[Event "wstcc2024o65"] [Site "lichess.org"] [Date "2024.07.05"] [Round "4.12"] [White "Aragones-Melhem, Georgy"] [Black "Freeman, Jon A"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B90"] [WhiteElo "2079"] [Annotator "Jon Freeman"] [PlyCount "141"] [EventDate "2024.??.??"] [WhiteTeam "Belgium"] [BlackTeam "England 3"] [WhiteTeamCountry "BEL"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. f3 e5 7. Nb3 Be7 8. Be3 Nbd7 9. a4 b6 10. Bc4 Bb7 11. Qe2 Qc7 12. g4 Nc5 $6 {It was time to strike in the centre with 12....d5 13.ed Bb4 with compensation, or 12...d5 13.Bxd5 Nxd5 14.Nxd5 Bxd5 15.ed Bb4+ with good play (16.c3? Bxc3). After Nc5 White gains control of d5.} 13. Nxc5 dxc5 14. g5 Nh5 15. Nd5 Bxd5 16. Bxd5 Ra7 17. Rg1 Nf4 18. Bxf4 exf4 19. Qc4 {White rushes to dominate the white squares, but the queen is vulnerable to b5 here (see below). Simple development with 0-0-0 is better.} O-O 20. g6 hxg6 21. Rxg6 {the threat is Qc3 e.g. 21.....b5?? 22Qc3 Bf6 23 Qxf6 with mate to follow} Bf6 22. Rxf6 {There is no going back now! But 22 0-0-0 b5! 23Qf1 Qe5 24 c3 Rd8 25Rg4 Rb8 (threat ba and then Rxb2) 26Qg2 ba 27Rdg1? a3 winning} gxf6 23. Qf1 Rd8 24. O-O-O Kf8 25. Qh3 Ke7 26. Rg1 Qe5 {threatening Rxd5. I saw Bxf7 but thought I would be OK as per the game.} 27. Bxf7 Rad7 28. Bd5 Rxd5 29. Qh7+ Kd6 30. Qb7 Rd7 {Qd4 is better forcing the R+P endgame. After 30...Rd7, white can avoid the R+P endgame and gain the advantage with 31.Qb8+! Ke6 32.ed+ Rxd5 33.Qc8+ Kd6 34.Kb1 Qe3 35.Qb8+ Ke6 (Kc6? 36.Rg8) 36.Rg7 Kf5 37.Qh8} 31. Qxd5+ Qxd5 32. exd5 Rh7 33. Rg4 (33. Rg6 {At the time I thought this was better but} Ke5 $1 34. d6 Rxh2 35. d7 Rh8 36. Rh6 Rd8 37. Rh5+ Kd6 38. a5 bxa5 39. Rf5 Rxd7 40. Rxf6+ Kd5 41. Rxa6 Rh7 42. Rxa5 Kd4 {should hold}) 33... Rxh2 34. Rxf4 Ke5 35. Re4+ Kxd5 {I thought the game was going to end in a draw here with 36.Rf4 Ke5 37.Re4+ Kd5 38.Rf4 etc. but white foolishly plays for a win with 37.Re8?! and 38.Ke2?} 36. Kd1 Rf2 37. Re8 Rxf3 38. Ke2 Rf4 39. Rb8 Kc6 40. Ke3 $2 {There was still a chance for a draw with 40.b3, now black has a won game.} Rxa4 41. Rf8 Ra2 42. Rxf6+ Kb5 43. Rf2 Kb4 {43.....Rxb2?? 44c4+ would be a disaster, of course.} 44. Kd2 Rxb2 45. Kc1 Ra2 46. Rf6 b5 47. Kb1 Ra3 48. Kb2 a5 49. c4 Rb3+ 50. Ka2 Ra3+ {it is always good to gain time when you are on increments!} 51. Kb2 Rb3+ 52. Ka2 bxc4 53. Rb6+ Kc3 54. Rc6 Rb7 55. Rxc5 Kd3 56. Rh5 Re7 {All I could remember from my book 'Practical Chess Endings' by Paul Keres(!) was that black uses his R to block lateral checks. That seemed to work though!} 57. Rd5+ Kc2 58. Rh5 c3 59. Rh2+ Kd3 60. Rh3+ Kd2 61. Rh8 c2 62. Rd8+ Kc1 63. Rc8 Rd7 64. Rh8 Kd2 65. Rh2+ Kc3 66. Rh3+ Rd3 67. Rh1 Rd1 68. Rh3+ Kd4 69. Rh4+ Ke3 70. Rh3+ Kf4 71. Rh4+ 0-1