[Event "Hanham v Portishead C C"] [White "Quigley,SJ"] [Black "Coles,R"] [Site ""] [Round ""] [Annotator ""] [Result "0-1"] [Date "2024.09.17"] [PlyCount "63"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 Nf6 $6 {This is a slight error, ceding the centre. Better are 2...e6, 2...c6, 2....dxc4 or 2...e5)} 3. Nc3 (3. cxd5 Nxd5 4. Nf3 { preventing sharp lines involving 4...e5 and preparing e4! kicking the knight and taking over the centre} )e6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 O-O 6. cxd5 exd5 7. Nf3 {This is fine, although Bd3 is more flexible as white may prefer to develop the KN to e2 followed by an eventual f3 and 34} Nc6 {This is almost always a mistake in the Exchange QGD as it hampers the c-pawn and leaves black with any pawn breaks} 8. Bd3 Bg4 9. O-O Nb4 10. Be2 c6 11. Bxf6 {Generally it is better not to exchange unless there is a very good reason for it. Here SJ wants to get rid of the knight in order to play e4. I'd prefer 11.a3 Na6 and then decide whether black has sufficient compensation for the wrecked queenside pawns a6} Bxf6 12. e4 ({This is too looseas it leaves white with an isolated queen's pawn that can be blocked. Also it opens up the position when black has to two bishops} 12. a3 Na6 13. Bxa6 bxa6 { when black's queenside pawn structure is wrecked - although black has the two bishops as some compensation} )Qd7 $2 ({This allows SJ to push black back, stabilise the centre and gain space on the kingside. Better was} 12... Bxf3 13. Bxf3 dxe4 14. Nxe4 Bxd4 { when white has minimal compensation for the pawn} )13. e5 $1 Be7 14. h3 Bf5 15. a3 Na6 16. Bd3 b5 17. Re1 Nc7 18. Bxf5 Qxf5 19. g4 $5 {SJ gains space on the kingside but it's risky as it also weakens her own king's position. } (19. Rc1 Ne6 20. Re3 a5 21. Ne2 Rac8 22. Rec3 Nd8 { would be safer with options of play on both sides of the board} )Qg6 20. Ne2 {Excellent play, transferring the knight over to the kingside to g3 where it controls f5 and h5. The computer thinks black is okay but that requires very accurate defending with Qh6 and f5. In practical terms this position is much easier to play for white } Ne6 (20... Qh6 21. Kg2 f5 { with a very complicated position} )21. Ng3 Nf4 22. Nf5 Bd8 23. N3h4 Qg5 (23... Bxh4 24. Nxh4 Qg5 25. Qf3 Qxh4 26. Qxf4 Qxh3 27. Re3 Qh4 {and black is a pawn up but white has play against the backward c-pawn combined with active rooks that can switch to the kinside. Unclear.} )24. Kh2 Ne6 $1 25. Ng2 $1 Nf4 $2 {Black needed to play Bb6 pressurising the d4 pawn and providing the queen with an escape square on d8} 26. h4 $1 Qg6 27. Nxf4 Qxf5 {There was nowhere for the queen to go!} 28. gxf5 Bxh4 29. Qg4 Bxf2 30. Nh5 g6 31. Rf1 Be3 32. fxg6 0-1