Games from Season 2012/13

[Event "Oxford League - Division 2"]
[Site "Grove"]
[Date "2012.10.23"]
[White "James Cole"]
[Black "George Spalding"]
[Opening "Two Knights Defence - Traxler Variation "]
[Result "0-1"]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5 5.Nxf7 Bxf2+ 6.Kf1 Qe7 7.Nxh8 d5 8.exd5 Bg4 9.Be2 Bxe2+ 10.Qxe2 Nd4 11.Qd1 0–0–0 12.d3 Rf8 13.c3 Nxd5 14.g3 Be3+ 15.Kg2 Rf2+ 16.Kh3 Nf3 17.Qa4 Nf4+ 18.Qxf4 exf4 19.Na3 Qe6+ 20.g4 Qh6# 0–1

Normally the soul of caution, your scribe was in reckless mode here.  On this
occasion it did pay off.

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[Event "Oxford League - Division 2"]
[Site "Grove"]
[Date "2012.11.06"]
[White "Chris Earl"]
[Black "Roly Piggott"]
[Opening "Queens Pawn "]
[Result "0-1"]

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5 c5 4.c3 h6 5.Bh4 d5 6.e3 Bd6 7.Bd3 0-0 8.Nbd2 Nbd7 9.0-0 Qc7 10.e4 dxe4 11.Nxe4 Nxe4 12.Bxe4 f5 13.Bc2 Nf6 14.Qd3 c4 15.Qe2 g5 16.Bxg5 hxg5 17.Nxg5 Bxh2+ 18.Kh1 Bf4 19.Nh3 Kf7 20.g3 Rh8 21.Kg2 Bd7 22.Nxf4 Rag8 23.Rh1 Qxf4 24.d5 Qd6 25.dxe6+ Bxe6 26.Rxh8 Bd5+ 27.Kg1 Rxh8 28.f3 Qxg3+ 29.Qg2 Rg8 30.Qxg3 Rxg3+ 31.Kf2 Rxf3+ 32.Ke2 Ng4
33.Rd1 Rf2+ 34.Ke1 Bf3 35.Rd7+ Ke6 36.Bxf5+ Kxf5 37.Rxb7  0-1
A good early season win for Roly as part of a great season.   In his analysis, he points  out several places  where he could have played even better moves. We leave you to find them! 
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[Event "Wantage Club Championship - Group 1"]
[Site "Grove"]
[Date "2012.11.27"]
[White "Simon Richards"]
[Black "Martin Bush"]
[Opening "Sicilian Defence "]
[Result "0-1"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Nd5 Nxd5
8. exd5 Nb8 9. c4 a6 10. Nc3 Bf5 11. Bd3 Bxd3 12. Qxd3 Qh4 13. O-O Nd7 14.
Ne4 Be7 15. f4 f5 16. Nxd6+ Bxd6 17. fxe5 Bxe5 18. Qxf5 Qxh2+ 0-1
A rather quick early Club Championship win for Martin.  Just when it appears that Simon is doing quite well the blow falls with dramatic suddenness.

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[Event "Wantage Club Championship - Group 1 "]
[Site "Grove"]
[Date "2012.12.18"]
[White "Martin Bush"]
[Black "Roly Piggott"]
[Opening "Alekhine's Defence "]
[Result "1-0"]
1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. c4 Nb6 5. f4 g6 6. Nc3 Bg7 7. Be3 O-O 8. Nf3 Bg4 9. h3 Bxf3 10. Qxf3 dxe5 11. dxe5 c6 12. Rd1 Qc7 13. c5 N6d7 14. Bc4 Qa5 15. Qf2 b6 16. cxb6 axb6 17. O-O Kh8 18. Bxf7 c5 19. Qh4 Rxf7 20. e6 Bf6 21. Qg3 Rf8 22. exd7 Rd8 23. f5 Nxd7 24. fxg6 Qb4 25. Nd5 Qxb2 26. Nc7 Rxa2 27. Ne6 Rg8 28. g7+ Bxg7 29. Rxd7 Qb3 30. Nxg7 Rxg7 31. Rd8+ Rg8 32. Rff8 Qxe3+ 33. Qxe3 Raxg2+ 34. Kf1 1-0 
This was the crucial win for Martin on his way to becoming Club Champion against one of his most likely rivals.  He takes on the Alekhine with a lot of aggression!
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[Event "Wantage Club Championship - Group 2 "]
[Site "Grove"]
[Date "2013.02.19"]
[White "Richard Barker"]
[Black "Steven Thompson"]
[Opening "Sicilian Defence "]
[Result "1-0"]

 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Bb5+ Nbd7 7.Bg5 Bg7 8.Bxf6 Bxf6 9.Nd5 Bg7 10.Qd2 0–0 11.0–0–0 e6 12.Nc3 Nb6 13.f4 a6 14.Be2 d5 15.e5 Bh6 16.g3 Bd7 17.g4 Rc8 18.g5 Bg7 19.h4 Nc4 20.Qd3 Qb6 21.b3 Na3 22.Qh3 Rc7 23.Kb2 Qb4 24.Nb1 Nc4+ 25.Bxc4 dxc4 26.c3 Qb6 27.Na3 cxb3 28.axb3 Rd8 29.Ka2 Bb5 30.Ndxb5 axb5 31.Rxd8+ Bf8 32.Qd3 Rc6 33.Kb2 Kg7 34.Rf1 Qa5 35.b4 Qa4 36.Qxb5 Qa7 37.Rd7 Bxb4 38.cxb4 Rb6 39.Qc4 Qa4 40.Rd4 Rc6 41.Qb3 Qa7 42.Rc4 Ra6 43.Nb5 Qb8 44.Nd6 Rxd6 45.exd6 Qxd6 46.Rd1 Qxf4 47.Rxf4 1–0

Richard had an excellent Club Championship winning 4 of his 5 ties.   This is
one of them, a typical Sicilian Defence with attack and counter-attack

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[Event "Frank Wood Shield Semi-Final"]
[Site "Witney"]
[Date "2013.02.25"]
[White "Richard Weston"]
[Black "Martin Ashford"]
[Opening "Queens Pawn "]
[Result "0-1"]

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bg5 e6 4.Nbd2 Be7 5.e3 0–0 6.Bd3 c5 7.c3 Nbd7 8.Ne5 Nxe5 9.dxe5 Nd7 10.Bf4 f5 11.h4 c4 12.Bc2 Nc5 13.Qf3 Qe8 14.h5 Ne4 15.g4 Ng5 16.Qg2 h6 17.gxf5 exf5 18.Bxg5 Bxg5 19.f4 Bd8 20.Qxd5+ Be6 21.Qxb7 Bb6 22.Qf3 Qb5 23.0–0–0 Rab8 24.a4 Qc5 25.e4 Ba5 26.Nf1 Qb6 27.b4 cxb3 28.Rd6 b2+ 29.Kd2 Rfd8 30.Qd3 fxe4 31.Qxe4 Qf2+ 32.Kd1 Bg4+ 0–1  
Martin is in similar early trouble as I was versus this opponent;  but unlike me he keeps his nerve and counterattacks on the queenside to turn the tide.   A nice final position, with White helpless 
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[Event "Wantage Club Championship - Group 2 "]
[Site "Grove"]
[Date "2013.03.28"]
[White "Julian Booker"]
[Black "Richard Barker"]
[Opening "Scotch Game "]
[Result "1-0"]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.Be3 Qf6 6.c3 Nge7 7.Nc2 Bxe3 8.Nxe3 d6 9.Nd2 Bd7 10.Bb5 0–0–0 11.a4 Ne5 12.Bxd7+ Rxd7 13.a5 Nd3+ 14.Ke2 Nxf2 15.Qb3 Nxh1 16.Rxh1 Nc6 17.a6 bxa6 18.Qd5 Nb8 19.Ndc4 c6 20.Qa5 Qd8 21.Qf5 g6 22.Qg4 Kc7 23.Rd1 h5 24.Qg3 Qe7 25.e5 dxe5 
26.Nxe5 Rd6 27.Nxf7 h4 28.Qxd6+ Qxd6 29.Rxd6 Rf8 30.Rf6 Nd7 31.Rf1 Nb6 32.Kd3 Kd7 33.Ne5+ 1–0

Perhaps  one of this season's greatest games.  This was the final and deciding
game in Group 2.     Julian had to win to overhaul main rival Richard.  Things did not start very well for White, when Black pounced to pick up the exchange.
But Julian stayed active with quuen and knights and took advantage with 
Richard's error on move 26.   Here I think Richard had to play Rxd1 and risk the discovered check   

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[Event "Rhyl Major Under 160"]
[Site "Rhyl"]
[Date "2013.05.19"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Martin Bush"]
[Black "Robert Hurn"]
[Opening "Sicilian Defence"]
[Result "1-0"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. Bc4 Bd7 10. g4 Ne5 11. Bb3 Rc8 12. h4 h5 13. gxh5 Nxh5 14. O-O-O Nc4 15. Bxc4 Rxc4 16. Kb1 b5 17. Nce2 Qc8 18. Bh6 Qa6 19. Bxg7 Kxg7 20. Rhg1 Kh7 21. Qg5 Re8 22. Nf5 Bxf5 23. exf5 Rg8 24. fxg6+ fxg6 25. Qxe7+ Rg7 26. Qe6 Rc6 27. f4 Qa4 28. b3 Qa6 29. f5 d5 30. fxg6+ Kh8 31. Qxd5 Nf6 32. Qd8+ Rg8 33. g7+ Kh7 34. Qd3+ Ne4 35. Qxe4+ Kh6 36. Nd4 Rg6 37. Nf5+ Kh7 38. Ne7 R8xg7 39. Nxg6 Rxg6 40. h5 1-0 
A good win by Martin in one of his summer congress games as he takes on the Dragon with great effect
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[Event "Summer 2013 Match"]
[Site "Grove"]
[Date "2013.05.26"]
[Game "1"]
[White "George Spalding"]
[Black "Stephen Morris"]
[Opening "Larsen's Opening"]
[Result "1-0"]

1.b3 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bb2 c5 4.e3 Nc6 5.Bb5 a6 6.Bxc6+ bxc6 7.d3 Bf5 8.Nbd2 e6 9.0–0 Be7 10.Ne5 Qc7 11.f4 Rd8 12.Ndf3 h6 13.Qe1 Rg8 14.Nh4 Bh7 15.f5 d4 16.exd4 exf5 17.Nxf5 Bxf5 18.Rxf5 Kf8 19.Nf3 cxd4 20.Bxd4 Rxd4 21.Nxd4 g6 22.Rf3 Bc5 23.c3 Kg7 24.Qg3 Bxd4+ 25.cxd4 Qd7 26.Qe5 Qe6 27.Raf1 1–0

A fine start for the writer in the 2013 Match after surprising his opponent with a rare opening.   In difficulties Black feels obliged to give up the exchange and
a pawn.  This does not help when he ends up in a nasty pin.

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[Event "Summer 2013 Match"]
[Site "Grove"]
[Date "2013.06.16"]
[Game "4"]
[White "Stephen Morris"]
[Black "George Spalding"]
[Opening "Budapest Defence"]
[Result "1-0"]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Nf3 Bc5 5.e3 Nc6 6.Be2 0–0 7.a3 a5 8.b3 Re8 9.h3 Ngxe5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Bb2 Ra6 12.Qd5 Qe7 13.Bxe5 Qxe5 14.Qxe5 Rxe5 15.Nd2 Re8 16.Ra2 Rae6 17.0–0 b6 18.Bf3 c6 19.Rb1 Bd6 20.b4 a4 21.b5 c5 22.Rd1 Bf8 23.Nf1 g6 24.Ng3 Re5 25.Rad2 h5 26.Ne2 Kg7 27.Nc3 d6 28.Nxa4 Bf5 29.Nxb6 Be4 30.Bxe4 Rxe4 31.a4 Be7 32.Rc2 Bd8 33.Nd5 Ba5 34.Rb1 Rb8 35.f3 Ree8 36.Kf2 Rb7 37.Rd1 Ra8 38.Ra2 Kf8 39.g4 hxg4 40.hxg4 Kg7 41.Rh1 Re8 42.Kg3 Rh8 43.Rxh8 Kxh8 44.f4 Kg7 45.e4 Be1+ 46.Kf3 Ba5 47.e5 dxe5 48.fxe5 Rb8 49.Re2 Rb7 50.e6 fxe6 51.Rxe6 Bd8 52.b6 Kf7 53.Rc6 Rb8 54.a5 1–0

Stephen hits back by equalising the then match score.   George tries a new line of the Budapest Defence but fails to get out his queens bishop until it
is too late.  Deft knight manoeuvring with his knights nets two pawns for 
White and Black could have spared himself the last 15 moves or so 

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[Event "Summer 2013 Match"]
[Site "Grove"]
[Date "2013.07.21"]
[Game "6"]
[White "Stephen Morris"]
[Black "George Spalding"]
[Opening "Budapest Defence"]
[Result "1-0"]

 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Nf3 Bc5 5.e3 Nc6 6.Nc3 0–0 7.Be2 Re8 8.a3 a5 9.b3 Ngxe5 10.Ne4 Bf8 11.Bb2 Nxf3+ 12.Bxf3 Ne5 13.Be2 Ra6 14.Ng3 d6 15.Qc2 Bd7 16.Rd1 Bc6 17.e4 Ng6 18.0–0 Qh4 19.Rd4 Nf4 20.Bf3 Ne6 21.Rd2 Ng5 22.Be2 Bxe4 23.Nxe4 Qxe4 24.Qxe4 Nxe4 25.Rc2 Raa8 26.f3 Nc5 27.b4 axb4 28.axb4 Nd7 29.f4 g6 30.Bd4 Bg7 31.Bf2 Ra4 32.Rb1 Rea8 33.Bf3 Ra1 34.Rcc1 Rxb1 35.Rxb1 c6 36.b5 cxb5 37.Bxb7 Ra4 38.Bc6 Nc5 39.Bxb5 Ra1 40.Rxa1 Bxa1 41.Kf1 Kf8 42.Ke2 Ke7 43.Be1 Bf6 44.Ke3 Ke6 45.g4 Ke7 46.Bc6 Ke6 47.Bd5+ Ke7 48.Bg3 Nb3 49.h4 Nc5 50.g5 Ba1 51.Bf3 Bg7 52.Bg4 Ba1 53.f5 Nb7 54.Ke4 Nc5+ 55.Kd5 gxf5 1–0

Probably the crucial game of the 2013 Match.  Black's faith in this defence seems to be justified when he picks up a pawn on move 24.  Overlooking a 
chance to win a second pawn, Black then sees his game go downhill.  Stephen
recovers his pawn, and with rooks off , uses his bishop pair  very skilfully
to win the game as Black sinks into time trouble.   So the writer, who had been 
hoping to bring the match score level, was now two points adrift.

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Martin Bush was very successful at the British Championships in August. 
Here below are his best games with his comments!
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Below are 3 games I played at the British Chess Championships. The pick of the bunch as far as the quality of my chess is concerned is the game against Arthur Graham. The most exciting was the game against Neil Coward in the last round of the U160, the winning of which gave my joint 3rd place. It is a flawed game that at one moment I was on the point of resigning. However nobody won a game by resigning so I battled on only to be rewarded by some errors from my opponent, in particular 33.Qd7 which allowed my own queen to escape and cause havoc in his position. Incidentally this game was broadcast live on the web and can still be seen at http://englishchess.org.uk/BCC/other-live-games-11/ . In fact the only reason I can give you all the moves was because they were broadcast. Towards the end I was in horrendous time trouble and had given up recording at move 49. The reason my opponent played some weak moves in the latter stages of the game (e.g. 47. Kb2 instead of Kb3) was because he was trying to rush me - he had plenty of time. The game was shown on one of the 4 big screens in the playing hall and had quite an audience, 
Martin Bush
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[Event "British U160"] 
[Site "Torquay"] 
[Date "2013.08.06"] 
[Round "2"] 
[White "Martin Bush"] 
[Black "Arthur Graham"] 
[Opening "French Defence"]
[Result "1-0"] 
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bd7 5. Nf3 Bc6 6. Bd3 Nd7  7. Qe2 Ngf6  8. Ng3 Be7 9. O-O O-O 10. b3 Bxf3 11. Qxf3 c6 12. Bb2 Qc7 13. Rfe1 Nd5 14. c4  Nf4 15. Bc2 Bf6 16. Ne4 Be7 17. g3 Ng6 18. h4 Bf6 19. Nxf6+ Nxf6 20. h5 Ne7 21. h6 Qd8 22. hxg7 Kxg7 23. d5 Neg8 24. Qe4 Re8 25. Qxh7+ Kf8 26. Qh8 cxd5  27. cxd5 Nxd5 28. Ba3+ Nde7 29. Bh7 1-0 
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[Event "BCC U160"]
[Site "Torquay"] 
[Date "2013.08.09"] 
[Round "5"] 
[White "Neil Coward"] 
[Black "Martin Bush"]
[Opening "Sicilian Defence"]
[Result "0-1"]  
1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 d6  5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Bc4 e6 7. O-O Be7  8. Qe2 Nf6 9. Rd1 e5 10. h3 O-O 11. Be3 Be6 12. Bxe6 fxe6 13. Qc4 Qc8 14. Qb3 h6  15. Rac1 Kh7 16. Nb5 Nxe4 17. Nxa7 Rxa7 18. Bxa7 Ng5 19. Nxg5+ Bxg5 20. Be3  Bxe3 21. Qxe3 d5 22. b4 Qb8 23. b5 Nd4 24. b6 Nf5 25. Qa3 e4 26. Rc7 d4 27.  g4 Nh4 28. Qe7 Nf3+ 29. Kg2 Rg8 30. Qxe6 Ng5 31. Qf5+ Kh8 32. Rxd4 Qe8 33. Qd7 Qf8 34. Qf5 Qa3 35. Kf1 Qxh3+ 36. Ke2 Qa3 37. Rd2 Qa6+ 38. Kd1 Qxb6 39.  Qc5 Qb1+ 40. Qc1 Qb5 41. Rdd7 Qf1+ 42. Kc2 Qxf2+ 43. Qd2 e3 44. Qxf2 exf2 45. Rf7 Nxf7 46. Rxf7 Ra8 47. Kb2 Ra4 48. g5 hxg5 49. Rxf2 Kh7 50. Rf7 Rb4+ 51.  Kc3 Rb6 52. Kd4 Kg6 53. Rf2 Kh5 54. Ke4 g4 55. Ke3 g3 56. Rg2 Kh4 57. Kf4  Rf6+ 58. Ke3 Rf2 59. Rxf2 gxf2 60. Kxf2 Kh3 61. Kf3 g5 62. Kf2 g4 63. Kg1 Kg3  64. a3 b5 65. Kh1 Kf2 0-1 
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[Event "BCC U160"]
[Site "Torquay"]
[Date "2013.08.08"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Martin Bush"]
[Black "Nathan Mills"]
[Opening "Pirc Defence"] 
[Result "1-0"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be2 Bg7 5. Be3 c5 6. e5 Nfd7 7. exd6 exd6 8.
Nf3 Nc6 9. O-O O-O 10. Nb5 Qb6 11. Rb1 a6 12. Nxd6 Nxd4 13. Nxd4 Qxd6 14. Nf5 Qxd1 15. Ne7+ Kh8 16. Rfxd1 Nf6 17. Bxc5 Re8 18. Bf3 Bg4 19. Bxg4 Nxg4 20. h3 Nf6 21. Nd5 Rac8 22. Nxf6 Bxf6 23. b4 Re2 24. Rd7 Kg7 25. Rxb7 a5 26. a3 axb4 27. axb4 Rxc2 28. Rd1 Ra8 29. Rdd7 Ra1+ 30. Kh2 Be5+ 31. g3 Rcc1 32. Rxf7+ Kh6 33. Be3+ 1-0
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