Horsham Club Championship 2021-22: Mansson – Comley

   [Event "Horsham Club Championship (Rook)"]  [Site "Horsham"]  [Date "2022.02.01"]  [Round "?"]  [White "Mansson, James C"]  [Black "Comley, Ian S"]  [Result "1-0"]  [ECO "C88"]  [Annotator "jmansson"]  [PlyCount "83"]  [EventDate "2021.??.??"]  [EventType "tourn"]   1. e4 e5 {As in their previous game, Black surprises White with his choice of  opening.} (1... e6 {has been Black's regular choice for a while.}) 2. Nf3 Nc6  3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. a4 {White chooses the  Anti-Marshall.} (8. c3 d5 {with the Marshall Attack is what White wants to  avoid.}) 8... Bb7 9. d3 d6 10. Bd2 $5 {White prevents the Black knight from  moving to a5.} b4 11. a5 $5 {This is a standard idea, aiming to isolate the  pawn on b4.} (11. c3 {is another approach.}) 11... d5 $5 {This seems to work  well now.} 12. exd5 Nxd5 13. Bc1 {Defending b2, so taking on e5 becomes an  option.} (13. Nxe5 $6 Nxe5 14. Rxe5 Bf6 {wins the pawn on b2 with the superior  position.}) 13... Kh8 {This is not really necessary, although not that bad.} (  13... Nf6 {looks fine for Black.} 14. Nxe5 Nxe5 15. Rxe5 Bd6 {seems to give  Black good compensation for the pawn, e.g.} 16. Re1 Qd7 17. Nd2 Qf5 {followed  by ...Rae8}) 14. Nxe5 {Taking the pawn is of course critical, although Black  does seem to have compensation.} (14. Nbd2 Nf4 {is a bit awkward for White.}  15. Bc4 (15. Nxe5 $2 Nxg2 $1 {is very strong.}) (15. Nc4 $2 Nxg2 $1 16. Kxg2  Nd4 {is obviously good for Black.}) 15... Nd4 16. Nxd4 exd4 17. Nf3 Bd6 {  and Black has a decent position.}) 14... Nxe5 15. Rxe5 Bd6 $4 {This is a  serious mistake.} (15... Bf6 16. Re1 Bd4 {and Black seems to have enough for  the pawn.}) 16. Rxd5 {White now obtains two pieces for a rook, with a winning  position.} Bxh2+ 17. Kxh2 Bxd5 18. Bxd5 Qxd5 19. Nd2 {Black's chances are  based on White's pieces being underdeveloped, so White's initial goal is to  bring them all into play, while keeping an eye on Black's attempts to launch a  quick attack with his queen and rooks.} Rae8 20. Nf3 Re6 21. Be3 Qd6+ 22. g3 {  White has a good think over this move. It is useful to be able to play the  bishop on f4, but the concern is that the protection of the knight is  undermined, and also that both the Black queen and one of the rooks might be  able to focus on the h1 square to deliver a snap mate. However, White  concluded that these concerns are not justified, and so settled on this move.}  (22. Kg1 f5 {seemed a bit awkward to White, although the computer believes it  to be equally playable. White, however, is not a computer!}) 22... Rfe8 (22...  f5 23. Bf4 {shows an advantage of playing g3.}) 23. Ng5 {This allows the Black  rook to h6, but White correctly calculated that this is not dangerous.} Rh6+  24. Kg1 Qd5 {This threatens mate on h1, but is easily countered.} (24... Qc6 $4  25. Nxf7+ {is naturally not a good idea.}) (24... Qg6 25. Nxf7+ Qxf7 26. Bxh6  gxh6 27. Qd2 {sees White exchange his two pieces for the rook, while winning a  pawn, with a second to follow soon.}) 25. Qf3 {Black now cannot avoid the  exchange of queens, which leads to a comfortably winning endgame for White.}  Qxf3 26. Nxf3 Rc6 27. Rc1 {This seems the safest way to play it, at least for  a human.} f6 28. Kf1 g5 29. Bd2 g4 30. Nd4 Rd6 31. Nf5 Rd5 32. Ne3 Rxa5 33.  Bxb4 {White is happy to exchange his a-pawn for Black's b-pawn, as the former  was just a liability, and now the bishop has access to the long diagonal via  c3.} Rh5 {Black goes for a desparate attack rather than a futile passive  defence.} 34. Kg2 f5 35. Ra1 Re6 36. Ra5 Reh6 37. Nxf5 Rh2+ (37... Rh1 {  is the move Black would like to play, with ...R6h2# to follow, but  unfortunately} 38. Nxh6 {upsets his plans!}) 38. Kf1 Rh1+ 39. Ke2 Re6+ 40. Ne3  Rc1 (40... h5 41. Bc3+ Kg8 42. Be5 {attacks the weak pawn on c7, while  rendering ...h4 ineffective.} Rc6 (42... h4 43. gxh4 Rxh4 44. Bxc7 {wins.}) 43.  d4 {followed by d5 is decisive.}) 41. Rc5 c6 42. Kd2 {Black now resigned as  the g-pawn falls. Further resistance is futile.} 1-0