Horsham Club Championship 2025-26: Mansson – Stimpson

   [Event "Horsham Club Championship"]  [Site "Horsham"]  [Date "2026.05.05"]  [Round "9"]  [White "Mansson, James C"]  [Black "Stimpson, Philip M"]  [Result "1-0"]  [Annotator "Mansson,James"]  [ECO "B31"]  [WhiteElo "2059"]  [BlackElo "1900"]  [WhiteFideId "-1"]  [BlackFideId "-1"]  [PlyCount "91"]  [GameId "2306564726858148"]  [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 nineth round of this year's Horsham Club Championship.  I had the White pieces and was up against Phil Stimpson.  I started with} 1. e4 {and my opponent defended with} c5 {The Sicilian Defence} 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 {The Rossolimo Variation} g6 {This is Black's most common defence. It is a natural way to develop in closed lines of the Sicilian.} 4. O-O (4. Bxc6 {is recommended by Gajewski.}) 4... Bg7 5. c3 (5. Re1 Nf6 6. Bxc6 bxc6 7. e5 {is recommended by Ganguly.}) (5. Bxc6 {is recommended by Kalyan.}) 5... Nf6 6. Re1 (6. e5 Nd5) 6... a6 7. Bf1 (7. Bxc6 dxc6 8. h3 {is recommended by So.}) 7... d6 8. h3 e5 {Black looks to seize space in the centre.} 9. Na3 $2 {This is too passive.} ({The direct} 9. d4 $1 $14 {is better.}) 9... O-O {Black now builds towards playing ...d5, seizing the centre. White struggles to complete his development while opposing this.} 10. d3 {White intends Bg5.} h6 {Black prevents Bg5.} 11. Be3 {White delays ...d5 by putting pressure on c5, and prepares to hit h6 with Qd2.} Re8 {Black covers e5 to prepare ...d5, although he will need to play ...b6 first to cover c5.} 12. Qd2 {White hits h6.} Kh7 {Black defends h6.} 13. Rad1 {White brings his other rook to the centre, but his pieces are still not well-coordinated. He would like to play d4, but this will require more than a few move to prepare. Meanwhile, Black is close to achieving ...d5.} b6 {Black covers c5 so as to prepare d5.} 14. Qc1 {This creates a visually awkward opposition of White rook and Black queen, but it is just a bluff.} Qc7 $2 {This is not necessary, and also the queen is not well-placed here.} (14... d5 $1 $17 {immediately is good.}) 15. Nc2 $2 {White misses an opportunity to gain counterplay.} (15. b4 $1 {exploits the position of the queen on c7.} Bd7 (15... cxb4 16. cxb4 Bb7 (16... b5 17. d4 Qb7 18. d5 Ne7 $11) 17. b5 axb5 18. Nxb5 Qd8 $11) 16. bxc5 dxc5 $11 (16... bxc5 $11)) 15... Bb7 (15... d5 $1 $17 {immediately was again good, although the preparatory move does not spoil anything.}) 16. Nh2 {White desparately prepares play on the kingside, but this should not get anywhere.} d5 $1 {Black finally seizes the centre.} 17. Ng4 Nxg4 18. hxg4 {White hopes to gain play down the h-file.} d4 $1 {Black correctly gains space. We now have a sort of Old Indian with colours reversed, in a favourable situation for the anti-Old Indian side.} 19. Bd2 Bc8 {Black regroups the bishop to the superior e6 square.} 20. Be2 g5 {Black looks to block White's further advance on the kingside. This is reasonable but was not necessary yet.} (20... Be6 $17) 21. cxd4 exd4 22. b4 Qe7 23. bxc5 bxc5 24. f3 $6 {White hopes to create some chances on the kingside, but weakens his dark squares.} (24. Na3 Rb8 $17) 24... Be5 $6 {This is the first of a series of moves that put Black's pieces on inferior squares.} (24... Rb8 $19 {Black should just seize the b-file.}) 25. Kf2 Qd6 $2 (25... Bg7 $17) 26. Rh1 Bg3+ 27. Kf1 $2 {This is the wrong square for the king.} (27. Kg1 $1 $11 {This leaves the f1 square free for the bishop.}) 27... Kg6 $6 (27... f6 $17) 28. Na3 Ne5 $6 (28... Be6 $15) 29. Be1 $2 {White misses a chance to escape by force.} (29. Rh3 $1 {allows White to create sufficient counterplay on the kingside.} c4 $1 {Black should break in the centre.} 30. Nxc4 Nxc4 31. dxc4 d3 32. Be3 dxe2+ 33. Kxe2 Qc7 {Black has won a piece for two pawns, but White has enough attack for a draw.} 34. Rdh1 {attacking h6} Bh4 {blocking the attack} 35. Bxg5 $1 hxg5 $1 (35... Bxg5 $2 36. Rxh6+ $1 Kg7 (36... Bxh6 37. Qxh6#) 37. Qxg5+ Kf8 38. Rh8#) 36. Rxh4 $1 gxh4 37. Rxh4 Kf6 38. Rh6+ Ke7 (38... Kg7 $2 39. Qg5+ Kf8 40. Rh8#) 39. Qg5+ Kd7 (39... Kf8 $2 40. Rh8#) 40. Qd2+ Ke7 41. Qg5+ $11 {with perpetual check.}) 29... Bf4 30. Qc2 Be6 31. g3 Be3 32. Kg2 {White is starting to unravel his position.} Rac8 $2 (32... Rab8 $17 {Black should just seize the b-file.}) 33. Qa4 $2 {White heads off on an ill-advised queenside adventure.} ({White should swap the dark-squared bishops with} 33. Bd2 Bxd2 34. Qxd2 $11 {when he is well-placed to unravel his position.}) 33... Bd7 $6 ({Black should have taken the opportunity to play} 33... c4 $1 34. Nxc4 Bxc4 $1 (34... Nxc4 $2 35. dxc4 $11) 35. dxc4 Kh7 $17 {Black's passed d-pawn and better placed pieces give him an obvious advantage.}) 34. Qa5 $2 ({White should have pulled back with} 34. Qc2 $1 Kg7 $15) 34... Rb8 {Black is now winning. He obviously dominates the position. His only problem was that he was running short of time. The following was played in extreme time pressure for both players.} 35. Bf2 Rb2 {Black penetrates the White position with this and his following moves.} 36. Bxe3 dxe3 37. Qe1 Ba4 38. Rb1 Reb8 39. Kh3 R8b4 40. f4 gxf4 41. gxf4 Nxd3 42. f5+ Kg7 $6 {This allows unnecessary complications.} (42... Kh7 $1 $19 {would have been simpler.}) 43. Qc3+ {It looks as through Black has fallen into a trap, but he still has a win here.} Qd4 $2 {This throws away the win.} (43... Rd4 $1 44. Bxd3 Rf2 $1 45. Rbf1 Kh7 $1 46. Bb1 (46. Bc4 Rxe4 $19) (46. Nc4 Qf4 $19) 46... Rd1 $19) 44. Qxd3 Rxb1 45. Rxb1 Rxb1 $2 {This throws away the draw.} (45... Qxd3 $1 46. f6+ $1 {This intermezzo is necessary to push things slightly in White's rather than Black's favour.} (46. Bxd3 Rxb1 47. Nxb1 (47. Bxb1 $4 e2 $19) 47... Bc2 $3 48. Bxa6 (48. Bxc2 $4 e2 $19) 48... Bxb1 $15) 46... Kf8 $1 (46... Kxf6 $2 47. Rf1+ Ke5 48. Bxd3 $14) 47. Bxd3 Rxb1 48. Nxb1 (48. Bxb1 $4 e2 $19) 48... Bc2 $3 49. Bxa6 (49. Bxc2 $4 e2 $19) 49... Bxb1 50. a4 Bxe4 51. Kg3 $14) 46. Qxb1 {Black lost on time. White in any case winning, being just a piece up.} 1-0