Horsham Club Quickplay Knockout 2018-19: Mansson – Higgs

After winning my third round tie in the Quickplay Knockout, I then, following a brief break, played my semi-final. I was up against Anthony Higgs, and it was a tough match, going to sudden death after the first two games finished one apiece. I managed to win the decisive game to progress to the final.
I give the games below with some notes; these should explain the various twists and turns that occurred.
   [Event "Horsham Club Quickplay Knockout"]  [Site "Horsham"]  [Date "2019.06.04"]  [Round "3.1"]  [White "Higgs, Anthony RJ"]  [Black "Mansson, James C"]  [Result "0-1"]  [ECO "D00"]  [Annotator "jmansson"]  [PlyCount "84"]  [EventDate "2018.??.??"]  [EventType "k.o. (blitz)"]   1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 d5 3. Nc3 g6 4. f3 Bg7 5. Qd2 O-O 6. g4 $5 (6. O-O-O {was my  opponent's choice in our previous game.}) 6... c6 7. h4 h5 $1 {I think this is  the best in this kind of position. White will find it hard to exploit the  weakning of the Black kingside, as his own pieces are not well placed to do so.  } 8. gxh5 (8. g5 Nfd7 {followed by ...e5 looks decent for Black.}) 8... Nxh5 9.  Bh6 Nd7 10. Bxg7 Kxg7 11. Bh3 Ndf6 (11... b5 {at once may be even stronger, as  the bishop on h3 obstructs the development of the knight on h1.}) 12. O-O-O (  12. Bxc8 Rxc8 13. O-O-O {seems more straightforward. White needs to develop  the knight on g1 and this looks like the best way to make that possible.})  12... b5 13. e4 $2 {This doesn't work well, as the game shows.} (13. Bxc8 Rxc8  14. Nh3 {was a better idea.}) 13... b4 14. e5 (14. Nce2 dxe4) (14. Na4 Qa5)  14... bxc3 15. exf6+ exf6 $1 {This provides Black with excellent cover for his  king. It is also important to keep the knight on h5, blocking the h-pawn.} 16.  Qxc3 Bxh3 17. Nxh3 Qd6 18. Qd2 Rab8 (18... Qg3 $1 19. Qf2 Rfe8 {looks even  better.}) 19. Rhg1 Qb4 $6 {Swapping queens like this eases White's problems.} (  19... Rfe8 {is better, when Black's attacking chances are clearly superior.})  20. Qxb4 Rxb4 {The endgame is preferable for Black, but White defends soundly  for the moment.} 21. c3 Rb7 22. Rde1 Rfb8 23. Re2 a5 24. Rgg2 a4 25. a3 Rc7 26.  f4 $6 {This seems like an unnecessary weakening.} c5 (26... f5 {was also worth  considering.}) 27. dxc5 Rxc5 28. f5 d4 29. fxg6 dxc3 30. gxf7+ Kxf7 31. Rc2  cxb2+ 32. Kb1 Rxc2 33. Rxc2 Rb3 34. Nf2 Rxa3 35. Kxb2 Rf3 (35... Rb3+ 36. Ka2  Rb4 {was another try.}) 36. Nd1 Nf4 37. Nc3 a3+ 38. Ka2 (38. Kxa3 Nd5 39. Kb2 {  is acceptable for White as the pawn endgame after} Nxc3 40. Rxc3 Rxc3 41. Kxc3  {is drawn, e.g.} Kg6 42. Kd4 Kh5 43. Ke4 Kxh4 44. Kf5 $11) 38... Nd3 39. Kxa3  Ne1 40. Rc1 Ng2 41. h5 Nf4 42. Kb2 $4 {Up to this point, White had held firm,  but now he makes a big mistake.} (42. Ka2) (42. Ka4) 42... Nd3+ {White loses a  rook, so he resigned.} 0-1   [Event "Horsham Club Quickplay Knockout"]  [Site "Horsham"]  [Date "2019.06.04"]  [Round "3.2"]  [White "Mansson, James C"]  [Black "Higgs, Anthony RJ"]  [Result "0-1"]  [ECO "B00"]  [Annotator "jmansson"]  [PlyCount "78"]  [EventDate "2018.??.??"]  [EventType "k.o. (blitz)"]   1. Nf3 b6 2. e4 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. d4 g6 5. Bd3 Bg7 6. O-O d6 {Black needed to  win, so this choice of defence makes sense, especially in a quick game.  Objectively, White should be able to gain a significant advantage, but it is  not that easy to prove at a quick time control.} 7. Re1 Ne7 8. e5 d5 9. Ne2 c5  10. c3 Nbc6 11. Bg5 h6 12. Bf6 Bxf6 13. exf6 Nf5 14. Nf4 $5 {White now looks  to open up the position to his advantage.} c4 (14... Qxf6 15. Nxd5 Qd8 16. Nf4  {looks good for White.}) 15. Bxf5 gxf5 16. Nh5 Kd7 17. Ne5+ $6 {Up to this  point, White's play had been reasonable, but this exchage works to Black's  advantage, making his defence easier. White should have started play on the  queenside, so the Black king wouldn;t have anywhere to go.} (17. b3) (17. b4)  17... Nxe5 18. dxe5 Kc7 19. a4 Rg8 20. f3 Qf8 21. Qd4 Rg5 22. Nf4 Qc5 23. Red1  Rag8 24. a5 Qxd4+ 25. Rxd4 b5 26. b3 cxb3 27. Rb1 a6 28. Kf2 Kb8 29. Rxb3 Rc8  30. Nd3 Rc4 31. Nb2 Rc7 32. Rh4 Rg8 33. Rxh6 $2 {The rook ends up out of play  here.} (33. Nd1 {was more sensible.}) 33... d4 $5 34. cxd4 $2 {This allows the  Black rooks into the White position.} (34. c4 bxc4 35. Rb4 {was a better try.})  34... Rc2+ 35. Ke3 Bd5 36. Rb4 Rgxg2 {Black is now clearly on top.} 37. Rh8+  Kb7 38. Rf8 $4 {This allows Black to creating a mating net around the White  king.} (38. Nd1 Rcd2 39. Nc3 Bc4 {was probably winning for Black, but would  have required more work.}) 38... Rcf2 39. Rxf7+ Kc6 {White resigned as there  is no defence against ...Rxf3#.} 0-1   [Event "Horsham Club Quickplay Knockout"]  [Site "Horsham"]  [Date "2019.06.04"]  [Round "3.3"]  [White "Higgs, Anthony RJ"]  [Black "Mansson, James C"]  [Result "0-1"]  [ECO "B13"]  [Annotator "jmansson"]  [PlyCount "70"]  [EventDate "2018.??.??"]  [EventType "k.o. (blitz)"]   1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 c5 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nc3 cxd4 5. exd4 a6 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. a3 $2 {  White leaves the d-pawn en prise for no good reason.} (7. Nge2) 7... Bg4 $2 {  Black could just take the pawn.} (7... Nxd4) 8. f3 Bh5 9. Nge2 e6 10. Qd2 Bd6  11. Bxd6 Qxd6 12. b4 O-O {This position is a sort of Queen's Gambit Declined  with colours reversed. Chances are about balanced.} 13. Na4 e5 $5 {Black opts  for a position with an isolated queen's pawn, where he hopes that his superior  activity will count.} 14. dxe5 Nxe5 15. O-O Qc6 16. Nc5 b6 17. Nd4 Qc8 18. Ncb3  Nxd3 $6 {This is a bit risky, as the Black bishop is now in danger of being  trapped.} (18... Bg6 {was safe and solid.}) 19. cxd3 Qd7 20. Rac1 Rac8 21. Rxc8  Rxc8 22. f4 {White now intends h3, g4 and f5, trapping the Black bishop. In  response, Black tries to discourage White from doing this.} Qg4 23. h3 Qd7 24.  Re1 (24. g4 {is not clear after} Nxg4 25. hxg4 Qxg4+ 26. Qg2 Rc3 $13) 24... h6  25. f5 (25. g4 {is not clear after} Nxg4 26. hxg4 Qxg4+ 27. Qg2 Qxf4 $13) 25...  Qd6 26. Kh1 (26. g4 $4 {is bad because of} Qg3+) 26... Qg3 27. Ne2 $2 {Now the  game turns in Black's favour.} (27. Re3 {is unclear after} Qh4 28. Qe1 Qxe1+  29. Rxe1 Rc3 30. g4 Nxg4 31. hxg4 Bxg4 $13) 27... Bxe2 28. Rxe2 Nh5 29. Rf2 Qc7  {Black maintains the advantage after this, but there was a surprising tactical  shot that was even stronger.} (29... Rc3 $1 30. Qxc3 Qxf2 {is winning for  Black, because of his threats to the White king and the loose White pawns.})  30. g4 Nf6 31. Kg2 Qc3 32. Qb2 $2 {This leads to an easily lost position.} (32.  Qxc3 {was necessary, although after} Rxc3 {the endgame is very good for Black.}  ) 32... Qxd3 33. Rd2 (33. Nd4 Rc4) 33... Qe4+ 34. Kg1 Qe3+ 35. Rf2 Ne4 {  White resigned as there is now no sensible way to continue.} 0-1
Horsham Club Quickplay Knockout 2018-19: Mansson – Higgs

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