[Event "Rated Classical game"] [Site "lichess.org"] [Date "2022.09.13"] [Round "?"] [White "Warren, Alex M"] [Black "Pye, David E"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "A09"] [WhiteElo "2001"] [BlackElo "2055"] [Annotator "peter"] [PlyCount "103"] [EventDate "2022.??.??"] [SourceVersionDate "2019.03.01"] [TimeControl "2700+15"] 1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 d4 3. b4 c5 4. e3 a5 {1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.a4 is a known line in the Benko that normally leads to a strategic battle which is about equal. However, with colours reversed and the extra tempo having being used on playing e3 this is rather provocative and immediately leads to very sharp play. } 5. bxc5 Nc6 6. exd4 Nxd4 7. Bb2 e5 8. Nxe5 Bxc5 9. Be2 {Now Black is faced with a number of tempting choices} Bf5 {exploiting the weakness on c2} (9... Qe7 {trying to prevent White castling by hitting e2}) (9... Qg5 {a direct assault on g2}) (9... Nf6 {just relying on a lead in development for compensation}) 10. O-O Bc2 11. Qe1 Qe7 12. Bh5 g6 13. Nc3 Nf6 (13... gxh5 14. Nd5 $18) 14. Bf3 O-O 15. Nb5 {White has navigated the opening challenges well and has emerged with his extra pawn intact, but at the moment it is stuck on d2.} Nxf3+ (15... Rad8 {aiming maintain a piece on d4 was another option}) 16. Nxf3 Nh5 17. d4 Qxe1 18. Rfxe1 Bb4 19. Re3 Rfe8 20. a3 Bf8 21. Rae1 Rxe3 22. Rxe3 Rc8 23. Rc3 Ba4 24. g3 b6 25. Ne5 $16 Bxb5 {temporarily winning a pawn and seemingly creating a strong passed a-pawn for Black but there is a problem with this} 26. cxb5 Rxc3 27. Bxc3 Bxa3 28. Nc4 {now White is winning the b-pawn to create 2 passers of his own and worse still Black is forced to exchange bishops to avoid the additional loss of the a-pawn} Bb4 29. Bxb4 axb4 30. Nxb6 $18 {it is not too hard for White to round up the black b-pawn from here, leaving what ought to be a straightforward win} Nf6 31. Nc4 Nd7 32. Kf1 b3 33. Ke2 Nb6 34. Nb2 Kf8 35. Kd3 Ke7 36. Kc3 Kd6 37. Kxb3 {the first stage of the mission is accomplished} Kd5 38. Na4 Nc4 39. b6 {It must have been very tempting to force the immediate win of the piece but from a practical point of view this was perhaps not the best choice. The resulting position is still won but requires some care from White as Black gets a very active king.} (39. Kc3 $18 {looks like a very straightforward win}) 39... Kxd4 40. Kb4 (40. b7 $2 Na5+ ) 40... Nd6 41. Nc5 f5 42. b7 Nxb7 43. Nxb7 Ke4 {Black's intention is clear - dissolve all the White pawns!} 44. Kc4 $6 {the win is still there but it now requires extreme accuracy that is beyond most of us, especially when playing with little time.} ({A much more practical approach was} 44. Nc5+ Kf3 45. Nd3 $18 {and it appears impossible for Black to exchange all the pawns - the one of f2 always survives.}) 44... Kf3 45. Kd4 $11 {And now the win has gone} (45. Kd3 $18 {The only way to win and, as the engines reveal, it requires a series of "only moves" as a follow up to secure the win.} Kxf2 46. Nd6 $8 h6 47. Nb5 $8 Kg2 48. Ke2 $8 g5 49. Nd4 $8 f4 {and this is the key difference with the equivalent line starting 45.Kd4 - the king would be on f3 in that line and f4 would deliver check and the white pawns would both be exchanged} (49... Kxh2 50. Nxf5 h5 51. Kf2 h4 52. g4 $18) 50. g4 $18) 45... Kxf2 46. Ke5 (46. Nd6 h6 47. Nb5 Kg2 48. Ke3 g5 (48... Kxh2 49. Kf3 $18) 49. Nd4 f4+ $11) 46... Kg2 47. Nd6 Kxh2 48. Nxf5 h5 49. Nh4 Kxg3 50. Nxg6 Kg4 51. Kf6 h4 52. Nxh4 1/2-1/2