Speelman's Agony #57

by Jonathan Speelman
7/23/2017 – "When Nigel Short played Garry Kasparov in 1993 I watched it on TV, found I could still predict some of the moves and then entered the local chess congress where I was living in Exeter. I've be playing ever since as a keen amateur mostly in Devon and the year before last started playing in the 4NCL for West is Best who I still play for."
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This week's games are by Stephen Homer, a solicitor in his early fifties who lives in Exeter. Married with three children, he played in one of the English teams at the recent World Senior Team Championships in Crete (won imperiously by St. Petersburg ahead of Armenia and England) and is currently rated 2012.

Stephen wrote:

“I'm 54 and I work as a lawyer and live in Devon in SW England. I learnt chess at the age of nine in 1972 (no prizes for guessing the significance of the year) at school in London and at around the age of 13 I joined Wimbledon chess club where I was a contemporary of future British Champion Joe Gallagher.


The next five years were when I really learnt my chess playing for Wimbledon in the London league and in all the London chess congresses, rising to a grade of 182 ECF at the age of 18 (JS = 2056) a grade I only recently bettered!

I then went on to play for Southampton University where I was studying law representing Southampton in the University championships between 1981-1984. In 1989 I met my wife Britta (pictured above in Crete) and coincidentally stopped playing chess for five years.

When Nigel Short played Kasparov in 1993 I watched it on TV, found I could still predict some of the moves and then entered the local chess congress where I was living in Exeter. I've be playing ever since as a keen amateur mostly in Devon and the year before last started playing in the 4NCL for West is Best who I still play for.

My career highlights have to be drawing with Julian Hodgson in a school match, beating Joe Gallagher in the Surrey under 18 championship (sorry Joe), playing for a Wimbledon team that won the London under 21 team championship and qualifying for and playing in the British Chess Championship in 2000 & 2011. I also very much enjoyed playing board one for England III in the World Senior Team Championship 50+ in Crete this year.”

The two games Stephen sent me are an agonising loss against Grandmaster Chris Ward, in which he got a decent position but then faltered and was ground down mercilessly, and a nice attack against an opponent rated almost exactly the same as him. He sent me bare game scores so all the notes are mine and we start with the former.

 
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MoveNResultEloPlayers
1.e41,168,43054%2421---
1.d4948,59355%2434---
1.Nf3282,13556%2441---
1.c4182,40456%2442---
1.g319,72456%2427---
1.b314,32154%2427---
1.f45,91348%2377---
1.Nc33,81451%2384---
1.b41,75948%2379---
1.a31,22154%2405---
1.e31,07349%2409---
1.d395450%2378---
1.g466646%2361---
1.h444953%2374---
1.c343551%2426---
1.h328356%2419---
1.a411259%2465---
1.f39346%2435---
1.Nh38966%2508---
1.Na34262%2482---
In this interesting but painful game, Steven ran out of steam against a grandmaster who then ground him down mercilessly. 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Be7 4.Ngf3 Nf6 5.e5 Nfd7 6.Bd3 c5 7.c3 Nc6 8.0-0 a5 9.a4 9.Re1 is more common when cxd4 10.cxd4 Qb6 11.Nb1 Nxd4 12.Nxd4 Qxd4 13.Nc3 is a pretty dangerous pawn sacrifice. Black certainly regrets ...a5 here, though Qb6 14.Qg4 is far from clear. 9...cxd4 10.cxd4 Nb4 10...Qb6 11.Nb3 11.Bb5 11.Bb1 b6 12.Re1 Ba6 12...0-0 13.Nf1 Ba6 14.Ng3 Rc8 15.Re3 Re8 16.Rc3 Nf8 13.Nf1 Rc8 14.Ra3 11...0-0 12.Ra3 Since White can't really create a serious kingside attack, it seems better to improve the d2 knight. Michael Adams has (at least) twice played 12.Nb1 Nb6 13.Nc3 Bd7 14.b3 with the plan of taking control of the queenside. He beat both a teenage Fabiano Caruana and the American IM Joseph Bradford: Rc8 15.Bd2 Rc7 16.Qe2 Qa8 17.Rfc1 Rfc8 18.h4 Bxb5 19.axb5 Nd7 20.g3 h6 20...Qa7 21.Kg2 Nf8 22.Qf1 Nd7 23.Na4 b6 24.Rxc7 Rxc7 25.Rc1 Qb7 26.Kh2 Qc8 27.Rxc7 Qxc7 28.Nc3 Qc8 29.Qe2 Qc7 30.Ne1 Nf8 31.Kg2 Nd7 32.Kf1 Nf8 33.Na4 Nd7 34.Bc3 Kf8 35.Ng2 Ke8 36.Nf4 g6 37.Ke1 Kd8 38.Kd1 Kc8 39.Nh3 h6 40.h5 g5 41.Ng1 Kb7 42.Nf3 Qc8 43.g4 Ka7 44.Ne1 Kb7 45.f3 Nf8 46.Nd3 Nxd3 47.Qxd3 f5 48.exf6 Bxf6 49.Be1 Qc7 50.Nc3 Be7 51.Ne2 Bd6 52.Bd2 Qf7 53.Ke1 Nd7 54.Kf2 Nf6 55.Kg2 Bc7 56.Be1 Kc8 57.b4 axb4 58.Bxb4 Qd7 59.Bf8 Qd8 60.Bxh6 Qd6 61.Kf1 e5 62.Qf5+ Nd7 63.Bg7 e4 64.fxe4 dxe4 65.h6 Qe7 66.Qg6 Nf8 67.Bxf8 Qxf8+ 68.Qf5+ 1-0 (68) Adams,M (2703)-Caruana,F (2649) Zafra ESP 2009 21.Kh2 b6 22.Ne1 Nf8 23.Na4 Nd7 24.Bc3 Qb8 25.Ng2 Nf8 26.Ne3 Kh8 27.Qd2 Qb7 28.Re1 Rb8 29.Rac1 Qc8 30.Qe2 Qd7 31.Bd2 Rxc1 32.Rxc1 Qd8 33.Kg2 Nd7 34.Bxb4 Bxb4 35.Rc6 Kg8 36.f4 1-0 (36) Adams,M (2699)-Bradford,J (2409) Edmonton CAN 2009 12...Nb6 13.Ne1 f5 14.Rh3 14.exf6 Bxf6 15.Ndf3 Nc4 16.Rc3 Nd6 17.Nd3 Ne4 18.Rb3 looks perfectly viable for White, if not a tad better, and was easier to play than the closed position that arose. 14...Rf7 15.f4 Bd7 16.Rff3 16.Bxd7 Qxd7 17.b3 Nc8 16...g6 Preventing Rxh7 which if Black isn't careful might force a draw: 16...Bxb5 17.axb5 17.Rxh7 Kxh7 18.Rh3+ Kg8 19.Qh5 Rf8 20.axb5 Qc8 17...Qd7 17...g6 18.Nb1 Qd7 19.Nc3 a4 18.Rxh7! Kxh7 19.Rh3+ Kg8 20.Qh5 Rff8 21.Ndf3 Rfc8 22.Bd2 Qe8 23.Qh8+ Kf7 24.Qh5+= 17.Bxd7 Qxd7 18.b3 Rc8 19.Bb2
19...Na8! Preparing to attack on the queenside with ...b5. 20.Qe2 20.Rc3 b5!? 20...Rb8 is simpler 21.Rxc8+ Qxc8 22.axb5 Qb7 22...Nc7 23.Qa1 Nxb5 24.Qxa5 Qc6 actually gives Black excellent play for the pawn. 20...Rff8 20...b5 21.axb5 Nc7 22.Rc3 22.b6 Nb5 22...Rb8 21.Rfg3 Threatening Qh5 followed by Rxg6+ Rf7 22.Nb1 Nc7 23.Rc3 Rb8 24.Na3 24.Rc1 b5 25.Nc3 24...b5 25.axb5 Nxb5 26.Nxb5 Rxb5 27.Rc8+ 27.Ba3 Qb7 27...Qxc8 28.Qxb5 Qa6 29.Qe8+ This puts the queen in peril. Instead 29.Qxa6 Nxa6 30.Rc3 Bb4 31.Rc8+ Rf8 32.Rxf8+ Kxf8 33.Kf2 is a little uncomfortable for White but should be okay Ke8 33...Bxe1+ 34.Kxe1 Nb4 35.Ba3! 35.Bc3 is asking for trouble after, say, Nc6 36.Kf2 Ke8 37.h3 Kd7 38.g4 Kc7 39.Kg3 Kb6 40.Kh4 h6 41.gxf5 exf5 42.Kg3 Nd8 43.Kg2 Ne6 44.Kf3 Kb5 45.Kg3 a4 46.bxa4+ Kxa4 47.h4 h5 48.Kf3 Kb3 35...Ke8 36.Bxb4 axb4 34.Nf3 h6 35.Ke2 Nb8 29...Bf8 30.Kf2 ...Qe2 was threatened. Re7 31.Qd8 Nc6 32.Qd6 Re8 33.Qd7 Re7 34.Qd6 Qc8 35.Qc5 35.Qa3 Rc7 36.Qa4 Bb4 is also unpleasant. 35...Rc7 36.Qb6 Qb7 37.Qxb7 Rxb7
With the centre of gravity of the battle firmly on the queenside, Black is now clearly better. 38.Rc3? 38.Ba1 was uncomfortable but nevertheless had to be played 38.Nc2 a4 39.Rc3 Na5 40.b4 Nc4 would be grim. 38...Nxd4 39.Rc8 Nb5! 40.Ra8 Nc7 41.Rxa5 Rxb3 42.Bd4 42.Ra2 was perhaps a bit more resilient. 42...Bb4 43.Ra7?! Losing time. Nb5 44.Ra8+ Kf7 45.Ba1 Ra3! 46.Rxa3 Bxe1+ 47.Kxe1 Nxa3
With an extra pawn and much the better minor piece, Black should now be winning. 48.Kd2 Ke8 49.Bd4 Kd7 50.Bc5 Nc4+ 51.Kc3 Kc6 52.Bf2 52.Kb4 Prevents the immediate Kb5, but can be met by Nb2 52...g5 53.fxg5 Nxe5 is easy, I suppose, but Black would normally prefer to do things slowly but surely rather than allowing any imbalance. 53.Be3 d4 54.Bxd4 Nd3+ 55.Kc4 Nxf4 56.g3 Nh3 57.Be3 g5 58.Ba7 g4 59.Be3 h6! 60.Bxh6 Ng1 61.Bd2 Nf3 62.Bf4 Nxh2 63.Bc1 Nf3 64.Bf4 Ng1! 65.Bg5 65.Be3 Ne2 66.Bf2 f4 67.Kd3 Nxg3 65...Ne2 66.Bh4 f4 67.gxf4 g3 52...Kb5 53.Bd4 Nb6 54.Kb3 Na4 55.Be3 Nc5+ 56.Kc3 Ne4+ 57.Kb3 h6 58.g3 g5 59.fxg5 hxg5 60.Bc1?! 60.h4 was the only chance to try to create confusion, though if Black is accurate he should certainly win: f4 61.Bg1 fxg3 62.h5 Nd2+ 63.Kc3 63.Kc2 Nf3 64.h6 Nxe5 65.h7 Nf7 66.Kd3 e5 is pretty simple 67.Ke3 g2 68.Kf2 Kc4 69.Kxg2 69.Bh2 d4 70.Bxe5 d3 71.Bh2 Kb3 69...d4 70.Kf3 Kd3 71.Kg4 Ke2 72.Kh5 d3 73.Kg6 Nh8+ 74.Kg7 d2 63...Nf3 64.h6 Nxe5 actually 64...Nxg1 65.h7 Ne2+ 66.Kd2 g2 67.h8Q g1Q should be pretty simple, though of course Black would prefer to avoid a queen ending. 65.h7 Nf7 66.Kd4 g2 67.Bh2 Kb4 68.Bg1 Kb3 69.Kd3 e5 70.Bh2 g4 71.Ke2 Kc2 72.Kf2 g3+ 73.Bxg3 d4 74.Kxg2 d3 75.Be1 e4 60...g4 Fixing another weakness on h2 and preventing any remote possibility of White creating counterplay. It's now totally hopeless. 61.Be3 Nc5+ 62.Kc3 Nd7 63.Bd4 Nb8 64.Kd3 Nc6 65.Ba1 65.Bb2 Kb4! or indeed 65...d4 66.Ba3 66.Bxd4 Nxd4 67.Kxd4 Kb4 68.Ke3 Kc4 69.Kf4 Kd4 66...Nb4+! 66.Ba1 Kc5! transposes. 65...Kc5 Black will now play d4 and Nxe5 with or without check, so Stephen resigned. 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Homer,S2165Ward,C24320–12013C06GBR-ch 100th2
Taylor,M2008Homer,S19600–12009A43East Devon op5

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Jonathan Speelman, born in 1956, studied mathematics but became a professional chess player in 1977. He was a member of the English Olympic team from 1980–2006 and three times British Champion. He played twice in Candidates Tournaments, reaching the semi-final in 1989. He twice seconded a World Championship challenger: Nigel Short and then Viswanathan Anand against Garry Kasparov in London 1993 and New York 1995.

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