Horsham Club Knockout 2025-26: Mansson – Comley

   [Event "Horsham Club Knockout"]  [Site "Horsham"]  [Date "2026.06.02"]  [Round "4.1"]  [White "Mansson, James C"]  [Black "Comley, Ian S"]  [Result "1-0"]  [Annotator "Mansson,James"]  [ECO "B42"]  [WhiteElo "2056"]  [BlackElo "1873"]  [WhiteFideId "-1"]  [BlackFideId "-1"]  [PlyCount "57"]  [GameId "2316687620661559"]  [EventDate "2025.09.01"]  [EventType "k.o."]  [EventRounds "5"]  [EventCountry "ENG"]   {In this video I am going to look at a game I played last Tuesday in the semi-final of this year's Horsham Club Knockout.  I had the White pieces and was up against Ian Comley.  I started with} 1. e4 {and Black responded with} c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 {The Kan Variation} 5. Bd3 {The main line. White delays Nc3 so as to keep open the option of playing c4, depending on Black's choice of defensive system.} Bc5 6. Nb3 Ba7 7. Qe2 {This is most flexible.} (7. Qg4 {is more aggressive, but rather double-edged.} Nf6 {is Black's main reply, when White has to play} 8. Qg3 {with a sharp position.} (8. Qxg7 $2 {is bad due to} Rg8 9. Qh6 Bxf2+ $1 {and now} 10. Kxf2 $2 {is not possible because of} Ng4+ $19)) 7... Nc6 8. Be3 {Swapping the dark-squared bishops leaves Black weak on the dark squares.} Nge7 9. Nc3 {White no longer wants to play c4, so it seemed time for this move.} (9. Bxa7 Rxa7 10. Nc3 {was also possible.}) 9... O-O (9... Bxe3 10. Qxe3 d5 (10... O-O 11. O-O-O $16) 11. exd5 exd5 (11... Nxd5 12. Nxd5 Qxd5 13. O-O-O $18) 12. Qg3 $16) 10. Bxa7 Rxa7 11. e5 $5 {This is a double-edged move. White opens the d3-h7 diagonal for his bishop, but the e-pawn is potentially weak. He also sets a little trap, into which Black falls.} (11. O-O-O $14 {was more straightforward.}) 11... Nb4 $2 {Black overlooked White's response.} (11... Ng6 12. Bxg6 fxg6 13. g3 Qc7 14. f4 d6 15. exd6 Qxd6 {would have been reasonable for Black.} {I would probably have played} 16. Ne4 {hitting the queen, while reserving the decision as to where to castle.}) 12. Bxh7+ $1 Kxh7 13. Qe4+ Kg8 14. Qxb4 {White wins a pawn and exposes the Black king a little.} Nc6 15. Qe4 b6 16. O-O {This was the more solid option.} (16. O-O-O $5 $18 {would have been most incisive, although White was concerned that Black might get more counterplay with castling on opposite sides.}) 16... Bb7 17. Qe2 Qc7 (17... d6 18. exd6 Qxd6 19. Rad1 $16 {White has an extra pawn and the more active pieces.}) 18. f4 Nb4 $2 {This is a definite error, as Black should be trying to stop White from playing f5.} (18... Ne7 $16 {was better, although White still has a comfortable advantage based on his extra pawn.}) {White had the chance to play the direct f5 over the next few moves, but decided to build up slowly before playing it.} 19. Rad1 (19. f5 $1 $18) 19... Rd8 20. Rd6 (20. f5 $1 $18) 20... Raa8 21. Qf2 (21. f5 $1 $18) 21... Bc6 22. f5 $1 exf5 (22... f6 23. Qg3 {White is threatening to capture on f6.} Rf8 (23... exf5 24. exf6 $18) (23... fxe5 24. f6 $18) 24. fxe6 fxe5 25. Rf7 Rxf7 26. exf7+ Kxf7 27. Qxe5 $18 {White threatens Rf6+ winning the queen. He also has a powerful attack against the exposed Black king. In addition he has an extra pawn. In short, he is winning.}) 23. a3 {This wins more material.} (23. Qxf5 $1 Rf8 24. Rf4 $1 {would have been even more incisive, but the move played is fine.}) 23... Nxc2 24. Qxf5 Rf8 25. Qxc2 Ba4 {Perhaps Black was relying on this pin, but White had forseen the possibility.} 26. Qd1 Bxb3 {Black tries to grab a pawn, but this doesn't help.} 27. Qxb3 Qc5+ 28. Kh1 Qxe5 29. Rxd7 {White is just a piece up, with pressure on f7 and b6. Black decided this was enough and resigned.} 1-0