[Event "Peninsular Cup Final"] [White "Hill, David"] [Black "Smith, Jonathan"] [Site ""] [Round ""] [Annotator "Damian"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Date "2020.02.29"] [PlyCount "52"] 1. c4 {} c5 {Perhaps the most solid way of meeting the English opening} 2. g3 Nc6 3. Bg2 Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 5. Nf3 Bg7 6. 0-0 0-0 7. d4 {White is first to break the symmetry} cxd4 8. Nxd4 Ng4 9. e3 Nge5 10. b3 d6 11. Bb2 Bg4 12. f3 Bd7 13. Qd2 {both players have been following established theory up to this point, indeed this position after Qd2 has been reached 40 times before with White scoring pretty well 73.2 percent according to my database. Black now chooses an independent path} h5 14. Rad1 Bh6 15. f4 Ng4 16. h3 Nf6 17. Nd5 {?! White has a space advantage so as a rule exchanging pieces should ease Blacks defensive task.} Ne8 {? unfortunately for black this move should probably lead to a decisive advantage for White due to the weakened kingside but black misses his chance to play f5 immediately.} (17... Nxd5 18. cxd5 Nxd4 19. Qxd4 Kh7 {would leave black with a solid looking game, although white still has an edge in space black does not have so many pieces needing homes.} )18. Nf3 (18. f5 {! looks to have been be very strong here, making black regret his early weakening of the kingside} Ne5 19. fxg6 fxg6 20. Rxf8+ Bxf8 21. Nf4 {with a big advantage} )Rc8 19. Nc3 a6 20. Ne4 Bf5 21. Nd4 (21. Nf2 b5 22. e4 Be6 23. Qe2 bxc4 24. f5 {is interesting, keeping pieces on the board} gxf5 25. exf5 Bxf5 26. Nh4 )Nxd4 {black is happy to trade} 22. Bxd4 Qd7 23. Nf2 b5 24. e4 Be6 25. cxb5 Qxb5 26. g4 Bd7 {draw agreed, quite possibly with the match situation was at the back of Jonathans mind with the offer, Culcheth had taken an early the lead.} 1/2-1/2