2016 Autumn Swiss
Round 4
11th March, 2016
White: Geoff Davis
Black: Geoff Barber
1.c4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.b3 Bf5 4.Nc3 e6 5.Nf3 h6 6.e3 Nf6 7.Be2 Nbd7 8.O-O Bd6 9.Nh4
Bh7 10.f4 Qc7 11.Bd2 g5 12.c5 Be7 13.Nf3 gxf4 14.exf4 Ne4 15.b4 Ndf6 16.Ne5 Rg8
17.Bf3 Bf8 18.a4 Nxc3 19.Bxc3 Ne4 20.Be1 Rb8 21.Qe2 Bg7 22.Ra3 Bxe5 23.fxe5 Qe7
24.Bh5 Bg6 25.Rh3 Kd7 26.Bh4 Ng5 27.Rg3 Rbf8 28.Bxg5 hxg5 29.Rf6 Bf5 30.Bg4 Be4
31.b5 Rb8 32.Qf1 Rg7 33.Rb3 Kc7 34.a5 Bg6 35.bxc6 bxc6 36.Rxb8 Kxb8 37.a6 Rg8
38.Qc1 Bd3 39.Qb2+ Bb5
Position after 39 … Bb5
Through patient manoeuvering, White has managed to develop pressure on both sides of the board.
40.Rf3
Instead, 40. Bh5! (exploiting the offside black bishop) leads to a winning breakthrough on the King’s Side.
40 … Ka8 41.Qf2 Rf8 42.Rf6 Bxa6 43.Bxe6 Rb8 44.Bf5 Bc8 45.h3 Be6 46.Bxe6 fxe6 47.Rf7 Qd8 48.Qa2 Rb7 49.Rf3 Qb8 50.Rf6 Qe8 51.Qf2 Rb8 52.Qg3 Qg8 53.Qg4 Re8 54.h4 gxh4 55.Qxg8 Rxg8 56.Rxe6 Kb7 57.Re7+ Ka6 58.Rh7 Rg4 59.Rh6 Kb5 60.e6 Re4 61.e7 Rxe7 62.Rxh4 a5 63.Kf2 Kc4 64.Rh6 Kb5 65.g3 Re4 66.Rh4 a4 White Resigns.
Geoff Barber later described this win, which took him to equal first place, as “a bit of a Houdini act”.
Geelong Chess Club 