14 August 2021 - Kent Haddrell vs Kent Steele

Kent Haddrell v Kent Steele
14 August 2021

White: Keith Nevols (1938) - Black: T Packham (1833)
Fianchetto Defence

My first over-the-board classical game for 17 months (and it was good to be back) took place at a church in St Mary's Cray, Orpington. An eight board mini-league. We were all masked up and distant, and I was a little nervous at being on top board - as I felt a little overgraded.

1. e4 g6
2. d4 Bg7
3. c4

I prefer playing against King's Indians instead of Pircs hence the attempt to transpose, but to no avail.

3. ..... b6

The Modern Defence with a double fianchetto. I don't know anything about this so developing normally must be good.

4. Nf3 Bb7
5. Nc3 e6

I had planned to meet 5. ... Nf6 with 6. Bd3 but 6. e5 is better, gaining space. I now had a think about how to defend the centre pawns against a Nf6 and/or Nc6. Of course, a d5 or e5 advance would be fine but, as I said, I was a little nervous and continued to develop.

The engine likes 6. h4 here - an idea I will come back to.

6. Be2 Ne7?!

An unambitious deployment and a sign that maybe Black was not yet going to pressure the centre.

7. O-O O-O
8. Bg5

With the intention of creating a weakness. 8. Bf4 is more accurate.

8. .....h6
9. Be3 d6

9. .. f5!? would punish the White waste of time but, like me, Black wishes to develop.

10. Qd2 Kh7

Time for a think for a plan. I have the centre and an advantage in development but he has the two bishops and possibly trying to find squares for the knights. I was reluctant to settle the tension too early. I considered three ideas, but none of them were much good.

The best move is 11. d5 with 11. ... exd5 12. cxd5 c6 13. Bf4 or Bd4. or 11. .. e5 which looks very Kings Indian-ery.

I considered 11. h3 with the long-term plan of stopping Nd7-f5-g4 and playing Nh2 with ideas of f4 and/or Ng4. But I considered that to be too slow.

And I looked at 11. h4 but there did not seem a lot of point in that. After h5 gxh5, Black can defend with Ng6 or even use the open g-file for a counter attack.

Instead I settled for the text with the plan to play f4, and then either Nf3, Nd3, Bf3 etc.

(The engine prefers 11. g4-g5).

11. Ne1

The engine, which preferred 11. g4-g5, does not like Ne1, and states that, after 11. .. f5, Black has equalised.

11. ..... Nd7

... but after the game Black told me that this is his usual defence. He fianchettos both bishops, places the knights on d7 and e7, and then waits to see how White plays to counter with ideas of c5 and/or f5.

12. f4 f5
13. Bf3?

I was attracted by the tactic down the diagonal - the threat is exf5 winning a pawn - but this is a poor move which gives Black the initiative. The engine states 13. e5 is better but after 13. .. dxe5 14. dxe5 Nc5, I am not sure I like this position.

13. .... fxe4

14. Nxe4

I am still attracted by the tactic of getting in a Nf6 or g5 check followed by Bxb7.

14. ....... d5

15. Nc3

Exploiting the fact that Black cannot play 15. .. dxc4. I considered 15. Ng3 with the hope of adding the knight to an attack on the king and also keeping an eye on the f5 square.

15. ..... Nf6

I had expected 15. .. Nf5 and was not sure how to meet it. Black still can't take the c-pawn and, I thought, can't play .. Ne4, so I took the opportunity to bring the knight back into the game from the back rank where it had unhappily sat for four moves.

16. Nd3

I had calculated 16. .. dxc4 17. Bxb7 Rb8 18. Bf3 cxd3 where I had kept a good bishop and eliminated its direct opponent. The recommendation for Black is simply 16. .. Rb8 eliminating those tactics.

16. ....... Ne4

A welcome surprise.

17. Bxe4 dxe4

Black has two weak e-pawns and I was confident that I could hold at least a draw here.

18. Nf2?

White should have played 18. Ne5 and the position is equal but it seemed obvious to go for a pawn. I had foreseen the next few moves and considered that, if I was going to be under pressure, I might as well bag a pawn for it.

18. ..... Nf5

19. Rad1 Nd6?

Sending the advantage back. I had expected this, as the only way to defend the e4 pawn, but Black has the energetic 19. .. c5!

Obviously not 20. dxc5 Qxd2 21. Bxd2 e3 so White must play 20. d5 exd5 21. Nxd5 Bxd5 22. cxd5 Qe7 with the rooks coming into the centre.

20. b3

20. Qe2 briefly crossed my mind but then Black might have a plan of Ba6 and b5 in the future.

20. ....... Nf5

Another surprise. Black gives up a pawn. I considered declining the sacrifice with 21. Ng4 (which again can be met by .. c5) or 21. g4 (I was concerned about 21. .. Nh4) and, in the end, decided a pawn is a pawn.

21. Nfxe4 Qe7

22. g4 Nxe3

I was happy to see this active knight go in exchange for my dead bishop and was a bit concerned about 22. .. Nh4 with possible future pressure on h2 and g3.

23. Qxe3 Rad8

24. d5

24. g5 is an interesting idea but I was concerned about my centre falling apart and exploit the fact that, at the moment, Black cannot play 24. .. exd5 (25. Ng5+)

24. ..... Qh4

I did not see this at all. 25. Qf3 was considered whereas the engine gives White a clear lead with 25. Qg3 Qxg3+ 26. hxg3 although I cannot see how I can win that. Instead I just play to tidy up.

25. h3 Rfe8

There were now variations where Black could clear the e-file and play Rxe4; Qxe4 Qg3+ which concerned me, so I continued to tidy up the back line.

26. Kh2??

A blunder. Strangely 26. Kg2! is the best. You have to be Magnus Carlsen to appreciate why putting the king on the Black bishop's diagonal is a good idea.

Black can now play 26. .. exd5 27. Nxd5 c6 28. Nc7 (28. Nc3 Bxc3) Rxd1. With the White king on g2, the f1 rook is defended and so 29. Nxe8 and White will be a pawn up. With the king on h2 then White must play 29. Rxd1 and then 29. .. Re7 will pick up the stranded knight.

26. .... Bxc3??

Fortunately for me Black meets a blunder with an even bigger blunder.

27. Qxc3

Black had expected 27. Nxc3 when 27. .. exd5 wins a pawn and gets an overwhelming advantage. But I now saw that if Black played 27. .. exf5 then 28. Nf6+ wins on the spot.

27. ....... Rf8

28. Qe5

This is good enough but I scrutinised and rejected the better 28. g5! The idea was to cut off the queen from the black defence although it remained alarmingly near my king. I rejected it because of 28. .. hxg5 29. Nf6+ Kh6 30. Ng4+ Kh7 (I had planned 30. .. Kh5 31. Qf3? but I might have seen 31. Qg7 forcing mate) and could not see how to advance. Of course 31. Qe5 would be good enough.

But after 28. g5 hxg5 White has 29. Nxg5+ Kg8 30 Nxe6.

28. ..... Qe7

29. g5

Good enough but 29. f5 (which I did not see) is crushing.

29. ...... Rf5
30. Nf6+ Kh8
31. Qxe6

I saw the following sequence. I am not sure what I would have played to meet 31. .... Qg7.

31. ..... Qxe6
32. dxe6 Rxd1
33. Rxd1 hxg5
34. e7

34. fxg5 Rxg5 35. e7??? Rg2+ would be unfortunate.

34. ...... Bc6

35. Nd7

White will queen and Black resigned.

An imperfect but a good victory with which I was most happy!