[Event "WDCL Div 1"] [White "Ellison, Craig"] [Black "Burriss, Nick"] [Site ""] [Round ""] [Annotator "Damian"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Date "2019.09.25"] [PlyCount "80"] 1. e4 {I played Black against Craig earlier this year and lost in 23 moves in a Sicilian 2…..a6.} c5 2. Nf3 a6 {There’s none so blind as he who will not see! I started playing this move to avoid having to face systems where White plays 3: Bb5. I have had good results where White routinely plays 3: d4 after 3:……..cxd4; 4: Nxd4 Nf6; 5: Nc3 e5. And it’s make-your-mind-up time for White as to where hid Knight is best placed. 6: Nf5 is sub-optimal after 6: …….d5 – but it’s often played at my level. Craig plays the best move.} 3. c3 d5 {In more orthodox Sicilian systems Black can usually claim equality if he gets this move in; regrettably that’s not the case here.} 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. d4 Bg4 6. Be2 e6 {Sticking with what I played in our previous game, but either 6:…….Nc6 or Nf6 is more accurate. Craig now deviates.} 7. h3 Bf5 { This soon costs a tempo and allows White to develop his Bishop on f3, so 7…….Bh5 is probably better, although Fritz assesses both moves as about the same.} 8. c4 {In this system Black has to know which is the best square to which the Queen should move when attacked by either c4 or Nc3. Needless to say it varies; and almost needless to say I invariably choose the wrong one.} Qd8 { And this game is no exception. Either 8………Qd6 or Qd7 was better.} 9. 0-0 Nf6 10. Nc3 Be7 {10:…….Bd6 was better} 11. Be3 cxd4 {My position is bad and it would have been better to let the pawn go and play 11:……O-O with ... Qc7 and ...Nc6 to follow.} 12. Nxd4 Bg6 {See my note to move 7} 13. Bf3 Qc7 { Let’s be quite clear, White has a very big (probably winning) advantage. I was already resigned to losing material. But Craig misses his chance.} 14. Qa4+ {14: Qb3 wins the b7 pawn and probably the game. After this move his advantage is gone.} Nbd7 15. Ndb5 {He thought for a long time before playing this move. It looks very ‘flash’ but actually achieves nothing. In fact it is a theme of this game that all minor piece attacks on the Queens are poor choices.} Qb8 16. Nd4 0-0 {I was tempted to repeat the position by playing 16:…….Qc7 but was just relieved to tuck my King away and take my chances. I know Craig is coached by a Grandmaster, but I’ve read a chess book or two about the middlegame I’ll have you know!} 17. b4 Nb6 {Attacking the Queen and c-pawn; and a thoroughly poor choice of move because the Queen goes to a better square and the Knight is now in the firing line of White’s Bishop on e3. 17………Rc8 or ………e5 intending ……….e4 were better options.} 18. Qb3 Bd3 {Forcing the exchange of White’s hitherto wonderful white-squared Bishop.} 19. Be2 Bxe2 20. Ndxe2 Nbd7 {20: ...Qc7 was more accurate} 21. Rfd1 Rd8 22. c5 Qc7 23. Bf4 {Attacking my Queen and, yes, it’s a poor choice.} e5 24. Be3 Nf8 {Despite surviving the opening and the middlegame so far without losing material my position remains cramped. Therefore it was time to fight for some lebensraum with 24………b6.} 25. Ng3 {Better was 25: Bg5 intending Bxf6 and Nd5.} Ne6 26. Nf5 Bf8 27. a4 {Creating an impressive-looking pawn roller, but looks can be deceiving. It creates a target too. Therefore 27: Rac1 or even a3 were better.} Rxd1+ 28. Rxd1 Rd8 29. Nd5 Nxd5 30. Rxd5 Rxd5 31. Qxd5 Qc6 32. Qxc6 ({If} 32. Qxe5 {I figured that} Qxa4 {32: ...Qxa4 finally gave me some breathing space and activated my Queen. For example} 33. Nd4 Qa1+ 34. Kh2 Qb2 35. Nc6 Qb3 {or Qxe5 things are dead level} )bxc6 33. Kf1 g6 34. Ng3 f5 {At this point knowing that we were 2-0 up because of defaults and that Mike Rotchell was winning against Steve Potter I offered a draw – confident that Craig would decline.} 35. Ne2 {Which he did!} f4 36. Bd2 Ng5 { Oh dear! This could have cost me the game. 36:…Kf7 was correct} 37. Bc3 Bg7 38. Nc1 {With time running out Craig misses 38: b5! which would have given him winning chances after 38...axb5; 39: axb5 cxb5; 40: c6 Ne6; 41: Ba5 Kf6; 42: c7 } (38. b5 axb5 39. axb5 cxb5 40. c6 Ne6 41. Ba5 Kf7 42. c7 )Ne4 39. Na2 Kf7 40. Ke2 Ke6 {And here in a level position and both of us short of time I offered a draw which Craig accepted. Unfortunately meanwhile Mike had lost to Steve and with defeats on Boards 1 and 3 we narrowly lost the match .5.} 1/2-1/2