[Event "Portishead v Clifton C"] [White "Chandra,Dan"] [Black "Cala,Rafal"] [Site ""] [Round ""] [Annotator ""] [Result "1-0"] [Date "2023.11.27"] [PlyCount "107"] 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Bc4 O-O 6. O-O Bg4 7. h3 Bxf3 8. Qxf3 Nc6 9. Be3 e5 10. dxe5 Nxe5 11. Qe2 Nxc4 ({The position is roughly equal. Black could also try} 11... Nxe4 12. Nxe4 Nxc4 13. Qxc4 d5 14. Qb3 dxe4 15. Qxb7 {but t's unecessarily messy} )12. Qxc4 Qd7 13. Nd5 {There's nothing wrong with this except it's not clear what purpose it serves. I'd prefer Rad1 followed by Rfe1. } c5 $2 {This just leaves black with a backward d-pawn on an open file} 14. c3 b5 15. Qd3 Rfe8 16. Nxf6+ Bxf6 17. Bxc5 $1 Re6 $6 (17... Qb7 18. Qxd6 Be7 19. Qd4 Rad8 20. Qb4 a5 21. Qa3 Bxc5 22. Qxc5 Rxe4 { and black has a little bit of compensation for the pawn} )18. Rad1 Rd8 19. Bd4 Be7 20. Rfe1 a6 21. Bb6 Re8 22. Qf3 {It's always dangerousto leave a piece undefended - even if you can't see why immediately. Better would be Bd4 and f3} Qc6 23. Qe3 Bf6 {Black's pressure against the e4 pawn and down the e-file gives him equality} 24. f3 Rb8 $2 {Oh! Black misses the point! 24...d5! } 25. Bd4 Bd8 26. Qh6 Bf6 27. Bxf6 Rxf6 28. Rd5 Re8 29. Red1 Qb6+ 30. Kh1 Re5 31. Rxe5 {Remember - "to take is a mistake" unless you have a very good reason. Here it simply solves black's problem with the backward d-pawn. Simply R5d4, then Qd2 tying black up to the defence of the d6 pawn.} dxe5 32. Qg5 Re6 33. Qd8+ {Simplification is a good idea when leading on material but R+P endings are notoriously difficulrt and drawish. Rd8 followed by Qd2 was stronger} Kg7 34. Qxb6 Rxb6 35. Rd5 Re6 36. b3 {Presumably hoping to create a passed pawn with c4. However, with each pawn exchange white's adavatage diminishes and here black could play Rc6 and after Rxe5 Rxc3. Better is Kg1-f2-f3 first} f5 37. Kg1 h5 {I'm not a fan of this move. Generally it is better not to move pawns in an endgame without good reason. Here Kf6 is logical simply improving the King's position, or may be fxe4 first} 38. h4 (38. c4 bxc4 39. bxc4 Kf6 40. c5 a5 {by marching the King into the position} )Kf6 39. Kf2 Rc6 40. Rd3 f4 {In general when defending an endgame, the fewer pawns thene better the chances are of saving the game - so 40...fxe4 makes more sense} 41. Ke2 Ke6 42. Kd2 Rd6 $4 {No!! Exchange pawns not pieces! The rook and pawn ending may be drawn but the King and Pawn ending is almost always winning for the side with the extra pawn.} 43. c4 {Good enough but Rxd6 is a routine win} Rd4 44. Kc3 (44. Rxd4 $1 )b4+ 45. Kd2 Kd6 46. Rxd4+ $1 exd4 47. Kd3 Ke5 48. c5 a5 49. c6 Kd6 50. Kxd4 Kxc6 51. e5 Kd7 52. Ke4 Ke6 53. Kxf4 Kd5 54. Kg5 1-0