Horsham Club Championship 2025-26: Mansson – McGrath

   [Event "Horsham Club Championship"]  [Site "Horsham"]  [Date "2026.03.10"]  [Round "7"]  [White "Mansson, James C"]  [Black "McGrath, James"]  [Result "1/2-1/2"]  [Annotator "Mansson,James"]  [ECO "D70"]  [WhiteElo "2076"]  [BlackElo "1895"]  [WhiteFideId "-1"]  [BlackFideId "-1"]  [PlyCount "84"]  [GameId "2286295337988869"]  [EventDate "2025.09.01"]  [EventType "swiss"]  [EventCountry "ENG"]   {In this video I am going to look at a game I played a couple of Tuesdays ago in the seventh round of this year's Horsham Club Championship.  I had the White pieces and was up against James McGrath.  I started with} 1. d4 {and my opponent replied} Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. f3 {This is an interesting anti-Grünfeld move order.} d5 {This was a surprise, as my opponent usually plays the King's Indian.} (3... Bg7 {is a King's Indian.} 4. e4 d6 5. Nc3 {is the Sämisch Variation.}) 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nb6 6. Nc3 Bg7 7. Be3 c6 (7... O-O 8. Qd2 e5 9. d5 c6 10. h4 $1) 8. Qd2 (8. h4 $1) 8... e5 9. d5 cxd5 10. exd5 Nc4 $6 {This is a standard tactic in this line, but here it just gives White a good position.} 11. Bxc4 Qh4+ 12. g3 (12. Bf2 Qxc4 13. Nge2 Na6 14. O-O O-O 15. Rfd1 Bd7 16. Rac1 $16) 12... Qxc4 13. Ne4 $2 (13. h4 $1 $16) 13... O-O 14. b3 (14. Rc1 Qxa2 $13) 14... Qa6 15. Rc1 Nd7 (15... f5 $5 16. Bc5 $1 Nd7 $1 (16... fxe4 $2 17. Bxf8) 17. Bxf8 Bxf8 18. Nf2 $13) 16. Ne2 f5 17. Nc5 Nxc5 18. Bxc5 Re8 19. O-O Bd7 20. Nc3 $2 (20. d6 $1 $11) 20... b6 $2 (20... Rac8 $1 $17) 21. Bb4 Qb7 $2 {This is too passive.} (21... Rac8 $11) 22. a4 $2 {White should have just pushed his passed pawn.} (22. d6 $1 $18) 22... a5 23. Ba3 b5 24. axb5 Bxb5 25. Nxb5 Qxb5 26. d6 Red8 27. Bc5 Qxb3 28. Rb1 Qe6 29. Rb7 Bf8 30. Rd1 Ra6 31. Qg5 Rd7 $2 {Black should have dropped his rook back to a8, as the move played allows a winning exchange.} (31... Raa8 $11) 32. Rb8 $2 {White should have simply taken on d7.} (32. Rxd7 $1 Qxd7 33. Qf6 Bg7 34. Qe7 $18) 32... Kg7 33. Be3 f4 $5 (33... Kf7 $11) 34. gxf4 Bxd6 35. f5 $5 Qxf5 $2 ({Here Black should have sacrificed his queen with} 35... Bxb8 $1 36. fxe6 Rxd1+ 37. Kg2 Rxe6 38. Qg4 $1 $11) 36. Qh6+ Kf6 (36... Kf7 37. Qxh7+ $18) 37. Rxd6+ $2 {Here White missed a difficult chance.} (37. Rf8+ $3 Bxf8 38. Qxf8+ Rf7 (38... Ke6 39. Qe8+ Kf6 (39... Re7 40. Qc8+ $18) 40. Rxd7 $18) 39. Qh8+ Rg7 (39... Ke6 40. Qc8+ $18) (39... Ke7 40. Qd8+ Ke6 41. Qc8+ $18) 40. Bh6 Raa7 41. Qf8+ Rgf7 42. Rd6+ Qe6 43. Rxe6+ $18) 37... Raxd6 (37... Rdxd6 $2 38. Qf8+ Ke6 39. Qg8+ $18) 38. Qf8+ Ke6 (38... Rf7 $4 39. Qxd6+ $18) 39. Qe8+ Re7 (39... Kd5 40. Kf2 $1 $11) (39... Kf6 40. Qh8+ $11) 40. Qc8+ Kf6 (40... Red7 41. Qe8+ $11) (40... Rdd7 41. Rb6+ $11) (40... Kd5 $4 41. Rb5#) 41. Qh8+ Ke6 (41... Rg7 $4 42. Rf8+ $18) (41... Kf7 $4 42. Qg8+ Kf6 43. Rf8+ Rf7 44. Qxf7#) 42. Qc8+ Kf6 {Black offered a draw, which White accepted.} 1/2-1/2