Match result: Marple B vs Macclesfield A: 11th January 2015

1.      Sarah Hegarty       0-1                Rob Shaw
2.      Paul Kirby             1-0                Geoff Laurence
3.      Nigel Livesey     0.5-0.5             Colin Davison
4.      Andy Jenkins     0.5-0.5             Tony Soames
5.      Jeff Barlow        0.5-0.5             Denzil Lobo
6.      Neil Dainty           0-1                Phil Cattermole

Total                            2.5-3.5

Marple B suffered a narrow defeat by a very strong Macclesfield side. This was the same score as the reverse fixture.  It was a good team effort against a very strong team.

I was disappointed with my game in that I got a comfortable plus out of the opening and feel I should have been able to win it from there but after making an error weakening the dark squares around my king and having to give up my dark squared bishop (or so I thought) at the end I was hanging on for a draw.

(210) Lobo,Denzil - Barlow,Jeff [C02]

 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bd7 6.Nbd2 cxd4 7.cxd4 Bb4 8.Bb5 Nxe5 9.Bxd7+ Nxd7 10.a3 Bd6 11.Nb3 Ngf6 12.Bg5 Rc8 13.0–0 0–0 14.Re1 Qb6 15.Bd2 Qc7 16.Rc1 Qb8 17.Na5 Rxc1 18.Bxc1 Rc8 19.b4 Nb6 20.Ne5 Rc7 21.Nb3 Qc8 22.f3 Nfd7 23.Nd3 Nc4 24.Nbc5 b6 25.Nxd7 Qxd7 26.f4 Qc8 27.g3 Qa6 28.Qb3 Be7 29.f5 exf5 30.Bf4 Rd7 31.b5 Qc8 32.Rc1 Bf6 33.Ne5 Bxe5 34.dxe5 Qc5+ 35.Kh1 Rd8 36.a4 g6 37.Bg5 Re8 38.Bf6 Qd4 39.Qc3 Qe4+ 40.Kg1

At this point, I wanted to play 40. ....Nxe5, but thought I could not in view of 41. Re1 with the need to guard my own back rank.  I failed to spot that Re1 is answered by 41 ....Qxe1+ followed by Nf3+!.  I also worried about 41. Qc8 threatening my vulnerable back rank, but Nf3+ leads to a very neat mate in two (there are two of these depending on white's response.

 

XHGFEDCBAY
1-mK-+-tR-+!
2zP-+-+-+-"
3-zP-+-wQ-+#
4+-+q+n+P$
5-+pzPp+P+%
6+pvL-+-zp-&
7p+p+-+-zp'
8+k+r+-+-(
xhgfedcbay

After failing to spot the best continuation, my position went steadily downhill, dark squared weaknesses coming home to roost.

......Ne3 41.Qd2 Nc4 42.Qh6 Qe3+ 43.Qxe3 Nxe3 44.Rc7 Ng4 45.Rd7 Nxf6 46.exf6 h6 47.Rxd5 Re4 48.Rd7 g5 49.Rxa7 .................. moves not recorded            ½–½

The ending was a classic K+R+P vs my K+R in which I was able to draw courtesy of the 10 second incremental move allowance.  Probably not with best play, though Alex pointed out afterwards that the defending side can draw this if the pawn is on the rook's or knight's file (as in my case) by occupying the queening square with the king and placing the rook on the same rank as the king. Thanks, Alex.

 PS Can anyone do decent diagram on this blog? I managed it once