Notable opponents in the Borders League: Martin Keen

A retired translator, Martin came from St Albans to the Borders in 1994 and since then has played for Hawick, Kelso, and Selkirk. Before he left the South for the Scottish Borders he was involved with PR for the BCF, and was acquainted with many of the leading players in London and the Home counties - and met three World Champions for good measure.

Martin is one of the most knowledgeable of all local players when it comes to the history of the game. Here are three of his victories.

09.02.2004: BICC Round 2

M Keen (1415) v D Bogle (1638)
1 North Bridge St, Hawick

The second round of the Borders Individual, and it was a good season for Martin.  This game - along with victories over Tom Lawson, Ian Thompson, and John Mitchell - helped him to a 4/5 total and second place in the Championship behind Jannic Konarski's 5/5.

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. O-O d6 5. d3 e5 6. Nbd2 Be6

 

Not the best.  White could now have played the annoying 7. Ng5, forcing the Bishop back to c8 (to protect b7) or to d5, when 8. e4 gives White a clear initiative.

7. Re1 Nc6 8. e4 Qc8 9. c3 Bh3 10. Qb3 Bxg2 11. Kxg2 O-O 12. Nc4 a6 13. a4 Rb8 14. a5 Qe6 15. Ncd2

 

Exchanging Queens would now have been safer and better than Black's next move.

15...Qc8 16. d4 Nd7

Black's pieces are already looking uncomfortable, and White's next move protects d4, while stopping any thoughts of a ...b5 breakout.

17. Qc4 Kh8 18. Ng5 Qe8 19. d5 Ne7

Martin has now got my knights hopelessly tangled, but in fact the surprising 19...Na7 would have been better, and carries with it a small trap: 20. Qxc7? Qe7! threatens both 21...Qxg5 and 21...Rfc8, and it is White who has problems.

20. Qxc7 h6 21. Ngf3 f5 22. Qxd6 fxe4 23. Nxe4 Qf7 24. Nh4 Rbd8 25. Qxe7

A nice conclusion: If 25...Qxe7 then 26. Nxg6+ is deadly.

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28.12.1996: McIsaac Tournament Rd 1

I Morrison (1890) v M Keen (1510)
Lilliesleaf

The McIsaac was a tournament for champions of Scottish clubs.  In the first round, Martin was drawn against Pentland Hills' Ian Morrison, one of the favourites for the championship.  Ian got a superior position, but an oversight turned the tables and Martin made no mistake in converting the endgame.

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. f3 Bg7 7. Be3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. O-O-O d5

Now 10. exd5 is most common. Ian chooses a quieter route.

10. Nb3 dxe4 11. Nxe4 Nxe4 12. Qxd8 Rxd8 13. Rxd8+ Nxd8 14. fxe4 Be6

Possibly not the right idea.  This sequence hands White the Bishop pair without any clear compensation.

15. Be2 Bxb3 16. axb3 a6 17. Rd1 Rc8 18. Bb6 Nc6 19. Rd7 Be5 20. Rxb7 Bxh2 21. Bxa6

Martin has lost a Pawn, and allowed three passed pawns on the Queenside.  Ian is now winning - but Martin's determined play means that there are surprises yet to come.

21...Nb4 22. Bc4 e6 23. Be3 Nc6 24. Be2 Be5 25. c3 Nd4 26. Kd2 Nc6 27. b4

The passed pawns start rolling.  What can Black do?

27...Rd8+ 28. Ke1 Bg3+ 29. Kf1 Ra8 30. Rd7 Ra1+ 31. Rd1 Rxd1+ 32. Bxd1 Kf8 33. Ke2 Ke7 34. Kf3 Bd6 35. Bc5 Ne5+ 36. Ke2 Nc4 37. b3 Bxc5 38. bxc5 Ne5

We are into a new phase of the game.  White seems to be comfortably up (+2.58 according to Stockfish) but Black's Kingside pawns mean that things are by no means straightforward.

39. Ke3 Kd7 40. b4 Nc4+ 41. Kd4 Nb2

A slip, which (thankfully for Martin) Ian doesn't see. 42. Bb3 would have trapped the Knight.

42. Bf3 f6 43. b5 Na4 44. c4?

An oversight, which loses the c5 Pawn and brings the Stockfish evaluation crashing down from +4.9 to 0.0. This is now a different game altogether.

44...e5+

The King is forced back; for if now 45. Kd5 then 45...Nc3#

45. Kd3 Nxc5+ 46. Ke3 Kc7 47. Kd2 Kb6 48. Kc3 Ka5 49. g4 Ka4 50. Bd1+ Ka3 51. Bc2 h5

A passed pawn has appeared, and the White King is caught too far from the action.  Over the next few moves Ian abandons his strong Queenside and allows Martin to neutralise the pawns on c4 and b5. 

52. gxh5 gxh5 53. Bd1 h4 54. Bf3 h3 55. Kd2 Kb4 56. Ke3 Kxc4 57. Be2+ Kb4 58. Kf3 h2 59. Kg2 Nxe4 60. Kxh2 Kc5

The b-pawn will fall, and with Black having two connected passed pawns on Black squares, there is little that White can do.  Unless White can capture one of the pawns without losing the Bishop, the result is inevitable - but Martin does not fall for any such tricks.

61. Kg2 Nc3 62. Bg4 Nxb5 63. Kf3 Kd5 64. Ke3 Nd6 65. Bd1 f5 66. Bb3+ Kc5 67. Be6 f4+ 68. Kf3 Kd4 69. Bg4 Nf7 70. Bf5 Ng5+ 71. Kf2 e4 72. Ke2 f3+ 73. Kf1 Ke3 74. Bd7 Kd2 75. Bb5 e3

It is all over.  76...e2+ is coming, and Martin has overcome a 380-point grading deficit to defeat the Pentland Hills Champion.

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29.01.2013: Berwick v Kelso

M Keen (1455) v D Anderson (1449)
Kelso Legion

Martin was playing board 3 for Kelso that day, and his victory over the ever-dangerous Dougie Anderson helped Kelso to secure a 2½-2½ draw against a strong Berwick team.

1. Nf3 e6 2. g3 f5 3. Bg2 Nf6 4. O-O d5 5. d3 Bd6 6. Nbd2 O-O 7. Re1 Qe8 8. e4 Ng4

This loses a pawn for no good reason.

9. exd5 e5 10. Nc4 e4 11. Nxd6 cxd6 12. Bf4 Qg6 13. dxe4 fxe4 14. Ng5

Threatening 15. Bxe4 or 15. Nxe4. Now Black's position is very uncomfortable, and he feels forced to sacrifice the exchange.

14...Rxf4 15. gxf4 Nf6 16. Qe2 Bg4 17. Bxe4

If now 17..Bxe2 18. Bxg6 hxg6 19. Rxe2 leaves White two pawns and the exchange up, with no prospects at all for Black (19...Nxd5?? 20. Re8#).  Doug understandably keeps the Queens on the board, hoping for a Kingside attack.

17...Qh5 18. Bxh7+

18...Kh8 is the only move to stave off immediate disaster.  The unappealing alternatives are (i) 18...Kf8 19. Qe7# (ii) 18...Nxh7 19. Qe8+ Qxe8 20. Rxe8+ Nf8 and 21. Ne6, and both Knights are pinned.  In this latter variation 19...Nf8 does not help, as after 20. Re3 White can double Rooks with a triple bind on the e-file plus that deadly pin on the b8 Knight.

18...Kh8 19. f3 Bxf3 20. Qxf3 Qxf3 21. Nxf3 Kxh7 22. c4

Black is two Pawns and the exchange down, and the b8 Knight is still undeveloped.  d4, e6 and the e-file belong to White, and his pieces will dominate the board.  This is now an easy win.

22...Na6 23. Re6 Rd8 24. Rae1 Nc5 25. Re7 a5 26. Ng5+ Kg6 27. Ne6 Nxe6 28. R1xe6 Rb8 29. b3 b5 30. Rxd6 bxc4 31. Rc6 Rh8 32. Rxc4 Nxd5 33. Re5 Nb4 34. Rxa5 Rb8 35. Ra7 Kf6 36. Rcc7 g6 37. Rf7+ Ke6 38. Rae7+ Kd5 39. Rb7 Rxb7 40. Rxb7 Nxa2 41. Rg7 Ke4 42. Rxg6 Kxf4 43. h4 Nc3 44. h5 Ne2+ 45. Kf2 Nd4 46. h6 Kf5 47. Rg1

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