Apex predator

My 2021-22 chess season can be pithily summed up as 'three times the bridesmaid, never the bride' - Wallington and Epsom both finished runners-up in the Surrey League, KJCA were in the running for a division 1 4NCL berth for a long time but barely avoided relegation in the end, and I finished second in both of my club championships by beating everyone except the winner.

Is there more to this than gruesome coincidence? Possibly; I am more interested in being a contender than proving myself the very best, so sometimes I lack the killer instinct needed to find the last little percentage. When I beat John Nunn in a CCF blitz tournament, my overwhelming emotion was not happiness, but sorrow at seeing one of my chess heroes brought so low. Although I am fortunate enough to have a number of good scalps to my name, a more ruthless person would have made a lot more of the positions I've gained against strong opposition over the years.

Today's game is from the final round of the Epsom Club Championship. Although it was a Swiss, we were the only two remaining players on 4/4 so had a bit of a knockout feel to it. My opponent was IM Peter Large, rated 2353; he has only come back to chess in the last few years after retirement, but is making up for lost time and is very active at the moment. I have played him many times in club blitz tournaments, and whilst I predictably have a big negative score there are some wins to my name too. Consciously I was hoping to take the fight to him in this game, but subconsciously my attitude was all wrong and it turned into a very drab uphill struggle in which I never quite equalised:

[Event "Epsom Club Championship"] [Site "?"] [Date "2022.06.13"] [Round "5.1"] [White "IM Large, Peter G"] [Black "Young, Daniel J"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A06"] [WhiteElo "2353"] [BlackElo "2028"] [Annotator "Young,Daniel J"] [PlyCount "99"] [EventDate "2022.??.??"] [SourceVersionDate "2022.06.13"] {Coming into this final round, I had scythed my way to 4/4 without much trouble... but I wasn't the only one! Still, I've faced worse odds than a one-game shootout against an IM. Time control: 75 minutes for all moves + 10 seconds/move.} 1. Nf3 {(1:15) Large has recently switched to this from the sharp 1. e4 openings he used to prefer; though still very strong under clear skies, recently he has shown some vulnerability in stormier seas. Sounds familiar...} c5 {(1:15)} 2. b3 d5 3. e3 Nc6 4. Bb5 {This wasn't much of a surprise - I'd also faced it in the previous round! That was against someone Large coaches, so on principle I decided to differ.} Bd7 (4... e6 {was my choice when first confronted with this, playing by analogy with the 4. e3 Nimzo-Indian. As my opponent is very solid, I was delighted to see him rush in with} 5. Bxc6+ $6 {, not waiting for me to spend a tempo on ... a6 but, crucially, imbalancing the game.} bxc6 6. c4 {(A more common plan in the equivalent Saemisch Nimzo-Indian position would be Ba3 and Nc3-a4, pressuring the c5 pawn)} Bd6 7. Bb2 f6 {Black waits until the enemy dark-squared bishop commits to the long diagonal before playing this blunting move.} 8. d3 Ne7 9. O-O O-O 10. Nbd2 e5 11. e4 Be6 $17 {Black's structure has been damaged, but in return he has two bishops, access to the b-file and control of the centre, whereas all of White's pieces are passive - that is rather too much. After} 12. Re1 Qd7 13. Qc2 Rae8 14. a3 $6 Kh8 {("Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake"!)} 15. b4 cxb4 16. c5 b3 $1 17. Nxb3 Bc7 $19 {White has even dissolved my static weakness, and the opening of lines accentuates the bishop pair. Black is strategically winning, and though I made a meal of it I duly reeled in the point in Gosling-Young, Epsom Club Ch. 2022.}) 5. Bb2 e6 6. O-O Nge7 7. d4 {This is how Large usually handles this system, transposing into a Colle-Zukertort formation, although objectively the resulting simplification nullifies any hope of an opening advantage.} (7. c4 {would force Black to find the as-yet unplayed} d4 $146 {, creating a Benoni position with mutual chances. The tactical justification is} (7... a6 $6 {has been played in the past, however} 8. Bxc6 Bxc6 (8... Nxc6 $6 9. cxd5 exd5 10. d4 $14 {inflicts an IQP on Black under adverse circumstances: the king's knight isn't available to cover d5, and Black lacks activity to compensate for the structural weakness.}) 9. Ne5 Qc7 10. Qh5 $146 {is a laughably primitive computer move, but Black lacks a convenient way to defend f7.} Nf5 (10... g6 $4 {loses on the spot to} 11. Qf3 Nf5 12. Nxc6 $18) 11. d3 {This forces Black to resolve the central tension, as 12. cxd5 followed by 13. e4 is threatened. But} d4 12. Nxc6 Qxc6 13. e4 Ne7 14. Nd2 $14 {leaves Black behind in development and cramped on the kingside; his knight is on a conspicuously bad circuit.}) 8. Bxc6 (8. exd4 Nxd4 9. Nxd4 cxd4 $11 {and the d-pawn is invulnerable because of ...Bxb5 winning a piece.}) 8... Nxc6 9. exd4 Qf6 $11 {recovering the pawn in a position where Black has space and bishops to offset his backward development.}) 7... cxd4 8. Nxd4 {Now the vacuum cleaner comes out.} Nxd4 9. Bxd7+ Qxd7 10. Qxd4 {(1:10)} Nf5 {(1:08)} 11. Qd3 Bd6 12. Nd2 {I spent some time worrying here about 12. g4 to grab my g-pawn; I couldn't accept it was true but equally I couldn't refute it either. Large's move, simply completing development, is of course more logical.} (12. g4 $143 $2 Nh4 13. Bxg7 e5 $1 {was my intention, effectively punishing White for so greedily weakening his king. In truth this refutes his play outright, which I failed to appreciate; a pawn is a pawn, and I wanted a clean variation.} (13... Rg8 $5 {is strong but messy after} 14. Qxh7 Nf3+ 15. Kg2 O-O-O $1 16. Kxf3 f5 $19 {, regaining the piece and opening up White's kingside with decisive effect, as} 17. gxf5 Rxg7 18. fxe6 $2 {drops the queen to} Rg3+ 19. hxg3 Qxh7) 14. h3 e4 15. Qe2 Rg8 16. Bb2 Nf3+ 17. Kh1 Rxg4 18. hxg4 Qxg4 $19 {Clean enough?}) 12... O-O $11 {From a scientific point of view I can't criticise my opening choice - as White's next move demonstrates, it is he who needs to think about how to equalise - but stylistically I would have much preferred what I played in the previous round. I should not have allowed such a dry position to appear on the board, considering my opponent's tastes but also my own.} 13. e4 dxe4 14. Nxe4 Qc7 $6 {As the game continuation shows, this is an illogical shuffle. 14... Rfd8 would have saved a tempo.} 15. Nxd6 { (1:00)} Qxd6 {(56)} 16. Qxd6 Nxd6 17. Rfd1 Rfd8 18. Rd3 Ne4 $6 {Losing the battle for the d-file without a fight.} (18... f6 $142 {was Large's suggestion afterwards. I considered it but felt that chopping all the rooks was too passive -} 19. Rad1 Nf7 20. c4 Rxd3 21. Rxd3 Rd8 22. Rxd8+ Nxd8 23. f4 Kf7 $14 {Black is a little cramped but with rooks gone the passive position of my knight is quite tenable.}) 19. Rad1 Rxd3 20. Rxd3 {(59)} Nc5 {(49)} 21. Rd4 $14 (21. Rg3 {compels Black to expose the kingside dark squares with} g6 {, and is strongly favoured by Stockfish. However I'm not convinced by this, as it seems to be relying on} 22. Rc3 b6 23. Ba3 Rd8 {(exploiting the back rank is better than passively self-pinning with 23... Rc8)} 24. Kf1 Rd5 {and now} 25. Bxc5 Rxc5 26. Rxc5 bxc5 {, which, however, appears to be tenable despite the split queenside pawns, as Black is in time with his king:} 27. Ke2 Kf8 28. Kd3 Ke7 29. Kc4 Kd6) 21... Kf8 $6 {This was a horrible position to play - if Black could have two or three spare moves he would easily solve his problems, but there were so many little difficulties! Wanting to activate the king is understandable, but walking into a pin on the a3-f8 diagonal is a risky business. 21... f6 should again have been preferred, restricting the bishop and opening f7 for the king.} 22. Kf1 {Forcing measures do not yet work, so for now Large decides that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and likewise activates his own king.} (22. Ba3 {It was a bad sign to be relying on calculation in such a position, but at least I was accurate: everything just about holds together for Black here.} b6 (22... Rc8 $2 23. Ra4 $1 a6 24. f3 $18 {creates luft (so that ...Rd8 doesn't unpin with tempo) and leaves Black with no good answer to the threat of 25. Rc4 - if} b5 25. Rxa6) 23. Rc4 (23. Bxc5+ bxc5 24. Rc4 Rc8 {is tenable; again White's nemesis is the back rank as} 25. b4 $2 {fails to} Rb8) 23... Rc8 24. b4 Rd8 25. Kf1 Nd7 26. Rc7 Ke8 27. Rxa7 Rc8 28. Bb2 g5 29. c3 Ne5 $14 {Black gives up a pawn in this line but is at least able to activate his pieces.}) 22... b6 {It is necessary to start with this move, as both 22... Ke7? and 22... Rc8? are met by the unpleasant 23. Rc4.} 23. Ke2 $6 {And here too 23. Rc4 was probably the best option. This gives me a moment to organise my kingside defences.} f6 {Now my king can stray from g7.} ( 23... Ke7 $2 {was my original plan, intending ...Rc8, ... Nd7, ...Rc5, but it's stopped by} 24. Rh4 $18) (23... g6 {also came to mind, but the weakened dark squares seemed to matter more than getting my pawns off of them. For instance I can't play ...Ke7 then . ..Rd8 because of Bf6+.}) 24. Ba3 Ke7 25. b4 $2 {(35) A serious mutual oversight! This works exactly as intended, but only because I was as though hypnotised by the thought of exchanging the minor pieces and seeking solace in a rook ending.} Na4 $4 {(20) I mentioned already that tactics could be Large's weakness, but I am not the person to exploit that...} (25... Nb7 {Large suggested this afterwards - I thought it transposed but only because I was aiming for the wrong ending. The point is that} 26. b5+ Ke8 {, passive as it looked, is fine for Black since now the rook can play.} 27. Ra4 (27. Rc4 a6 $1 $11 {activates the black rook thanks to the hanging bishop}) 27... e5 28. c4 $14 {This is an improvement over the text, but there is more...}) (25... e5 $142 $1 {I didn't even consider it! Black gains the e6 square for his knight which therefore remains active.} 26. Rh4 $6 (26. Rc4 Ne6 27. b5+ Kd7 28. Bb2 a6 $15 {is again a strong 'developing' move for the rook.}) 26... Ne6 27. Rxh7 {Even if I had seen 25... e5 I might well have rejected it on account of this line, as it seems Black has lost a pawn - but White's rook has been diverted and his king cannot cover the weak pawns on both flanks at once.} Nf4+ 28. Kf3 Kf7 29. Bc1 Nd5 30. a3 {Now it would have remained only to find} Rc8 31. Ke4 Rxc2 32. Kxd5 Rxc1 $17 {, when Black's rook is far more active and the outcome of the game could have been very different.}) 26. b5+ Nc5 27. Bxc5+ bxc5 28. Ra4 {According to the old rule, all rook endings are drawn, but there are exceptions - such as this one, where Black's queenside pawns are split and his rook is passive.} Kd6 29. c4 $2 {It is natural to take away the d5 square from Black's king, but this creates another unexpected tactical opportunity, which again I failed to take advantage of.} (29. Ra6+ $142 {is the correct procedure, not fearing} Kd5 30. Kd3 {: Black is compelled to play} c4+ {if he wants to keep his king in the centre, but then} 31. Kc3 e5 32. a4 $18 {with the powerful threat of 33. b6.}) 29... Ke5 $6 (29... a6 $3 { is a spectacular solution to the problem. The pawn can be taken in two different ways, one of them even allowing White to reach a pawn ending with a material advantage, and it will take several tempi for Black to defend his rook and therefore make anything of the attack on b5. And yet this seems to hold! I did consider a related idea, but with 29... a5, which I rejected because I didn't want to give White a passed pawn on b5. This was shallow analysis, as what transpires in the game is completely hopeless.} 30. bxa6 (30. Rxa6+ $143 $4 {Amazingly this even loses!} Rxa6 31. bxa6 Kc6 32. Kd3 Kb6 33. f4 Kxa6 34. Kc3 g5 35. g3 Ka5 36. Kb3 g4 $19 {With the kingside frozen, Black will create a passed e-pawn and use this to divert the white king from the queenside, after which the c-pawn can run through.}) (30. f4 {Keeping the tension is I believe the hardest to appreciate, but White has no way to make progress whilst Black puts his king on b6 and rook on a7.} Kc7 31. Kf3 Kb6 32. g4 Ra7 33. Ke4 f5+ $1 34. Kf3 {(if White takes twice on f5 then Black can unpin the a-pawn with ...Rf7+)} a5 {Now at last the black rook can come into the game.} 35. Ra3 Rd7 $11) 30... Kc6 {I felt this was a tenable position (after 29... a5 30. bxa6) and Stockfish agrees; the white king is too remote.} 31. Ra3 h5 32. h4 Kb6 33. Re3 e5 34. Rb3+ Kc6 35. Ra3 Kb6 $11) 30. Ke3 {(34)} g5 $2 {(12)} 31. g3 $2 g4 $2 {Missing the last chance to make a game of it with 31... a5.} 32. Ra6 $18 {Finally.} Rd8 {The last throw of the dice - the most important thing in rook endings is to activate the rook, so Black decides to throw caution to the wind and forget about pawns. But gravity is against me. } 33. Rc6 Rd1 34. Rxc5+ Kd6 35. Rc6+ {(32)} Ke5 {(10)} 36. Rc7 Rc1 37. Kd2 Rf1 38. Rxa7 Rxf2+ 39. Kc3 Kd6 40. Ra6+ {(19)} Kc7 {(3) (I stopped recording) Other moves are no better - the queenside pawns are simply too fast.} 41. Rxe6 Rxa2 42. Rxf6 Rxh2 43. c5 Rh3 44. Rf7+ Kc8 45. Kc4 Rxg3 46. Rxh7 Rh3 47. Rg7 g3 48. b6 Rh1 49. Rxg3 Rc1+ 50. Kb5 {I resigned here. This was the correct result; irrespective of whether White deserved to win in spite of his anodyne opening and a couple of tactical oversights, I certainly did not deserve to draw - my play was so negative! That was the most important lesson I took from this game. } 1-0

What I find most interesting about this game is the transformation from the confident, assertive player who knocked over four lower seeds like bowling pins in the earlier rounds (sometimes in swashbuckling style) to a grovelling supplicant here. I was no longer the big fish in a little pond, and though I didn't plan it or perceive it at the time, I played a very different game here. Worse, I played into Large's hands; he has successfully adapted his style with age and now seeks quiet positions to avoid losing the thread in complications - which is just how three IMs lost to me in the past! Unwittingly I committed the worst of all sins, playing openly for a draw; I believe that is why I actively sought out my doom in the rook ending that arises by force after 25... Na4??, rather than taking the time to look for something better. I didn't look beyond the 'achievement' of simplification and actually evaluate that rook ending. The possibility that I could have a way to fight for the initiative at that moment, and disrupt the predictable narrative of the game, never crossed my mind.

Not long after this, I lost a game as Black in the draw variation of the Exchange Slav (1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5 cxd5 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bf4 Bf5 7. e3 e6 8. Bd3 Bxd3 9. Qxd3 Bd6 10. Bxd6 Qxd6 etc.), at a 4NCL time control no less, bringing my score in that system to 0/3 (!) and convincing me, along with this game, that even if I do struggle with complications, this sort of chess is not for me: gradually working to equalise requires accuracy and patience, neither of which I number among my strengths.

That was a lesson I took into my showpiece chess appearance of the year - the Major Open. By this time I was done with accounting exams, and arrived in Torquay feeling well-prepared. I put a lot of effort into the games, although as we shall see my industry was not well rewarded. Still, right now it is rainy, dark and November, so it doesn't seem so bad to remember the summer. Just like in the old days I am going to present all nine rounds in full, and then summarise my thoughts at the end.