Rainham Chess Club - Jones-Howell

Jones, Gawain C B (2606) - Howell, David W L (2625) [C54]

British Championship Round 8, 02.08.2011

Comments by Gawain Jones.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4

The Scotch Gambit

4...Bc5 5.c3 Nf6 6.e5

Jones noted White had solid lines that often end in a repetition here, but: "I tried e5 instead, which I'd looked at briefly this morning. It hasn't really accumulated much theory."

6...d5 7.Bb5 Ne4 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.Nc3 0-0 10.Be3

"And then he went into a long think here, taking over half an hour to come up with a plan. It's quite an interesting position. Black probably has good counterplay against the d4-pawn."

10...Ne7 11.Bd3 Bf5 12.0-0

"My first think of the game. I was having fun looking at a move like g4. Ideas included taking on h7, but Black has counterplay with ...f5 and White's king is stuck in the centre."

12...Nxc3 13.bxc3 Rc8 14.Nh4 Bxd3 15.Qxd3 c5?!

"Here I think ...c5 might be close to a losing move, because it gives away control of d6. Maybe 15...Qd7 is better."

16.Bg5 Qd7 17.Bxe7 Qxe7 18.Nf5 Qd7

"Maybe Qd7's an error. He should probably play Qe6, though I have Nd6."

19.Qf3 Qe6 20.c4!

"A move I enjoyed playing. He said he'd missed Nh6+ was possible as well as Nd6. I had about 50 minutes more than him: 1:10 - 0:20."

20...g6

[If 20...Rfd8 21.cxd5 Rxd5 22.Qxd5 Qxd5 23.Ne7+]

21.Nh6+ Kg7 22.cxd5 Qd7 23.Ng4 Qf5 24.Qxf5 gxf5

"This pawn and rook endgame is hopeless for him. His pawns are so scattered and my pawns are so strong."

25.Ne3 Kg6 26.Nc4 cxd4 27.Nxb6 axb6 28.Rfd1 f4 29.Rxd4 Kf5 30.Re1 Rfe8 31.g3!

"This is a nice tactic; I'd just analysed to g3 and thought - this position must be clearly winning."

31...fxg3

["He can't play 31...Rxe5? because it loses a rook after 32.Rxf4+]

32.hxg3

"I had a think about which pawn to capture with - I'd seen to the end of the game here."

32...Rc5 33.g4+ Kg5 34.d6 h5 35.e6 fxe6 36.Rxe6

["This is a bit unnecessary. I could just play 36.d7 first with exactly the same thing."]

36...Rd8 37.d7 Rc7 38.Re5+ Kg6 39.Rd6+ Kg7 40.Rg5+

1-0