Last week Witney 1 beat off a strong challenge from title holders Oxford City 1 to maintain their unbeaten record and their position at the top of division 1 of the Oxfordshire League.

City started the match strongly with two good wins — including this week’s game played on board three.

Witney fought back with a win on board two, and the match was eventually drawn at 3-3 after Witney’s Peter Wells got the better of me on board one and Dave Hackett held a tricky endgame against Ivan Ljubic on board six. White: Mike Truran (Witney) Black: Weisin Tan (City) 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 d5 4. e3 e6 Weisin employs the solid Semi-Slav variation.

5. Nbd2 White avoids the main line 5. Nc3 and in particular the highly theoretical Meran variation: 5Nc3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5. 5... Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7.e4 dxe4 8. Nxe4 Nxe4 9. Qxe4 Nf6 10. Qc2 O-O 11. Be2 c5 12. dxc5 Bxc5 13. O-O b6 14. Ne5 Bb7 15. Bg5 Qc7! 16. Bf3 The point of Black’s 15th move is that after 16. Bxf6 gxf6, he has good attacking prospects with an open g-file and well placed bishops. If White can’t take on f6, however, his 15.Bg5 is pointless and Black is already better.

16... Qxe5 17. Bxf6 Qxf6 18. Bxb7 Rad8 White has an extra pawn on the queenside; but Black has attacking prospects boosted by the opposite coloured bishops.

19.Rad1 a5 20. Bf3 g6 21. Rxd8 Rxd8 22. b3 Kg7 23. Rd1 Rxd1+ 24. Qxd1 Qb2 25. Qe1 Kg8 Weisin avoids 25... Qxa2 26. Qe5+. It is not clear he has anything to fear form the check; but then the a-pawn is not going anywhere so he wisely plays it safe.

26. g3 Qxa2 27. Bd1 Qb2 28. Qe2 Qd4 29. Kg2 e5 30. f3 f5 31. Bc2 Kg7 32. Kh3 Kf6 33. Bd3 Kg5!? 34. Qd2+ Kf6 35. Qe2 h5 36. Bc2? White needed to stop Black’s next move so 36.Qc2 was called for.

36... g5 37. Qd3? Guarding g1 with 37. Qe1 was the only move. 37... g4+ 38. fxg4 hxg4+ 39. Kh4 Qxd3 40. Bxd3 Kg6 41. h3 Be7 checkmate.

I thoroughly enjoyed my day ‘kibitzing’ at the London Chess Classic last week where a first-class field, including World Champion Vishy Anand, was battling it out with England’s best.

It was heartening to see so many other Oxfordshire players also enjoying the excellent spectator facilities and good too to see several Oxford players participating in the accompanying Fide Open tournament.

I will be reporting further on both the Classic and the Oxford players' showing in the Open in the coming weeks.