Sussex League (Division 1) 2025-26: Horsham 1 – Crowborough

   [Event "Sussex League Division 1"]  [Site "Horsham"]  [Date "2025.11.14"]  [Round "2"]  [White "Mansson, James C"]  [Black "Michaud, Gerald"]  [Result "1/2-1/2"]  [Annotator "Mansson,James"]  [ECO "B15"]  [WhiteElo "2081"]  [BlackElo "1872"]  [WhiteFideId "-1"]  [WhiteFideId "-1"]  [PlyCount "50"]  [GameId "2244276282443467"]  [EventDate "2025.09.01"]  [EventType "swiss"]  [EventRounds "10"]  [EventCountry "ENG"]  [WhiteTeam "Horsham 1"]  [BlackTeam "Crowborough"]  [WhiteTeamCountry "ENG"]  [BlackTeamCountry "ENG"]   {In this video I am going to look at a game I played last Friday in a Sussex League match for Horsham 1 against Crowborough. The match was played at Crowborough.  I was on board three. I had the White pieces and was up against Gerry Michaud.  I started with} 1. e4 {and my opponent chose the Caro-Kann Defence:} c6 2. d4 d5 {I played} 3. Nc3 {which is the traditional main line.} ({Now I usually play} 3. e5 {but decided to try out something different.}) 3... dxe4 {Black has nothing better than taking.} 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6 {This line has become very fashionable in the last few years. Black accepts an inferior pawn structure in return for easy development.} 6. Be3 {White is aiming to place the other bishop on d3, knight on e2, castle, then play c4.} Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. Ne2 Re8 9. O-O Qc7 {Black threatens the pawn on h2.} 10. h3 {This is the standard way to meet the threat. Playing h3 is less weakening than g3, and also it is useful to control the g4 square.} Nd7 11. c4 {Therefore Black looks to stop c5 with} b6 {I was now out of book and had to decide how to continue.} ({Now} 11... Nf8 {is met by} 12. c5 Be7 13. Bf4 Qd8 14. Qb3 $16 {when Black is all tied up}) {I chose} 12. Nc3 {looking to bring my queen over to the kingside and rook from a1 into the game.} (12. c5 {was not effective now because after} bxc5 {Instead} 13. dxc5 $2 ({White has to play} 13. Rc1 $44 {with no more than compensation for the pawn.}) 13... Nxc5 14. Bxc5 Bxc5 15. Qc2 Bb6 16. Bxh7+ Kf8 $17 {is very good for Black, who has the bishop pair on an open board.}) ({However} 12. Qc2 {was worth considering, putting immediate pressure on h7.}) 12... Nf8 {This is a standard maneuver, bringing the knight to a place where it defends h7 and can move to g6, eying f4.} 13. Qf3 Ng6 {Instead I chose} 14. Rae1 ({Now} 14. Nb5 {can be met by the exchange sacrifice} cxb5 $1 15. Qxa8 bxc4 $44 {when Black has good play.}) {and play continued} 14... Bd7 15. Ne4 Bf4 {Black wants to exchange some more pieces to free his position.} 16. Ng3 Bxe3 17. fxe3 c5 {Instead I chose} 18. Nf5 $2 ({Now White should have continued to gradually improve his position with} 18. b3 $14 {He remains slightly better due to his superior pawn structure, although Black is very solid.}) {which allowed my opponent to make a favourable exchange with} 18... Bxf5 $1 {so White played} 19. Qxf5 (19. Bxf5 $2 {just loses material to} cxd4) {Instead Black continued solidly with} 19... Re7 $1 $15 {when he is better, since he has the superior minor piece.} ({Now I was worried about a queen incursion to g3, but} 19... Qg3 20. Qf3 {is not a problem}) ({and} 19... cxd4 20. exd4 Qg3 {can be met by} 21. Qf3 {when} Qxe1 $2 {winning two rooks for the queen is a mistake as after} 22. Rxe1 Rxe1+ 23. Kf2 Ree8 24. Bc2 $16 {White's bishop is clearly superior to Black's knight and he has a strong passed d-pawn.}) {I now decided to adopt a defensive posture.} 20. Qf2 Rae8 21. b3 Qd6 {I now decided to place my central pawns on light squares as this made it easier to defend them.} 22. d5 Re5 23. e4 R5e7 {I now moved my rook off the e-file to avoid any ...f5 tricks.} 24. Rc1 Ne5 25. Bb1 {White's play looks horribly anti-positional, as he is making his light-squared bishop bad by placing his pawns on the light squares. However, he judged that this would make them easier to defend and was so the lesser evil.} {Now White was concerned that Black would try to press him for a while. However, after} a5 {Black offered a draw, which White naturally accepted. Possibly this decision was due to Black's natural caution, or the fact that he was facing a higher rated opponent. It should be noted that although Black is in many ways better, White does still have a protected passed d-pawn.  In the context of the match, the draw proved important as Horsham then went on to win on the top two boards, securing victory. This meant that they did not have to worry about the bottom board game, where the Horsham player eventually drew, although he seemed in trouble at once point.} 1/2-1/2