Robin Haldane v Alan Hayward

By Martin Smith -- 11 June 2020

Ham, egg and chips.

No, not a variation of the ‘Fried Liver Attack’ but what was at steak (sorry: stake) in a game-by-text played by club stalwarts Alan Hayward and Robin Haldane to while away Lockdown. The rule was one move a day, and no computers. They played two games. One was drawn, but other was a dogfight in which they went at each other hammer and tongs. When the smoke had cleared Robin emerged the winner, and claimed his free lunch (if ever there was such a thing). Unusually, and most interestingly, the two players give their own notes on the game. Sit back and enjoy.

White   Robin Haldane. Black   Alan Hayward

(with comments by both players – Robin’s in italics). 

1 e4 d5 2 exd5 nf6  3 nc3 nxd5 (I always play the Scandinavian - Alan)

4 Bc4 nb6 5 Bb3 nc6 6 nf3 Bf5 7 d4 e6 8 a3 Be7 9 Be3 0-0 10 qe2 Bf6 11 0-0-0 nd5 (I liked this move as it stopped some of White's options - Alan) 

12 nxd5 exd5 13 rhg1 (I didn't fancy 13 qb5 Be6 14 qxb7 na5 Black gets a very strong, probably winning attack - Robin)

13 ... rb8 14 g4 Be6 15 g5 Be7 16 nh4 re8 17 f4 qd7 18 qf3 f5 

19 Bf2 (I was tempted to play 19 gxf6 Bxf6 20 f5 Bf7  21 ng6 hxg6 22 fxg6 Be6 23 rdf1 but there were too many complications - Robin)

19 ...na5 20 Ba2 b5 21 g6 h6 (I thought my king looked very secure now - Alan)

22 rge1 nc4 23 Bxc4 bxc4 24 re2 Bf6 (I did not play 24 ... Bxh4  because I was concerned about 25 Bxh4 followed  by 26 Bg5  and 27 Bxh6 - Alan), (instead of 24 ... Bf6  I was expecting 24 ... Bxh4 25 Bxh4 qb5 26 qc3 when I thought there were equal chances - Robin) 

25 rde1 c5 26 nxf5 (after this, I thought I had the edge, but knew it would be a close thing. If now 26 ... Bxf5 27 qxd5+ kf8 28 qxc5+ Be7 29 rxe7 rxe7 30 rxe7 qxe7 31 qxf5+ White would be better - Robin)

26 ...kf8 27 ng3 cxd4 28 f5 qb5  (if 28 ... Bg5+, I was intending to play 29 Be3 and if instead 28 ... Bg8 I would play 29 rxe8+ rxe8 30 rxe8+ qxe8 31 qe2 - Robin) 

29 Bxd4 Bxd4 30 fxe6+ Bf6 31 c3 d4 32 nf5  

(the most complicated position of the game I thought and I looked at this position for 2 hours 1am to 3am and rejected, after about four looks, 32 ... d3, 32…dxc3 and 32…rxe6. I played ... rb6 and Robin said he was quite relieved that I played this, which is quite funny to come up with the wrong answer after looking for 2 hours while half asleep - Alan)  (*if 32 ...  rxe6 33 rxe6 qxb2+ 34 kd1 d3 35 rxf6+.  If 32  ... dxc3  33 e7+ kg8 34 nxh6+. If 32 ...d3, I was intending to play 33 rf2

• Robin*)

32 ... rb6  33 nxd4 qg5+ 34 kb1 qxg6+ 35 qe4 qxe4+ 36 rxe4 g6 (if 36 ... Bxd4 I was intending 37 cxd4 reb8 38 r1e2 c3 39 b4 a5 40 d5 - Robin)     

37 ka2 a6 38 nf3 g5 39 nd2 (now White wins the c pawn and I am lost

• Alan) 

39 ... h5 40 nxc4 rc6 41 h3 ke7 42 ne3 rd8 43 nf5+ke8 44 e7 rd5 45 rb4 rc8 46 ng3 h4  (if  46 ... g4, i was intending 47 hxg4 Bh4 48 nxh5 rxh5 49 gxh5 Bxe1 50 h6 - Robin) 

47 nh5 rd6 48 nxf6+ rxf6 49 re5 rg6 50 rg4 rc7 51 rexg5 rxg5 52 rxg5 rxe7 53 rg4 rh7 54 b4 kd7 55 kb3 kc7 56 ka4 rh6 57 c4 kb7 58 c5 kc7 59 rd4 rh5 60 ka5 kb7 61 rd7+ kc8 62 rd6 rg5 63 kb6   1-0