SCCA Magazine Spring 2016 | Page 22

34.Bb5 35.Rcd1 36.Re3 37.h4 Nd8 Ne6 Nc5 Rf5 38.Be8!? Rather than agree a draw here, one last try to create some back rank complications. 38... R5f6 39.h5 Ne6 40.Bd7 Nf4 41.Bg4 g6 42.hxg6 Rxg6 43.Bf3 Rgf6 44.Re7 R6f7 45.Rxf7 Rxf7 46.Rd6 Ra7 47.Rxh6+ Kg7 48.Rh4 Nxg2! A neat trick by Stephen; both pawns have to fall and it's a dead draw after that. 49.Kxg2 ½–½ And now Membership Secretary Kevin Paine delivers a win on board 4 versus France. We didn’t manage many full points in that match… White: Oger, Claude (2345) Black: Paine, Dr. Kevin (2294) FRA-SCO ICCF, 2014 English, Flohr-Mikenas [A19] [Notes by Iain Mackintosh] 1.c4 2.Nc3 3.e4 4.e5 5.Nf3 6.d4 7.Nxd4 8.Ndb5 9.Nd6+ 10.Qxd6 SCCA Magazine 133 Nf6 e6 c5 Ng8 Nc6 cxd4 Nxe5 a6 Bxd6 f6 11.Be3 Ne7 12.Bb6 Nf5 13.Qc5 d6 14.Qa5 Qd7 15.f4 Nc6 16.Qa3 Nce7 17.0–0–0 Qc6 18.Qb3 Bd7 19.Rg1 h5 20.Kb1 Rc8 21.g3 d5 22.cxd5 Nxd5 23.Nxd5 exd5 24.Bh3N After a long sequence of established theory, White decides to fly solo. 24.Bd3 has been tried on a couple of occasions in CC play. 24... Ne7 25.Rc1 Qb5 The following exchanges suit Black more than White, despite the isolated, doubled pawns that result. 26.Rxc8+ Bxc8 27.Qxb5+ axb5 28.Bxc8 Nxc8 29.Ba5 Kd7 30.Rd1 Ke6 31.Rc1 Nd6 32.Rc7 Rc8! Consigning the White king to spectator status. 33.Rxg7 The win of the pawn is nothing against Black's active pieces and central control... 33... d4 ..and the d-pawn carries a threat which decides the game. 34.h3 d3µ 35.g4 hxg4 36.hxg4 Ne4 37.Rc7 Rg8 38.g5?! 38.f5+ looks a little better, but White is struggling either way. 38... fxg5 39.fxg5 Rxg5 21 40.b3 d2–+ Winning a piece and the game. 41.Bxd2 Nxd2+ 42.Kb2 Rg2 43.Rxb7 Ne4+ 44.Ka3 Nd6 45.Ra7 Rg4 46.Rh7 Kd5 47.Rh5+ Kc6 48.Rh2 Nf7 49.Kb2 Ne5 50.a3 Kc5 51.Rh8 Rg3 52.Kc2 Nc6 53.Rh5+ Kb6 54.Rh4 Re3 55.Kb2 Re2+ 55...Re2+ 56.Kb1 Kc5 57.Rh5+ Ne5 58.Rh4 Rf2 and Black will eventually win at least one of the White pawns and the game. 0–1 Elke Rehder (Germany) Woodcut from Stefan Zweig’s Chess Story, The Royal Game 3. Spring 2016