[Event "WDCL Division 1"] [Site "?"] [Date "2025.09.17"] [Round "?"] [White "McCarthy, Damian"] [Black "Ellis, Gareth"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C14"] [Annotator "Damian"] [PlyCount "65"] [WhiteTeam "Culcheth A"] [BlackTeam "Skelmersdale"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. f4 c6 {0-0 or a6 followed by c5 are the normal moves but Gareth wants to try a different strategy} 8. Nf3 b6 {Going for an early trade of the light squared bishop, Black's problem piece in the French. I thought about how to react to this, g3 followed by Bh3, Qd2 and 0-0-0 wasn't out of the question but then I thought ok Black can trade the bishop on f1 but he is spending an awful lot of tempo in doing so. Therefore I decided to allow the trade trusting that my lead in development should give me a great position.} 9. Qd2 Ba6 {logically following the plan laid out by b6.} 10. O-O-O Bxf1 11. Rhxf1 a6 {here Black plays another slow pawn move, I assumed Gareth wanted to play c5 without allowing Nb5. f5 is my natural pawn break, I could build upto it with a move like g4, but the more I thought about it the more I liked the idea of just pushing f5 straight away, Black is so far behind in development any opening of the game should favour white even at the cost of a pawn. It also stops any idea's of black playing c5 as after exf5 the dpawn will require protection.} 12. f5 exf5 {I think Black was forced to take, now I have to play with energy} 13. Ng5 h6 {This was the move I had expected, but I thought that the Knight can regroup with Nh3 (which threatens Rxf5) Then Black has to make yet another pawn move in g6. I'd already started to see idea's of a potential Nxd5 sacrifice once my knight had come to f4.} 14. Nh3 (14. e6 $4 {is premature as} Qxg5 15. exd7+ Nxd7 $17) 14... g6 15. Nf4 (15. Rde1 {was also briefly considered}) 15... Nf8 {I'd considered Nf8 before my last move, again if Black is allowed to play Ne6 and regroup he might just be able to co-ordinate and even remain a pawn up! On the other hand I felt fully justified in sacrificing here as Black is so badly co-ordinated.} 16. Ncxd5 $5 {After some thought I decided to go for the sacrifice, I couldn't see everything through to the end but all the lines I could see seemed very promising for White, Black just has a really tough time getting his pieces into play with his King stuck in the centre. I rushed home after the game to check this move was sound and am happy that the engine (whilst not having it as the top move) thinks that White has a big advantage after the sacrifice.} cxd5 17. Nxd5 Qb7 {the only square for the queen} 18. Nf6+ Kd8 19. d5 Nbd7 20. Rfe1 $6 {my engine thinks this is slightly inaccurate and Nxd7 should be prefered. I don't really get it as to why, I didn't think I wanted to help Black declutter, and Nxf6 I thought would be close to suicidal. Allowing the Rook access to e7 and a potential doubling on the e-file.} Nxf6 $2 21. exf6 Rc8 22. Re7 Rc7 $4 (22... Nd7 {This was seemingly Black's last chance, after which the engine gives close to equal, although in a human game I think i'd still much rather be White}) 23. Rde1 Nh7 24. Qxh6 $6 {perhaps not best, but certainly the simplest and good enough, to regain some of the earlier material we gave away} Rxe7 25. fxe7+ Kd7 26. Qg7 {As other's pointed out after the game I could have played Qxh7 here! Which I missed. I pretty much tunnell visioned Qg7 as it looked to be winning as well.} Re8 27. Qxf7 {stronger then Qxh7} (27. Qxh7 {I didn't see the need to allow Black to recordinate} Qxd5) 27... Ng5 28. Qxg6 Rxe7 29. Rxe7+ Kxe7 30. Qxg5+ {Having finally regained the earlier sacrificed Knight and an extra 4 pawns the game's pretty much over, and indeed Gareth resigned a couple of moves later.} Kd6 31. Qxf5 Qg7 32. Qe6+ Kc7 33. d6+ 1-0