In the Bristol League’s Summer Congress last month top seed in the Open was GM Keith Arkell, and though his Rd. 3 victory over IM Chris Beaumont, the second seed, was compensation for Chris’ victory two weeks earlier at the Cotswold Congress, his Rd. 2 draw against Steve Dilleigh prevented him from winning this year’s Grand Prix outright.
Open: 1st Keith Arkell (242 – Paignton). 2nd Carl Bicknell (201 – Horfield). 5 players came 3rd=.
Major (U-155): 1st Vladimir Bovtramovics. 2nd= Robert Wallman (142 – Olton), Ian Bush (142 – Magdalen College School) and Lynda Roberts (148 – Thornbury).
Minor (U-125): 1st Lance Carter (113e – Maidenhead). 5/5. 2nd= Kevin Markey (Glos)& L. Abecassis.
White: C. Beaumont – Black: K. Arkell
Sicilian Defence – Maroczy Bind. [B39]
1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.e4 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nc3 Ng4 Contravening the unwritten rule of not moving the same piece twice in the opening. 8.Qxg4 Nxd4 9.Qd1 Ne6 10.Rc1 Qa5 11.Bd3 d6 12.0–0 Bd7 13.f4 Bd4 14.Bxd4 Nxd4 15.Nd5 Nc6 Not 15…Qxa2?? allowing 16.Nc7+ winning a rook or 16.Bb1 Qxb2 17.Rf2 winning the knight. 16.b4 Nxb4 17.f5 Nc6 18.c5 dxc5 19.Bb5 a6 Not 19…Qxb5?? 20.Nc7+. 20.Bxc6 Bxc6 21.f6 Bxd5 22.Qxd5 exf6 23.Rxf6 0–0 The key to the endgame lies in the pawn structure – Black’s two islands of 3 pawns against White’s isolanis. 24.Rcf1 Qc7 25.h4 Rae8 26.Rd6 Rxe4 0-1 White loses another pawn, so resigns. If 27.Rd7 Qe5.
His last round game was not without interest, as a crowd gathered round.
White: K. Arkell. Black: J. Marco.
King’s Indian Defence [E60]
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.g3 0–0 5.Bg2 d6 6.0–0 Nbd7 7.d5 Nb6 8.Nbd2 e6 9.dxe6 Bxe6 10.Nd4 c6 11.Nxe6 fxe6 12.c5 dxc5 13.Qc2 Qe7 14.Nb3 Nbd7 15.Be3 b6 16.Bxc6 Rac8 17.Bb7 Rc7 18.Bg2 Nd5 19.Bxd5 exd5 20.Rad1 Nf6 21.Bg5 Qe4 22.Qxe4 Nxe4 23.Bf4 Rxf4 24.gxf4 Bxb2 25.Rxd5 Although Black is the exchange down, his 3 queenside pawns may yet play a part in the outcome. 25…c4 26.Nd4 Nc3 27.Rd8+ Kf7 28.Kg2 Nxa2 29.Nc2 a5 30.Rb8 Rc6 31.Rb7+ Kf6 32.Rb1 c3 33.e4 g5 34.Nd4 c2 35.e5+ Kg6 36.Nxc2 Rxc2 37.Rxb6+ Kf5 38.R1xb2 Rxb2 39.Rxb2 The queenside issues are resolved and attention switches to the other wing. 39…Nb4 40.fxg5 Kxg5 41.Re2 Nd5 42.e6 Kf6 43.Ra2 Nf4+ 44.Kg3 Nxe6 45.Rxa5 Ng7 46.Kg4 Ne6 47.f4 Ng7 48.Ra6+ Kf7 49.Rh6 Kg8 50.f5 Ne8 51.Kg5 Kg7 52.Ra6 Kg8 53.Ra8 Kf7 54.Ra7+ Kg8 55.Rd7 Ng7 56.h4 1–0
In last week’s position, only Black’s knight is preventing Qb5 mate, so RxN removes that defence and Black must do something about it, which does not include taking the rook, which is free to move away.
This new 3-mover from Dave Howard is unusual in having no White pawns. White to play.
White to mate in 3.