[Event "Luton A v Bedford A"] [Site "Luton"] [Date "1968.10.16"] [Round "?"] [White "Perkins, Andrew D"] [Black "Cordon, W.A. (Sandy)"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B71"] [WhiteElo "1915"] [BlackElo "2050"] [Annotator "Perkins, Andrew"] [PlyCount "69"] [EventType "team"] [SourceVersionDate "2024.09.30"] [WhiteTeam "Luton A II"] [BlackTeam "Bedford A II"] [WhiteTeamCountry "ENG"] [BlackTeamCountry "ENG"] {This was a game was a league match, in more primative times. The ruling at the time, was that after 30 moves, the game went for adjudication. I noticed one thing about Mr Cordon: He didn't hang about; he played his moves quick!} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. f4 {I found a note by John Nunn. He called this move, "rather outdated and feeble".} Nc6 ({The attraction for me, was that if he played} 6... Bg7 {then} 7. e5 {would have been very strong.}) 7. Bc4 Qb6 8. Nb3 Bg7 9. h3 O-O 10. Qe2 a6 11. Be3 Qc7 12. O-O-O {I criticise this move, compared to castling Kingside, because it gave him Queenside chances.} {He went at once with} b5 13. Bd5 e6 14. Bxc6 Qxc6 15. Nd4 Qc7 16. a3 {I think the masters advice is to not move these pawns and keep them in line.} Bb7 17. Bf2 Rfc8 18. Rhe1 e5 19. fxe5 dxe5 20. Bg3 Qc5 21. Nb3 Qe7 22. Bh4 $2 {I didn't see the strength of what he was planning.} Rxc3 23. bxc3 ({I suggested afterwards, that it might have been better to play} 23. Bxf6 {in the actual game, he now had two pieces on the White King Pawn.}) 23... Qxa3+ 24. Kb1 Bxe4 {You will notice, he is now threatening Qxb3+} 25. Nd2 Bd5 {Threatening Ba2 mate} 26. Nb3 Be4 ({After the game, he told me he rejected} 26... Bxb3 {because although it wins a pawn, it does simplify in the middle and he was wary of the two White Rooks.}) 27. Nd2 Bf5 28. Qf3 Rd8 ({In my notes afterwards, I think} 28... e4 {looks much stronger than I realised. It doesn't matter that it blocks the diagonal for the Bishop on f5, because it opens up lines for other pieces.}) 29. Bxf6 Bxf6 30. Ne4 {Blocking Black's Pawn.} ({I didn't consider} 30. g4 {but I think that the move} e4 {would be very strong.}) 30... Rxd1+ 31. Rxd1 Bxe4 32. Qxe4 ({There's a nice point, that if} 32. Qxf6 {threatening mate and all that, Black gets in first with} Qb3+ {because the c2 Pawn is pinned.}) 32... Qxc3 {And this was the disappointment, because the game was then sent for adjudication. The match depended on the result, because Bedford A needed a win to draw the match, so Mr Cordon claimed a win. I claimed a draw, which was enough to win the match for Luton A. And the result came back as a draw. There was a discussion after the game. Bedford pointed out that Black three Pawns for the exchange was a good bargain. Luton was worried that the White Queen was stymied because if she moved, Black could move the e-Pawn.} {I did point out that if} 33. Rd6 Be7 34. Rxa6 Ba3 {White has} 35. Qa8+ {attacking the Bishop. So it looks as if White could get the a-Pawn, but what else would happen, I couldn't say.} 1/2-1/2