion. One simplification after another led to dead draw pawn ending. White got more space but he could not break very solid Black defence. Very solid performance by Graham.

Lincolnshire vs Leicestershire, part two: Show must go on!

5. Steve Prior vs John Denton

Steve Prior (left) vs John Denton

Steve’s game is another example of lost chance for full point. And again it was a shortage of theoretical knowledge in the arena of endings which was behind this failure.

Steve played fantastic game, but then both players reached the rook and pawns ending and we had witnessed enormous difficulties on both sides. It was like a roller-coaster ride. Finally the game ended up in theoretically “dead” draw position with rook and a-pawn against rook.

6. Andy Morely vs Sam Milson

Sam played opening very well. French defence and surprisingly enough another Advance variation was played. Sam went for different set-up against 6.a3 line. He achieved better position and then ... he simply blundered. The rest of game was just the matter of technique.





7. David Coates vs Ray Burgess

Queen's Gambit declined, Exchange variation main line was played and the game had been ballanced long time. Then both players reached the ending with four Bishops on the board but White had a distant passed pawn.
Under pressure Ray made a mistake.




8. Brian Galligan vs Harry Russell

Harry playing Black had prepared some very difficult moments for his opponent. Playing Grünfeld Indian he got better position, however, as it were emblematic for this match, he did not find the way how to turn his advantage into the final victory. Another good performance and another chance missed.




9. Nigel Birtwistle vs Chino Nwachukwu

Sicilian defence was played and Nigel chose for Alapin variation. His opponent went for sharper set-up with 2...d5. Nigel offered a simplification and in my humble opinion he bamboozled his opponent completely. Black's set-up with castling long looks aggressive, however, it seems to be dubious a bit. According to MegaBase 2013 only 8 games was played in this line with stunning score for White - 75%. 
Chino decided to call it a day in 24 moves! Have look at such an "innocuous" opening! Well done Nigel.

Fat years, lean years: Lincolnshire vs Leicestershire 9:7

"Thanks to everyone who played in yesterday's match. It was a superb effort by all of the players to inflict a defeat on a Leicestershire team who always have close matches with. This time however the match was won well before the last game had finished and the winning margin of 9-7 was well deserved. The Leicestershire captain told me after the game that he thought that the result flattered them a little and that we could have won by an even wider margin. So well done to everyone for making it three wins from our first three matches. ..."

This is a fragment of an e-mail circulated by team captain Nigel Birtwistle after the match with Leicestershire.

GM Mark Hebden

This team has been a Nemesis of the Lincolnshire Team for several years when we  kept on losing one tough match after another.
And this time Leicester team came to Lincoln with the team beefed up even by GM Mark Hebden!
Match was again very tough and Lincolnshire finally gained two points margin and beat its traditional rival 9:7!

Midland Counties Chess Union COUNTY MATCH RESULT FORM

Section:  Minor Counties
Home Team: Lincolnshire					Away Team: Leicestershire
Venue: North Hykeham					Date: 15th December 2012
Team having white on odd boards:  Lincolnshire					Result reported by:  Nigel Birtwistle
Board	ECF Code	Grade	Home team players’ names	Score	Score	Away Team players’ names	Grade	ECF Code
1	129719D	E197	Andrew Dyce	0	1	Mark Hebden	244	112455K
2	103734B	196	Paul Cumbers	1	0	Alan Byron	193	107857E
3	280840H	193	Claudio Mangione	1	0	Martin Burrows	191	125697L
4	119629H	189	Nick Stead	½	½	Graham Sharpe	196	118781J
5	263507A	186	Steven Prior	½	½	John Denton	190	109613J
6	247736J	185	Samuel Milson	0	1	Andy Morley	173	115787F
7	222105G	183	David Coates	1	0	Ray Burgess	173	107674H
8	216825L	179	Harry Russell	½	½	Brian Galligan	181	287350D
9	106801F	178	Nigel Birtwistle	1	0	Chino Nwachukwu	172	275461H
10	116655E	171	Keith Palmer	½	½	Sean Sheahan	157	118836H
11	772821E	167	Ivan David	½	½	Karl Potter	160	265676A
12	244268B	167	Kevin McCarthy	½	½	Steve Wylie	161	104886H
13	270555C	163	Alastair Summers	½	½	Jim Miller	152	116818G
14	277721G	155	Stuart Macdonald	1	0	Greg Adcock	152	130161F
15	111157H	152	Denis Georgiou	0	1	Mike Cowley	147	108975E
16	113979E	147	Graham Ladds	½	½	Philip Harlow	147	112212C
				9	7

The margin could have been even bigger, alas, several Lincolnshire players failed to turn an advantage into the final victory.
Let's have look what happened on the boards.

1. Andrew Dyce vs GM Mark Hebden

Andy (left) and GM Hebden (right)

Andy playing White on the top board had very difficult position. GM Mark Hebden is  recognised specialist in the Open Games. In Exchange variation of Ruy Lopez both players followed theory till move 14 and then Andy came up with certain novelty. Having opened the position, Mark Hebden quickly exploited the advantage of his Bishop pair. His pieces were nicely centralised and well coordinated.... There is not much to say.




2. Alan Byron vs Paul Cumbers

Paul Cumbers

French Defence, Advance Variation was played and Paul displayed modern treatment with ...Nh6 without early ...Bd7. He kept his King in the centre and launched a king-side attack which was very difficult to parry.
Alan Byron was not very happy with the passive defence so he tried to seek some counter-play on the queen-side, however, with the centre blocked Black pieces were bearing down the king-side and finally Paul came up with lovely exchange sac.




3. Claudio Mangione vs Martin Burrows

Claudio, Martin, Nick Stead and Steve Prior

English opening was played and Claudio got the edge once his opponent castled queen-side. Battle was very creative from both sides but the Black had a big problem: Black King's safety.


 

4. Graham Sharpe vs Nick Stead

Against his higher rated opponent Nick had played an excellent chess. In French Defence, and again Advance variation was played, he overplayed his opponent, gained an ominously looking passed pawns and finally he turned this positional advantage into decisive material advantage. Unfortunately this means that he entered into the ending King, Bishop and Knight vs King and the problem was how to deliver the mate. The theory of this ending in details you can find here.
Alas, Nick did not find the right way of checkmating and finally the draw was agreed. However, he was very close and at certain point he achieved the basic - theoretically well known - wining position.
Now have a look at this game in two parts. First part finishes at the point where Nick obtained massive advantage. And like first movement of a symphony we can call this part an "Ecstasy".




And now, movement two, a "Desperation"



The good thing was that the match had been already decided so this nerve-raking finale was just a fun and an excitement for the kibitzers.