On Sunday, Devon’s annual jamboree took place at the Isca Centre in Exeter, involving teams of 12 players from three areas of the county. The East comprised players from clubs in the Exeter & District League, though not all clubs were represented. Similarly, the South team was made up of players from clubs involved in the Torbay League, while the West team drew from a solitary club, Plymouth, but a larger population base.
The team grade limit of 1,650 made it an average of 137 per player. The East succeeded in getting closest to that maximum, with the South & West both c.35 points lower. However, the South team emerged clear winners with 7½ points, ahead of East (5½) and West (4½). Full details of all players’ scores and photographs of the event may be found on keverelchess.com/blog.
Here is a win by a member of the Bacon family of the Sidmouth Club; father and 3 sons, of whom 15 year old Nicholas is the eldest. The whole family entered as a team of 4 in a recent rapidplay tournament
White: Nick Bacon (124). Black: Tony Tatam (114).
Queen’s Gambit Accepted [D26]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 Nf6 4.Bxc4 e6 5.Nf3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Bxd2+ 7.Nbxd2 0–0 8.0–0 Nbd7 9.Qe2 c5 10.Rfd1 cxd4 11.Nxd4 Ne5 12.Bb3 a6 13.Nc4 Nxc4 14.Bxc4 b5 Intending to push the bishop back, but overlooking White’s next move, which wins a pawn. 15.Nxb5 Qb6 16.Nd4 Bb7 17.Rac1 Qa5 18.Rc3 Rfd8 19.Ra3 Qb6 20.Rb3 Qa7 21.Nf3 Bxf3 22.Qxf3 Qc7 A second attack on the bishop, which doesn’t quite work. 23.Rxd8+ Qxd8 If 23…Rxd8 24.Rc3 and Black’s pawns are again in danger. 24.h3 The possibilities of back rank mates are tying down the pieces on both sides, so a flight square for the kings is in order. 24…h6 25.Qe2 a5 26.Qd3 Qc7 27.Rc3 Rd8 28.Qc2 Best. 28…Qb7 29.Bd3 Nd5 30.Be4 Qb8 White continues with his plan to keep it simple. 31.Bxd5 exd5 32.Rc5 Qa8 33.Qd2 a4 34.Qa5 Winning a 2nd pawn. 34…Qb8 35.Rb5 Qc8 36.Qxa4 Qc1+ 37.Kh2 Qc7+ 38.Qf4 Qd7 This time, an exchange of queens might have worked in Black’s favour as his unopposed d-pawn could become a problem. e.g. 38…Qxf4+ 39.exf4 d4 40.Rc5 d3 41.Rc1 Switching to White’s undefended pawns – Rb8 42.b3 Ra8 43.a4 Rb8 44.Rb1 d2 45.Rd1 Rxb3 46.Rxd2 Ra3 47.Rd8+ Kh7 48.Rd4 so White could probably hang on to his extra pawns, but only with best play. 39.Rc5 g5 40.Qf6 Kh7 41.Rc6 Kg8 42.Qxh6 Qf5 43.Qf6 1-0
In last week’s position, Keith Arkell noticed that Black’s queen was close to becoming trapped, so he played 1.Nb3xN which allows his queen to defend his other knight. 1…NxN and the simple 2.a3 attacks the trapped and powerless queen.