[Event ""]
[White "Livingstone,Doug"]
[Black "Duckworth,Harry"]
[Site ""]
[Round ""]
[Annotator ""]
[Result "1-0"]
[Date "2023.10.02"]
[BlackElo "1517"]
[PlyCount "79"]
1. c4 g6 2. Nc3 d6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 Nf6 5. e3 O-O 6. Nge2 Nc6 {Black is playing a fairly standard King's Indian formation against Doug's English Opening} 7. a3 {The immediate 7.d4 is possibly more direct} Be6 {A rather clumsy placement of the QB. Later on it it could get hit by d4-d5 or, as in the game, Nf4. 7...e5 was more natural} 8. b3 d5 9. Nf4 Bg4 10. f3 Be6 {What else? 10...Bf5 is answered by 11.cxd5 when black cannot recapture owing to 12.Nxd5 Qxd5 13.e4 forking queen and bishop forking } 11. Nxe6 {Doug doubles the e pawns and gains the "two bishops." The square e6 is now fatally weak as Doug will demonstrate} fxe6 12. O-O d4 {I don't like this as it leaves the black pawns on the e-file not only doubled but also isolated. Trying to hold the position with 12...Qd7 and Rad8 would give black more chances. } (12... Qd7 )13. exd4 {Understandable as it opens the e-file for the queen and rook - but the downside is that d3 and d4 are now weak and the pawn on d2 is backward. 13.Ne2 is probably better as white doesn't have to worry about black playing d3 as it will become weak there} (13. Ne2 d3 14. Nf4 Qd7 15. Bb2 e5 16. Bh3 Qd6 17. Ne6 Rfe8 18. c5 Qd7 19. b4 )Qxd4+ 14. Kh1 Qd7 15. Rb1 {Sensibly getting the rook off the a1-h8 diagonal. Interestingly the computer thinks this position is roughly equal - but white has the "two bishops" and a much better pawn structure} Nh5 16. Ne2 Nd4 17. Nxd4 {Exchanging off what would otherwise be a very strong knight. I generally prefer to let my opponent make the exchangeas that way I gain in development} (17. f4 Nxe2 18. Qxe2 )Bxd4 18. Bb2 Bxb2 19. Rxb2 Rf6 {19...Rad8 is much more sensible, holding back the d-pawn. Rf6 looks clumsy} 20. d4 $1 {Doug has sorted out his issue on the d-file and now has a wonderful position - very close to a winning one!} c6 21. f4 $1 {Excellent! Now the pawn on e6 is a permanent target as black will never be able to play e5} Ng7 22. Re1 Rd8 23. Rd2 c5 $1 {Black has to go for activity or he's lost.} 24. d5 $1 {24...Nf5 is probably black's best chance now covering e6 and hoping to get in on d4} Qc8 $2 {Exchanging on d5 would be better but then the b7 pawn drops and Doug's rook infiltrates to the 7th rank} (24... exd5 25. Rxd5 Rd6 26. Rxd6 exd6 27. Qd5+ Kh8 (27... Qf7 28. Re7 $1 )28. Qxb7 Qxb7 29. Bxb7 Rb8 30. Re7 )25. dxe6 Rxd2 26. Qxd2 Nxe6 {Obviously not rxe6 or Qxe6 when Bd5 wins on the spot} 27. Bh3 {thematic although Bd5 is stronger - generally pins against a king are better than pins against a queen.} Qc6+ 28. Bg2 Qc8 29. Qd5 {The x-ray pins will win the game. Bd5 again is a bit more direct} b6 {Black is lost but his best move might be 29...Kf8 and after 30.Bh3 Nxf4 which although pretty leaves him a piece down} (29... Kf8 30. Bh3 Nxf4 31. Bxc8 Nxd5 32. cxd5 )30. Bh3 $1 {Zugzwang! After black's next 30...Kf7 he has no more moves with his pieces and his pawn moves will run out! Black's position would be better if he didn't have to move!} Kf7 31. Re4 {All roads lead to Rome! White just has to wait for black to run out of moves.} h5 32. Kg1 a6 33. a4 b5 34. axb5 axb5 35. cxb5 c4 36. bxc4 Qc5+ 37. Qxc5 Nxc5 38. Rd4 e6 39. Rd6 Ke7 40. Rc6 {and black resigned as there is no way to stop the queenside pawn from queening. A great game by Doug and a very nice Zugzwang!} 1-0