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Notes by Jeremy Menadue
Jeremy bags an IM scalp in the Somerset match.
1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 3.d4 exd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Qe3 Bb4 6.Bd2 0-0 7.0-0-0 Re8 8.Bc4
8.Qg3 is another way of sacrificing the e4 pawn for a double bishop attack; too slow is 8.f3 d5
8...Bxc3 accepts the pawn sacrifice but I wanted a quiet [!] game; 8...Na5 seems too drastic
9...Be6 10.Bxe6 Rxe6 11.Ng5 Re8 12.f4 h6 13.h4!? may look dangerous but would be exactly what my opponent wanted
Previously 10...Nce5
11.h3
Nf6
12.Nxe5
Rxe5
13.Bd3
Nd7
14.a3
Ba5
15.Qg3
Bxc3
16.Bxc3
Qg5+
17.Qxg5
Rxg5+/=.
Black knows about
10...Nxf2??
11.Qxf7+
Kh8
12.Ng5
Nxd1??
13.Qg8+
Rxg8
14.Nf7#
I'm sure this has happened in the odd simul!
Another rapid move - white took 20 minutes for the whole game; not arrogance just a playing style which has brought my opponent many fine wins
Also 14.Nxd2
Black's avoiding Ba4 after Na5 immediately
Asking for trouble. After 15...h6 Jack considered 16.Ng5!? but I'm happy enough after 16...Na5
Take towards the centre. Here it's better to open the c-file 17.cxb3 Nf8 then if white plays as in the game 18.h6 g6 19.Nd4 Bxd5 20.exd5 a6 21.Qc3 Qf6 22.Nxb5 really does win
Good but played quickly. I expected 19.e5 and if 19...dxe5 20.Qxe5 wins
Threatening the basic mate at g7 after Nd4 moves somewhere nasty.
I expected 22.Qxc7 Rec8 23.Qa5 Nd7 with some sort of counterplay. Soon after the game Jack mentioned 22.Kb1! winning but black has 22...Nd7 (22...Qe5? 23.f4 Qxd5? 24.Nf5) 23.Qxc7 Nc5 looks playable.
Allowing 23 Qxf6 [mating] on g7 but 23.. Ra1 mate first] An odd way of winning against an International Master but they all count - as do one or two of my time trouble losses in previous Somerset matches. Even more of a tragedy would have been 22...Qxc3 23.Nxc3
RESULT