[Event "WDCL"] [Site "?"] [Date "2025.01.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Lythgoe, Martyn"] [Black "Burriss, Nick"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B28"] [Annotator "McCarthy,Damian"] [PlyCount "104"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6 3. c3 d5 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. d4 Nf6 {I have reached this position on 3 occasions against Martin. Twice he has played the reserved 6. Be2 and once he played 6. Na3.} 6. Na3 Bg4 7. Nc4 {Eying the hole on b6 created by my first two moves with a winning fork. I was surprised that a very solid player like Martin was content to enter a Queen-less middlegame with his K-side pawn structure in tatters.} Bxf3 8. Qxf3 Qxf3 9. gxf3 Nbd7 {Covering the b6 hole, but 9.......cxd4 was a little better - although it could have led to a very short draw after 10. Nb6 Ra7; 11. Nc8 Ra8; 12. Nb6} 10. dxc5 Nxc5 11. Be3 e6 12. O-O-O Be7 {This rather formulaic development of the Bishop sets the tone for much of the remainder of this game. The initiative is firmly with White and a long exercise in defence looms for Black. So perhaps 12...Nd5, 12...b5 or even 12...Rc8 were better alternatives.} 13. Nd6+ Bxd6 14. Rxd6 Ncd7 15. Rg1 Ke7 {I thought long and hard about 15...Nd5 'trapping' the Rook but 16. Rxg7 Ke7; 17. Rxd7+ Kxd7; 18. Rxf7+ Kc6 keeps Black on the back foot. But it would have been no worse than the move I actually played.} 16. Rd1 {No need to go all the way back; 16. Rd4 or 16. Rd2 preparing doubling up on the d-file once the g-file becomes dead was more accurate} g6 {Deadens the file but weakens the dark squares. White's dark-square Bishop becomes a real menace straight away.} 17. Bg5 {Threatening Rxd7+ winning both Knights for a Rook.} Rad8 18. Be2 {Not the best option. 18. f4 intending Bg2 at some point was a better way to activate this Bishop.} h6 {A necessary evil, but the weakness of this pawn becomes an issue and leads to some poor play on my part.} 19. Bd2 {I thought 19. Be3 not blocking the view of the Rook along the d-file posed me greater problems, but the engine disagrees and rates this retreat as best.} Rc8 20. b3 {c4 was the move} Kf8 {My idea was to relieve the Rook of guard duty on the h-pawn, but it's too slow} 21. c4 Kg7 22. Bc3 {Threatening Rxd7 again.} Rhd8 23. Rd2 {Doubling Rooks is the right idea, but 23. Rd6 was the right way to prepare it.} Kf8 {On the right track with my King at last} 24. Rgd1 Ke8 25. Kb2 Ke7 {Pointless. 25. .......Nh5 with pressure on White's weak f4 square combined with a future .......Nc5 was how the Knights should make their presence felt.} 26. Bb4+ {It was time to get the Q-side majority rolling with 26. a4} Ke8 27. h4 Ne5 28. Bd6 Nc6 29. Bf4 Rxd2+ 30. Rxd2 h5 31. Kc3 Nd7 32. Bd6 Nde5 {Trying to generate some activity with the Knights but the restrained 32. .......Ne7 intending ......Nf6 and .......Ned5+ was called for.} 33. b4 Nd7 34. a4 {Both of us was starting to get short of time and White misses the idea of f4 intending Bf3 with advantage.} Ne7 {...a5 was the right way to tackle White's Q-side pawn roller.} 35. Bd3 Nf5 36. Bxf5 gxf5 {Okay, so White no longer has his pair of Bishops but he still has the one that counts given the holes in Black's pawn structure} 37. Rd1 {Heading for the g-file, but that plan has little prospect of bringing home the win. White's chances lie with his Q-side pawn majority and 37. a5 was correct.} Nf6 {Time pressure takes its toll and Black misses an opportunity to punish White for his last move by 37. ......b5. I wanted to be able to challenge on the g-file with .....Rg8 if possible.} 38. Be5 {Returning the favour. Now was the time to continue with his 38. Rg1 plan.} Nd7 39. Bd6 Nf6 {Repeating moves, and the mistake!} 40. Rg1 Kd7 41. c5 {41. Be5 was correct now that .........Nd7 isn't possible.} Rg8 42. Rxg8 Nxg8 {And now it's dead even - at last.} 43. Be5 Ne7 44. Kc4 Nd5 45. b5 f6 46. Bb2 axb5+ 47. axb5 Ke7 48. c6 bxc6 49. bxc6 Kd6 50. Kb5 Kc7 51. Kc5 Ne7 52. Bxf6 Nxc6 1/2-1/2