[Event "4NCL online Season 3 Round 1"] [Site "lichess.org"] [Date "2021.01.26"] [Round "?"] [White "Pye, David"] [Black "Bates, Richard"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B23"] [WhiteElo "2187"] [BlackElo "2429"] [Annotator "peter"] [PlyCount "126"] [EventDate "2021.??.??"] [SourceVersionDate "2019.03.01"] [TimeControl "2700+15"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e5 {this idea has become quite popular against Bb5 Sicilians in recent years} 4. Bxc6 dxc6 (4... bxc6 {is also playable}) 5. d3 Ne7 6. Be3 Ng6 7. Qd2 (7. Nge2 Bd6 8. Qd2 Be6 9. f4 exf4 10. Nxf4 {is another way of approaching the position}) 7... Be7 8. g3 h5 9. h4 (9. f4 f5 (9... h4 10. f5 Nf8 11. Nf3 hxg3 12. O-O-O $16 {with e5 and g3 hanging White gets his pawn back and has a much better position}) 10. O-O-O $11) 9... Be6 10. f3 Qd7 11. Nge2 O-O-O (11... O-O 12. O-O-O b5 {would have been razor sharp}) 12. O-O-O Kb8 $11 13. Kb1 Ka8 14. Na4 b6 15. Qc3 Qb7 16. b3 f5 17. Rhg1 Rhf8 {a battle for the f-file commences} 18. Rdf1 fxe4 19. fxe4 Bh3 20. Rxf8 Rxf8 21. Qd2 Bd6 22. Re1 Bg4 23. Ng1 Rf7 24. Qg2 Nf8 25. Rf1 Ne6 26. Nf3 Nd4 27. Ng5 Rf6 28. Nh7 Rxf1+ (28... Rf7 {would have offered a repetition though White does not have to accept} 29. Ng5 (29. Nb2)) 29. Qxf1 {White has temporarilly got the f-file but his knight on h7 is a long way from the queenside and Richard eyes up the black squares around David's king.} b5 30. Nb2 Ne2 31. Qe1 $1 {David correctly gives back the f-file in the interests of defending the queenside and the g3 pawn.} (31. Nd1 c4 $1 (31... Nxg3 32. Qf2 Bxd1 33. Qxg3 {may be OK for White because his has an unshakeable grip on g5 so Black's extra is not worth much, but he still has to worry about the queenside}) 32. dxc4 bxc4 33. Ng5 cxb3 34. axb3 Bb4 {looks pretty uncomfortable for White}) (31. Qf2 $2 Nc3+ 32. Ka1 Qa6 $19) 31... Qf7 32. Ng5 Qf6 33. Qf2 {now that the Black queen cannot reach a6 or a5 directly this is OK} Nc3+ 34. Ka1 Qd8 35. Bd2 (35. Bxc5 {leads to tricky play e.g} Qe7 (35... Ne2 {with the idea of Nd4 and play on the black squares is also an option} 36. Nf7 Bxc5 37. Qxc5 Qf6 38. Qf8+ Kb7 39. Nd1 Ka6 $1 $11) 36. b4 (36. Bxd6 $2 Qxd6 {threatening Qa3} 37. Qf7 {preparing the defence of a2 } Qd4 {but now the threats of Qg1 and Nd1 are decisive} (37... Qa3 38. b4)) 36... Ne2 37. Bxd6 Qxd6 38. Qc5 Qxc5 39. bxc5 Nxg3 {is about equal}) 35... Qa5 36. a4 Qb4 37. Bxc3 Qxc3 38. axb5 c4 39. Kb1 cxb3 40. cxb3 cxb5 {so we have NN vs BB, but the weakensses in Black's position help White hold the balance} 41. Qf7 Qc6 42. Qxg7 a5 43. Nf7 a4 {this natural move is in fact a mistake, but a particularly understandable one as Richard only had 35 seconds left on his clock} 44. Nxe5 {once you see that 44.Qf6 loses this is an obvious choice too, especially with just a minute left on your clock. It leaves the position equal. } (44. bxa4 $1 {was the way to go as Qf6 is now a real threat} Bb8 (44... bxa4 $2 45. Qf6 a3 46. Qxd6 Qxd6 47. Nxd6 axb2 48. Kxb2 $18) (44... b4 $2 45. Qf6 $19 b3 46. Nc4 $18 {here lies the key difference vs 44.Qf6 - the knight has the use of this square to block the mating threats}) 45. axb5 (45. Nxe5 $2 Qc3) 45... Qxb5 46. Qf6 $16 {White is much better and probably theoretically won, though it might be a tough position to close out in practice}) (44. Qf6 $2 axb3 $19 45. Qxd6 $4 (45. Nc4 {this move which saves White in the 44.bxa4 b4 line now just leaves him with a lost endgame.} bxc4 46. Qxd6 Qxd6 47. Nxd6 c3 $19) 45... Qc2+ 46. Ka1 Qc1#) 44... Bxe5 45. Qxe5 a3 (45... axb3 46. Qd5 $11) 46. Nc4 bxc4 47. dxc4 {with 3 pawns versus the bishop it remains level} Kb7 48. Ka2 Bf3 49. Qe7+ Qc7 50. Qxc7+ Kxc7 51. e5 Kd7 52. Kxa3 Ke6 53. Kb4 Kxe5 54. Kc5 Kf5 55. Kd6 Kg4 56. c5 Kxg3 57. c6 Kxh4 58. b4 Kg5 59. b5 h4 60. b6 Bxc6 61. Kxc6 h3 62. b7 h2 63. b8=Q h1=Q+ {An excellent quality game} 1/2-1/2