[Event "Rated Classical game"] [Site "lichess.org"] [Date "2023.02.21"] [Round "?"] [White "Holland, Edward"] [Black "Pleasants, Allan"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B06"] [WhiteElo "2071"] [BlackElo "2023"] [Annotator "peter"] [PlyCount "76"] [EventDate "2023.??.??"] [SourceVersionDate "2019.03.01"] [TimeControl "2700+15"] 1. e4 d6 2. d4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Be3 a6 5. Qd2 Nd7 6. O-O-O b5 7. f3 Bb7 8. h4 h6 (8... h5 {is more popular but 8...h6 has scored a little better in practice} ) 9. Nce2 {An unusual move in this type of position. Perhaps the rationale was to play Ng3 and f4 followed by f5.} Nb6 10. Ng3 h5 11. Kb1 Qd7 (11... Nf6 { was another good option}) 12. d5 c5 13. dxc6 Qxc6 {We have arrived at a Sicilian Dragon structure with Black's pieces rather better placed than White's. In particular the knight on g3 is impeding White's g-pawn whereas the black knight on b6 is ideally place to jump to a4 or c4.} 14. Nh3 Rc8 15. Qf2 Nc4 (15... Na4 16. Bd4 Nf6 $15) 16. Bxc4 Qxc4 $15 17. Rd3 b4 18. Nf4 Nf6 19. b3 Qb5 20. Re1 O-O 21. Qd2 a5 22. Nd5 Nxd5 23. exd5 {This position looks much better for Black but it is hard to find a concrete kill here} Rc3 (23... Bc3 { The engines say it is safe to grab the exchange but in a practical game you would have to worry the weakening around your own king.}) 24. Rd1 Rfc8 (24... a4 {A natural attacking move and the engines' choice but you have to have good judgement or see a long way to be sure this is better for Black} 25. Bd4 (25. Ne4) 25... Bxd4 26. Rxd4 Rfc8 27. Ne4 Rxc2 28. Qxc2 Rxc2 29. Kxc2 {with material equality but it turns out the active queen is much better than the passive rooks here, especially with the options of playing axb3 or a3 and harrassing the White king, e.g.} f5 (29... Qa5) (29... Ba6) 30. Ng5 Qc5+ 31. Kb1 a3 32. R1d2 Qc3 33. f4 Qe3 34. Nf3 Ba6 {threatening Be2}) 25. Rxc3 bxc3 { presumably with the idea of playing a4 but unfortunately Black never gets time to open the a-file} (25... Rxc3 {leaving the long diagonal and the c-file open kept more pressure.}) 26. Qd3 Qb4 27. Qe4 (27. a4) (27. Ne2) 27... Qxe4 (27... Ba6 $15) 28. Nxe4 a4 {White has done well to survive some pressure and reach an equall position but now makes a positional blunder that lets in Black's pieces.} 29. bxa4 $2 (29. Bd4 $11) 29... Rc4 30. a5 Ra4 31. Bb6 (31. Ka1 { may have given more practical chances}) 31... Ba6 $19 32. Bd8 Bc4 33. Bxe7 Bxa2+ 34. Kc1 Bxd5 (34... Rb4 {threatening Rb8 was even more direct}) 35. Kb1 Ba2+ 36. Kc1 (36. Ka1 {allows White play on. With White's king still boxed in the corrner, Black can pick up the a-pawn easily and then turn his attention the next pawn, which might be the b-pawn, h-pawn or g-pawn depending on what White does. No doubt Black is winning but there is still work to do.}) 36... Bd5 37. Kb1 Rb4+ 38. Kc1 Ba2 {Nd2 is the only way to prevent mate but leaves White piece down} 0-1