Played at All Saints Church, Childs Hill, London NW2 on 24 February 2024 on board 14 in the SCCU Open category county match between Middlesex and Surrey
This was a game of high drama played in a crucial encounter between Middlesex and Surrey. Middlesex had home advantage and a substantial ratings plus, but the Surrey players performed superbly and ran out winners in the 16-board match by 9.5 to 6.5. That meant Surrey ended the regional stage of the county championships top of the table, unbeaten on 6/6, and progressed to the quarter-finals against qualifiers from other regions. This was a rollercoaster encounter between Peter Andrews (pictured), playing for Surrey, and his Middlesex counterpart Christopher Skulte. Peter said he felt dizzy by the end, while Chris admitted there were times in the game when he found it difficult to breathe. Remind me why we play chess when we could be relaxing on a Saturday afternoon.
Peter Andrews
Christopher Skulte
Middlesex v Surrey (Open category)14
February 24, 2024 – All Saints Church, Childs Hill
Annotated by Peter Andrews
1.c4e52.e3Nf63.a3d54.cxd5Nxd55.Nf3Bd66.Qc2O-O7.b4c68.Bb2Qe79.Nc3Nxc310.Qxc3An interesting decision. Bxc3 would be more usual, envisaging a possible Qb2 to follow, piling up on the e-pawn. But I’d seen the Qxc3 idea in a previous game – the point is that the e-pawn is now pinned against a mate threat, so Black cannot play e4 even if it hits a piece.10…Nd711.Bc4Kh812.h4The game starts here. 12. O-O would be normal and level. I thought that if I “did nothing”, my advantage in development would count for nothing and Black could gain space in the centre with say f6 or f5 (guarding against the mate on g7) and then e4. So I went for a more aggressive idea, giving the knight potential squares at g5 or h4 if it gets hit by e4. Of course kingside castling goes off the agenda for a while.12…f5As sometimes happens, an aggressive move, even if not best, prompts a mistake. I had expected f6 to anchor the e-pawn and protect g7. h6 was also better. This looks like a standard attacking plan for White in the Sicilian, and White must now look out for both e4 and f4. But it is too loose.13.h5Rf614.Nh4A (small) missed opportunity. I had in mind a plan with which I have won several blitz games: 15. Ng6 hxg6 16. hxg6 mate! Of course Black can give up the exchange instead with 15… Rxg6. But Black has another defence to that threat. Even better was 14. h6, a pawn sacrifice (which was therefore harder to play psychologically). If 14… gxh6 play might go 15. O-O-O Kg7 16. d4 e4 17. d5 exf3 18. dxc6 bxc6 19. gxf3 Be5 20. Rxd7 Bxd7 21. Qxe5 Qxe5 22. Bxe5 and White regains the exchange with Black still tied up. Or 14… Rxh6 15. Rxh6 gxh6 16. d4 e4 17. d5+ Nf6 and White will come out at least a piece ahead.14.h6Rxh614…gxh615.O-O-Oe415…b516.d4bxc417.dxe5Nxe518.Nxe515…Kg716.d4e417.d5exf318.dxc6bxc619.gxf3Be520.Rxd7Bxd721.Qxe5Qxe522.Bxe5Rf822…Be823.f4Bg623…Rd824.e4Rd625.Bxf6+Rxf626.e5Rf827.Kd2Bg628.Ke315.Rxh6gxh616.d4e417.d5+Nf618.Qxf6+Qxf619.Bxf6+Kg820.dxc6+Kf814…Nf815.d4This seemed intuitive, but gives up much of the advantage. 15 f4 was better, again with pawn sacrifices: 15… exf4 16. O-O-O fxe3 17. Qxe3 Qxe3 18. dxe3 Be7 19. Bxf6 and White is the exchange up and in control.15.f4exf416.O-O-Ofxe317.Qxe3Qxe317…Be618.Rde1Qf719.h6Bxc420.hxg7+Qxg721.Nxf518.dxe3Rh618…Be719.Bxf6gxf620.Rhe1Bd721.h6b522.Bb3Be623.Bxe6Nxe619.Ng6+hxg620.hxg6Rh221.Rxh2+Bxh222.Rd8Bd623.Rxd6Bd724.Rf6b525.Bb3c526.Rf7Nxg627.Rxg7c415…e416.O-O-OBe617.Kb1A mistake which allowed Black to block the attack with Bd5, after which he would have had the advantage. The right move was 17. d5 cxd5 18. h6 Rxh6 (or 18… dxc4 19. hxg7+ Kxg7 20. Rxd6 and if 20…Qxd6 21 Qxf6 mates) 19. Nxf5 Bxf5 20. Rxh6 and if dxc4 21. Rhxd6 and White again comes out the exchange up. Perhaps characteristic of caveman chess that the rather random rook on h6 suddenly coordinates with the one on d1.17.d5cxd518.h6Rxh618…dxc419.hxg7+Kxg720.Rxd619.Nxf5Bxf520.Rxh6dxc420…Ng621.Rxd517…Bxc418.Qxc4a5Black has been wating to counter on the queenside.19.d5Be5Black should have played axb4, when the right reply would not have been 20. Bxf6 Qxf6 (I envisaged getting mated on a1 in these lines), but rather 20. h6.19…axb420.Bxf620.h6bxa320…Be521.hxg7+Kxg722.d6Qe621.hxg7+Qxg722.Bc3Qg522…a2+23.Ka1Be724.f4Ra325.Bb2Rxe326.Nxf5Rxf527.Bxg7+Kxg728.Kxa2Ra3+29.Kb1cxd530.Rxd5Rxf420…Qxf620.d6Probably the move in the game I was most proud of, since the pawn appears to be placing itself en prise to three different pieces when it could have unblocked with dxc6. But of course the bishop on e5 is pinned against the rook, and if Rxd6 21. Rxd6 Qxd6 22. Ng6+ Nxg6 23. hxg6 and Black has to go Qxg6 concediing the bishop on e5 to avoid mate, 23 … h6 24. Bxe5 Qe5 25. Qf7 threatening 26. Rxh6 gxh6 27. Qh7 mate.20…Qe620…Rxd621.Rxd621.Nxf5Rxd1+22.Rxd1Qf622…Qg523.Nd623.Qf7Bxb224.Kxb2Qf6+25.Qxf6gxf623.Nd621…Qxd622.Ng6+Nxg623.hxg6h623…Qxg624.Bxe5axb425.Qxb4Qxg226.Rd124.Bxe5Qxe525.Qf721.Qxe6Rxe622.Nxf5So the fireworks pause with White having won a pawn and having temporarily established a passed pawn in the heart of the enemy camp. But now it is Black’s turn for some fun.22…axb423.axb4Nd724.Kc2I was worried about 24 …. Ra4 and taking on b4. But White could have played 24 f4. If 24… Bxb2 25. Kxb2 the king is in time to get to b3 to hold the queenside. If 24…. exf3 25. gxf3 Ra4 26. Rh4 – the preceding moves have opened up the fourth rank for White to defend b4 with the rook. This sort of visualisation is sadly beyond my skillset.24.f4exf325.gxf3Ra424…Ra224…Rf625.g4Ra226.Rb1Kg825.Rb1Nd4 was better. Obviously if 25… Bxd4 26 Rxd4 and White has everything under control with Kb3 to follow. If 25 … Rxd6 26. Kb3, and if 26 …..Ra8 27. Nxc6 bxc6 28. Rxd6 Bxd6 29. Rd1 is winning. Or 26… Ra6 27. Ne6 Rxe6 28. Rxd7 Ra8 (the weak back row costs black time) 29. Bxe5 Rxe5 30. Rxb7 and the ending is winning, although a severe test for a tired human playing on the increment.25.Nd4Rxd626.Kb3Ra826…Ra627.Ne6Rxe628.Rxd7Ra829.Bxe5Rxe530.Rxb7h631.Rc7Rf532.Rc1Rxh533.R1xc6Kh727.Nxc6bxc628.Rxd6Bxd629.Rd1Nc5+30.bxc5Bxc531.Rd7Rg832.Kc4Bf833.h6c525…Nb626.Rhd1g627.hxg6hxg628.Ne7The last mistake, after which the game is drawn. Of course Black cannot yet take on d6 and White is threatening d7 winning a piece, but this is thwarted as in the game. The less showy 28. Nd4 was winning. If 28 … Rxd6 29. Kb3 Ra8 (relatively best is to give up the exchange with Rxb2) 30. Ne2! threatens both the rook on d6 and the bishop on e5 with check (so if Rxd1 31. Bxe5+ wins a piece). 30…Re6 then appears the only move, but 31. Nf4! hits the rook again, the bishop is still pinned, and if the rook retreats on the e -file 32. Nxg6+ is a fork which wins a piece. Again the ability to visualise that a knight on f5 can find a sequence to move to f4 with threats at every move was beyond me.28.Nd4Rxd629.Kb3Ra830.Ne2Re628…Bxb229.Kb3Ra3+30.Kxb2Nc4+31.Kc2Nxd6I was down to about three minutes and for a terrible moment thought that I was lost because the knight was trapped, but after four hours of tactical melee I was still sharp enough to see the saver.32.Nc8Nxc833.Rd8+And the game was agreed drawn. It really is level. A possible continuation might be33…Kg734.Rxc8Rf635.Rc7+Kh636.Rf1Ra2+37.Kb3Raxf238.Rxf2Rxf239.Kc3Rxg240.Rxb7Kg541.Kd4Kf542.Rf7+Ke643.Rf4½–½
