Horsham Club Championship 2010-11: Comley – Mansson

   [Event "Horsham Club Championship"]  [Site "Horsham"]  [Date "2011.06.21"]  [White "Comley, Ian"]  [Black "Mansson, James"]  [Result "1/2-1/2"]  [ECO "A12"]   1.c4 c6   {With this move, Black is angling for a transposition into the Slav Defence.  However, most 1 c4 players at club level tend to aim for an independent formation.}   2.g3   {2.e4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.d4 transposes to the Panov Attack in the Caro-Kann Defence; 2.d4 d5 transposes to the Slav Defence; 2.Nf3 d5 and 2.Nc3 d5 usually lead either to the Reti or Slav.}   d5 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.b3   {White opts for the Reti formation.}   Bf5   {This is Black's most solid defence.}   5.Bg2 e6 6.O-O h6   {Preparing a retreat for the bishop is a sensible precaution.}   7.Bb2 Be7 8.d3 O-O 9.Nbd2 a5 10.Nd4   {This is unusual, and not especially effective. 10.a3 Nbd7 11.Qc2 Bh7 12.Bc3 b5 is a more typical continuation. Black seeks counterplay on the queenside. Chances are roughly balanced.}   Bh7 11.e4 Na6   {White was now - as he confessed afterwards - at a loss how to proceed, and decided on a curious double exchange on d5.}   12.cxd5 cxd5 13.exd5 exd5   {Black stands well as White's pawn on d3 is a far more significant weakness than  the Black pawn on d5. Also, the d5 pawn stops White's pieces from moving to c4  or e4. White now tries to occupy f5, but this is easily repulsed.}   14.Qf3 Qd7 15.Ne2 Nb4 16.Nf4 Qb5 17.a3   {?! White shouldn't force Black to play the move he wants to anyway. 17.Rae1 is better.}   Nxd3 18.Nxd3 Qxd3 19.Qxd3 Bxd3 20.Rfe1 Rfe8 21.Re3 Ba6 22.Rae1 Bc5   {?! This lets the Black advantage slip. 22...Kf8 is the move I completely overlooked.}   23.Rxe8+ Nxe8   {23...Rxe8 24.Rxe8+ Nxe8 25.Bxd5 is slightly better for White, if anything.}   24.Bxd5 Rd8 25.Bc4   {?! White offered a draw. 25.Ne4 seems a better try.}   Rxd2 26.Rxe8+ Kh7 27.Bxa6 Rxb2   {?! 27...bxa6 28.Bc3 Rxf2 29.Rc8 Rf5+ 30.Kg2 Bxa3 leaves Black with a strong grip on the position.}   28.Bd3+   {?! 28.Bxb7 is better, when play might go Rxf2 29.Rc8 Rc2+ 30.Kf1 Rc1+ 31.Ke2 Bxa3 32.Rxc1 Bxc1 and the opposite-coloured bishops make a draw likely.}   g6 29.Re5 Bxf2+ 30.Kf1 b6   {?! 30...Rxb3 looks much more promising, e.g. 31.Be2 ( 31.Kxf2 Rxd3 32.Rxa5 Rd2+ 33.Kg1 Rb2 ) Bb6 32.Re7 Rxa3 33.Rxb7 Ra1+ 34.Kg2 Ra2 35.Kf3 ( 35.Rxb6 Rxe2+ 36.Kh3 f5 ) Rb2}   31.Re7   {Now play continued for another 15 moves, but the position remained balanced until the end.}   Bc5 32.Rxf7+ Kg8 33.Bc4 Kh8 34.h4   {White offered a draw.}   b5 35.Be6 Bxa3 36.Rf6 Bc5 37.Rxg6 Rf2+ 38.Ke1 Kh7 39.h5 Rb2 40.Bg8+ Kh8 41.Bd5 Be3 42.Rg8+ Kh7   {Time control}   43.g4 a4 44.bxa4 bxa4 45.Ra8 Rb4 46.Bc6 1/2-1/2