In division 1 of the Oxfordshire league, the matches between Oxford City 1 and Cowley 1 more often than not decide the title.

In the first match of this season, City had narrowly beaten Cowley by 3.4-2.5; but in the January 11 return, a beefed up City team won emphatically 5-1.

That should have tied up the title for City, but a subsequent loss to bottom team Banbury has left the door ajar for both Cowley 1 and Witney 1.

This week’s game was the most interesting game from the second of the City-Cowley clashes.

Played on board 6, it featured two in-form tacticians whose games are rarely dull and it lived up to its promise. White: Karlmarx Rajangam Black: Rod Nixon 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Ne5!? It is said that moving the same piece twice in an opening is not a good idea and — while chess cannot be played by following such truisms — here 5...Nf6 or 5...d6 would seem better.

6.Bb3 d6 7.0–0 Nf6 8.f4 Nc6 9.Nxc6 Tempting; but I am not sure that White gains by changing Black’s pawn structure like this and 9.Nc3 looks like a natural, non-committal alternative.

9...bxc6 10.e5 Again, 10.Nc3 is a good option.

10...Ne4 If 10...Bg4 then 11.Qe1 is awkward; but 10...dxe5! was possible. Then 11.fxe5 Bc5+ 12.Kh1 Qxd1 13.Rxd1 Ng4 looks good for Black and 11.Qxd8+ Kxd8! is also fine.

11.Bd5!? This is very gung-ho — especially since the simple 11.Qf3 offered White a pleasant game.

11...cxd5 12.Qxd5 Bf5 13.Qc6+ Kf8 14.g4 Bg6 Perhaps here Black should have played 14...Bxg4 15.Qxe4 dxe5 when White’s king is at least as exposed as Black’s and the natural looking recapture 16.fxe5 runs into Bh3 17.Re1 Bh4 with advantage.

15.f5 d5 16.fxg6 Bc5+ 17.Kg2 hxg6 18.Bf4! At the last minute, Karl spotted that his intended move, 18.Qxg6?? would have been a blunder and answered by 18…Rxh2+ 19.Kxh2 Qh4+ 20.Kg2 Qg3+ 21.Kh1 Qh3 checkmate. He did well to avoid another false trail, 18.Bg5? which is brilliantly refuted by the double rook sacrifice: 18…Qxg5!! 19.Qxa8+ Ke7 20.Qxh8 Qxg4+ 21.Kh1 Nf2+ 22.Rxf2 Qe4+! 23.Kg1 Qe1+ 24.Kg2 Qxf2+ 25.Kh3 Qf3+ 26.Kh4 Bf2+ 27.Kg5 Qf5 checkmate.

18...Qh4?! This move is based on the fact that 19.Qxa8+ Ke7 20.Qxh8 Qxh8 is good for Black; but Karl shows it to be a mistake. After the superior 18...g5! 19.Bg3 Rb8 20.Nc3 Rb6 21.Qxd5 Qxd5 22.Nxd5 Rxb2 the position is still complicated and unclear; but Black is certainly not worse. 19.Nc3! This refutes Black’s last move and, finding no good continuation, Rod resigned.

After the match we looked at 19...Qxg4+ 20.Kh1 Bf2 threatening 20…Qf3 mate; but 21.Qxa8+ Ke7 22.Nxd5+ Kd7 23.Nf6+! wins the house for White.