Keil & Brusey on shared third place

The CSSC (Civil Service Sport Council) National Chess Finals 2007 took place at Devonshire Hall, Leeds, from 25-27 July. Two Devon Players, Andreas Keil (Met Office Chess Club) and Alan Brusey (Teignmouth Chess Club), represented the South West Region after qualifying by coming first and second in the regional qualification tournament earlier this year.

The five-round Swiss tournament with 16 participants from all over Britain was won by Tony Ashby (London) with 4 points out of 5 games, followed by Richard Archer (Yorks) on 3.5 points. Five players shared 3^rd place with 3 out of 5. Among them both Devon players, but unfortunately non of us was lucky enough to have the best tie break and receive the trophy for third place, which was taken home by John Cooper (North West).

Following is the round-by-round results of the Devon players, including one interesting game per player:

 Bowering (158e) – Keil (175)    ˝-˝

Keil – Maxwell (173)                            1-0

Levyk (168) – Keil                              ˝-˝

Keil – Norman (177)                            ˝-˝

Keil – Archer (165)                            ˝-˝

Norman (177) – Brusey (161)            1-0

Brusey – Pickersgill (155)                ˝-˝

Robson (143) – Brusey                       0-1

Brusey – Maxwell (173)              ˝-˝

Brusey – Wager (170)                1-0

On the evening of the 26^th of July, a Blitz Tournament was organised. I had the pleasure of successfully defending my first place from last year with 5 points out of 6 games. However, this year there was no trophy for winning the Blitz (my wife says Thank You!, keeping more control over cupboard space), but the price consisted of playing a “1-Minute-Hour-Glass” game (1 Minute each to start with, used time added onto opponent‘s time) against the arbiter, which ended with two blank Kings on the board after long battle.

The playing conditions, accommodation, food and atmosphere among the participants were very good and enjoyable. This year there were considerable problems before the tournament could be organised. Our thanks go to Kevin Thurlow, who stepped in as organiser in the last minute and saved the tournament, as well as to David Sedgewick for being an excellent arbiter. Thanks also to Wilf Taylor (Met Office Chess Club) for have organized the South-West regional qualifying tournament year for year in superb fashion.

Andreas Keil

July 2007.

(1) Lewyk,Ihor (168) - Keil,Andreas (175) [D04]

1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.e3 g6 4.Bd3 Bg7 5.0-0 0-0 6.Ne5 c5 7.c3 Ne8 8.f4 Qc7 9.Nd2 Nd6 10.Qe2 Better Qf3. Now Black's position will be nice.

10...Bf5 11.e4 dxe4 12.Nxe4 cxd4 13.cxd4 Nc6 Now Nxd6 is successfully met by simply exd6 and eventually the d4-pawn will disappear.

14.Qe3 Nb4 Forces White's Bishop back, but Qb6 might be even better.

15.Bb1 Rad8 16.Rd1 Nxe4 17.Bxe4 Nc2 Now White will have problems with d4.

18.Bxc2 Qxc2 19.Rd2 Qe4 20.Qxe4 Bxe4 21.Kf2 f6 22.Nf3 Rd5 23.Ke3 Bxf3 24.Kxf3 Rfd8 25.Re2 Luckily for White this works. White now holds his postion together with several "only moves" ...

25...Kf7 26.Be3 f5 27.Rae1 R8d7 28.Rd2 The d4-pawn cannot be won due to Red1.

28...e6 29.Red1 White offers a draw, I decline. Winning chances can be created by placing the Black King on d5 and playing against the White pawns an the black aquares.

29...Rc7 30.Ke2 a6 31.Rd3 Ke8 32.Rc3 Seemingly White's best option.

32...Rxc3 33.bxc3 Ra5 34.Rd2 b5 35.Rb2 Ra4 36.Kd2 Kd7 Time control. Black is in control of the position, but White is solidely defending.

37.Kd3 Kc6 38.h3 Kd5 39.g3 Bf6 40.Bd2 Now time trouble arrives and I struggle to find a decisive plan. Eventually I settle for pushing b4 with my Bishop on d6, having a combination in mind ...

40...Be7 41.Be1 Bd8 42.g4 Bc7 43.gxf5 exf5 44.Bd2 Ba5 45.Be1 Bc7 46.Bd2 Bd6 47.Be3 Ra3 48.Bd2 b4 49.Rb3 bxc3 50.Rxa3 --- see photograph for position --- With only 3 min on the clock, I had now planned the combination starting with 50... cxd2, threatening Pawn promotion. Then Black wins after 51.Kxd2 Bxa3 oder 51.Ra5+ Kc6 52.Kxd2 Bb4+ or nicely after 51.Ra5+ Kc6 52.Rxa6+ Kb7. However, checking this a last time I find the refutation: 51.Ra5+ Kc6 52.Kc2! (or Ke2!) ... ingeneous, but Black is far from finished: 52...Kb6! (now after 53.Ra4 Kb5! Black still wins!), but 53.Re5! and just about drawn for Black, or 53.Rd5 and 53...Bxf4 is unclear whereas after 53...Kc6 gives White the options Ra5 or Rxd6). But a draw I can have much easier, taken that time runs out ...

50...Bxa3 51.Kxc3 a5 52.Kd3 Draw offer accepted. 1/2-1/2