[Event "WDCL Div 1"] [Site "?"] [Date "2022.04.06"] [Round "?"] [White "Miller, Jonathan"] [Black "Coe, Andy"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B23"] [Annotator "Jonathan Millar"] [PlyCount "113"] [WhiteTeam "Culcheth B"] [BlackTeam "Culcheth A"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. Bxc6 bxc6 5. f4 Bg7 6. d3 Nf6 7. Nf3 d6 8. O-O Rb8 9. Qe1 O-O 10. Rb1 Qb6 11. Na4 (11. h3 c4+ 12. Be3 Qa6 13. d4) 11... Qb4 12. b3 Qxe1 13. Rxe1 Bg4 14. Rf1 $6 {Inconsistant} (14. Kf2 {Jonathan- was OK to be played here but I thought that my play would come along the f- file.}) 14... Rb7 {(Doubling Rooks on the ‘dead’ b-file isn’t the best plan. Either 14……Nd7 or …..Bxf3 is preferable)} 15. Nc3 Nh5 16. Ne2 a5 17. a4 Rfb8 18. Bd2 Bh6 19. h3 Bxf3 20. Rxf3 Nf6 21. Rbf1 {This wasn’t probably the best but I thought that I needed to move the rook away from the b-file to avoid any tactics on c4.} (21. Bxa5 c4 22. dxc4 Nxe4) ({or} 21. g4 Ne8 22. Bxa5 {gives white a pawn up advantage}) 21... Nd7 22. Bxa5 d5 {I struggled here to find the right move - normally in these kind of positions the break on f5 and the open file for my rooks would be good. I considered e5.} 23. f5 (23. Bc3 Ra8 24. exd5 cxd5) 23... g5 $2 (23... dxe4 24. dxe4 c4 25. Nd4 $14) 24. Ng3 $4 { Blocking the g3 square from my rook but assuming Rg3, Ne5 then it’s a bit of an impasse but with the rook with limited squares.} (24. exd5 cxd5 25. Rg3 Nf6 26. Bc3 d4 27. Bd2 Nh5 28. Rgf3 g4 29. hxg4 Bxd2 30. gxh5 $18) 24... g4 $1 { Andy came up with a good combination which I overlooked assuming that I could have play and tactics along the g-file.} 25. hxg4 Ne5 {Although Andy has won the exchange I thought it better to swap the N for the rook in the closed position as a N would be an advantage. - Also as it’s not the easiest for Andy to open up for his rooks with the passed a- pawn ,} 26. Bc3 (26. exd5 Nxf3+ 27. gxf3 cxd5 {The engine still gives me the edge.}) 26... Nxf3+ 27. Rxf3 d4 {I don't think that this was the best move - closing the position further.} (27... Ra8) 28. Be1 f6 {I assume that this was to create a square for his king so that he could come down the g-file. I was Ok with this with the hope of being able to push my a-pawn,} 29. Ne2 (29. e5 fxe5 30. Ne4 c4 31. dxc4 e6 32. f6 Bf4 33. Bg3 Kf7 34. Bxf4 exf4 35. Rxf4 d3 36. cxd3 Rxb3 $18) 29... Kf7 30. Bg3 Rg8 31. Bf4 {I was hoping to be able to get my N into play - thinking that I can hold the g-file with king and rook to try and then push my a- pawn. )} Bf8 32. Bh2 {Bd2 and Be1 was probably better then to push a5 and g3.} Rxg4 33. Nf4 {My knight is strong now with e6 as a great square with threats of a fork on d8 and pick up the pawn on c5 (and also possibly d4).} Bh6 34. Ne6 Rd7 { (After this move White is clearly better. 34…….Be3+ followed by Ra7 was preferable, but White would still be better)} 35. Nxc5 (35. Rh3 Be3+ 36. Kf1 h6 ) 35... Rd8 36. Ne6 {(36. Rh3 Be3+ 37. Kf1 h6 38. Bc7 Rdg8 39. g3 e5 40. fxe6+ Ke7 ( I think that my position here is winning but we were both running short on time and the position still had a lot of play left in it!} Rdg8 37. g3 Be3+ 38. Kg2 h5 39. Kh3 {The position is now equal and my edge has slipped away in the lock up. The B on h2 is a weakness and better on e1.} h4 $4 40. Nd8+ { My logic was that I didn’t want Andy's rook on the 2nd rank opening up my position.} (40. gxh4 $1 $18 Rg2 41. Ng5+ R2xg5 42. hxg5 Rxg5 43. Rg3 Rh5+ 44. Kg2 {The passed a pawn will be decisive in the simplified position}) 40... Ke8 41. Nxc6 hxg3 (41... Bf2 $1 42. Rxf2 hxg3) 42. Rxg3 Rxg3+ 43. Bxg3 Kd7 44. Nb4 Rc8 45. Be1 Kd6 46. Kg2 Ke5 {This move should have lost} 47. Kf3 Kd6 48. Bg3+ Kc5 49. Nd5 Re8 50. b4+ Kc6 51. b5+ Kc5 52. b6 {(Good enough to win but 52. Be1 Kd6 53. Bb4+ Kd7 54. c4 dxc3 55. Kxe3 c2 56. Kd2 Rb8 57. Kxc2 was much more convincing)} Kc6 53. Bc7 (53. Nxe3 dxe3 54. a5 {would have won easily}) 53... Bd2 54. Nf4 Ba5 55. Ne6 Bxb6 56. Bxb6 Kxb6 57. Nxd4 1/2-1/2