Horsham Club Knockout 2011-12: Mansson – Roberts Finished

   [Event "Club Knockout"]  [Site "Horsham"]  [Date "2012.2.28"]  [Round "4"]  [White "Mansson, James C"]  [Black "Roberts, David N"]  [Result "1-0"]  [Eco "A61"]   1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nf3 g6 7.Bf4 a6   {7...Bg7 8.Qa4+ is awkward for Black.}   8.a4 Bg7 9.h3 O-O 10.e3 Re8 11.Nd2 Nh5   {This aggressive-looking move fails to achieve counterplay against White's solid set-up.  11...Nbd7! is better, as White cannot capture on d6, as 12.Bxd6? Nb6 13.Bxc5 Nbxd5 gives Black counterplay. Instead 12.Be2 Ne5 gives a normal Modern Benoni position.}   12.Bh2 Be5 13.Bxe5 Rxe5 14.Nc4 Re8   {White's position looks very strong. Black has allowed the exchange of dark squared-bishops, but because the White e-pawn is on e3 rather than e4, White is not weak on the dark squares. However, White still needs to find a good deployment for his pieces.}   15.a5   {This is probably a waste of time at this point. Black was not yet threatening ...b5, while the weakness of b6 cannot yet be exploited. 15.Be2 followed 16.0-0 is more flexible.}   Qe7   {15...Qc7 may be better, covering b6 with an extra piece.}   16.Be2   {16.Nb6 Ra7 and it is not clear that White can exploit the position of the rook on a7 before Black expels the White knight with ...Nd7.}   Nf6 17.O-O Nbd7 18.Kh1   {White hopes to play f4, without having to worry about the capture on e3 with check. 18.f4 Rb8 19.Bf3 b5 20.axb6 Nxb6 leaves White in trouble.}   Rb8 19.Re1   {This may be inaccurate, as Black gains some counterplay in what follows by hitting the undefended f2 pawn.}   b5 20.axb6 Nxb6 21.Na5 Ne4 22.Nxe4 Qxe4 23.Bf3 Qh4 24.Nc6 Ra8 25.Kg1 Nd7 26.Ra4 Qf6 27.b4   {White looks to eliminate his weakest pawn. This leaves Black with a clear structural disadvantage.}   Nb6 28.Ra2 cxb4 29.Nxb4 Qg5 30.Qd4 Nd7 31.h4 Qe5 32.Qxe5 Rxe5 33.Nd3 Re7 34.Rc1 Nf6 35.Nb4 Bb7 36.Rac2 a5 37.Nc6 Rc7 38.g4 h5 39.g5 Ng4 40.Rb1 Ba6 41.Rcb2 Bd3 42.Rb8+ Rxb8   {Time control}   43.Rxb8+ Kg7   {Sealed move}   44.Ra8 Bb5 45.Bxg4 Bxc6 46.dxc6 hxg4 47.Rxa5 Rxc6 48.Kg2   {White has some advantage in this endgame due to Black's weakened pawn structure, but is it enough to win?}   f5   {Black played this in anticipation of White taking en passant and attempting to wins the g-pawn, when it looked unlikely that White could break through the Black defensive line.}   49.Ra7+   {! This looks like the best winning attempt. The Black king is restricted to the back rank, while White looks for a chance to break through with h5 followed by Kg3-h4xh5.}   Kg8   {Black needs to place his king on f8, when it is hard to see how White can break through.}   50.Rd7 Ra6   {50...Kf8 was again correct.}   51.Kg3 Rb6   {? 51...Kf8 was probably the last chance.}   52.h5   {! Now White seems to be winning.}   gxh5 53.Kh4 Rb2 54.Kxh5 Rxf2   {54...d5 55.Kh6 (55.Kg6 Rb6+) Rb8 56.g6 Ra8 57.Rxd5 Rb8 58.Rd6 Ra8 59.g7 Rb8 60.Rf6 Ra8 61.Kg6 Rb8 62.Rxf5 followed by advancing the e-pawn wins.}   55.Kg6   {Threatening mate.}   Kf8 56.Kf6   {Threatening mate.}   Ke8 57.Re7+ Kd8   {57...Kf8 58.g6 f4 59.g7+ Kg8 60.Re8+ Kh7 61.Rh8#}   58.g6   {Black resigns as 58...Rh2 59.Rh7 g3 60.g7! Rxh7 61.g8=Q+ wins easily.}   1-0