Ewert bags a hat trick – National Liberal Club Chess Circle

Gladders got three more under his belt over these last few weeks, as he marches inexorably toward anointing the 2017 NLC Champion.

First, Doctor Kirby took on Mister Edwards. Despite Mister Edwards foxing the Doctor with a novel opening choice, white built up the pressure on the c file and eventually broke through on c6.

  [Event "Gladstone Trophy 2017"]  [Date "19 June 2017"]  [White "Doctor Kirby"]  [Black "Mister Edwards"]  [Result "1-0"]   1.d4 e6 2.c4 Bb4+ 3.Bd2 c5 4.Bxb4 cxb4 5.Nf3 d5 6.e3 Nc6 7.Nbd2  b6 8.cxd5 exd5 9.Bb5 Ne7 10.Ne5 Bd7 11.Nxd7 Qxd7 12.Nf3 f6 13.Rc1  Rc8 14.Qa4 O-O 15.O-O Rc7 16.Rc2 Rfc8 17.Rfc1 Qd6 18.Ba6 Rb8  19.Ne1 Qe6 20.Nd3 Nf5 21.Rxc6 Qe4 22.Rxc7 Qxd3 23.Bxd3 1-0

Next saw Mister Hamme in combat with Mister Osseiran. A see-saw of a game saw a small advantage shifting between the players. Had Mister Ossieran spotted 24…f4 White would have had to lose the exchange rook for knight, and black may have pushed on to victory. On such small things games turn, and a queen and rook fork did for black in the end.

   [Event "Gladstone Trophy 2017"]  [Date "11 July 2017"]  [White "Mister Hamme"]  [Black "Mister Osseiran"]  [Result "1-0"]   1.e4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Bg5 Bb4 7.a3  Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 O-O 9.Bd3 Nbd7 10.O-O Qc7 11.Qd2 b6 12.Rfe1 Bb7  13.Rab1 Rac8 14.Rb3 Rfe8 15.Bf4 Qd8 16.h3 Ne4 17.Bxe4 dxe4 18.Nh2  Nf6 19.Be5 Rc5 20.Bxf6 gxf6 21.Re3 Rg5 22.Ng4 Kg7 23.Qe2 f5 24.Ne5  f6 25.h4 f4 26.hxg5 fxe3 27.gxf6+ Qxf6 28.Qxe3 Rf8 29.Nd7 Rf7  30.Nxf6 1-0

In the final bout, Mister Hamme went blow for blow with Mister Widdicombe. A slow start for Mister Widdicombe who struggled to get in to his stride. Mister Hamme could have snapped off pawn with 8. Nxe5 but didn’t fancy some of the variations thereafter (much to Mister Widdicombe’s relief). Black got a middle game position with a terrible pawn structure and white was rightly feeling the happier of the two players. But 17…f5 opened up lines for black’s bishop pair and the white queen went awry 21. Qc4+, after which the c3 Knight would fall. A tough break for Mister Hamme.

   [Event "Gladstone Trophy 2017"]  [Date "July 17 2017"]  [White "Mister Hamme"]  [Black "Mister Widdicombe"]  [Result "0-1"]   1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.O-O O-O 6.d3 a6 7.Bxc6  dxc6 8.Bg5 Re8 9.Ne2 Bg4 10.Ng3 h6 11.Bd2 Qd7 12.Qe2 Rad8 13.Rad1  Nh5 14.Nxh5 Bxh5 15.h3 Qe7 16.Bc3 Bd6 17.Kh2 f5 18.Rg1 fxe4 19.Qxe4  Qf6 20.g4 Bg6 21.Qc4+ Bf7 22.Qe4 Bd5 23.Qe3 Bxf3 24.Ra1 e4+ 0-1

Keep up the good work, gentlemen. Deadline for games is 31 August, so get playing.

Details of the end of season presentation dinner to be announced soon.