Sussex League (Division 1) 2025-26: Horsham 1 – Lewes 1

   [Event "Sussex League Division 1"]  [Site "Various"]  [Date "2025.10.28"]  [Round "1"]  [White "Mansson, James C"]  [Black "Farr, Peter G"]  [Result "1/2-1/2"]  [Annotator "Mansson,James"]  [ECO "D41"]  [WhiteElo "2076"]  [BlackElo "2037"]  [WhiteFideId "-1"]  [WhiteFideId "-1"]  [PlyCount "68"]  [GameId "2238121695138017"]  [EventDate "2025.09.01"]  [EventType "team-match"]  [EventRounds "10"]  [EventCountry "ENG"]  [WhiteTeam "Horsham 1"]  [BlackTeam "Lewes 1"]  [WhiteTeamCountry "ENG"]  [BlackTeamCountry "ENG"]   {In this video I am going to look at a game I played last Tuesday in a Sussex League match for Horsham 1 against Lewes 1. The match was played at Horsham.  I was on board two. I had the White pieces and was up against Peter Farr, a familiar opponent.  I started with} 1. Nf3 ({This move demands some explanation, as recently I have been playing} 1. e4 {The reason I chose to play Nf3 instead is that I was expecting to play Louis Buckland, who invariably chooses} c6 {the Caro-Kann Defence, and I had something prepared against that.} ({However, Peter invariably choses} 1... e6 {the French Defence, a complicated line for which I was not ready. I therefore decided to go for the more cautious 1.Nf3.})) {Peter favours the Modern Benoni against 1.d4, so 1.Nf3 could prove tricky, as it is easy for Black to get move-ordered. He chose} 1... Nf6 {and after White played the flexible} 2. c4 {he chose} c5 {This is an attractive option for Black players who are worried about move-order tricks, since it rules out an immediate transposition. However, it does mean that Black needs to master one of the defensive systems in the Symmetrical English, none of which are entirely simple.} {After} 3. Nc3 e6 4. g3 Nc6 5. Bg2 d5 {it was clear that Black was aiming for either the Tarrasch or Semi-Tarrasch.} {After} 6. cxd5 {Black preferred} Nxd5 (6... exd5 7. d4 {transposes to the Tarrasch Defence.}) {and after} 7. O-O Be7 {but I chose} 8. Nxd5 ({Now} 8. d4 O-O 9. Nxd5 exd5 {is the recommend move order}) 8... exd5 9. d4 O-O {leading to the same position. Play has now transposed into the Semi-Tarrasch Defence. This was a line which I had looked at many years ago, but it had not occured much when I was a regular 1.Nf3 player. Fortunately I was able to remember a reasonable way to play against it!} {Play went} 10. dxc5 Bxc5 11. Bg5 {attacking the queen, and now Black has a tricky decision to make.} {Black chose the counter-attacking} Qb6 (11... f6 {is the most common choice, but rather weakening.}) ({Another option is} 11... Qd7 {which looks unorthodox but is actually not too bad, as at least it doesn't weaken Black's pawn structure.}) 12. Rc1 {This prevents ...Qxb2 as the bishop on c5 would be hanging.} ({Now grabbing the pawn with} 12. Qxd5 {gives Black compensation after} Be6 {which seems to have worked out fine for him in practice. I had a feeling that it was not a good idea - and not the recommended move - so I chose to move my rook instead.}) {Black now defended the pawn with} 12... Be6 {However, I wanted to prevent ...Nb4 first, so chose} 13. a3 ({Now} 13. Qc2 {at once is the recommended move and probably best.}) {However, Black now drove back my bishop with} 13... h6 14. Bd2 {and secured himself against b4 with} a5 {After} 15. Qc2 {threatening the bishop on c5,} {Black retreated with} Be7 {I now decided to secure the d4 square with} 16. e3 {as I was concerned about Black pushing ...d4.} {After} Rac8 {there was an unfortunate opposition of Black's rook against my queen, which I hurried to get out of over the next few moves.} 17. Bc3 Qa6 {Black now intended to push on the queenside with ...b5, so I arranged my pieces to impede that.} 18. Rfe1 b5 19. Qe2 {The b-pawn was now pinned, so Black acted to unpin it.} Qb7 {Now Black was threatening ...b4, so I decided to swap the knights to neutralise the threat.} 20. Nd4 Nxd4 21. Bxd4 {Although Black has an isolated pawn, there does not seem any way to go after it now, so the position is roughly level.} Qd7 22. Qd2 b4 23. axb4 {However he chose instead} axb4 {which is perfectly reasonable of course.} ({Now} 23... Bxb4 {is met by} 24. Bc3 {which is probably fine for Black.}) {I decided to block the further advance of the b-pawn with} 24. b3 {This leaves Black's dark-squared bishop less active than it would be should his pawn advance to b3, freeing the b4-square.} {Black decided to simpify with} Rxc1 25. Rxc1 Rc8 26. h4 {This was useful to avoid any back-rank issues.} Bf8 27. Rc2 {White wanted Black to be the one to concede the c-file when exchanging rooks.} Rxc2 28. Qxc2 {The players now moved their pieces around for a bit, before agreeing to a repetition.} Bf5 29. Qc1 Qd6 30. Kh2 Be7 {Black hoped for ...Bxh4, but White did not give him the chance.} 31. Bh3 Qe6 32. Bg2 Qd6 33. Bh3 Qe6 34. Bg2 Qd6 {Black offered a draw which White accepted. Neither side could see a way to make progress.} 1/2-1/2