[Event "Shropshire League Division 1"] [Site "?"] [Date "2023.01.20"] [Round "?"] [White "Priestley, Stephen"] [Black "Tarr, Steve"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A03"] [Annotator "Stephen Priestley"] [PlyCount "95"] [EventDate "2023.01.23"] [SourceVersionDate "2023.01.23"] [WhiteTeam "Shrewsbury A"] [BlackTeam "Maddocks A"] 1. f4 {Bird's Opening - leads to interesting and original positions where the positional themes and plans are more important than theoretical variations. Frequently played by Tartakower, Larsen and more recently, the Icelandic GM Henrik Danielsen.} d5 2. Nf3 g6 {A strong response. Now the Classical variation, with e3 and b3, leads to no more than equality or a slightly worse position for White.} 3. g3 {Steering into the 'Polar Bear' variation, essentially a reversed Leningrad Dutch with an extra tempo. White's overall aim is to force e4 at a favourable moment after playing O-O, d3, c3 followed by Qe1, Qa4 or Qc2 to support the e4 advance.} Bg7 4. Bg2 Nh6 $5 {A slightly unusual reply although there are 136 games in the Chess Tempo database with black scoring 44%. Nf6 is more common and probably best, the N seems slightly out of play on this square.} 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 Bg4 $11 {Only one game in the Chess Tempo database for this position Grafl (2413) - Meszaros (2346) Budapest 2004 ½-­½ (51).} 7. c3 {Ne5 straightaway is possibly better here but I wanted to take greater control of d4 and ensure that the g7 bishop bites on granite.} (7. Ne5 c6 8. Nxg4 Nxg4 9. e3 f5 10. h3 Nf6 11. g4 e6 12. Nc3 b5 13. Qe2 Nbd7 14. e4 b4 15. Nd1 fxe4 16. dxe4 Nxe4 17. Bxe4 dxe4 18. Qxe4 Qh4 19. Qxe6+ Kh8 20. Kg2 Nc5 21. Qc4 Qe7 22. Nf2 Ne6 23. Nd3 Nd4 24. Re1 Qb7 25. Qxb4 Qxb4 26. Nxb4 a5 27. c3 axb4 28. cxd4 Bxd4 29. a3 c5 30. Rb1 Rfe8 31. Kf1 Rxe1+ 32. Kxe1 Re8+ 33. Kd1 b3 34. Bd2 Kg7 35. a4 Kf6 36. a5 Ke6 37. Bc3 Kd5 38. Bxd4 Kxd4 39. a6 Kd3 40. a7 Ra8 41. Ra1 c4 42. Ra3 h5 43. gxh5 gxh5 44. f5 Rg8 45. Ke1 Re8+ 46. Kd1 Rg8 47. Ke1 Re8+ 48. Kd1 Rg8 49. Ke1 Re8+ 50. Kd1 Rg8 51. Ke1 {½-½ Grafl,F (2411)-Meszaros,T (2346) Budapest FS09 GM 2004 (3)}) 7... c6 8. Ne5 $1 {Posing the question to the bishop on g4.} Nd7 $6 {As played in Grafl - Meszaros but this seems to be an inaccuracy as it gives up the g4 bishop.} (8... Bh5 {is perhaps a better alternative.}) 9. Nxg4 Nxg4 10. e4 $1 {Now White achieves the desired e4 advance with tempo.} Qb6+ 11. d4 Ngf6 12. e5 {White has established a strong pawn chain and the f6 knight is lacking a good square.} Ne4 13. Bxe4 (13. a4) (13. Nd2) {were possible alternatives but Bxe4 seemed simple and best at the time.} 13... dxe4 14. Qe2 {Targeting the weak pawn on e4 while also keeping an eye on b2.} f5 15. exf6 (15. Be3 {might be a better option here and on the following move, developing the black squared bishop and threatening d5 with an attack on the Queen.}) 15... exf6 16. Qxe4 Rae8 $1 {White is only slightly better, a pawn up but Black has developed his pieces faster and his rook has control of the e-file.} 17. Qc2 (17. Qd3 {may be better but my interntion was to switch the Queen to b3 and force an exchange of queens, opening up the a-file.}) 17... c5 {Pressuring the d4 pawn with f5 to follow, but this seems to be a slight inaccuracy as Qb3+ now forces the exchange of queens.} 18. Qb3+ Qxb3 (18... Rf7 {may be better here as Qxb3 frees up the a-file for the queenside rook as hoped.}) 19. axb3 cxd4 20. Rxa7 dxc3 21. Nxc3 ({I was concerned about developing my queenside pieces but} 21. bxc3 {is probably best here with advantage for White, blunting the g7 bishop.}) 21... Nc5 (21... f5 {is perhaps slightly better here with near equality for Black.}) 22. b4 Nd3 23. Rxb7 Rb8 ({Again} 23... f5 {is probably best here, activating the powerful g7 bishop.}) 24. Rd7 (24. Rxb8 {may be objectively best but I wanted to chase away the d3 knight and then develop the bishop.}) 24... Nxb4 25. Be3 (25. f5) ({or} 25. Rfd1 {are sensible alternatives, but I felt Be3 was a good developing move, focusing on the weak square c5.}) 25... Nc2 26. Bc5 Rfc8 $2 27. Na4 $6 {Inaccuracy.} (27. b4 {is better with a good game. If} Nxb4 28. Bxb4 Rxb4 29. Nd5 Z0 {followed by} 30. Ne7+ $18) 27... f5 28. Rc1 Rxc5 $6 {A critical moment in the game, I thought Black would play} (28... Nb4 {to which I intended to reply} 29. Rdd1 {so the exchange sacrifice was a surprise although it appears ultimately to be unsound.}) 29. Nxc5 Bd4+ 30. Rxd4 $2 (30. Kh1 {is the best move here, at the time I was concerned about the possibility of a mating net with Rxb2, the strong bishop on d4 and the c2 knight but this appears to be illusory,} {If} Rxb2 ({If} 30... Bxc5 31. Rxc2 $1 {keeps White an exchange and pawn up.}) 31. Ne6 $1 {is very strong.}) 30... Nxd4 $11 31. Rb1 Ne2+ $6 {Slight inaccuracy.} (31... Nf3+ {may be better here, Now White can activate the King with tempo, with the aim of moving over to the Queenside to support the advance of the b pawn.}) 32. Kf1 Nc3 33. Rc1 Nd5 34. Nd3 $11 {White is gradually improving his position to support the b pawn advance.} Nb4 $6 {Probably an inaccuracy. Whilst I can appreciate black's aim to enter a Rook endgame offering drawing chances, but Kf7 or Ne3+ (followed by Ng4) seems better here} (34... Kf7) (34... Ne3+ {(followed by Ng4) seem better here.}) 35. Nxb4 Rxb4 36. Rc2 Kf7 37. Ke2 Ke6 38. Kd3 Kd5 39. Kc3 Kc5 $2 {Seems a natural move but probably a mistake following White's next move.} 40. b3 $1 Re4 {Black's rook is short of good squares.} 41. Kd3+ Kb6 42. Re2 $1 {Virtually forcing the exchange of rooks.} Rxe2 ({If} 42... Rb4 43. Kc3 Z0 44. Re7 {and the Black kingside pawns will fall.}) 43. Kxe2 Kc5 44. Kd3 Kd5 45. b4 h6 46. b5 Kc5 47. b6 {The simplest way to win, Black's king is drawn away from the defence of the Kingside pawns.} Kxb6 48. Kd4 {A close, hard-fought game. I was pleased to win with the Bird which has been my main opening of choice as White for over 10 years.} 1-0