Sussex League Division 1 2023-24: Horsham 1 – Eastbourne 1

   [Event "Sussex League Division 1"]  [Site "Various"]  [Date "2024.01.12"]  [Round "5"]  [White "Mansson, James C"]  [Black "Pickersgill, Adrian O"]  [Result "1/2-1/2"]  [ECO "A53"]  [Annotator "Mansson,James"]  [PlyCount "96"]  [EventDate "2023.09.01"]  [EventType "team-match"]  [EventRounds "11"]  [EventCountry "ENG"]  [WhiteTeam "Horsham 1"]  [BlackTeam "Eastbourne 1"]  [WhiteTeamCountry "ENG"]  [BlackTeamCountry "ENG"]   {Time control: 65 minutes plus 30 second increment - Match played at Eastbourne  } 1. d4 d6 2. Nf3 Bg4 3. e3 Nd7 4. c4 e5 5. Be2 Be7 6. Nc3 Ngf6 7. O-O O-O 8.  e4 {White considered this apparent waste of tempo as worth it, since the  bishop is misplaced on g4 in the resulting Old Indian position.} c6 9. Be3 Qc7  10. d5 a5 11. h3 Bh5 12. g4 $5 {This is a very ambitious approach, attempting  to lock the Black light-squared bishop out of play.} (12. Nh4 $5 Bxe2 13. Qxe2  Rfe8 (13... Nxe4 $2 14. Nf5 Nxc3 15. Nxe7+ Kh8 16. bxc3 f5 17. Bg5 g6 18. dxc6  bxc6 19. Qf3 e4 20. Qg3 Nf6 21. Nxg6+ hxg6 22. Rfd1 $16) 14. Nf5 Bf8 15. Rac1  $14) 12... Bg6 13. Nd2 Nc5 14. f3 {White thought this would be promising as  the Black bishop on g6 is out of play. However, it is also tricky for White to  play actively.} Nfd7 {Black decides to aim for the exchange of dark-squared  bishops, which is strategically desirable give the pawn structure.} (14... a4  $1 {Black should play this at once, intending ...Qa5. It will then be up to  White to show how he plans to play actively.}) 15. Nb3 {White prepares Qd2,  preventing ...Bg5, after Black plays ...h6.} h6 (15... a4 $1 16. Nxc5 Nxc5 17.  Qd2 {would be similar to the game.}) (15... Nxb3 16. axb3 Nc5 17. Ra3 {was my  idea.}) 16. Nxc5 Nxc5 17. Qd2 Rfd8 (17... Qd8 $6 18. Rad1 Bg5 $2 19. Bxg5 hxg5  (19... Qxg5 20. Qxg5 hxg5 21. dxc6 bxc6 22. Rxd6 $16) 20. dxc6 bxc6 21. Qxd6  $16) 18. Rad1 {White was starting to run short of time, and so played a couple  of "safe" moves. It was not immediately obvious how to proceed.} (18. b3 {  might be better, preventing ...a4.}) 18... a4 $1 19. Kg2 Qa5 $1 20. Rb1 {  White decided to attempt to make progress on the queenside.} Qc7 {Black  offered a draw. White declined as there is plenty of play left in the position,  and the match situation demanded that he continue to play for a win. However,  he was running a ltitle short of time and so had to make some decisions  quickly.} 21. Rfc1 Bf6 22. Bd1 Qe7 23. b4 {Now things start to look promising  for White, as he starts to break through on the queenside.} axb3 24. axb3 Bg5  25. b4 Nd7 (25... Bxe3 26. Qxe3 Nd7 (26... Na6 27. dxc6 bxc6 28. b5 $14) 27.  dxc6 bxc6 28. Ra1 $14) (25... Na6 26. dxc6 (26. Bxg5 Qxg5 27. Qxg5 hxg5 28. Na4  Nc7 29. Ra1 $14) 26... bxc6 27. b5 $14) 26. Bxg5 (26. dxc6 Bxe3 27. Qxe3 bxc6  28. Ra1 $14) 26... Qxg5 27. Qxg5 hxg5 28. dxc6 bxc6 29. Ba4 {This looks  tempting, but Black has a reasonable response.} (29. Ra1 $14 {may be simplest  and best.}) 29... Rdc8 30. Rd1 Nb6 $1 (30... d5 $2 31. cxd5 cxd5 $2 32. Nxd5 $1  Rxa4 33. Ne7+ $18) 31. Bb3 Rd8 $6 {This is obvious, but seems to be a mistake.}  (31... Ra3 $1 32. Rxd6 Nxc4 $1 33. Rd3 $1 Nb6 34. b5 cxb5 35. Nxb5 Ra6 36. Rbd1  $14 {and White has some play due to Black's awkardly-placed pieces, although  the removal of the queenside pawns limits his chances.}) 32. Ra1 Rxa1 33. Rxa1  Kf8 34. Ra7 $6 {This is tempting, but putting the rook on a6 seems more  promising.} (34. Ra6 $1 Rb8 35. c5 $1 dxc5 36. bxc5 Nd7 37. Rxc6 $1 Nxc5 (37...  Rxb3 $2 38. Rc8+ Ke7 39. Nd5+ Ke6 40. Re8#) 38. Bxf7 Kxf7 39. Rxc5 $16) 34...  Ra8 35. Rxa8+ Nxa8 36. Kf2 $6 {White should try something more direct,  although Black may still be able to hold.} (36. Ba4 Nb6 (36... c5 $2 37. bxc5  dxc5 38. Nd5 f6 39. Bc6 $18) 37. Bxc6 Nxc4 38. Nd5 f6 39. b5 Be8 40. Bxe8 Kxe8  41. b6 Na5 42. Kg3 Kf7 43. h4 gxh4+ 44. Kxh4 g6 {and it is not clear whether  White can make progress.}) (36. b5 cxb5 37. cxb5 Ke7 38. Nd5+ Kd7 39. Kg3 Nc7  40. Ne3 (40. b6 Nxd5 41. Bxd5 Kc8 $11) 40... Na8 {and it is not clear whether  White can make progress.} (40... Nxb5 41. Ba4 Kc6 42. Nc4 Kc5 43. Bxb5 Kxb5 44.  Nxd6+ Kc6 45. Ne8 f6 46. Nxg7 $16)) 36... f6 37. b5 Be8 38. Ke3 Nb6 39. Kd3 Ke7  {Black offered a draw. White declined, as he still needed to look for a win.}  40. bxc6 Bxc6 41. Nd5+ $6 {This leads to an endgame where White has a bad  bishop and no chances.} Bxd5 42. cxd5 Kd7 43. Kc3 Kc7 44. Kb4 Nd7 45. Bd1 Nf8  46. Be2 {White offered a draw, as he realised that he no longer had any  winning chances. Black declined, as he though he might have something with his  superior knight. However, he soon came to the conclusion that there was  nothing.} Ng6 47. Ka5 Nh4 48. Ka6 Ng2 {Black offered a draw, which White  accepted.} 1/2-1/2