1973 Great Britain (BCF) v Netherlands, 27-28 October, Manchester

	Great Britain	Elo	Rd 1	Rd 2	Netherlands	Elo
1b	Raymond D Keene	2445m	½-½	½-½	Max Euwe
2w	Jonathan Penrose	2450m	½-½	½-½	Jan Hein Donner	2480g
3b	Peter R Markland	2405	½-½	½-½	Gennadi Sosonko	2430
4w	Andrew J Whiteley	2340	½-½	½-½	Hans Ree	2440m
5b	George S Botterill	2410	0-1	0-1	Bert F Enklaar	2445m
6w	Michael F Stean	2320	½-½	1-0	Franz Kuijpers	2400m
7b	Anthony J Miles	2375	½-½	½-½	Rob G Hartoch	2380m
8w	Michael J Basman	2385	0-1	½-½	Hans Bouwmeester	2430m
9b	A Jonathan Mestel	2270	1-0	½-½	Meindert van der Linde
10w	Elaine Pritchard		0-1	1-0	Rie G Timmer	2045
			4-6	5½-4½
27-28 October 1973, Manchester			9½-10½

BCM, February 1974, ppn 59-62

THE ANGLO-DUTCH MATCH 1973 by G.S.Botterill

From distant Wales, the long-awaited report has now reached usl Apologies for the delay. The author went on holidays ...

Deserting its customary biennial venue in the metropolis, last year's Anglo-Dutch match was staged, on October 27th-28th, in the impressive setting of the Large Hall of Manchester's Town Hall. This building, a great brick-and-sandstone giant of the Victorian Gothic style, at once ferocious and monumental, generates such an atmosphere of heroic power that the spectators might well have expected marvellous feats of combat. Let us hope they were not too disappointed; about fifty per cent of the games were lively and interesting. Why they were not all displayed on demonstration boards (which might have been placed more imaginatively at intervals throughout the hall, instead of at the maximum distance from the spectators' seats) is something that baffles me. In British chess events in general such a small and basic provision could do a lot to improve our 'public image'.

In the event the Dutch visitors won by the narrowest margin. In the first round Holland had White on the odd boards, in the second round England.

As usual, neither country was able to field its very strongest team. The Dutch lacked Timman and Langeweg, whilst we missed the services of the two Hartstons. The prospect of seeing the great Euwe in action delighted the English team. It was apparent that even after so long an absence from the arena the ex-World Champion is still a formidably competent player, but there was little fire in his two encounters with Ray Keene. Another interesting character in the Dutch team, the Leningrad expatriate and Korchnoi's ex-trainer, Sosonko, who had just won the Dutch Championship, also failed to bring any life into his games with Peter Markland.

The first round went badly for us, but on the Sunday we pressed the Dutch very hard. In the end everything depended on Mestel's game with the Dutch junior, van der Linde, and at one point before the adjournment he had a winning position. If this had been cashed in the result would have been a 10-10 tie. But the win slipped away, and though Mestel tried hard and long, he had to concede the draw.

I give some of the more eventful games and episodes with light notes;

Game No. 16426

White: Enklaar Black: Botterill Pirc Defence

1 P-K4, P-Q3; 2 P-Q4, N-KB3; 3 N-QB3, P-KN3; 4 N-B3, B-N2; 5 B-K2, O-O; 6 0-0, P-B3; 7 P-QR4, Q-B2!; 8 P-R5, P-K4; 9 PxP, PxP; 10 B-QB4, QN-Q2; 11 B-K3, N-N5!; 12 B-KN5, N-B4; 13 N-Q2, P-KR3; 14 B-R4, N-B3; 15 P-B3, N-K3; 16 N-K2, R-Nl; 17 N-QN3, N-R4; 18 B-B2, P-N3; 19 P-N3, N-N4; 20 B-K3 Thanks to his pressure against Q5 and KB5 Black has obtained a considerable initiative from the opening. A good, simple move is 20 ..., K-R2, so as to unpin for ..., P-KB4. Another, more energetic idea is 20 .... P-N4; 21 B-Q3, P-KB4!? (22 PxP, PxP; 23 P-KB4!?, PxP; 24 NxP, NxN; 25 PxN, N-K5). But best of all would be 20 ..., P-N4; 21 B-Q3, N-R6+; 22 K-N2, P-N41 with a menacing attack. 20 P-N4; 21 B-Q3, N-K3??; A blunder of indecision. At the last minute I got cold feet about 21 ..., P-KB4. Yet it is essential for Black to get moving on the K-side since otherwise, as the game shows, 20 ..., P-N4 gravely compromises Black's Queen's wing. 22 N-B5, R-Ql; 23 Q-Kl, B-Bl; 24 Q-B2, NxN; 25 BxN, BxB; 26 QxB, B-K3; 27 P-QN4, R-Q2; 28 R-R3!, Q-Q3; 29 R-B3, N-B3; 30 P-B4, QxQ; 31 RxQ, R-B2; 32 P-B5!, PxP; 33 PxP, B-Q4; 34 N-B3, P-R3; 35 NxB, NxN; 36 P-B3, R-Ql; 37 B-K4, P-B3; 38 R-Ql, R(Q1)-QB1; 39 K-B2, N-K2; 40 R-Q6 and Black lost on time in the act of playing 40 .... K-B2.

White: Stean Black: Kuijpers

Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation 1 P-K4, P-K4; 2 N-KB3, N-QB3; 3 B-N5, P-QR3; 4 BxN, QPxB; 5 O-O, P-B3; 6 P-Q4, PxP; 7 NxP, P-QB4; 8 N-N3, QxQ; 9 RxQ, B-KN5; 10P-B3, B-Q2; 11 B-B4, O-O-O; 12 N-B3, P-B5; 13 N-R5, B-B4+; 14 K-Bl, P-QN4; 15 N-Q5, N-K2!; 16 BxP, NxN; 17 RxN, KxB; 18 RxB+, K-N3; 19 P-QN4, PxP ep.; 20 NxP, B-K3; 21 R-B3, P-N5; 22 R-K3, P-QR4; 23 K-Kl, P-R5; 24 N-Bl, R-QB1 with great pressure for the pawn (½-½ in 78 moves).

Game No.16427

White: Basman Black: Bouwmeester French Defence

1 P-K4, P-K3; 2 P-Q4, P-Q4; 3 N-QB3, N-KB3; 4 B-N5, PxP; 5 NxP, B-K2; 6 BxN, PxB; 7 P-QB3, P-KB4; 8 N-N3, P-B4; 9 N-B3, N-B3; 10 B-N5, PxP; 11 NxQP, B-Q2; 12 NxN, PxN; 13 B-B4, Q-B2; 14 Q-K2 (14 Q-Q4!?), Q-B5!; 15 R-Ql, P-KR4!; 16 Q-Q3, R-Ql; 17 N-K2, Q-N5; 18 Q-Q4, R-KN1; 19 R-KN1, P-B4; 20 QxQ, RPxQ; 21 N-B4, R-Nl; 22 P-QN3, B-KB3; 23 N-K2, K-K2; 24 P-B3, PxP; 25 PxP, RxR+; 26 NxR, BxP+; 27 K-Bl, B-K4; 28 R-Q2, B-QB3; 29 R-K2, B-Q5; White resigns.

Game No. 16428

White: van der Linde Black: Mestel Modern Defence

1 P-Q4, P-KN3; 2 P-QB4, B-N2; 3 N-QB3, P-Q3; 4 P-K4, P-K4; 5 P-Q5, N-Q2; 6 N-B3, N-K2; 7 B-K2, O-O; 8 O-O,

6 KN-K2 is probably better. This quiet treatment can hardly be good for White as he has lost a clear tempo on a main line King's Indian. 8 ..., P-KB4; 9 PxP, PxP; 10 N-KN5, N-KB3; 11 P-B4, P-K5; 12 B-K3, P-B3; 13 Q-Q2, P-KR3; 14 N-R3, K-Rl; 15 QR-B1, P-B4; 16 P-R3, N-N5! 17 BxN, PxB; 18 N-B2, N-B4; 19 NxNP, Q-R5; 20 N-B2, NxB; 21 QxN, B-Q5; 22 QxP, RxP!; 23 Q-K8+, K-N2; 24 R-B2, B-R61; 25 P-KN3, Or 25 QxR, Q-N5 and mates. 25 ..., RxQ; 26 PxQ, R-N5+; 27 K-Rl, B-N7+; 28 K-Nl, BxP mate.

ROUND 2

Donner-Penrose: here a draw was agreed - but only because Penrose had not spotted 23 K-N3, N-K61; 24 RxKP, N-B5; 25 NxN, PxN with a winning position. This could have saved the match for us.

Game No. 16429

White: Ree Black: Whiteley King's Indian Defence

I P-QB4, N-KB3; 2 N-QB3, P-KN3; 3 P-K4, P-Q3; 4 P-Q4, B-N2; 5 B-K2, O-O; 6 N-B3, P-K4; 7 O-O, PxP;

This move seems to be a satisfactory alternative to the usual 7 ..., N-B3 or 7 ..., QN-Q2. It leads to a rare variation on Gligoric's 7 B-K3 System usually reached via the sequence: 7 B-K3, P-B3; 8 O-O, PxP; 9 NxP, R-Kl; 10 P-B3, P-Q4 etc.

8 NxP, R-Kl; 9 P-B3, P-B3; 10 B-K3, P-Q4;

II BPxP, PxP; 12 Q-N3, PxP; 13 PxP,

A new move. 13 B-QB4, R-Bl; 14 QR-Q1, Q-K2; 15 PxP, N-B3; 16 N-Q5, KNxN; 17 NxN, PxN; 18 PxN, PxP; 19 BxQP, B-N51 was Nei-Stein, 34th USSR Championship 1967 (cf. Barden, Hartston & Keene, 'The King's Indian Defence, 2nd edition, page 237).

13 NxP!; 14 QR-Q1, NxN; 15 QxP+, K-Rl; 16 PxN, B-Q2; 17 B-KB4, Q-K2; 18 B-B4, N-B3; 19 QxQ, RxQ; 20 B-KN5, R(K2)-K1; 21 B-B7, NxN; 22 BxR, N-K7+; 23 K-B2, BxB; 24 KxN, B-N4+ Draw

...And finally, England's best game:

Game No.16430

White: Kuijpers Black: Stean

Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation

I P-K4, P-QB4; 2 N-KB3, P-Q3; 3 P-Q4, PxP; 4 NxP, N-KB3; 5 N-QB3, P-QR3; 6 P-B4, QN-Q2; 7 N-B3, Q-B2; 8 B-Q3, P-KN3; 9 O-O, B-N2; 10 Q-Kl, P-QN4; 11 K-Rl,

Here 11 P-K5!? would introduce bewildering complications. Instead White drifts into passivity.

II ..., B-N2; 12 P-QR4, P-N5; 13 N-Ql, N-B4; 14 N-B2, P-N6!; 15 B-Q2, O-O; 16 B-B3, QR-B1; 17 N-Q2, PxP; 18 BxBP, Q-B3; 19 Q-K3, P-Q4!; 20 KR-B1, KR-Q1; 21 N-B3, PxP; 22 N-K5, Q-K3; 23 B-R5, N-Q4; 24 Q-Kl, 4 NxBP; 25 BxR, RxB;

Also very strong is 25 QxN.

26 N(K5)-N4, P-KR4; 27 N-K3, BxP; 28 R-Ql, N(B5)-Q6; 29 NxN, PxN; 30 QR-N1, B-Q5; 31 RxB, PxB; 32 RxB, RxR; 33 R-N8+, K-R2; White resigns.

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CHESS, November 1973, Vol.39/685-6, ppn 33-34

ANGLO-DUTCH MATCH

Holland narrowly defeated England in their annual encounter, and now lead in the series by 12 matches to 8 with 3 drawn. The match, sponsored by Unilever and held at Manchester Town Hall, October 27-28, drew large crowds, particularly on the first day.

England's failure in this match was partly due to the insipid play of their top four boards and partly the poor form of Botterill and Basman. Nevertheless, England's juniors continue to shine, Mestel and Stean winning fine games, in fact Mestel might have saved the match, had his opponent not put up a stubborn resistance under great pressure, a pawn down, in the last game to
finish. With the exception of Timman the Dutch fielded their strongest side, and it was good to see the ex-World Champion Euwe back in action again. Indeed many were surprised to see him on Board 1 above Donner. However it was revealed later that Euwe had defeated Donner in a local match in Holland 1½-½.

One can't help feeling that if Hartston had been available, instead of at his wife's side in the Women's Interzonal, the result might have been reversed.

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File Updated

Date	Notes
18 February 2026	First upload of 11 games, 1 part-game and 8 stubs.