[Event "Ringwood Invitational 8 Team Battle"] [Site "lichess.org"] [Date "2020.10.26"] [Round "?"] [White "Du Toit, Reenen"] [Black "Doyle, Jamie"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A25"] [WhiteElo "1889"] [BlackElo "1943"] [Annotator "peter"] [PlyCount "80"] [EventDate "2020.??.??"] [TimeControl "300+3"] 1. c4 {Jamie Doyle has repeatedly shown great resilience in his games. Here he plays a very nice endgame, surviving a dodgy middlegame and one endgame hiccup along the way.} e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 d6 5. d3 Bd7 6. e4 Be7 7. Nge2 O-O 8. O-O h6 9. f4 {Black has adopted a passive but solid set up. White can gradually build for a kingside attack and/or play Nd5 at the right time and if Black takes then cxd5 can give pressure down the c-file or exd5 can free e4 for White's pieces. Black's main options are to play for b5 or drop a knight on d4.} exf4 {this concedes central control and opens the g-file against for White.} 10. Nxf4 (10. gxf4 {seems stronger}) 10... Bg4 11. Bf3 (11. Qd2) 11... Bxf3 12. Qxf3 Qd7 13. Nfd5 Nd4 (13... Nxd5 {the position of the white queen gives Black a chance to change the structure under favourable circumstances} 14. cxd5 (14. Nxd5 Ne5 15. Qe2 Rae8 $11 16. d4 (16. Ne3 Qh3 $11) 16... Ng6 $11) (14. exd5 Ne5 $15) 14... Ne5 15. Qe2 c5 $1 {the tempo gained hitting the white queen allows Black to prevent the immediate d4 by White.} 16. dxc6 bxc6 $11) 14. Qf2 Ne6 15. Nxe7+ (15. Ne3 {heading for f5 would have been good}) 15... Qxe7 16. h3 Nc5 17. Qf3 Qe5 18. Kg2 Qd4 19. Bxh6 Qxd3 (19... Nfd7) 20. Qxd3 Nxd3 21. b3 (21. Rxf6 $1 gxh6 (21... gxf6 22. Bxf8 Kxf8 23. b3 $16) 22. b3 $16) 21... Nxe4 $11 (21... Nd7 $11) 22. Nxe4 gxh6 {Despite White being a pawn down, enignes assess this position as at least equal for White, seemingly on the basis that Black cannot activate his pieces easily and h6 and f7 are weak. White's correct plan is to stick his knight on f5 and try to organise pressure against the Black pawns.} 23. Nf6+ Kg7 24. Rf3 Ne5 25. Rf4 Kg6 26. Raf1 a5 27. h4 (27. Nd5 c6 28. Ne7+ Kh7 29. Nf5 d5 30. cxd5 cxd5 31. Nd6 {and White has nothing to fear}) 27... a4 {a good idea to either open the a-file for his rook or create pawn weaknesses in the white formation.} 28. h5+ Kg7 29. b4 a3 $1 { stopping White playing a3 to tidy up his pawns} 30. g4 $17 (30. Nd5 {it is not too late for this} c6 31. Ne3 Ra4 32. Nf5+ Kh7 33. Rb1 Rd8 34. Rb3 {holds the balance}) 30... Ra4 31. Rb1 (31. Nd5 c6 32. Ne7 Rxb4 33. Nf5+ {was the lesser of the evils for White}) 31... Nd3 32. Rf3 Rxb4 $19 {Very good - this was the right way to capture. Suddenly all White's weaknesses are exposed and the a3 pawn is looking dangerous} 33. Rbf1 Ne5 34. Rf5 Rb2+ 35. Kh1 Rxa2 36. g5 hxg5 ( 36... Rb2) 37. Rxg5+ Kh6 38. Rfg1 (38. Rg3 {is still lost would make Blackl work for his win}) 38... Nf3 $4 {Very tempting, forking two rooks and threating mate in 1} (38... Rf2 $19 {is a simple win}) (38... Rh2+ 39. Kxh2 Nf3+ {is a flashier way to an easy ending}) 39. Ng8+ $4 (39. Rg6+ $1 fxg6 40. Rxg6# {a classic knight and rook mating pattern}) 39... Rxg8 40. Rxg8 Rh2# 0-1