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David Houston annotates the Board 1 clash from the final round match that decided the winners of Division 1 of the UCU Belfast & District Leagues.
Tom Clarke - David Houston [A45] RVH Falcons - QUB League Match 2003
1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5
The Trompowsky, Tom's usual opening. It does not seem to figure in too many GM games, though it was made popular on the "Weekend Circuit" with English GM Julian Hodgson being one of its main exponents.
2...c5
The variation the GMs prefer to play as black is 2...Ne4 3.Bf4 (White can also play (and which Tom normally plays) 3.h4 c5 4.d5 Nxg5 5.hxg5 d6 6.Nd2 g6 when black does not seem to worry about the open h-file, often castling into an attack confident in adequate counterplay thanks to the two bishops) 3...c5 (if 3...d5 4.e3 c5 5.Bd3 with the idea of taking on e4 leaving black a weak pawn, seems to give white the edge) 4.f3 (4.d5 Qb6 5.Bc1 g6 6.f3 Nd6 7.Nc3 Bg7 8.e4 f5 9.exf5 Nxf5 10.g4! when white won in a recent game, Hodgson v Nunn 1-0) 4...Qa5+ 5.c3 Nf6 6.Nd2 cxd4 7.Nb3 Qb6 8.Qxd4 Qxd4 9.cxd4 e6 10.Rc1 Nc6 11.e4 d5!?+/= Lputian - Shipov, 1999 (1-0) (better is 11...Bb4+ with an equal position);
I used to prefer to play 2...d5 e.g. 3.Bxf6 exf6 4.e3 Bd6 5.c4 dxc4 6.Bxc4 Nd7 7.Nc3 Nb6 8.Bb3 0-0 9.Nf3 c6 10.0-0 Bc7 11.Rc1 Bg4 with equal chances, Plaskett (GM) - Houston, British Championships, 1989 (1-0 in 111 moves)
3.Bxf6 gxf6 4.d5 Qb6 5.Qc1
White can opt to give up material for the initiative, e.g. 5.Nd2 Qxb2 6.e3 f5 (to provide space for the black queen to retreat to) 7.Rb1 Qf6 (7...Qxa2!? is risky as the queen now has few squares) 8.Bd3 d6 9.Ne2 Nd7 10.f4 Qg6 11.Ng3 Nf6 12.c4 e5 13.dxe6 fxe6 14.e4 Bh6 15.0-0 0-0 16.exf5 exf5=/+ Krautsov - Polujahov, Russian Championships, 1999 (0-1)
5...Bh6 6.e3 f5 7.Nd2 Qf6 8.c3
Tom and I have ventured here before, that time the game went as follows: 8.Ngf3 e5 9.Nc4 d6 10.b4? e4 11.Ng1 Qc3+ 12.Kd1 0-0 13.b5 f4! 14.h3 fxe3 15.fxe3 Nd7 16.Rb1 Nb6 17.Qd2 Qxd2+ 18.Kxd2 Nxd5 19.g4 Nb6 20.Rd1 d5 21.Nd6 Rd8 22.Nxc8 Raxc8 23.Bg2 Nc4+ (0-1) RVH A v North Belfast League Match, 2001
8...e5?! Better is 8...d6 to allow development of queenside pieces
9.Qc2 0-0?+/=
Gives white the edge as he has something to attack. 9...d6 awaiting developments is much better, black can expand on the queenside with a6, b5 etc. and at some stage will be able to play f4 to rid himself of the double f-pawn.
10.h3
Interesting is 10.d6 Qxd6?! (10...Nc6! 11.Rd1 b6 12.Ne2 Bb7 13.Ng3=/+) 11.Qxf5 Qe6 12.Qxe6 fxe6 13.Ne4 b6 14.Nd6 when black is a little cramped and his d-pawn is potentially weak, and white has the initiative.
10...Qg6 11.0-0-0
White can try an immediate g4, trying to launch a quick attack on the kingside and take advantage of the potential pin on the black queen and king e.g. 11.g4 d6 12.0-0-0 Kh8 It may look very dodgy for black, but I think there are enough resources for black to survive.
11...d6 12.g4 fxg4 13.Bd3 f5 14.hxg4 e4 15.Bc4?
This turns out to be a poor square. Strangely blocking the back rank with 15.Bf1 gives better long-term chances.
15...fxg4 16.Qxe4 Bf5 17.Qg2 Nd7
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18.f4?!
18.Ngf3 gxf3 19.Qxg6+ Bxg6 20.Rxh6 Ne5 21.Rh3 Rf6 with all to play for;
18.Qh2 Rf6 19.Ngf3 gxf3 20.Rdg1 Bg4 21.Rxg4 Qxg4 22.Rg1 Qxg1+ 23.Qxg1+ Rg6 24.Qh1 Ne5~~ The material 2 rooks v queen is roughly even, but I like black's position due to the well placed knight on e5 and potentially active rooks.
18...Nf6 19.e4 Nxe4 20.Rxh6 Qxh6 21.Nxe4 Bxe4?!
Better is 21...Qxf4+ 22.Nd2 Rae8 23.Nh3 Qe3 24.Nf2 h5 25.Rh1 Bg6 26.Nd1 Qg5 when black's bishop is still a potent attacking force.
22.Qxe4 Rae8 23.Qd3 Qxf4+ 0-1
Tom's resignation is probably a little premature. After 23...Qxf4+ 24.Kb1 Re3 25.Qd2 h5 white can play on, but black's active rooks and passed pawns give him all the chances.
