Oxfordshire soundly beat neighbours Buckinghamshire by 14-6 when the two counties met in a Chiltern League open section match last weekend.

The consensus after the match was that the contest on board 2 was the pick of the games — despite the fact that it ended — perhaps prematurely — in a draw. The game quickly became very exciting with neither side flinching from the challenge.

Here it is. White: Mike Truran (Oxfordshire) Black: Philip Bonafont (Buckinghamshire)

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 Well OK, the opening is called the Queen’s Gambit — so Philip accepts the pawn. Still, declining the gambit with 2...e6 or 2...c6 are much more popular alternatives.

3.e4 e5 4.Nf3 It’s almost needless to say that 4.dxe5 Qxd1+ 5.Kxd1 Nc6 6.f4 Bg4+ offers White very little.

4...exd4 5.Bxc4 Nc6 6.0–0 Be6 7.Bb5 Bc5 8.Nbd2 To me, the dynamic 8.b4!? looks tempting. Then, if 8...Bb6, White can continue in true gambit style with 9.a4 a5 10.bxa5 Rxa5 11.Nbd2 obtaining good compensation.

8...Nge7 9.Nb3 Most top players seem to play 9.Ng5 here — but even then, Black seems fine after 9...Qd7 10.Nxe6 Qxe6 11.Nb3 Qd6 12.Bf4! Qxf4 13.Nxc5 0–0!

9...Bxb3 10.Qxb3 0–0 11.Bg5!? h6 12.Bh4 Bb6 13.Rac1 a6 14.Bxc6 bxc6 15.Rxc6!? A brave move that in effect offers a piece sacrifices to open up the black king.

15...g5!? Equally bravely, Philip accepts the challenge.

16.Rxh6 gxh4 17.Ng5!? This is where it gets hard. There were several tempting continuations for White and it’s not clear which was best. 17.Nxh4 would be met as in the game by 17...d3 and 17.Rxh4 by 17…Ng6 (here 17...d3 is no longer good because White has 18.Rg4+ Kh8 19.Ne5 with a very dangerous attack.) 18.Rg4 Kh7 19.Ne5. It’s possible that 17.Rd1 may be best, bringing another piece into the attack and stopping the annoying d3 idea.

17...d3! Essential and multi-purpose — but primarily to stop the white queen swinging across on the third rank.

18.Qd1 Qd4?! Better was 18...Ng6! to answer 19.Qh5 with 19...Qf6! defending though giving back an exchange to 20.Nh7.

19.Qh5 Threatening 20.Rg6+ and 21.Qh7 mate. 19...Qg7 20.Rh7 Qf6 21.e5! Qxe5 22.Rxf7 Qh8! It looks highly unlikely that this defence will hold — but it does!

23.Rh7 Qe5 24.Rf7 Qh8 25.Qxh8+ Mike goes for the win rather than acquiesce to the draw by repetition.

25...Kxh8 26.Rxe7 Kg8? Much better was 26...Rae8! when, of course, 27.Rd7? is met by 27...Rxf2!

27.Rd7 Rad8 28.Rxd8 Rxd8 29.Rd1 c5? An illogical move after which Mike is close to winning; activating the rook with 29...Re8 was clearly superior.

30.b3! d2?! 31.Nf3 Ba5 32.Kf1 h3!? 33.gxh3 Kg7 34.Ke2 Re8+ 35.Kf1 Anticipating a repetition and short of time, the players agreed a draw here. This is understandable after such a tough fight; but in fact Mike might have played on with 35.Kd3! and then after 35...Re1 36.Kc2 Re2 37.Nxd2 Rxf2 38.Kd3 Rxh2 39.Nc4 Bc7 40.Ke4 White has good winning chances.