[Event ""] [White "Ames,Edward"] [Black "Silence,Michael"] [Site ""] [Round ""] [Annotator ""] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Date "2023.11.14"] [PlyCount "98"] 1. d4 d6 2. e4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3 {Edward aims for a Samisch like structure with f3, Qd2, 0-0-0 and possibly a kingside pawn storm. Be3 also tempts Ng4 which could end up losing time when the knight gets kicked back} Bg7 5. Qd2 Ng4 6. Bf4 {Not so much a mistake but here the bishop is vulnerable to an e5 pawn thrust. Better is Bg5} (6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 g5 8. Bg3 e5 9. Nge2 (9. dxe5 Nxe5 (9... dxe5 10. Qxd8+ Kxd8 11. O-O-O+ Bd7 12. h3 Nf6 13. Nf3 Re8 14. Bc4 )10. O-O-O {followed by h4} )exd4 10. Nxd4 {followed by 0-0-0, h4 and f3 when black must hope his king can seek safety on the queenside - but that will take at least four moves!} )Nc6 (6... e5 {is better when} 7. dxe5 Nxe5 8. O-O-O Be6 {is roughly equal} )7. f3 Nf6 (7... e5 $11 )8. O-O-O $1 {The battle lines are now clear. It's a race to see who can get to the enemy king first - but black is still in the starting blocks} O-O 9. d5 {This is fine but I prefer either Nge2 or Bh6 or even Bb5} Nb8 $2 {9....Ne5 had to tried. Technically black could have achieved this setup after 9...Nb8 in only 5 moves - he has taken 9!} 10. g4 $1 {Edward's kingside pawn roller sets off!} e5 11. Bh6 Nfd7 {It's not clear what this achieves} 12. Bxg7 { In general it is better to trade at the last moment before black can organise a defence - or allow black to trade bringing the white queen closer to the black king. 12.h4 keeps more options open and more ways for black to go wrong. } Kxg7 13. h4 Nc5 14. h5 Rh8 $1 {Notice that this defence is only possible because of the bishops being exchanged on g7 } 15. Nh3 Nbd7 16. Bb5 $1 {Edward shows excellent positional judgment - recognising that this is a "bad" bishop hemmed in as it is behind his phalanx of pawns on white squares.} a6 17. Bxd7 Bxd7 18. hxg6 {Again I would prefer not to trade as in some lines white might prefer to play h6+. It's often best to maintain the tension and keep black guessing. It's not clear what is best for white but maybe 18.g5 with the idea of following up with f4 at some point} hxg6 19. b4 $6 {Overlooking that the knight has an escape square on a4} Na4 20. Nxa4 Bxa4 {The computer now rates this position as equal} 21. Ng5 Qd7 22. Rh2 (22. Nh7 $3 {is a remarkable winning tactic but hard to see} Rxh7 23. Rxh7+ Kxh7 24. Rh1+ Kg7 25. Qh6+ )Qb5 $2 23. Rdh1 {Edward is back on top now} Qd7 24. Rh7+ Rxh7 25. Rxh7+ Kg8 26. Rxf7 {This is winning but it's not as easy as it seems. 26.Qh2! was outright} Qxf7 27. Nxf7 Kxf7 28. Qh6 Rg8 29. Qh7+ Rg7 30. Qh8 Rg8 31. Qh6 Bd7 32. Qd2 {Edward is still winning but he should keep black tied down and prevent the rook becoming active on the h-file - while a queenside break with c4 and c5 is prepared. } (32. g5 Rg7 33. Qh8 Rg8 34. Qf6+ Ke8 35. c4 )Rh8 33. Qd3 Rh1+ 34. Kb2 Ke7 35. Qc4 Kd8 36. Qd3 Rh2 37. Kb3 Rh3 38. Qf1 $2 {38.Qe3! planning to meet Nxg4 with Qg5+ was the only way forward} Bxg4 {Now the position is equal and fades out into a draw} 39. Qg2 Rxf3+ 40. Kb2 Rf4 41. c3 Bh5 42. Qg5+ Ke8 43. Qh6 Rf2+ 44. Ka3 Rf3 45. Kb3 Rf4 46. Qh8+ Rf8 47. Qg7 Rf7 48. Qg8+ Rf8 49. Qe6+ Kd8 1/2-1/2