County Match (Open) 2015-16: Sussex – Essex

   [Event "County Match"]  [Site "Hassocks"]  [Date "2015.11.21"]  [Round ""]  [White "Mansson, James C"]  [Black "Howson, Jim B"]  [Result "1/2-1/2"]  [Eco "A85"]  [Annotator "Mansson, James C"]  [Source ""]   1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 f5 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bf4 c6 6.e3 Be7 7.Bd3 O-O 8.O-O {This is probably not the most challenging. White's stronger options involve delatying castling.} ( 8.Qc2 $14) ( 8.Ne5 $14) Ne4 9.Nd2 Nd7 10.f3 Nxd2 ( 10...Nxc3 11.bxc3 $14) ( 10...g5 {!} 11.Bg3 Nxg3 $10) 11.Qxd2 Bg5 12.Bxg5 Qxg5 13.cxd5 {White looks to fix the pawn structure in preparation for playing e4.} exd5 ( 13...cxd5 {?!} {gives White the extra option of attacking down the c-file.} ) 14.Rae1 {White has the initiative, and is planning to play e4. Black needs to do his best to prevent that.} Qe7 {?!} {This allows White to play e4 far too easily.} ( 14...Nf6 ) ( 14...Re8 ) 15.e4 {!} {When White is able to force this through against the Dutch, Black is usually in trouble. That is certainly the case here.} Qb4 ( 15...fxe4 16.fxe4 Rxf1+ 17.Bxf1 dxe4 18.Bc4+ Kh8 19.Nxe4 $20) 16.Bb1 ( 16.exd5 Qxd4+ 17.Rf2 ) c5 {?} 17.a3 {!} Qxd4+ 18.Qxd4 cxd4 {Despite the simplifications, Black's position is bad because the game has opened up with him badly behind in development.} 19.Nxd5 $16{Despite the simplifications, Black's position is bad because the game has opened up with him badly behind in development.} fxe4 20.fxe4 g6 21.Ba2 Rb8 22.Nc7+ Kh8 23.Ne6 {?!} ( 23.Rxf8+ {!} Nxf8 24.e5 $20) Rxf1+ 24.Rxf1 d3 {!} {The best try, looking to deflect the rook from the f-file.} 25.Rd1 {?} ( 25.Rf3 {!} {is better as it prevents ...Ne5 and ...Nf6 by staying on the f-file one move more.} d2 26.Rd3 {This shows the other advantage over Rd1, namely that the rook is now in a position to check on d8 if the knight moves.} Nf6 ( 26...Ne5 {??} {is no longer possible.} 27.Rd8# ) 27.Rd8+ Ng8 28.Rxd2 Bxe6 29.Bxe6 $16) Ne5 26.h3 Bxe6 27.Bxe6 Re8 28.Bd5 Rc8 29.Bxb7 Rb8 30.Ba6 Rxb2 31.Bxd3 Rb3 32.Bf1 Kg7 {?!} ( 32...Rxa3 $14{was more natural. Black's only problem is the lack of a secure square for the knight. He should be able to hold.} ) 33.Rd5 {Now White has some chances because of his extra pawn. However, it is difficult to make progress.} Kf6 34.Rd6+ Kg5 35.Ra6 Rb7 36.Re6 Nf7 37.a4 {?!} ( 37.Bc4 $16 {intending to place the bishop on d5 looks stronger.} ) Nd8 38.Re8 Nc6 39.a5 Kf4 40.a6 Re7 41.Rc8 Nb4 {?!} ( 41...Ne5 $10) 42.Kf2 Re6 {?} ( 42...Rf7 $14) 43.Rc7 {?} {Missing a chance.} ( 43.g3+ {!} {looks to hold the e-pawn rather than the a-pawn. As the following variations show, Black is hard put to stop it advancing.} Ke5 ( 43...Kxe4 {??} 44.Rc4+ $20) ( 43...Kg5 {This is similar to ...Ke5.} 44.h4+ Kf6 45.Ke3 $16{Now snatching the a-pawn is not a good idea.} Nxa6 {?!} 46.Bc4 Rb6 47.Rf8+ Ke5 48.Re8+ Kd6 49.e5+ Kd7 50.Rh8 h5 51.e6+ Ke7 52.Rh7+ $20) 44.Ke3 $16{Now snatching the a-pawn is not a good idea.} Nxa6 {?!} 45.Bc4 Rb6 46.Re8+ Kd6 47.e5+ Kd7 48.Rh8 Nc7 49.Rxh7+ $20) Nxa6 44.Rxa7 Nc5 45.Rf7+ Kg5 46.Rxh7 Nxe4+ { While White does have an extra pawn and bishop against knight, the fact that the pawns are all on the same side means that Black should be able to hold comfortably. While White makes an attempt to squeeze something out of the position, it never looks like working.} 47.Kg1 Ng3 48.Bc4 Rc6 49.Bd5 Rc1+ 50.Kf2 Nh1+ 51.Ke3 Re1+ 52.Kd4 Ng3 53.Bf3 Nf5+ 54.Kc5 Nh4 55.Bd5 Rc1+ 56.Kd6 Nf5+ 57.Kd7 Rd1 58.Kc6 Rc1+ 59.Kb6 Rb1+ 60.Ka5 Ra1+ 61.Kb4 Rb1+ 62.Kc3 Rd1 63.Bb7 Ne3 64.Re7 Nd5+ 65.Bxd5 ( 65.Kc2 Nxe7 66.Kxd1 Kf4 $10) Rxd5 66.Re4 Kf5 67.Rg4 Rd1 68.g3 g5 69.Rd4 Rh1 70.h4 gxh4 71.gxh4 Rh3+ 72.Kc4 Kg6 73.Kd5 Kh5 74.Ke5 Rxh4 75.Rxh4+ Kxh4 1/2-1/2