WDCL Home Published 10 August 2009 Worcs Chess

Ball Cup Final 2009

Farthing - Moore, Worcester, 2009, Ball Cup Final

Andrew very kindly sent me the score of his winning cup final game. Annotations by Ray Collett

Andrew Farthing (Worcester City) - Andy Moore (Worcester City/Hagley)

Worcester, April 2009, Ball Cup Final

1.Nc3 Nf6 2.e4 d6 3.d4 e6
Deciding against the more dynamic possibilities offered by a king-side fianchetto and the Pirc, white builds a classical centre without black interfering.

4.Be3 Be7 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.a3
Not wanting passive defence, black lunges out on the king-side.

6...h5 7.f3 g5 8.Qd2
8.Bxg5 Nxd4 (8...Nxe4? 9.Bxe7 Nxc3 10.Bxd8 Nxd1 11.Bf6 and white wins a piece) 9.Nge2 Rg8 gives white a slight edge in a complicated position.

8...g4 9.0-0-0 b6?!
9...Bf8 White's lead in development is beginning to tell. Possibly 9...Bf8 or or 9 ..h4 were better, but black remains horribly passive. 10.d5 Ne7

10.Bb5 Bd7 11.Nge2 a6 12.Bxc6 Bxc6 13.d5 Bb7 14.dxe6 fxe6 15.Nf4 e5 16.Ne6 Qd7 17.Ng7+
17.Nd5! was a good try here.

17...Kd8 18.Nf5 Kc8 19.Nxe7+
19.Qe2 attacking black's weak advanced pawns does not yield much after 19...Rg8.

19...Qxe7 20.Bg5 Rg8?
20...Qe6 is better will will achieve a favourable poisition to use his king-side pawns: 21.Rhf1 gxf3 22.Bxf6 Qxf6 23.Rxf3.

21.Rhf1?
21.fxg4 gains a pawn 21...Qg7 22.Bxf6 Qxf6 23.gxh5.

21...Qg7 22.Bxf6 Qxf6 23.fxg4 Qh4

Farthing-Moore, Worcester, 2009. Position after 23...Qh4

24.Qh6
24.Nd5! brings the knight into the attack to a square where it cannot be taken because the queen forks the two black rooks forcing ..Qg5+, but allowing white to dominate the 7th rank. From d5 the knight indirectly protects the g4 pawn because of forks on e7 and f6.

24...Qg5+
24...Qxg4 25.Rf8+ Rxf8 26.Qxf8+ Kd7 27.Qf7+ Kd8 28.Rf1 Qg5+ 29.Kb1 Qe7 30.Qxh5 is quite lost for black.

25.Qxg5 Rxg5 26.Rf8+ Kd7 27.Rf7+ Kc8 28.Rdf1?!
28.gxh5 wins a pawn.

28...Bxe4?
The losing move. Perhaps black had forgotten that 29. Rh7 is refuted by 29...Bxe4. After 28...Rxg4 29.g3 Bc6 white has an advantage, but not necessarily sufficient to convert.

29.Nxe4 Rxg4 30.Nxd6+!


Farthing-Moore, Worcester, 2009. Position after 30.Nxd6!. A decisive and splendid move to make sure of victory

30...cxd6 31.Rf8+ Kb7 32.R1f7+ Kc6 33.Rxa8 Rxg2 34.Raf8 Rxh2 35.Rf2 Rh4 36.c3 Kc5 37.Kc2 Rh1 38.Rd2 Kc6 39.Rf6 h4 40.Rfxd6+ Kc7 41.Re6 h3 42.Rxe5 h2 43.Rh5 1-0