[Event "BCCL Division 1 Match"] [Site "Bedford"] [Date "2024.10.10"] [Round "?"] [White "Gardner, James"] [Black "O'Brien, Thomas P"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A52"] [WhiteElo "2106"] [BlackElo "1946"] [Annotator "Annotated by Andrew Perkins"] [PlyCount "111"] [EventType "team"] [EventCountry "ENG"] [SourceVersionDate "2024.02.13"] [WhiteTeam "Bedford A"] [BlackTeam "Luton A"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e5 3. dxe5 Ng4 4. Bf4 Nc6 5. Nf3 {I'm not familiar with the finer points of the Budapest after this move.} Bb4+ 6. Nc3 ({I don't know what the Masters say about allowing White to have doubled pawns, as opposed to playing say} 6. Nbd2) 6... Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 Qe7 8. Qd5 Qa3 {I'm interested that Black should play this move.} 9. Rd1 {I feel that White must know what he's doing, but I would not want to give up the pawn on c3.} ({I can see that if} 9. Qd2 Qc5 {there could be a repetition.}) 9... Qxc3+ 10. Bd2 Qb2 11. h3 {I find this very interesting that Black now plays a forcing move.} Nb4 {Not only does it force White to swap his Bishop for his Knight, but forces an exchange of Queens because the other Knight is under attack.} 12. Bxb4 Qxb4+ 13. Qd2 Qxd2+ 14. Rxd2 Nh6 {You notice that the pawns are equal. I was looking at the weakness of Whites Queenside pawns but White now demonstrates the strength of his Kingside pawns.} 15. g4 b6 16. Bg2 Bb7 17. O-O O-O-O {White now demonstrates his Kingside pawns in a way that I had not expected.} 18. Ng5 Bxg2 19. Kxg2 f6 ({This is where it gets very interesting. Black chooses to challenge not with} 19... d6 {but with the other pawn.}) 20. exf6 gxf6 21. Ne4 {When Black plays the natural} f5 {White has} 22. Nf6 {which is quite handy.} fxg4 23. hxg4 Rhf8 ({It seemed to be that} 23... Ng8 {might be best but Whites Kingside pawns still loom as a threat.}) 24. g5 Ng8 25. Nxh7 {this is cheeky but appears to be strong.} Rf4 {I'm impressed by the way Black gives up the Kingside as bad job but tries to give a counter attack on the Queenside.} ({If} 25... Rf7 {White has} 26. Rh1) 26. Kg3 Rxc4 27. f4 {The Kingside is rolling now.} Re8 28. Rf3 Re7 29. g6 Nh6 30. f5 Rg4+ 31. Kf2 Rg7 32. e3 ({Some players would simply go for} 32. f6 {but as far as I can see, it would end up with a very similar game that was played anyway.}) 32... Nxf5 {Black solves the problem by giving up the Knight for the pawns.} 33. Rxf5 R4xg6 34. Nf8 Rg2+ 35. Ke1 Rxd2 36. Kxd2 Rg2+ 37. Kd3 Rxa2 {I was really impressed at this position, because now on points the position is equal.} 38. Rf7 Ra5 $1 {There's a possibility of Black checking the White King and then being allowed to move his Rook to the c-File but it would be hard work out all the variations.} ({I confess this is where it gets really interesting. The obvious move is to play} 38... d6 {but in the game, O'Brien plays a very subtle move,} {because if} 39. Ne6 c5 40. Rc7+ Kb8 41. Rd7 {which appears to win the d-Pawn.}) 39. e4 ({Protecting the d5-Square. If White had blundered by playing} 39. Rxd7 {Black has} Rf5 $1 {which is very embarrassing.}) 39... Kd8 ({If} 39... d6 40. Ne6 {And Black cannot defend with Rc5 because the Knight covers the square.} c5 41. Rc7+ {It is amazing to me, what subtlety there is what appears to be such a simple endgame.}) 40. Nxd7 ({Black had set up a trap, because if} 40. Rxd7+ {he could play} Ke8 {with a fork.}) 40... Rg5 ({Unfortunately, the trap no longer works because if} 40... Ke8 {White can simply move} 41. Rh7 {and the d-Pawn does fall.}) 41. e5 {The Knight is handy defending the pawn.} {I don't know what the time control situation was, but we now get into a real mele.} a5 42. Ke4 a4 43. Kf4 Rg1 44. Kf5 a3 45. Ke6 {Threatening mate.} Rg6+ 46. Nf6 {Threatening mate again.} Kc8 47. Rh7 b5 48. Kf7 {Here we go.} a2 {Not surprisingly, White plays} 49. Rh1 {rather than take the Rook.} Rg2 50. Re1 {Whatever the truth of the previous offer to take the Rook, Black now forces White to take the Rook.} Re2 {A really dramatic move.} 51. Rxe2 a1=Q {It seems unfortunate that although Black now has a Queen, he was not able to overcome the opposition.} 52. e6 {It doesn't look as if Black can now prevent Whites plan. He tries} Qd1 53. Re5 Qd6 {The power of Whites Knight again. It allows White to play} 54. Rd5 Qf4 55. e7 c6 56. e8=Q+ 1-0