Martin Simons of Southbourne is the player from the West of England’s Easter Congress who has accepted the Qualifying Place for the British Championship to be held at Aberystwyth University later this month. This Rd. 3 win against a 12 year old is one that helped him to a good score.
White: M. Simons (191). Black: T. Slade (173).
Sicilian Defence – Closed System [B25]
1.g3 c5 2.Bg2 g6 3.e4 Bg7 4.Nc3 Nc6 5.d3 The position has evolved into the Closed System in which White declines to open up with d4. 5…e6 6.f4 Nge7 7.Nf3 0–0 8.0–0 d6 9.Be3 Nd4 10.e5 dxe5 11.fxe5 Nef5 12.Bf2 Nxf3+ 13.Bxf3 Qc7 14.Ne4 Bxe5 15.Bxc5 Bd4+ 16.Bxd4 Nxd4 17.c3 Nxf3+ 18.Qxf3 f5? The f-pawn can’t actually take the knight at the moment and it leaves behind the e-pawn which will become problematic. 19.d4 Bd7 20.Nc5 b6 21.Nxd7 Qxd7 22.Rae1 Rfe8 23.Re5 Blockading the backward e-pawn, which will become increasingly difficult to defend once White’s heavy pieces gang up on it. This future problem leads Black to overlook present realities. 23…Re7?? 24.Qxa8+ 1–0.
Martin tends to show little respect for youth when it comes to chess. Here he trounces a 9 year old in the same event in 2000.
White: D. Howell. Black: M. Simons (203).
Scandinavian Defence. [B01]
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Bg4 4.f3 Bf5 5.c4 e6 6.dxe6 Nc6 Black allows the check, calculating it will actually help his development. 7.exf7+ Kxf7 8.Be3 Bb4+ 9.Nc3 Re8 10.Kf2 Qe7 11.Qd2 Rad8 Black is now fully developed and sets about his task with relish. 12.Nge2 Ne5 13.Bg5 Nxc4 14.Qd1 Ng4+ 15.fxg4 Qxg5 16.gxf5 Qe3+ 17.Ke1 Nxb2 Normally, one is advised against pawn-grabbing but this threatens both BxN mate and the queen. With his knight on e2 pinned, blocking in 2 much-needed pieces, White’s position is a mess, but Black still has to win it. 18.Qb3+ Kf6 19.Rc1 If 19.Qxb4 Nd3+ 20.Kd1 Nxb4; or 19.Rb1 Bxc3+ 20.Qxc3 Qxc3+ 21.Kf2 Qe3+ 22.Ke1 Rxd4 with several mates in 3. 19…Qxc1+ 20.Kf2 Qe3+ 21.Ke1 Bxc3+ 22.Qxc3 Qxc3+ 0–1
Far from demoralising the youngster Martin was actually helping him in his career, as today David Howell is one of the world’s top players, a Grandmaster and twice British Champion. They might even meet again over the board in Aberystwyth, in which case there might be a whiff of revenge in the air!
In last week’s position, White can simply push his pawn to f7+, and if the king takes it, he has Rh7+ winning the rook. If Black therefore plays Ke7 he plays Rh7 and sets the same problem.
Here’s another hitherto unpublished 2-mover by Dave Howard.
White to mate in 2.