(246) Hulmes,David I (2136) - de Coverly,Roger (2113) [C93]
4NCL/Div3/NWE2 vs. SLO2 West Bromwich ENG (1.5), 09.11.2002
[Annotations by Charlie Linford]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 h6 10.d4 Re8 11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.Bc2 Bd7 13.b3 g6 14.Bb2 Bg7 15.d5 Ne7 16.c4 c5 Well, in the only other game I can find that reached this position, black played 16...c6. In both cases white appears to achieve a very easy position in which he just has to keep control of the d5-square and black has a miserable time. Admittedly I hate the Ruy Lopez and know none of the ideas surrounding these type of positions, but I certainly don't understand what black's compensation for these structural defect is. 17.dxc6 Nxc6 18.Bd3 b4 Given what I said previously, I would have tried 18...bxc4, but what do I know? 19.Nf1 Rf8 20.Ne3 Ne8 21.Qd2 Ra7 22.Rad1 Bc8 23.Bb1 Diagram
White now has two pawns, a knight, rook and queen all monitoring the d5-square, whilst black has nothing on it. I can't help but feel that white has achieved a strategically won game straight from the opening. 23...Qa5 24.Nd5 Rb7 25.Nh2 Re-routing the other knight to support it's counterpart on d5. 25...f5 This is the other problem with the black position - the ...f5 break was black's only obvious plan, so white's bad bishop on b1 knew it would eventually come to life. 26.exf5 gxf5 27.f4 Qc5+ 28.Kh1 a5 29.Nf1 Rbf7 30.Re2 Be6 31.Qe1 Nc7 32.Nxc7 Rxc7 33.Qf2 White has cleverly manouvered to exchange queens, which will make the d5 square even more critical. 33...e4 34.Bxg7 Rxg7 Again, whilst the b1 bishop may look somewhat impoverished, white will have all the time he wants to open the game with g4. 35.Red2 Qxf2 36.Rxf2 Rd8 37.Rfd2 Rgd7 38.Ne3 Ne7 39.g4 Kf7 40.Kh2 Kf6 41.gxf5 Bxf5 42.Rd4 The weakness on d5 has led to the falling of the e4 pawn. Sorry to keep going on about it, but I certainly don't see what black could have done after his opening. What follows is a little light desperation, none of which troubles white. 42...d5 43.cxd5 Rd6 44.Bxe4 Bxe4 45.Rxe4 Nxd5?? Missing a short tactical sequence that finishes the game rather more quickly than might have been expected. 46.Red4 Ke6 47.f5+ Ke5 48.Nc4+ 1-0
