Horsham Chess Club Quickplay Knockout 2022-23: Mansson – Trofin

Yesterday night was the last meeting of the club before Christmas. I took the opportunity to play my third round match in the Quickplay Knockout Plate Competition against Marian Trofin. I managed to win 2-0, taking me into the semi-final.
The first game saw me build up a big advantage out of the opening; I managed to convert this without much trouble. The second game was a longer affair, as I managed to grind my opponent down in a superior endgame.
I give the games below with some notes.
   [Event "Horsham Chess Club Quickplay Knockout"]  [Site "Horsham"]  [Date "2022.12.20"]  [Round "3.1"]  [White "Mansson, James C"]  [Black "Trofin, Marian"]  [Result "1-0"]  [ECO "D15"]  [WhiteElo "2121"]  [BlackElo "1803"]  [Annotator "Mansson,James"]  [PlyCount "63"]  [EventDate "2022.09.01"]  [EventType "k.o. (rapid)"]  [EventCountry "ENG"]  [SourceVersionDate "2022.09.07"]   1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 h6 $6 {This is a waste of time here, unless White  plays a system where Bg5 would be desirable.} 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. e3 {This seems a  sensible line, as ...h6 is not useful against it.} Bg4 6. Qb3 $1 {This is a  smart way of exploiting the weakness on b7.} Bxf3 $6 {This is dubious for  tactical reasons.} (6... Qb6 {would be more solid.}) 7. Qxb7 $1 {This is the  main point of White's previous move; he threatens to take the rook on a8,  while the bishop remains en prise on f3.} Nbd7 ({The zwischenzug} 7... Bxg2 {  is not much better because of} 8. Bxg2 Nbd7 9. cxd5 cxd5 10. Nxd5 Nxd5 11. Bxd5  $16 {with an extra pawn and the bishop pair.}) 8. gxf3 Qc8 {Black could see no  way to deal with the threat of taking on c6 than offer the exchange of queens.}  9. Qxc8+ Rxc8 10. f4 $1 {White wants to clamp down on potential Black  counterplay. He starts by preventing ...e5.} e6 (10... c5 $5 {is attempt to  mix things up, but White seems to have several good replies. However, it might  have been worth a try in a rapid game, as White needs to play accurately.} 11.  dxc5 (11. cxd5 cxd4 12. exd4 Nb6 13. Bb5+ Kd8 14. Bd2 Nfxd5 15. Nxd5 Nxd5 16.  Ba5+ Nb6 17. f5 $16 {leaves Black in a bind.} Rc2 $2 18. Bc3 $18 {followed by  Bd3 traps the rook.}) (11. Nxd5 Nxd5 12. cxd5 cxd4 13. Bd2 g6 14. Bb5 Bg7 15.  Ke2 $16 {intending Rac1 looks very strong.}) 11... dxc4 (11... Nxc5 12. cxd5  $18 {leaves White two pawns up with the bishop pair.}) (11... Rxc5 12. b4 Rc8  13. c5 $18 {White has a very strong connected passed pawn.}) 12. b4 cxb3 13.  axb3 Nxc5 (13... Rxc5 14. Rxa7 {is very strong because of} Rxc3 15. Ra8+ $18)  14. Rxa7 e6 (14... Nxb3 $2 15. Bb5+ Kd8 16. O-O $18 {intending Rd1+}) 15. Bb5+  Ncd7 16. Ke2 Rxc3 17. Bxd7+ Nxd7 18. Ra8+ Ke7 19. Ba3+ Nc5 20. Bb4 Rc2+ 21. Kd1  $18) 11. c5 $1 {The next step is to prevent c5. Black's position is now very  passive.} Be7 12. b4 {White now arranges his queenside pieces and pawns to  support an advance there when he is ready.} O-O 13. a4 Nb8 14. Ba3 Ng4 {  Black hopes to follow up with ...Bh4, but White easily stops that.} 15. h3 Nf6  16. Bd3 Nfd7 17. Kd2 f6 18. f5 $1 {White prevents Black opening the f-file,  reducing his prospects of counterplay.} e5 19. f3 Bd8 20. Rhg1 Rf7 21. b5 Ba5  22. Rab1 Nf8 23. Bb4 Bd8 24. Ke2 a5 25. Ba3 Nh7 26. h4 $1 {White keeps the  Black knight bottled up by preventing ...Ng5.} Re7 27. Kd2 Bc7 28. Rg4 (28.  bxc6 $5 {is a sharper approach.}) 28... Nf8 (28... exd4 29. exd4 h5 30. Rg2  Bf4+ 31. Kc2 Ree8 (31... Be3 $2 32. Re1 $18 {wins of a piece due to the pin,  as White will follow up with Rge2.}) 32. Ne2 Be3 (32... Bc7 $2 33. b6 $18 {  traps the bishop.}) (32... Bh6 {is met in the same way as 32...Be3 with} 33. b6  $18 {etc.}) 33. b6 $18 {followed by Bb2-c3 and either Bxa5 or Ng3xh5.}) 29. b6  Bd8 30. Rbg1 Rb7 31. Ne2 {White intends Ng3-h5, with intolerable pressure on  g7.} Be7 $4 {Black cracks, allowing a quick mate, although his position is  obviously hopeless.} 32. Rxg7+ (32. Rxg7+ Kh8 33. Rg8+ Kh7 34. R1g7#) 1-0   [Event "Horsham Chess Club Quickplay Knockout"]  [Site "Horsham"]  [Date "2022.12.20"]  [Round "3.2"]  [White "Trofin, Marian"]  [Black "Mansson, James C"]  [Result "0-1"]  [ECO "D00"]  [WhiteElo "1803"]  [BlackElo "2121"]  [Annotator "Mansson,James"]  [PlyCount "100"]  [EventDate "2022.09.01"]  [EventType "k.o. (rapid)"]  [EventCountry "ENG"]  [SourceVersionDate "2022.09.07"]   1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. h3 $6 {This move looks rather pointless here.} (3. Bg5 {  is the traditional Veresov Attack.}) (3. Bf4 {is the fashionable Jobava  Variation.}) 3... e6 (3... c5 {would lead to a Chigorin with colours reversed,  where White's extra move h3 does not look that useful.} 4. Bg5 cxd4 5. Bxf6  gxf6 6. Qxd4 e6 7. e4 Nc6 8. Bb5 Bd7 9. Bxc6 bxc6 10. Qd3 {would be White's  best continuation, leading to a standard Chigorin position (other than the  extra move h3) with colours reversed.}) 4. a3 $5 {White decides to prevent ...  Bb4, which does at least have more point that his previous move.} c5 5. Nf3 Nc6  6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Bc5 9. e3 Be7 10. Bb5 Bd7 11. O-O O-O $11 {  Black has a very solid postion out of the opening. His only issue is his  somewhat passive light-squared bishop.} 12. Bg3 Nxd4 13. Qxd4 a6 14. Be2 Rc8  15. Rac1 Bc5 16. Qh4 Be7 17. Qd4 Bc6 {While a repetition would suit Black from  a match perspective, he wanted to win this game to help restore his rapidplay  rating! In any case, Black is perfectly justified in playing on based on his  position.} 18. Be5 Bd6 19. f4 Ne8 20. Bg4 (20. f5 Bxe5 21. Qxe5 Qd6 22. Qxd6  Nxd6 23. fxe6 fxe6 $15) 20... f5 $1 {Black blocks White's progress on the  kingside, while enhancing his control of e4.} 21. Bh5 Nf6 22. Bxf6 Qxf6 23.  Qxf6 Rxf6 $15 {This endgame is obviously rather promising fro Black, because  of his bishop pair and the weak White pawn on e3.} 24. Bf3 Bc5 25. Rfe1 Rff8  26. Rcd1 b5 {Black initiates a typical minority attack on the queenside.} 27.  Kf2 Rfd8 {Black decided on a slow build-up, which is natural in a quick game.}  ({However} 27... b4 $1 {at once is strong, when} 28. axb4 Bxb4 $17 {creates  pressure on c3.}) 28. Ne2 Kf7 29. c3 Bb7 30. Nc1 a5 31. Nd3 Bd6 32. Rd2 Ba6 33.  g3 g6 34. g4 b4 {Black decides makes a break now, having arranged his pieces  appropriately.} 35. cxb4 Bxd3 36. Rxd3 axb4 37. a4 Rc2+ 38. Re2 Rdc8 39. b3  R8c3 {White has obtained a protected passed pawn, but this is easily stopped,  while otherwise his position is very passive.} 40. Rxc2 $6 (40. Rd1 {is a  better try, although Black is still on top, e.g.} Bc5 41. Rxc2 Rxc2+ 42. Be2  Rb2 43. Rd3 Bf8 44. Ke1 Bg7 {threatening ...Bc4+ and ...Rxb3} 45. Bd1 Bc3+ 46.  Kf1 Kf6 47. Kg1 fxg4 48. hxg4 h5 49. gxh5 gxh5 50. Bxh5 Rxb3 $17) 40... Rxc2+  $6 {Black should take the other rook, when White cannot protect both of his  weak pawns.} (40... Rxd3 {threatens ...Rxb3 and if} 41. Rb2 Bc5 $19 {White  covers b3, but cannot cover e3.}) 41. Kg3 {White's postion is now not so easy  to penetrate, but also not so easily to defend either. Over the following  moves, Black gradually manages to improve his position until his advantage  becomes pretty big.} Be7 42. Bd1 Rc1 43. Kf3 Bf6 44. Ke2 Bc3 45. gxf5 gxf5 46.  Kf3 Rb1 47. Kg3 Rb2 48. Kf3 Kg6 49. Kg3 {This leads to a rapid loss. However,  White no longer had any really good moves.} (49. Be2 {allows} Rxb3 $17) (49. h4  Kf7 50. h5 Ke7 $19 {and White has run out of safe moves.}) 49... Be1+ 50. Kf3  Rf2+ (50... Rf2+ 51. Kg3 Rd2+ 52. Kf3 Rxd3 $19 {is simplest in a rapid game.} (  52... Rh2 $5 $18 {is the computer suggestion, intending ...Bh4 and ...Rf2#,  against which White has not defence.})) 0-1
Horsham Chess Club Quickplay Knockout 2022-23: Mansson – Trofin

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