The November clinic was devoted to the topic of good defence, which tends to be quite rare at amateur level. The top requirements include calculating ability, objectivity and a refusal to give in without making the best possible fight of it. There's also a need to counterattack wherever possible, which is not always easy after having been under pressure.
The following position was reached in one of the submissions, with White having just played 25.Nf3-d4 (see diagram below). What should Black now do?
The answer was the brilliant 25...g5!, which undermined White's central wedge and brought the bishop on g7 to life. After 26.Qxe4 gxf4 27.Qxf4 Ng6 28.Qe4 Qxe5 Black had broken the attack and stood better, though he narrowly failed to win.
Nigel Davies
