Sophie’s choice finishes a master (From The Oxford Times)

Sophie’s choice finishes a master

6:20am Thursday 7th April 2011 in Chess By Matt Rose

Round seven of the Four Nations Chess League (4NCL) saw Oxford 1 against the strong Guildford-ADC first team. After seven rounds the 4NCL first division splits into championship and demotion pools.

Oxford needed a win to be in the promotion group — but facing a team with an advantage of about 150 points per board, this was unlikely. Guildford duly won by 4.5 – 3.5, and condemned Oxford to the relegation pool; but in fact viewers online could testify that Oxford came very close to winning.

That Oxford only narrowly failed to cause a major upset says a great deal about the growing strength of the team. To emphasise this, in round eight Oxford beat Warwickshire Select 7.5-0.5 and are well placed to finish above the relegation places.

Oxford’s Sophie Tidman has had a good 4NCL season with her fine victory over International Master Nigel Povah in the Guildford match the highlight so far.

White: Sophie Tidman (Oxford 1) Black: Nigel Povah (Guildford-ADC 1) 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Be3 Sophie avoids 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bf4 e5 8.Bg5 a6 9.Na3 b5 which is common route to the heavily analysed Sveshnikov variation. Alternatively, after the uncompromising 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.e5 Nd5 8.Ne4 Qc7 9.f4 Qb6 10.c4 Bb4+ 11.Ke2 white has the positional trumps but also some obvious problems coordinating her forces.

6...Bb4 7.Bd3 d5 8.exd5 Nxd5 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Bd2 Nxc3 11.Bxc3?! This is illogical. Since White’s pawn structure is wrecked anyway, it makes sense to capture with the pawn straight away and thereby gain a tempo by attacking Black’s bishop. 11...Bxc3+ 12.bxc3 Qf6 13.0–0! Sophie chooses a much more dynamic option than defending the c-pawn. In fact after 13.Qd2?! Qe5+ Black takes control.

13...0–0 Povah realises that after 13...Qxc3 14.Qh5 White has a strong initiative — so declines the pawn offer.

14.Qh5 g6 15.Qc5 e5?! This is the move Black would like to play as it frees his bishop; but it’s a mistake nevertheless — and ought to have been punished by 16.Rae1! Re8 17.f4.

16.Rfe1?! Right square, wrong rook.

16...Re8 17.Rab1 17.Re3 and doubling on the e-file looks more to the point. Even after Sophie’s choice, Black has yet to demonstrate equality.

17...Bf5 18.Rb7 e4 19.Bc4 Be6 20.Bb3 Bxb3 21.cxb3 Now White has a clear advantage and can concentrate her fire on Black’s weak queenside pawns.

21...Rad8 22.h3?! The consistent 22.Rxa7 Rd2 23.Rf1 would have left White a pawn up for very little.

22...Rd2 23.f3!? Qh4 He still has weak pawns — but now Black has serious counter-play in compensation. 24.Qe3 Rxa2 25.fxe4 Re5 26.Kh1 f5? Black had some initiative; but this thrust was over-ambitious. The weakness of Black’s king now becomes the dominant theme.

27.Rd1! Rxe4 28.Qg3! A wonderful move that more or less finishes the game. Of course, 28...Qxg3 29.Rd8+ leads to mate.

28…Qf6 29.Qb8+ 1–0.