(720) Foster,James J (2081) - Rudd,Jack (2171) [A36]
4NCL/Div3/SLO2-BRI2 West Bromwich (11.1), 26.05.2003
[Annotations by Charlie Linford]
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 g6 3.e4 d6 4.g3 c5 5.Bg2 Nc6 6.Nge2 Bg7 7.0-0 0-0 8.h3 Bd7 9.Kh2 Rb8 10.f4 a6 11.g4 11.a4 may be more circumspect, but following his loss the previous day, Foster is in a mood to hack on the kingside. 11...b5 12.cxb5 axb5 13.Ng3 b4 14.Nce2 Ra8 15.g5 Ne8 16.f5 Be5 17.Qb3 Foster is under the impression that he is on the attack, but Rudd's next move shows that he has correctly assesed the position as better for him - white appeasr very over-extended here, with many of his pieces still at home, and his king is having to do some of the legwork - not normally a good sign. 17...Ng7 18.d4 An admission that things have gone wrong, but other moves were equally unappealing. 18...Bxd4 19.Nxd4 Nxd4 20.Qd1 Ba4 21.Qg4 Bb5 22.Rf2 Diagram
White has a pile up of pieces on the kingside, but his problems stem from the undevelopment of his queenside, a factor Jack Rudd now exploits. 22...Nb3! Not just winning an exchange, but also activating the a8-rook. 23.axb3 23.Rb1 Bd3 was better, but at this stage I doubt Foster was worrying too much about specifics. 23...Rxa1 24.Be3 Bd7 25.Qh4 f6 26.Bf1 Be8 27.gxf6 exf6 28.e5 A last ditch attempt to make something on the kingside, but Rudd has everything covered. 28...Re1 29.Bc4+ Kh8 30.Rf3 g5 31.Qh6 The queen buries itself in the black position, but it is an offensive gesture, nothing more. 31...dxe5 32.Bxg5 fxg5 33.f6 Qd2+ 34.Ne2 Rxe2+ 35.Bxe2 Qxe2+ 36.Kg1 Ne6 Simple enough. At two pieces and a pawn down, Foster finally decides that the Bank Holiday weekend is only a holiday after the chess has finished... 0-1
