Archive: UNCUT! 21

The Sean Marsh Chess Column

UNCUT!

Column 21

April 2003

‘Knocking at the door’

Dear Readers,

It is not long ago that in this very column I warned you all of the rapid rise of two of our local juniors. For those of you who didn’t go out and bag a couple of wins against the juniors in question when you had the chance, I’m afraid to say you may have left it too late. For the Eggleston twins, Thomas and David, are now getting far too strong to trifle with.

Their list of victims grows by the tournament. Here’s a few examples of play from the recent Durham Congress. Thomas and David shared first place, ahead of a strong field. It took me 20 years, from my first weekend congress, to win an Open tournament. The Eggleston’s made it look easy at Durham.

In the first round, they drew with Jimmy Simpson and Bret Addison. In the second round they switched opponents and had to take on the two greats with the Black pieces....

Bret Addison - Thomas Eggleston

1.d4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.Nc3 Be7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bf4 0–0 6.e3 Nbd7 7.c5 Ne4 8.Rc1 g5
(Double edged! Thomas hunts the Bishop and soon sets up a delayed Stonewall system) 9.Nxe4 gxf4 10.Nc3 fxe3 11.fxe3 f5 12.Be2 c6 13.b4 Bf6 14.0–0 Rf7 15.Ne1 Bg5 16.Rf3 Rg7 17.Nd3 Qe7 18.Nf4 Nf6 19.Rb1 Ng4 20.Qd2 e5 21.dxe5 Qxe5 22.h3 (This doesn’t look like a typical Bret position) 22 ... Nxe3 23.Qxe3 Qxe3+ 24.Rxe3 Bxf4 25.Re8+ Kf7 26.Bh5+ Kf6 27.Ne2 Be5 (Black has the extra pawn but must suffer a little discomfort on the back rank.) 28.Rf8+ Kg5 29.Bf3 a6 30.Re1 Rb8 31.Re8 Kf6 32.Nc1 Bg3 33.Rf8+ Rf7 34.Ree8 Rxf8 35.Rxf8+ Kg7 36.Re8 Kf7 37.Bh5+ Kf6 38.Rf8+ Kg7 39.Rf7+ Kh6 40.Bf3 Kg6 41.Re7 Bh4 42.Re8 Kf6 43.Ne2 Be1 44.a3 Bd2 (Black is clearly winning now as White’s Queenside pawns canot be maintained.) 45.Kf1 a5 46.bxa5 Bxa5 47.Nf4 b6 48.cxb6 Ba6+ 0–1

Jim Simpson - David Eggleston

1.Nf3 f5 2.d4 Nf6 3.c4 g6 4.Nc3 Bg7 5.e3 (The openings are not the strongest part of Jim’s game; here he goes into a line that certainly shouldn’t trouble Black’s Leningrad Dutch too much. However, in the middlegame Jim can play as strong as a master. He enjoys the struggle, the creation of plans and the battle of wills.) 5 ... d6 6.d5 0–0 7.Qc2 Na6 8.Be2 e5 (Black’s thematic break in this defence.) 9.dxe6 Nc5 10.Nd4 Nxe6 11.Nxe6 Bxe6 12.0–0 c6 13.Bd2 Qe7 14.Rad1 Ng4 15.h3 Ne5 16.b3 Rad8 17.f4 Nd7 18.Bf3 Nf6 19.Bc1 Rfe8 20.Rfe1 Qf7 21.e4 fxe4 22.Nxe4 Nxe4 23.Bxe4 (White can now target the potentially weak d6 pawn) d5 24.cxd5 cxd5 (David has accepted an isolated Queen’s pawn, which can be a weakness if it can be restrained, blockaded and finally destroyed. However, in this game it goes on to win the day.) 25.Bf3 d4 (here it comes...) 26.Be4 Rc8 27.Qf2 Bf5 28.Bxf5 Rxe1+ 29.Rxe1 Qxf5 30.Qe2 d3 (Slowly but surely...) 31.Qf3 Bc3 32.Rd1 Rd8 33.Bd2 Qc5+ 34.Kh2 Bxd2 35.Rxd2 Qd4 36.Qf1 Qe3 37.Rd1 d2 (Almost there...) 38.Qc4+ Kh8 39.Qb4 b6 40.Kh1 a5 41.Qc4 Qe1+ 42.Kh2 Qxd1 43.Qc3+ Kg8 0–1

The final round clash between the twins took a well known route to a quick draw, safe in the knowledge that nobody else could catch them up as they shared first place with 4/5. A magnificent achievement! We can look forward to seeing some more great Eggleston action at the British Championship. One has already qualified and I’d be very surprised if the other doesn’t manage to before the Summer!

Meanwhile, for us old has-beens, here’s a few fitting lines from The Master....


Age calls the tune,

Youth’s over soon,

That is the natural law.

There’s a Younger Generation,

Knock knock knocking at the door.

Why sit and fret?

Vainly regret

Things that have gone before?

There’s a Younger Generation

Knock knock knocking at the door.

I’ve had my fun,

All that is done,

Why should I sigh for more?

There’s a Younger Generation

Knock knock knocking at the door.