Horsham Club Rapidplay 2023-24: Mansson – Savill

   [Event "Horsham Club Rapidplay"]  [Site "Horsham"]  [Date "2023.09.12"]  [Round "1.1"]  [White "Mansson, James C"]  [Black "Savill, Jordy"]  [Result "1-0"]  [ECO "D06"]  [Annotator "Mansson,James"]  [PlyCount "71"]  [EventDate "2023.09.01"]  [EventType "tourn (rapid)"]  [EventCountry "ENG"]   {Time control: 20 minutes plus 5 second increment} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 d5 $6 {  This is an inferior defence to the Queen's Gambit, as White can easily  liquidate Black's presence in the centre.} 3. cxd5 Nxd5 4. Nf3 $1 {It is best  to play this before e4, so as not to allow Black the counterblow ...e5.} e6 $6  {Black should try something more active.} (4... Bf5 $5 {is not especially good  for Black, but is surely a better practical choice.} 5. Nbd2 $1 {looks like a  good response, however. White threatens e4, but unlike 5 Nc3, Black cannot  take the knight, holding up e4 further.}) 5. e4 Nb6 6. Nc3 Bb4 7. Bd3 N8d7 8.  O-O O-O 9. e5 $1 {This looks strong, opening the bishop's diagonal, while  preventing the defensive move ...Nf6 by Black.} h6 (9... c5 $2 {allows the  standard "Greek Gift" sacrifice:} 10. Bxh7+ $1 Kxh7 11. Ng5+ Kg6 (11... Kg8 12.  Qh5 $18) (11... Kh6 12. Qd3 $18) (11... Kh8 12. Qh5+ Kg8 13. Qh7#) 12. Qd3+ f5  (12... Kh5 13. Qh7+ Kg4 14. h3#) (12... Kh6 13. Qh7#) 13. exf6+ Kxf6 (13... Kh5  14. Qh7+ Kg4 15. h3#) (13... Kh6 14. Qh7#) 14. Re1 {and White has a powerful  attack, e.g.} Nb8 15. Nxe6 $1 Bxe6 16. Bg5+ $1 Kxg5 17. Rxe6 $18 {and Black  has to give up the queen to avoid being mated.}) 10. Bc2 c5 11. a3 (11. Qd3 f5  12. exf6 Nxf6 13. Bxh6 $5 {looks strong, e.g.} gxh6 14. Qg6+ Kh8 15. Qxh6+ Kg8  16. Qg6+ Kh8 17. dxc5 Bxc3 18. bxc3 Nbd7 19. Rae1 $18) 11... cxd4 12. axb4 dxc3  13. bxc3 Nd5 14. Bxh6 $2 {This is the wrong move order.} (14. Qd3 f5 15. exf6  N7xf6 16. Bxh6 $1 {looks strong, e.g.} gxh6 17. Qg6+ Kh8 18. Qxh6+ Kg8 19. Qg5+  Kh8 20. Ne5 $18) 14... gxh6 15. Qd3 f5 16. exf6 N7xf6 $2 (16... Rxf6 $1 $13 {  This occurred to me during the game after I had played 14 Bxh6, but  fortunately my opponent did not consider it! White seems (based on the  computer's analysis) to have enough for the piece but Black seems to hold.}) (  16... Qxf6 $4 17. Qh7# {is not to be recommended, however.}) 17. Qg6+ Kh8 18.  Qxh6+ Kg8 19. Ng5 $2 {Black should be able to defend against this.} (19. Qg5+  $1 Kh8 (19... Kf7 20. Ne5+ Ke8 (20... Ke7 21. Qg7+ {transposes}) 21. Qg6+ Ke7  22. Qg7+ Kd6 (22... Ke8 23. Bg6+ Rf7 24. Qxf7#) 23. Ra6+ $3 bxa6 24. Nc4+ Kc6  25. Ba4#) 20. Ne5 Qc7 21. c4 $1 {wins back the piece with interest, as the  knight cannot move, e.g.} Nc3 (21... Nxb4 22. Qh6+ Kg8 23. Ra3 $18) 22. Ng6+  Kg7 23. Nxf8+ Kxf8 24. Qxf6+ $18) 19... Qe7 20. Rae1 Nxc3 $2 {This allows the  rook into the attack.} (20... Qg7 21. Qh4 a5 22. Nxe6 Bxe6 23. Rxe6 $44 {  seems roughly balanced, with three pawns and some attacking chances vs the  extra piece.}) 21. Re3 {Black cannot meet the dual threat to the knight on c3  and bringing the rook to g3 or h3, with devastating threats,} Ng4 22. Qg6+ Qg7  23. Qxg7+ Kxg7 24. Rxc3 b6 25. Rc7+ Kh6 26. h4 {White threatens mate, which is  tempting in a rapid game.} (26. Nf7+ {looks simpler, however.} Kh5 27. h3 Nh6 (  27... Nf6 28. Re1 $18) 28. g4+ Kh4 29. Nxh6 $18) 26... Nf6 27. g4 Ba6 28. Nf7+  {White decided to force simplifications, as both players were now very short  of time.} Rxf7 29. Rxf7 Bxf1 30. Rxf6+ Kg7 31. Rg6+ Kf7 32. Kxf1 Rc8 {This  wins the piece back, but at the cost of reaching a lost pawn endgame.} 33. Bd3  Rc3 34. Ke2 Rxd3 35. Kxd3 Kxg6 36. b5 $1 {This move, fixing the Black  queenside pawns, leaves him with a hopeless task in the endgame, so he  resigned.} (36. b5 $1 a5 {does not work now (or later) because of the simple}  37. bxa6 b5 38. a7 b4 39. a8=Q {and White easily wins the pawn race, even if  his king could not stop the Black pawn.}) 1-0