[Event "Rhyl Open"] [Site "?"] [Date "2025.05.10"] [Round "3"] [White "McCarthy, Damian"] [Black "Arkell, Keith"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B13"] [Annotator "McCarthy,Damian"] [PlyCount "189"] [SourceVersionDate "2007.11.01"] {[%evp 0,189,22,13,62,57,42,32,31,28,19,8,34,41,33,24,31,24,16,14,17,20,18,22,19,6,27,24,23,19,26,13,14,18,21,5,0,-8,-10,-1,-3,-24,-30,-14,-35,-37,0,7,40,40,85,0,0,0,0,0,44,46,33,0,0,-73,-82,-90,-93,-87,-92,-93,-96,-96,-97,-97,-96,-94,-96,-96,-96,-93,-90,-88,-91,-71,-82,-101,-101,-96,-93,-91,-91,-91,-83,-91,-91,-91,-90,-90,-90,-90,-85,-85,-85,-90,-85,-84,-84,-85,-84,-84,-85,-84,-84,-84,-84,-84,-84,-84,-84,-84,-84,-84,-84,-84,-85,-84,-81,-84,-81,-81,-81,-81,-80,-81,-80,-80,-80,-80,-80,-80,-80,-80,-74,-80,-80,-80,-80,-80,-80,-80,0,-59,-61,-16,-15,-10,-19,-19,-3,-3,-3,-2,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,-12,-4,-2,-2,-3,-4,-13,0,-4,-4,-4,-4,-4,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]} 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 {For many years this was my main choice against the Caro Kann. It leads to simple plans that are easy to understand for both sides. It is not really a serious try for an advantage from White. I'm convinced the best line is 3.e5 the advance variation which I've been trying to play for the past 18 months or so. Against a GM though with a draw being a good result I was happy to play a more familiar structure.} cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 Nf6 6. Bf4 Bg4 7. Qb3 Qd7 8. Nd2 e6 9. Ngf3 Bd6 10. Bxd6 {I always used to play Bg3 here, as recommended in the book "chess openings for white explained" but here I went for Bxd6 which is the main move.} Qxd6 11. O-O {It is well known that White should not take on b7!} O-O 12. Rfe1 Bxf3 13. Nxf3 Qc7 {So here we begin the middlegame, I'm not pretty much out of theory but the pawn structure defines the plans for both sides. Black has the minority attack whilst white must go for an attack against the king!} 14. Qd1 Rab8 15. a4 a6 16. Ne5 Nxe5 17. dxe5 Nd7 18. Qh5 {I thought the Grandmaster probably would spot the mate in 1 on h7... But I felt it was worth making him move a pawn in front of his king.} g6 19. Qg5 Rfc8 20. Re3 b5 21. axb5 axb5 22. h4 {Both sides continue to persue their plans as defined by the opening choice.} Qd8 23. Qf4 {Obviously I don't want a Queen trade, and I hoped on f4 the Queen goes some way to deterring b4} h5 $6 {This move however really surprised me, and I must admit I was starting to wonder whether I might be about to beat my first GM!} 24. Rg3 (24. b4 {Believe it or not was a move I briefly considered, taking time out to stop the minority. This is the engine's first choice but I just couldn't resist continuing to build up against the king.}) 24... Kg7 25. Ra7 $2 {Not best apparently. If allowed I'll play Rxd7, Qf6+ and sac on g6. But of course he doesn't allow this} Rc7 26. Rxc7 (26. Bxg6 {doesn't quite work. I was looking for it but} fxg6 27. Rxg6+ Kxg6 28. Rxc7 Qxc7 29. Qg5+ Kf7 30. Qxh5+ Ke7 31. Qg5+ Nf6 32. Qxf6+ Kd7 {and Black would be winning}) 26... Qxc7 27. Rg5 {Now I was getting really excited, g4 to come next and open up the king...} b4 $1 {I didn't think Black had time for this but it's a great move} 28. cxb4 (28. g4 bxc3 29. Bxg6 $1 {I didn't spot this, only considering gxh5 here which would be bad} (29. gxh5 $4 c2 $19) 29... fxg6 30. gxh5 Nf8 31. Qf6+ Kg8 32. bxc3 {is apparently 0.00 according to Stockfish}) 28... Rc8 {To trade Queens with Qc1+} 29. Qg3 {Still with threats I thought, either to play Rxh5 or if allowed Sack on g6. The King can tuck away on h2, I was still very optimistic with my position but} Nf8 {The more I looked at it I realised that this move just seems to defend everything. Who was it that said "A knight on f8, there is no mate?" From a distance I'd imagined I was going to play Rxh5 here but now I realised this would be a big mistake due to Nh7 trapping the rook... suddenly I was not so happy with things.} 30. Qf4 $2 {Why did I allow the Queen trade now? All I can say is that I couldn't see a breakthrough anymore and I was becoming very concerned about Black just playing something like Qc1, Qa1 and Rc1 with some threat of mate on h1! With my clock starting to get worryingly low I decided the endgame might be the best shout. Probably an error.} Qc1+ 31. Qxc1 Rxc1+ 32. Kh2 Rd1 33. Rg3 Rd2 34. f4 Rxb2 35. b5 {This is certainly now not so comfortable for White. Even now I was wondering to myself if I drop the pawn on b5 (which seems inevitable) whether the pure 5 v 4 rook ending was a draw? I was pretty sure the man sitting opposite me who has written books on rook endings would know! I suspected it might be if I could get my own rook to an active square.} Nd7 36. Rf3 Nc5 37. Bf1 Rb1 38. g3 {I was under 3 minutes left now with no need to record. (10 second increment) I kept doing so however just incase I managed to hold against such a strong opponent. I knew I'd want to keep as much a record of the game as possible.} Rb2+ 39. Kg1 Nb3 {Keith had quite a long think himself before playing this move, I suspected he was trying to work out himself whether the rook ending was drawn.} 40. Rf2 {Obviously the minor piece ending would hold no terror for me. Black must keep the rooks on.} Rb1 41. Kg2 Nd4 {So the moment has arrived and the rook ending is coming!} 42. Rd2 Nxb5 43. Bxb5 Rxb5 44. Ra2 Rb8 45. Ra7 Kf8 46. Kf3 Ke8 47. Ke3 {It's not so obvious how Black makes progress, so long as my king stays in touch with my g3 pawn Black's king and Rook can't get too active or else I'll be capturing on f7 myself.} Rd8 48. Kd4 Rd7 49. Ra8+ Ke7 50. Rb8 Ra7 51. Ke3 {important to stay close enough to the g3 pawn} Kd7 52. Rb6 Kc7 {Black has succeeded in activating his king somewhat whilst defending f7. But not I can go behind the passed d5 pawn} 53. Rd6 Ra3+ 54. Kf2 Ra8 55. Ke3 Ra7 56. Ke2 Ra3 57. Kf2 Ra8 58. Ke2 Rd8 59. Ra6 Kb7 60. Ra3 Rd7 {so that his king can go up the board} 61. Kd3 Kb6 62. Rb3+ Kc5 63. Rc3+ Kb4 64. Rc8 Ra7 65. Rb8+ Kc5 66. Rc8+ Kb6 67. Ke2 Rc7 68. Rd8 Kc5 69. Kd3 Rb7 70. Rc8+ Kb4 71. Rc6 Ka3 72. Ke2 Kb2 73. Kf2 d4 74. Ke2 Rb3 75. Rd6 Re3+ 76. Kd2 Rxg3 77. Rxd4 Rg4 78. Ke3 Rxh4 79. Rd7 Rg4 80. Rxf7 h4 81. Kf3 Rg3+ 82. Kf2 Kc2 83. Rh7 g5 84. fxg5 Rxg5 85. Rxh4 Kd3 86. Rh3+ Kd2 87. Rf3 Rxe5 88. Rf8 Rd5 89. Re8 Rf5+ 90. Kg3 Re5 91. Kf4 Re2 92. Kg5 Kd3 93. Kf6 e5 94. Rxe5 Rxe5 95. Kxe5 1/2-1/2