[Event "Southsea"] [Site "Southsea"] [Date "1949.??.??"] [Round "5"] [White "Ursell, Philip Ashby"] [Black "Pachman, Ludek"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C55"] [Annotator "MJDonnelly"] [PlyCount "68"] [EventDate "1949.??.??"] [EventType "swiss"] [EventRounds "10"] [EventCountry "ENG"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "1998.11.16"] [SourceQuality "1"] {In this event the player of the White pieces finished in 10th = position in a field of 28 with the same score as Leonard Barden who won the British Championship a few years later. Ursell was Bournemouth Chess Club Champion in 1946 and 1950 and in a simultaneous display he beat Capablanca who was normally almost invincible in such events. Philip Ursell was part of four generations of chess players and was a very strong player in his youth and retained a high rating (about 2000 elo) well into his seventies. Few of his games are available but two very short wins are included in the notes. The player of the Black pieces was the renouned Czech player, champion of this country 7 times between 1946 and 1966, who becoming an IM in 1950. In 1954 he became a GM, and one of the strongest players in Europe if not the World. From the early 1960s he published numerous high quality books on all aspects of Chess inclusive of becoming a leading authority on openings. He suffered horrendously from the Czech Communist Regime for being a political activist but was eventually released to resume Chess activities winning, for example, the West German Championship. Faced with such a player White decides to "have a go" and plays direct chess gambiting a pawn in an old line to try and generate tactical chances and a slightly chaotic position.} 1. e4 e5 ({Against} 1... c5 {Ursell's direct approach led to the following rapid win.} 2. Nc3 d6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Bc4 g6 5. e5 dxe5 6. Nxe5 e6 7. Qf3 (7. Bb5+ {also led to a shock short win against a very strong GM after} Bd7 8. Qf3 Nc6 9. Bxc6 bxc6 10. Ne4 Be7 11. d3 h6 12. Be3 Rh7 13. Nxc5 Qa5+ 14. c3 Bxc5 15. Nc4 Qb5 16. a4 Qb8 17. Bxc5 Nd5 18. Nd6+ Kf8 19. c4 Ne7 20. Qf6 Qd8 21. Nxf7 {1:0 Mamedov-Bologan, W-ch blitz Tallin 2016.}) 7... Bg7 8. Ne4 Nxe4 $2 (8... O-O {is correct with equality as in Walther-Justi, Mittelfranken-ch TB2a 2009.}) 9. Qxf7# {Ursell-Watson, Bognor Regis Reserves B 1953.}) 2. Bc4 {Simple development attacking Black's weakest spot of f7 which leads to myriad tactical possibilities.} Nf6 (2... Bc5 {was faced by Ursell in the first round of Southsea 1949 and again led to a drastic loss for his opponent after} 3. c3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. e5 d5 6. exf6 dxc4 7. Qh5 Bf8 ({the following surprise refutation is given by Winter} 7... O-O 8. Qxc5 Re8+ 9. Ne2 d3 {recovering the piece.}) (7... Nd7 {is also playable after} 8. fxg7 {but not by} Rg8 $2 {instead} (8... Qe7+ {is best when after} 9. Ne2 Rg8 {the game is level since if White plays} 10. Qxh7 Nf6 {wins due to the threat of d3.}) 9. Bg5 Be7 10. Qxh7 Rxg7 11. Qxg7 Bxg5 12. Qxd4 $18 {but somehow Black eventually won in Snuverink-Cupido, NED-U20 op Hengelo 1999.}) 8. Qe5+ Be6 9. fxg7 {1:0 Ursell-O'Hanlon whilst one more move was played in another later game :} Rg8 10. gxf8=Q+ {1:0 Watson-Stowell. Las Vagas National Open 1975.}) 3. Nf3 Nxe4 4. Nc3 {The Boden-Kieseritsky Gambit.} (4. Nxe5 {recovers the pawn but is less effective since White has fewer tactical chances and Black obtains an easier game with} d5 {Krasnov-Afromeev, Tula Igriashvili Memorial 2006.} ({or even} 4... Qe7 {as Black can allow} 5. Bxf7+ Kd8 6. d4 {due to} d6 {Lieske-Nachtigali, W-Cup12 Gr 014 ICCF e-mail 2000.})) 4... Nc6 (4... Nf6 {is the recommendation of WInter in his very fine and pioneering book "Chess for Match Players" published in 1951 and may represent the cutting edge of theory for the time.} 5. Nxe5 d5 {"with an excellent game for Black"-WInter. More recent games show that White is still capable of bludgeoning an opponent in short order. One example went} 6. Bb3 Bd6 7. d4 O-O 8. Bg5 (8. O-O {this opening was all too much for modern strong players who here agreed a draw as in Tregubov-Kosteniuk, chess.com Rapid Wk 14 Swiss 2022.}) 8... h6 9. Bh4 Be6 10. f4 c5 11. Qd2 c4 12. Ba4 a6 13. O-O-O b5 14. f5 Bxf5 15. Rdf1 Bh7 16. Rxf6 gxf6 17. Nxd5 Bxe5 18. dxe5 Nd7 19. Qxh6 {1:0 Da Curtie-Perbin, Italy 1850.}) (4... Nxc3 5. dxc3 {White has a lead in development, open lines, and leaves Black to decide on how to meet the attack on e5.} f6 {this counter-intuitive move is regarded as best and gives an edge with careful play following.} ({Alternatively} 5... d6 {has occurred in dozens of games, even by some strong players, but loses to} 6. Nxe5 ({as well as} 6. Ng5) 6... dxe5 7. Bxf7+) ({also} 5... Nc6 {is promising for White after} 6. Ng5) 6. Nh4 (6. O-O d6 7. Nh4 g6 8. f4 f5 9. Nf3 Qf6 10. fxe5 dxe5 11. Bg5 Qb6+ 12. Kh1 Qd6 13. Nxe5 Qxd1 14. Bf7# {Mingrelia-NN, ITA Casual game 1801.}) 6... g6 7. f4 c6 8. f5 d5 9. fxg6 dxc4 10. Qh5 Kd7 11. g7 Bxg7 12. Bh6 Qf8 13. Qg4+ Ke7 14. Qxg7+ Qxg7 15. Bxg7 Rg8 16. Bh6 Be6 $17 {Good-Grazinys, Champions League C1 Bd 4 ICCF e-mail 2004.}) 5. O-O (5. Nxe4 d5 {is very comfortable for Black a high level example being So-Mamedyarov, Saint Louis Rapid 2018.}) (5. Bxf7+ {is too early since, although the Black king is displaced, the pawns dominate the centre and Black can push around the White knights.. Examples, surprisingly, inlcude} Kxf7 6. Nxe4 d5 7. Neg5+ Kg8 8. d3 h6 9. Nh3 g5 $17 {Mamedyarov-So, Chess.com Speed INT blitz 2019.} (9... Bxh3 10. gxh3 Qf6 {was also good for Black in Zhavoronkov-Afromeev, Tula Stek Cup 2004.})) 5... Nxc3 6. dxc3 f6 7. Nh4 g6 8. f4 f5 (8... Qe7 {appears slightly odd and White can try and keep the position open and pressure Black with} 9. Bd5 {Serfling-Voetter, GER Pyramid e-mail 2007}) 9. Nf3 {This seems best as} (9. Nxf5 {fails due to} d5 10. Bxd5 Bxf5 11. fxe5 Bc5+ 12. Kh1 Ne7 13. Bxb7 Qxd1 14. Rxd1 Rb8 $17 {Bayer-Kohlhas, Mittelrhein Verbandsliga-M 2012.}) ({and} 9. g3 {is a little slow and opens the White king's position allowing Black the better game by} Qe7 10. Be3 d6 11. Nf3 Be6 {Germanovs-Sarana, Titled Tuesday intern op Chess.com INT blitz 2025.}) 9... Bc5+ {The most natural developing a piece with check and allowing for covering f7 with Rf8. Instead} (9... e4 10. Ng5 (10. Qd5 {gives Black the opportunity to exchange queens and secure the extra pawn via} Qe7 11. Ng5 Qc5+ 12. Kh1 Qxd5 13. Bxd5 h6 14. Nh3 Ne7 15. Bb3 d6 {Kozuh-Paz y Barriga, corr. 1975.}) 10... Bc5+ 11. Kh1 Qe7 12. b4 {with an obscure position: Yan-Beardsworth. UK-ch blitz Leamington Spa 2022.}) (9... Qe7 {can be met by} 10. Nxe5 $11 ({rather than} 10. Kh1 e4 11. Ng5 Nd8 12. Be3 Bg7 $17 {Meinke-Beth, Schleswig Holstein-ch op Schwabstedt 1994.})) 10. Kh1 e4 {Attempting to solidify the centre. Instead returning the pawn with} (10... d5 {only helps White after} 11. Bxd5 e4 12. Ng5 Qf6 13. b4 {Voss-Zanolo, FRG-chT qual corr. 1991.}) 11. Ng5 Qe7 (11... Qf6 {is a trade off of minimising the impact of Ba3 ideas by White but possibly allowing the bishop to be played on the a1-h8 diagonal.} 12. Bf7+ (12. Qd5 {is best met with} d6 $17 ({rather than the retreat} 12... Qe7 {Giertz-Boness, corr.1930.})) 12... Ke7 13. Bd5 d6 14. Re1 {is unclear in Schlechter-Marco, Berliner 70th Anniversary 1897.}) 12. b4 (12. Nf7 {is no use due to} Rf8) ({but} 12. Bf7+ {is a worthy alternative to b4 and once agian unclear play results from} Kf8 13. b4 {Thomas-Vickery, BCF-ch Major Douglas 2005.}) 12... Bb6 13. a4 {Continuing to harass Black's pieces.} (13. Qd5 {enables Black to force back the White pieces before anything can be made of the long diagonal} Nd8 14. Bb2 h6 15. Nh3 d6 16. Be2 Be6 {Wood-Morton, Belconnen CC-ch A 1994.}) 13... a5 {Controlling White's expansion is strongest. Trying to push away the knight with} (13... h6 {here allows the tactical shot} 14. Nxe4 fxe4 15. f5 {with good play for the piece (Newman-Hammond, AUS Friendly corr. 1992).}) ({If} 13... a6 14. Bf7+ (14. Qe1 {is easily met by} Nd8 $17 {Ranieri-Cavezzana, Torino Province-ch 2010}) 14... Kf8 15. Bb3 {gives compensation for the pawn,}) 14. Bf7+ (14. Re1 {led to a rapid defeat of Black after} Bf2 15. Re2 Bh4 16. Nf7 Rf8 17. b5 Qc5 18. Bb3 Ne7 19. Be3 Qxc3 20. Bd4 Qb4 21. c3 {1:0 Duenhaupt-Zaitsev, EU-T3 ICCF corr. 1983.}) 14... Kf8 15. b5 {the most direct. Other games have gone chaotically} (15. Bb3 h6 16. Nf7 Rh7 17. b5 Rxf7 (17... Nb8 18. Ne5 Rg7 19. c4 d6 20. c5 Bxc5 21. Nc4 {Kaden-Wuenderlich, Ruhrgebiet VK4 1998.}) 18. Ba3 (18. Bxf7 Qxf7 19. bxc6 {Tkac-Kolar, SVK-ch T B2 corr. Slovakia 2001,}) 18... d6 19. Bxf7 Kxf7 20. bxc6 {Bender-Bierwisch, FRG jub 40 sf6 corr. GER 1988.}) 15... Nd8 {Forcing White to retreat. For the pawn White has displaced the Black king, which cannot now castle, but has not been able to open up the game and Black remains with a solid e4-h7 pawn formation.} 16. Bb3 d6 {Steady and good but slightly "safe". Black can in fact weaken the king's side pawn stucture with} (16... h6 17. Nxe4 {doesn't work here due to} (17. Nh3 Kg7 {consolidates.}) 17... fxe4 18. f5 d6 19. fxg6+ (19. f6 Qe8) 19... Kg7 20. Bb2 Rf8 21. c4+ Kxg6 {with an extra piece and a safe king.}) 17. Bb2 Bc5 {to secure d6 and the a3-f8 diagonal. Less strong is} (17... h6 18. c4 hxg5 19. Bxh8 gxf4 20. Rxf4 $13) 18. Qe1 Ne6 19. Bxe6 (19. Bd5 {gives more chances after} Nxf4 20. Rxf4 Qxg5 21. Qxe4) 19... Bxe6 20. c4 Rg8 21. Bf6 Qd7 {Black has not created any weaknesses, has slowly developed pieces, and is on the verge of connecting rooks.} (21... Qxf6 {of course is a major blunder due to} 22. Nxh7+) 22. Qc3 (22. Qh4 {only appears more promising but after} h5 {White has no rational follow up eg} 23. Rad1 (23. Rfd1 Bxc4) 23... Bxc4) 22... h6 23. Nh3 (23. Nxe6+ Qxe6 {and Black can secure the game with Kf7.}) 23... Qf7 {Winning another pawn and reducing White to a desparate idea of advancing a pawn in front of his own king.} 24. Bh4 Bxc4 25. g4 {Now White goes rapidly downhill although there is nothing any better eg} (25. Rad1 Bxf1) (25. Rfd1 Be2 26. Re1 Bb4) 25... Bd5 {Going for the king rather than material with} (25... Bxf1) (25... fxg4 {opens the game but is also more than good enough as White is unable to take advantage of this fact after} 26. Nf2 e3 27. Nxg4 Qd5+ 28. Kg1 Bd4 ({or} 28... e2+ {wins.})) 26. Kg2 fxg4 27. Ng5 e3+ (27... hxg5 28. fxg5 e3+ 29. Kg3 Bf3 {is similar.}) 28. Kg3 hxg5 29. fxg5 Bf3 30. h3 Ke8 31. hxg4 Rf8 32. Qf6 Qxf6 33. gxf6 Bd5 34. Rae1 Kd7 0-1