Horsham Club Knockout 2021-22: Mansson – Taylor

   [Event "Horsham Club Knockout"]  [Site "Horsham"]  [Date "2021.09.28"]  [Round "1"]  [White "Mansson, James C"]  [Black "Taylor, Alex"]  [Result "1-0"]  [ECO "B76"]  [Annotator "jmansson"]  [PlyCount "93"]  [EventDate "2021.??.??"]  [EventType "k.o."]     e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 {The Dragon has become a  regular battleground in my White games against Alex.} 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8.  Qd2 Nc6 9. O-O-O {This line is why I gave up the Dragon as Black. It is  difficult to find a response that is sound, while at the same time creating  the kind of game Dragon players seek.} d5 10. Qe1 $5 {This is White's most  promising line, in my view.} (10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. Bd4 Bxd4 $1 13.  Qxd4 Qb6 $11) 10… e5 (10… e6 $6 11. h4 $1 {and Black comes under attack.})   Nxc6 bxc6 12. exd5 Nxd5 (12… cxd5 $6 13. Bg5 Be6 14. Bc4 $1 {and Black's  centre is under heavy pressure.}) 13. Bc4 Be6 14. Ne4 Qc7 (14… Qb8 15. Bc5  Rd8 16. Qh4 {is similar to the game.}) 15. Bc5 Rfd8 16. Qh4 {This is the  theoretical recommendation.} (16. h4 {I played this in our previous game.})  16… Rd7 $2 (16… h6 {was necessary, preventing Ng5.}) 17. Ng5 h6 18. Nxe6  fxe6 {Black now has big problems, due to his crippled pawn structure.} 19. Qg4  Kf7 20. g3 {White prevents …Nf4 by Black, which would be a useful way to  cover e6 and g6 temporarily in some lines.} Qd8 (20… Qa5 21. Ba3 {doesn't  really help Black.}) 21. Bd3 Qg5+ (21… Qf6 22. Qe4 {followed by c4 is very  good for White.}) 22. Qxg5 hxg5 23. Be4 {White is on top in the endgame, with  the bishop pair and superior pawn structure.} Rc7 24. c4 Ne7 25. g4 $1 {  This makes sense, fixing Black's inferior pawn structure, now that Black  cannot manouevre his knight to f4.} Rac8 26. Rd3 Bf6 27. Rhd1 Ke8 28. Ra3 Ra8   Rdd3 Bg7 30. Rdb3 Kd7 31. Ra6 Bf6 32. Rba3 Nc8 $2 {This makes things worse,  but White is already winning in any case.} 33. Rd3+ Ke8 34. Bxg6+ Rf7 35. Rxc6  Ne7 36. Rxe6 Kf8 37. Bxf7 (37. Rd7 {is also strong.}) 37… Kxf7 38. Rdd6 Ng8   Ra6 Rc8 40. Rec6 Rd8 41. Rxa7+ Kg6 42. Raa6 Rd3 43. Rxf6+ $1 {White either  wins a piece or forces a won king and pawn endgame.} Nxf6 44. Be7 Rxf3 45.  Rxf6+ Rxf6 46. Bxf6 Kxf6 47. Kd2 {White's queenside pawns will force the win.}  1-0