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

   [Event "SCCU County Match"]  [Site "Various"]  [Date "2025.12.13"]  [Round "3"]  [White "Venkataramanan, Tiruchirapalli"]  [Black "Mansson, James C"]  [Result "1-0"]  [Annotator "Mansson,James"]  [ECO "C29"]  [WhiteElo "2329"]  [BlackElo "2070"]  [WhiteFideId "-1"]  [BlackFideId "-1"]  [PlyCount "109"]  [GameId "2254716058952707"]  [EventDate "2025.09.01"]  [EventType "team-match"]  [EventRounds "6"]  [EventCountry "ENG"]  [WhiteTeam "Middlesex"]  [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 Middlesex. The match was played at the Middlesex home venue in North London.  I was on board four. I had the Black pieces and was up against Tiruchirapalli Venkataramanan [Ti-ru-chi-ra-pal-li Ven-ka-ta-ra-ma-nan], a FIDE master rated about 250 points higher than me.  My opponent started with} 1. e4 {and after} e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. f4 {we had a line of the Vienna Game.} {I responded with the recommended} d5 4. fxe5 Nxe4 {and now my opponent chose} 5. Qf3 {, a line that was once rare but is now pretty popular, at least as far as lines of the Vienna go. Possibly my opponent though I would be unfamiliar with the line, but I had already met it twice over the board, in addition to having read about it!} {I responded with} Nc6 {Instead, my opponent chose the main move} 6. Bb5 {which renews the threat of Nxe4 by stopping ...Nd4 in response.} ({The point is that White cannot grab the pawn with} 6. Nxe4 $2 {because of} Nd4 $1 {when he finds himself in real difficulties.}) {I now went for a forcing line with} 6... Nxc3 7. dxc3 Qh4+ 8. g3 Qe4+ 9. Qxe4 dxe4 {when we have a complex endgame with an unusual pawn structure. Both e-pawns are weak, while White has a crippled queenside majority.} {White decided to reduce the pressure on his e-pawn and weaken Black's pawn structure with} 10. Bxc6+ bxc6 {but this gives Black the bishop pair in return.} {After} 11. Be3 {Black looked to exploit White's weakness on g3 with} h5 $1 {Following} 12. O-O-O {Black chose} h4 {which was fine,} ({Now the disruptive} 12... Bg4 {was worth considering, but}) {but after} 13. gxh4 {But Black did not consider that possibility, and so chose} Be7 {intending to play ...Rxh4 on the next move.} ({he was intending to play} 13... Rxh4 $5 {but then realized that} 14. Bg5 {seems to just win the exchange because of the dual threats of Rd8# and Bxh4, and so rejected the move. However, Black can play} Be7 15. Bxh4 Bxh4 $44 {when the bishops and the pawn on e4 are very strong. This gives Black ample compensation for the exchange.}) {Instead White chose} 14. Rd2 $6 {but the rook looks poorly placed on this square. White's idea was perhaps to provide some laterial protection to the h-pawn, but the rook is rather passive now.} ({Now} 14. Bg5 $2 {looks natural but is met strongly by} f6 $1 15. exf6 gxf6 16. Be3 Bg4 $17 {when Black's bishop pair and lead in development, combined with his passed e-pawn, will cause White great difficulties.}) (14. Ne2 {looks most sensible, although after} Rxh4 {Black is obviously doing fine.}) {Play went} 14... Rxh4 15. Ne2 {Instead Black chose} Rh3 $6 {hoping to exploit the position of the bishop on e3...} ({Now} 15... g6 {looks best, protecting the f5 square and anticipating pressure down the g-file. It is sensible to keep the rook on h4 where it covers the e-pawn for the moment.}) {...but this can be met by the simple} 16. Ng3 {Play went} Be6 17. Rg1 g6 {Black anticipates White attacking down the g-file and deprives the White knight of the f5 square.} 18. b3 {White covers the c4 square to prevent ...Bc4 and prepares c4.} a6 {Black frees the rook on a8 from the defence of the a-pawn.} 19. Rgg2 {White frees the rook on d2 from covering the h-pawn.} Rd8 {Black judged that this would be a favourable exchange, as the rook was inactive on a8, while the rook on d2 was a useful defensive piece.} 20. Rxd8+ Kxd8 21. Kd2 {White defended the bishop on e3, perhaps hoping to take the pawn on e4, although he needed to prepare that further.} {Instead he decided to defend the e-pawn at once with} Rh4 ({Now Black could have brought up his king with} 21... Kd7 {as the pawn is immune from capture at the moment.} 22. c4 {prepares to take on e4 by stopping ...Bd5} ({Now} 22. Nxe4 $2 {is met by} Bd5 23. Rg4 Rxh2+ $19 {regaining the pawn with an overwhelming position. Black has a protected passed pawn on the kingside, while White's queenside majority is crippled.}) {but} 22... Bf5 {defends the pawn easily enough.} {Instead} 23. Ne2 {is more sensible} ({Now} 23. Nxf5 gxf5 {makes things worse, as the White e-pawn is weak, while Black has a dangerous pair of connected passed pawns.}) {although after} 23... Bb4+ {provoking a weakening} 24. c3 Bf8 $19 {threatening ...Bg7 followed by taking the e-pawn, it is not obvious what White should do.}) {Now White played} 22. c4 {perhaps hoping to penetrate the queenside with his king, or to gain further space with c5.} {Black decided to preempt all such ideas with} c5 {White looked to improve the position of his knight with} 23. Ne2 {and Black put pressure on the White e-pawn with} Rh5 {Following} 24. Bf4 {defending the e5-pawn and perhaps threatening to go after the e4-pawn, Black was faced with a big decision as to how to improve his position.} {Instead Black was tempted into the aggressive but weakening} g5 $2 ({Now} 24... Bf5 $1 $15 {looks like a sensible way to proceed.} {White cannot successfully go after the e4-pawn with} 25. Ke3 ({Now} 25. Ng3 {is met by} Rh3 {as} 26. Nxf5 gxf5 {leaves Black with a powerful pair of connected passed pawns.}) 25... Kd7 26. Ng3 {because of} Rh3 $19 {and White is all tied up.}) {Play went} 25. Bg3 Bg4 {Black wanted to defend the e-pawn with ...Bf3.} 26. Ke3 Bf3 27. Rg1 c6 {Black looked to cover the d5 square against a possible knight incursion.} 28. Rd1+ Ke8 29. Rd2 g4 $5 {This is a double-edged decision. On the positive side, Black is now able to bring his bishop to g5 and the bishop on f3 is more strongly supported. On the negative side, White now has the f4 square for his pieces.} 30. Bf4 Rh3 31. Ng3 {I now had six minutes left on the clock. Here I considered various moves but was unable to settle on anything good.} {Instead I went for} Bf8 $2 {which is very poor. White now had a winning position, which he did not let slip.} ({Now} 31... Bh1 $1 {was the best try, keeping e4 defended but pinning the knight, when it is not clear how White will make progress.}) 32. Nxe4 {I totally overlooked this move.} {Instead he went for} Bxe4+ ({Now} 32... Bh1+ {could be met with} 33. Ng3 $18 {and Black has nothing for the pawn.}) 33. Kxe4 Bh6 {deciding that his best chance lay in a rook endgame.} {Play went} 34. Bxh6 Rxh6 35. Kf4 Ke7 {Black couldn't defend his g-pawn, so he went after his opponent's e-pawn.} 36. Kxg4 Rg6+ 37. Kf3 Rg1 38. Rd6 Re1 {Black now wins the e-pawn, but unfortunately White picks up his queenside pawns in return!} 39. Rxc6 Rxe5 40. Rxa6 Rh5 41. Ra5 Rxh2 42. Rxc5 Rxc2 {This is of course totally lost for Black, but he went on, hoping for something to turn up!} 43. Re5+ Kd6 44. Re2 Rc3+ 45. Ke4 Rh3 46. b4 Rh4+ 47. Kd3 f5 48. a4 f4 49. a5 f3 50. Rf2 Rf4 {Black forces White to do some calculation. White can win the f-pawn by bringing his king across, but then Black can go after White's queenside pawns.} 51. a6 $1 {White correctly decides to advance his queenside pawns instead.} Kc6 52. b5+ Kc5 53. a7 $1 Rf8 {Instead he played the correct} 54. Ra2 ({White has one small trap to avoid:} 54. a8=Q $4 Rxa8 55. Rxf3 Ra3+ $11) {and after} 54... Kb6 55. a8=Q $18 {Black resigned just before losing on time, as the position is hopeless for him.} 1-0