Horsham Club Championship 2025-26: Broom – Mansson

   [Event "Horsham Club Championship"]  [Site "Horsham"]  [Date "2025.12.09"]  [Round "4"]  [White "Broom, Mark"]  [Black "Mansson, James C"]  [Result "1/2-1/2"]  [Annotator "Mansson,James"]  [ECO "A36"]  [WhiteElo "2132"]  [BlackElo "2070"]  [WhiteFideId "-1"]  [BlackFideId "-1"]  [PlyCount "101"]  [GameId "2253337901945121"]  [EventDate "2025.09.01"]  [EventType "swiss"]  [EventCountry "ENG"]   {In this video I am going to look at a game I played last Tuesday in the fourth round of this year's Horsham Club Championship.  I had the Black pieces and was up against Mark Broom. We were both on three points out of three, so this was an important top of the table clash.  The game started with the Botvinnik System, a favourite of my opponent.} 1. c4 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. Nc3 O-O 5. e4 d6 6. Nge2 c5 {I think this is stronger than ...e5, as Black keeps the long diagonal open for his bishop.} 7. d3 Nc6 8. O-O Rb8 9. a4 {White decided to hold up Black's expansion on the queenside, at the cost of weakening the b4 square.} a6 10. Rb1 Ne8 {Black regrouped the knight, intending ...Nc7 followed by ...b5.} 11. Be3 {White now threatened d4...} Nc7 {...but Black ignored the threat, believing it to be harmless.} 12. d4 cxd4 13. Nxd4 Nxd4 14. Bxd4 {Instead he chose} Ne6 $6 $14 {hoping to dominate the d4 square, but leaving d5 weak and abandonning the freeing ...b5 break.} ({Now Black should have taken the opportunity to play the freeing break} 14... b5 $1 $11) {Play went} 15. Bxg7 Kxg7 {Instead he chose the weaker} 16. Qe2 $6 $11 {This allowed Black to play ...Nd4 and ...e5} ({Now} 16. Nd5 $14 {was best, when White at least has the more active knight. He could then claim a slight advantage.}) 16... Nd4 $1 17. Qe3 e5 $1 {Now White has to decide whether to tolerate the knight on d4, or exchange it, leaving himself with the worse bishop.} 18. Ne2 {White opted for the latter course, hoping that d6 will prove weak.} Nxe2+ 19. Qxe2 Be6 {The pawn on d6 is not weak, as Black can easily arrange his pieces to defend it.} 20. Rfd1 Qc7 21. b3 {Instead he continued to maneuvre his pieces with} Rfd8 {but his position remains passive.} ({Now, Black should again have taken the opportunity to play the freeing break} 21... b5 $1 $11) {Play continued} 22. Bf1 Rbc8 23. Rd2 {White started to regroup his pieces, looking to bring his bad bishop into play and to double rooks on the d-file.} {Instead he played the commital} a5 $6 $14 {This deprives Black of the chance to play ...b5, leaving him with a passive position.} ({Now Black should have gone for counterplay with} 23... Qc5 $11 {intending ...Qb4 followed by a possible later ...b5.}) {White continued to build with} 24. Rbd1 {while Black looked to put pressure on the White queenside with} Qc5 {Play went} 25. Qf3 Rc6 26. Bd3 h5 {Black threatened ...Bg4, but this was easily parried.} 27. Be2 Rb6 28. Qc3 Rc8 29. Kg2 Kf8 30. f4 {White decided it was time to take action.} {Instead he tried to force matters with} exf4 $2 {but this left Black's position exposed.} ({Now Black should have kept things closed with} 30... Qb4 $11 {when White has no clear way to make progress.}) {Play went} 31. gxf4 $16 Ke7 32. Qg3 {White threatened to penetrate the Black kingside.} f6 {Black took desparate measures to keep the White queen out. Unfortunately there does not seem a better way to do it.} {so White chose} 33. Kh1 {making Qxg6 a real threat.} ({Now} 33. Qxg6 $4 {would have lost the queen to} Rg8 $18) {Play went} 33... Rg8 {protecting g6.} 34. Rd3 Rc6 $6 $18 {I used 10 of my remaining 14 minutes up deciding on this move, as it was hard to decide what to do. My choice here doesn't seem the best, as Black moves his rook to an inferior square, while doing nothing to stop White's build up towards opening the centre with e5.} ({I had wanted to play} 34... Bf7 {but then} 35. e5 $1 {is very strong.} dxe5 {is met by} 36. Rd7+ $18 {etc.}) (34... Kf8 $16 {intending ...Bf7 and ...Kg7 looks like a better defensive try. At least e5 would be less of an issue then.  Anyway, I chose 34...Rc6}) {and play went} 35. Bf3 {White now threatens e5, exploiting the weak position of the rook on c6.} Rb6 {Black now admits ...Rc6 was a mistake, but he has wasted a couple of valuable moves.} 36. Qe1 Qb4 37. Qh4 Qc5 {Black again wastes a couple of moves, this time with the queen.} 38. e5 $1 {White takes the opportunity to break through. This should have proved decisive.} dxe5 39. fxe5 Qxe5 40. Re1 {I chose instead} Qc7 ({Now} 40... Qc5 {is met by} 41. Rd5 $18) {Instead he played the tempting} 41. Bd5 $2 $11 ({and now White had a win with} 41. Rde3 $1 {Here are some illustrative variations:} Re8 (41... Kf7 42. Rxe6 $1 Rxe6 43. Rxe6 Kxe6 44. Bd5+ $18 {wins a piece as the rook on g8 drops. This is the key reason why this line works for White.}) 42. Be4 $1 {and Black has no defence against Bxg6.} {For instance:} Kf7 43. Bxg6+ Kxg6 44. Rg1+ Kf7 45. Qxh5+ Kf8 46. Qh8+ Ke7 47. Rg7+ Kd8 48. Qxe8+ Kxe8 49. Rxc7 $18) {but now Black had} 41... Kf7 {and he was able to escape.} {Instead White went for} 42. Rxe6 $5 {hoping to exploit the pin.} ({Now after} 42. Bxe6+ Rxe6 43. Rxe6 Kxe6 44. Qe4+ Qe5 $11 {Black would have been fine, as} 45. Qxb7 $2 Qe1+ 46. Kg2 Qe2+ $19 {wins the White rook.}) {but following} 42... Rxe6 43. Re3 Rge8 44. Qe1 Qd6 {Black was holding things together.} {White was able to win a pawn with} 45. Qxa5 {but after} Kg7 46. Rxe6 Rxe6 47. Bxe6 Qxe6 48. Qc7+ Kh6 49. Qxb7 {Black was now able to force perpetual check with} Qe1+ 50. Kg2 Qe2+ 51. Kg1 $11 {Here White offered a draw which Black accepted. White cannot avoid the perpetual check, while Black doesn't have an obvious way to play for more.  Note that White was forced to move the king back to g1, as the other moves lost:} (51. Kh3 $4 Qg4#) (51. Kh1 $4 Qf1#) (51. Kg3 $2 h4+ 52. Kxh4 (52. Kf4 g5+ 53. Kf5 Qe5+ 54. Kg4 Qf4+ 55. Kh3 Qf1+ 56. Qg2 (56. Kg4 f5#) 56... g4+ $19 {wins White's queen.}) (52. Kh3 f5 $1 {intending ...Qg4#} 53. Qg2 Qe3+ 54. Kxh4 g5+ 55. Qxg5+ Qxg5+ 56. Kh3 Qg4#) 52... Qxh2+ 53. Kg4 f5+ 54. Kf3 Qh1+ $19 {wins White's queen.}) ({So White went for} 51. Kg1 {and - as I said - the players agreed a draw.}) 1/2-1/2