Durham City Chess Club Newsletter – 15 March 2015

David James

I would like to devote this newsletter to a brief tribute to David James, a great friend whose tragic and sudden death occurred last Monday.

My records show that I first played David back in 1961, in a match between the YMCA teams of Sunderland and North Shields. David was a highly talented young player and he beat me soundly in that game, but apparently he soon gave up chess, to avoid distractions during his university studies, and he took the game up again only about six years ago when he retired from his work as a solicitor.

David about to chair a meeting of the Durham County Chess Association

Despite this absence of over 45 years,

David showed that he had lost little of his skill at the board. And he also made a great contribution to local chess by throwing himself whole-heartedly into organisation: at the time of his death he was the President of the Durham County Association, as well as the Secretary of our club and the captain of our team in the Northumbria League.

Indeed, our team won Division 1 of the Northumbria League last season, and it would be a fitting tribute to David if the same feat could be achieved this season.

Douglas Smith presenting the Northumbria League Trophy to David at the club’s 2014

Annual General Meeting David was a very fine endgame player. At

the time I recorded the following position from a league game he played in 2011.

XIIIIIIIIYXIIIIIIIIYXIIIIIIIIYXIIIIIIIIY 9999----++++----++++----+k+0+k+0+k+0+k+0 9+r+9+r+9+r+9+r+----++++----+p0+p0+p0+p0 9999----++++----++++----+p+0+p+0+p+0+p+0 9zp9zp9zp9zp----++++----++++----++++----0000 9P+9P+9P+9P+----++++----++++----+0+0+0+0 9+P+9+P+9+P+9+P+----++++----zPzPzPzP----0000 9999----++++----++++----zPK+0zPK+0zPK+0zPK+0 9+9+9+9+----++++----tRtRtRtR----++++----0000 xiiiiiiiiyxiiiiiiiiyxiiiiiiiiyxiiiiiiiiy

Although it was White to move, David somehow contrived to win this position with Black!

It was always interesting to analyse a game with him, either at the club or afterwards over a pint in The Woody. How I will miss his characteristic ‘Wait a minute, wait a minute’, when a gleam would appear in his eye and he would produce some stunning tactical coup.

Indeed, it was in tactical positions that David really felt in his element, and this was reflected in his choice of openings, especially with Black. Here is an excellent example of

David’s style, which I published in a previous newsletter in 2013.

Steve Ormerod – David James Darlington B v. Durham City Deacons, 2013

Dutch Defence A89 1 ¤f3 f5 2 g3 ¤f6 3 ¥g2 d6 4 d4 g6 5 c4 ¥g7 6 ¤c3 0–0 7 0–0 ¤c6 8 ¥f4

8 d5 is the normal move, when Black has the choice of playing his knight to e5 or a5. 8...¤e4 9 ¥e3 e5 10 ¤xe4 fxe4 11 ¥g5

XIIIIIIIIYXIIIIIIIIYXIIIIIIIIYXIIIIIIIIY 9r+lwq9r+lwq9r+lwq9r+lwq----trk+0trk+0trk+0trk+0 9zppzp9zppzp9zppzp9zppzp----++++----vlp0vlp0vlp0vlp0 9999----+nzp+nzp+nzp+nzp----+p+0+p+0+p+0+p+0 9+9+9+9+----++++----zpzpzpzp----vLvLvLvL----0000 9999----+PzPp++PzPp++PzPp++PzPp+----+0+0+0+0 9+9+9+9+----++++----+NzP+NzP+NzP+NzP----0000 9PzP9PzP9PzP9PzP----+PzPLzP0+PzPLzP0+PzPLzP0+PzPLzP0 9tR9tR9tR9tR----+Q++Q++Q++Q+RmKRmKRmKRmK----0000 xiiiiiiiiyxiiiiiiiiyxiiiiiiiiyxiiiiiiiiy

11...£e8 David considered playing 11...exf3 12

¥xd8 fxg2 13 ¢xg2 ¦xd8, when Black has three minor pieces for the queen, but White’s pawn formation is very solid. 12 ¤d2 h6

This loses a pawn. 12...¤xd4 was better. 13 d5

David was hoping for 13 ¥e3 exd4 14 ¥f4 g5, winning a piece. 13...¤d4 14 ¥e3 ¥f5 15 ¤xe4 g5 16 ¤c3 a6 17 ¥e4 £h5 18 ¥xf5 ¦xf5 19 ¥xd4 exd4

Although Black has lost a pawn, he has dynamic play typical of the Leningrad Dutch.

XIIIIIIIIYXIIIIIIIIYXIIIIIIIIYXIIIIIIIIY 9r+9r+9r+9r+----++++----+k+0+k+0+k+0+k+0 9+pzp9+pzp9+pzp9+pzp----++++----vlvlvlvl----0000 9p+9p+9p+9p+----zpzpzpzp----++++----zp0zp0zp0zp0 9+9+9+9+----+P+P+P+P+rzpq0+rzpq0+rzpq0+rzpq0 9999----+Pzp+Pzp+Pzp+Pzp----++++----+0+0+0+0 9+9+9+9+----sNsNsNsN----++++----zPzPzPzP----0000 9PzP9PzP9PzP9PzP----+PzP+PzP+PzP+PzP----zP0zP0zP0zP0 9tR9tR9tR9tR----+Q+RmK+Q+RmK+Q+RmK+Q+RmK----0000 xiiiiiiiiyxiiiiiiiiyxiiiiiiiiyxiiiiiiiiy

20 e4 David calls this ‘an excellent move, which

I did not foresee’. 20...¦f3 21 ¤e2

But now White begins to drift. 21 ¤b1 g4 22 ¤d2, evicting the rook from f3, looks better. 21...d3 22 ¤c3 ¦af8 23 £d2 ¥d4 24 ¤d1 £g4 25 ¤e3

XIIIIIIIIYXIIIIIIIIYXIIIIIIIIYXIIIIIIIIY 9999----++++----++++----trk+0trk+0trk+0trk+0 9+pzp9+pzp9+pzp9+pzp----++++----++++----0000 9p+9p+9p+9p+----zpzpzpzp----++++----zp0zp0zp0zp0 9+9+9+9+----+P++P++P++P+----zpzpzpzp----0000 9999----+PvlP+q+0+PvlP+q+0+PvlP+q+0+PvlP+q+0 9+9+9+9+----+psNrzP+psNrzP+psNrzP+psNrzP----0000 9PzP9PzP9PzP9PzP----wQwQwQwQ----zPzPzPzP----zP0zP0zP0zP0 9tR9tR9tR9tR----++++----+RmK+RmK+RmK+RmK----0000 xiiiiiiiiyxiiiiiiiiyxiiiiiiiiyxiiiiiiiiy

25...£xe4 Regaining the pawn, but allowing White

some play on the open e-file. Black could have liquidated into a won queen ending by 25...¥xe3 26 fxe3 ¦xf1+ 27 ¦xf1 ¦xf1+ 28 ¢xf1 £xe4 29 ¢f2 £xc4, although after 30 £c3 £xd5 31 £xc7 he would have to take care not to allow perpetual check. 26 ¦ae1 £g6 27 ¤d1 h5 28 ¦e6 ¥f6

David thought 28...¦3f6 would have been better. 29 ¤c3 £g7 30 ¤e4 ¥d4 31 ¢g2

Not 31 £xg5 £xg5 32 ¤xg5 ¦xf2 33 ¦xf2 d2, when the pawn queens. 31...¥xb2

XIIIIIIIIYXIIIIIIIIYXIIIIIIIIYXIIIIIIIIY 9999----++++----++++----trk+0trk+0trk+0trk+0 9+pzp9+pzp9+pzp9+pzp----++++----wqwqwqwq----0000 9p+9p+9p+9p+----zpR+zpR+zpR+zpR+----+0+0+0+0 9+9+9+9+----+P++P++P++P+----zpp0zpp0zpp0zpp0 9999----+P+N++P+N++P+N++P+N+----+0+0+0+0 9+9+9+9+----+p+rzP+p+rzP+p+rzP+p+rzP----0000 9Pvl9Pvl9Pvl9Pvl----wQwQwQwQ----zPKzP0zPKzP0zPKzP0zPKzP0 9+9+9+9+----++++----+R++R++R++R+----0000 xiiiiiiiiyxiiiiiiiiyxiiiiiiiiyxiiiiiiiiy

32 ¤xg5? 32 £xg5 £xg5 33 ¤xg5 was correct,

when the game could have ended in a draw

by repetition after 33…¦3f5 34 ¦g6+ ¢h8 35 ¤e6 ¦8f7 36 ¤d8 ¦f8 37 ¤e6. 32...¥c3 33 £c1 d2 34 £c2?

Now White loses. After 34 £b1 d1£ (not 34…£xg5 35 ¦g6+) 35 ¦xd1 ¦xf2+ 36 ¢h1 he would still have been in the game.

XIIIIIIIIYXIIIIIIIIYXIIIIIIIIYXIIIIIIIIY 9999----++++----++++----trk+0trk+0trk+0trk+0 9+pzp9+pzp9+pzp9+pzp----++++----wqwqwqwq----0000 9p+9p+9p+9p+----zpR+zpR+zpR+zpR+----+0+0+0+0 9+9+9+9+----+P++P++P++P+----sNp0sNp0sNp0sNp0 9999----+P++P++P++P+----++++----+0+0+0+0 9+9+9+9+----vlvlvlvl----+rzP+rzP+rzP+rzP----0000 9P+Qzp9P+Qzp9P+Qzp9P+Qzp----zPKzP0zPKzP0zPKzP0zPKzP0 9+9+9+9+----++++----+R++R++R++R+----0000 xiiiiiiiiyxiiiiiiiiyxiiiiiiiiyxiiiiiiiiy

34...d1£ A simple but pleasing diverting

manoeuvre, by which Black wins the white knight. 35 £xd1

Or 35 ¦xd1 ¦xf2+ 36 £xf2 ¦xf2+ 37 ¢xf2 £xg5. 35...£xg5 36 £c2 £f5 37 £xc3(?) ¦xc3

White resigned.

Calendar of Events Last week’s matches in the Northumbria and Durham Leagues were postponed as a mark of respect to David. Events will be resumed this coming Wednesday, when the Canons and Deacons both have home matches, against Hetton B and Darlington B respectively. The full calendar will be resumed in the next newsletter.

Useful Websites

Durham City Chess Club: http://www.durhamcitychess.co.uk/ Durham County Chess Association: http://www.dcca.org.uk/

Northumbria Chess League http://ncaleague.wordpress.com/ English Chess Federation http://www.englishchess.org.uk/