English Chess Forum

I'm quite pleased with both of these.

[White "Nicky Chorley"] [Black "Henry Yu"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Event "Middlesex vs. Surrey U120"] [Date "2014.11.08"] 1.e4 c5 2.c3 Qa5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bc4 e5 5.O-O Nf6 6.Re1 Be7 7.d3 O-O 8.Be3 Ng4 9.Nbd2 Nxe3 10.Rxe3 d6 11.Re1 Qc7 12.Nf1 Bf6 13.Ne3 Be6 14.Bb3 Ne7 15.Rc1 Qd7 16.Qd2 Bxb3 17.axb3 Rfe8 18.Ra1 a6 19.Nc4 Qc7 20.Ne3 Qc6 21.c4 b5 22.Qc2 b4 23.Ra4 g6 24.Rea1 Bg7 25.h3 Qb7 26.Nd5 Nxd5 27.cxd5 Rf8 28.Qc4 f5 29.Ng5 Ra7 30.Ne6 Rfa8 31.Nxg7 Kxg7 32.f3 f4 33.Qc2 Qe7 34.Qc4

I should really have taken on a6 and then brought the knight to e6. I thought I was in time trouble here, but I had an extra hour .

[White "Nicky Chorley"] [Black "Kathleen Rutherford"] [Result "0-1"] [Event "Metropolitan ladder"] [Date "2014.11.12"] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 O-O 6.h3 d6 7.Nbd2 Na5 8.Re1 c6 9.a3 Nxc4 10.Nxc4 b5 11.Ncd2 Nh5 12.Nb3 Bb6 13.d4 exd4 14.Nbxd4 Bd7 15.b4 Qf6 16.Rb1 Qg6 17.Nf5 Bxf5 18.exf5 Qg3 19.Rf1 Nf6 20.Be3 Bxe3 21.fxe3 a5 22.Ra1 Nd5 23.Qe1 Qxe1 24.Rfxe1 axb4 25.axb4 Nxb4 26.Nd4 Rxa1 27.Rxa1 c5 28.Rb1 Rb8 29.c3 cxd4 30.cxb4 dxe3 31.Kf1 g6 32.fxg6 fxg6 33.Ke2 Re8 34.Rd1 Re4 35.Rxd6 Rxb4 36.Kxe3 Rb2 37.Kf3 Rc2 38.Rb6 Rc5 39.Ke3 Kf8 40.Rb7 h6 41.Kd3 Rg5 42.Rb8+ Ke7 43.Rb7+ Kd6 44.Rb6+ Kc5

We were due to play a league game for Metropolitan, but our opponents didn't turn up, so we played this game. I ended up losing on time, but it was thoroughly enjoyable . I think I should have played g4 after she'd played Rg5. Also, I looked over the game a bit with a work colleague (who's around 180, I think) and he suggested instead of 15. b4, I could have gone Bg5 and then tried to aim for a knight on f5 (via h4). Also, instead of 14. Nbxd4, there might have been Nfxd4 but maybe Black has Qh4 (my colleague suggested that).

Enjoy!

It's good that you play for a club with an established ladder tournament. Quite beneficial when starting out in league chess.

In the first game, you have already pointed out that you should have took on a6, and with both of your rooks and your queen attacking the a6 square I agree. I would say as well in the first game your knight was on an excellent e6 square. (This is usually the case when knights go onto a square diagionally in front of the pawn.) It can't be attacked by any pawns (the d and f pawns are already at least level with it) there are no knights, and the dark squared bishop is not going to take a knight on a white square. I don't think I would have took the bishop on g7.