Horsham Club Championship 2017-18: Warren – Mansson

   [Event "Horsham Club Championship (Rook)"]  [Site "Horsham"]  [Date "2017.10.10"]  [Round "?"]  [White "Warren, Nick"]  [Black "Mansson, James C"]  [Result "0-1"]  [ECO "C54"]  [Annotator "jmansson"]  [PlyCount "86"]  [EventDate "2018.??.??"]   1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 {This is the most straightforward way  to play, transposing to the Giuoco Piano, now that White cannot play any of  the sharper lines.} (4... Be7 {is the main choice of Two Knights Defence  players who want to avoid this transposition.}) 5. c3 a6 {Black creates a  retreat for his bishop on a7.} 6. Bb3 {White withdraws the bishop to avoid it  becoming an easy target.} Ba7 {Black withdraws the bishop so d4 will not be so  easy to play, as White will need to defend e4 first.} 7. Nbd2 d6 {White could  of course castle, but wants to get the manouevre ...Nf1-g3 in to save time, as  after 0-0, he would have to play h3 and Re1 first.} 8. Nf1 Ne7 {Black moves  the knight with two ideas in mind: to redeploy it to g6 where it is more  active and to play ...c6 and ...d5.} (8... Ng4 {can be met by} 9. d4) 9. h3 Ng6  10. Qe2 $6 {This is a rather artificial square for the queen.} (10. Ng3 {  is more natural.}) 10... O-O 11. Ng3 Nf4 {This wins the bishop pair and causes  congestion in the White position, but does potentially give White a strong  centre.} 12. Bxf4 exf4 {This not only forces the knight to a poor square in  the short term, but also excludes knights from e3 and g3 in the long term,  preventing the standard manouevres via these squares.} 13. Nf1 b5 14. N1d2 Bb7  15. O-O Nh5 $6 {While it is tempting to threaten ...Ng3, this is met easily  enough, and then the knight is out of play on h5.} (15... c5 {at once is  better, keeping up the pressure on the centre. Black will most likely follow  up with ...Re8.}) 16. d4 c5 17. Rfe1 g6 18. Rad1 c4 {Black didn't want to  release the pressure on the centre like this, but otherwise White may be able  to open things up with dxc5, which Black felt could be awkward.} 19. Bc2 Re8  20. Qf1 Qc7 21. Re2 $6 {This is a poor square for the rook, where it is  tactically exposed.} a5 {Black aims to place the bishop on a6, where it will  point menacingly at the poorly-placed White major pieces.} 22. a3 Ba6 23. Ra1  Bb6 24. Qe1 b4 $2 {This is tempting but seems to be wrong for tactial reasons.  Black should continue to improve his position by less forcing means.} 25. axb4  $6 (25. Ba4 $1 Re7 (25... Rf8 26. e5 d5 27. e6 fxe6 28. Rxe6 Bc8 29. Bc6 $16)  26. axb4 axb4 27. Bb5 $1 $16 {looks very awkward for Black.}) 25... axb4 26. e5  $6 (26. Ba4 {is still I think slightly better for White, although after} Rf8 (  26... Re7 27. Bb5 $1 $16) 27. e5 {is not strong now the a-file is open due to  Black's counter-threats down it.} d5 28. e6 fxe6 29. Rxe6 Bc8 30. Rc6 Qd8 $11)  26... d5 27. e6 f6 28. Ba4 (28. cxb4 $5 {leads to complications that I think  resolve to a balanced postion, e.g.} c3 29. bxc3 Bxe2 30. Rxa8 Rxa8 31. Qxe2  Qxc3 32. e7 Re8 33. Qe6+ Kg7 34. Qd7 (34. Qxb6 Qxc2 35. Qd8 Qc8 36. Qxd5 Rxe7  $11) 34... Qc8 35. Qxc8 Rxc8 36. Ba4 Kf7 37. e8=Q+ Rxe8 38. Bxe8+ Kxe8 $11)  28... Re7 29. Bd7 Ba5 $6 {This leads to potential difficulties with the  awkward position of the Black pieces on the a-file.} (29... Ra7 $11 {was more  reliable.}) 30. Nf1 $6 (30. cxb4 $1 Bxb4 31. Ra4 $1 $16 {is awkard for Black.  White's immediate threat is to the bishop on b4, but he also has Qa1 in mind,  with a troublesome pin.}) 30... Rb8 31. Qc1 Bc8 32. Bxc8 Rxc8 {Now White has  to worry about the pawn on e6 and weakness on c3.} 33. N1h2 Rce8 $6 {This is  too direct. Black should play on the queenside first, then go after the e-pawn  later.} (33... Rb8 $15 {intending ...bxc3 and ...Rb3, attacking c3, looks good.  }) 34. Qe1 $6 (34. Ra4 {was a better try.}) 34... Qb6 $6 (34... Rb8 {intending  ...bxc3 and ...Rb3, attacking c3, looks very good.}) 35. g4 $2 {This loses.} (  35. Ra4 {was better. Black has pressure on c3, but White is still in the game.}  ) 35... fxg3 36. fxg3 Rxe6 37. Rxe6 Rxe6 $19 {Black is now winning as not only  has he won the e-pawn, White will find it impossible to defend both c3 and g3.}  38. Qf2 bxc3 39. bxc3 Bxc3 40. Ra8+ Kg7 41. Kg2 Re7 42. Ng4 Qb2 43. Rd8 $4 Re2  0-1