[Event "Knockout Cup"] [Site "Highcliffe CC"] [Date "2024.03.11"] [Round "1"] [White "Christian Westrap"] [Black "John Weatherlake"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B40"] [PlyCount "53"] [EventDate "2024.??.??"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 e6 (2... Nc6 3. Bb5 Nd4 4. Nf3 e6 {reaches the same position and occurred in our Bournemouth League game from this season. The line is recommended, for white, by GM Gawain Jones in his Coffehouse Repetoire series. Both John and I own a copy of this book...}) 3. Nf3 Nc6 (3... a6 {deviates from our previous game and is a different story. John clearly didn't mind repeating the variation though...}) 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. O-O (5. Nxd4 $6 {is premature due to} cxd4 6. Ne2 Qg5 $1 $15 {with a difficult position for white.} ) 5... a6 (5... Nxb5 {gains the 2 bishops and is ok too. However, after} 6. Nxb5 a6 7. Nc3 b5 8. d4 cxd4 9. Qxd4 $1 {white has a lead in development and an easy game.}) 6. Bd3 Nc6 {White was planning to take on d4 followed by Ne2 and c2-c3 with a good position. The idea of c2-c3 to drop the bishop back to c2 crops up a lot in this variation. We had reached this exact same position in our league game, just 2 weeks before.} 7. b3 (7. Nd5 $5 {In our previous game I played this surprising knight move, which is recommended by Jones. That game continued} g5 $5 ({John doesn't hold back. Black should avoid} 7... exd5 8. exd5 Nce7 $6 9. d6 $40 {when white has a dangerous initiative.}) (7... d6 8. Ne3 {is quieter. White's plan is c2-c3, Bc2 and then d2-d4 with a big centre.}) 8. Ne3 Bg7 9. c3 h6 $6 (9... h5 $1 $13 {either now or on the previous move is very unclear. White has a lead in development but black's king side play is dangerous. This is what I wanted to avoid when I played b2-b3. I thought John might have had something up his sleeve when he repeated the line and I didn't really want to find out what it was!}) 10. Bc2 b5 11. d4 cxd4 12. cxd4 Qb6 13. d5 {and white has a good game. Black's king is stuck in the centre and the position is opening up.}) 7... d5 $5 {This looks risky with black's king still in the centre and his k-side undeveloped.} (7... d6 8. Bb2 Nf6 9. Re1 {is safer when black can prevent white's intended e4-e5 if he so chooses.}) 8. exd5 exd5 9. Re1+ Be7 {Black is probably ok here since white pieces are placed awkwardly to exploit the pin.} 10. Ne5 (10. Ba3 b6 {I thought this didn't seem to help me much although some light squares are weakened. In fact this would've been the best try for an advantage.} (10... Qa5 $2 11. Nxd5 $18 { is winning for white.}) 11. Ne5 Nxe5 12. Rxe5 Nf6 13. Qf3 $1 $14 {is a bit better for white than the line below.}) 10... Be6 $6 (10... Nxe5 11. Rxe5 Nf6 12. Qf3 Be6 $10 {looks about equal to me so perhaps Ne5 wasn't the best move.}) 11. Nxc6 bxc6 $14 {Now black's pawns are weakened on the queenside.} 12. Qe2 ( 12. Na4 {immediately, was also possible as my plan of pressurising the a6-pawn backfires somewhat!}) 12... Ra7 $6 {A cunning move from John, although developing with Nf6 is more natural. I fell into the trap...} 13. Bxa6 $2 { Missing black's reply. I should have played} (13. Na4 $16 {and I think white has some advantage due to the weaknesses on c5 and a6.}) 13... c4 $1 $13 { Oops! The bishop is trapped. Fortunately for me, I still have a way to get a playable position.} 14. bxc4 d4 {Another surprise, I had expected} (14... Rxa6 15. cxd5 Bc8 {which looks more dangerous for black than the move played so I think John's move is stronger.}) 15. Bb5 {I realised I was losing a piece but also that I could get decent compensation for it - a handful of pawns and black's king is still unsafe.} Rc7 $6 (15... cxb5 16. Nxb5 Rd7 17. a4 $44 { looks simpler to me. Black can follow up with Nf6 and 0-0 when I think my compensation is adequate but no more than that. If black can develop his kingside and stop my a-pawn then he will have good winning chances.}) 16. Nd5 $1 {here we go...} Bxd5 17. cxd5 cxb5 18. Qxb5+ (18. Ba3 $2 Qxd5 $17 {is excellent for black.}) 18... Kf8 {Now black will probably get some material back but his kingside will be difficult to develop. I felt I had good practical chances with the passed a-pawn.} (18... Qd7 19. Qb6 $1 {threatens both d5-d6 and the d4 pawn.}) 19. a4 (19. Rxe7 $1 {was also good. I saw that} Nxe7 $6 20. Ba3 $2 ({(instead of this} 20. d6 $1 Qxd6 21. Qb8+ Nc8 22. Ba3 $18 {was the line I missed over the board.)}) 20... Rd7 $17 {was good for black and so I rejected this line.}) 19... Rc5 $6 (19... g6 $44 {was better to try and develop the kingside. The move played is very natural though and was the one I was worried about during the game.}) 20. Qb7 Rxd5 {John missed my next move which I also didn't think was playable up until this point. After the game we both thought this move was, therefore, a mistake but it turns out things are not so clear...} (20... Qxd5 $2 {unfortunately is not an option.} 21. Qb8+ Qd8 22. Qxd8+ Bxd8 23. Ba3 Be7 24. Rxe7 $18 {and white wins easily.}) 21. a5 $1 Rc5 $2 {The losing mistake as the a-pawn is too strong now.} (21... Rxa5 $1 22. Rxa5 Qxa5 {was the best defence. During the game both John and I thought this was unplayable due to the line} 23. Rxe7 $6 ({In fact this doesn't quite work out, instead} 23. Ba3 $1 {is best here.} g6 24. Bxe7+ Nxe7 25. Qxe7+ Kg7 $16 {and black is still in the game, albeit a pawn down.}) 23... Nxe7 24. Qb8+ Nc8 25. Qxc8+ Ke7 26. Qxh8 {but here there is} Qa1 27. g4 Qxc1+ 28. Kg2 Qxc2 29. Qxg7 Qxd2 $10 {and white should make a draw here with Qe5+ as black's passed d-pawn is very dangerous.}) (21... Rd7 $2 22. a6 $1 Rxb7 23. axb7 Bd6 24. Ra8 (24. Ba3 {first also wins easily.}) 24... Bb8 25. Ba3+ $18) 22. a6 Rc8 (22... Rc7 23. Qxc7 $1 Qxc7 24. a7 $18 {wins as well.}) 23. a7 Ra8 24. Rxe7 Nxe7 25. Ba3 Kg8 26. Bxe7 Qe8 27. Bd6 {and John resigned without waiting for Bb8 on the next move. I was very pleased with this game as we both had battled hard and played to win!} 1-0