1985-03-01 - Burgess, Graham 1-0 James, Stephen
A sequel to James-Elliott elsewhere on this page. Probably still suffering from the shock of that game James makes a simple error and concedes after just 11 moves. Even experienced players and make fatal errors in the opening.
[Event "NEWPORT OPEN"] [Site "?"] [Date "1985.03.01"] [Round "4"] [White "Burgess, Graham"] [Black "James, Stephen"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "Mordue,Tyson"] {This game was played the round after James-Elliott elsewhere on this page. It seems that James was still suffering from the shock of being two pieces up out of the opening but never having a clearly winning position. Comments by Graham marked GKB. } 1.d4 g6 2.e4 d6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 Nc6 5.Be3 {"d5!" GKB. This was all Graham wrote but he is right. 5 d5 is statistically a better move than 5 Be3 because the main reply 5...Nd4 has been under a theoretical cloud since the mid–1970s, particularly after the game Timman-Suttles, Hastings 1973-4. } 5...e5 6.Nge2 {After 6 d5 Nd4 scores well for White but 6...Nce7 is okay for Black. This is the difference between ...c7-c5 and ...e7-e5. } 6...f5 {A loosening-looking move but still a theoretical continuation. Graham replies with the approved response. } 7.exf5 gxf5 {This has a better record in the database than 7...Bxf5. The worry is the h5-e8 diagonal, but it only takes Black one move to play ...Ng8-f6 to rule out Qh5+ and one more to castle. Simple chess really, yet there is a point to be made...} 8.f4 exd4 {"After 8...Nf6 Black's position is quite pleasant." GKB. Indeed 8...Nf6 was played in two other games in the database. One was a short draw and one was a short loss after White needlessly gave up an Exchange for a tactic that fell completely flat. } 9.Nxd4 Qe7?? {Filep-Strauss A, Reggio Emilia 1969 went 9...Nf6, the simple move, 10 Be2 0–0 11 0–0 Re8 with an exciting draw in 39 moves. I assume that James just completely overlooked the simple reply to this careless move, but unfortunately for him it's fatal. } 10.Nd5 Qf7 {10...Qh4+ 11 g3 Qd8 12 Nb5 is no improvement. } 11.Nb5 {"Everything caves in." GKB. After 11...Rb8 12 Ndxc7+ Kf8 13 Qxd6+ White is already two Pawns to the good and a7 is just waiting to drop as well. Black has no compensation for being one Pawn down here, let alone three. Then again some people would have played on. } 1-0
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