Saturday 11 March 2017
White: K. Nevols (134) - Black: G. Reilly (129)
A long drive to Hemel Hempstead for this game but a nice venue to play chess, and soon we were once again into the Closed Sicilian.
1. e4 c5
2. Nc3 d6
3. f4 g6
4. Nf3 Bg7
5. Be2 Nc6
6. O-O a6
Having got into trouble by playing a4 last time - in an attempt to stop the queenside advance - I decide to disregard the threat, confident that I had the resources to defend.
7. Qe1
The standard queen and bishop manoeuvre as I wait to see what Black will do with his King.
7. .... Nb4
8. Bd1 b5
9. a3 Nc6
10. d3 Bb7
OK, so far, so good. His King is still at least two moves away from castling so I decide to force the issue. Better would have been 11. Kh1 because now Black has some tactics based around a check on d4.
11. e5 dxe5
Now a line I did not see is 12. Nxe5 Nxe5 13. fxe5 Qd4+ 14. Be3 Qxe5 15. Qf2 which looks like it wins the pawn back but then Black has 15. .. Qxe3! 16. Qxe3 Bd4.
12. fxe5 b4?!
Better would have been 12. .. Nxe5 13. Nxe5 Qd4+ transposing to the above line.
But now I was kicking myself realising that I had blundered away a pawn and so had to try to get some compensation for it. I gave a lot of thought to 13. Ne4 with a possible tactic on d6, but, probably due to my state of mind, rejected it.
However 13. Ne4 is the best move. If 13. .. Nxe5 14. Nxe5 Qd4+ then 15. Be3! Qxe5 16. Nxc5!? Qxb2 17. Nxb7 Qxa1 18. Nd6+ Kd7 19. Nxf7 Qxa3 20. Nxh8 Bxh8 and White has a great position for a pawn down.
I didn't see any of that and would have probably played the quieter 15. Qe3 Bxe5 16. Nxc5 which gets a good position after 16. .. bxa3 17. Rxa3.
I looked at 13. ... bxa3 14. Rxa3 which is OK for White.
But feeling down I played a weaker move - deciding to consolidate, take the porridge, and start again.
13. Nb1?!
The intention was to take back on a3 with the knight, or redeploy the knight to the c4 square. Black gobbles up the pawn and I at last move the king out of the way.
13. .... Nxe5
14. Kh1
I want to make some exchanges on f3 and see if I can use the open lines against his still uncastled king.
14. Qd6
15. Nbd2
Continuing the plan to relocate the knight and defend f3.
15. .... Nxf3
16. Bxf3 Bxf3
17. Rxf3 Nf6
Right, so I am a pawn down. My development is not great but I have some potential for play on the queenside and am about to get the pawn back.. Black's bishop has great potential but he is still one step away from castling.
18. Nc4 Qc7
Black can't keep the b4 pawn. If 18. .. Qb8 then 19. Bf4 (19. .... Qb5??? 20. Nd6+).
19. axb4 Nd5
Centralising and freeing the bishop. 19. .. cxb4 20. Qxb4 O-O might lead White to try 21. Bf4 when Black can force the queens off with 21. .. Nd5! (22. Bxc7 Nxb4) and perhaps ease his defensive task.
20. bxc5
White misses the powerful 20. Qe4! with 20. .. e6 21. Ra5! O-O 22. bxc5 or 20. ... Rd8 21. bxc5 Qxc5 22. Rxa6.
20. ... Qxc5
21. Ra5 Qc6
I saw 22. Rxd5 Qxd5 23. Nb6 but after 23. .. Qb7 24. Nxa8 Qxa8 (actually 24. .. O-O is better) could not see much after that. (25. Bg5 O-O 26. Bxe7 Re8). So decided it was about time to give the bishop an airing.
22. Bg5 O-O!
The computer now gives the position as a narrow edge for White. Black has at last castled, the bishop is good, his only weakness is the pawn on a6. Best is now 23. c3 to consolidate and think again. Taking the e-pawn falls again to Re8.
23. Qh4
However I still have my eye on that king. Black's best is now 23. . e6! which secures the knight and makes Black free for counterplay. The game would be completely even.
23. .... Bxb2?
But Black has a rush of blood to the head. This is an attempt to exploit White's weak back rank. After the initial shock, I managed to put together a defence.
24. Nxb2 Qxc2
25. Qf2 Qb1+
26. Qf1 Qxb2
27. Rxd5
I think this is what Black missed - the fact that his knight on d5 was still loose. However, it is not over yet - for his piece, Black has two pawns, the a-pawn could be a monster, and there is potential for strong rook play.
27. ... f6
28. Bf4 e5
29. Bh6 Rfc8?
Another pawn goes.
30. Rxf6 Rab8
31. Rc5
I was a bit nervous about letting his rook through to the seventh rank. Of course if now 31. .. Rxc5 then 32. Rf8+ mates.
31. .... Rd8
32. Rc7 Qb1
33. Kg1 Qxd3?
The last blunder but I would like to think that the game was won anyway.
34. Rf8+
If now 34. .. Rxf8 (the only move) then 35. Qxd3, so Black resigned.
This was a topsy turvy game where I went astray but built up an advantage and then Black defending into an equal position. It was my fortune that Black then went for an unsound combination.
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