A clean sweep

This weekend I was back within the warm embrace of the M25 for a county match. With no 4NCL team these fixtures are now my best source of high-quality games, without needing to give up a whole weekend or travel quite so far. Maintaining my Surrey connections is also very welcome, and I've always enjoyed the sense of occasion that comes with a 16-board match.

Surrey's fortunes have revived lately after a few years in the wilderness, such that we came into this match having already won the SCCU Championship and with a grand slam in our sights. Playing Middlesex away is always a daunting proposition though, and they'd strengthened for this match. I was all the way down on board 15, but still significantly outrated! More challenging still were the playing conditions: we were at a church, crammed in between the pews, and I was sat tilted on a disabled access ramp, right next to a miniaturised sun that had been disguised as a radiator. I like to imagine that the result of the match owed at least as much to divine retribution upon our hosts as it did to our play.

Their captain gave me an earful for daring to ask that the aforementioned radiator be switched off, but I managed to channel my annoyance onto the board. Looking back I'm surprised by how straightforward it was: I walked into his queenside, stole a pawn and proceeded to win the game with it.

[Event "SCCU Championship"] [Site "?"] [Date "2024.02.24"] [Round "6.15"] [White "Dydak, Mateusz"] [Black "Young, Daniel J"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "E66"] [WhiteElo "2067"] [BlackElo "2011"] [Annotator "Young,Daniel J"] [PlyCount "96"] [EventDate "2024.??.??"] [WhiteTeam "Middlesex"] [BlackTeam "Surrey"] {On paper this was a dead rubber, since we had already regained the SCCU Championship. But with a chance to complete a clean sweep by beating our bitter rivals on the road, there was plenty to play for and both sides knew it. Middlesex averaged more than 2200 over 16 boards and we weren't far behind, with me on 15 and FM Peter Lee, 1965 British Champion, on bottom board! Time control: 2 hours for all moves + 10 seconds/move.} 1. c4 {(2:00) This concluded my preparation for the day - I was expecting a Bird or 1. e4. In response I chose a flexible move order, keeping either the Symmetrical English or King's Indian in reserve depending on events.} g6 {(2:00)} 2. Nc3 Bg7 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 d6 6. O-O {White has had to reveal a lot: he has fianchettoed, and avoided the e3/Nge2 formation which it's hard for Black to play for a win against. However, the d-pawn's intentions remain under wraps and I've run out of waiting moves. I hesitantly chose} Nc6 {, renouncing any thought of symmetry but straying from the protective cover of Jones's repertoire book.} (6... c5 {has become standard, but I was uneasy about the lines arising from} 7. d4 Nc6 8. dxc5 (8. d5 Na5 {can transpose to the game, but this is a better way for Black to get there since} 9. b3 $2 Nxd5 {works now that the a5 knight is defended. Instead 9. Nd2 e6 is the current battleground.}) 8... dxc5 9. Be3 {(or 9. Bf4). Black should be able to hold his own if he has done his homework but (a) I hadn't, and (b) I'm not patient enough to gradually equalise in mirrored positions. Jones darkly warns that the cost of avoiding this position is lines where Black is simply worse, but I felt more comfortable in an imbalanced game.}) 7. d4 {Thankfully for me, my opponent also wanted a fight. First he consents to a pure King's Indian, and then} a6 8. d5 {, when} Na5 {is an interesting position I have played from both sides. The a5 knight creates irritating pressure on c4, but if White consolidates it has no clear route back to the centre. However, I knew my choice wasn't very objective, since 9. b3 works this time - I've played it as White! (Young-Payne, 4NCL 2021, has the story.) I won't be making a habit of this, but as a one-off I preferred the devil I knew. Besides, I suspected that Dydak was already on his own, and} 9. Qd3 {confirmed it: this old move has been discarded in the name of progress. It looks tidier than exposing the long diagonal with 9. b3 or retreating the knight with 9. Nd2 (still very much the main line) but apart from the one-move threat of 10. b4 it doesn't hinder Black's plan of playing ...b5, since Nxb5 can now be met by ...c4.} c5 10. e4 {(1:41)} Rb8 {(1:49) Making no secret of my intentions. Here I got up from the board (no mean feat in itself) and started pacing around the church. 34 minutes later, Dydak was still sat there with his head in his hands. Finally he played} 11. Bf4 {, which is one of various sensible moves, but hardly worth the invested time.} (11. e5 $144 {The forcing approach should be checked, but it leads to nothing after} Ng4 12. e6 $5 (12. exd6 exd6 {is a harmless structure from Black's perspective since his light-squared bishop heads straight for f5}) 12... fxe6 13. h3 Nf6 14. Ng5 exd5 15. cxd5 b5 $15 {. In return for the pawn White can claim some play on the weakened light squares with Ne2-f4, however Black's queenside moves quickly.}) 11... b5 12. b3 {And this was worth another 20 minutes, in a position where nothing else makes sense. In fairness my last move was so obvious I didn't calculate beyond verifying White couldn't take twice, so I hadn't planned my reply in advance. Perhaps Dydak was mulling over the choice of poisons he is about to face, but wasn't 34 minutes enough to have already foreseen this...?} Nh5 {Well, I did once play for the Drunken Knights! Now White has a dilemma: should he save his bishop from the trade and preserve his kingside structure, or deal with the threat of 13... b4 winning the exchange?} 13. Rac1 $2 {This time Dydak moved pretty quickly, and took the materialistic path. However, it leads to a strategically lifeless game for White in which his hefty pawn front becomes a static target and the King's Indian bishop has no opponent on the dark squares. He would do better to swallow his pride and look for counterplay by sacrificing the exchange.} (13. Be3 $142 {Usually in such cases I value the fianchettoed bishop more highly than a mere rook and have to put up with the engine's taunting afterwards. This time I'd resolved to play it like the computer, and it announces that White gets full compensation! You can't win. That said, the engine still accepts the sacrifice.} b4 (13... bxc4 $144 {is a viable alternative though, patiently intensifying the pressure on White's centre.} 14. bxc4 Rb4 15. Nd2 f5 $132) 14. Ne2 Bxa1 15. Rxa1 {I was intending 15... f6 to block the long diagonal, though it is hard for the h5 knight to resurface through g7. Stockfish prefers} e5 {; if the en passant rule didn't exist then White would be left with little to show for his sacrifice, but} 16. dxe6 Bxe6 17. Nf4 Nxf4 18. Bxf4 {gives White a dangerous initiative - Black struggles to juggle the defence of d6 and his offside knight, for example} Nb7 19. e5 $1 dxe5 20. Nxe5 Qxd3 21. Nxd3 Rbd8 22. Nb2 $44 {when the knight remains out of play and the backward c-pawn starts to come under pressure. Black has no invasion points down the d-file.}) 13... Nxf4 14. gxf4 bxc4 {Fixing the c4 pawn as a target and opening the b-file for my heavy pieces to intensify the pressure.} 15. bxc4 {(41)} Bg4 $17 {(1:21) Apparently this is a novelty, but the idea is well known from the Four Pawns Attack: removing the knight from f3 takes the sting out of e4-e5. Then I can get to work assaulting the weak pawns.} 16. Ne2 $6 {The laboured point of this manouevre will be seen in six moves' time, but White doesn't have six moves. Contesting the b-file with 16. Rb1 was more resilient.} Rb2 17. Rc2 Qb6 18. h3 Bxf3 19. Bxf3 Rb8 20. Ng3 {(24)} Qb4 $6 {(55) Turning the screws a little further, and endangering nothing, but Black can already cut to the chase.} (20... Rxc2 $142 21. Qxc2 Qb2 {wins material by force. I couldn't see how to break down} 22. Rc1 {, but Black can exploit the newly-created pin on the c1-h6 diagonal with} (22. Qa4 {is tried by the engine, however} Qb4 23. Qd7 Nxc4 $19 {wins a pawn for nothing - not} 24. Qxe7 $2 Nd2) 22... Rb4 23. Be2 Bh6 $19 {when White's position starts to disintegrate.}) 21. Rfc1 Qa4 {It turns out that Black has been giving White's a-pawn longing looks for the last few moves, not just the c-pawn. Material loss is now unavoidable, so White finally makes a bid for counterplay. It isn't working but does at least force Black to start thinking again.} 22. e5 $5 Qxa2 $19 {The right capture. Not only does Black win a pawn, but his knight finally gains a route into the game. I intuitively avoided giving White anything to work with in the centre, but didn't realise that taking on e5 would actually throw away the win!} (22... dxe5 $143 $2 {This move would actually be extremely careless, allowing White to slip away with} 23. Rxb2 Rxb2 24. d6 $1 {I did have a vague feeling of unease about the d-pawn, but I didn't consider this move at all. Black can hardly allow the pawn to become passed, but} exd6 25. Qxd6 {invites White's queen into the heart of the kingside whilst he has a big local superiority. The outcome is that Black has no good way to avoid the perpetual check that results from} Nxc4 26. Qd8+ Bf8 27. Ne4 {(finally the knight gets to be useful!)} exf4 28. Nf6+ Kg7 29. Nd7 Bd6 30. Qf6+ Kg8 31. Qd8+ $11 {I was oblivious to all of this, but since White's next move gave me pause I'm glad that my instinct was right.}) 23. Ne4 {White's pressure in the centre is starting to look imposing, however Black is taking over on the queenside and should be able to keep everything under control.} Rxc2 24. Rxc2 Qb1+ 25. Kg2 {(12)} Nb3 $6 {(41) This wasn't an easy decision, and I was glad to have a huge time advantage to invest. I naturally wanted the knight back in the fight as soon as possible, and 25... dxe5 26. Nxc5 seemed very ugly, so I decided to prioritise harmony over my extra pawn; the a-pawn is still a runner in any case. Making the effort to calculate would have allowed me to wrap up the game more surely though.} (25... dxe5 $142 26. Nxc5 (26. d6 $143 $2 Nc6 {wasn't possible in the 22... dxe5? variation above, and here it sinks the d5-d6 breakthrough completely.} 27. d7 Nd4 $19) 26... Rc8 $1 {This accurate move breaks White's resistance; his queenside is too lose to be held together.} 27. Re2 Qc1 28. Nd7 Nxc4 29. Nxe5 Nxe5 30. fxe5 Rc3 31. Qd4 Ra3 $19 {Black retains his extra pawn, and with ...Ra1 looming White's d-pawn isn't going to come to the rescue in time.}) 26. exd6 exd6 {Now I was ready for him to take on d6, but instead with 10 minutes left on the clock he just froze. Finally he snapped out of the reverie and played} 27. Rc3 $2 {- an artificial move which could have lost quickly. But even when I inevitably overlook the win White is left with no hope of saving the game in the long run now. He was down to 3 minutes for the rest of the game against my 38, and starts sliding into passive defence.} (27. Nxd6 $142 {does the obvious thing and restores material equality. Admittedly, that is the summit of his achievements, as Black is clearly dominating after} Nd4 {; it's hard to believe that his knight was stranded uselessly on a5 three moves ago, White's kingside has broken up and the outside passed pawn demands attention.} 28. Rd2 Qb6 {28... Qxd3 is playable, but White finds it harder to defend his various weaknesses with the queens on, for example} 29. Ne4 f5 30. Nc3 Qd6 31. Qe3 Nxf3 32. Qxf3 Rb4 $17 {and White loses material. Since this is the closest the engine gets to saving chances, I should probably be satisfied at keeping control of the position fairly well, rather than wishing for Stockfish's incisiveness.}) 27... Qxd3 $6 {Still, wishes are cheap! The simple approach works perfectly well although there is a quicker way to win.} (27... Qb2 $142 28. Rc2 Qa1 $19 {clears the way for a decisive invasion on b3 once the knight reaches d4. If} 29. Nxd6 Nd4 30. Rd2 Bf8 31. Ne4 Rb3 {wins a piece.}) 28. Rxd3 Bf8 29. Bd1 Nd4 {Stockfish is interested in 29... Na5!?, going back to the old plan of attacking the c-pawn. I did consider it, but as a matter of culture I wanted the knight in the centre.} 30. Ra3 {(3) White's only hope is to go after the a-pawn, but with active defence I am able to keep him away from it for now.} Rb1 {(27)} 31. Ba4 Kg7 32. Be8 $2 {A bad oversight leading to a dead lost ending, but White had been asking for it with his poor clock handling.} (32. Bd7 $142 {avoids the worst, however} Re1 33. Nd2 Re2 34. Nf1 Re4 {is still lost for White since his kingside pawns are too weak.} 35. Kg3 {One of various ways to win is} Ne2+ 36. Kf3 f5 37. Rxa6 Nxf4 $19) 32... Re1 {To save his skewered pieces, White is forced to go in for the trade of rooks. Then he is left with no counterplay and the measly a-pawn, which looked so insignificant in the middlegame, becomes decisive.} 33. Re3 Rc1 {One weakness of my play I've picked up on recently is rushing to simplify in favourable positions. Here I put that knowledge to good use; it was tempting to play directly and take on e3, but why fix White's structure for him? Instead I shuffled around (always painful for an opponent in time trouble anyway) and managed to exact the trade under better circumstances. 33... Nc2 would have achieved the same thing.} 34. Rc3 {If 34. Ra3 Re1 forces 35. Re3 again, and another chance for ...Nc2.} Rxc3 35. Nxc3 {(1)} Nc2 {(12)} 36. Nd1 Na3 37. Ne3 Be7 {With the blunt idea of ...Bf6-d4xe3, so White has to rush back with his bishop to defend the c-pawn.} 38. Ba4 Bf6 39. Bb3 Nb1 {Now the knight heads for c3, where it will support ...a5-a4.} 40. Bc2 {(0)} Nc3 {(9)} 41. Nd1 $6 {This is pointless, since Black is never going to allow a pure opposite bishop ending. Now his bishop is unprotected and about to be trampled underhoof.} (41. Kf3 {White ought to bring his king in at the first opportunity, but Black still wins after} a5 42. Nd1 Na2 43. Bb3 Nc1 44. Ba4 Bd4 45. Ke4 f5+ 46. Kf3 Nd3 47. Bb5 Kh6 $19 {: White is completely stuck and it only remains for Black to saunter in with his king and round up the h-pawn.}) 41... Ne2 42. f5 {Played on the increment - Dydak made to play 42. Kf3 before realising it hangs the bishop to 42... Nd4+.} Nd4 43. Bd3 Nxf5 {My knight has fought gallantly, covering the circuit b8-c6-a5-b3-d4-c2-a3-b1-c3-e2-d4xf5. In the end it perishes in the field, but not without first securing victory for its comrades.} 44. Bxf5 gxf5 45. Ne3 {(0)} Kg6 {(8)} 46. Kf3 a5 47. Ke2 a4 48. Nc2 {Now, in true King's Indian style, it only remains for the dark-squared bishop to swoop in and steal the glory.} Bb2 {Dydak's time trouble forced me to remain sat at the board in the second half of the game, so I'd lost track of the match around me. It turned out that mine was the penultimate game to finish, and it took Surrey over the winning post, 9.5-6.5 the final score. Given the rotten playing conditions, and Middlesex's super-strong team, completing a perfect season for both Surrey and myself was especially sweet.} 0-1

This game is emblematic of how I win when I'm on good form. Though I went out of my way to seek a risky and imbalanced position, and carried out my queenside breakthrough with great vigour, my play was really rather boring. There's nothing flashy to be found here, I didn't need to lean on my shaky calculation, and once I took control I consistently sought the simplest route home. 25... Nb3, offering to return my extra pawn to keep hold of the initiative, is symbolic of that approach. Yes, the computer points out quicker ways to win, but then again efficiency has a beauty all of its own.

On a more critical note, my approach to the opening showed a dangerous lack of objectivity. Adopting a move order that I know enables White to claim a comfortable edge in order to avoid a symmetrical position is hard to justify even as a one-off, and if it poses such an existential crisis then I should have my answer worked out in advance, notwithstanding that I couldn't prepare. It was fortunate that my opponent didn't seem to know the opening well, and was too ready to compliantly defend. 13. Rac1? is a very revealing moment - when you give up the initiative in a position without counterplay there is often no way back.

I was once very successful in county matches, but that was a long time ago. Happily I have been able to recapture a little of the old magic this season, winning all three of my first-team games and scoring an unbeaten 4/5 overall. Capturing the SCCU crown is arguably harder than winning the national competition, since there are more matches and none of them easy, so a clean sweep is even more impressive and it is one of my proudest successes in team events.