There was an article in the paper recently extolling the virtues of certain English expressions unknown to Americans which have to be explained by expats to their friends stateside. One of those mentioned was ‘car crash’ which as an idiom we understand as a minor disaster or calamity. This is probably the best way to describe the following game. White, aware of Black’s familiarity with the French Defence, decides unwisely to try something different. This was a mistake because while avoiding the French, he walked into Black’s other speciality, the Dutch. Marvellous – if it’s not the French, it’s the Dutch. I blame Brexit, he thought ruefully afterwards. In fact, despite the obvious discomfort of black pawns on d5 and f5, coupled with knights on e4 and f6, White managed to achieve some sort of respectability with the exchange of minor pieces. However, an ill-considered decision to bring his king to the queenside in anticipation of further exchanges proved his undoing and after Black’s clever 27….Qh4, Stockfish took a dim view of White’s position. From then, as they say, it was all downhill and Black finished the game neatly.
White: Robert Page (142) Black: Reg Pidduck (102)
Goodall Cup (Broadstairs Club Championship)