1981: White to play and win

Game Menadue,J - Littlejohns,D East Devon Premier , 1981

 

White to play and win

I was a member of the club in the early 'eighties, winning the club championship twice. Once was on merit, but the other was purely because the tournament leader, Steffan Flesch, had to return to Germany before the final rounds.

I can remember playing in the traditional champions' simultaneous display at the start of the next season, beating most of the first team but overpressing against veteran Rex Willis and also losing to a very young Andrew Pickering, miscounting in a Queen ending just before his mum came to pick him up.

I've enjoyed playing in many of the East Devon congresses held in Exeter over the years; this is the game with the smartest finish. — JM

Dutch Defence,Staunton Gambit

1.d4 f5 2.e4 fxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.g4 h6 5.f3 d5 [5...exf3 6.Bd3] 6.g5 hxg5 7.Bxg5 Bf5 8.Qd2 Qd7 9.0-0-0 Nc6 10.Bg2 0-0-0 11.Kb1 exf3 12.Bxf3

+-----------------+
|.+k4.g.4|
|0p0q0.0.|
|.+n+.h.+|
|+.+p+bG.|
|.+.).+.+|
|+.H.+B+.|
|P)P!.+.)|
|+K+R+.HR|
+-----------------+

12...Ne4? 13.Bxe4 dxe4 14.d5 Ne5 15.Qd4 Nc6 16.Qa4 Nb8 17.Qxa7 g6 18.Nge2 Bg7 19.Nd4 Bxd4 20.Rxd4 Qd6 21.Nb5 Qa6 22.Qc5 Rd7 23.Rc4 b6?

+-----------------+
|.hk+.+.4|
|+.0r0.+.|
|q0.+.+p+|
|+N!P+bG.|
|.+R+p+.+|
|+.+.+.+.|
|P)P+.+.)|
|+K+.+.+R|
+-----------------+

24.Qxc7+ Rxc7 25.Rxc7+ Kd8 26.Bxe7+ Ke8 27.Nd6# 1-0

[Notes by Jeremy Menadue]

Legacy nid: 

442