The last three matches of the season’s Four Nations Chess League will be played this weekend.

If Oxford 1 garner three points from a possible six then the team will have done enough to remain in the 1st division for another year and can consider the season a successful one.

The undoubted star for Oxford has been new signing Justin Tan. The 16-year-old has scored 4.5/6 thus far in the competition — and has a great chance to secure an International Master norm if he performs well over the weekend. He secured his first such norm — usually three are needed for the title — in Hungary earlier this year and the following fine game was played by Justin in that competition.

White: Justin Tabor

Black: Tamas Fodora

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 The Closed Spanish was steeped in theory even a hundred years before the age of computers. Nowadays, theoretical novelties usually occur sometime after move 20. This has the effect of taxing players’ memories while simultaneously deferring real thinking.

6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 Michael Adams, Britain’s best player, usually plays 7...0–0 here, planning 8.c3 d5 and the so-called Marshall Attack. The name ‘attack’ is usually reserved for White’s choice in the opening — but the American grandmaster Frank Marshall’s fearsome invention is rightly named.

8.c3 0–0 9.h3 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 We’re now in the main line of the Chigorin Defence.

11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 Re8 Unusual to the extent that it reduces the number of games that have reached this position from many thousands to just many hundreds.

13.b3 This really is a byway though — with ‘only’ several dozen known games.

13...Bf8 14.Nf1 g6 15.Bg5 Bg7 16.Qd2 exd4 17.cxd4 Nc6 This first original move and not a bad one. At this stage, Black has a decent position.

18.Rac1 Nxd4! 19.Nxd4 cxd4 20.Qxd4 Nd7 21.Qd1 Bb2 22.Rb1 Be5 Attacking the other rook with 22...Bc3 was probably a better move since the Bishop is a target on e5.

23.Ne3 Bb7 24.Ng4 Bc3 25.Re3 h5?! Ambitious, but it meets with an equally ambitious rejoinder.

26.Nh6+! Brave as there’s no retreat for the knight.

26...Kg7 27.Rg3! Be5 28.f4 Bf6 29.Bxf6+ Kxh6? 29...Nxf6! was a much better idea. White could try 30.Nf5+ Kh7 31.Qd4!? but the calm 31...Qd8! defends for Black.

30.Bg5+ Kg7 31.Kh2! By removing checking possibilities on the back rank and on the g1 — a7 diagonal, this precise move limits Black’s defensive options.

31...Rac8 32.Rc1 Nc5 If 32...Bxe4 then White can play 33.Qd4+! Kh7 34.Bxe4 Qxc1 35.f5 with a winning attack.

33.f5! Qd7 34.fxg6 fxg6 35.e5! A thematic sacrifice, clearing lines and upping the pressure on Black.

35...dxe5 More defensive chances were offered by 35...Ne4 — but White would still be favourite after 36.Qd4 Rxe5 37.Bf4.

36.Bh6+! Kh8 37.Qe2!? Going for the kill represents another brave decision by Justin. Especially since the simplifying 37.Qxd7 Nxd7 38.Bxg6 gave him a promising endgame advantage.

37...e4 38.Rxg6 Qf5 39.Rg5! Sacrificing a rook — but Justin has seen the finish.

39...Qf4+ 40.g3 Qxc1 41.Rxh5! Qa1 42.Qg4 1–0.