[Event "Barrow Club Champonship 23-24"] [Site "?"] [Date "2024.01.10"] [Round "?"] [White "Mackenzie, Matthew"] [Black "Whalley, Frank"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C50"] [WhiteElo "2123"] [BlackElo "1658"] [Annotator "Mackenzie,Matt(Llewellyn,Alan)"] [PlyCount "65"] [EventDate "2024.01.11"] [SourceVersionDate "2024.01.11"] {[%evp 0,31,16,26,26,5,48,24,43,-11,7,48,134,114,114,114,109,109,90,65,56,22, 16,8,21,15,50,31,54,13,13,20,25,20]} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O { I have always played 4c3 here previously, but this is actually quite a tricky move - the "normal" 4...Nf6 can be followed up by 5 d4!? which can be tricky to meet if he doesn't know the theory - 5...Nd4 6 Ne5 and White has a small but clear edge; 5....ed4 6 e5 is the well analysed and trappy Max Lange Attack; most intriguing is 5....Bd4 6 Nd4 Nd4 [6....ed4 7 e5 is also good for White] 7 f4! which can easily get Black into trouble if he doesn't know what he is doing } d6 {so like me in this line, he plays this move to avoid all the above} 5. c3 (5. Ng5 $3 Qxg5 6. d4 Qh4 7. dxc5 Qxe4 8. Bd5 Qg6 9. cxd6 cxd6 10. c3 {with the idea of Qb3} Nge7 11. Bf3 Bh3 $17 {this line doesnt actually work-AL}) 5... h6 {5....Nf6 is best now though, when 6 d3 transposes into the "normal" line that I have played several times before, including against Frank} 6. d4 { White should take the chance to play this if he can, now attempting a "strong point" with 6....Bb6? loses a pawn after 7 de so the next move is forced} exd4 7. cxd4 Bb6 {White has his strong centre, but Black is very solid and will hope to attack it} 8. Nc3 Nf6 9. d5 $5 {maybe a bit too committal, simply 9 h3 avoids the annoying Bg4 pin and leaves the onus on Black as to what to do next after 9....0-0 10 Re1} Ne5 10. Bb5+ {a "new" move according to the database, White played 10 Ne5 in the previous few games cited} Bd7 11. Bxd7+ Qxd7 { according to the computer 11....Nfd7 is slightly better and should give Black equality} 12. Bf4 Nxf3+ {(White's last was objectively not the best, but sets a positional trap which Black falls into - instead 12...Ng6 would leave it balanced} 13. Qxf3 Qg4 $6 {Black has evidently played for this, thinking that swapping off Qs will make his game easier, but....} 14. Be3 $1 {exclamation mark is for how the position turns out in a few moves} Qxf3 15. gxf3 Bxe3 $6 { and this is definitely a bit suspect, he should not fear White swapping off on b6 - not least because ab6 then gives an open file for the R} 16. fxe3 { White now has a very solid pawn mass in the centre that is hard for Black to attack, plus White gets use of the open c-file} a6 {waste of time, 16....Kd7 straight away was better, with the idea of trying to free himself a bit with c6 later} 17. Rac1 Kd7 18. Ne2 Rae8 {and here, playing the R to c8 right away was better} 19. Rc3 Nh7 $6 {another loss of time as it only comes back to f6 later} 20. Rfc1 Rc8 21. Nd4 g6 22. Nb3 $6 b6 $2 {I hoped to provoke this by my previous move, but instead he has to call my bluff and start trying to free himself with 22....c6! after which he is only slightly worse} 23. Nd4 {the computer now gives White a close to decisive advantage, Black is curiously helpless to do anything and must just wait passively} Nf6 24. Nc6 Ne8 { otherwise White will win material by Na7, but again this is totally passive and now his Rooks are no longer coordinated} 25. e5 $1 Rf8 26. e4 h5 {26....g5 would at least have prevented how the game actually ended} 27. a4 {26....g5 would at least have prevented how the game actually ended} a5 28. exd6 Kxd6 ( 28... Nxd6 29. Na7 {is now even more crushing}) 29. Na7 $1 Rb8 30. Nb5+ Kd7 31. Nxc7 Nxc7 (31... Nd6 32. e5 {is overwhelming}) 32. Rxc7+ Kd6 $2 {a swift end, but after 32...Kd8 White's Rooks will double up on the 7th rank and wreak havoc } 33. f4 $1 {and mate next move with 34 R1c6 is unavoidable, so 1-0.} 1-0