Alan Chancellor

On Tuesday, I played my first ever game for Spondon 'C'. I've only played for the D team before, but since the A & B team were also playing they were short of players so I was asked to play Board 4. I played Alan Chancellor of Derby & Mickleover 'C', he doesn't have a current grade as it looks like he took a break from chess, but he had grades between 1994 and 2006 over 100 with his last recorded grade being 128 (about 1890 fide). So I was happy to get a draw against him. Especially because I made a mistake in the middle game causing me to be two pawns down. I played well in the rook endgame to get a drawn position.

[Event "Derby & District League Division 3"]
[Date "2007.10.23"]
[White "Dean Madden, Spondon C"]
[Black "Alan Chancellor, Derby & Mickleover C"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B06"]

{B06: Modern Defence} 1. e4 g6 {I'd never seen this defence before, apparently it's the Modern defence. I decided to do what I do in most of these situations. Kings Indian attack!} 2. Nf3 Bg7 3. d3 d6 4. g3 c6 5. Bg2 Qb6 6. c3 Bg4 7. h3 Bxf3 8. Qxf3 Nd7 9. d4 Ngf6 10. Nd2 O-O 11. O-O Qc7 12. Re1 b5 13. a3 Rac8 14. Qd3 a6 15. f4 c5 16. Nf3 cxd4 17. cxd4 Nb6 18. b3 Qc3 19. Qxc3 Rxc3 20. Rb1 Rfc8 21. Bd2 Rc2


I don't think the position above is too bad for me. He's got his doubled rooks, but I've got a strong pawn centre, and Fritz gives me a slight advantage. Stupidly I now played Rec1. I just presumed that the central pawns were already covered and didn't check. I think it was just carelessness and the fact that I'd been distracted quite a few times earlier by a moron whose car broke down near where we play. He'd asked to borrow my mobile phone, but then gave my number to umpteen people who rang back wanting to speak to him.

So anyway, losing the e4 pawn meant there was no easy way to defend the d4 pawn either.

22. Rec1 Nxe4 23. Rd1 Nxd2 24. Rxd2 Rxd2 25. Nxd2 Bxd4+ 26. Kh2 Rc2 27. Rd1 e5 28. Nf3 Rc3 29. Nxd4 exd4 30. Rxd4 d5 31. Bxd5 Nxd5 32. Rxd5 Rxb3


At the point above I came up with the idea of playing a4, letting him take the pawn, but would then be able to wedge my rook in between his pawns and hopefully stop them queening. An important thing to do after this would be to give my king space to move up the board, so he wouldn't be able to check my king down to the first rank, giving him time to push his pawn and protect it with the rook.

The last few moves and the unusual looking end position is below. Fritz thinks the last few moves were a definite draw.

33. a4 bxa4 34. Ra5 a3 35. h4 Rb2+ 36. Kh3 a2 37. Rxa6 f5 38. Ra7 $2 Kf8 39. g4 fxg4+ 40. Kxg4 h6 41. h5 gxh5+ 42. Kxh5 Rh2+ 43. Kg6 Ke8 44. f5 h5 45. f6 Rg2+ 46. Kf5 h4 47. f7+ Kf8 1/2-1/2