22-28 4ncl_Chess mag - 21_6_10 21/03/2015 17:07 Page 22 Back to Brum After a ten year break the 4NCL returned to Birmingham, watched by your Editor The 4NCL embarked on its latest venture Íd3 Ìe6 18 Ìxe6 Íxe6 19 0-0 it still in February, taking up residence at a new R.Edouard-R.Haria looks pretty miserable, but at least Black has venue, the Holiday Inn at Birmingham Airport. Guildford I vs Cambridge 19... Ëg4 and can hope that one day he’ll be able to return the exchange for the c-pawn. As one might expect, local amenities were Ragozin Defence somewhat lacking, with the exception of a 16 Íf4 Ìf6 17 Ìd4 Ìe4 muddy, unloved park, unless that is one Activity, at least for a move. Indeed, Edouard must have been very happy around wanted to catch the shuttle ’bus to the 1 d4 e6 2 c4 d5 3 Ìc3 Ìf6 4 Ìf3 Íb4 here: he has complete control and the black airport terminal with its usual collection of The Ragozin Defence, a pretty common queen remains badly sidelined. chains. The hotel itself looked from the defence at GM level these days. It’s as yet still rarely seen at club level, but should suit 18 Ëc1 Íd7 19 f3 Ìxc5? outside like an old airport terminal which had Carlsen-like desperation, but again Black seen better days, but affairs were somewhat anyone who already has the Nimzo in their repertoire. Those interested in finding out will come up short. No doubt Haria didn’t care better within. Indeed, the only two more could do far worse than peruse Vladimir for 19... Ìg5 20 Íxg5 (20 c6!? Îac8 21 complaints were one rather warm playing hall Barsky’s 2011 work, The Ragozin Complex: A Ëc5 bxc6 22 b6 is a sharper but not and that the restaurant was too small to Guide for White and Black . necessarily stronger approach) 20...hxg5 21 accommodate the typical breakfasting chess e2 ac8 22 0-0 c7 23 b6 cc8 24 c3, 5 cxd5 exd5 6 Íg5 Ìbd7 7 Îc1 0-0 8 Í Î Î Î Ë player. Of course, such folk never rise early, but Black really had to grovel so. e3 c5 9 dxc5 Ëa5 but with the pairings published at 9.30am, by At first one might assume that White has 20 Ëxc5 Îfc8 21 Íc7! 9 o’clock a steady queue had formed of gone wrong. After all, Black is suddenly rumbling stomachs. extremely active, but as young Ravi Haria was Matters were made worse for all those likely aware, there is a sharp way for White to travelling from London by road and rail chaos, deal with the pressure. so much so that certain critics of the former 10 a3! Íxc3+ 11 Îxc3! Ìe4 12 b4 venue at Hinckley Island, which is at least Essential (or 12 Ëa1 first). White gives up much nearer to the M1, were heard to be a whole exchange to maintain his queenside almost pining for a return to it. They will have pawn phalanx. their wish for a farewell weekend in May, but 12... Ìxc3 13 Ëa1 Ëa4 14 Ëxc3 a5 15 b5 otherwise the top two divisions will remain in Birmingham. Incidentally, Division Three South is set to move at the end of the season from Daventry to Telford, a venue one might have thought better suited to Division Three North. Grumbles aside, there was plenty to look forward to in the third weekend of the The problem for Black is that he is now season, not least the likely title decider material down and his queen still doesn’t have between Guildford and Cheddleton, Wood a square. Moreover, his next won’t be enough Green’s unfortunate loss of sponsor having to save him. left the two strongest teams in the league in 21...b6 22 Ëxd5 the same pool. The human choice, exploiting the fact that Guildford were gifted an early lead in round the bishop on c7 is now taboo. The materialistic 5 by Cambridge when Daniel Bisby was one of machine, however, prefers 22 Ëd6!? when the unfortunate few to default. Averaging 22... Îa7 23 Íxb6 Îc1+ 24 Êf2 Ëd1 looks 2588, Guildford simply proved far too strong, 15...h6?! rather scary, but after, say, 25 g4 Ëe1+ (or although Antoaneta Stefanova was a little The encounter which really put this line on 25... Ëd2+ 26 Êg3) 26 Êg2 Îb7 27 Ëxd5 xb6 28 xd7 b8 29 f5 White should be fortunate to defeat Sabrina Chevannes. In the the map was Topalov-Carlsen, Wijk aan Zee Î Ë Î Ì 2007 (although the stem game was actually winning without too much difficulty. end the defending champions ran out 7½-½ back in 1929), where the slightly desperate 22... xa3 winners, Maxime Lagarde (not to be confused Ë 15... xc5? 16 xc5 f5 17 c1 fc8 18 The point of Haria’s play: his queen has with his older, stronger compatriot and Ì Ë Í Ë Î Ëa1 failed to give Black enough counterplay. broken free. White does, however, retain a Guildford team-mate Maxime Vachier- Haria’s choice also fails to entirely convince clear advantage. Lagrave) being the unfortunate soul who cost and it’s noticeable that the top guys are no 23 Êf2 Ëc1? his side any whitewash bonus. Gawain Jones longer allowing this line, usually preferring Possibly underestimating the danger and and Romain Edouard scored crushing victories 6...h6 7 Íh4 c5. Perhaps here Black has to go White’s diagonal-moving creatures now come on the top boards. 15... Îe8. Admittedly after 16 Ìd4 Ìf8 17 into their own. It’s hard to believe that Black April 2015 22 22-28 4ncl_Chess mag - 21_6_10 21/03/2015 17:07 Page 23 would have survived after 23... Ëc5 24 Ëxc5 impressive fashion to hold. Howell’s team- both d4-d5 and a2-a4-a5 are on the agenda (24 Ëxd7 Îxc7 25 Ëg4 Îe8 26 Íd3 a4 offers mates Keith Arkell, Aleksandar Colovic and and even Black’s attempt to fight for a share a bit of counterplay) 24...bxc5 25 b6 Îxc7 26 Jonathan Hawkins all held too on boards 2-4, of the centre doesn’t fully convince. bxc7 cxd4 27 Íd3! dxe3+ 28 Êxe3 Îa7 29 being happy to put up the shutters against 12...e5 13 dxe5 fxe5 14 a4! Îc1 Íc8 30 Êd4, but this was the last chance. Robin van Kampen, Gawain Jones and Romain Rather than play slowly and potentially 24 Íc4! Edouard respectively, although Colovic was weaken with 14 h3, the Durham IM continues to under some pressure at one stage. battle for the initiative in a highly classical vein. Maxime Lagarde too looked to be under 14...h3 15 g3 Íg4 16 Íg5 pressure on board five as Simon Williams Not the only good move (16 Îe1 arguably injected some typical dynamism into a King’s being more precise), but Eggleston was Indian, but held on as the reigning champions understandably keen to trap the black king in wobbled a little, also facing middlegame the centre. difficulties on the next board. 16... Îh5 17 Ëe3!? Ìd7 Yes, there is a tactic here, but is 17... Ìxc4?! 18 Íxc4 Íxf3 19 Ëxf3 Îxg5 D.Eggleston-J.P.Le Roux really a pawn you would want to snaffle? Cheddleton vs Guildford I After 20 Îad1 Black’s light squares and king position are shot, while White has the simple Caro-Kann Defence plan of doubling rooks. 18 Îad1 f6? 1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 Ìc3 dxe4 4 Ìxe4 Ìf6 Despite playing some pretty logical and 5 Ìxf6+ gxf6 scary-looking moves, White has drifted a little The Bronstein-Larsen variation, also an old Material has not been an overwhelming and here 18... Íc5 19 Ëd2 f6 wouldn’t have British favourite from before Eggleston was born concern for Edouard in this game and he now been too terrible for Black, as shown by, for and the subject of Andrew Martin’s latest DVD. seizes a decisive attack. instance, 20 Íe3 0-0-0 21 b4 Íxe3 22 Ëxe3 6 c3 h5!? 24... xh1 Ëb6. Instead, Le Roux opted to roll the dice; a Ë This rather ambitious move was one of Going down in flames rather than face a decision he might well have come to regret. two (along with 6... d5), which I analysed slow-motion death after 24... d2+ 25 e2 Ë Ë Í back in Dangerous Weapons: The Caro-Kann . e6 26 c6. Í Ë 7 c4 25 xf7+ h8 26 e5 Í Ë Ê Í As ever, Eggleston is well prepared, It’s going to be mate. producing a critical move. My 26... Îg8 27 Ëg6 1-0 recommendation here was 7... Ìd7 8 Ëb3 e6, but the French Grandmaster prefers to continue annexing space. 7...h4!? 8 Ëb3 e6 9 Ìf3 Ìd7 10 0-0 Ìb6?! Whilst I’ve long had a soft spot for the Bronstein-Larsen, one does have to wonder about employing it in such an important match. Perhaps, though, Guildford had simply underestimated Cheddleton. At this stage it is tempting to flick in 10...h3 when 11 g3 b5!? 12 Íe2 Ìb6 13 Ëc2 Íb7 14 b3 Íe7 15 c4 was Fargere-Prie, Caen 2011, and now Le 19 Îxd7!? Roux’s colleague might have tried 15...bxc4 16 Tempting, but 19 Ìxe5! would have been more clinical. The main point is revealed after bxc4 c5 17 Îd1 Ëc7 with a complex fight ahead, whether or not White tries 18 d5!?.