Varsity Match 2023

[Nick Ivell]

I am more than happy for history to record me with the Black pieces.

Sadly, the photo debunks this!

[Geoff Chandler]

Sorry Nick but chessgames have now posted it.

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=2459008

You can add some background info. Say "...in the postmortem you suggested to Ken that computers were getting stronger, maybe someone should do something to prevent cheats using them in the future...Ken's eyes lit up."

[Nick Ivell]

The truth will out.

In the Varsity matches I was kind of lucky, having White on all 3 occasions.

[John Upham]

So who's the scruffy 'Erbert not wearing a tie in that first photo? Who let him in??

It is a sign of the times (but not The Times)

[Nick Ivell]

No one has yet come up with the name of the tieless kibitzer and I can't help - after my time.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Not really sure what the point of White's last move there was, though of course you were lost anyway.

[John Upham]

No one has yet come up with the name of the tieless kibitzer and I can't help - after my time.

This is Stephen Meyler who was kind enough to invite me to the 2022 and 2023 matches.

He is the RAC Club's Chess "coordinator" (there is no doubt a more posh title for the role but I can't recall what it is right now)

[Nick Ivell]

It was simply one of those games where I didn't turn up to the races.

For example, 11. Qf2. What was I thinking of? With my two bishops, after any sensible move I should be fine.

[Joey Stewart]

I wouldn't beat yourself up too much, if anything you can take pride in the fact this entire game would have been played free from any forms of cheating or preparation so was a true test of raw calculating ability rather then who has brought the bigger guns to the fight.

[Nick Ivell]

True. Perhaps there should have been more preparation! Almost no one plays 2. f4 these days.

[Roger de Coverly]

if anything you can take pride in the fact this entire game would have been played free from any forms of cheating or preparation so was a true test of raw calculating ability rather then who has brought the bigger guns to the fight.

Preparation was by no means unknown in the days before computers. Games by potential opponents would be published, as would articles on recent theory and new ideas. For that matter you could actually see lines being played before publication if you mixed in the right circles.

As for external assistance, gossiping during play was perhaps a little more common.

[Nick Ivell]

Cheating also happened. I recall the late George Ellison being awarded a county game (v Yorkshire?) when his opponent was caught reading Moles' book on the French during their game.

[Geoff Chandler]

Almost no one plays 2. f4 these days.

Hi Nick,

Having pointed chessgames towards the game and discussing it I thought I might as well look at it. Qf2 was OK to me, no serious harm done. it was 13. a3 that brought on a flinch. I'm a firm believer in Tartakower that if you never move any pawns you cannot lose (actually I don't know if he said that - I attribute everything I've heard to Tartakower.)

After a3 the b3 square fell and all the trouble stems from there. (that is my opinion...and Tartakower would agree if he were alive today.) Ken played a good game to take advantage of it.

'Almost no one plays 2. f4 these days.'
All the more reason to play it. Tartakower again (this time genuine)
"Any opening is good enough, if its reputation is bad enough."

I always ask if a game is being discussed we show it.

N. Ivell - K. Regan, Oxford - Cambridge, 1983
1. e4 c5 2. f4 Nf6 3. d3 Nc6 4. Nf3 d5 5. e5 Ng8 6. g3 Bg4 7. Bg2 e6 8. h3 Bxf3 9. Qxf3 Nge7 10. O-O h5 11. Qf2 Nf5 12. Nc3 Rc8 13. a3 c4 14. Kh2 cxd3 15. cxd3 Ncd4 16. Bd2 Nb3 17. Rad1 Bc5 18. d4 Bxd4 19. Qe2 Nxd2 20. Qxd2 Bxc3 21. bxc3 Qa5 22. Rf3 Rc7 23. Rd3 Ne7 24. f5 Nxf5 25. Bxd5 O-O 26. Qc2 exd5 0-1

[Nick Ivell]

True, a3 was very poor; but I don't understand why I didn't play Be3 instead of Qf2.

The undeveloped Q-side became a problem.

[Joey Stewart]

I'd trace it back to developing the Knight on c3 rather then d2 where it could have jumped over to f3 and covered the d4 square, and also leaving your queenside pawns more fluid for dealing with potential queenside pushes.

But, again, it's not likely you'd have had all that knowledge as an 18 year old with no internet and only "books" to attempt to learn chess from so you did the best you could with what you had to work with and against a stronger opponent