simultaneous display

Kenneth gives a masterly display
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Kenneth gives a masterly display

It was a pleasure to welcome Cowley Chess Club’s young FIDE Master Kenneth Hobson to give a simultaneous display on 2 November.

Kenneth took on 17 players and scored an impressive +14 =1 -2.

Battle begins

After an hour the master had already chalked up a few wins.

But he didn’t have it all his own way. Dougal Main was doing well…

…and seemed surprised to have lasted so long

Our junior rising stars offered the toughest challenge. David Warimwe scored the first win for the club with a clever counter-attack.

David outwits the master

Kenneth Hobson – David Warimwe

(White to play)

Kenneth has a slight advantage and visions of attacking on the kingside. David has just played 18…c5! to open lines on the queenside.

19. bxc5 dxc5 20. Nxb7?!

The best move is 20. b3!, which stops …c4 and keeps the centre stable so that White can focus on kingside operations.

20… Qxb7 21. Qxc5 Ng4!

A sneaky move. White has won a pawn but will not be able to keep it. Black threatens to expel the queen and then take over the g1-a7 diagonal with his own queen.

22. h3

Giving the king some room. Another plan is 22. Rfe1 Rac8 23. Qa3 Qa7+ 24. d4 exd4 25. Qxa6.

22… Rac8 23. Qd6?

Threatening the a-pawn but it would have been better to do this with 23. Qa3, when the position is level.

23… Ne3 24. Rf2 Rc6!

Protecting the a-pawn but crucially forcing White’s queen to a square where she will be forked.

25. Qb4 Nxc2 26. Rxc2 Rxc2 27. f6 Qb6+ 28. Kh2 Qxf6

David has turned the tables and all of his pieces have sprung to life.

29. Qb3 Rec8 30. Rf1 Qf4+ 31. Kh1 Re2 32. Nh2

32…Rc1! 0-1

Dougal tries the tricky …g5

Raffael Geier played the best game of the evening.

Kenneth Hobson – Raffael Geier

(Black to play)

Raffael has defended well and seizes the initiative with

11…f5!

Stopping 12. Bxh7+ and controlling the e4 square.

12. O-O-O e5!

Forcing White onto the backfoot already by threatening 13…e4 winning a piece.

13. Be2?!

13. Bf1 is the only move to keep White in the game: 13… e4 14. d4! since 14… exf3 15. dxc5 regains the piece thanks to the pin on the d-file.

13… e4 14. Nd5

No better is 14. Ne1 Nd4 15. Qb1 Nxb3+ and Black is winning.

14 …exf3 15. gxf3 Be6 16. Rhg1 g6

Kenneth tries to set up tricks against the black king but Raffael will have none of it.

17. Nxe7+ Qxe7 18. h4 Nd4 19. Qd3

19…Bxc4! 20. bxc4 Nxe2+ 21. Kb1 Nxg1 22. Rxg1

Raffael is a whole rook up and makes sure that the result is never in doubt.

22…Rad8 23. Qc3 Kf7 24. d3 Ne8 25. Re1 Qd7 26. Qe5 Qxd3+ 27. Ka1 Qd6 28. Qe3 Nf6 29. Qh6 Qd2 30. Re3 Qd1+ 31. Ka2 Rd2 32. Qf4 Qc1 33. Qe5 Qxc4+ 34. Rb3 Kg8 35. h5 Qd5 36. Qe7 Rf7 37. Qe3 c4 38. Rc3 Rd3 39. Qxa7 Qe6 40. h6 Rxc3 41. Bxc3 Qe2+ 42. Ka1 Rd7 43. Bd4 Qd1+ 44. Ka2 Qb3+ 45. Ka1 c3 46. Qb8+ Kf7 47. Qe5 Qb2 mate 0-1

Kenneth resigns after 2 hours’ play

Kenneth Hobson – Tom Symons Jones

(Black to play)

Tom’s position seems desperate. What did he play? (Solution below)

Kenneth and Raffael discuss their game

Thank you Kenneth for a fun and instructive evening!

Tom escaped by 1…Rxg2+ 2. Kh1 Rg1+! 3. Rxg1 Rxg1+ 4. Kxg1 Qd1+ 5. Kg2 Qg4+ with a draw by perpetual check.

Tom is the master again
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Tom is the master again

It was a pleasure to welcome back to the club Oxford University’s genial International Master Tom O’Gorman. Since his last visit two years ago Tom has clocked up several tournament successes, including an outstanding performance for Ireland in the last chess Olympiad.

On this occasion he took on 14 players, including most of our first team, and scored an impressive +12 =1 -1.

The most exciting game was against Oxford’s rising star Jan Murawski, who recently collected his Candidate Master title.

Tom O’Gorman – Jan Murawski

Oxford City simul, 03.02.2025

Polish Defence

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 a6 3.Nc3 b5

This interesting gambit seems to have been invented by the creative Georgian Grandmaster Bukhuty Gurgenidze in the 1970s. Lately Dutch GM Thomas Beerdsen has been its main champion.

Tom has come prepared as he has seen Jan trying out the line in internet blitz games.

4.e4 b4 5.Nd5

5…Nxd5

An early master game went 5…Nxe4 6.Qf3 c6 7.Qxe4 cxd5 8.Qxd5 Nc6 9.Qe4 d5 10.cxd5 f5 11.Qe3 Qxd5 12.Nf3 g6 13.b3 Bg7 14.Bb2 Bb7 15.Bc4 Qe4 ½–½ Vaganian-Gurgenidze (Ordzhonikidze 1978).

6.exd5 e6

Chess engine Stockfish gives 6…c6 7.dxc6 dxc6 8.Nf3 g6 9.Be3 Bg7 10.Qd2 c5 11.d5 Qd6 12.Bh6 Bxh6 13.Qxh6±.

7.Nh3 Bb7 8.Nf4 c6 9.Bd3

Or 9.dxe6 dxe6 10.Be3 Nd7±.

9…cxd5 10.cxd5

10…g6?!

10…Bd6 is about level. Tom delays castling to probe Jan’s kingside.

11.h4 Bg7 12.Be3 Qa5 13.Qg4 b3+ 14.Bd2 Qb6 15.axb3 Bxd4

Stockfish gives 15…Bxd5 16.h5 Nc6 17.Nxd5 exd5 18.Qe2+ Ne7 19.0–0 with advantage to White.

16.0–0 e5 17.h5!?

This enterprising piece sacrifice gives Tom a clear advantage. It is instructive that the computer prefers two alternatives aimed at opening up the e-file to Black’s king: 17.Ra4!? exf4 18.Re1+ Kf8 19.Rxd4 Qxd4 20.Bxf4 Kg8 21.Re8+ Kg7 22.Be5+ +–; or 17.Ba5 Qd6 18.Ne2.

After the game Jan felt that he should have castled here; Tom agreed but was confident that that he would have kept a strong initiative after 17…0–0 18.hxg6 fxg6 19.Nxg6 hxg6 20.Bxg6 Qf6 21.Bh6. The computer agrees too!

17…exf4?

The engine recommends 17…a5 18.Ne2 Qxb3 19.Bc3 Bxc3 20.Nxc3 0–0 when White is still a lot better owing to the weak dark squares around Black’s king.

18.Rfe1+ Kf8 19.Qxf4 Bxd5 20.Ba5!

A powerful move. The queen is overloaded and must abandon a key defensive square or diagonal if she moves: 20…Qf6 21.Qh6+ Qg7 21.Bb4+ Kg8 22.Re8+ Qf8 23.Rxf8#.

 20…g5

Desperately hoping that exchanging queens and returning the piece will relieve some of the pressure. Tom shows no mercy.

21.Bxb6 gxf4 22.Bxd4 Rg8 23.Bc5+ Kg7 24.Re5 Bxg2 25.Rg5+

Black must lose material.

1–0

A powerful attacking display from Tom.

Prepared to apply pressure: Tom gains the upper hand against Jan
Tom’s toughest test: Gabriel conjures up a mighty exchange sacrifice.

Tom O’Gorman –  Gabriel Sherwood

Tom has nursed a small edge from the opening and can now collect a pawn by 26.Ra1 Qe6 (26…Qc4 27.Rd6 Be5 28.Rg6+! fxg6 29.Rxa7+ wins) 27.Qxe6 Rxe6 28.Rxa7.

But he is tempted to undermine Black’s weakened kingside instead.

26.h4? 26…Rcxe3!

This timely exchange sacrifice completely turns the tables. It turns out that White’s king is even less secure than Black’s.

27.fxe3 Rxe3 28.Kh1

No better is 28.Qf2 Re2 29.Qf1 Qc4 30.Rb3 Bd4+ 31.Kh1 Qc6+ 32.Rf3 Rf2.

28…Rxg3?

This plausible move is not the best. Black can win by 28…Re2! 29.Qf1 (29.Qf3 Bd4!) 29…Qc2 30.Kg1 Qe4 31.Rb3 Bd4+.

29.Rg1 Qa3

30.Rxg3?

Missing a draw by 30.hxg5 hxg5 (30…Rh3+ 31.Kg2 Rg3+ 32.Kh2 Rxg5=) 31.Rxg3 Qxg3 32.Rf1=.

30…Qxg3 31.hxg5 Be5!

The point. The threat of mate on h2 gives White no time to organise counterplay on the f-file.

32.gxh6+ Kxh6 33.Qc2 Qh3+

0–1

34.Kg1 Bd4+ wins.

Fighting defence from Gabriel, well played!

Stuart White succumbed only after stiff resistance
More valuable experience for Adam, his second game against a master
Duncan Reith was one of the last to finish, defeated by some masterly endgame technique

Many thanks to Tom for making this such an enjoyable and memorable evening. We are all looking forward to his next visit.

Juniors shine in Yichen’s simul
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Juniors shine in Yichen’s simul

What better way to mark the start of the chess season than invite a strong master to give a simultaneous display?

Talented International Master Yichen Han has an Elo rating of 2429 and is still only 16 years old. Born in the Netherlands, he learned chess using the ‘Step Method’, improved rapidly and qualified for the IM title in 2022. Now a student at Oxford’s Magdalen College School, he is about to apply for a place at university to study mathematics and statistics.

“I’ll have no time to be bored!”

Yichen agreed to take on 17 of our members on Monday 14 October.

Most were facing a master over the board for the first time and played more in the hope than expectation of testing Yichen’s strength, but they were joined by a sprinkling of seasoned league players confident of snatching at least a half-point.

The addition of clocks (80 minutes + 10 seconds per move) upped the ante for the master. Yichen was relishing the challenge. “I prefer quick games and tend to get bored playing a classical time control. This way I’ll have no time to get bored!”.

In effect, Yichen would be playing 17 local league games at once against some of our strongest players, including junior stars Jan Murawski and Shambavi Hariharan. Jan had even beaten Yichen in a regular tournament game!

And how would Yichen fare against his 18th opponent, and arguably his strongest one: the clock?

Even our less experienced players were keen to put up a fight. There were no early baths even though the outcome of at least four or five games seemed decided out of the opening. That was by no means the end of the story though:  Yichen’s 18th opponent could do some heavy lifting for any defender able to stave off checkmate for a while.

Stewart defends as Jan looks on

Club regulars Stuart White and David Gubinelli were holding  their own; Cumnor’s Nigel Moyse seemed cruising comfortably to a draw; while Jan and Shambavi were starting to apply serious pressure and slowing Yichen down.

After an hour time began to tell. Yechu Zhang scored a surprise win on the clock, and Yichen rewarded David’s tough defence with a draw offer that was gratefully accepted.

Yichen took a draw from Jan who was beginning to build an advantage.

Shambavi offered the stiffest opposition and played a blinder, winning a pawn and frustrating Yichen’s attempts to muddy the waters. We’ll analyse her fine win in a future post.

Stuart also grabbed a pawn and made a well-timed draw offer in a position that was technically won for him.

Last man standing Nigel Moyse had a one-on-one blitz shootout with the master. He went astray in an even rook ending but Yichen sportingly made peace in a winning position.

Final score: 11½/17 (Won 9 Drawn 5 Lost 3)

Many thanks to Yichen for being such a good sport.  It was an enjoyable and instructive evening we are all keen to repeat.

Junior champion Shambavi Hariharan on her way to beating the master
Young Xander Scott stayed the course well past his bedtime

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Meet the master

FIDE Master Tom O’Gorman of Oxford University Chess Club put us to the test in a 20-board simultaneous display.

Tom won 18 and conceded just two draws, to David Gubinelli and Stuart White. Well done both.

An instructive and entertaining evening we plan to repeat next year.

Thanks Tom!

City’s Stuart White holds his own in a complex middlegame