ETCETERA / Chess

Cambridge won this year's Varsity Match as well as the second team 'Dragons v Unicorns' encounter. David Boyle won the Best Game award in the latter match with this cheerful miniature.

White: David Boyle

Black: Alex Lewis

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. Nc3

Can I persuade him to play something other than his customary Scheveningen system, reached after 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6? If he plays 3 . . . d6, I intended 4. Bb5+ with a good lead in development, while 3 . . . Nf6 4. e5 is a line I was sure I knew more about than he did.

3 . . . Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4

I know he doesn't play 5 . . . Nf6 or Qc7 or a6, so there's only one move left to reach the type of position he likes.

5 . . . d6 6. Be2 Nf6 7. Bg5

We are now in a Rauser variation with Be2 instead of Qd2. I had played this once before, and it led to a great position.

7 . . . Be7 8. Qd3

The idea is to play Rd1 and 0- 0, then switch the queen over to g3 or h3 and hack away at his K- side, preferably without allowing him any attack at all.

8 . . . Ne5?]

How many times should you move each piece in the opening? I know this forces me to move my queen again, but he drives it to its preferred square. Meanwhile, it takes the pressure off my centre.

9. Qg3 a6 10. Rd1

10. 0-0 was also attractive, but the move played enables me to drop the bishop back to c1 if necessary.

10 . . . h6

I am not convinced by this. I'm sure 10 . . . Qc7 or Bd7 is better.

11. Bc1 b5

The last time I played this line, Black replied 11 . . . g6 and I should have won after 12. 0-0 Qc7 13. Kh1 b5 14. f4 Nd7 15. e5] dxe5 16. Nxe6]

Now I started thinking about 12. f4. After 12 . . . Nd7 13. Nc6, or 12 . . . Ng6 13. Nc6 or 12 . . . Nc4 13. 0-0 White is well on top. I knew that 12. f4 would leave me vulnerable to a quick Bh4, but the question is how good my position is if I let him win the queen.

12. f4] Nxe4 13. Nxe4 Bh4 (see diagram) 14. Nxd6+]

Cunning, eh? Black's queen must maintain protection of the bishop.

14 . . . Kf8 15. fxe5 Bxg3+ 16. hxg3

With three pieces for the queen and two open files for my rooks, a huge lead in development and an attack, I was sure that I must be winning easily. I am threatening an atack down the f-file beginning with 17. 0-0, and if he tries to block the position with 16 . . . f5, I can even play 17. exf6 when 17 . . . Qxd6 loses to 18. fxg7+ Kxg7 19. Nf5+.

16 . . . Ke7??

Perhaps just an excuse to resign quickly.

17. Nc6+ Black resigned.