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New Page 1 Greatest Games: Divino Sabino

[Date "04-03-2003"]
[Event "Coventry Chess League Division 1"]
[Site "University of Warwick"]
[White "Dixon, J"]
[Black "Sabino, D"]
[Result "0-1"]

{Board 4 game between Whoberley B and University A. This was my debut win in the first division, playing as a sub for University A.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 Bg4 4. Be2 Nbd7 5. c3 c6 6. O-O Bxf3 7. Bxf3 e5 8. Nd2 e4 9. Be2 Bd6 10. c4 Qc7 11. h3 b6 12. b3 h5 13. Bb2 g5 14. cxd5 cxd5 15. Rc1 Qb7 16. f3 g4 17. fxg4 hxg4 18. Bxg4 Ke7 19. Nb1 Rag8 20. Ba3 Bxa3 21. Nxa3 Nxg4 22. hxg4 a6 23. Rf4 Nf6 24. Qf1 Rh6 25. Qe2 b5 26. Rc5 Nd7 27. Rc1 Rgh8 28. Qc2 Rh1+ 29. Kf2 Rxc1 30. Qxc1 Rc8 31. Qh1 Rf8 32. Qh4+ Ke8 33. Qh5 Qc6 34. Qf5 b4 {The turning point. Dixon's knight is dead. But it's still very much a battle.} 35. Nc4 {I preferred this move, I didn't want my queen stuck in the b1 square if he opted for 35. Nb1 Qc2+ followed by 36. ... Qxb1.} 35... dxc4 36. Rxe4+ Kd8 37. d5 Qf6 38. Rxc4 Qxf5+ 39. gxf5 Ne5 40. Re4 {If 40. Rxb4 Nd3+ and I will win.} 40... Re8 41. Ke2 a5 42. Rd4 Rg8 43. Kf2 Rg4 44. Rd2{Mr. Dixon now offers me a draw. Was tempted, but after a few minutes thought I refused. Though I didn't have a clear plan, I felt I couldn't lose the game, the worst I could do if I played on was a draw.} 44... Kd7 45. Re2 Kd6 46. e4 f6 47. g3 Rg7 48. Rc2 Rc7 49. Rxc7 Kxc7 50. Ke3 Kd6 51. Kd4 Nf3+ 52. Kc4 Nd2+ 53. Kb5 Nxe4 54. Kxa5 Kc5 55. Ka4? {I thought this was a very bad move. Victory was now within my reach.}55... Nc3+ 56. Ka5 Nxd5 57. Ka4 Nc3+ 58. Ka5 Nxa2 59. g4 Kd5 60. Kb5 Ke5 61. Kc4 Kf4 62. Kd3 Kxg4 63. Kc2 Kxf5 64. Kb2 Nc3 65. Kc2 Ke4 66. Kd2 f5 67. Ke1 Kd3 68. Kf2 f4 69. Kf3 Nd5 {Dixon resigns.}0-1

[Event "Coventry Chess League Division 3"]
[Site "Broad Lane, Coventry"]
[Date "06-11-2001"]
[White "Evans, D"]
[Black "Sabino, D"]
[Result "0-1"]

{Board 2 Game Massey Ferguson vs University E. One of my favourite wins of the 2001-2002 season} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Bc5 4. Bc4 d6 5. d3 Bg4 6. h3 Bh5 7. Bd2 h6 8. g4 Bg6 9. Qe2 a6 10. Nd5 Nge7 11. h4 h5 12. Nh2 Nxd5 13. Bxd5 Nd4 14. Qd1 c6 15. c3 cxd5 16. cxd4 Bxd4 17. Nf3 Bc5 { I didn't take the b2 pawn with my bishop as I didn't want to give Mr. Evans counter play on the b-file.} 18. Ng5 dxe4 19. dxe4 f6 20. Ne6 Qe7 21. Nxc5 dxc5 22. g5 Bxe4 23. Rg1 f5 24. Qb3 Qf7 25. Qc3 Qd5 26. O-O-O Qd4 27. Qb3 Bd5 28. Qa3 Qc4+ 29. Kb1 O-O-O 30. Rc1 Qe4+ 31. Ka1 Bc6 32. Be3 Qb4 33. Bxc5 Qxa3 34. Bxa3 Rd4 35. Rh1 Rhd8 36. Bc5 Rg4 37. Rh2 Rd5 {Missed an excellent move 37. ... Rc4!} 38. f3 {But this was actually my plan, and my next move is absolutely brilliant.} 38... Rxc5 {Mr. Evans resigns. He is a bishop down, though he can take any of my rooks, he will be checkmated if he does so. 39. Rxc5?? Rg1+ 40. Rc1 Rxc1#, or 39. fxg4?? Rxc1#, even if he doesn't go for any of the rooks, which he obviously knew was fatal, he will soon lose another pawn and face two passed pawns. 39. Rf1 Bxf3} 0-1

[Event "Coventry Chess League Division 2"]
[Site "University of Warwick"]
[Date "07-11-2002"]
[White "Sabino, D"]
[Black "Lecolley, F"]
[Result "1-0"]

{Board 4 Game University C vs University D. A nice short win. } 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 e6 4. Be3 Nd7 5. Nf3 c5 6. c3 cxd4 7. cxd4 Qb6 8. Qc2 Bb4+ 9. Nc3 Ne7 10. a3 Bxc3+ 11. bxc3 Nf5 12. Bd3 {Allowing Lecolley to swap a knight for a bishop, another incentive for him to take the swap is to give me doubled pawns, generally a weakness, especially in the endgame, but I didn't intend to go that far. My aim is to keep the centre locked. Because of the semi-open b-file I doubt he'd castle queenside. My queen and white bishop is ready to assault his kingside. And with an open f-file, my rook would add pressure to his kingside.} 12... Nxe3 13. fxe3 O-O {He castles, dubious move. Although he might have been intending to trap my bishop through 14. Bxh7+ Kh8 15. ... g6. But it's a plan that wouldn't work.} 14. Bxh7+ Kh8 15. O-O {My bishop is safe after 15. ... g6 16. Ng5, and there is no effective way to get my knight off g5 without risking his king's position.} 15... Qd8 16. Bd3 { Didn't want to get into complications of keeping my bishop on h7. The aim now, is to get my queen into that square instead.} 16... b6 17. Qf2 Bb7 {Lecolley is ignoring my attack. He is already in big trouble now.} 18. Qg3 {Threatening 19. Qh3+ Qh4 20. Qxh4+ Kg8 21. Qh7#} 18... g6 19. Ng5 Kg7 20. Nxe6+ {Lecolley resigns. My opponent has to choose between losing his queen or being checkmated. An excellent knight sacrifice. If he takes the knight, he is checkmated through 20. ... fxe6 21. Qxg6+ Kh8 22. Qh7#} 1-0

[Event "Coventry Chess League Division 2"]
[Site "University of Warwick"]
[Date "28-01-2003"]
[White "Sabino, D"]
[Black "Weaver, S"]
[Result "1-0"]

{Board 4 Game in the match between University C and Whoberley C. A neat little win} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 a6 6. Nd6+ Bxd6 7. Qxd6 Qf6 8. Qa3 {I thought quite a bit on this move. The alternative was 8. Qd1, which was in fact the book move, but I thought that move was too passive. This move was riskier, but sharper. The queen applying pressure on the a3-f8 diagonal now that black's black bishop is out of play.} 8... Qg6 9. Nc3 Nge7 10. Be3 O-O 11. Bc5 {Now it seems my decision to play 8. Qa3 is starting to payoff, I have great control of the a3-f8 diagonal and have attacking opportunities.} 11... Re8 12. O-O-O Rb8 13. Bd6 {Forcing the rook back to a8.} 13... Ra8 14. Nb5 {The knight is left en prise yet threatens several tactical gains.} 14... axb5 {Any other move would have resulted in greater losses for him.} 15. Qxa8 Qxe4 16. f3 Qa4 17. Qxa4 bxa4 18. Bxe7 {Materially ahead, I now decide to play safe and start exchanging pieces.} 18... Rxe7 19. Bb5 a3 20. Bxc6 axb2+ 21. Kxb2 bxc6 22. Rd6 Kf8 23. Re1 Ba6 24. Kc3 Bb5 25. Kb4 Ke8 26. c4 Ba6 27. Re3 f6 28. Ra3 Bc8 29. Ka5 e4 30. Rd4 Re5+ {Weaver hopes for 31. Kb4 c5+, and I'd lose a rook, and eventually the game.} 31. Kb6 e3 32. Re4 Rxe4 33. fxe4 e2 34. Re3 d5 {Not the move I was expecting, but I can't complain.} 35. exd5+ Kf7 36. Rxe2 cxd5 37. cxd5 Bf5 38. Kc7 g5 39. d6 Be6 40. Rxe6 {Weaver resigns. The d6 pawn will queen in 2 more moves no matter what.} 1-0

[Event "Boy's Open Tournament"]
[Site "Children's Playground, Victoria"]
[Date "07-10-1995"]
[White "Laurence, K"]
[Black "Quatre, P"]
[Result "1-0"]

{A game filled with errors, but with a classic finish. Just because you're a queen ahead, it doesn't mean that you should be slack in defence. Played in an Open tournament to encourage chess in the Seychelles, between Kenneth Laurence and Paul Quatre} 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. d3 d6 4. Qh5 Qe7 5. Bg5 Qf8 6. Nc3 c6 7. Nf3 g6 8. Qg4 {Laurence blunders his queen away!} 8... Bxg4 9. O-O Bxf3 10. Nd5 cxd5 11. Bxd5 Na6 12. Bxb7 {Threatens the rook, knight and also checkmate with 13. Bc6#} 12... Rb8 {Still up in the clouds because of being a queen and 2 knights up, Quatre does not see the mate threat!} 13. Bc6# {Checkmate! A classic, how can you be a queen and 2 knights down, and then deliver checkmate in 13 moves.} 1-0

Last checked and updated by Michael Jones 06/05/07.