A missed chance

 Rather like waiting for an update to this blog, I got through Saturday night at the 4NCL only with the knowledge that Sunday morning would have to come eventually. It did, but I'd somehow managed to get even more ill since the start of the weekend. Even the day before, I'd only decided to play because I didn't think it would be possible to find a reserve at such short notice; now I felt worse and I had to play a near-200!

 This time we were paired with Sussex Smart Survivors 1, who over the last few seasons have been challenging for promotion. One of the stronger teams in the division, they substantially outgraded us: 197-205, 176-198, 177-188, 177-190, 156-195, 159-153. But by an amusing quirk, our use of the rule allowing conversion of ECF grades to FIDE for board order purposes meant that we 'outrated' them on half of the boards, since they didn't do the same. My opponent was Anthony Higgs (195/1991) and the games I could prepare from weren't encouraging viewing - he played a curious line of the Philidor Defence and I really couldn't think what to do against it.

 But then I had an idea...:

 Before the match a team-mate had asked for predictions and I'd gone for 2-4; so it proved (LDDDDL.) A respectable result against such a strong team but we could have had more. In any case it means we stay on an even score; the next (penultimate) weekend is in late March and I may or may not play it.

 My first thought was that being healthy must be over-rated: over the course of the weekend I crushed a 120 then scored my best ever draw in a slowplay game! It also means I gain a shade under 7 Elo, so hopefully 1768 when the next list comes out. But I don't think black played very well in this game - his opening play was so passive that he had to just sit there for a while. Crucially he missed the two chances for activity that I carelessly allowed (13... Nh5 and 15... d5) - after that only two results were possible. It has to be said then that my opening idea worked like a charm - I think he simply didn't like the position that arose.

 But I didn't win, despite making the bold (or so it seemed at the time) decision to go for it with 16. f5. This is the sort of position that shows engines aren't yet perfect. Fritz will tell you the final position is +2.25, which I simply don't believe. Yes, white has a big space advantage everywhere, and black will always have to be mindful of a bomb dropping on h6, but despite the cramp in the black camp I just can't see how to take advantage. To cash in on a space advantage requires some opening of the position, and this doesn't seem possible to effect - indeed the only place it could happen (d5) is the one part of the board I was terrified about such an outcome! It would seem then that 19. g6 is wrong because it allows the Kingside to be locked down, but the other moves don't seem to promise much either. Answers on a postcard, as they say...

 It's only just over a week since this game was played, but there are already 6 more in the queue! First up came a league match on Wednesday against Clifton B.