[Event "Middlesex Team Champs"] [Site "?"] [Date "1979.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Whiteley, Andrew"] [Black "Anderson, Peter W"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D37"] [Annotator "Peter"] [PlyCount "64"] [EventDate "1979.??.??"] {I can't regard this as one of my best games as I played the opening so badly. However, it was the game that has given me most on-the-spot enjoyment to win and is one which I still look back on fondly. Andrew Whiteley was graded about 215 and was the strongest player I had faced when I played this game which added to the pleasure.} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 Be7 5. Bf4 O-O 6. e3 c5 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. Qc2 Qe7 {Already I could not remember theory. 8...Nc6 is the main move but 8...Qe7 is not a terrible move. It was directed against being left with a particularly bad isolated queen's pawn position, though in truth White rarely plays cxd5 quickly in this line.} (8... Nc6 9. a3 (9. Rd1 { is also playable for white} Qa5 10. a3 Be7 11. Be2 (11. Nd2)) 9... Qa5 10. O-O-O Be7 {is the ultra-sharp mainline}) 9. a3 (9. cxd5 exd5 10. Be2 (10. Bd3 d4 {reveals the reason why I played 8...Qe7 - the e-pawn is pinned and Black is slightly better}) 10... Nc6 11. O-O {and Black is at least active}) 9... a5 $6 {prevents b4 but leaves b5 weak} (9... a6 10. b4 Bd6) 10. Bg5 $14 (10. cxd5 $14) (10. Rd1 $14) 10... dxc4 11. Bxc4 Nbd7 (11... Nc6 12. Ne4 $18) (11... b6 12. O-O Nbd7 $14) 12. e4 $14 {threatening e5} (12. Bb5 $1 Ba7 (12... b6 13. Rd1 Rd8 14. Bc6 Ra7 15. Nb5) 13. O-O h6 14. Bh4 Bb8 15. Rad1 $16) 12... h6 (12... Qd6 {is a realistic alternative and probably what I would choose today} 13. Bxf6 (13. Rd1 Qc7) 13... gxf6 $14) (12... Bd6 13. Rd1 Bb8 $16 14. Na4 (14. Bb5) ) 13. Bh4 g5 14. Bg3 e5 {to close the b1-h7 diagonal. But this creates massive holes on d5 and f5. I felt I was strategically busted here} (14... b6 {I didn't fancy this but it appears to be playable} 15. e5 (15. Rd1 $14) 15... Nh5 16. Qe4 Ra7 (16... Rb8 {this square leaves the rook hanging} 17. Bd3 f5 18. exf6 Ndxf6 19. Qg6+ Qg7 20. Qxg7+ Nxg7 21. Bxb8) 17. Nb5 $14 (17. Bd3 {this direct approach no longer works} f5 18. exf6 Ndxf6 19. Qg6+ Qg7 20. Qxg7+ Rxg7 $11) (17. Qg4 Ng7 $14)) 15. Rd1 $16 (15. O-O $16) 15... b6 $16 16. Nd5 { What I was hoping for} (16. O-O $16 {What I feared - basically Black has no compensation for his positional weaknesses}) 16... Nxd5 17. Bxd5 Ba6 $1 { An exchange sac that leaves White's king trapped in the centre. During the game I felt this at least gave me good practical chances. I looked at this position in 2008 with the best engines of the day (including Rybka 3) and none of them chose this. Whilst they saw compensation they still believed White was better. Modern engines pick it immediately and see this position as equal or slightly better for Black.} 18. Bxa8 Rxa8 19. h4 {this doesn't help White} g4 20. Nh2 (20. Qd2 gxf3 21. Qxd7 Bb4+ 22. axb4 {forced} Qxb4+ 23. Qd2 Qxe4+ 24. Qe3 Qb4+ 25. Qd2 {during the game I knew I had at least a perpetual here} (25. Rd2 Rc8 $19) 25... fxg2 26. Rg1 Qc4 27. Qd3 Qxd3 28. Rxd3 Bxd3 29. Rxg2 Kf8 { should give good winning chances}) 20... Rc8 (20... Nf6 {immediately is much stronger. It is just hard to find constructive moves for White here.} 21. f3 ( 21. Qb3 Rc8) (21. Qd2 Nxe4 22. Qxh6 Bb4+ $19) 21... Nh5) 21. Qd2 {Curiously I had overlooked this obvious move, having considered Qb1, Qb3 and Qa4. If I had seen it I would have played 20...Nf6 instead.} Nf6 22. f3 (22. Qxh6 Nxe4 23. Nf1 Bd4 $19 {with multiple threats, e.g. Rc2 or Bxb2 followed by Bc3}) 22... Nh5 {this allows white to defend by saccing a piece} (22... Qe6 $17) 23. Bf2 $19 {natural but losing} (23. Nxg4 Nxg3 24. Qxh6 Nxh1 25. Nf6+ Qxf6 26. Qxf6 Bf2+ 27. Kd2 Bg3 $8 28. Qxb6 {now Black can and should force a perpetual} (28. Rxh1 Bf4+ 29. Ke1 Be3 {threatening Rc1 mate} 30. Qd6 Rc1+ 31. Qd1 Bc4 32. g4 Bb3 33. Qxc1 Bxc1 {and Black should be fine here} 34. Rh2 Kg7 35. Re2 a4 36. Kf2 f6 37. Kg3 Kg6 {and at first sight it is hard for either side to do much}) 28... Bf4+ 29. Ke1 Bg3+ $11) (23. Qxh6 Nxg3 24. Nxg4 {transposes}) 23... Bxf2+ 24. Qxf2 g3 25. Qxb6 Qxh4 $18 {Perhaps White had missed this} (25... gxh2 26. Rxh2 Bc4 {is better for Black but there is a lot of play left}) 26. Nf1 (26. Qxa6 gxh2+ 27. Kd2 Qg5+ $19 28. Ke1 Rc2) 26... Qxh1 27. Qxa6 Rc2 {now Black intends Qxg2, Qf2 etc which is hard to prevent} 28. Qxh6 {threatening Rd8 which may at first sight look a major problem but...} (28. Rd2 Rxd2 29. Kxd2 Qxg2+ $19) (28. Qd3 Qxg2 29. Qe3 Qf2+ 30. Qxf2 gxf2#) 28... Re2+ 29. Kxe2 Nf4+ 30. Qxf4 (30. Ke3 Qxh6) 30... Qxg2+ 31. Kd3 exf4 32. Nd2 Qf2 0-1