Last Saturday, Somerset beat Gloucestershire 11-5 and so win the West of England Championship.
This was one of Devon’s wins in their recent match against Hampshire.
White: Trefor Thynne (158). Black: Barry Kocan (140).
King’s Indian Defence [E69]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.g3 An immediate 4.Nc3 is commonest here with the top players. 4…0–0 5.Bg2 d6 6.0–0 Nbd7 7.Nc3 e5 8.e4 c6 9.h3 h6 10.Be3 Better here to continue developing with either Qc6, Qe7 or Re8. 10…Ne8 11.Qd2 g5 12.Rad1 f5 13.exf5 Rxf5 14.b3 Qe7 15.g4 Rf8 16.dxe5 Nxe5 17.Nd4 Bd7 18.f4 With all his pieces developed and nicely placed, White now contests the centre. 18…gxf4 19.Bxf4 Nf7 20.Rde1 Qd8 21.Ne6 Bxe6 22.Rxe6 Qh4 23.Ne4 Qd8 24.Ng3 merely a temporary retreat en route to f5 24…Qb6+? Losing a tempo, which helps White’s knight to join the attack. 25.Be3 Qc7 26.Nf5 Rd8 27.Ne7+ Kh8 28.Ng6+ winning the exchange. 28…Kg8 29.Nxf8 Kxf8 30.Bxh6! Kg8 If 30…Bxh6 31.Qxh6+ Ng7 (31…Kg8 32.Rg6+) 32.Qh8# 31.Bxg7 Nxg7 32.Rg6 Ne5 33.Rgf6 a5 34.Be4 b5 35.Qf4 Qe7 36.cxb5! White needs d5 for his bishop. 36…cxb5 37.Bd5+ 1-0 Black resigned, in view of 37…Nf7 (37…Kh8?? 38.Qh6#) 38.Rxf7 Qh4 39.Rf8+ Kh7 40.Be4+.
The 2nd Bournemouth ‘Grand’ Congress started last evening at the Carrington House Hotel, with a £1,000 prize for the winner of the Open Section, and a total prize fund of over £3,000, which attracts a large entry. Last year’s winner was the 2009 British Champion, David Howell, with the help of this quick win against the 2010 West of England Champion.
White: Paul Helbig. Black: David Howell.
Scotch Game [C47]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.Nc3 Bb4 7.Bd3 0–0 8.0–0 Re8 9.Re1 d6 10.Bd2 Ng4 11.h3 Ne5 12.Bf1 Qf6 13.Na4 Bxd2 14.Qxd2 g5 15.Re3 Kh8 16.Rg3 Rg8 17.Be2 Be6 18.Rf1 Rg6 19.f4 gxf4 20.Rxf4 Qg7 21.Rxg6 Qxg6 22.Kh1 Rg8 23.Bg4 Bxg4 24.hxg4 Qh6+ 25.Kg1 Rxg4 0–1 White resigned in view of 26.Rf2 Nf3+ 27.Rxf3 Qxd2.
Last week’s game ended 1.PxP+ Kh8 2.Rf8+ Rg8 3.RxR+ KxR and the coup de grace is 4.Bc4 pinning the knight which cannot be defended.
This position arose in a game in the 1958 US Championship, between Larry Melvyn Evans and Arthur Bisguier. Both trailed in behind the first three, Fischer, Reshevsky and Sherwin, but Evans did have his moment of glory here. How did he (W) end the game at a stroke?
White to play and win immediately.