Menu
Download PGN
Exit Game
Tips
Use the on-screen buttons or keyboard arrow keys to step through game.
Down arrow skips to end of game, up arrow to start of game.
The middle [ + ] button toggles auto-play mode.
Select the first move of a variation to step through the variation.
Select any move in the game or in a variation and the board will update to that position.
Select the bottom left square of the board to flip the board.
The bottom right square shows/hides the annotations.
Oswestry Chess Club
[Event "Club Championship 2024/5"] [Site "?"] [Date "2024.10.14"] [Round "Rd 1"] [White "Grocott-James, Al"] [Black "Van Kemenade, R."] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C42"] [WhiteElo "1432"] [BlackElo "1900"] [Annotator "Rudy van Kemenade"] [PlyCount "72"] [rd1_gameId "2100713160794159"] [EventDate "2024.10.15"] [SourceVersionDate "2024.09.14"] {[%evp 0,17,25,16,16,19,22,36,35,32,35,-21,-8,32,27,39,38,42,11,5]} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 (3... Nc6 {the Stafford Gambit is very popular on the internet- even Kamsky has lost to it.}) 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 (5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. dxc3 {with 0-0-0 is very fashionable in otb play}) 5... d5 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. O-O Bg4 (7... Be7 {main} 8. c4 Nb4 {is considered a sounder line for Bl}) 8. c3 (8. c4 Nf6 9. Nc3 {is a dangerous pawn sacritice} Bxf3 10. Qxf3 Nxd4 11. Qh3 {though a rd1_rd1_game that continued} Ne6 12. cxd5 Nxd5 13. Re1 Nxc3 14. bxc3 Qf6 15. Bf5 Be7 16. Bxe6 (16. Be3 h6 17. Bxe6 fxe6 18. Bd4 Qf7 19. Rxe6 O-O 20. Qg3 Bh4 $1 {lead to a loss for the then Im James Howell-Van Kemenade, Sheffield 1991,0-1 being then cited in ChessInformant 52 & then in Karpov-Winning with the Petroff. But then the correspondence players found all sorts of improvements for Wh})) 8... Be7 9. Nbd2 (9. Re1 {main} f5 10. Nbd2 O-O 11. Qb3 Kh8 {another complex line- two examples from rd1_games by Rudy} 12. Qxb7 (12. Ne5 Nxe5 13. dxe5 Nxf2 $1 {Bhatia-Van Kemenade,4NCL 2003, 0-1 based on a similar sacrifice first played by Helen Milligan at the Thessaloniki ol in 1988}) 12... Rf6 13. Ne5 $2 Nxe5 14. Bxe4 fxe4 15. Nxe4 Rb6 {Guy-Van Kemenade, West Wales-Dyfed 2005,0-1}) 9... f5 10. Be2 {moves a piece that has already moved before, so Bl gets ahead in development and has a comfortable position} (10. Qb3) (10. Qc2 {main lines}) 10... O-O 11. Ne5 (11. h3 Bh5 {2 draws, 1 Bl win}) (11. Nxe4 fxe4 12. Ne1 Bxe2 13. Qxe2 Bf6 $11 {Sabourin-Berthiame, Gatineau LEO B, 2010,0-1}) 11... Nxe5 12. dxe5 Bxe2 13. Qxe2 Bc5 (13... Qd7 14. f3 Nc5 15. f4 a5 16. Nf3 Ne4 17. Be3 a4 $11 {SF17}) 14. Nxe4 (14. Nf3 {expected by Bl} Qe7 15. Be3 Bxe3 16. Qxe3 c5 17. Rad1 Rad8 18. h4 h6 19. Rfe1 $11 {Sf17}) 14... fxe4 {Bl now gets permanent pressure against f2} 15. Be3 Qe7 {the usual priciple is to let the other person do the exchanging,. So here} (15... Bxe3 16. Qxe3 {improves the position of Wh's Q. So Bl invites Wh to exchange, which then gives the Bl Q a betterv position on c5.Hovever, as always priciples must be tested against other tactical ones and here bl worried about having Wh a serious opportunity with Qb5 attacking the B and the pawn on d5 indirectly}) 16. Rad1 (16. Qb5 {is a missed chance, though to keep to a simple level, since the Engine considers that Bl can survive without losing pawns} Bxe3 (16... b6 17. b4 a6 18. Qc6 Bxe3 19. Qxd5+ Qf7 20. Qxf7+ Kxf7 21. fxe3+ Ke6 $11) 17. Qxd5+ Qf7 18. Qxf7+ Kxf7 $1 19. fxe3+ Ke6 20. Rad1 Rxf1+ 21. Kxf1 Rf8+ 22. Ke2 Rf7 23. Rd8 Kxe5 $11 {SF17}) 16... c6 $11 17. Bxc5 Qxc5 18. Kh1 {to save the e5 pawn with f4} (18. c4 Rad8 19. cxd5 cxd5 20. Qe3 Qxe3 21. fxe3 Rxf1+ 22. Rxf1 (22. Kxf1 Kf7 $17 {the K gets the pawn}) 22... Re8 23. g4 Rxe5 24. Kg2 {and though a pawn up, Bl can't get his K into the rd1_rd1_game}) 18... Rf4 $1 $17 (18... g5 19. Qg4 {first idea,leaves Bl's K side less secure} Qe7 20. c4 Rad8 (20... Qxe5 21. cxd5 cxd5 22. Qd7 Rad8 23. Qxb7) 21. cxd5 cxd5 22. e6 Rf4 23. Qh3 Kg7 24. Rd2 $11 {SF17}) 19. Rd4 Raf8 $19 20. f3 (20. Qe3 Qe7 21. c4 Qxe5 $19 {S17}) 20... Qe7 (20... exf3 {considered by Bl} 21. gxf3 (21. Rxf4 fxe2 22. Rxf8+ Qxf8 {looks trickybut does work for Bl}) 21... Rxd4 22. cxd4 Qxd4 23. e6 {SF17, but the advanced pawn might be quite a nuisance. The text played appears to stronger anyway}) 21. c4 (21. e6 Qxe6 22. Rg1 h6 $19 {SF17}) 21... Qxe5 {a natural but automatic move, but now the Wh R is unprotected} (21... exf3 $1 22. gxf3 (22. Rxf4 fxe2 23. Rxf8+ Qxf8 24. Rg1 Qf1 $19 (24... Qf2 $19)) 22... Rxd4 $19) 22. Qe3 Qf5 {after looking at various alternatives for a while} (22... dxc4 {simplest} 23. Rxc4 Qxb2 (23... Qf5 24. Qb3 Qf7 {looked at by Bl}) 24. Rxe4 Rxe4 25. Qxe4 Qxa2 {SF17is a comfortable win}) (22... Rh4 {best, looked at by Bl} 23. h3 {looked at when SF17} Qg3 $1 24. Rd2 Rhf4 25. Qe1 Qxe1 26. Rxe1 dxc4 27. fxe4 Rf1+ 28. Rxf1 Rxf1+ 29. Kh2 Kf8 $19) (22... Qxd4 {SF17 is also winning!} 23. Qxd4 exf3 24. Qxa7 fxg2+ 25. Kxg2 Rxf1 26. cxd5 cxd5 27. Qxb7 Kh8 28. Qxd5 R1f2+ 29. Kg3 Rxb2 30. a4 {looks dangerous but the Engine is confident that the Rs can win the a pawn- humans would mostly prefer not to go down such tricky lines}) 23. cxd5 cxd5 (23... c5 24. Rd2 exf3 25. gxf3 Rxf3 26. Qxf3 Qxf3+ 27. Rxf3 Rxf3 28. d6 Rf8 29. Re2 $11 {SF17}) (23... exf3 {considered by Bl & looked at in pm} 24. Rxf4 Qxf4 25. Qxf4 Rxf4 26. g3 $1 {Sf17} (26. gxf3 cxd5 $19) 26... Rf5 27. dxc6 bxc6 28. Kg1 Kf7 29. Rc1 $11 {If Bl's R leaves to attack elsewhere the f pawn goes} Ra5 (29... Rf6 30. Kf2 Ke7 31. Rc3 Kd6 32. Rd3+ (32. Rxf3 Rxf3+ 33. Kxf3 Kd5 34. Ke3 $11) 32... Kc7 33. Ra3 Kb6 34. Rb3+ $11) 30. Rxc6 Rxa2 31. Rc2 Ra6 32. Rc3 Ke6 33. Kf2 $11) 24. Qb3 Rd8 (24... exf3 {considered by Bl and looked promising in pm but Bl didn't trust during the rd1_rd1_game} 25. Rxf4 $1 (25. Rxd5 fxg2+ 26. Kxg2 Qe4+ {SF17} (26... Qg4+ 27. Qg3 Qxg3+ (27... Qe2+ {SF17 mating}) 28. hxg3 Rxf1) 27. Rf3 Qe2+ 28. Kg3 Rxf3+ 29. Qxf3 Qxf3+ 30. Kh4 Rf4+ 31. Kg5 Qg4#) 25... Qxf4 26. Qxd5+ Qf7 27. Qxf3 Qxf3 28. Rxf3 $11 (28. gxf3 $11 {SF17})) 25. Qxb7 exf3 26. Rxf4 Qxf4 27. Kg1 {Wh hopes for a back rank opportunity with a check on f7- however this turns out to be a losing move} (27. gxf3 $11 {Bl was hoping that the advanced d pawn and the slight weakening of Wh's K side would give winning chances, but the Engine is condident in its defensive resilience} Qe3 (27... d4 28. Qxa7 d3 (28... Qg5 29. b4 h6 30. a4 d3 31. Qf2 $11 {SF17}) 29. Qe7 Rf8 (29... Qd4 30. Rg1 Rb8 31. Rg4 Qxb2 32. Qe6+ Kh8 33. Qd6 Rc8 (33... d2 34. Rd4) 34. Qxd3 Qxa2 35. Qd4 Rc1+ 36. Rg1 Rxg1+ 37. Kxg1 $11 {The Engine assesment is that both Ks are unsafe in this endrd1_game from its start}))) 27... Qd4+ {Bl spent some time looking at various permutations} (27... Qe3+ 28. Kh1 (28. Rf2 Qe1+ 29. Rf1 f2+ 30. Kh1 Qxf1#) 28... Qe2 29. Rg1 f2 {SF17 simplest}) 28. Rf2 (28. Kh1 Qd3 (28... fxg2+ 29. Kxg2 Qe4+ 30. Kg1 h6 {will win in the end when Bl's R joins in the attack}) 29. Ra1 (29. Kg1 Qe3+) 29... f2) 28... Qd1+ (28... Rf8 {wins the R after the K dodges to safety}) (28... Re8 29. gxf3 Re2 30. Qc8+ {holds}) 29. Rf1 f2+ {Bl had finally worked out this as as the winning move earlier} 30. Kxf2 Rf8+ 31. Kg3 Rxf1 32. Qc8+ Rf8 33. Qe6+ Kh8 34. Qe7 (34. h3) (34. h4 {last longer, but Bl is a R up}) 34... Qd3+ 35. Kh4 Qe4+ 36. Qxe4 dxe4 0-1
:
Annotated by