Horsham Club Championship 2016-17: Mansson – Higgs

Posted on June 17, 2017 by James Mansson

I played my final game in the club championship last Tuesday. I already knew that I had won the competition, as the only person who could have caught me, Anthony Higgs, had just agreed his adjourned game against Phil Stimpson drawn. The game was in fact against Anthony and finally ended as a draw, although I achieved a very strong position and probably should have won. Continue reading →

Posted in Club Championship, Games, Opening Analysis, Reports, The Sicilian Defence | Leave a comment

Horsham Club Quickplay Knockout 2016-17: Mansson – Higgs

Posted on June 6, 2017 by James Mansson

Last Tuesday I won the final of the Quickplay Knockout against Anthony Higgs. The first game was a draw after we reached an interesting but balanced rook and pawn endgame. The second was a win after another endgame, albeit one in which I was better. Continue reading →

Posted in Club Quickplay Knockout, Games, Opening Analysis, Reports, The London System, The Nimzowitsch Defence | 1 Comment

Horsham Club Championship 2016-17: Roberts – Mansson

Posted on June 5, 2017 by James Mansson

I played my penultimate game in this year’s club championship a couple of Tuesdays ago. I was up against Dix Roberts, always a tough opponent, although he has been having a bad year so far. The opening was a hybrid between the English and King’s Indian. I gained an early initiative, but my opponent fought back and eventually we ended up in a complex but balanced endgame. There I took a risky decision, which paid off, as my opponent’s rook was trapped; I was a little fortunate as I got away with an inaccurate move that my opponent failed to exploit. To be fair, both players were very short of time at the end, with couple of minutes on the clock plus ten second increments per move. It was difficult under such circumstances to work everything out. Continue reading →

Posted in Club Championship, Games, Opening Analysis, Reports, The English with ...e5 | Leave a comment

Horsham Club Quickplay 2016-17: Blake – Mansson

Posted on May 25, 2017 by James Mansson

The club Quickplay is a loosely organised event intended to provide extra chess for members who have completed their games in other competitions, or cannot arrange other games for a club night. There is no requirement for players to play everyone else; competitors play up to two games (one Black and one White) against other members who are interested. The winner is the player with the most points, irrespective of the number of games played. Continue reading →

Posted in Club Quickplay, Games, Opening Analysis, Reports, The Ruy Lopez | Leave a comment

Blast from the Past: Young – Mansson, BPCF Open Championship Semi-Final Round

Posted on May 19, 2017 by James Mansson

The last game from the section I need to cover is my Black loss against J.Young. In this game I played rather feebly and lost rather easily. Continue reading →

Posted in Blast from the Past, BPCF Open, Games, Opening Analysis, Reports, The Sicilian Defence | Leave a comment

Blast from the Past: Wilkinson – Mansson, BPCF Open Championship Semi-Final Round

Posted on May 19, 2017 by James Mansson

My win against G.Wilkinson as Black was a pretty mediocre game. As in the Musgrave game, White played a dubious gambit. Following a series of innaccuracies by both players, the game resolved to an endgame with an extra pawn for Black. White was unable to stop Black gradually improving his position, and decided fairly soon to give up. Continue reading →

Posted in Blast from the Past, BPCF Open, Games, Opening Analysis, Reports, The Sicilian Defence | Leave a comment

Blast from the Past: Musgrave – Mansson, BPCF Open Championship Semi-Final Round

Posted on May 18, 2017 by James Mansson

There is a small mystery regarding my win against R.Musgrave. The game ends after my opponent’s 19th move. The position is roughly level, so it is unlikely that White resigned because of the position on the board, especially as there is no reason he might have done so by mistake (e.g. there is a threat that he thought was decisive but was not). It is possible that my opponent withdrew, as several others have done over the years, but as the game ended after my opponent’s move, this seems unlikely, as a player who withdraws tends to do so without first playing a move. I do have a vague recollection that my opponent overstepped the time limit (yes, there is one in correspondence chess!), so I think this is the most likely explanation. However, it is over two decades since the game was played, and I don’t have the original cards to hand, so I can’t be entirely sure. Continue reading →

Posted in Blast from the Past, BPCF Open, Games, Opening Analysis, Reports, The Blackmar–Diemer Gambit | Leave a comment

Blast from the Past: Kennerley – Mansson, BPCF Open Championship Semi-Final Round

Posted on May 17, 2017 by James Mansson

My game as Black against R.Kennerley was a short draw. My opponent allowed the Marshall Attack, but chose an innocuous line and agreed a draw while we were still in book. Continue reading →

Posted in Blast from the Past, BPCF Open, Games, Opening Analysis, Reports, The Ruy Lopez | Leave a comment

Blast from the Past: Mansson – Cross, BPCF Open Championship Semi-Final Round

Posted on May 16, 2017 by James Mansson

I remember being very disppointed with the outcome of my game against G.Cross, and looking back at it now, I think this feeling was justified. Up to my 40th move I had played well in slowly building up my kingside attack. However, I then went wrong and the position was soon turned on its head; it was only a few moves later that I felt compelled to resign. A stronger choice on move 40 would have left my opponent in some trouble. Continue reading →

Posted in Blast from the Past, BPCF Open, Games, Opening Analysis, Reports, The Queen's Indian Defence | Leave a comment

Blast from the Past: Mansson – Butterworth, BPCF Open Championship Semi-Final Round

Posted on May 11, 2017 by James Mansson

My game against A.Butterworth was another disappointing loss. While my memory of the game was negative, having looked back at it, things are not quite so clear cut. While my choice of system against the Modern Benoni was far from the most critical or fashionable, even back in 1990, my opponent’s response to it was perhaps not the best. I was most likely better going into the middlegame, and only later mistakes there and especially in the endgame led me into danger. There is something of a mystery surrounding the final position where I resigned. While I can see how Black would have won should he had played 39…Be4!, it is not so clear to me that Black is winning after the actual game continuation. Certainly, I should have played on in the final position. Continue reading →

Posted in Blast from the Past, BPCF Open, Games, Opening Analysis, Reports, The Modern Benoni | Leave a comment