Its prize fund of almost £4,000 is about three times that of any other weekend congress in the UK, making the Bournemouth ‘Grand’ Congress able to attract some top talent. Their third such event finished last weekend with over 160 entries of whom these were just a few of the winners.
Open Section: 1st= GM Nick Pert & IM G. Sarakauskas 4½/5 pts. 3rd Keith Arkell 4. Grading prizes (U-175) 1st = S. Peirson & J. Pink. (U-167) 1st M. Littleton.
Challengers (U-165): 1st D. Thompson 4½. 2nd= C. Woolcock, D. Butcher, R. Desmedt & I. S. Annetts. GP (U-150) 1st= P. Morton, J. Torrance, R. Du Toit & P. Wilcock.
Intermediate (U-135) 1st J. Belinger 4½. 2nd= P. Errngton & S. Williams.
Minor (U-110): 1st T. Cutter. 2nd= S. Crockett, Jenny Goldsmith & J. Versey.
Grandmaster games at this level tend to be relatively quiet affairs as they tend to wait for their opponents to make the slip-ups. Firework displays are rare. This Round 4 game sees both players committed to a rough-house and puts the winner on the road to 4th= and a £40 prize.
White: Steve Homer (189). Black: Don Mason (209).
French Defence – Tarrasch Var. [C06]
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Tarrasch’s move, avoiding the potential pin on b4. 3…Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Bd3 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Ne2 cxd4 8.cxd4 f6 Many French Defence players are keen to break White’s stranglehold on e5 a.s.a.p. so that they won’t become landed with a cramped position. 9.exf6 Nxf6 10.Nf3 Bd6 11.0–0 Qc7 12.Bg5 0–0 13.Qc2 h6 14.Bh4 Nh5 15.Bh7+ Kh8 16.Bg6 Rxf3 17.Bxh5 If 17.gxf3 Bxh2+ 18.Kg2 Nf4+ 19.Nxf4 Qxf4 20.Bg3 Bxg3 21.fxg3 Qxd4 and Black has 2 pawns for the exchange. 17…Bxh2+ 18.Kh1 Rf5 19.Bg6 Black seems determined to give up a rook. 19…Bd6 20.Bxf5 exf5 21.f4 Qf7 22.Rf3 Bd7 23.Rd1 Re8 24.Nc3 Qh5 25.Rh3 Qg4 26.Nxd5? An injudicious pawn grab that allows… 26…Re2 27.Qxe2 The least worst option was 27.Ne3 Rxc2 28.Nxg4 fxg4 29.Rc3 .27…Qxe2 28.Re1 Qc4 29.Nf6 Better was 29.Nc3 29…gxf6 30.Bxf6+ Kh7 31.Rg3 suddenly White has a strong attack on g7 31…Qf7 Better was 31…Bf8 though the text is good enough. 32.Rg7+ Qxg7 33.Bxg7 Kxg7 0–1. Black’s 3 minor pieces should be more than enough to handle the rook which doesn’t have a good move on the board.
Last week’s problem was solved by 1.Nc6! threatening 2.Ne5 mate, and if 1…Qxb3+ 2.Qxb3 mate; or 1…dxc6 2.Bxe6 mate, or 1…Rxf2 2.Qxf2 mate.
In this endgame from earlier this year how can White maximise the value of his extra pawn?
White to play and win.