The first match of this season’s inter-county Chiltern Cup took place last Saturday at Magdalen College School. The Chiltern Cup is the first division of the Chiltern Leagues and limited to players with an ECF rating of under 200.

Oxfordshire, Hampshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire take part, each playing the others twice, home and away.

Oxfordshire captain Ian Brooke had put together a formidable line-up for the match against last year’s winners, Hampshire, and the strength-in-depth of the Oxfordshire team was emphasized when, despite losing the first three boards, Oxfordshire ran out 12.5 -7.5 victors.

One of the first games to finish was that between new Oxford City signing Mike Marlow and Hampshire’s Philip Barber on board ten. Mike’s adversary was well ‘booked up’ in his chosen defence; but, as you can see below, Mike negotiated the opening well to reach a comfortable middle-game.

Then, following some Hampshire-side inaccuracies, he prevented his opponent from castling, broke through in the centre and caught him in the cross-fire.

White: Mike Marlow Black: Philip Barber 1.e4 d5 The Scandinavian is a tough nut to crack for White and an excellent choice for the club player looking for new defence to 1.e4. Jovanka Houska’s recently published Starting out: the Scandinavian is a recommended primer.

2.exd5 Nf6 2...Qxd5 is the other move and then, after 3.Nc3, the former sideline 3…Qd6 has become the main line according to Houska.

3.d4 Nf3 is a safer option — see the next note.

3…Nxd5 3...Bg4!? is the dangerous Portuguese variation. White can avoid the variation by playing 3.Nf3 — and probably should do so. The uninitiated can easily fall victim to something like 3…Bg4 4.f3 Bf5 5.c4 e6 6.dxe6 Nc6! 7.exf7+? Kxf7 8.Be3 Bb4+ 9.Nc3 Re8 10.Kf2 Rxe3 11.Kxe3 Bc2 12.Qd2 Ng4+ 13.fxg4 Qg5+ 14.Ke2 Re8+ when White is busted.

4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Be2 Here White can try 5.c4 Nb6 6.c5!? since after the natural 6…Nd5 he has the powerful sortie 7.Qb3! Then after 7…Bxf3 8.Qxb7! Ne3 9.Qxf3 Nc2+ 10.Kd1 Nxa1 11.Bb5+! White wins.

5...e6 6.h3 Bh5 7.0–0 Nc6 8.c4 Nb6 9.Nc3 Bxf3 After 9...Be7 Black must reckon with the reply 10.d5!?

10.Bxf3 Nxc4 10...Nxd4 has also been played.

11.Qa4 Nb6 12.Bxc6+ bxc6 13.Qxc6+ Qd7 14.Qf3! Mike’s move is more testing than 14.Qxd7+ Kxd7 which looks like an evenly balanced endgame.

14...Be7 15.Rd1 Rd8? Black should have castled here not fearing 15...0–0 16.d5!? since both exchanging on d5 and 16…e5 look playable for him.

16.Qg3! Now White has a serious initiative.

16…Bf8 Black is forced to defend passively. 16...0–0 is no good since 17.Bh6 Bf6 18.Ne4 Qe7 19.Nxf6+ Qxf6 20.Bg5 wins a clear exchange for White and the alternatives: 16...g6 17.Bh6 and 16...Kf8 17.Bf4 don’t look much better.

17.Bf4 c6 18.Rac1 Nc4 19.d5! cxd5 20.Nxd5 exd5 21.Re1+! 21.Rxc4 is plausible but Mike’s move is much better.

21...Be7 22.Qxg7 Rf8 23.Bh6 1-0.