South Norwood 1 v Kingston 1, Surrey League division 2, West Thornton Community Centre, 17 March 2022
This was the decisive game in the crucial match between Kingston and South Norwood that effectively determined who would win the second division title in the Surrey League. As ever Peter Lalić, playing black against the very capable Tariq Oozerally, proved nerveless, first building a small advantage, then losing it with an error, but finally outplaying his opponent in a time scramble after boldly turning down a draw to claim the vital point. Peter’s detailed annotations capture the ebb and flow of that critical game, and the visceral excitement of its final passage of play.
Oozeerally, Tariq2151
Lalic, Peter2262
South Norwood - Kingston, Surrey League2
March 17, 2022
Annotated by Peter Lalic
[Time control: 75 minutes per player for all moves, plus 10 seconds added per move]1.d4e62.e4a6?!Since I stopped playing tournaments in 2015, and resumed only recently in late 2021, I am ignorant of opening theory. Therefore, I go to great lengths to avoid it, in order to lead my opponent into unfamiliar territory. The position arising after 2…a6 has featured 1, 000 times in the Mega Database 2021, and scored 58% for White.3.a4?!This is not a constructive response, because its only achievement is that Black cannot push his pawn to b5. Still, White’s minor pieces cannot go there either, so it does not take away the main plus of 2…a6. If Black transposes into a French Defence, it might be a favourable version in which the check or pin of Bb5 is impossible.3…d5After three moves, the resulting position has been linked to only six games. The most highly rated one was between Oliver Jackson and Michael Basman, from the 1985 British Championship. Jackson, who retroactively earned his FIDE master title in 2013 at the age of 67, continued 4.Nc3, and international master Basman won with the black pieces in 30 moves.4.Nd2White transposes into the Tarrasch variation of the French Defence, in which a2-a4 is a waste of a move. By contrast, 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 a6 has happened in 4,500 games in the database.4…c55.dxc5NThis novelty is not an especially good one, because it allows the bishop’s development in a single move. Usually White waits for …Be7 or …Bd6 before trading pawns, in order to cost Black a tempo.5…Bxc56.Nb3?!From the sidelines, the knight no longer controls the central square e4. Moreover, from b3, there are even fewer safe stepping stones on which to land.6…Ba7Behold another benefit of 2…a6. From its sniper’s nest, the bishop takes aim at f2.7.exd57…Nf6!At the board, I was sceptical of my opponent’s ventures on the queenside. Since he had abandoned the kingside, I rushed my pieces there at all costs. I felt no need to regain the pawn, having seen some tactics on the newly opened files.8.Bd38.dxe6?Bxf2+!9.Ke2Qxd1+10.Kxd1Bxe6Unable to castle, the white king would be stuck in no man’s land.8.d6Ne49.Nh3Though my opponent could have kept the game more closed by 8.d6, I assumed that he did not want to defend f2 so awkwardly.8…O-O!I could have recaptured with any of three pieces – queen, knight or pawn – and kept a slight advantage. However, Stockfish 11 ranks my move on top, but I cannot explain why, since I don’t know how computers work. I chose to castle, after thinking for about a quarter of an hour, because of the following logic. My opponent had strayed from the safe path of development, and was obviously desperate to keep up by 9.Nf3. I calculated 8…Qxd5, 8…Nxd5, and 8…exd5 9. Nf3, and I could not adequately prevent 10.0-0. With his king safe at home, White would have regained equal chances. Nevertheless, like a stalker in a slasher film, I was determined to keep my victim within arm’s reach. Thus, by the process of elimination, I considered 8…0-0, which was a constructive waiting move. When I foresaw a dangerous follow-up on move nine, I was so excited that I was already imagining what the annotations would look like on the Kingston website. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why I enter time trouble habitually.9.Nf3Capturing on e6 now would be even more catastrophic than on the previous turn.9.dxe6??Bxe6No matter how White regroups his defenders, they could not hold all the angles at once. Along the e-file, the rook would keep the king pinned down under heavy fire, while, from g4, the knight would throw a grenade on f2. A winning variation might go as follows:10.Nf3Bxb311.cxb3Re8+12.Be2Qe79…e5!!I award it the first exclamation mark for being the best move, according to the engine, and the second for being so unexpected. Nonetheless, it was the first guess of Mike Healey, my teammate and superior on board one. He was also my passenger on the return journey, so while driving I recited the opening to him. Upon reaching the ninth move, I gave only one clue: “You won’t guess it”. Yet he did, after closing his eyes for no more than a minute.10.Be2!The threat of the fork …e5-e4 was so strong that my opponent was forced to move his bishop a second time. To do so, especially without panicking or falling behind on the clock, demonstrated a clarity of mind. White had 62 minutes remaining.10.Nxe5??Re8The horse should not have eaten the apple, because of the pin inside.For the same reason, 10.Qe2 would have lost a piece.10.Qe2??e411.Bxe4Nxe412.Qxe4Re813.Ne5f610…Qxd5According to the computer, this move maintains Black’s advantage of half a pawn, and is no worse than 10…e4. Nevertheless, I regretted allowing the queens to leave the board. Generally, their presence benefits the attacker, especially in a game between two humans. Being aware of that axiom, I spent at least 10 minutes searching for an alternative. Then I realised that I had wasted enough time on flights of fantasy, such as 10…Nbd7?, and the unsound sacrifice 10…Ng4? 11.0-0 Nxf2? Black had 41 minutes remaining.10…Ng4?11.O-ONxf2?12.Rxf2Qb613.Qe1Black would run out of pieces with which to attack.10…Nbd7?11.c4e412.Nfd4Ne5Black’s activity would not compensate for the connected and passed d-pawn.11.Qxd5!Nxd5Black’s advantage, albeit subtle, persists into the queenless middlegame. The biggest factor is his pawn majority of 4 vs 3 on the kingside, which is more mobile than White’s 3 vs 2 on the queenside. Not only does the e-pawn establish a spatial advantage in the centre, but it threatens to steamroller the minor pieces in its path.12.c3?My opponent weakened b3 and d3 unnecessarily, presumably for fear of 12.0-0 Nb4. Understandably, he wanted to avoid the complications arising from 13.c3 Nc2 14.Rb1 Bf5, simultaneously trapping his rook and my knight. Nonetheless, the computer estimates equality in that variation, as well as 13.Bd2 Nxc2 14.Rac1. I visualised both positions at the board, and dreaded their complexity. Consequently, I was relieved to see the concession 12.c312.Nxe5?!Re813.Nd3Bg414.f3Bf515.Kd1After snatching a pawn, he could run but not hide. Stuck on the d-file, he would be under constant threat of …Ne3+ and Rd8+.12.O-O!Nb413.c313.Bd2!?Nxc214.Rac1The assessment of this position is a matter of taste. Personally, I prefer to be the player sacrificing a pawn, and reaping the dynamic rewards thereof. For example, White dominates the open c-file, while Black’s army is still sleeping in its queenside barracks.13…Nc214.Rb1Bf5Have fun trying to analyse this position. I’ll pass.12…Nc613.O-OBe6My opponent managed to castle, so no longer did he have to worry about an early checkmate. Instead, I sustained my initiative by targetting b3, which had been weakened irreparably by the combination of a2-a4 and c2-c3. By the way, I wonder how different chess would be if pawns could move backwards. Would that not be an interesting variant?14.Nbd2Since Black had just finished development, and White had not, I was not surprised that tactics favoured me. For example, I had planned the following discovered attack:14.Ng5Nxc3!15.bxc315.Nxe6??would lose to a zwischenschach (in-between check).15…Nxe2+16.Kh1fxe615…Bxb3The dust would settle on a pawn advantage to Black.14…h6!Logically, now that there are no more tactics against the knight “en prise” on b3, Nf3-g5 becomes a real possibility. Hence 14…h6, which restricts the king’s knight.15.Re1This is one of the best moves, because it reminds me of my only liability: the e-pawn. Nevertheless, with correct play, I can prove that it is an asset. It is already tripping up the legs of the horse at f3, which – notably after 15 Re1 – is running out of legal moves.15…f516.Bc4e4I accomplished the plan that I had conceived five moves ago: the expansion of my pawn majority on the kingside.17.Nb3!Making use of the pin on the e-file, my opponent put up a tenacious defence. However, given the engine’s evaluation of almost -2, the odds were against him.If the horse tried to flee one burning barn, it would end up trapped in another. E.g.17.Nh4?g518.Ng6?Rf617…Kf7This dual-purpose move defends the bishop, thereby insisting on the threat of …exf3. It also brings His Majesty to the centre, where He would be ideally situated in an endgame. By the way, does reverential capitalisation apply to monarchs? While writing for the Kingston website, I am confronted by linguistic questions that I am unqualified to answer.18.Nfd4Nxd419.Nxd4Bxd420.cxd4[26] Black has cashed in his initiative for a structural advantage. The mass liquidation at d4 has created an isolated queen’s pawn (IQP), which is firmly blockaded. White’s bishop pair is hardly a consolation prize, seeing as the IQP blunts his dark-squared bishop.20…Nb4![20] Despite their reduced number, Black’s pieces keep invading behind enemy lines.21.Bxe6+I was pleased to see this simplification. I expected a desperate breakout, such as 21 d5 or 21 Bd2. Though I did not reach a conclusion about those variations at the board, I drew confidence from the 20 minutes that remained on my clock.My opponent could have forced an ending with double rooks and opposite-coloured bishops. Stereotypically this would have improved his drawing chances, so he should have tried:21.d5!Nxd521…Bxd522.Bd2!Bxc423.Bxb4Rfd8was what I visualised at the board.22.Bxd5Bxd523.Be3We would have been destined for a long game.21.Bd2!?Nc222.d5Bd723.Bb3Nxa124.Rxa1I should not have feared this exchange sacrifice as much as I did, but at least it would have brought back the possibility of three results. That is why personally, if I had had the white pieces, I would have tried my luck with the bishop pair and passed pawn.21…Kxe622.Re2Rac823.Be3Kd5I am rarely relaxed at a chessboard, when there are rating points at stake. Thus, sitting on the black side of this position was a dream. It was so dreamy that I was lulled into carelessness, which is rarer still for a player as paranoid as me.24.f3Rc225.Rae1?Rxe2?I had planned to double rooks, but I shied away from checks that might have appeared after the trade of pawns.25…Rfc8!26.fxe4+fxe427.Bd2This double attack on my knight and pawn scared me. In fact, it was Black who should have won material with the following combination:27…Nd328.Rf1e326.Rxe2exf3!This move is counter-intuitive because it surrenders a spatial advantage and the outpost at d3. What lies behind the e-pawn is a hidden zugzwang!27.gxf3Re8!28.Kf1White should never be able to escape the pin, so he could resign with a clear conscience, despite equal material. His rook can move neither horizontally, because of …Rxe3, nor vertically, because of …Nc2. His bishop is also frozen, lest the rook trade lead to a hopeless minor piece endgame. Furthermore, his king dares not step on f2 or e1, thereby triggering the landmine …Nd3+. Finally, all his pawns are blocked, so they would inevitably run out of moves. Anyway, Black can speed up proceedings by …g5 and …f4, which would force the simplification into the aforementioned endgame.28…Nd3??I chose the 22nd best move. That was an amazing feat, considering that there were 27 legal options! In other words, only five moves were worse than mine. Only after I let go, pressed the clock, and wrote my move, did I foresee the refutation. My confidence turned into doubt, and then – in chronological order – surprise, anxiety, and self-loathing. That rollercoaster of emotions lasted only a minute, before I decided to leave the board, lest my opponent sense weakness.29.Bxh6!!What a shot! White sniped a pawn for free and took aim at another. I paused my self-hatred for a moment to marvel at how the stars had aligned metaphorically. My knight was so precisely positioned to be en prise after the rook trade that I smiled at my bad luck.29…Rc8!29…Rxe230.Kxe2Nxb231.Bxg7Nxa4This forced sequence of exchanges would lead to a bishop vs knight endgame beyond my comprehension. White would have the superior minor piece and an outside passed pawn, but Black would have two of them connected on the other wing. Though technically it should be a draw, I feared that I might not be able to stop the h-pawn from queening.29…gxh6??30.Rxe830.Be3[11.53]Obviously, my opponent did not fall for this cheap trick:30.Bxg7??Rc1+31.Kg2Nf4+32.Kf2Nxe233.Kxe2Rc2+30…Re8[7.23]31.Bh6!White offered a draw. This repetition is why the computer signals 0.00. Nevertheless, ever since my team fell 3-1 behind in the seven-board match, I had decided to play for the win. A measly draw on any of the remaining three boards would have spoiled Kingston’s clean sweep of the Beaumont Cup. Just as I stood up to check the other two boards, one teammate, Julian Way, won on time, while the other, Alan Scrimgour, had almost delivered checkmate. Thus, boosted with confidence, I sat down to decline the draw.31…Rc832.Be3b533.axb5axb534.Rd2Rc1+35.Kg2Nb436.Kg3Re137.Bf2Re638.Kf4Alan’s opponent had just resigned, so the score was officially 3-3. This game was the last remaining, and was going to decide the match. Since the other players had nothing better to do, they swarmed around our table with bated breath. Despite psychological pressure from the match, clock, and now spectators, we had played the previous seven moves perfectly. Even after dropping a pawn for nothing, Black still holds the balance with his more active major and minor piece.38…g6??38…Rh6!39.h4Rh5!!Only this computer move would keep out the white king, combined with a light-squared blockade:40.Bg3g641.Be1Kd642.Ke3Nd5+39.h4I had just realised my mistake, and was frozen with fear. No matter which piece I moved, I was losing control. My knight and rook had to keep him off the c- and e-files respectively, while my king blockaded the IQP.39…Rd6That context might explain why I spent four of my last five minutes on this move. Subsequently, I was pleasantly surprised to see my opponent return the favour, when he also let his clock drop from five minutes to one.40.b3??[1]40.Kg5!Suddenly Black would be helpless against the manoeuvre Bf2-g3-e5. The bishop would dominate on e5, from where it could defend d4 or potentially invade f6. If Black’s defence of g6 were cut, then the h-pawn would threaten promotion.40…Rc6!Black identifies correctly the newly created weakness at c3.41.Re2Nd3+42.Ke3??42.Kg5would have been my opponent’s last chance to hold the balance. I had planned to keep making waiting moves, in order to play him for time. For example, I did not want to simplify into a drawn rook endgame, such as42…Nxf243.Rxf2Kxd444.Rd2+Kc345.Rd8Kxb346.Rg8b447.Rxg642…Rc343.Kd2Rxb3The white king trips up its own soldiers, who are too far away to halt the passed b-pawn. Besides, Black is winning even faster with a mating net.44.Re3Kc445.d5Rb2+46.Kd1Nxf2+47.Kc1Ra248.Re648.d6Nd3+White would be checkmated by force, after any of his three possible moves: 49.Kb1, 49.Kd1 or 49.Rxd3. For a calculational test, can you visualise all of the variations?48…Kxd549.Rxg6Nd3+50.Kb1[1]50…Rb2+51.Ka1Rh252.Rb6Kc4If you read all 2,500 words of this analysis, I salute you.0–1
