Libs better the Cricketers – National Liberal Club Chess Circle

Early January saw the first match of 2022 – a home friendly against the ever-fun MCC team. A chance to blow away some yuletide rust and get ourselves match-fit for the coming competitive games.

We were pleased to play in the rather grander-than-usual surroundings of the Lloyd George Room, so plenty of space to move…

Who’s that chap looking over Leela’s shoulder? I swear I know him from somewhere…

Board 1

With Doctor Kirby putting a double shift in at the bar it fell to Mister Giffin QC MA Oxon to lead off for the Libs. He was up against the very handy David Bates, but managed to hold him to a deserved half point.

[Event "NLC v MCC Friendly "] [Date "21 January 2022"] [White "David Bates"] [Black "Mister Giffin QC MA Oxon"] [Result "0.5-0.5"]    1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.e3 Bg7 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 c6 7.O-O Bf5 8.b3 Re8 9.Bb2 Nbd7 10.Nh4 Be6 11.f4 dxc4 12.bxc4 Nb6 13.c5 Nc4 14.Bc1 Nd5 15.Bxc4 Nxc3 16.Qd3 Bxc4 17.Qxc4 Nd5 18.Nf3 a5 19.e4 b5 20.cxb6 Nxb6 21.Qd3 c5 22.e5 c4 23.Qc2 Rc8 24.Be3 Nd5 25.Rfe1 Nb4 26.Qc3 Qd5 27.Rec1 Qe4 28.Nd2 Qf5 29.Nxc4 Nd5 30.Qd2 Bh6 31.g3 Nxe3 32.Nxe3 Qe4 33.Ng2 f6 34.Rc3 fxe5 35.dxe5 Qxe5 36.Rac1 Rxc3 37.Qxc3 Qe2 38.Qc4+ Qxc4 39.Rxc4 Bg7 40.Kf1 {and the players shook on the split}

Solid Board 1 performance, Mister Giffin QC MA Oxon

Board 2

New year, new haircut for Mister Ioannou. He may have shaved his bouffant locks, but it didn’t have the Samson effect – he’s still a shark on the chess board. A strong performance at Board 2, Mister Ioannou is only getting stronger.

 [Event "NLC v MCC Friendly "] [Date "21 January 2022"]  [White "Mister Ioannou"] [Black "David Clarkson"] [Result "1-0"]       1.d4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bf4 Nf6 4.a3 c5 5.e3 a6 6.dxc5 Bxc5 7.Nf3 Nc6 8.Be2 O-O 9.O-O Re8 10.Nd4 Nd7 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.b4 e5 13.Bxe5 Nxe5 14.bxc5 a5 15.Qd4 Nd7 16.Bd3 Qf6 17.Qxf6 Nxf6 18.Rfe1 Ba6 19.Bxa6 Rxa6 20.Rab1 Nd7 21.Na4 Re4 22.Rb7 Rxa4 23.Rxd7 Kf8 24.Rb1 {and Black had had enough}

Board 3

Miss Widger took on the formidable Peter Rust on 3. Always a tough opponent, the MCC stalwart got a couple of rooks on seventh and it looked pretty nasty for the Lib. Alas, it was too much and the MCC took this one.

Board 4

Mister Widdicombe faced Will Ransome on Board 4. It was always going to be tough for Mister Widdicombe, but he got off to a decent start. His position held together until Black played 15…a5 and White didn’t play the necessary 16. a4, allowing the removal of White’s knight from b3 and thence the defence of the pawn on f3. Good strategy from Will Ransome, who schooled Mister Widdicombe on strategy and planning in chess.

   [Event "NLC v MCC Friendly "] [Date "21 January 2022"] [White "Mister Widdicombe"] [Black "Will Ransome"] [Result "0-1"]   1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5 5.Nb3 f5 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.Bd3 Be7 8.O-O f4 9.Bd2 d6 10.Re1 O-O 11.Nd5 f3 12.gxf3 Be6 13.c4 Bf7 14.Kh1 Bh5 15.Be2 a5 16.Rg1 a4 17.Nc1 Nd4 18.Bh6 Rf7 19.Nxf6+ Bxf6 20.f4 Nxe2 21.Nxe2 Bf3+ 22.Rg2 Bxg2+ 23.Kxg2 gxh6 {and it's clearly all over for White}

Board 5

A topsy-turvy opening few moves from both sides in Doctor Saldanha’s game, but he got on top in the middle game and didn’t let go. In the end his strong attack overwhelmed White and he finished cleanly. Top marks for Doctor Saldanha’s game commentary. A degree of commitment to analysis and self-improvement that we can only hope to one days see from the other Libs…

 [Event "NLC v MCC Friendly "] [Date "21 January 2022"] [White "Ms Stewart-Lockhart"] [Black "Doctor Saldanha"] [Result "0-1"]     1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.Qxd4 {More usual is 3. c3 in the Smith-Morra gambit where White gambits a pawn in exchange for more rapid development. The main issue with the immediately exposed White queen is that Black can attack it whilst developing his pieces.} Nc6 4.Qc3 {Qd3 is better and Black immediately spots the opportunity to possibly pin the White queen against her king.} e6 {Actually, better is 4. … Nf6 attacking White's central e-pawn. Bb4 is a pretty obvious plan easily deflected.} 5.Bd2 {Bd2 isn't great - better is Qg3.} a6 {Black wants to play d5 but worried about getting his knight pinned. Stockfish suggests an immediate 5. … Nf6 6. Bd3 d5 7. exd5 exd5 is fine for Black.} 6.a4 {Qg3 is much the preferred move} Nf6 7.f3 {Logical but e5 is better according to Stockfish.} Bb4 {Direct but more of an equalizing move. (Equalizing, that is, for White.) Alternatively, e5 for Black prevents a potential White advance in the centre.} 8.Qc4 {Qe3 preferred here. The White queen remains horribly exposed.} Bxd2+ {Kicking the White queen with 8. … d5 is twice as strong as the selected bishop exchange.} 9.Nxd2 O-O 10.Qd3 {An unnecessary move, better now to develop the untouched knight on e2.} d5 11.exd5 Nxd5 12.Nh3 {White was worse but according to Stockfish this move makes the game winning for Black if, that is, 12. … Ncb4 13.Qb3 Ne3 14. Rc1 Qd4.} Ne5 {Hitting the queen again with Ncb4 is better; see previous comment. After this point both players improved their accuracy considerably. However, Black simply maintained his advantage (approaching -3) and the damage to White was too much. White did, however, still demand accurate play from Black.} 13.Qe4 Ng6 {Is exactly where Black wanted this knight as a defender, worrying earlier on that a White kingside attack was likely.} 14.O-O-O {Black waited patiently to see how White would castle before being tempted into an outright attack.} Bd7 15.f4 b5 16.f5 {f5 is good but Black had anticipated the move being able to counter with Nf6 - again White's queen is far too exposed.} Nf6 17.Qe3 exf5 {White's kingside attack is stopped in its tracks.} 18.Ng5{Going nowhere.} h6 {Stockfish prefers 18. … Ng4 yet again attacking White's queen.} 19.Ngf3 Qc7 {Connects Black's rooks.}20.h4 Rac8 {An obvious checkmate threat.}21.Bd3 {Good, 21. Nd4 also playable.} Ng4 {The knight takes an outpost.} 22.Qe2 Rfe8 {Strong but the Nf4 fork, which Black overlooked at the time (realizing immediately after playing his rook move), is stronger still. Black had decided he wanted rid of White's light-squared bishop so why delay?} 23.Qf1 N6e5 24.Nxe5 Rxe5 {…. Rxe5 is fine but Nxe5 is the better move. Black failed to appreciate 25. Bxf5 Ng4 26. Nb3 Bxf5 27. Qxf5 thinking he was merely giving up a pawn.} 25.Qf3 Rc5 {Overwhelming firepower on the c-file. Black would have to lose the plot completely for White to get back in. Still, it has been known.} 26.c3 Ne5 27.Qe3 Be6 {Black liked 27. … Be6 - has learned through bitter experience not to immediately seek the jugular. Better still is an immediate all out attack 27. … Rxc3+ 28. Kb1 Rxd3 29. Qxe5 Qxe5 30. Rde1 and White is toast more quickly.} 28.Rhe1 Nxd3+ 29.Qxd3 bxa4 30.Re3 Qb6 31.Kb1 a3 32.b3 Bxb3 33.Ka1 Bxd1 34.Qb1 Rb5 35.Qxd1 Qxe3 36.c4 {An obvious finish follows.} Qc3+ 37.Ka2 Qb2# 0-1 {A spirited effort from White whose exposed queen caused her too much of a delay in the opening. Errors abounded on both sides until move 13 but Black emerges into the middle game with the upper hand and never lets up the pressure. White definitely lives to fight another day and more accurate opening play will definitely cause her opponents serious difficulties. An exciting and enjoyable game!}

Doctor Saldanha contemplates his annotations

Board 6

Mister Dias played on the anchor board. He had a train to catch that evening, so didn’t hang around. He powered through to secure the points. Let’s hope he always has a train to catch.

 [Event "NLC v MCC Friendly "] [Date "21 January 2022"] [White "Mister Dias"] [Black "Nick"] [Result "1-0"]      1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.a3 Bc5 4.e3 d6 5.Be2 Be6 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.O-O O-O 8.b4 Bb6 9.Bb2 a6 10.Rc1 e4 11.Ng5 Bf5 12.Na4 Ba7 13.c5 Ne5 14.d4 Nd3 15.Bxd3 exd3 16.d5 Nxd5 17.e4 Qxg5 18.exf5 Qxf5 19.Nc3 dxc5 20.Nxd5 Qxd5 21.Qg4 f6 22.Qg3 c6 23.bxc5 Bxc5 24.Rcd1 Qa2 25.Rd2 Bxa3 26.Bc1 Qc4 27.Bxa3 Rfd8 28.Be7 Rd7 29.Bxf6 Re8 30.Bb2 Re2 31.Rxe2 dxe2 32.Re1 g6 33.Qe3 Qd3 34.Qe8# 1-0

So the final score was 3.5 – 2.5 to the Libs. We’ll take that.

There’s that strange chap lurking at the back again…

Dinner

We always try to give the MCC a good show in the Dining Room – just as they unfailingly do when we head to northwest London. The menu seemed to go down well enough.