[Event "South Wales International"] [Site "?"] [Date "2014.08.28"] [Round "6"] [White "Petr Marusenko"] [Black "Jeremy Menadue"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "D11"] [Annotator "Menadue, Jeremy"] [PlyCount "63"] [EventDate "2014.??.??"] {Jeremy Menadue is a regular participant in the strong British Championship qualifier in Cardiff. Here he annotates one of his games from the 2014 event. White is a veteran Ukrainian IM, a regular and popular competitor at Hastings and the South Wales International.} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 (3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 a6 (4... e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7) 5. Nf3 Bf5 6. h3 e6 7. g4 Be4 8. Nxe4 Nxe4 9. Bd3 Bb4+ 10. Kf1 O-O 11. Kg2 Qe7 12. h4 Nd7 13. a3 Bd6 14. c5 Bc7 15. Bxe4 dxe4 16. Nd2 e5 17. Nxe4 exd4 18. Qxd4 f5 19. gxf5 Rxf5 20. f4 Nxc5 21. Ng3 Rd5 22. Qc4 Qe6 23. Kf3 Bxf4 24. Ne4 Bxe3 25. Kxe3 Nxe4 {0-1 Marusenko,P (2223) -Cooksey,P (2293)/Penarth WLS 2013/The Week in Chess 977}) 3... Nf6 4. e3 {played to avoid immediate ..dxc4 but blocks in the Bc1} Bg4 {[probably simplest way to play the position, get the B outside the pawn chain]} ({more interesting and complicated} 4... Bf5 5. Nc3 e6 6. Bd3 Bxd3 7. Qxd3 Nbd7 8. O-O Bd6 9. e4 dxe4 10. Nxe4 Nxe4 11. Qxe4 O-O 12. Bg5 Be7 (12... Nf6 13. Qe2 Be7 14. Rad1 h6 15. Bh4 Qa5 16. Ne5 Rad8 17. b3) 13. Bf4 Re8 14. Rfd1 Qb6 15. Qc2 a5 16. Rac1 Bf6 17. c5 Qd8 18. Ne5 Bxe5 19. dxe5 Qc7 20. Rd6 Nf8 {later - 1-0 Marusenko,P (2189)-Anderson,J (2195)/Hastings ENG 2013/The Week in Chess 999 (36)}) 5. Nbd2 {matter of opinion, Nc3 is the classical variation} (5. Nc3 e6) 5... e6 6. Bd3 Nbd7 7. O-O Bd6 8. b3 O-O 9. Bb2 {[to some extent the game is now about black playing for e5 and whether white could play Ne5]} Qe7 {flexible, considering Ba3 as well as e5 and linking the rooks} (9... Re8) 10. h3 Bh5 (10... Bxf3 11. Nxf3 {gives white an easy plus}) 11. Qc2 e5 $5 {[Petr looked very happy at this mistake[?] but it is still a book position - black allows the isolated queen pawn for activity as in last week's game on the website]} (11... a6 { maybe to play b5}) 12. cxd5 $5 {[not in bk ??]} (12. dxe5 Nxe5 13. Nxe5 Bxe5 14. Bxe5 Qxe5 15. cxd5 Qxd5 {gives both sides a pawn majority and something to play for}) 12... cxd5 $2 {[too casual]} (12... Bxf3 $1 13. dxe5 Bxe5 14. Nxf3 Bxb2 15. Qxb2 Nxd5 {has to be level} (15... Nc5 16. Bc4 cxd5 17. Be2)) { [white played the next moves very quickly and confidently]} 13. dxe5 Nxe5 14. Bxe5 Bxe5 15. Nxe5 Qxe5 16. Rac1 $14 {[with a slight bang]} Qg5 $6 {[tactical solution to a difficult position]} ({keep calm} 16... b6 17. Qc7 Qe6 $14) 17. Qc7 $16 {[black relies on having a few pieces in front of the white king]} d4 { [this unusual pin creates some odd tactics]} 18. Rc5 $1 Qh6 19. g4 $6 { [white's plan for several moves now,preparing the crushing g5]} (19. Nc4 $1 $16 dxe3 20. Nxe3 {leaves black in serious trouble}) 19... Bg6 {ready to sacrifice} ({missed the astonishing resource} 19... dxe3 $1 20. g5 {winning ? but now the amazing move} Nd5 $3 21. Rxd5 Qc6 $3 22. Qa5 (22. Qxc6 bxc6 {maintains a crazy balance}) 22... b6 23. Qb5 Qxb5 24. Bxb5 exd2 25. Rxd2 $11) 20. Bxg6 ({white found} 20. g5 Qxh3 21. Bxg6 Rac8 $1 (21... dxe3 22. Bf5) 22. Bxf7+ Kh8 23. Qd6 Qg4+ {and black may take a draw}) 20... Qxg6 21. exd4 {going for the simpler option again} (21. Qxb7) 21... Qd3 {[=] draw offered in relief!} 22. Qf4 { white convinced he was better for general reasons, better coordination but has kingside weaknesses} Qxh3 23. f3 Rae8 24. Re5 Rxe5 25. dxe5 Nd5 26. Qh2 (26. Qe4 $2 Qg3+ 27. Kh1 Nf4) 26... Qxh2+ 27. Kxh2 Rc8 28. Nc4 $6 {activating the N the wrong way} (28. Ne4 $14 {may still be awkward with the black king on the back rank} Rc2+ 29. Kg3 Rxa2 30. Rc1) 28... b5 29. Nd6 Rc2+ 30. Kg3 a6 31. Rd1 (31. Re1 $15) 31... Nc3 32. Re1 {[Draw agreed with 16 mins v 2 ! for 9 moves - black can take on a2 but e6 looked too dangerous. The only really interesting game I played from the 9 rds ]} 1/2-1/2