[Event "Somerset New Year Congress"] [White "Thomas"] [Black "Borkowski"] [Site ""] [Round ""] [Annotator ""] [Result "0-1"] [Date "2025.01.11"] [PlyCount "91"] 1. e4 b6 {An Andrew favourite} 2. d4 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. Nf3 Bb4 5. Bd3 Nf6 6. Qe2 d5 7. exd5 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 Qxd5 {Aiming to keep the long diagonal open and maybe swing the Q over to the kingside} 9. O-O Qh5 10. c4 {Wrecking white's pawn structure - but white's bishops are probably compensation enough} (10. Qe5 Bxf3 11. Qxc7 {... looks crazy but } O-O 12. gxf3 Qxf3 13. Qg3 {white has the two bishops while black has a better pawn structure} )(10. Ne5 Qxe2 11. Bxe2 {is the safe, solid option} )Bxf3 11. Qxf3 Qxf3 12. gxf3 Nbd7 13. c3 O-O 14. f4 {Hoping to play f5 next when white's two bishops rule the board. However, Andrew's next prevents that after which the f4 pawn gets in the way of the c1 bishop} g6 $1 15. Kg2 c5 16. Kf3 Rfd8 17. Rd1 Rac8 18. Be3 Kg7 19. a4 {white want's to play a5 creating weaknesses on the queenside} Rc7 20. a5 h5 {Aiming for Ng4, although I'm not sure what that achieves. It's a difficult position to evaluate.} 21. h3 cxd4 {I'm not a great fan of exchanges that release the tension and improve the opponent's pawn structure - but it's hard finding good moves here. } 22. cxd4 Kf8 23. Ra3 Rdc8 24. Rb1 bxa5 25. Rxa5 Nb6 $1 {This was Andrew's big idea - invite c5 which leaves an outpost on d5 from which his knights can operate.} 26. c5 Nbd5 27. Rba1 Nb4 $1 28. Bb1 $6 $11 {The bishop achieves nothing here - Bc4, Bb5 even Ba6 kept an advantage due to the passed c-pawn and the a7 weakness} Ra8 29. Ke2 Nfd5 30. Kd2 Ke7 31. Be4 Kd7 {It's difficult tofor either side to make progress} 32. R1a4 Nc6 33. Rb5 Rb8 $2 {A mistake, but it's hard to see why unless you could foresee 35.f5! taking advantage of the black pieces on b8 and c7} 34. Rxb8 Nxb8 35. Bd3 $11 (35. f5 $1 gxf5 36. Bxd5 exd5 37. Bf4 $16 Rb7 38. Bxb8 Rxb8 39. Rxa7+ )Rb7 36. Bc2 {The impression is that although the position is equal, white is running out of ideas} Nc6 37. Ra3 Kc7 38. Kc1 Rb4 39. Kd2 a5 40. Kd3 Rb2 $1 {The a5 pawn is now strong as it is passed and can't be attacked. Andrew now hunts down white's weak h-pawn!} 41. Bb3 Ndb4+ 42. Kc3 Rb1 43. Bc2 Rh1 (43... Nxc2 $1 {Leaving white with a very bad dark square bishop. With the light square bishop still on the board white can pen the rook in on the kingside if it goes after the h-pawn.} )44. Be4 Rxh3 45. Kc4 f5 46. Ra1 $4 {whites position is very difficult to play as it is purely defensive and I suspect the pressure became too much. } (46. Bg2 Rh2 47. Bf3 h4 48. Rb3 h3 49. Rb1 {and its not clear how either side can make progress as the black rook has nowhere to go} Nc2 50. Rb6 Nxe3+ 51. fxe3 Nd8 52. Ra6 $11 )0-1