Wiseman-Hurley Open - Round 5 report

Details: Written by: Sanjoy Banerjee; Category: Atticus Open Championship 2021; Published: 08 September 2021

By FM David Lawson

I was lucky enough to watch most of all the games from Round 5, and learnt a lot in the process. Every game had very original ideas, and each player seemed determined to twist for opportunities rather than acquiesce to draw-dom……….. And they were all less than 30 moves, which the crowds love!

[Event "Wiseman-Hurley Open"] [Site "Cross Keys, Liverpool"] [Date "2021.09.06"] [Round "5"] [White "Kee, Steve"] [Black "Horton, Colin"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "Lawson,David"] {This opening can transpose from a variety of options, including King’s Indian attack (c4 sublines), Botvinnik system(s), d3 Pirc, and Old Indian systems. The variation is completely playable for black, but you really have to relish cramped set-ups (or admit you’re actually a computer).} 1. c4 g6 2. g3 Bg7 3. Bg2 Nf6 4. Nc3 O-O 5. e4 {This keeps d5 under lock and key, restricting black’s manoeuvrability.} e5 6. Nge2 d6 7. O-O Bg4 8. h3 Be6 9. d3 Qd7 10. Kh2 c6 {Objectively white only has a slight edge, but you have to enjoy skulking in corners to get much pleasure as black. White controls more space both sides of the board, and can aim for f4 or d4, or even queen side play. At this point black hopes for 11)… d5, but it’s easily prevented.} 11. f4 exf4 $6 {Concedes too much central / king side control to white. 11)… Na6 is better, keeping the tension.} 12. Nxf4 Na6 13. Be3 Nc7 14. Qd2 Qe7 15. Rae1 {Discouraging either of black’s breaks (d5 or f5). It is so much simpler to play the white side of this game, developing pieces to natural squares. Meanwhile black crawls about the dark honeycomb of his first 3 ranks, waiting...} Nd7{ I think this plan of Colin’s is a bit ambitious, although most players would be searching for a way to punch free. The passive 15)… Rfe8 or even 15)… Bc8 are more restrained / better.} 16. b3 {Prepares 17) d4.} f5 $2 {Consistent but flawed. Steve now finds a series of moves to embarrass the black queen, ultimately winning material.} 17. exf5 Bxf5 18. Bg1 Qf6 19. d4 {Now 20) g4 and 21) Nh5 are threatened, and there’s no good defence.} h5 20. Ne4 Qe7 21. Nc5 Qf6 22. Nxb7 Bh6 23. Bxc6 h4 24. g4 d5 25. cxd5 Rae8 26. Rxe8 Rxe8 27. gxf5 Qxf5 28. Be3 { A very controlled game from Steve, squeezing Colin’s position until it burst apart.} 1-0

[Event "Wiseman-Hurley Open"] 
[Site "Cross Keys, Liverpool"] 
[Date "2021.09.06"] 
[Round "5"] 
[White "Banerjee, Sanjoy"] 
[Black "Boumphrey, Luke"] 
[Result "1-0"] 
[Annotator "Lawson, David"]

{This proved to be a fascinating game right from the opening, mainly as the sideline chosen produced original ideas from both players in a scalpel-sharp set-up.} 
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 9. b4 {The Bayonet attack in the classical KID. It isn’t seen at top level chess as black should quickly equalise, although is an annoying departure from main line theory for the less prepared, and does have dangers.} a5 10. Ba3 Nh5 11. c5 Nf4 12. Nd2{(12) b5 dc 13) Bc5 gives white a tiny edge)} f5 13. Nc4 {Consistent, but moving the f3 knight to the queen side is a touch risky. 13) cd cd 14) b5 is better.} axb4 $1{Excellent timing. Black’s position is very dynamic, and Luke keeps all outcomes possible.} 14. Bxb4 fxe4 $2{(14)… dc 15) Bc5 b6 maintains an edge for black)} 15. cxd6 cxd6 16. Nxd6{A monster knight!} e3{Luke keeps white’s game pressured, creating chances by destabilising the white position.} 17. fxe3 Qb6 18. Nxc8{The game is about equal now. There is a stunning computer win with 18) Bb5!, due to chronic weakness in black’s minor pieces, coupled with the powerful d pawn (e.g. 18)… Qe3 + 19) Kh1 Qb6 20) Qb3 Nf5 21) Nc4 etc). Try to find a way out, if you can.} Nxe2+{Sadly losing, as the knight is a key defender. 18)… Rfc8 is level.} 19. Qxe2 Rfxc8 20. Bxe7 Rxc3 21. d6{Sanjoy has kept his concentration and is winning. The d pawn is just too strong. Furthermore 21)… Re3 22) Qf2 is terminal, due to the unpleasant pin.} Bf8 22. Qf2 Qxe3 23. Qxe3 Rxe3 24. Rad1 e4 25. Rxf8+ Rxf8 26. Bxf8 Rd3 27. Rxd3 exd3 28. d7{Sanjoy should be proud of victory against such esteemed opposition, and this was a game which could easily have swung either way right til the end.} 1-0

[Event "Wiseman-Hurley Open"] 
[Site "Cross Keys, Liverpool"] 
[Date "2021.09.06"] 
[Round "5"] 
[White "Kane, Brendan"] 
[Black "Coffey, Mike"] 
[Result "1-0"] 
[Annotator "Lawson, David"]

{This encounter (superficially) appears very one-sided, but it wasn’t. Brendan likes to attack and, in my experience of some close battles with Mr Coffey, Mike can absorb a lot of pressure before the counter-blow arrives.} 
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3  Nc6  3. d4  exd4 4. Nxd4  Bc5  5. Be3  Qf6  6. c3  Nge7  7. Bc4 Ne5  8. Be2  d5 {We move from a classical Scotch game to an old gambit which, when I was a junior, had to be taken seriously. Black can obtain a lot of initiative.} 9. f4 $5{(9) O-O O-O is main line)}  Nc4$6 {(9)… Ng4! equalises immediately, as 10) Bg4 Qh4+ solves all problems)}  10. Bxc4 dxc4  11. O-O  O-O  12. Nd2 b5  13. Qh5 {White’s advantage is comfortable. Unless black can challenge the attack (or secure his own king) there will be a relentless series of strengthening moves from white.} Qb6  14. f5 f6 {Black stops the advance, but now the board is separated into 2 distinct halves.} 15. Rf4  g6 16. Rg4  Rf7  17. N2f3  Kf8 $2 {Mike has almost reached a resistant grouping, but chooses the wrong side. 17)… Kh8 is level, which might seem surprising. However 18) fg Bg4 is not good, and 18) Rg6 Ng6 19) fg Rg7 20) Nh4 Bb7 is fine for black.}  18. Bh6+  Ke8  19. fxg6 hxg6  20. Rxg6  Nxg6  21. Qxg6 {You don’t need to calculate variations here; the exposed king and a pawn justify enough compensation for the exchange.} Ke7  22. Re1 {Brendan brings in another attacker.} Be6 23. Kh1 {And now the knight is free.} Bxd4 24. cxd4 b4 25. d5 Bc8 26. e5 Be6 27. dxe6  Rff8 28. exf6+  Rxf6  29. Qg7+{This was a well-constructed attack by Brendan, although on a different day Mike might have found the necessary defence.} 1-0

[Event "Wiseman-Hurley Open"] 
[Site "Cross Keys, Liverpool"] 
[Date "2021.09.06"] 
[Round "5"] 
[White "Burge, Steve"] 
[Black "Ewart, Brian"] 
[Result "1/2-1/2"] 
[Annotator "Lawson, David"]

{Both players were quite ready for what was known about their opponents style, yet it was tense throughout.} 
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 g6 4. Nf3 d6 5. Bc4 Bg7 6. d3 e6 {Brian encourages Steve to light the Grand Prix Attack rocket……. The trouble is everyone (including Brian) knows enough theory to keep it equal.} 7. f5 Nf6 8. fxe6 fxe6 9. O-O O-O 10. Qe1 Nd4 {A simple, positional approach which clarifies the central structure.} 11. Nxd4 cxd4 12. Ne2 d5 13. exd5 Nxd5 14. Nf4 Qd6 15. Nxd5 exd5 16. Rxf8+ Bxf8 17. Bb3 Bd7 18. Qf2 Re8 {Provocative. This is a pawn sac Steve does well to ignore.} 19. Bf4 {(19) Qd4 Bc6 20) Bd2 Bg7 starts to be fun for black)} Qc5{A flawless game! 20) Re1 maintains white’s slight edge, but the final position could be placed on trial for being crushingly boring.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Wiseman-Hurley Open"] 
[Site "Cross Keys, Liverpool"] 
[Date "2021.09.06"] 
[Round "5"] 
[White "Webb, Tom"] 
[Black "Jenner, Peter"] 
[Result "0-1"] 
[Annotator "Lawson, David"]

{I liked the slow aggression bubbling in this game, with the players quietly developing before trying to thump each other somehow.}  
1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nf6 3. e3 Bg4 4. Nf3 {Fine, although 4) f3 is definitely more exciting.} e6  5. h3 Bxf3 6. Qxf3 Bd6 7. Nd2 c6 8. Bd3 Qc7 9. O-O {(9) Qg3 attacks d6 and g7, forcing 9)… Ke7, but it’s just another position.)} Nbd7 10. c4 Bxf4 11. exf4 O-O-O {Now matters are going to accelerate. At the moment white has good dark square control, with a light-square bishop to cover the holes. 12) c5 is a simple means to restrict counterplay, or 12) Rac1 to keep it fluid.} 12. b4 {This, however, is too loosening.} dxc4 13. Bxc4 {(13) Nc4 is better. After all, it wasn’t doing much on d2).} Nb6 {Very precise play by Peter. Black is better, as all those beautiful pawns on b4, d4, and f4 are fatally weak.} 14. Qe3  Nfd5  15. Bxd5 Nxd5 16. Qa3 Nxf4 {Black is now winning, but 17) Qa7 at least allows Tom to consider the material losses as sacrifice, especially as his own king is relatively safe.} 17. Nf3 $2 Ne2+ 18. Kh1 Nxd4 19. Qxa7 {Slightly too bold. 19) Nd4 Rd4 20) Qa7 Rb4 is still 2 pawns down, with chances.} Nxf3 20. gxf3 Qb8 21. Qc5 Rd5 {Black’s central control and the wrecked white king side make survival tricky.} 22. Qc4 Qe5 {Centralising the queen is hardly ever wrong in a heavy piece middle game.} 23. Rfe1 Qd4 24. Qxd4 Rxd4 25. a3 Rhd8 26. Rg1 Rd2 {The rook ending is lost, although I’m not certain if the moves here were actually played...} 27. Rae1 R8d3  28. Re3  Rxe3  29. fxe3  Rh2+  {Peter produced a very controlled victory, suppressing all Tom’s attempts to bring the game to fire.} 0-1

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Wiseman-Hurley Open - Round 5 report