(411) Rees,Ioan (2106) - Richmond,Robert J (2219) [A89]
4NCL/Div3/SLO2 vs. NKN1 Telford ENG (5.2), 08.03.2003
[Annotations by Charlie Linford]
1.Nf3 f5 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.g3 Bg7 5.Bg2 0-0 6.0-0 d6 7.d4 Nc6 8.d5 Ne5 9.Qb3 Nfd7 10.Be3 Nc5 11.Bxc5 dxc5 12.Nxe5 Bxe5 13.Qa3 Qd6 14.Nb5 Qb6 15.Qe3 Bf6 16.a4 a5 17.Qf4?! I've not said anything up to this point as I have no idea how much of the game contains ideas known to theory, and I'm not that interested in the intricacies of the Dutch anyway - if either of the players want to enlighten me and other readers, please send some comments in. The game starts to develop from this point on, however - white has looked strong up to this point, but now black gets the chance to cause some mischief with the opening of the b-file. Something like 17.Rab1 or even 17.Ra3!? would have been better. 17...c6 18.Nc3 Qxb2 19.dxc6 bxc6 20.Nd5 Imaginative and best - 20.Bxc6?? would have been embarrassing after 20...Ra6. 20...Ba6 21.Rab1?! Diagram
Tempting though it is to give up the e-pawn for another open file, this seems a touch too carefree, not least because black now releases his previously poor c-pawns, practically garuanteeing him a better rook ending.21...Qxe2 22.Rfe1 Qxc4 23.Nxe7+ Bxe7 24.Qxc4+ Bxc4 25.Rxe7 Rf7 26.Re5 (=) This ending may be drawn, and black is losing at least one of his pawns back, but there must be a reasonable chance of winning this with black. 26...Bd5 27.Rc1 c4 28.Bxd5 cxd5 29.Rxd5 Rc7 30.Rc3 Kf7 31.Kf1 Ke6 32.Rd4 Rac8 33.f4 Rb7 34.Rdxc4 Rxc4 35.Rxc4 Kd5 36.Rc2 Kd4 37.Ke2 Rb4 The two pawns have gone but black has a vastly superior position here - the winning chances must be pretty good now. 38.Rc7 Rxa4 39.Rxh7 Kc3 40.Rh6 Re4+ 41.Kf3 Re6 42.g4 fxg4+ 43.Kxg4 a4 44.Rh3+ Kb2 45.f5 gxf5+ 46.Kxf5 Both sides have created a passed pawn, and the reduced material plays into white's hands, but this should win for black. 46...Rc6?! Not the best start - 46...Rb6 would have shielded black from some irritating checks, after which the black king should get back in time. 47.Rh8 a3? 48...Rb6 is still best - the king is on it's optimum square, and doesn't want to be disturbed. Now I can't find a clear way to win for black, as the white h-pawn just gets too far away from the starting blocks. 48.Rb8+ Kc3 49.Ra8 Kb4 50.Rb8+ Ka5 51.Rb1 Rh6 52.Ra1 Ka4 53.Rh1 a2 54.h4 Kb3 55.Kg5 Rc6 56.h5 Kb2 57.h6 Rc1 58.Rh2+ Rc2 59.Rh1 Rg2+ 60.Kf6 1/2-1/2
