HOME Home  Queenside Battle

Colin has just sent this win from the always tough Wood Green Fixture!

Instructions for playing through : Please click the moves to replay the game. Variations are shown in green and can also be clicked to see them on the board. Tip:  you can also use the forward and back arrows on your keyboard to play the moves.  

Kings Head vs Wood Green, LL1, Board 8, 23rd October 2002

 C Maduekwe

C Mackenzie.

 

1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d5 6. Bg5 Be7 7. Qa4+ Qd7 8. Qc2 very sensible, I think White is slightly better after this 8... O-O 9. Bxf6 Bxf6 10. cxd5 exd5 11. e3 c5 12. Rd1 c4 13. Be2 Qe7 14. O-O a6 I'm not convinced by Black's position - White should play for the central break with Nd2, Bf3, e4 type ideas 15. b3 but instead tries to mix things up on the Queenside - now things get interesting 15... b5 16. bxc4 dxc4 17. e4 g6 17... Qxa3 is the pawn poisoned - Fritz doesn't think so, I just assumed it might be 18. e5 Bd8 -1.00 Fritz at 11 ply 18. e5 Bg7 19. a4 b4 20. Ne4 b3 seems best, c3 also needs consideration 20... c3 21. Bc4 21. Qb1 21. Nf6+ Qxf6 22. exf6 bxc2 23. fxg7 Re8 I'd missed this when I played b3, after my originally planned Kxg7 Black is only slightly better(23... Kxg7 24. Rc1 Be4 25. Ne5 Rd8 26. f3 Bc6 27. Nxc4 Rxd4) 24. Rd2 Be4 25. Bxc4 Rc8 26. Ne5 Nc6 27. Nxf7 Na5 and wins 21... Qb4 22. Rc1 Bd5 23. Nc3 Be6 Bb7 repeats and draws 24. Qe4 obvious but ... 24... Bh6! eventually preferred by Fritz at 13-ply 25. Qh4?! but Black appears to be much better in all lines so why not try the mating attack 25. Qxa8 Bxc1 26. Rxc1 b2 25. Rce1 Qxc3 26. Qxa8 b2 27. Qe4 Bf5 28. Qh4 Bc1 29. Ng5 Bxg5 30. Qxg5 Qb4 31. Qg3 Nc6 32. Qe3 c3 33. Bd3 Bxd3 34. Qxd3 Rb8 25. Rcd1 Qxc3 26. Qxa8 b2 27. Qe4 Bf5 28. Qh4 Bc1 29. Ng5 h5 30. Bxh5 b1=Q 31. Rxc1 Qbxc1 32. Be2 Qxg5 33. Qxg5 Qxd4 25... Bxc1 26. Ne4 with a threat 26... Nd7 Fritz annotates "a beautiful, forced end to the game. With the decisive threat b2" 27. Rxc1 b2 28. Rf1 28. Rb1 c3 29. Bd3 28... b1=Q 29. Qh6 29. Rxb1 Qxb1+ 30. Bf1 h5 h5 comes in handy in various lines as a defence - sometimes h5, Bxh5, Kg7 delta Rh8 works well 29... Qxf1+ simplifying 30. Bxf1 with another threat 30... f6 31. exf6 Nxf6 32. Nfg5 Qe7 32... Qe7 33. Nxf6+ Rxf6 0-1

Game(s) in PGN