Horsham Chess Club Championship 2022-23: Higgs – Mansson

   [Event "Horsham Chess Club Championship (Rook)"]  [Site "Horsham"]  [Date "2023.05.16"]  [Round "7"]  [White "Higgs, Anthony RJ"]  [Black "Mansson, James C"]  [Result "1/2-1/2"]  [ECO "D00"]  [WhiteElo "2045"]  [BlackElo "2075"]  [Annotator "Mansson,James"]  [PlyCount "51"]  [EventDate "2022.09.01"]  [EventType "tourn"]  [EventRounds "7"]  [EventCountry "ENG"]  [SourceVersionDate "2022.09.07"]   {Time control: 65 minutes plus 30 second increment} 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. e4  $5 {White decided to try the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, rather than his now usual  Jobava London.} (3. Bf4 {would have been the Jobava London.}) 3... Nxe4 {  This aims to reduce White's attacking potential by swapping a pair of knights.}  (3... dxe4 {leads to the regular Blackmar-Diemer Gambit.}) 4. Nxe4 dxe4 5. Be3  {This is not the most common choice.} (5. Bc4 {is White's most frequently  chosen move.}) (5. f3 {is the classic Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Approach.}) (5.  Bf4 {is another way to develop the queen's bishop.}) 5... e5 $5 {Black decides  to return the pawn in order to complete his development. More common are  various quieter developing moves.} (5... Bf5) (5... Nd7) (5... g6) 6. dxe5  Qxd1+ 7. Rxd1 Bb4+ $5 {Black had the idea of ...Ba5-b6 to swap bishops.} (7...  Nc6 {is more straightforward.}) 8. c3 Ba5 9. Bc4 O-O 10. Bd5 {This move  somewhat surpised Black.} c6 $2 {This is not the best approach, forcing White  to take the pawn, while having no clear route to regaining it.} (10... Nc6 {  was better, aiming to take the e-pawn.} 11. Bxc6 bxc6 {does not especially  help White.} 12. b4 Bb6 13. Bd4 {concerned me, but after} a5 {Black has good  play, e.g.} 14. a3 (14. Bxb6 cxb6 15. a3 axb4 16. axb4 Be6 $17) 14... Be6 15.  Ne2 axb4 16. axb4 Bb3 17. Rc1 Ra2 $17) 11. Bxe4 Be6 12. f4 $6 {White missed  that Black could now take the a-pawn...} (12. Nf3 {was better, developing  while keeping the bishop on e3 defended.}) 12... Bb6 $6 {...as did Black.} (  12... Bxa2 $1 {This initiates the following complex sequence.} 13. Ra1 Bb6 {  exploits the weakness of 12 f4.} 14. Bxb6 (14. Rxa2 Bxe3 $11) 14... axb6 15.  Bb1 Bd5 16. Rxa8 Bxg2 17. Ra7 Bxh1 18. Rxb7 Bd5 19. Rxb6 f6 20. exf6 Nd7 $1 21.  f7+ (21. fxg7 $4 Re8+ 22. Kd2 Nxb6 $19) 21... Kxf7 22. Ra6 Ke7 23. Ne2 Rb8 {  and the reduced material considerably improves Black's drawing chances.}) 13.  Bxb6 axb6 14. a3 Bb3 (14... Ra4 15. Rd4 Rxd4 16. cxd4 Rd8 17. Nf3 Bg4 18. Kf2  Bxf3 19. Bxf3 Rxd4 20. Ke3 Rd8 21. Rd1 Rxd1 22. Bxd1 $14 {with a favourable  bishop versus knight endgame.}) 15. Rd4 Na6 16. Ne2 (16. Nf3 $16 {looks more  straightforward.}) 16... Nc5 17. Nc1 Ba4 18. O-O Rfd8 19. Rxd8+ Rxd8 20. Bf3  Bc2 21. Rf2 $2 (21. Kf2 $16 {keeps White's advantage.}) 21... Bd1 $1 {Now  White cannot avoid the exchange of bishops, when he has nothing better than  allowing Black to force the draw.} 22. g3 Bxf3 23. Rxf3 Rd1+ 24. Rf1 Rd2 25.  Rf2 Rd1+ 26. Rf1 {White offered a draw, which Black accepted.} 1/2-1/2