County Match (Open) 2025-26: Sussex – Surrey

   [Event "SCCU County Match"]  [Site "Horsham"]  [Date "2025.11.15"]  [Round "2"]  [White "Lalic, Susan K"]  [Black "Mansson, James C"]  [Result "1/2-1/2"]  [Annotator "Mansson,James"]  [ECO "C47"]  [WhiteElo "2204"]  [BlackElo "2081"]  [WhiteFideId "-1"]  [WhiteFideId "-1"]  [PlyCount "104"]  [GameId "2244566486629212"]  [EventDate "2025.09.01"]  [EventType "swiss"]  [EventRounds "10"]  [EventCountry "ENG"]  [WhiteTeam "Surrey"]  [BlackTeam "Sussex"]  [WhiteTeamCountry "ENG"]  [BlackTeamCountry "ENG"]   {In this video I am going to look at a game I played a couple of Saturdays ago in a county match against Surrey. The match was played at the Sussex home venue in Hassocks.  I was on board seven. I had the Black pieces and was up against Susan Lalic, one of England's strongest female players.  My opponent started with} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 {This is the Scotch Four Knights, a solid opening favoured by those who just want a familiar position without much theory.} Bb4 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. O-O {But now, instead of pushing the pawn to d6, Black chose} Re8 {The idea is to be able to drop the bishop back to e7 if White pins with Bg5. Also, Black may decide to play ...d6 rather ...d5, keeping more tension in the position.} 9. Bg5 h6 {It is useful to clarify the position of the bishop. White has to chose between maintaining the pin, but committing to the queenside, and abandonning the pin, releasing pressure on Black.} 10. Bh4 {White decides to maintain the pin.} Be7 {Black breaks the pin, as planned.} 11. Re1 d6 {Black decides to maintain some tension, also as planned.} {White now had to decide what to do. Black's position is perfectly solid, so she decides on some improving moves.} 12. h3 {It is useful to keep Black pieces out of g4.} Rb8 {Black brings his other rook into the game and creates some pressure down the b-file.} 13. Rb1 {White prefers to defend the pawn without creating a weakness, as would happen after b3.} Nd7 {Black offers the exchange of a pair of bishops. If White accepts, then Black's position becomes less cramped, while if White declines by retreating to g3. Black will put the bishop on f6, exerting pressure on White's queenside.} 14. Bxe7 {White decides that swapping the bishop is the better option, restricting Black's active play.} Qxe7 15. Qd2 Nc5 {Black prepares to bring his bishop on c8 into the game, with a solid position.} 16. b4 {White decides to force matters, driving away the strong knight on c5 at the cost of weakening her pawn structure.} Nxd3 {There was no good retreat for the knight, so Black just swapps it off.} 17. cxd3 {Instead he became worried about the advance of the White b-pawn, and so chose the prophylactic} a6 $6 {However, this is not necessary and the pawn is actually less well-placed on a6. Instead putting the bishop on d7 would also have discouraged b5, while developing a piece and avoiding weakening Black's structure.} ({Now Black should have just completed his development with} 17... Bd7 $11 {when he has a solid position.}) 18. a3 {White decides to defend the b-pawn to free the rook on b1.} Qh4 {Black decides to put some pressure on White by threatening a kingside attack.} {Instead White chose} 19. Rbc1 $6 {hoping for pressure down the c-file, but this was easily met.} ({Now a reasonable idea for White would have been} 19. Re3 $14 {activating the rook. White could now play Rg3. Also, the other rook could come to e1 and White could look to advance in the centre with d4.}) 19... Bd7 {Developing and covering c6.} {White now advanced with} 20. d4 {seizing the centre, although her pawns are a little vulnerable to attack.} {Instead Black chose the aggressive} Re6 $6 ({Black could now break with} 20... a5 $11 {If White plays} 21. bxa5 {then after} Ra8 {White cannot move the knight on c3 to cover the a5-pawn, as the pawn on e4 would then hang.}) {Instead White chose the less-incisive} 21. Qd3 $6 ({This however gave White the chance to break in the centre with} 21. d5 $14 {After} cxd5 22. Nxd5 {would force} c6 {and then} 23. Nf4 {would force} Rf6 {when Black's rook is on an awkward square.} 24. g3 Qg5 25. Rcd1 {would leave White with a small advantage due to Black's weak pawns and badly-placed pieces.}) {Now Black pursued his attack with} 21... Rg6 {White brought a piece up into the defense with} 22. Re3 {and Black took the chance to break with} a5 {eliminating his weak a-pawn.} {Instead White maintained her pawn on b4 with} 23. Rb1 (23. bxa5 {is met by} Qg5 {forking g2 and a5 and so regaining the pawn.}) {Black now exchanged with} 23... axb4 24. axb4 {and took the a-file with} Ra8 {Now ...Ra2 is a threat, hitting f2.} {White decided to eliminate some pressure with} 25. Rg3 {Instead Black decided to keep pieces on with} Rf6 $5 {hoping to continue his attack, but this is rather risky as his pieces could just all end up badly placed.} ({Now Black could have just swapped with} 25... Rxg3 $11 {while} 26. fxg3 ({and now} 26. Qxg3 Qxg3 27. fxg3 Ra3 $15 {is obviously good for him.}) 26... Qg5 $11 {give him sufficient counterplay.}) {Instead White decided to play} 26. b5 {looking to get control of the d5-square by removing the c6-pawn. This move disconcerted Black who had not considered the possibility seriously when making his previous move. However, he is still fine if he plays the correct response.} ({Now} 26. d5 {can be met by} Qf4 {when the pressure on f2 is awkward.} 27. Rf1 (27. Rf3 {is met by} Qe5) (27. Qd4 {is also met by} Qe5) {allows} 27... c5 {when} 28. bxc5 dxc5 {frees the rook on f6 to come to the queenside. Black's activity outweighs his pawn weaknesses.}) {Instead Black opted for the inferior} 26... Rf4 $2 ({Black now rejected} 26... cxb5 {because of} 27. Nd5 {and after} Rg6 $11 {Instead White could try} 28. Rxg6 ({he thought White had a fork with} 28. Ne7+ $4 {overlooking that} Qxe7 {was now possible as the rook had moved.}) 28... fxg6 29. Nxc7 {but she is only regaining the pawn and after} Ra5 30. Nxb5 Rxb5 31. Rxb5 Bxb5 32. Qxb5 Qxe4 33. Qb8+ Kh7 34. Qxd6 Qe1+ 35. Kh2 Qxf2 $11 {the endgame is drawn as White's king is too exposed.}) {Instead White chose the less decisive} 27. bxc6 $6 ({Now White could have played the very strong} 27. Qc4 $18 {when her pressure down the c-file gives her a decisive advantage. Black has no sensible response to the threat of bxc6.} cxb5 {is just met by} 28. Qxc7 $18 {leaving Black with terrible weaknesses on b5 and d6.}) 27... Bxc6 28. d5 Bd7 29. Qc4 {although she still has strong pressure.} {But instead chose} Qd8 $6 {hoping to keep the rook active on a8.} ({Now Black should have opted for passive defence with} 29... Rc8 $16) {Instead White chose to put pressure on c7 with} 30. Rb7 $2 {but this neglected the back rank.} ({This allowed} 30. Ne2 $18 Rf6 31. Rc3 {when White's pressure would be very strong.}) {Instead Black went passive with} 30... Rc8 $2 ({Black should have played} 30... Ra1+ $11 {which would have given him sufficient counterplay.} {For instance} 31. Rb1 Rxb1+ 32. Nxb1 Qf6 33. Qxc7 Rxf2 34. Qxd7 Rf1+ 35. Kh2 Qd4 36. Rf3 Rxf3 37. gxf3 Qf2+ 38. Kh1 Qf1+ $11 {with a draw by perpetual check.}) {After} 31. Ne2 Rf6 {Instead she chose} 32. Qc3 $6 {but this stops White from playing Rc3.} ({White should have played} 32. Qc2 $18 {intending Rc3, when Black cannot defend c7.}) {After} 32... Rg6 {Instead she swapped with} 33. Rxg6 $6 ({White should have avoided the exchange of rooks with} 33. Re3 $16 {when she still has serious pressure.}) 33... fxg6 {and White's advantage had largely evaporated.} {Play continued} 34. Nd4 Qf6 {However, with both players now down to five minutes each plus the ten second increment, she went for the forcing} 35. Rxc7 $6 ({and now White could have retained some pressure with} 35. f3 $14) {However this just led to a level endgame after} 35... Rxc7 $11 {Now after} 36. Qxc7 Qxd4 {White played the smart} 37. Qd8+ {forcing Black's king into the corner, as otherwise the capture on d7 would come with check. However, this finesse did not change the evaluation of the position.} {After} Kh7 38. Qxd7 Qxe4 39. Qxd6 Qe1+ 40. Kh2 Qxf2 41. Qe5 Kg8 42. d6 Qf7 {Black had stopped the advance of the d-pawn.} {Following} 43. Qd4 Qd7 44. g4 {Black now brought his king across to attack the White d-pawn with} Kf7 {White was unable to do anything constructive about it.} {After} 45. Kg3 Ke6 46. Qe4+ Kxd6 47. Qxg6+ {White had only managed to swap pawns.} {Following} Kc7 48. h4 {Black only had to evaluate that it was safe to exchange queens with} Qd6+ {to secure the draw.} {After} 49. Qxd6+ Kxd6 50. Kf4 Ke6 51. g5 hxg5+ 52. Kxg5 Kf7 {White offered a draw without making a move, which Black accepted. This pawn endgame is a dead draw.} 1/2-1/2