4NCL Division 3 2014-15: e2e4.org.uk 2 – West is Best 1

Posted on February 15, 2015 by James Mansson

For the second game in a row, I sacrificed my queen, although this time it was more clearly justified. As Black, I decided on meeting 1 e4 with 1…e5 rather than my more usual 1…c5. My opponent chose a line I hadn’t looked at (or indeed faced) for over a decade. Fortunately, I was able to reconstruct the theory, including the aforementioned queen sacrifice, which was mentioned in John Emms’ book “Play the Open Games as Black”. This gave me a good game, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to make as much of my position as I might. The game ended in a draw on my opponent’s proposal. Continue reading →

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4NCL Division 3 2014-15: e2e4.org.uk 2 – Downend & Fishponds

Posted on February 15, 2015 by James Mansson

My first game of the recent 4NCL weekend was more notable for the trouble I had getting to it than the game itself. Because of a major accident on the M1, traffic was slow, and because of another problem on the M40, there was no obvious alternative route. I arrived over an hour late for the game, but as there were many players in the same position, the 4NCL organisers had by then taken the decision to ignore the usual default time (one hour). This meant that as long as you arrived with some time on the clock, you were allowed to play. The thirty second increments after each move were a definite help as no-one was left with an impossible number of moves to make in the time available. Continue reading →

Posted in 4NCL, Games, Opening Analysis, Reports, The Budapest Gambit | 2 Comments

County Match (Open) 2014-15: Sussex – Middlesex

Posted on February 11, 2015 by James Mansson

In mid-January, I travelled up to Willesden to play for Sussex against Middlesex. As is usual when they play at home, Middlesex had a very strong team, and it was no surprise when they prevailed by 11 points to 5. My game against Guy Batchelor saw me escape with a draw from an apparently hopeless position, when my opponent gave up a piece for no particular reason. Indeed, had I not been so short of time in the quickplay finish, I could have played for a win. Continue reading →

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Mid-Sussex League Division 1 2014-15: Horsham 1 – Eastbourne 1

Posted on February 8, 2015 by James Mansson

Horsham 1 defeated Eastbourne 1 at home on the 13th January. I was up against Laurence Butt, and managed to outplay him after we reached an early endgame. Continue reading →

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4NCL Division 3 2014-15: e2e4.org.uk 2 – Fermented Sharks

Posted on February 5, 2015 by James Mansson

Round 4 of the 4NCL saw e2e4.org.uk 2 up against Fermented Sharks. The match ended in a 3-3 draw. Unfortunately, my game, which was the last to finish, proved decisive in allowing our opponents to equalise the match. Continue reading →

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4NCL Division 3 2014-15: e2e4.org.uk 2 – Rhyfelwyr Essyllwg 2

Posted on February 2, 2015 by James Mansson

Round 3 of the 4NCL saw e2e4.org.uk 2 up against Rhyfelwyr Essyllwg 2. We won the match as a consequence of our opponents defaulting a board. On the five boards that were actually contested, our opponents scored 3-2. However, because they defaulted, they not only lost the sixth game, but also suffered a -0.5 penalty, which resulted in a score of 3-2.5 in our favour. Chris Ross was the star man, winning the last game to finish to take the match. Continue reading →

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Horsham Club Knockout 2014-15: Harbott – Mansson

Posted on January 18, 2015 by James Mansson

The first club meeting of the calendar year was set aside for the club knockout competition. I was up against Peter Harbot – a familiar opponent – in round four of the competition. I gradually took control of the position and established a winning position. However, I lost my grip on the position in the quickplay finish, and ended up in a drawn king and pawn endgame. Continue reading →

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County Match (U180) 2014-15: Sussex – Kent

Posted on December 11, 2014 by James Mansson

Just under a couple of weeks agao, I played in the U180 County Match for Sussex against Kent. In the end, we won 9-7, although I lost my game against Jerry Anstead. My over-ambitious play as Black backfired, and although I tried to mix things up, I failed to turn things around. Continue reading →

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Horsham Club Championship 2014-15: Mansson – Higgs

Posted on December 8, 2014 by James Mansson

I started my club championship game against Anthony Higgs on the 25th November, but as the game was adjourned, I did not finish it on the night, but a week later instead. After an unusual opening, my opponent played some careless moves and soon found himself in a very dubious position. Although he fought hard, I was able to maintain my advantage, and had established a winning position by the time of the adjournment. I didn’t have any problems pressing my advantage home in the second session. Continue reading →

Posted in Club Championship, Games, Opening Analysis, Reports, The Nimzo-Indian Defence | Leave a comment

County Match (Open) 2014-15: Sussex – Surrey

Posted on November 30, 2014 by James Mansson

Last weekend, I played for the Sussex first team against Surrey. It was a close encounter, which we won by the narrowest margin, 8.5-7.5, with Brian Denman managing to secure the crucial final half point in the last game to finish. I managed to win comfortably enough as Black, as my opponent played indifferently throughout.

I give the game below with some notes.

Posted in County Matches, Games, Opening Analysis, Reports, The Sicilian Defence | Leave a comment