Resourceful play by Michael Cain

Ezra Kirk gave a simultaneous display at the club on 21st June and did not lose a single game. He took on eleven players and was held to a draw by Michael Cain and Arthur de Silver, but defeated everyone else. In the 2012-13 season he won against grandmasters Keith Arkell and Tony Kosten to establish himself as the highest rated player in the country for his age. More recently he has played little competitive chess as he has been taking several exams. He is already a FIDE master and plans to spend a year entering chess competitions to try to become an international master before going to university. We wish him the best of luck in his quest, though he probably has the potential to become not just an international master but also a grandmaster. I enclose the score of Ezra's game against Michael Cain in the recent simul. It is very difficult playing eleven players at the same time particularly when one is expected to make every move very quickly. However, we must also give credit to Michael for a resourceful display. Michael seems to produce his best chess in simultaneous displays as he also drew last year with grandmaster Ray Keene in this form of chess. On other such occasions he has given Nigel Short and Luke Rutherford very good games before eventually losing.

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[Event "11 board simul in Hove"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "21.6.2014"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ezra G Kirk"]
[Black "Michael Cain"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteELO "?"]
[BlackELO "?"]
[A10]

1. c4 g6 2. Nf3 Bg7 3. d4 c6 4. Nc3 d5 {Sometimes called the Grunfeld-Slav Defence.}5. g3 {Not the best. If White wants to fianchetto his White-squared bishop, it is better to play 5 cxd5 first.} dxc4 {Correct, giving Black an advantage.} 6. a4 {To stop Black playing b5. If 6 Bg2 Nf6 7 0-0 0-0 8 e4 b5 or Bg4 are both better for Black.} Bg4 {The best move is probably 6...c5 attacking the White centre. If 7 dxc5 Qxd1+ 8 Nxd1 Na6 with the better game. If 7 d5 Bxc3+! 8 bxc3 Nf6 is also strong for Black. Finally if 7 e3 Nf6 8 Bxc4 0-0 9 0-0 Bg4 is still better for Black.} 7. Ne5 {Black gets a definite advantage now. Better was 7 e3.} Bxe5 8.
dxe5 Qxd1+ 9. Nxd1 f6 {Better was 9...Nd7 and, if 10 Bf4, then f6. In this line 11 exf6 could be met with e5.} 10. exf6 exf6 {Better was the developing move 10...Nxf6 with an advantage.} 11. e4 {A mistake which loses a pawn for nothing. Better was 11 Bf4.} Bf3 12. Rg1 Bxe4 13. Bxc4 Nd7 14.
Nc3 Bf3 15. Bf4 {Better was probably 15 Be2.} O-O-O 16. Kf1 {Again Be2 seems to be the best chance.} Re8 {The correct move was 16...g5 and if 17 Bd6 Nh6 18 Be6 Rhe8 19 Re1 Ng4 with a strong position.} 17. g4 {Better was 17 h4 to stop Black playing g5.} Ne5 {17...g5 was very strong. Now the game is more or less level.} 18. Bxe5 {White should have played 18 Re1 so that Black would have had to lose a tempo to break the pin by moving his king. After 18...Kd7 or Kd8 White could then have played Bxe5. This might seem similar to the game but White would benefit from his rook on e1.} Rxe5 {18...fxe5 was better and would have given Black a definite advantage. The f6 square would have been vacated for the Black knight and there was the potential to play e4.} 19. Rg3 Bd5 20.
Bxd5 cxd5 21. f4 Re6 22. Nxd5 Ne7 {The game now looks drawish.} 23. Nc3 {Possibly Ezra decided against exchanging knights as he still hoped to win the game. However, it could be argued that a Black knight on c6 would have been stronger than a White knight on c3 in this type of position.} Rd8 24. Rc1 {24 Re1 would have been more or less level.} Kb8 {24...Nc6 looks better.} 25. Rc2 {Again 25 Re1 was a safe drawing line.} Rd4 26. Rf3
Nd5 {26...a6 might have given Black an edge. The exchange of knights brings about a similar position to what might have happened if White had played 23 Nxe7.} 27. Nxd5 Rxd5 28. Rfc3 {Surprisingly this move seems to give Black an advantage as White has difficulty defending his pawns. 28 b3 looks better.} a5 {Much better than 28...a6 as it establishes a bind on White's queen side pawns and gives the Black king a little more space.} 29. Rc4 {29 b3 might still have been the best move.} h5 {Not the best move. Black could have got an advantage by 29...Rd1+ 30 Kf2 Rb6 because of the weakness of the White pawn on b2.} 30. h3 {30 f5 gxf5 31 gxh5 would have taken all the pressure off White.} h4 {Black could have played 30...hxg4 31 hxg4 Rd1+ 32 Kf2 Rb6 with perhaps a slight advantage - cf. my note to Black's 29th move. 30...h4 is a bold move with the potential for Black to seize control of the third rank with his rooks. White must now play very carefully.} 31. Kg2 {This seems to be a mistake. White should play 31 Rc8+ Ka7 32 R2c5. If then 32...Rd1+ 33 Kf2 Rd2+ 34 Kf3 Rxb2 35 Rxa5+ Kb6 36 Rac5, which looks drawish.} Re3 32. Rc8+ Ka7
33. R8c5 {33 Rf8 and 33 Rg8 both lead to complex variations in Black's favour.} Rdd3 34. Rxa5+ Kb8 35. g5 f5 36. Rb5 {36 Rac5 also comes into consideration, though here also White is in difficulties.} Rxh3 37. Rc6 {This move seems to lose. White may be able to draw by 37 Rc3 Rhg3+ 38 Kh2 Rd2+ 39 Kh1 Rxb2 40 Rxb2 Rxc3 41 a5 and if 41...Rc5 42 Rb6 Rxa5 43 Rxg6 Ra4 44 Re6 Rxf4 45 Re1. As Black's king is a long way away from White's passed pawn and White has a threat of Rg1, the position may be drawn.} Rhg3+ {It appears that this move wins for Black. A rather amusing finish would be 38 Kf2 h3 39 Rxg6 h2 40 Rg8+ Kc7 41 Rg7+ Kd8 42 Rbxb7 hi=N+, which mates in a few moves. White could play 42 Rg8+ and try to keep checking, but eventually Black's king escapes from the checks and his 'h' pawn will prove to be the decisive factor e.g. 42...Kd7 43 Rg7+ Ke8 44 Rg8+ Kf7 45 Rh8 Rh3 etc. Also if 42...Kd7 43 Rxb7+ Kc6 44 Rh7 Rh3 etc. These lines were not tested in practice as a draw was agreed.} 38. ½-½
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