Generation Gap
The following game was played in first round of the Derby Chess Club Championships, between a club stalwart and one of our up and coming juniors. Who would prevail!
Download the annotated PGN file
Shourya Eaga (1536) - David Williams (1868)
24th September 2025
1.e4 c6
Dave gets the Championship off to a thrilling start...
2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5!?
The trendy response, as played by Levy Rozman and as recommended in the popular Chessable course. Keep it Simple for Black. 3... Bf5 is the traditional mainline.
4.c3?
This allows Black to have a 'good French'. 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 is the advanced variation of the French Defence, but here, crucially, black's light-squared bishop is blocked in as Black has committed to e6. Now, Black has the option to move his bishop outside of the pawn chain prior to e6; this is an extra boost to the standard French-style pressure Black likes to place on the soon-to-be backward pawn on d4.
4...cxd4?!
No need to rush. White now still has the option of Nge2 instead of Nf3, and he has the c3 square for the knight a bit quicker.
4...Nc6 5.Nf3?! cxd4 6.cxd4 Bg4=/+
5.cxd4 Nc6 6.Nf3?!
6.Nc3 Bf5 7.Be3 e6 8.Rc1 Bb4 can now just be met by a3 8...Nge7 9.h4 h5 10.Nge2+/=
6...Bg4! 7.Be3 e6 8.Be2
A passive square. In this structure, white needs to compensating for the backward d4 pawn by developing actively and attacking on the kingside, where he has more space.
8...g6?
Slows down development and weakens the dark squares. That said, Dave plays this setup/structure with his eyes closed. 8...Nge7 9.0-0 Nf5 10.Nc3 Bb4 11.Rc1 0-0=/+
9.0-0 Nge7 10.Bd3?
Develop...! A waste of a move after previously playing Be2. Also, now, this bishop diagonal is blunted by the black pawn chain
10.Nbd2 Nf5 Maybe white feared the d4 pawn being loose, but black isn't in time, and a timely h3 will always lead to Bxf3 and Nxf3, strengthening the protection of d4. 11.Qb3 Rb8 12.h3 Bxf3 13.Nxf3=
10...Qb6
11.b3?
Too slow, and neglecting development. If you're under the cosh positionally, and here white is due to the weak d-pawn and passive bishop on e3, look for sources of counterplay and prioritise piece activity.
11.Nbd2 The b2 pawn can be sacrificed, a common idea in this types positions. 11...Qxb2? 12.Rb1 Qa3 13.Rb3 Qxa2 14.Qc1!+- White is well over+2 on the engine here despite being a pawn down. Black is behind in development, king stuck in the middle, queen offside, and white has the open files and kingside dark squares to play with.
11...Bf5?
11...Bxf3! 12.Qxf3 Nxd4 13.Qf6 Rg8 14.Nc3 To be fair, I can see why Dave might have thought this looked a bit scary, but black is fine. 14...Bg7-/+
12.Nc3! Bxd3 13.Qxd3 Nf5
Now white has managed to develop and connect the rooks.
14.Ne2?
Too passive and again moving a piece twice when simpler developing moves were still on the table. There's no need to overprotect the d4 pawn. I suspect Shourya was thinking of Ng3 to prompt an exchange of knights, or Nf4, whilst opening the c-file for the rook.
14.Na4! Kicks the black queen back to a passive square and enables white's bishop to shift to d2 whilst getting a grip of the queenside. White is slightly better.;
14.g4?! Tempting, practically. Although white's kingside attack lacks any bite, this is better than the game continuation. 14...Nxe3 15.fxe3 Be7=/+ 16.a3
14...Bg7?!
14...Nxe3 15.fxe3 Bh6=
15.Rfc1?!
15.Bg5!+/= White wants to keep his dark-squared bishop. Now, black's dark-squared bishop is staring at a pawn wall.
15...0-0 16.h3
16.Bf4
16...Rfc8
Black is developing naturally but both players are missing the strategic point of exchanging (or avoiding) knight for bishop on e3. In particular, now black has castled, white can eye g4 to attack the knight as the common black resource of h5 is less effective now it wouldn't be backed by a rook on h8 (potentially enabling Nh4 if the pawns are exchanged on g4).
17.a3 Rc7? 18.b4
18.Bd2!+/- White is better here. g4 is coming. The king can go to g2, the dark-squared bishop can be saved on d2 - eyeing both sides of the board, and even h4 and Rh1 ideas are in the air. 18...Rac8 19.g4 Nfe7 20.Kg2 Na5 21.Rcb1+/-
18...Rac8
19.Rc3??
Leaves white open tactically whilst still missing the chance to keep/move the bishop.
19.Bd2
19...a6?!
Last chance for white...
19...Nxe3! 20.fxe3 (20.Qxe3 Nxe5!! 21.dxe5 Rxc3!-+) 20...a5=/+
20.g4
20.Bd2=
20...Nxe3!
Finally!
21.Qxe3 a5!=/+
Undermining the queenside pawns and creating weaknesses. Dave converts very smoothy from here.
22.bxa5 Nxa5 23.Rac1 Nc4
23...Bf8
24.Qd3 Qa6
24...Qa5
25.Nd2?
White is lost positionally on the queenside. As mentioned, this means he has to seek activity. A last-gasp approach would be g5 and Nh2-g4, trying to gear up some sort of kingside attack.
25...b5 26.Nxc4 bxc4
Black now has a passed pawn plus the isolated pawn on a3 to attack. White's rooks are confined to passivity, staring at a mere pawn.
27.Qe3 Rb8!
Taking control of the b file.
28.Ra1 Rcb7 29.Nc1 Qa4 30.h4?
White - already really struggling for moves - cracks.
30...Qd1+! 31.Kh2 Qxg4 32.Qg3 Qxd4 33.f4 Rb2+ 34.Kh3
After the next move, Black is winning the white queen via Qf5+ followed by Rh2+ Kg3 Rg2+
34...Qe4
0 - 1
John Tompson