Champions Witney 1 won their first match of the new season; defeating my team, City 1, by 3.5 – 2.5.

Witney notched up the full point on boards 3 and 5 courtesy of Peter Richmond and Alan Gentry respectively - while on board 1, I managed, possibly fortuitously, to defeat grandmaster Peter Wells.

People say there’s no such thing as luck in chess – but how else do you describe a chance opportunity appearing for one player which neither player had foreseen? Judge for yourselves.


White: Matthew Rose


Black: Peter Wells


1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Qxd7 5.0–0 Nc6 6.Qe2 Nf6 7.Rd1 This is the set up recommended by Gawain Jones in is excellent book: How to Beat the Sicilian Defence.  


7...g5!? This strange looking move seriously challenges White’s strategy.


8.c3 Clearly 8.Nxg5? is suicide. One good answer is 8…Nd4.


8...g4 9.Nh4 Qe6!? 10.d3 Rg8!? 11.Nd2 d5 12.Re1?! This is an admission that White has nothing – and it hands the initiative to Black. The alternative 12.Nb3 b6 13.Bf4!? was better. I didn’t contemplate gifting Black the e4 pawn like this - but actually Black does better by playing 13...0–0–0 and eschewing the pawn offer.


12...0–0–0! 13.f4!? I felt I needed to stop ...Ne5 - but here too 13.Nb3 was a better choice.


13...gxf3 14.Ndxf3 dxe4 15.Ng5! Qg4! 16.Qxg4+ Nxg4 17.dxe4 Nge5 After 17...Nce5! I was going to play 18.Rf1 anyway – but then Black has 18..Bh6! with a dangerous initiative.


18.Rf1! The critical position. Black has certain positives – his rooks and knights are menacing – but he can’t claim an advantage until he has solved the problem of his bishop.


18...e6! After a long think Peter sacrifices the f7 pawn in order to develop his problem piece.


19.Nxf7 Nxf7 20.Rxf7 Be7? Missing White’s next move. After the superior 20...Ne5 a likely continuation would be 21.Rf1 Rg4 22.Nf3 (I was half contemplating 22.h3!? here with the idea 22...Rxh4 23.Bg5) 22...Nxf3+ 23.Rxf3 Rd1+ 24.Rf1 Rxf1+ 25.Kxf1 Rxe4 with approximate equality.


21.Bf4! This move – which I hadn’t seen before the opportunity arose – puts White very firmly in control. I had originally intended 21.Nf3 Rd1+ 22.Kf2 when Black has enough for his pawn but probably no more.


21...e5!? 22.Bg3! Denying Black the counter-play he would have after 22.Bxe5 Rd2.
22...c4 23.Nf3! h5?! 23...Rd7 was a better choice.


24.Nxe5! Bc5+ 25.Kh1 Nxe5 26.Bxe5 Bb6 27.Bf4! After this accurate move, White is a clear two pawns up and Black has very little chance even to complicate things. Peter plays on only because we’re both by now very short of time.


27...h4 28.a4 Rd3 29.Re1 h3 30.gxh3! Strategically wrong but tactically right – taking the pawn lessens the chances of getting accidentally mated.


30...Rf3 31.Rf5 Bf2 32.Rf1 Bb6 33.Bg3 Re3 34.Rf8+ Rxf8 35.Rxf8+ Kd7 36.Bf2! Simplicity is all when you’re winning and there’s very little time left.


36...Rxe4 37.Bxb6 axb6 38.Kg2 Re2+ 39.Rf2 Re3 40.h4 Kc6 41.h5 Re5 42.Rf6+ Kc5 43.h6 Rh5 44.Kg3 b5 45.axb5 Kxb5 46.h4 1–0