[Event "Culcheth/Lymm"] [White "RMF"] [Black "Walton, Tom"] [Site ""] [Round ""] [Annotator "Furness,Robert"] [Result "1-0"] [Date "2019.09.23"] [BlackElo "111"] [PlyCount "53"] 1. c4 e6 {Ok, so it's going to be another early d5 system against my English opening. I really must try and learn a correct way of responding to this, preferably one which doesn't involve learning a whole load of queens gambit theory!. Still, if i reply Nc3 there's always a chance black might play Nf6 instead...} 2. Nc3 d5 { oh well!} 3. e3 {avoiding d4 and aiming to keep the position English-ish} Nf6 4. Nf3 {is black going to go for an early c5 or prepare for an e5 push} c6 { that clarifies things. black intends to play through the centre. i know there's a correct move order for white to try and counter this, if only i could remember!. pretty sure that i'm supposed to meet e5 with cxd5 and then put pressure on the c file with Rc1 and Nb5 but what comes first...} 5. b3 Be7 6. Bb2 0-0 7. Be2 Nbd7 {now black has the optoin of e5. i should probably 0-0 or Rc1. But no...} 8. Rg1 {provocative when still a move away from 0-0-0, in hindsight maybe Qc2 first} (8. Rc1 e5 9. cxd5 cxd5 10. 0-0 e4 11. Nd4 )Ne4 9. Qc2 Nxc3 10. dxc3 {of course Bxc3 or Qxc3 are more natural but i wanted to avoid further exchanges whilst hopefully unsettling my opponent with slightly unexpected moves} e5 {it worked! Nc5 or a5 was the best plan for black. e5 only gives white a target in the centre.} 11. cxd5 cxd5 12. 0-0-0 { here i considered mainly Qa5 for black followed by Kb1, noting that Ba3 loses a piece to b4} e4 {i actually hadn't given this move a lot of attention becasue i thought a human would be reluctant to invite the sacrifice Rd5 exf3, gxf3. having all of white's pieces bearing down on my king would not be my idea of a fun Monday evening!} (12... Qa5 13. Kb1 Ba3 14. b4 )13. Rxd5 (13. Nd4 Nc5 14. c4 dxc4 15. Bxc4 )exf3 14. Bd3 {i liked this move at the time because it provokes g6 which will then forever be a target. if delayed black may free themselves from the pin and have Nf6. my silicon friend on the other hand only has this as 4th strongest reply. hmmm} g6 15. gxf3 {at least the computer agrees with me here. although rather worryingly it assesses the position as -+ or +1.7 to black. surely it cant be that bad as long as i keep creating threats and blacks queenside remains undeveloped. must KEEP CALM!} Bf6 {whatever the computer assessment the position is not easy for black. i was expecting Qc7 or Qb6 but this is also playable} 16. h4 {coffee house chess!} Qe7 17. h5 Bg7 {better would have been Ne5 or Nc5 or even Nb6 to which i was going to reply Ra5} (17... Nb6 18. Ra5 )18. Rdg5 {not the best move but on the basis there was nolonger a pin on d file i wanted to improve the position of the rook.} (18. hxg6 hxg6 19. f4 Nc5 20. Bxg6 fxg6 21. Qxg6 Rf6 22. Rd8+ Rf8 23. Rd5 )Ne5 19. Be4 {pretty much forced} f5 {after this move i felt much more confident in my position although by no means is it winning, just multiple ways for black to lose!} (19... f6 20. R5g3 f5 {would have been a slightly better version of the game for black} )20. hxg6 fxe4 {and there it is, the losing move. black can still defend with hxg6 and in fact h6 looks even better} (20... hxg6 21. Bd5+ Be6 22. Bxe6+ Qxe6 23. f4 Ng4 24. e4 )(20... h6 21. Bd5+ Be6 22. Bxe6+ Qxe6 23. R5g3 f4 24. exf4 Rxf4 )21. gxh7+ Kh8 22. Rxg7 {after checking and re-checking this move i was satisified i could win the black knight by force after which i felt the exposed black king surely can't survive. Besides the alternative Qe4 leads to simplifications after Bf5 and is not clear at all.} (22. Qxe4 Bf5 23. Rxf5 Rxf5 24. Qxf5 Rd8 )Qxg7 23. Rxg7 {of course immediately after playing the move i panic when i see black has the intermediary move Nd3+... does this change anything? I considered this a move earlier when the black Q was still on e7 and saw that i could just take with my queen and my rooks on 7th rank and g file, combined with my black squared bishop, would be decisive. But what about now? is there a subtlety i've missed now i only have the one rook.... thankfully no, the same mating pattern still works:)} Kxg7 (23... Nd3+ 24. Qxd3 exd3 25. c4 d2+ 26. Kd1 Rxf3 27. Rxb7+ Rf6 28. Bxf6# )24. c4 Kxh7 25. Bxe5 Kg6 {black could probably put up more resistance by trying to develop his bishop and rook even at the cost of a couple more pawns but the lack of shelter for the king, and weakness on dark squares is always going to be decisive for white} 26. Qxe4+ Kf7 27. Qd5+ {and black resigned.} 1-0