An event that is very close to my heart is the Western Cape Club Championships. The event started in 2012 in Diazville, Saldanha, and has moved around the Western Cape. In 2019 the event was held at Caledon Casino with teams from as far afield as George and Oudtshoorn also participating. Let’s have a look at some of the games from that event.
1. What did Kenny Willenberg choose to play in this position as White against Abrahams?
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White chose to play Qc2 threatening a massive discovered attack. Black chose to play Kd7 dropping the knight on b7 to a decisive pin. There were lovely mate threats in this game!
(1) Willenberg,K (2003) – Abrahams,S (1072) [A00]
2019 Western Cape Club Championship A_B Caledon (1.1), 25.10.2019
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6 4.d3 Bd7 5.c3 Be7 6.0–0 Nf6 7.Nbd2 Na5 8.Bxd7+ Qxd7 9.d4 exd4 10.cxd4 0–0–0 11.d5
b6 12.b4 Nb7 13.Nd4 g6 14.Nc6 a6 15.Qe2 b5 16.a4 Rde8 17.axb5 Nxd5 18.Rxa6 Nb6 19.Nc4 Qe6 20.Nxb6+ cxb6
21.Qc2 Kd7 22.Ra7 Rb8 23.Nxb8+ Rxb8 24.Qc6+ Kd8 25.Qxb6+ Ke8 26.Rxb7 Rxb7 27.Qxb7 Qc4 28.Bh6 Qxb4
29.Qc8+ Bd8 30.Bg5 Qa5 31.Qxd8+ Qxd8 32.Bxd8 1–0
2. What did Lyndon Bouah (Black) play here against Witbooi?
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The Black position is perfectly poised for a little combination. White has not castled so Bouah chose
to play 16. ..Bxb5 seeing that after 17. Bxb5 Nxf4 18. Qxf4….
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18. ..Qa5+ picks up the Bishop on b5 and wins. One must always be alert to possible tactical chances when your opponent is undeveloped!
(2) Witbooi,L (1178) – Bouah,L (2042) [A00]
2019 Western Cape Club Championship A_B Caledon (1.1), 25.10.2019
1.e4 Nf6 2.d3 d5 3.e5 Nfd7 4.d4 e6 5.Nc3 c5 6.Be3 Nc6 7.Nf3 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Ndxe5 9.Bb5 Bd7 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Be2 c5 12.Bf4 Ng6 13.Qd2 Be7 14.Nb5 0–0 15.Nc7 Rc8 16.Nb5 Bxb5 17.Bxb5 Nxf4 18.Ba6 Rc6 19.Bd3 Bg5 20.0–0 Nh3+ 21.gxh3 Bxd2 22.Rad1 c4 23.Bxh7+ Kxh7 24.Rxd2 Qg5+ 0–1
- Dr Esau as Black played the innocent looking pawn to a6 on his last move. Stuurman as White replied with 13. Rfe1.why was this a blunder?
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13. .. Bg6 is the decisive move for Black! Dr Esau here spotted the encirclement of the queen!
4. Delbert as White started attacking early with Ne5 against Southey. Was this a good move?
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Quick as a flash Dr Southey played Nxe5 and after Bxe5 he picked up the stranded Bishop with Qas+!
5. What did Stephen Gallied play here as white against Koopstadt?
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Koopstadt captured the knight and then lost the queen to Bxh7+! Gallied has been around for a long time!
6. What did Luan De Jager play here as White against Bjorn Pick who as Black has just played Ng6?
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De Jager chose to play Nxf7 as there are tactics on e6 and d5!
7. What did Dr Southey (White) play here against Meyer?
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A complicated position but the tactically alert Dr Southey found Bxc5! The Bh3 covers the light squares and if the queen lands on a5 it will be tickets!
(13) Southey,A (1754) – Meyer,P (1610) [A00]
2019 Western Cape Club Championship A_B Caledon (2.3), 26.10.2019
1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.g3 d4 5.Bg2 e5 6.Ngf3 Nc6 7.a4 Bd6 8.Nc4 Bc7 9.0–0 Be6 10.b3 Nge7 11.Nh4 Qd7 12.f4 Bxc4 13.bxc4 0–0–0 14.Rb1 f6 15.Nf5 g6 16.Nxe7+ Nxe7 17.fxe5 Bxe5 18.Rb5 Qd6 19.Ba3 b6 20.a5 Kc7 21.Qd2 h5 22.Bh3 g5 23.axb6+ axb6 24.Bxc5 Qxc5 25.Rxc5+ bxc5 26.Qa5+ Kd6 27.Bf5 Nc6 28.Qa6 Ra8 29.Qb7 Ra7 30.Qb1 Rb8 31.Qd1 Rh8 32.Qe2 Ra2 33.Bg6 Nb4 34.Rc1 g4 35.Qd1 Rh6 36.Bf7 Rh7 37.Bd5 Rha7 38.Qf1 Nxc2 39.Qf5 Re7 40.Qc8 Nb4 41.Rb1 1–0
8. What should Snyders have played here? White chose to play Rg1? What would’ve been better?
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Bb5 would’ve been better because if Black captured the bishop then Nxc7+ regains the queen!
- How did Ashwin Gainsford finish a lovely game against George Lawerlot!
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Nxf7+ killed the game!
(19) Gainsford,A (1833) – Lawerlot,G (1870) [A00]
2019 Western Cape Club Championship A_B Caledon (2.4), 26.10.2019
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 b6 4.d4 Bb7 5.Bf4 Bg7 6.e3 0–0 7.Bd3 d6 8.0–0 Nbd7 9.e4 c5 10.d5 Nh5
11.Be3 a6 12.a3 Rb8 13.Nh4 Bf6 14.Nf5 Ne5 15.Nh6+ Kh8 16.Be2 Bc8 17.f4 Nd7 18.Bxh5 gxh5
19.Qxh5 Qe8 20.Rf3 Bxc3 21.bxc3 Nf6 22.Qh4 Nxe4 23.f5 Nf6 24.Bg5 Nh5 25.Bxe7 Rg8 26.Bf6+ Ng7 27.Rh3 Bd7 28.Nxf7+ 1–0
Enjoy the day!
Regards
Dr Lyndon Bouah
