4NCL Division 3 2011-12: e2e4.org.uk 2 – 3Cs 2

   [Event "4NCL Division 3"]  [Site "Daventry"]  [Date "2011.11.12"]  [Round "1"]  [White "Abbas, Ahmed (3Cs 2)"]  [Black "Mansson, James (e2e4.org.uk 2)"]  [Result "0-1"]  [Eco "B22"]   1.e4 c5 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Bc4 Nb6 7.Bb3 d5 8.exd6  Qxd6 9.cxd4   {?! This continuation is weak, as it allows Black to complete his development simply.  Better are the main moves 9.O-O and 9.Na3.}   Bf5   {9...Be6 is also good.}   10.Nc3 e6 11.O-O Be7 12.Be3 O-O 13.Rc1 Rfd8 14.Qd2 Bf6 15.Rcd1 Qb4   {Black now has decent pressure on the White d-pawn, although it is not yet  critical. However, White now plays a series of unwise moves that run his position into the ground.}   16.Ne2   {? 16.Rfe1 is clearly more sensible.}   Qxd2 17.Rxd2 Na5 18.Nc1 Nxb3 19.Nxb3   {? This loses material. 19.axb3 leaves Black with a definite superiority, but White has better prospects of holding.}   Nc4 20.Rfd1   {?! It would be a better choice to lose a pawn rather than the exchange.  20.Rdd1 Nxb2 is however still winning for Black.}   Nxd2 21.Rxd2 b6   {Black now has a clear material advantage, and just needs to consolidate. This  move, depriving the White knight of c5, is the first stage in that process.}   22.Bg5   {This exchange of bishops only helps Black.}   Bxg5 23.Nxg5 Rac8   {Now Black looks to exchange a pair of rooks, when White will have no active play at all.}   24.Nf3 Rc2 25.h3 Rxd2 26.Nbxd2 Rc8   {Black's next step is to attack the White queenside pawns.}   27.a3 Rc2 28.b3 b5   {! This is a necessary preparation for ...Ra2, to ensure the win of a pawn.}   29.Kh2 Ra2 30.g4 Bg6 31.a4 bxa4 32.bxa4 Rxa4 33.Kg3 Rb4   {White could see no answer to the plan to advance the a-pawn, and so resigned.}   0-1