[Event "Alexander Baburin Open - Round 1"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2023.05.04"] [Round "?"] [White "Drmashoko"] [Black "Harwood"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B20"] [WhiteElo "1553"] [BlackElo "2047"] [Annotator "Harwood,Paul"] [PlyCount "108"] [EventDate "2023.??.??"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "2013.12.29"] [SourceQuality "1"] 1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 Nc6 3. a3 $2 {A strange move that is difficult to understand. My guess is that he wants to meet Na5 with Ba2? There was no reason to do this though. The bishop is not under attack and if I did play Na5, Be2 is a good reply with white up a tempo.} Nf6 4. d3 g6 (4... e6 5. Bb3 d5 6. exd5 exd5 7. Ne2 Be7 $15) 5. Nf3 d6 (5... d5 6. exd5 Nxd5 7. O-O Bg7 8. Nbd2 O-O $11) 6. Ng5 $2 {White needs to focus on development. While this threaten the f7 pawn, the attack is easy to defend and only help Black gain more initiative.} e6 7. h3 $2 {Another passive move that puts White even further behind in development.} (7. O-O Bg7 8. Ba2 d5 9. Nc3 (9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Bxd5 Qxd5 11. Nc3 Qd7 $15)) 7... Bg7 8. Nc3 O-O {The knight on g5 is misplaced and will need to find a better square to occupy.} 9. O-O Bd7 ({Better is} 9... b6 {putting the bishop on a better diagonal.} 10. Nf3 Bb7 $15) 10. f4 Nd4 11. Ne2 b5 $6 {This helps White tuck away his bishop.} (11... d5 12. Nxd4 dxc4 13. Ndf3 Nh5 14. e5 {h6 would have trapped the knight.} cxd3 15. Qxd3 Ng3 16. Re1 Bc6 $11) 12. Ba2 Qb6 $6 {Why allow Nd4, locking the center and minimizing the scope of the g7 bishop?} (12... Nxe2+ 13. Qxe2 h6 14. Nf3 Bc6 15. Bd2 a5 16. Rae1 b4 17. Qf2 Rb8 18. axb4 axb4 19. Bb3 $11) 13. Nxd4 cxd4 14. Nf3 ({It would have been better to develop another piece} 14. Bd2 a5 15. Qe1 h6 16. Nf3 Rfc8 $16) 14... d5 $4 {A strange move that does not help the position. I need to be careful about making commital moves like this.} (14... a5 15. Qe1 b4 16. e5 Nd5 17. Bxd5 exd5 18. Bd2 bxa3 19. bxa3 $14) 15. e5 $1 $16 {Of course! If your opponent lets you take space, grab it.} Ne8 16. Bd2 a5 17. b4 a4 18. Kh1 Rc8 19. Rc1 {Black's position is bad. The d7 bishop is a glorified pawn and the black queen is tied down to the defense of the d4 pawn.} f6 20. exf6 $2 {White falters by easing the tension in the center and letting me back in the game. It's important to remember that when you have your opponent cramped for space, avoid unnecessary trades.} Bxf6 $6 (20... Nxf6 {is better} 21. Qe1 Nh5 22. g3 (22. g4 Nxf4 23. Ne5 Bxe5 24. Qxe5 g5 25. Qxg5+ Ng6 $11) 22... h6 $11) 21. Ne5 (21. g4 Nd6 22. Qe1 Bg7 23. Qh4 Nf7 $11) 21... Qc7 22. Nxd7 $2 {Capturing my miserable bishop.} (22. Qe2 Nd6 23. g4 Qd8 24. c3 dxc3 25. Bxc3 Bg7 $11) 22... Qxd7 $15 23. Qe2 Nd6 (23... h5 {aimed at stopping g4. The g6 pawn is weak but there is no way for White to exploit this.} 24. g3 Kf7 25. Rf2 Rc6 26. Kg1 Rg8 27. g4 hxg4 28. hxg4 Ke7 29. Rg2 Nc7 30. f5 gxf5 31. gxf5 Qe8 $15) 24. g4 Kh8 $1 {Getting off the g8-a2 diagonal.} 25. Kh2 Rfe8 (25... Rc6 26. Bb1 Nc8 27. Kg2 $15) 26. g5 $2 {[%csl Rd2,Gf5][%CAl Gd6f5] Locking in the d2 bishop and allowing my knight to go to f5.} (26. Rfe1 h6 27. Qf2 $15) 26... Bg7 27. Qg4 Nf5 28. Qf3 Rcd8 {Guarding d5 as I am preparing e5} (28... h5 $5 29. gxh6 Bf6 $1 {securing the h4 square for the bishop. If Be1 then Ne3 is coming.} 30. Qe2 {Stockfish 15.1: Stockfish sees a very deep line starting with} Kh7 $19 {with the intention of capturing the pawn with the king. Then the rooks come to the kingside and occupy the open h-file. A very complicated idea that is not something a human would consider.} 31. Rg1 Qf7 32. Rg2 Rc6 33. Qg4 Rh8 34. Qe2 Kxh6 35. Qg4 Kh7 36. Kg1 Rc7 37. Kh1 Rcc8 38. Rgg1 Rc6 39. Kh2 Nh6 40. Qe2 Kg7 41. Bb1 Nf5 42. Rce1 Kf8 43. Qg4 Qh7 44. Kg2 Kf7 45. Rgf1 Qh6 46. Re2 Qh4 47. Rfe1 Qh5 48. Rc1 Rcc8 49. Ba2 Qh4 50. Ree1 Rh7 51. Qf3 Qh6 52. Qg4 Rch8) 29. Qg4 e5 30. Rce1 e4 ({Probing the weak c2 pawn with} 30... Rc8 {looks better.} 31. Bb1 {and now} e4 $19) 31. dxe4 $2 (31. Re2 Rc8 32. Bb1 Re7 33. Rg2 Qc7 $19) 31... dxe4 32. Bc1 Rc8 (32... Qc8 {is more flexible and the queen gets to penetrate into the enemy position.} 33. Re2 Qc3 34. Qg2 Qa1 35. Bf7 Re7 $19 {The bishop is trapped!}) 33. Bb1 Rc3 34. Qg2 Qc6 35. Bb2 Ne3 36. Qd2 Nxf1+ 37. Rxf1 Rc4 (37... Rf3 38. Qe1 Rxf1 39. Qxf1 e3 40. Bc1 e2 41. Qe1 d3 $1 42. c4 (42. cxd3 Bc3 $19 {#8}) 42... bxc4 {#11}) 38. Qe2 Rf8 39. Rf2 e3 40. Rg2 Rxf4 41. Ba2 Qd6 $1 42. Kg1 Qc6 $6 (42... Rc8 43. Qxb5 Rf2 44. Rxf2 exf2+ 45. Kxf2 Rxc2+ {#10}) 43. Bxc4 bxc4 44. Bc1 d3 45. cxd3 cxd3 46. Qxe3 Bd4 $4 47. Bb2 $3 {And like that the game is completely equal. One misstep is all it takes!} Qd7 48. Bxd4+ Rxd4 {Now it's simply a matter of shuttling and see if my opponent blunders in the ending.} 49. Rd2 Rd5 50. Kg2 Kg7 51. Qf4 $2 {The first mistake.} Rf5 52. Qe3 $4 {The second and final mistake. Now White will lose a critical pawn.} Qd5+ 53. Kh2 Rxg5 54. Rxd3 $4 (54. Qxd3 $4 Qe5+ 55. Kh1 Qe1+ 56. Qf1 Qxf1+ 57. Kh2 Qg1#) 54... Qg2# {A back and forth game where my advantage dwindled away to nothing. This shows the importance of building your position and never letting up your grip on your opponent's territory.} 0-1