NICK Faulks held a clear lead after the third round of the tournament currently in progress at the club, a qualifying competition for the 2005 Bermuda Closed Championship, which will be our first internationally rated event.

Results:

Nick Faulks (2) 1-0 Ezra Tucker (2)

Phil Shadick (1|0xbd|) 1/2 Zuzana Kovacova (1|0xbd|)

Frank Ming (1|0xbd|) 1/2 Sami Lill (1|0xbd|)

Bobby Miller (1) 1-0 Kennedy Simmons (1)

John Kessaram (|0xbd|) 0-1 Ray Trott (1)

Nigel Chudleigh (|0xbd|) 1-0 Larry Ebbin (0)

David Shanks (0) bye

Faulks was on three points, ahead of no fewer than seven players tied a point behind.

It is evident that the club has many players who have yet to achieve a FIDE rating but could expect to do well in the Closed Championship, and we can look forward to stiff competition in the final two rounds for the three available places.

I had intended to devote this week’s article to the recent news of Garry Kasparov’s retirement from competitive chess. However, my game last Tuesday against Ezra Turner was one of the most interesting I have played in some time, and since I have put some effort into studying the many variations it seems worth sharing some of these results.

Very often analysis of what felt like a well played game, particularly when computer assistance is used, leaves a sour taste as an assortment of blunders is uncovered. In this case I was pleased to find my original assessment confirmed, which was that the players had combined to produce a very worthwhile effort.

White: N. Faulks

Black: E. Turner

1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d3 h6 5. f4 d6

See diagram 1. There is nothing wrong with the normal developing move 6. Nf3 here, but I wondered if I could prevent my opponent from developing his light-squared bishop. This is, of course, a double-edged plan, since I could find my position undermined by a timely . . . d6-d5 break.

6. f5!? Nd4 7. Nf3 c6

This looks like the correct plan for Black.

8. a3!?

Intending to meet 8. . . . d5 with 9. Ba2. I didn’t fancy the line 8. Nxd4, exd4 9. Ne2, d5 10. exd5, Nxd5 because of 11. Nxd4, Qh4+ at the end.

Be7 9. Nxd4

Better now the black queen can’t get to h4.

exd4 10. Ne2 c5?<$>

This is too committal. It wasn’t even necessary to defend the pawn, since 10. . . . 0-0 11. Nxd4, d5! is fine for Black. 10. . . . d5 and 10. . . . Qb6 were also worth looking at.

11. Nf4 h5!?<$>

Black is looking a little shaky, but this aggression is very sensible.

12. h3 a6 13. Qf3 b5 14. Ba2 Bb7<$>

The position is becoming critical, and I had already used more than half of my allotment of 90 minutes for the first 36 moves. White can maintain a small but clear advantage with 15. 0-0, but I had seen an interesting exchange sacrifice and felt I had to try it.

15. Qg3!?

Voluntarily putting the queen at risk to the move . . . Be7-h4. One point is that I can now answer 15. . . . 0-0 with 16. Ng6.

Nxe4!?<$>

I never doubted that Ezra would spot this move, but is it good?

16. Qxg7 Bh4+ 17. Kf1!?

17. g3, Bxg3+ 18. Kf1 may have been more accurate, but I was determined to give up the rook. If I hadn’t eventually won the game I would probably be blaming this stubborn move.

Ng3+ 18. Kg1<$>

See diagram 2.

Qf6

The move which made me most nervous was 18. . . . Qe7, but I thought that 19. Bd2 covered everything, and that appears to be correct. It now looks as though the simple 18. . . . Rf8 may have been a tougher nut to crack, although I don’t remember thinking about that.

If my knight should leave f4 he will have perpetual check ideas based on . . . Ne2+ and . . . Ng3+.

19. Bxf7+! Kd8 20. Qxf6+ Bxf6 21. Bd2

Still refusing to save the rook!

Nxh1 22. Kxh1 Be5 23. Nd5

See diagram 3. Turner’s king is unpleasantly caged, and it is easy to understand why he felt he had to get rid of the knight on d5. However, the bishop that replaces it will be an even bigger monster.

Bxd5 24. Bxd5 Ra7 25. Bg5+ Ke8 26. h4?<$>

I’m not sure there was time for this, since it might allow a defence based on . . . Rf8 and . . . Bf6.

Kf8 27. Rf1 Rhh7 28. Rf3 a5 29. f6 a4 30. Rf5 b4<$>

This queenside diversion is certainly the best chance, and with only a few minutes left on the clock I have to be quite careful.

31. Bf4

It seems a shame to exchange off his underperforming bishop, but I could see no other way forward.

Bxf4 32. Rxf4 Rh6 33. Rf5 Rh8 34. Kh2 Rh6 35. Kg3

See diagram 4. White sets a nasty trap, which can be just as effective in your own time pressure as in your opponent’s.

Rg6+?? and he falls into it. I have since spent some time studying this position, and I think I am convinced that White is winning even after a better move such as 35. . . . Rah7, but it isn’t simple.

36. Rg5!<$>

This move, the last before the time control, wins outright.

Rxg5+

36. . . . Rxf6 37. Rg8+, Ke7 38. Rg7+ winning a rook is the point.

37. hxg5<$>

This pawn will roll straight through.

Rh7 38. g6 h4+ 39. Kg4 bxa3 40. bxa3<$>

Black resigned.

There was no play this week — due to an oversight on my part players were not notified of this until a late stage, and I apologise to any who were inconvenienced as a result. The last two rounds will now be held on March 22 and 29.

Chess