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

   [Event "SCCU County Match"]  [Site "Various"]  [Date "2025.10.25"]  [Round "1"]  [White "Hanreck, Alan E"]  [Black "Mansson, James C"]  [Result "1/2-1/2"]  [Annotator "Mansson,James"]  [ECO "A36"]  [WhiteElo "2165"]  [BlackElo "2076"]  [WhiteFideId "-1"]  [WhiteFideId "-1"]  [PlyCount "49"]  [GameId "2236894376773545"]  [EventDate "2025.09.01"]  [EventType "team-match"]  [EventRounds "6"]  [EventCountry "ENG"]  [WhiteTeam "Kent"]  [BlackTeam "Sussex"]  [WhiteTeamCountry "ENG"]  [BlackTeamCountry "ENG"]   {In this video I am going to look at a game I played last Saturday in a county match against Kent. The match was played at Kent's current home venue in Orpington.  I was on board four. I had the Black pieces and was up against Alan Hanreck. I had played Alan two times previously, both times in county matches against Kent. In the first game I achieved a comfortable enough draw, while in the second I managed to achieve a winning position, only to let it slip and subsequently lose.  My opponent started with} 1. c4 {as he did in our first game.} ({As a result, in our second game my opponent preferred} 1. Nf3 {possibly because he was hoping to transpose back into the English Opening with a subsequent c4, while preventing me playing a system with ...e5, as I had in the first game. However, I was ready for any tricks based on this move order, as I have played 1.Nf3 myself many times over the years with exactly the same idea!} {I replied with} c5 {My opponent preferred to keep things in English Opening terratory with} 2. c4 ({offering a transposition to the Sicilian with} 2. e4) {After} 2... Nf6 3. g3 b6 4. Bg2 Bb7 5. O-O e6 6. Nc3 Be7 7. Re1 d6 8. e4 a6 {the game had developed into a position typical of the Hedgehog System. As in our first game, my opponent got nothing out of the opening, which explains why he went back to 1.c4.} 9. e5 dxe5 10. Nxe5 Qc7 11. Bxb7 Qxb7 12. d4 cxd4 13. Qxd4 Nc6 14. Nxc6 Qxc6 15. Be3 Bc5 16. Qf4 Bxe3 17. Rxe3 O-O 18. Rd1 Rac8 19. Rd6 Qc7 20. Red3 Ne8 21. Rd7 Qxf4 22. gxf4 Rxc4 23. Ra7 a5 24. Rb7 Rb4 25. b3 Nf6 26. Rd6 Rxf4 27. Rdxb6 Ng4 28. Nd1 Rd4 29. Nc3 Rd2 30. b4 axb4 31. Rxb4 Nxf2 32. a4 Nh3+ 33. Kf1 Rf2+ 34. Ke1 Rxh2 35. a5 Rh1+ 36. Kd2 Ra1 37. Na4 Rd8+ 38. Kc2 Rc8+ 39. Kb2 Rd1 40. a6 Nf2 41. Rc4 Nd3+ 42. Ka2 Nc1+ 43. Ka3 Ra8 44. a7 Rd3+ 45. Kb2 Rb3+ 46. Rxb3 Nxb3 47. Rb4 {1-0 Hanreck,A-Mansson,J County Match (Open) 2019}) {However, rather than 1...e5, as in our first game, this time I went for} 1... Nf6 ({Then I responded with} 1... e5 2. Nc3 Bb4 {and managed to achieve a solid position after} 3. g3 Bxc3 4. dxc3 d6 5. Bg2 f5 {when I had a good version of the Reversed Rossolimo as my f-pawn was able to advance at once.} 6. Nh3 Nf6 7. O-O O-O 8. f4 e4 9. Be3 Nc6 10. Qd2 Kh8 11. Nf2 Be6 12. b3 a5 13. a4 Qe7 14. Bd4 Rae8 15. Nd1 Nb8 16. Ne3 Nbd7 17. Rab1 c5 18. Bxf6 Nxf6 19. Rbd1 Rd8 20. Nd5 Bxd5 21. cxd5 Qf7 22. c4 b6 23. e3 Qh5 24. Qc3 Ng4 25. h3 Nf6 26. Qe1 Qg6 27. Kh2 h6 28. Rd2 Rde8 29. Rg1 Qh7 30. Qd1 h5 31. Bf1 Kg8 32. Be2 Kf7 33. h4 g6 {½-½ Hanreck,A-Mansson,J County Match (Open) 2018}) 2. Nc3 g6 {angling for a transposition to the King's Indian.} {My opponent, as I suspected he would, decided to keep things in English Opening terratory with} 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. e4 {This is the Botvinnik System. It is favoured by positional players who want to outplay their opponents in a quiet middlegame. Unfortunately for my opponent, I had been looking at this line that morning and had a nasty surprise prepared, which took him out of his comfort zone!} d6 6. Nge2 c5 {I think it is better to play ...c5 rather than ...e5 against the Botvinnik System, as this keeps the long diagonal open for the bishop.} 7. d3 Nc6 8. O-O Rb8 {Black is aiming to create counterplay with ...b5.} 9. h3 {White prepares Be3 by preventing ...Ng4.} Ne8 {Black intends ...Nc7, supporting ...b5.} 10. Be3 {White now seems to be threatening d4, when, if Black takes, he should have a good version of the Maroczy Bind.} {Instead Black played} Nc7 {inviting White to advance his d-pawn.} ({Now} 10... Nd4 {is the most common response, stopping d4, but leading to the slow game White wants.}) 11. d4 {White took up the challenge.} {However, he was shocked when Black responded with} b5 $1 {He sacrifices a pawn, but gains excellent play for it. White does not have an attractive response.} {White chose} 12. cxb5 {in the game.} (12. dxc5 dxc5 13. Bxc5 bxc4 {sees Black regain the pawn with play down the b-file.}) (12. d5 {allows Black to gain counterplay via the c4-square with} Na5 13. cxb5 Nc4) {After} 12... Nxb5 13. dxc5 dxc5 {White had to decide whether to exchange queens.} {In the game White chose} 14. Bxc5 ({After} 14. Qxd8 Rxd8 15. Bxc5 Nxc3 {neither recapture is attractive:} 16. bxc3 (16. Nxc3 Rxb2 {sees Black regain the pawn with an active position.}) 16... Ba6 17. Rfe1 Rb2 {also gives Black counterplay.}) {and after} 14... Nxc3 {had to decide how to recapture.} {In the game White decided on} 15. bxc3 ({Now} 15. Nxc3 {would be met with} Qa5 {hitting both c3 and c5.}) {but after} 15... Qa5 {Black clearly had good play for the pawn.} {After} 16. Be3 {However, Black chose} Ba6 {instead, giving him the chance to regain the pawn.} (16... Ne5 {would be a way to play for compensation.}) {After} 17. Qc2 Bxe2 18. Qxe2 Bxc3 {although Black has given up the bishop pair, his knight will prove strong on d4.} 19. Rab1 Nd4 20. Qc4 e5 {Not only is Black's knight strong, the White bishop on g2 is out of play.} {White managed to find a way to create counterplay with} 21. Rxb8 Rxb8 22. Bh6 {Black now has to be a little careful as if he fails to keep up the pressure on White, his opponent might be able to unravel, when the bishop pair could be a factor.} {After a long think, Black opted for} Qb5 {White does not want to exchange queens, as he would then be left with the worse pieces, in particular the bishop on g2.} {Instead White chose} 23. Qc7 ({Note that} 23. Qxc3 $4 {is not possible because of} Ne2+ $19 {winning the queen.}) {and after} 23... Qb6 24. Qc4 Qb5 25. Qc7 {he offered a draw as a repetition was in prospect. Black could see no constructive way to improve his position, and he was by now starting to run short of time, so he agreed to the draw proposal.  This was a somewhat anti-climatic end to the game after some interesting play. However, this was a pretty easy draw against a strong opponent and therefore a creditable result for me.} 1/2-1/2