The Royal Game comes to Middlesex University Real Tennis Club
by Adam Raoof
Two talented juniors from Hendon Chess Club were the heroes of the evening as
chess Grandmaster and World Championship candidate Nigel Short took on 47
players at the Middlesex University Real Tennis Club on 15th February. The play
took place on the court itself, with spectators watching from the galleries!
The unusual (probably unique) venue for a chess event drew favourable comments
from all the participants and spectators. Thanks to the British Chess
Educational Trust for a grant which enabled us to be in such a prestigious
location.
Juniors Joseph Levene (b. December 1996) and Isaac Sanders (b. May 1998)
both scored highly creditable draws, with Nigel beating all the other contenders
bar one: Petr Vachtfeidl from London’s Metropolitan Chess Club was the first
person to enter the event and the last to finish, and Nigel couldn’t beat him in
an opposite coloured bishop endgame. The player who travelled the furthest to
play Nigel was certainly Newcastle’s Zheming Zhang (Jesmond Junior Chess
Club) the reigning British Under 8 and 9 Champion.
There were two simultaneous displays, one for juniors (20 players) at 4.30pm and
a mixed simul (20 players) at 8pm. Between displays Nigel gave a talk, and while
he took a well-earned break International Master Lorin d’Costa went through
the games for the audience.
The evening was organised by International Organiser and English Chess
Federation Director Adam Raoof, who also works at Middlesex University, as part
of Nigel’s 2011 UK tour. It was covered live on the internet by Tryfon Gavriel
(‘kingscrusher’) on his ChessBase blog.
Nigel Short simultaneous at Middlesex University
Thanks to Ged Eden and Matty from MURTC
(www.murtc.co.uk) for the superb venue, and for
looking after us all evening.
Nigel’s Score final score was won 44, drew 3, and two of those games were
against juniors from Hendon Chess Club.
[Event "Simultaneous"]
[Site "Middlesex University Real Tennis Club"]
[Date "2011.02.15"]
[White "Short, Nigel"]
[Black "Sanders, Isaac"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Sanders,Isaac"]
[BlackElo "1978"]
[ECO "B92"]
[SourceDate "2010.02.13"]
[WhiteElo "2680"]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.O-O O-O 9.Be3 Be6 10.Qd2 Nbd7 11.a4 Nb6 ( 11...Rc8 { is more common } 12.a5 Qc7 { I do not like playing Nc5 ever. } 13.Rfd1 Rfd8 14.Qe1 ) 12.a5 Nc4 13.Bxc4 Bxc4 14.Rfd1 Rc8 15.f3 ( 15.Nc1 { this has more games. } 15...Qc7 16.Bb6 Qc6 17.f3 Nd7 { Yemelin Vasily 2570-Inarkiev Ernesto 2664 0-1 } ( 17...h6 { Karpov could not make a win against Ostermeyer here. } ) ) ( 15.Bb6 { was played by Adams } 15...Qe8 16.Nc1 Rc6 { ended in a draw. Adams-Nepomniatchi } ) 15...Qc7 { his next move is bad it shows why white moves his N to c1 on move 15, more often. } ( 15...Rc6 16.Bb6 ( 16.Kh1 { Jakobenko-Carlson 0-1 } ) 16...Qc8 ( 16...Rxb6 $6 17.axb6 Bxb3 18.cxb3 Qxb6+ 19.Kh1 Qxb3 20.Rac1 Rd8 21.Nd5 Nxd5 22.Qxd5 Qxd5 23.Rxd5 Rd7 24.g3 Kf8 25.f4 f6 26.Kg2 Bd8 27.Kf3 Ke7 28.b4 Rc7 29.Rxc7+ Bxc7 30.Rd1 Bb6 31.Ke2 Bd4 32.Kd3 Kd7 33.f5 Bb6 34.Rc1 Bd4 35.Rc2 Bb6 36.g4 h6 37.h4 Bd8 38.Kc4 Kc6 { Leko-Shirov 1-0 2008 } 39.b5+ ) 17.Qe1 Bd8 18.Bf2 b5 19.Na2 Be6 20.Nb4 Rc4 21.Nc1 Be7 22.b3 Rc7 23.Ne2 Qb7 24.Bb6 Rd7 25.Nc3 Rc8 26.Rd3 d5 27.Nbxd5 Bxd5 28.Nxd5 Nxd5 29.exd5 Rxd5 30.Qe4 Rd7 31.Qxb7 Rxb7 32.Rad1 f5 33.Rd7 Rxd7 34.Rxd7 Bg5 35.Bc7 e4 36.Kf2 Kf8 37.fxe4 fxe4 38.c4 bxc4 39.bxc4 Be7 40.Bd6 Bxd6 41.Rxd6 Rxc4 42.Rxa6 Ra4 { Motlyev-Nepomniatchi 1/2 1/2 } ) 16.Nc1 $6 ( 16.Kh1 { couple of games with this, and other such moves, however black has a small edge here after... } 16...Qc6 { planning Rd8 by getting out of the pin } 17.Rac1 ( 17.Bb6 $6 Nd7 ) ( 17.Bg5 Rfd8 18.Nc1 ( 18.Bxf6 $6 Bxf6 19.Nc1 ) ( 18.Qe1 h6 ) 18...h6 19.Bxf6 ( 19.Be3 d5 ) 19...Bxf6 20.Nd3 $15 ) 17...h6 { no need to hurry with Rd8 } ( 17...Rfd8 18.Qe1 Be6 19.Qg3 { now h6 for me is not possible. } ) 18.Na1 ( 18.Ne2 d5 ) 18...Nd7 ) 16...d5 $1 { he probably missed that after Bb6, I can play Bc5+ } 17.exd5 ( 17.Bb6 { was more accurate. } 17...Bc5+ 18.Kh1 Bxb6 19.axb6 Qxb6 20.b3 dxe4 21.bxc4 exf3 22.Rb1 ( 22.gxf3 Rxc4 23.Nd5 Nxd5 24.Qxd5 Qe3 25.Ra2 { is the only ok move for white. It defends the 2nd rank. } 25...e4 { found by moi, missed by rybka } ( 25...g6 ) 26.Rf1 { only move } 26...Rd4 27.Qb3 { only move } ( 27.Qc5 exf3 28.c3 Rd1 ( 28...Re4 { is just as good } ) 29.Qxe3 Rxf1+ 30.Qg1 Rxg1+ 31.Kxg1 Rc8 ) ) ) 17...Rfd8 $6 ( 17...Nxd5 $3 { this move is good. The resulting positions after the tactics are not as good as in the variation I played, however Short and I both missed a variation for him that would refute my tactics. } 18.Nxd5 Bxd5 19.Qf2 ( 19.Qxd5 $4 Rfd8 ) 19...Be6 20.c3 Rfd8 21.Nd3 Rd5 ) 18.Qf2 $2 ( 18.Ra4 Rd6 ( 18...Nxd5 $2 19.Rxc4 Qxc4 20.Nxd5 ) 19.Bb6 { and he can probably claim equality } ) 18...Nxd5 { I have a strong advantage } 19.Nxd5 Rxd5 20.Rxd5 Bxd5 21.c3 e4 $6 { I wanted to get his King opened for my Bishops. However my Pawn on e5 was preventing his knight going to d4. } 22.f4 $6 ( 22.fxe4 Bxe4 23.Ne2 ) 22...Bc4 23.Ne2 Bxe2 $6 ( 23...Qd7 { is better. } 24.Nd4 h6 25.Qc2 ( 25.Ne2 Qg4 26.Ng3 ) 25...Qd5 { the a-pawn is a problem for white } ) 24.Qxe2 Bc5 $1 { although it seems I am swapping a good B for a bad B, I was correctly afraid of him ever playing Bd4, Qg4 or f5, Qg4, Bh6. Also his B is stopping my passed pawn } 25.Ra4 $6 ( 25.b4 Bxe3+ 26.Qxe3 f5 ( 26...Qxc3 27.Qxc3 Rxc3 28.Rd1 f6 29.Rd7 ) ) 25...Rd8 $6 { Instant draw. } ( 25...Qc6 { according to rybka here, I am 3 quarters of a pawn up } ) 26.Rxe4 Qxa5 { Although I have outsiders on the Q-side, it does not make much difference as he is threatning to go down the e-file } 27.h3 1/2-1/2
