Malcolm Pein on…His Own Game!

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Today’s Daily Telegraph chess column marks a ‘first’ for us as we find Malcolm Pein focusing on…his own game!

Malcolm has played very little online chess, but even an Englishman sometimes changes his cup of tea.

Malcolm Pein on…His Own Game!

I have never taken my own online games seriously and, unless some interesting opening point arose, I have never analysed them.

The 4Nations Online League has proved hugely popular, but playing online for two hours isn’t my cup of tea. I am not sure I could maintain my concentration playing at home for that long. So, I was very chuffed to be invited to play a Team Blitz organised by Marcus Harvey as part of the Making Grandmasters project.

I found my debut incredibly nerve-racking, to the extent that my hand was wobbly on the mouse from time to time, so it was just as well that my computer has a touch screen.
I started with 0/2, but then this happened.

Hyperreal (2562) – Malcolmpein (2415)

English/Nimzo-Larsen Lichess 3+2

1.c4 e5 2.b3 Nf6 3.Bb2 Nc6 4.Nf3 d6 5.e3 (With d2–d4 coming I thought I would strike first) 5…e4 6.Nd4 Ne5 7.f4 (7.Be2 c5 8.Nc2 Nd3+ looked very nice for Black and of course not; 7.Nc3 c5 8.Nde2 Nd3#) 7…Bg4?! (Planning a pawn sacrifice for the white squares, but it turns out to be unsound) 8.Qc2 Nd3+ (8…Nh5 didn’t occur to me. If 9.fxe5?? Qh4+ 10.g3 Nxg3 wins but 8…Nh5 9.g3 Nf3+ 10.Kf2 f5 11.Bg2 is just good for White) 9.Bxd3 exd3 10.Qxd3 c5 11.Nf5 Qd7 12.Ng3 Qc6 13.0–0 0–0–0 (With h7–h5 coming, I fancied my chances, but 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Nc3 h5 16.f5 h4 17.Nge4 is just very good for White) 14.f5 h5 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.h3 h4 17.Ne4 d5! (Now it’s a complete mess but I have the initiative) 18.cxd5 Rxd5 19.Qc4

Malcolm Own Game

19… Bxh3 (A no-brainer) 20.gxh3 Rg8+ 21.Kh1? (I thought I was winning after 21.Kf2 b5 22.Qc2 Rxf5+ 23.Ke1 Rxf1+ 24.Kxf1 f5 25.Nf2 Qf3 26.Nc3 Rg2 27.Ncd1 Rh2 but 28.Ke1! saves the game)

Black to Play and Win

Black to play and win

Highlight the space below this line to reveal the answer.

21…Rd4 (Now if 22.exd4 Qxe4+ mates) 22.Qe2 Rxe4 23.Qf3 Rg3 0–1

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