[Event "2024 WA Senior Chess Championship"] [Site "?"] [Date "2024.05.19"] [Round "5"] [White "Harwood"] [Black "Seshadri, Sridhar"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C42"] [WhiteElo "1873"] [BlackElo "1773"] [Annotator "Harwood,Paul"] [PlyCount "99"] [GameId "2047131167450908"] [EventDate "2024.??.??"] [SourceVersion "1"] [SourceVersionDate "2013.12.29"] [SourceQuality "1"] {[%evp 0,73,23,15,61,-24,-24,-24,24,-18,7,6,16,4,25,-12,-1,-1,8,8,8,4,24,-5,0,8,44,52,85,85,85,85,86,93,72,61,54,62,111,107,110,97,149,143,162,147,147,143,150,115,157,134,202,132,148,144,157,170,162,100,98,24,60,67,72,19,106,86,110,32,23,16,25,31,383,316]} {My return to tournament chess has been uninspired - I was lost in game one and could only draw two subsequent games with lower rated players. Let's see how I fair as white in this next game.} 1. e4 Nf6 2. d3 e5 3. Nf3 d6 4. g3 h6 ({Relevant:} 4... Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O Re8 7. Re1 Nbd7 8. c3 Nf8 9. d4 Ng6 10. dxe5 dxe5 11. Qxd8 Rxd8 12. Nbd2 Be6 13. Ng5 Bd7 14. Nc4 Bb5 15. Ne3 Bc5 16. a4 Bd3 17. f3 Nf4 18. b4 Nxg2 19. Kxg2 Bf8 20. Nh3 a5 21. b5 c6 22. bxc6 bxc6 23. Nf2 Ba6 24. Ba3 Bxa3 25. Rxa3 Nd7 26. Rb3 Kf8 27. Rd1 Be2 28. Rd2 Nc5 29. Rxd8+ Rxd8 30. Rb2 Ba6 31. Rb6 Rc8 32. c4 Bb7 33. Nd3 Nxd3 34. Rxb7 {½-½ Zvjaginsev,V (2627)-Jobava,B (2604) Wch Rapid Moscow 2019 (8)}) 5. Bg2 Bg4 6. O-O Nc6 7. c3 {[#]} Qc8 $146 {His ideas is to play Bh3, trading bishops but Qd7 is a better move and achieves the same idea.} ({Predecessor:} 7... Qd7 8. Nbd2 Be7 9. b4 a6 10. a4 Kf8 11. Nc4 g6 12. Bb2 Kg7 13. Ne3 Bh3 14. b5 axb5 15. axb5 Bxg2 16. Kxg2 Rxa1 17. Qxa1 Nd8 18. c4 Ne6 19. Nd5 Nxd5 20. exd5 Nf4+ 21. gxf4 Qg4+ 22. Kh1 Qxf3+ 23. Kg1 Qxf4 24. f3 Qd2 25. Rd1 Qg5+ 26. Kh1 Qf4 27. Rf1 Bf6 28. Qe1 Ra8 29. Bc1 Qd4 30. Qe2 g5 31. Kg2 h5 32. Be3 Qc3 33. Rc1 Qb3 34. Rc2 Ra1 35. Qd2 g4 36. fxg4 hxg4 37. Bf2 {0-1 Ertugrul,B (1894)-Ccerhuayo Escobedo,M (2153) Gran Canaria Online Blitz Lichess.org INT 2021 (11)}) 8. Re1 $6 {Too passive. Nbd2, a4 or Na3 is better.} Be7 9. Nbd2 O-O 10. Qc2 (10. Nf1 {this is more in the spirit of the KIA.} a5 11. Ne3 Bd7 12. a4 Re8 13. Nh4 Nh7 14. Nhf5 Bf8 15. Bd2 Nf6 16. Qc2 Qd8 $11) 10... Bh3 11. Nc4 ({Taking some space with} 11. b4 {makes a little more sense.} b5 12. a4 a6 13. Nb3 Re8 $11) 11... Bxg2 12. Kxg2 b5 (12... a5 13. Ne3 Qe6 14. c4 Nd7 15. Nf5 $11) 13. Ne3 {I have a small but solid advantage that will require careful piece manipulation to capitalize on.} Nh7 $6 {I assume the idea is to play Ng5 and induce trades?} (13... a6 14. a4 Re8 15. b4 Bf8 16. Bd2 Qb7 $11) (13... Re8 {putting a rook e8 allows Bf8 and provides defense of e5.}) 14. h4 {Grabbing space on the kingside and stopping any ideas of Ng5. The light squares are weak but this is ok given that there are no light squared bishops still in the game.} Re8 15. Bd2 {development first!} Bf8 16. a4 a6 17. Nd5 Ne7 18. c4 (18. Nxe7+ Bxe7 19. d4 Bf6 20. Qd3 Qb7 21. b4 c6 22. dxe5 Bxe5 23. Nxe5 dxe5 24. Be3 Rad8 25. Qc2 $11) (18. Ne3 $5 Nf6 19. b3 c6 $11) 18... Nxd5 $2 (18... bxc4 19. dxc4 Qb7 20. Nxe7+ Rxe7 21. c5 Qc6 (21... dxc5 22. Qxc5 Nf6 23. Qc4 Re6 24. Rac1 Qxb2 $11)) 19. cxd5 {[%csl Rc7][%CAl Gc2c7] The opening of the c-file will spell doom for the c7 pawn. However, this plan needs to be executed properly.} Qb7 (19... f5 20. axb5 axb5 21. Rxa8 Qxa8 22. Qxc7 $16) 20. Rec1 (20. Ba5 $1 {This not only pressures the c7 pawn but also stops a5. Dual purpose moves are ideal in chess.} Rec8 21. Rec1 bxa4 22. Rxa4 Qb5 23. Rca1 c5 24. Nd2 f5 25. Nc4 Ra7 26. Bb6 Raa8 27. Ba5 {[%csl Ra8,Gb6,Rc8][%CAl Gc3b6]} Ra7 28. exf5 Nf6 29. Ne3 $16) (20. Rac1 {apparently this move is better than Rec1, probably because the e-rook might have a role to play in protecting against a future f5.} bxa4 21. Qxa4 Re7 22. d4 Ree8 23. Bc3 $16) 20... bxa4 (20... f5) 21. Rxa4 Re7 22. Rc4 (22. Qc6 $1 Qxc6 (22... Qxb2 $4 23. Qxa8 $18) 23. Rxc6 Rd7 24. Rcxa6 $18) 22... Nf6 23. Ba5 Ne8 24. Rc6 ({When a player commits this many pieces to one side of the board, it's important to lockdown any counterplay.} 24. h5 Rd7 (24... Nf6 $2 25. Bxc7 Rd7 26. Ba5 Nxh5 27. Rb4 Qa7 28. Qc6 $18) 25. Qd1 Ra7 26. b4 Qa8 27. Qe2 Re7 28. Nh4 $18) 24... Rd7 25. Nd2 (25. g4 $1 {Again, stopping f5 which was my opponent's only active plan.} Nf6 26. Nh2 Ne8 27. Qe2 Qc8 28. g5 $16) 25... Be7 26. Nc4 (26. Bxc7 Bd8 27. Bxd8 Rdxd8 28. Nc4 f5 29. Qe2 $18) 26... Bd8 27. Bd2 $6 {My idea was to put the knight on a5 with ideas of Nc6 - but why? More focus should be spent on stopping counterplay. The c7 pawn isn't going anywhere.} (27. Ne3 {was another approach to stopping f5.}) 27... Re7 28. Na5 Qc8 29. Qc4 $2 {Targeting the a6 pawn but precautions should have been taken to stop f5.} (29. Nc4 {threatening Nb6} Qd7 30. Qb3 {an incremental move grabbing the b-file.} Qc8 31. Qa4 Qg4 32. f3 Qg6 33. Rxa6 Rxa6 34. Qxa6 $18) 29... f5 $1 {The only move to disrupt my attack and he finds it.} 30. exf5 $4 {A blunder that throws away my advantage.} (30. f3 Rf7 31. Qa4 Be7 32. R6c2 Kh7 $16) 30... Rf7 31. g4 {I thought a long time on this move. Bxh4 is coming but I thought I would have some compensation after Rh1.} Bxh4 32. Rh1 Bg5 $2 (32... g5 33. Nb3 Nf6 34. f3 h5 35. Ba5 Qb7 $11) 33. Bxg5 hxg5 34. Rh5 $2 (34. Qc1 {this was the move I planned but didn't like} Nf6 {[%csl Rd5,Rg4][%CAl Gf6d5,Gf6g4]} 35. Qxg5 Nxd5 36. Kg3 Rf6 37. Rc2 Qb8 38. f3 {allowing Rch2} Qb4 39. Nc4 Raf8 40. d4 $1 {an important move to open the e-file for the rook.} (40. Rch2 Kf7 $18 {and while White is still better, Black does not have to contend with an open e-file.}) 40... exd4 41. Rch2 Kf7 42. Re2 Kg8 43. Nd2 $18) 34... Rb8 {Activating his dormant rook.} 35. Rxa6 (35. b4 Nf6 36. Rh1 $11) 35... Nf6 36. Rxg5 Nxd5 $4 {I thought this was a great move but it turns out to be a blunder!} 37. Nc6 (37. Qxd5 $1 Qxa6 38. f6 $1 Kf8 39. Rh5 $18 gxf6 40. Rh8+ Kg7 41. Rxb8 $18) 37... Nf4+ 38. Kf3 $2 {White should stay off of the b7-g2 diagonal.} (38. Kg3 Ne2+ 39. Kh4) 38... d5 39. Qa2 Rxb2 $2 40. Qxb2 $2 (40. Ra8 Rxa2 41. Rxc8+ Rf8 42. Rxc7 Rxf2+ 43. Kxf2 Nh3+ 44. Kg3 Nxg5 45. Nxe5 $18) 40... Qxa6 41. Nxe5 (41. Qxe5 Qxd3+ 42. Kxf4 Qa3 43. Qe8+ Qf8 44. Qxf8+ Rxf8 45. Rg6 $18) 41... Nxd3 42. Qb8+ Rf8 43. Qxc7 Qf6 {I thought I was lost here, but I am winning!} 44. Nxd3 $4 {I simply didn't calculate taking on g7.} (44. Qxg7+ $3 Qxg7 45. Rxg7+ Kxg7 46. Nxd3 Ra8 47. g5 $18) (44. Rxg7+ Qxg7 45. Qxg7+ Kxg7 46. Nxd3 Ra8 47. g5 $18) 44... Qxg5 45. Nf4 $11 Ra8 46. Nxd5 Ra3+ 47. Ne3 {I offered a draw which he declined.} Qh4 48. Qd7 Qh3+ 49. Kf4 Qh2+ 50. Kf3 {Draw agreed. This game taught me a valuable lesson on the importance of stopping counterplay. I will remember this, the next time I have a such a dominating position.} 1/2-1/2