Nigel vs Dane, Game 5 of the Second Boris Chessky Cup Head-To-Head

My opening felt ok and computer analysis shows the game to be pretty even overall until my 23rd move, Bd2.

Dane takes out the cup again, this time in a straight run with no losses.

Don't let it be said that I don't like a challenge!

First to 5 points: 

• Dane: 5
• Nigel: 0

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2 e5 5. d3 Be7 6. Nc3 d5 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Nxd5 Qxd5 9. O-O Qd6 10. b3 O-O 11. Bb2 Be6 12. Qd2 h6 13. Bc3 Rfd8 14. Qb2 Bf6 15. Rfd1 Rab8 16. a3 b5 17. Qc2 Nd4 18. Nxd4 exd4 19. Bd2 c4 20. bxc4 bxc4 21. Bf4 cxd3 22. Qxd3 Be5 23. Bd2 Rb3 24. Bb4 Rxd3 25. Rxd3 Qa6 26. Rc1 Rc8 27. Rxc8+ Qxc8 28. e3 Qc1+ 29. Bf1 Bh3 0-1

Third game on the board I made

I've had quite a few games with Rod this year. This game is quite typical - he'll often put together a nice combo or gain an advantage somehow, but I can normally get him due to a miscalculation somewhere further along the track or just more experience with the end game.

1. e4 d6 2. Bc4 e5 3. Qf3 Nf6 4. d3 Bg4 5. Qg3 Nbd7 6. h3 Be6 7. Bxe6 fxe6 8. Bg5 h6 9. Bxf6 Nxf6 10. Qf3 d5 11. Nd2 Bb4 12. c3 Ba5 13. exd5 Qxd5 14. Ne4 Nxe4 15. Qh5+ Kf8 16. dxe4 Qxe4+ 17. Ne2 g6 18. Qf3+ Qxf3 19. gxf3 Rd8 20. Rg1 g5 21. Rd1 Ke7 22. Rxd8 Rxd8 23. h4 Kf6 24. hxg5+ hxg5 25. Ng3 Rg8 26. Ne4+ Kf5 27. b4 Bb6 28. a4 a6 29. a5 Ba7 30. c4 Kf4 31. Rg3 g4 32. Rxg4+? Rxg4! 33. fxg4 Kxe4 34. g5 Kf5 35. g6 Kxg6 36. f3 Bd4 37. Ke2 Kf5 38. Kd3 Kf4 39. c5 Kxf3 40. c6 bxc6 41. Kc4 Ba7 42. b5 cxb5+ 43. Kd3 e4+ 44. Kd2 e3+ 45. Ke1 e2 46. Kd2 Kf2 47. Kc3 e1=Q+ 48. Kb3 Qxa5 49. Kc2 Ke2 50. Kb2 Kd2 White Resigns

Second game on the board I made

A guy turned up on my doorstep yesterday holding a car battery and charger.  His name was Carlos and he was originally from Chile. He'd left his lights on in the Monkey Bay carpark across the road and flattened his battery.

I set up up the charger inside and started chatting with him, and before long asked whether he played chess. He did, so I offered him a small goblet of vino tinto and we had a game while waiting for the battery to charge.


1. Nf3 b6 2. b3 e6 3. Bb2 f6 4. e4 Nc6 5. Nh4 Ne5 6. Bxe5 fxe5 7. Qh5+ Ke7 8. Qxe5 d6 9. Qh5 g6 10. Nxg6+ hxg6 11. Qxh8 Kd7 12. Bc4 c6 13. Nc3 a5 14. e5 Ba6 15. exd6 b5 16. Bd3 Rb8 17. Ne4 Qb6 18. Qh7+ Ne7 19. Nf6+ Kxd6 20. O-O Qd4 21. Ne4+ Kd5 22. Nc3+ Kc5 23. Rfe1 Nd5 24. Qxg6 Ra8 25. Rxe6 b4 26. Rxc6# 1-0

First game on the board I made

I caught up with Dane to christen my new board yesterday at the Grovetown Hotel.

Lovely spot. Not sure why I've never been in there before - I pass it almost every time I go in to Blenheim.

I didn't start off that great, and my blunder on move 8 prevented my white-square Bishop from having an escape route if the pawn on f4 advanced, which Dane didn't miss...

I tried not to make the win easy for him, but he won nonetheless.

It appears I might be better at making chessboards than playing chess.


1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bc4 d5 4. exd5 Nxd5 5. Nxe5 Be6 6. O-O Bc5 7. d4 Bd6 8. f4 Nd7?? 9. f5! Nxe5 10. dxe5 Bxe5 11. fxe6 Bxh2+ 12. Kxh2 Qh4+ 13. Kg1 Qxc4 14. exf7+ Kf8 15. b3 Qc5+ 16. Rf2 b5 17. c4 bxc4 18. Ba3 Nb4 19. Bxb4 Qxb4 20. Qd5 c6 21. Qxc4 Qe1+ 22. Qf1 Qe3 23. Nd2 Rd8 24. Re1 Qg5 25. Qe2 g6 26. Nc4 Kg7 27. Qb2+ Kh6 28. Rf3 Qc5+ 29. Kh1 Rd5 30. Rh3+ Rh5 31. Qxh8 Rxh3+ 32. gxh3 Qd5+ 33. Kh2 Qxf7 34. Kg1 Qf3 35. Qe5 Qxh3 36. Qh2 Qxh2+ 37. Kxh2 {Black Resigns} 1-0