A new event took place last weekend at the Livermead Hotel, Torquay – a specially organised congress in memory of the late Simon Bartlett who passed away a year ago. The winners were as follows:- Open Section: 1st= Keith Arkell (Torquay ) & Steve Berry (Wimbledon) 4/5 pts. 3rd Walter Braun (Exmouth) 3½. Major (U-170) 1st= Robert Taylor (Bristol); Bill Ingham (Teignmouth) & Yasser Tello (Hastings) 4 pts. 4th= Russell Goodfellow (Tunbridge Wells) & Alan Brusey (Newton Abbot) 3½. Intermediate (U-140) 1st Eddie Hurst (Salisbury) 4 pts. 2nd= David Gilbert (DHSS) & Dave Rogers (Exmouth) 3½. Minor (U-120): 1st E. McMullan (Newton Abbot) 4½. 2nd= Mark Huba (Kings Head) & Tony Tatam (Plymouth) 4. Simon was always noted for wearing a highly-coloured and patterned shirt at all events and so as not to miss out on this aspect of his presence, a prize was offered for the most decorative and eye-catching creation. This was awarded to fellow Cornishman Ian Rescorla, whose splendid creation had the look of two halves of garish curtain material sewn together. Top seed in the Open was local GM Keith Arkell, who would normally reckon to finish with a maximum 5/5 in an event of this nature, but a bit of a stir was created when he lost to a player, little-known locally, Peter Anderson from Leeds with a grade of 174.
White: P. Anderson. Black: K. Arkell.
Nimzo-Indian Defence [E41]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 Signature move of the Nimzo-Indian Defence, one of the sharpest tools in Black’s repertoire 4.e3 c5 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.Nge2 6.Nf3 is more usual, which prevents Blacks next move. 6…e5 Black is encouraged to come on… but it allows White to establish a central pawn wedge. 7.d5 Ne7 8.Qc2 d6 9.Ng3 b5 10.b3 bxc4 11.bxc4 0–0 12.0–0 Bxc3 13.Qxc3 Rb8 14.f4 exf4 15.exf4 Ng6 16.Bb2 Re8 17.Qd2 Ng4 18.h3 Ne3 19.Rfe1 Nh4 20.Qc3 The 1st mating threat. 20…Qf6? Black might have tried 20…Rxb2 21.Qxb2 Nhxg2 22.Qf2 Bxh3 with advantage to Black. 21.Qxf6 gxf6 22.Bc1 Nhxg2 23.Bxe3 Nxe1 24.Rxe1 Rb2 25.Nh5 Re7 26.Nxf6+ Kg7 27.Nh5+ Kh6 28.Ng3 Bxh3 29.f5+ Kg7 29…Rxe3 30.Rxe3 Rg2+ 31.Kh1 Rxa2 30.f6+ Kxf6 31.Nh5+ Ke5 32.Bg5+? White missed a mate in 2, viz 32.Bxc5+! Re2 33.Rxe2# every one of White’s pieces cooperating to form an inescapable net. 32…Kd4 33.Bxe7 Kxd3 34.Bxd6 Rg2+ 35.Kh1 Rg5 36.Nf4+ Kd2 37.Nxh3 Rh5 38.Bg3 Rxh3+ 39.Kg2 1–0 Black could win a piece back to reduce the position to pawns-only, but the d-pawn is free to queen.
It’s perhaps no surprise that after a few games this Autumn Anderson’s grade has rocketed to 192 in the January list with a rapidplay grade of 200. He’ll be one to watch at the East Devon Congress in 3 weeks time.
In last week’s position, Black could play 1…b5 asking questions of White’s queen. e.g. If 2.Qb3 BxN wins a piece; or similarly 2.NxP PxN.
This week, White mates in 2.
White to move and mate in 2