[Event "B&DCL Team knockout"] [Site "?"] [Date "2018.03.22"] [Round "?"] [White "Searing, Geoff"] [Black "Fuller, David"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A85"] [Annotator "David Fuller"] [PlyCount "74"] [EventDate "2018.??.??"] {The semi-final of the Team Handicap KO cup v Dorchester. My record against Geoff was Won 1, Lost 2 previously despite getting good positions.} 1. d4 e6 2. c4 f5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 5. e3 Bxc3+ {Yeah, I know I should probably wait for a3 or something, but I liked the general idea of getting rid of the Nc3, pushing the Bg5 with h6 and the b6/Bb7. Keeps everything simple and gets a few moves out of the way without using too much time. Besides, the GingerGM recommends this so there we are.} 6. bxc3 h6 7. Bh4 d6 8. Be2 O-O 9. Nf3 b6 10. O-O Bb7 11. Qb3 {This doesn't seem a good idea to me in general terms. The Queen looks offside here. Fritz now says it's equal.} c5 {This seems right to me: fixing c4 which blocks in the white-squared Bishop.} 12. Rfd1 Nbd7 13. h3 { I think this is a mistake. OK, there is a place for the Bishop, but now there is a direct route to breaking up White's kingside pawns. The next three moves suggest themselves automatically.} g5 14. Bg3 Ne4 15. Bh2 g4 {Contact... what can White do here? If 16. hxg4, fxg4 and the f-pawn goes with the exchange. If 16. Ne1, then Qh4, 17. g3 Qxh3 can't be good. And so...} 16. Nd2 Nxd2 17. Rxd2 gxh3 18. Bxd6 {The best move says Fritz, played with 3 seconds thought by my opponent with gusto, perhaps I had missed something.} (18. gxh3 Qg5+ 19. Bg3 f4 20. exf4 Rxf4 {just looks too dodgy to me with the King stuck on g1, e.g.} 21. Kh2 Rxf2+ 22. Bxf2 Qg2#) 18... hxg2 {Up to now, I am pleased to report that Fritz agreed with every one of our moves except 13.h3 (and 5...Bxc3+ of course, but that doesn't count). Highly unusual for my games to contain no (major) mistakes thus far, but I think this reflects how easy it is to play these Classical Dutch systems when White plays along.} 19. Bxf8 {But this is losing.. .} Qh4 {Fritz now says -7.00, so in theory this should just be closing the game out (in theory!).} 20. f3 Rxf8 21. Qd1 {OK. Here is where things go a little slowly for Black. Excuses: 1) Vague thoughts about time trouble (20 mins left each), 2) a bit nervious about messing up needing this win, 3) re repeated moves... I am aware that the Russian view is that repeating moves when you have the upper hand is a demonstration of strength (?) .} Kh8 22. Qe1 Qh1+ 23. Kf2 Qh4+ 24. Kg1 Qh1+ 25. Kf2 Qh2 {Repeat move cycle #1. But I liked this move as the threat of g1=Q# forces the win of Rook for Queen.} 26. Qg1 Qh4+ 27. Kxg2 Rg8+ 28. Kf1 Qh3+ 29. Kf2 Qh4+ 30. Kf1 Rxg1+ {Repeat move cycle #2, just so that I can get to move 35 should extra time be needed.} 31. Kxg1 Qg3+ 32. Kh1 Qf2 {This is good enough, but I completely missed that after Nf6, Ng4 was threatened because of the pin of the f3 pawn. Doh. That would have been much quicker and Eric would have been happier.} 33. Rad1 cxd4 34. e4 fxe4 35. Rxd4 exf3 {Reached the time control OK, and its all over now thankfully for Black.} 36. Bf1 Qg3 37. Rxd7 f2+ {... and Resigns as 38. Rxb7, Qg1#. A really pleasing game from my perspective, especially as Mike was having similar fun with his Grand Prix Attack on Board 1, and further because of the need for the full point for the team.} 0-1