John Powell

This evening I won against John Powell in Round 3 of the Spondon Summer Open. A bit of a strange game, where I was never really comfortable but managed to make the most of the strange opening and capitalised on my opponents mistakes.

[Event "Spondon Summer Open"]
[Date "2008.06.17"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Dean Madden"]
[Black "John Powell"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B00"]

1. e4 b6 2. d3 Bb7 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 e6 5. Bg2 Nge7 6. O-O Ng6 7. Nc3 Be7 8. Bd2 d6 9. Re1 h5 10. h4 Nce5 11. Nxe5 Nxe5 12. Bf4 Ng6 13. Be3 Qd7 14. Bf3 Ne5 15. Bxh5 g6 16. Be2 Qd8 17. d4 Nd7 18. Bf3 Bxh4 19. gxh4 Qxh4 20. Kf1 Nf6 21. Ke2 Nxe4 22. Nxe4 Bxe4 23. Rh1 Bxf3+ 24. Kxf3 Qxh1+ 25. Qxh1 Rxh1 26. Rxh1 O-O-O 27. Rh7 Rd7 28. Rh8+ Kb7 29. Bg5 e5 30. Rd8 Kc6 1-0

He played 1...b6 which I can't remember playing against before, not sure if it's even got a name.

On move 15 I won a pawn, but I had a scare on move 18 when he sacrificed his bishop by taking my pawn on h4 and I was worried he had a mating attack:


But luckily my king had space and time to escape. We then came down to a rook, bishop and 5 pawns versus rook and seven pawns endgame. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to force a win.


Above I'd just played 30.Rd8, he then played Kc6 and I said I'll move the clocks back for the time control. He suggested a draw which I declined, then as I was picking up the clock he realised his mistake and resigned. I could play d5+ which gives me the rook. I hadn't noticed it yet as was concentrating on the clocks, so who knows if I would have actually played it? A strange end to the game.

Game in ChessFlash format:



Spondon Chess Club. Results
Summer Open Championship.2008

Round 1
Archer Barry W ½ - ½ Atkins Nathan
Heelan David W 1½ - 0 Bowes Getting T
Williams David ½ - ½ Gregory Ian
Hartley Dean M 1½ - 0 Sheldon Phillip
Brown David 1½ - 0 Bradbury Howard
Burke Steve 1½ - 0 Bramely Doug
Loomes Herbert 0 – 1½ Pace Graham
Smith Phil 1½ - 0 Madden Dean
Hickling Richard 1½ - 0 Orridge Mick
Davison Gary 0 -1½ Pye Ted
Tabberer Stuart ½ - ½ Gibson Martin
Somers Malcolm 0 – 1½ Brace Peter
Crawley John 1½ - 0 Brace Louise
Kirk Colin 1½ - 0 Hill Fred

Round 2
Crawley John 0 – 1½ Burke Steve
Brace Louise 1½ - 0 Bradbury Howard
Brace Peter 1½ - 0 Smith Phil
Praeson Terry 1½ - 0 Davison Gary
Gibson Martin 0 – 1½ Williams David
Ratner Harry 0 – 1½ Somers Malcolm
Gregory Ian 1½ - 0 Archer Barry W
Pye Ted 1½ - 0 Hickling Richard
Atkins Nathan 1½ - 0 Tabberer Stuart
Pace Graham 0 – 1½ Hartley Dean M
Kirk Colin 0 – 1½ Heelan David W
Orridge Mick 1½ - 0 Sheldon Phillip
Bramely Doug ½ - ½ Bowes Getting T

Round 3
Bowes Getting T 1½ - Gibson Martin
Burke Steve ½ - ½ Gregory Ian
Heelan David W 1½ - 0 Brace Peter
Hartley Dean M 1½ - 0 Pye Ted
Williams David ½ - ½ Atkins Nathan
Hickling Richard 1½ - 0 Crawley John
Somers Malcolm 0 – 1½ Orridge Mick
Smith Phil 0 – 1½ Praeson Terry
Brace Louise 0 – 1½ Kirk Colin
Tabberer Stuart 0 – 1½ Bramely Doug
Madden Dean 1½ - 0 Powell John
Davison Gary 0 – 1½ O’Flannagan Paul
Bradbury Howard 1½ v 0 Ratner Harry
Sheldon Phillip ½ - ½ Loomes Herbert






Gregory Ian 2½
Madden Dean 1½
Archer Barry W ½
Gibson Martin ½
Heelan David W 4½
Somers Malcolm 1½
Brace Louise 1½
Brace Peter 3
Tabberer Stuart ½
Atkins Nathan 2½
Hartley Dean M 4½
Bowes Getting T 2
Kirk Colin 3
Smith Phil 1½
Bradbury Howard 1½
Hill Fred 0
Pye Ted 3

Burke Steve 3½
Hickling Richard 3
Williams David 2½
Pace Graham 1½
Sheldon Phillip ½
Bramely Doug 2
Crawley John 1½
Orridge Mick 3
Davison Gary 0
Loomes Herbert ½
Ratner Harry 0
Pearson Terry 3
O’Flannagan Paul H 1½
Powell John 0