Seasons in the sun

For the seventh round I had a second double colour sequence in a row, so I was back to playing Black in the morning shifts. I wasn't sure which colour to prefer for the preparation rounds; whilst it is easier to win the game out of the opening as White, there is less room for error when playing Black. Anyway, my opponent was 1778-rated Jonathan Eckert, who I'd taken on in two Surrey League matches with a win and a draw to my name.

Reflecting on the games from this tournament, and from 2025 as a whole in fact, I'm struck that almost all of my success came in technical positions. This game is a good example - Eckert unwarily strayed into a variation I know very well, and felt that he had to give up a pawn to free his game. After that, despite a couple of half-stumbles, the game was only ever going to end one way:

[Event "Kingston Invitational Swiss"] [Site "?"] [Date "2025.08.15"] [Round "7.23"] [White "Eckert, Jonathan M"] [Black "Young, Daniel J"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B23"] [WhiteElo "1778"] [BlackElo "2045"] [Annotator "Young,Daniel J"] [PlyCount "76"] [EventDate "2025.??.??"] [SourceVersionDate "2025.08.17"] {This wasn't turning into one of my best tournaments, although I didn't feel I'd played so badly as to be on 2/6. Now I had a chance to redress the balance - I'd played Eckert twice before, and was confident I could outplay him positionally.} 1. e4 {(1:30)} c5 {(1:30)} 2. Nc3 g6 {Gently funnelling him into a Grand Prix Attack by avoiding 2... Nc6 3. Bb5, with which he gained a draw in our last meeting.} 3. f4 Bg7 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Bb5 Nd4 6. O-O {Diverging from our first game, and understandably so, but I didn't object to facing a line I know so well.} (6. Bd3 {was played in that game. This was right before Covid and I never got around to analysing it; looking back I struggle to say much. White does nothing blatantly wrong, and Black seemingly does nothing at all, and yet White's position deteriorates with every move.} d6 7. Nxd4 cxd4 8. Ne2 Nf6 9. O-O O-O 10. b3 {(10. c3 is normal but also scores awfully)} Qb6 11. Kh1 Nd7 12. Bb2 $2 {12. Ba3 to stop my reply was the last chance to make a fight of it.} Nc5 $1 {Now White has problems with the twin weaknesses on c2 and e4; his light-squared bishop is a fixed but fragile anchor.} 13. Nc1 Bd7 14. Rb1 Rac8 15. f5 Nxd3 16. Nxd3 Bb5 17. Rf3 Qc6 {Forcing the structurally suicidal} 18. a4 {to save both pawns, but after} Bxd3 19. cxd3 Qc2 20. fxg6 hxg6 {, White resigned in Eckert-Young, Surrey League 2020 - I was surprised that it came so soon, but his position must fall apart. Stockfish points out the strong plan of 21... b5!, and if 22. axb5 then ...Rb8xb5xb3.}) 6... Nxb5 7. Nxb5 d5 8. exd5 {If I was forced to choose between the two main moves then I'd probably take 8. e5 over the text: since White has no way to make anything of his temporary lead in development, opening the game will favour Black's bishop pair in the end. But in that case Black would still have better long-term chances owing to White's weakened light squares. Basically, this whole variation promises White nothing.} a6 9. Nc3 Nf6 10. d4 {(1:26) This old theoretical move is at least consistent in trying to open the game quickly - quieter play with 10. d3?! turned out even worse for White in Webster-Young, 4NCL 2016. Now we follow a forcing variation for a while.} Nxd5 11. dxc5 Nxc3 12. Qxd8+ Kxd8 13. bxc3 Bxc3 14. Rb1 Kc7 {It need hardly be said that in strategic terms White's game is a disaster: not only is his queenside structure destroyed, but Black also has the bishop pair. His only hope is to create counterplay based on Black's lack of development and slightly suspect king position.} 15. Rb3 {(1:14)} Bf6 {(1:34)} 16. Ne5 $6 $146 {A new move, which Eckert said afterwards was the result of forgetting the theory of a line in which he is rarely challenged. Although the attack on f7 has surprising nuisance value, it can be met with a developing move that Black was going to play anyway, after which the b3 rook is attacked and the remnants of White's initiative ebb away.} (16. Bd2 $142 {is the traditional move, and after} Be6 17. Ba5+ {I still like my counterintuitive recommendation from long ago,} Kb8 $1 {, an OTB novelty in Pickersgill-Young, SCCU U-180 Ch. 2016. Black secures his king's position, prepares ...Rc8 to attack the weak c5 pawn, and intends} 18. Ra3 b5 $1 $44 {, sacrificing a pawn to connect the rooks.}) 16... Be6 $15 17. Rb6 $6 {Eckert played this within a minute. He hopes to assail Black's queenside with c5-c6, but this idea can be defused and therefore White is giving up his a-pawn for minimal compensation.} (17. Rb2 $142 {Whilst Eckert can be forgiven for not wanting to use this rook for passive defence, and from an exposed square on the long diagonal no less, this was more stubborn. Nevertheless,} Rhd8 18. Be3 Bd5 19. a4 Bg7 $15 {, followed by ...f6 to evict the knight, is better for Black thanks to his sounder structure and two bishops.}) 17... Bxa2 18. Be3 {Now the rook on b6 will be defended after 19. c6. How should Black react?} Bxe5 $5 {This trade was a very difficult decision, as it carries a lot of baggage. Black gives up the bishop pair, offers White some hope of solace with opposite-coloured bishops, and renders his f-pawn backwards. But it also has some positive features - the destabilising c5-c6 break is stopped, and the isolated pawn on e5 becomes yet another weakness. So I think that this makes a lot of sense as prophylaxis, although it did not come naturally to me.} (18... Rhd8 $143 $2 {Black does have to show White's threat some respect. This simple developing move would be his ideal choice, but} 19. c6 $1 {is awkward because on} Bxe5 {White has the intermezzo} 20. cxb7 Rab8 21. fxe5 Rxb7 22. Rxb7+ Kxb7 23. Rf4 $15 {, and White can still resist, having traded down a pair of rooks and liquidated one of his isolated pawns.}) (18... Bd5 {is very slightly preferred to my move by the engine, although this calls for more calculation on Black's part. I rejected it because of} 19. c4 {, but the point is to abandon the f-pawn with} Bc6 $1 {and stop the c5 pawn in its tracks. Now if} 20. Nxf7 (20. Nxc6 bxc6 {is not exactly a beauty contest for either side, but Black's weaknesses can't easily be targeted whereas he will take control of the d-file and enjoy an outside passed pawn.} 21. f5 Rhd8 22. fxg6 {should be answered with} fxg6 $1 $19 {, when there is no weakness on f7 for White to attack.}) 20... Rhf8 21. Ne5 Bxe5 {(it seems that Black is doomed to make this exchange sooner or later)} 22. fxe5 Rxf1+ 23. Kxf1 Rf8+ 24. Kg1 Kd7 $19 {the ending should be winning for Black despite material equality. His a-pawn is still sat in a savings account, whilst White's isolated pawns are easy pickings and his king is cut off.}) 19. fxe5 Rhd8 $6 {Making the a5-d8 diagonal into more of a tactical liability than I supposed. This doesn't spoil anything, but it would have been more controlled to secure my bishop first with 19... Bd5. Luckily White too fluffs his move order.} 20. Rb2 $2 {(1:04) This only drives the bishop to where it wants to go - changing the move order could have been much more dangerous.} (20. c6 $142 $1 {can be played at once, because} bxc6 21. Rb2 {attacks the bishop and also threatens to skewer an exchange with 22. Bb6+. Black can wriggle out with} Bc4 22. Bb6+ Kc8 23. Bxd8 Bxf1 24. Bxe7 Bc4 $17 {, but as in the 18... Rhd8? line above the rook exchange and liquidation of pawns have eased White's defence.}) 20... Bd5 $19 {(1:16) Now 21. c6? achieves less than nothing after 21... b5, and the queenside pawns sweep all before them.} 21. Rfb1 Rd7 22. c4 (22. e6 $5 {After the game, Peter Lalic melodramatically told me that I'd allowed a forced draw, since} fxe6 $8 23. Bf4+ Kd8 $19 {fragments my kingside and forces me to shut in the a8 rook with my own king. I didn't agree, and still don't. The presence of both pairs of rooks negates the influence of the opposite-coloured bishops, and as we will see in the game the queen's rook is well placed on its starting square since it supports the advance of the a-pawn.}) 22... Be4 {More accurate than the blockading 22... Bc6?!, when 23. Rf1 gives White a little counterplay. Now this can be met by 23... Bf5, sealing the f-file.} 23. Rc1 $6 {I was very glad to see this move. White might have feared 23... Rd3-c3, but passive defence in rook endings is almost always bad.} e6 24. Bd2 {Lining up 25. Ba5+ and at last encouraging Black to take some positive action.} a5 25. Ra1 {(42)} a4 {(53)} 26. Bb4 Rd4 {Black has successfully consolidated, and White's queenside pawns are on life support. In this desperate position Eckert now lashes out for counterplay, but this only brings the end closer.} 27. c6 $6 Bxc6 $6 {Taking with the king is even stronger, keeping the bishop centralised, but I'd guessed White's plan and wanted to see if he could be tempted with a check.} 28. Bd6+ $2 Rxd6 $1 {The most elegant way to win, as well as the simplest. By sacrificing the exchange Black wins a third pawn, mobilises his kingside and allows his king to join the battle.} 29. exd6+ Kxd6 30. Kf2 {(30)} Kc5 {(48)} 31. Rc1 {White's second rook is hardly felt once reduced to guarding this pawn - which in any case only helps secure the black king - but there is no real opportunity for active defence.} (31. Rd1 $144 a3 32. Rbd2 (32. Rc2 $2 Ba4 $19 {wins immediately}) 32... Ra4 $19 {, and Black can even take the c-pawn with the rook if he wishes. White can't achieve anything with the open file because the bishop keeps the entry square on d7 under guard.}) 31... Rd8 32. Ke3 e5 {Once Black has got his passed pawns moving on both sides, White will soon be overrun. This also teases ...Rd4 to go after the c4 pawn from the side. The rest is agony for White.} 33. g3 f5 34. Rd2 f4+ 35. Ke2 {(22)} f3+ {(42)} 36. Ke3 Rxd2 37. Kxd2 Kd4 38. Ke1 e4 {The rook has far too much to do, so White threw in the towel. It was a relief to get back to winning ways, but I couldn't help noticing that once again I was most sure-footed in a technical struggle...} 0-1

This game seems to continue a phenomenon I began to observe in two recent games. In the past I did not trust myself in quiet positions at all, and felt that I almost had to win in sharp middlegames. Now, whilst I tell myself my tastes haven't changed, I seem to get a calm game more often and play it more successfully when I do. This weekend I played in a rapid tournament and my only win was in a Giuoco Pianissimo... the opening I've been trying so hard to avoid lately! Recently I discussed this with John Emms and he said that it was natural for my style to become quieter: I am getting older and my opponents are getting younger. It's true, but I feel a slight sense of loss about it.

There is an interesting chapter on this theme by Vulfson in Dvoretsky and Yusupov's Secrets of Creative Thinking, using Tal games from both ends of his career: "although the mature Tal had not lost his former resourcefulness, and he still liked to attack and make combinations, he did this on a strict positional basis, endeavouring not to take the 'liberties' typical of his youth." To me this is just becoming a better player with the experience of middle age, notwithstanding that he won the World Championship and played his most sparkling games much earlier. It wasn't a wholesale reinvention. 

In my case, I can believe that the passage of time - and some conscious effort to improve a weakness - have let me play a different way. It would be folly to add a new string to your bow and then disavow it out of a sense of identity. Compare the game above with this one mentioned in the notes, in which I was scared of every half-idea and rejected an exchange sacrifice very similar to the one I finally played nine years later. I have clearly become a lot more assured when required to win methodically. In earlier times I think I wouldn't have trusted my ability or my understanding enough to play 18... Bxe5!?, but from looking at the variations it appears that Black has to cut the Gordian knot in this way sooner or later.

In the afternoon I was punished for the audacity of almost reaching 50% by getting paired with an FM, and got outplayed after a promising start. That left just the final round, a game I really wanted to win. It proved to be a full-throated battle.