10:09am Thursday 8th April 2010
By Matt Rose
Two disappointing results for Oxford 1 in the Four Nations Chess League have left them struggling to avoid relegation. Against a weak Guildford side in round seven, Oxford’s top boards self-destructed and they crashed to a 5-3 defeat. This result placed the side in the division one relegation pool, and another loss the following day means that only two good wins over the final weekend in May can save Oxford 1 from the drop.
Happily, on the same weekend, Oxford 2 salvaged the club’s honour with two great wins and now have an outside chance of promotion to division two. The following terrific game was played on board one in Saturday’s victory over Nottinghamshire 1. White: Tim Dickinson (Oxford 2) Black: Robert Richmond (Notts 1) 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.Bd3!? 4.e5 is more usual; but Tim has lots of experience on the Black side of the French and uses it here to steer his opponent into unfamiliar territory. 4...dxe4 After 4...c5! 5.e5 Nfd7 6.c3 we would have returned to a standard French Tarrasch position. Now though it’s a Rubinstein French — a decent enough opening — but one demanding precise knowledge and accurate defence and Mr Richmond now gives every impression of being out of his comfort zone.
5.Nxe4 Be7 6.Nf3 0–0 7.Nxf6+!? Tim has a cunning idea in mind, but the simple 7.Qe2! Nbd7 8.Bg5 would have set Black at least as many problems.
7...Bxf6 8.h4! g6 Tim’s idea was to answer a routine move with the Greek Gift sacrifice. For instance, 8...Bd7 9.Bxh7+! Kxh7 10.Ng5+ Kg8 11.Qh5 Re8 12.Qxf7+ Kh8 13.Qg6 Kg8 14.h5 with a murderous attack.
9.Bh6 Re8 10.Qd2!? Offering Black a pawn in exchange for an even greater lead in development.
10…Nc6 Black would have to work hard to stay in the game after 10...Bxd4 11.0–0–0.
11.Bb5! Qd5 12.c4!? Good, but even better was 12.Qf4! Bg7 13.Bxc6 bxc6 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.h5 with a very strong attack.
12...Qe4+ 13.Kf1 Rd8 14.Re1 Qg4? This loses time. 14...Qf5 would have been better and then after 15.Bxc6 bxc6 16.Bg5 c5 Black might have survived.
15.Bxc6 bxc6 16.Bg5 Qf5 Black has little choice but to accept that his last move was an error and make this retreat. The alternative 16...Bxg5 17.hxg5 opens the h file and has White menacing 18.Rh4.
17.Ne5! h5 18.Rh3! Bxe5 19.Rxe5 Qxe5 20.dxe5 Rxd2 21.Bxd2 Black has escaped into an endgame; but he retains his positional weaknesses. In particular, with nearly all of his pawns on White squares, his bishop has no useful role.
21…Ba6 A pointless move. Black could have retained just a hint of a chance by playing 21...a5 22.Rd3 Ba6 23.b3 a4.
22.b3 Rd8 23.Ke2 Kf8 24.Be3 Ra8 25.Bc5+ Ke8 26.Rd3 Bb7 27.Ke3! White intends to penetrate with his king and there’s nothing Black can do to resist.
27…a6 28.Kf4 a5 29.a4! Ba6 30.Kg5 Rb8 31.Kf6. Here, Black had seen enough and resigned. White’s next two moves would have been Kg7 and Rf3, after which Black’s pawns will start to fall.
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