Hampshire Congress 2004 Round 5

Hampshire Chess Association

Founded 1890

Hampshire Congress 2004 Round Five

Round five saw the two leaders clash, with Tony Corkett and John Wheeler both having 3½ points from four games. This was the same pairing as in round three last year, but this time Tony opened c4, rather than e4. John had a nice position, but was tempted into a complicated exchange, which left him worse off. Tony converted his advantage into a win, which meant that he went into the last round with a ½ point lead over 2nd place.

In this position Tony has just played 13.f3 and John went into the complications of 13..Nxe3 and then 14..f6, which did not work out too well. If instead John had just retreated with 13..Nf6 he would not have stood worse.

(Corkett,Anthony (205) - Wheeler,John Francis (178) [D45]

Hants Congress Eastleigh, Southampton (5), 31.10.2004

1.c4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.cxd5 exd5 7.Qc2 [RR 7.Be2 Bd6 8.0–0 0–0 9.b3 Re8 10.Bb2 Nf8 11.Qc2 Bg4 12.Rfe1 Qc7 13.h3 Bh5 14.Rac1 Ne6 15.Qd1 Qe7 16.Nd2 Bg6 17.Bf3 Ng5 18.Nf1 Qd7 19.Qd2 Nxf3+ 20.gxf3 Qxh3 21.f4 Ne4 Iemmi,J-Maupin,V/Le Grand Bornand 2003/EXT 2004/0–1] 7...Be7 8.Bd3 0–0N 9.0–0 Re8 10.Ne5 Nf8 11.Ne2 Bd6 12.f4 Ng4 13.h3 Nxe3 [13...Nf6] 14.Bxe3 f6 15.Rf3 fxe5 16.fxe5 Be7 17.Raf1 Be6 18.Nf4 Bg5 19.Kh1 Bxf4 20.Rxf4 Qe7 21.a3 Rec8 22.b4 a5 23.Bd2 a4 24.Qd1 b5 25.Qc2 Rc7 26.Be3 Rac8 27.R4f2 h6 28.Rf3 g5 29.Rf6 Qg7 30.h4 Bf7 31.Bf5 Rd8 32.hxg5 hxg5 33.Kg1 Be8 34.Qd2 Nh7 35.Bxh7+ Kxh7 36.Bxg5 Rdc8 37.Qd3+ Bg6 38.Qh3+ Kg8 39.Qe6+ Kh7 40.R1f3 1–0

Second place was held by one player only, as Michael Yeo defeated Jeremy Fraser-Mitchell, who at one stage was so surprised by one of Michael's move that he made an rather loud statement. I will let Michael explain it as this round's highlighted game is this one, which has been annotated by the winner.

All Round Five Games

Fraser Mitchell,Jeremy M (179) - Yeo,Michael J (189) [D24]
Hants Congress Eastleigh, Southampton (5), 31.10.2004
[Yeo Michael J]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.e3 e5 6.d5 e4 7.dxc6 [The last time I had this position (over 20 years ago against a player rated 208) White played 7.Ng5 Ne5 8.Bxc4?? when we both overlooked that Black could win a piece with 8...Nxc4 9.Qa4+ Nd7 ] 7...Qxd1+ 8.Kxd1 exf3 9.gxf3 bxc6 10.Bxc4 Bd6N [RR 10...Nd7 11.b3 Nb6 12.Bd3 a5 13.Bb2 Ba6 14.Bxa6 Rxa6 15.Rg1 f6 16.Kc2 Kf7 17.Rad1 Be7 18.h4 Raa8 19.h5 Rhd8 20.e4 c5 21.e5 c4 22.e6+ Kxe6 23.Rxd8 cxb3+ 24.axb3 Rxd8 25.Rxg7 Ivanov,M-Riff,J/Mulhouse 2002/EXT 2003/1/2-1/2 (45)] 11.b3 Bh3 12.Ke2 Nd7 13.f4 g5?! This produced an outburst from my opponent: "What the f*** is going on here?" which I took to mean that my move was a surprise to him! At the time I felt quite happy that I had successfully randomised the position, but I had underestimated the serious weakening to the a1-h8 diagonal 14.fxg5 Ne5 15.f4 Nxc4 16.bxc4 Be6 17.c5! Bxc5 18.Bb2 [18.Ne4! Be7 19.Bb2 0-0 20.Nf6+ Bxf6 21.Bxf6+/- ] 18...Rb8 19.Na4 [19.Rhb1 Bc4+ 20.Kf2 Bd3 21.Na4 Bxb1 22.Bxh8+/= ] 19...0-0 20.Bf6 Ba3 21.Kf2 Rb4 22.Nc5 Bd5 23.Rhd1 Rc4 24.Nd7 Rc2+ 25.Kg3 Re8 26.Be5 Be7 27.a4 Rd8?! [27...Rg2+ 28.Kh3 Re2=/+ ] 28.Nf6+ Bxf6 29.Bxf6 [29.gxf6 Kh8?! 30.e4 Rg8+ 31.Kf3 Bb3 32.f5+/= ] 29...Re8 30.Be5 f6?! [30...Rg2+ 31.Kh3 Rxg5!? 32.fxg5 Rxe5© ; 30...h6 31.h4 (31.gxh6 Kh7~~ ) 31...hxg5 32.hxg5 f6 33.gxf6 Kf7 34.e4 Bxe4 35.Rd7+ Ke6 36.Re7+ Rxe7 37.fxe7 Kxe7= ] 31.gxf6 Kf7 32.e4 [32.h3!? Rg2+ 33.Kh4 Reg8 34.e4 (34.Rxd5 cxd5 35.Rc1 Rc8 36.Rc6© ) 34...R8g6 35.Kh5 R2g3 36.h4 Bxe4 37.Rd7+ Kg8= (37...Ke6 38.Re7+ Kf5 39.Rf1+- ) ] 32...Bxe4 33.Rd7+ Ke6 34.Rxc7 [34.Re7+ Rxe7 35.fxe7 Kxe7= ; 34.Rg7! Rd8 35.Rg1+/- ] 34...Rg2+ 35.Kh3 [35.Kh4!? Rxh2+ 36.Kg3 Rg2+ 37.Kh4= ] 35...Rd8 The position should now be drawn, but time-trouble causes a succession of mutual blunders. 36.Rg7? [36.Re7+ Kf5 37.Bd4 Rxd4 38.Rxe4 Rdd2 39.f7= ] 36...Re2?? [36...Rd3+ 37.Rg3 (37.Kh4 Rxh2+ 38.Kg4 Bf5+ 39.Kg5 h6# ) 37...Rgd2-+ ] 37.Rag1?? [37.Re7+ Kf5 38.Rg1 Rd3+ 39.Rg3 Rxg3+ 40.Kxg3 Rg2+ 41.Kh4+- ; 37.Ra3 Rdd2 38.Re7+ Kf5 39.Kh4 Rxh2+ 40.Rh3 Rxh3+ 41.Kxh3+- ; 37.Kg4 h5+ 38.Kh3 Bf5+ 39.Kg3 h4+ 40.Kf3 Rdd2 41.Re7+ Kd5 42.Rd1= ] 37...Bf5+ 38.Kh4 Rxh2+ 39.Kg3 Rh3+? [39...Rdd2-+ ] 40.Kf2 Rd2+ 41.Ke1 Rhh2 The time control reached, White not unreasonably used up over 15 of his remaining 20 minutes on this move, but unfortunately produced 42.f7?? which allows checkmate in 9 [At the time I was concerned about 42.Re7+ Kd5 43.Bc3 Rc2 44.Kd1 (44.Re5+ Kc4 45.Kd1 Kxc3 (45...Rxc3 46.f7 Bc2+ 47.Ke1 Rd3-+ ) 46.Rc5+ Kb2 47.Rxc2+ Bxc2+ 48.Ke1 Rh6-+ ) 44...Rxc3 45.f7 Bc2+ 46.Ke1 Bd3 (46...Bxa4 47.Re2 Rc1+ 48.Kd2 Rc2+ 49.Kd3 Rhxe2 50.Rg5+ Ke6 51.f8Q Bb5+ 52.Rxb5 Rcd2+ (52...cxb5 53.Qg8+=/+ ) 53.Kc3 cxb5 54.Qg8+ Kf5 55.Qxh7+ Kxf4 56.Qh4+=/+ ) 47.Rd7+ Ke6 48.Rxd3 Rc1+ 49.Rd1 Rxd1+ 50.Kxd1 Kxf7-/+ which ought to be winning; But the best defence must be 42.R1g3!? stopping bishop checks on the third rank 42...Ra2 (42...Rde2+ 43.Kf1 (43.Kd1 Ref2 44.Ke1 Rc2 45.Kd1 Ra2 46.f7 Rh1+ 47.Rg1 Rxg1+ 48.Rxg1 Kxf7 49.Rg7+ Ke6 50.Rxa7 h5-/+ ) 43...Ra2 (43...Rc2 44.Kg1 Rhd2 45.Rg2 Rxg2+ 46.Rxg2 Rxg2+ 47.Kxg2 c5=/+ ) 44.f7 Rh1+ 45.Rg1 Bd3+ 46.Ke1 Rxg1+ 47.Rxg1 Kxf7 48.Rg7+ Ke6 49.Rxa7 h5 50.Ra8 Kf5=/+ ) 43.f7 Rh1+ 44.Rg1 Rxg1+ 45.Rxg1 Kxf7 46.Rg7+ Ke6 47.Rxa7 h5=/+ and in all cases the presence of opposite coloured bishops makes winning very difficult.] 42...Rhe2+ 43.Kf1 Bd3 44.f8Q Promoting to a N allows the black king to escape via f5 and e4 44...Rd1# 0-1

Further down both myself and Les Allen were please to draw against higher graded opponents and Joe Coburn got back on track with a win against Fraser McLeod.

White	Grade	Res	Black	Grade	Res
A.Corkett	205	1	J.F.Wheeler	178	0
J.Fraser-Mitchell	179	0	M.Yeo	189	1
G.Stuart	141	½	D.Cordner	176	½
L.Allen	141	½	K.Esmat	174	½
G.Lock	175	1	D.R.Tunks	177	0
R.McMaster	162	1	S.Khoo	148	0
F.N.McLeod	155	0	J.Coburn	145	1
P.Williams	120	½	D.Holmes	123	½
C.Klein	139	0	I.Matthew	131	1

Going into the last round the leader board looked like:

Score after 5 rounds

Name	Score
A.Corkett	4½
M.Yeo	4
J.F.Wheeler	3½
G.Lock	3½
5 players on	3