Witney favourites to retain title (From The Oxford Times)

Witney favourites to retain title

8:20am Thursday 29th December 2011 in Chess By Matt Rose

The Christmas break marks the halfway point in the Oxfordshire chess season and prompts this brief review of the league positions.

In division 1, Witney 1 are unbeaten and already look odds on favourites to retain their title. Division 2 is a good deal more competitive with City 2 and Didcot 1 presently contesting the top slot and it’s also too early to pick a winner in Division 3 with Banbury 2, Didcot 2 and Bicester 2 leading the pack.

In Division 4, MCS Blackbirds 2 are setting a stiff pace having started with six straight wins. In the Four Nations Chess League first division, Oxford 1 started with a win and a loss — but Oxford 2 bettered this in division 3 by winning both their matches. This week’s game comes from Oxford 2’s round one victory over e2e4.org 4 and features a courageous attack by a player in good form this season — Cowley Club’s Rod Nixon.

White: Rod Nixon Black: Guy Moss 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Be3 Be7 The alternative way to meet White’s Velimirovic Attack is to leave the black king in the centre. After 7...a6 8.Bb3 Qc7 9.Qe2 Na5 10.0–0–0 b5 Black’s counter-play is apparent.

8.Qe2 0–0 9.0–0–0 a6 10.Rhg1 The immediate 10.g4 is met by 10...Ne5 hitting g4 and c4.

10...Nxd4 Black wants to play b5 — but must see to his knight on c6 before playing it.

11.Bxd4 b5 12.Bb3 Qa5?! A typical Sicilian move — but I’m dubious in this case. Firstly, the a2 pawn is well protected and secondly the queen prevents Black’s a-pawn advancing. 13... Qc7 makes more sense.

13.g4 Bd7?! Presumably Black wanted to cover a4 so that after ...b4, the white knight cannot go to that square. 13...Bb7 was better — not least because it allowed Black’s knight to retreat to d7.

14.g5 Ne8 Now Black’s position looks passive and congested.

15.Qh5 b4 16.Nd5! Another Sicilian move — but this time a good one! For his piece, White’s attacking options receive a boost and he hopes to exploit the fact that queens oppose each other along the fifth rank.

16...exd5 17.Bxd5? An automatic recapture — but one which throws away most of White’s advantage. In fact 17.g6! was the correct follow up. Then, after 17...hxg6 18.Rxg6 the rook is immune and White intends to double on the g-file and take on g7.

17...Rc8? Black could have defended with 17...g6 18.Qh6 Rc8.

18.g6! hxg6 19.Rxg6? Missing the immediately decisive 19.Bxf7+ 19...Qc7?! 19...Qa4 was a better try when the best move 20.c4! is hard to find and White can go wrong — for instance 20.Rd2? b3! or 20.Bb3? Qxb3! 20.Rd2 Qd8 If 20...Be6 then 21.Rxe6!

21.Rh6! Rxc2+ There’s no defence — for instance 21...gxh6 22.Qg6+ Ng7 23.Qxg7 is mate.

22.Kxc2 1–0.