James Mansson’s Chess Blog

   [Event "County Match (Open)"]  [Site "Wanstead"]  [Date "2014.10.25"]  [Round "?"]  [White "Mansson, James C"]  [Black "Marden, Larry E"]  [Result "1/2-1/2"]  [ECO "D27"]  [Annotator "Mansson,James"]  [PlyCount "64"]  [EventDate "2014.??.??"]  [EventCountry "ENG"]  [WhiteTeam "Sussex"]  [BlackTeam "Essex"]   1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e3 Nf6 4. Bxc4 e6 5. Nf3 a6 6. O-O c5 7. dxc5 {This  variation looks umabitious, but is actually tricky to equalise against as long  as White finds moves to keep up the pressure.} Bxc5 (7... Qxd1 8. Rxd1 Bxc5 {  was the other main approach.}) 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Ne5 Ke7 10. Be2 Rd8 11. Nc3 (  11. Nd2 {is perhaps better, as d2 is a more flexible location for the knight.})  11... Nbd7 12. Nd3 Bd6 13. Rd1 b5 $5 {This is risky as Black creates  weaknesses in his position, which White now attempts to exploit.} 14. Bf3 Rb8  15. Bd2 Nb6 16. Be1 Bb7 17. Bxb7 Rxb7 18. Ne2 Rbd7 {This does not look the  most accurate, as White can maintain some pressure.} (18... Rc8 $11 {  challenging the c-file looks fine.}) 19. Nd4 {After this, White retains a  little pressure for a while, but it never amounts to much.} (19. Ba5 {looks  like a better try, when White retains nagging pressure.} Rb8 (19... Rb7 20.  Rac1 Rc8 21. Rxc8 Nxc8 22. Rc1 $14) 20. Nd4 Ke8 21. b3 Nbd5 22. Rac1 $14) 19...  Rc8 20. Bb4 Nfd5 21. Bxd6+ Rxd6 22. Rac1 Rxc1 23. Rxc1 Ke8 24. b3 Rd8 25. Rc6  Rc8 26. Nc5 Rxc6 27. Nxc6 Nc7 28. Nb8 a5 29. a4 {This leads to the exchange of  all the queenside pawns and therefore a draw.} bxa4 30. Nxa4 (30. bxa4 Ncd5 31.  Nc6 Nc3 32. Nxa5 Nbxa4 $11) 30... Nxa4 31. bxa4 Nd5 32. Nc6 Nb6 {Black offered  a draw.} (32... Nb6 33. Nxa5 Nxa4 $11 {is dead drawn, so White accepted the  offer.}) 1/2-1/2