Horsham Club Championship 2023-24: Mansson – McDonald

   [Event "Horsham Club Championship"]  [Site "Horsham"]  [Date "2023.11.14"]  [Round "2"]  [White "Mansson, James C"]  [Black "McDonald, Robert"]  [Result "1-0"]  [ECO "D35"]  [Annotator "Mansson,James"]  [PlyCount "39"]  [EventDate "2023.09.01"]  [EventType "swiss"]  [EventRounds "9"]  [EventCountry "ENG"]   {Time control: 65 minutes plus 30 second increment} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3  d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bf4 c6 $6 {This is too passive. Black should aim to play ...  c5 in one go.} (5... O-O {is better, when after} 6. e3 {Black has three  respectable continuations.} Nbd7 (6... c5) (6... b6)) 6. e3 Nbd7 7. h3 {  Because of Black's passsive play, White has time to play this useful move,  creating a retreat square for the bishop on f4 and gaining control of the g4  square.} O-O 8. cxd5 $6 {White hopes to reach a typical Carsbad pawn structure,  but Black has a good response, which fortunately for White he did not find.  There are a number of superior alternatives to this move, which have all been  tried by strong players and have scored very well in practice.} (8. Qc2) (8. c5  ) (8. Rc1) (8. a3) 8... exd5 $6 {This is the automatic move, but Black should  make the unusual (for these types of position) recapture with the knight.} (  8... Nxd5 $1 {forces a pair of knights off by forking c3 and f4, and exposes  the White king to an awkward check.} 9. Nxd5 exd5 10. Bd3 Qa5+ $132) 9. Bd3 Re8  10. O-O {White now has an ideal version of the Carlsbad pawn structure. The  Black bishop is stuck on c8, while the White dark-squared bishop is on its  best square (f4 rather than g5), with a convenient escape square on h2 to boot.  } Bf8 $6 {The knight should go to this square.} (10... Nf8) 11. Qc2 b6 $6 {  This creates some weaknesses in the Black position.} (11... g6 {was a better  idea, neutralising the potential pressure on the a1-h7 diagonal and preparing  to move the bishop to g7.}) 12. Ng5 $5 {White decided to force the pace by  creating some immediate threats. The first is to capture on h7 with the bishop,  forcing mate in two.} g6 $1 {This is probably the best response.} (12... h6 $4  {would fail to meet the threat.} 13. Bh7+ Kh8 (13... Nxh7 14. Qxh7#) 14. Nxf7#)  13. e4 $5 {White looks to break open the position to expose the Black  weaknesses on c6 and f7. He also tempts Black to make the fatal mistake played  in the game.} (13. Nf3 {was a quieter way to proceed, aiming to play Ne5.})  13... h6 $2 {This allows a powerful sacrifice.} (13... c5 {was a better try.}  14. Nxd5 Nxd5 15. exd5 $14 {looks promising for White, but Black remains in  the game.}) 14. Nxf7 $3 Kxf7 15. e5 $1 {White creates the dual threats of exf6  and Bxg6+.} (15. exd5 {is less good because after} g5 {as in the game, there  is no threat to capture on f6 with the pawn.}) 15... g5 (15... Kg7 16. Bxg6 Ng8  17. Bxe8 Qxe8 18. Bd2 $16 {and White is well placed to advance his pawns with  great effect.}) (15... Ng8 16. Bxg6+ Kg7 {transposes to 15...Kg7 16 Bxg6 Ng8.})  (15... Ne4 16. Nxe4 dxe4 17. Bxe4 $18 {and the threats to both c6 and g6 are  decisive.}) 16. Bg6+ Kg7 (16... Kg8 17. exf6 Re6 18. f7+ Kg7 19. Bf5 Rf6 20.  Bh2 Rxf7 21. Nd1 $16 {The knight with come to e3 with a strong attack.}) 17.  exf6+ Nxf6 18. Bxe8 Qxe8 19. Be5 Qh5 20. Nxd5 $1 {White finishes efficiently.  Black has seen enough and so resigned.} (20. Nxd5 $1 cxd5 21. Bxf6+ Kxf6 22.  Qc6+ $18) 1-0