Month: July 2019

July 29, 2019

Congratulations to Dave Mooney for winning the Stanley Johnson Trophy Club Championship beating Yaroslav Kolodiy in the final.

Here is the game with notes by the winner.

[pgn height=500 initialHalfmove=1 autoplayMode=none]

[Event “South Shields Club Championship 2019”]
[Site “South Shields”]
[White “Mooney, Dave”]
[Black “Kolodiy, Yaroslav”]
[Result “1-0”]
[Annotator “Mooney, Dave”]
[PlyCount “1”]
[TimeControl “75+10”]

1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. Nc3 {The early development of the Queen’s Knight is an alternative to the main line 3. d4 that has been suggested by the British GM Nigel Davies.} Nb6 4. d4 d6 5. Bf4 Nc6 6. Bb5 a6 7. Bxc6 bxc6 8. Qf3 Bd7 9. Nge2 g6 10. 0-0-0 {White’s decision to castle queenside is not his best option according to Stockfish. The engine prefers castling short as the best way to maintain an edge for White.} Bg7 11. Qg3 0-0 12. h4 h5 13. Bg5 Rb8 14. b3 a5 15. Qe3 Re8 16. a4 Qc8 17. Bh6 Bh8 18. f3 Nd5 19. Nxd5 cxd5 20. g4 {White is intent on breaking through on the kingside but Black’s position has its own attacking chances.} hxg4? {The error that costs Black the game. After} (20… c5! 21 dxc5 dxe5) {the position is unclear.} 21. h5 gxf3 22. hxg6. fxg6 23. Qg5 Bf5 24. Nf4 dxe5 25. Nxg6 Bf6 26. Qg3 Kf7 {despite being short of time, Black finds an ingenious way to avoid the mating net but White still has the option to convert his advantage into a winning endgame.} 27. Nxe5+ Bxe5 28. Qxe5 Rg8 29. Qxd5+ Qe6 30. Qf3 Qe4 31. Qxe4 Bxe4 32. Rhf1+ Kg6 33. Rde1 Bg2 {If Black’s king takes the bishop then the White rook captures on e4 with excellent prospects in the subsequent rook and pawn endgame.} 34. Re6+ Kh7 {Here} (34…Kh5) {avoids the immediate loss of a piece but White still has a clearly won game.} 35. Rf7+ Kh8 36. Ree7 Rg6 37. Rh7+ Kg8 38. Reg7+ Rxg7 39. Rg7+ {resigns} [/pgn]

July 26, 2019

Congratulations to Dave Mooney for winning the Berlin wall themed blitz with 9/10. As we had 6 players we played a double round robin for a change. Full results here.

Next Thursday, 1st August, as a complete contrast to the Berlin the theme is the Grob. Play will start with Black to move after the move 1. g4

As usual two videos for your preparation. First this video gives the script for when white gets his wishes satisfied and black grabs the pawn. Second, a video featuring a game from the 1980’s with Tim Wall as the Grob player, when Black refuses to play ball.

Late breaking news: Dave Mooney beat Yaroslav Kolodiy in the final of the Stanley Johnson Trophy Club Championship. More details, including I hope the game, when I have them.

July 14, 2019

First, congratulations to Dave Walker and Dave Mooney for finishing equal first in the Warm-Up Blitz on the 4th July with 8.5/9. Well done, too, to Ian Maughan who finished 3rd on 6/9. Full details here.

The next theme is the Berlin Wall in the Ruy Lopez on Thursday 18th July. Play will start after the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 Nd6 6. BxN dxB 7. de Nf5 8. QxQ KxQ with White to move.

This difficult, enigmatic opening makes a change from the usual “wham-bang-thank-you-Stan” fare of gambits and slightly wacky openings we usually have. To help you with the ideas and plans for the opening here are two YouTube videos for your preparation. First, from Yasser Seirawan, a long but very good video which includes some interesting historical perspective. Second, a shorter video which also gives a good introduction to the Ruy Lopez proper.

July 9, 2019

47 players from as far afield as Nottingham and Edinburgh came to The Word in South Shields on Saturday for a 9 round FIDE rated blitz. Despite spectacular views over the Tyne they managed to concentrate for long enough to produce some great chess with the result only being decided in a dramatic last round.

Round 5 was when the two leading players, Charlie Storey and Dave Walker met for what could have been the tournament decider. They were the only players on 100% and the two highest rated players. In a tense game Charlie Storey came out the winner.

In round 6 there was another key battle when number 2 seed, Dave Walker, played number 3 seed, Dave Mooney. Dave Walker came out on top and it looked like the event was going to go according to the seedings.

In round 7 the strong Nottingham player, Zhe Kang Law, with the black pieces played out a hard fought draw with leader Charlie Storey setting the scene for a dramatic showdown in round 9.

Round 9 saw Charlie Storey, leading Dave Walker by just half a point, face his childhood hero, Dave Mooney. Unbeknownst to Charlie, his two main rivals had got in some useful practice two days earlier in the South Shields Warm-Up Blitz. That practice paid off for the Daves as they both won with Dave Walker (8/9) overtaking Charlie Storey for first, Charlie (7.5/9) finishing in second and Dave Mooney (7/9) taking the last major prize in third.

The two grading prize cut-offs were set at 1850 and 1650. The Edinburgh player, Simon McGuinness (1845) was just heading for the door to catch his train back home when we grabbed him to give him his prize for a very good 5.5/9. Jack Erskine (ECF rapidplay grade 54 ~ 1105) finished on an excellent 5/9 to take the other grading prize.

John Turnock (5.5/9) took the senior prize and Max Turner (5.5/9) the junior prize.

The tournament made a small profit which will be split between Cancer Research and the 2020 Durham Congress.

Full details of the tournament can be seen here.