Horsham Club Championship 2017-18: Comley – Mansson

   [Event "Horsham Club Championship (Rook)"]  [Site "Horsham"]  [Date "2018.01.23"]  [Round "?"]  [White "Comley, Ian"]  [Black "Mansson, James C"]  [Result "1-0"]  [ECO "A20"]  [Annotator "jmansson"]  [PlyCount "75"]  [EventDate "2018.??.??"]   1. c4 e5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 h6 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Nd5 Nxd5 6. Bxd5 O-O (6... c6 7. Bg2  O-O 8. a3 Be7 $11) 7. a3 Bc5 (7... Be7 $11) 8. b4 Bd4 9. Rb1 c6 10. Bg2 Bb6 11.  Bb2 Bc7 {Black assumed that he had to defend the e-pawn here, but in fact he  can sacrifice it for decent compensation.} (11... d5 $5 12. cxd5 (12. Bxe5 dxc4  $13) 12... cxd5 13. Bxe5 Bf5 14. d3 Nc6 15. Bb2 Re8 16. Nf3 Qe7 $44) 12. d4 Re8  $6 {This allows White to head for a position where he has a small positional  advantage.} (12... d6 {was a better try, holding the centre.}) 13. dxe5 Bxe5  14. Bxe5 Rxe5 15. Nf3 Re8 16. O-O (16. Qd6 $5) 16... d6 {Black aims for a  passive but hopefully defensible position. The fact that he has already  exchanged a couple of minor pieces means that he is not too cramped.} (16... d5  17. cxd5 cxd5 {was the main alternative, where Black accepted an isolated  queens pawn in order to free his position. It is most likely slightly better  for White, as Black has exchanged his better bishop. However, the loosening of  the White queenside may give Black some extra play.}) 17. Nd4 $1 {A good move:  White improves the position of the knight, prevents ...Bf5 and prepares e4.}  Qf6 18. e4 Be6 19. Qd3 Nd7 20. f4 Nb6 21. Nxe6 {White decides to force matters  rather than continue to build.} Qxe6 22. c5 dxc5 $6 (22... Qc4 $14) 23. bxc5  Red8 $6 (23... Nd7 24. Qc2 Qe7 25. Rxb7 Qxc5+ 26. Rf2 $16) 24. Qf3 $4 {This  blunder turns the game on its head.} (24. Qc2 $1 {leaves White clearly on top.}  ) 24... Nc4 {Now White cannot avoid losing the exchange.} 25. Qb3 Nd2 26. Qxe6  fxe6 27. Rxb7 Nxf1 28. Kxf1 Rd1+ $2 {This is the wrong way to play this  endgame. Black needs to force the exchange of a pair of rooks.} (28... Rab8 $1  29. Rxb8 {White cannot avoid this exchange as otherwise the two rooks combine  to win the bishop.} (29. Rxa7 Rb1+ 30. Kf2 (30. Ke2 Rb2+ 31. Kf3 (31. Kf1 Rd1#)  31... Rd3+ 32. Kg4 Rxg2 $19) 30... Rd2+ 31. Kf3 Rb3+ 32. Kg4 Rxg2 $19) 29...  Rxb8 $19 {Black will easily win the a-pawn and the game.}) 29. Ke2 Rc1 30. Bh3  Rxc5 $2 {This allows White to create a strong passed e-pawn.} (30... Re8 31.  Rxa7 Rc2+ 32. Ke3 Rxh2 $17 {is better for Black as the passed a-pawn is far  less of a problem that the passed e-pawn in the game.}) 31. Bxe6+ Kh8 32. e5  Rc2+ 33. Kf3 Rc3+ 34. Kg4 g5 $2 {White is clearly doing well now, but this is  suicidal.} (34... Rxa3 {had to be tried.}) 35. Kh5 Re8 36. Bf7 Rc8 37. Kxh6  gxf4 38. Be6 {Black resigned as there is no defence to Rh7#} 1-0