[Event "Rated Classical game"] [Date "2020.11.26"] [White "Paul Brooks"] [Black "Andrew Kinder"] [Result "1-0"] 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 d6 4.h3 g6 5.Nf3 Bg7 6.Nc3 O-O 7.e4 e6 {Andrew plays the Benoni defence - he has had success against me with this in the past. } 8.Bd3 exd5 9.exd5 {A key decision - taking back with the e-pawn leads to a strategically simpler (and perhaps more even) game than 9.cxd5 when the battle would be between white's central majority and black's queenside counterplay.} 9...Re8+ 10.Be3 {This variation includes a possible pawn sacrifice here. } 10...b5 ( 10...Bh6 11.O-O $1 Bxe3 12.fxe3 Rxe3 $6 13.Qd2 {when white gets a strong attack. Qh6, Ng5, Nce4, Rae1 are the moves on the horizon and black loses the exchange if he plays 13...Qe7 to maintain the rook on e3 (14.Nd1 does the trick.) } ) 11.cxb5 {Maybe 11.Nxb5 is better.} 11...a6 $6 {11...Nbd7 is much better aiming straightaway for Nb6 ganging up on the d pawn.} 12.O-O axb5 13.Bxb5 Bd7 14.Bxd7 $6 {This breaks the rule - don't exchange pieces when you have more space. 14.Bc4 is better. } 14...Nbxd7 15.Bf4 Nb6 16.Qd3 Qd7 ( 16...Na4 {is a better idea.} 17.Nxa4 Rxa4 18.Bh2 Ne4 19.Qc2 Qa8 {when black has pressure on the queenside.} ) 17.Nd2 Rab8 18.Rab1 Rb7 19.Bh2 {I wanted to put more pressure on d6, so I tucked my bishop away to avoid tactics like 19.Nc4 Nxc4 20.Qxc4 Rb4 which picks up the unguarded bishop on f4.} 19...Qe7 20.b4 cxb4 21.Rxb4 Nc8 22. Qb1 Rxb4 23.Qxb4 Nh5 24.Nde4 Qc7 {Maybe 24...f5 was a better idea as white can't take the pawn (25.Nxd6 Bxc3 wins a piece)} 25.Nb5 Qb7 26.Nexd6 { White finally wins the d pawn.} 26...Nxd6 27.Bxd6 {Andrew can't recapture the d-pawn because of the knight fork on c7, so he tries to get some counterplay on the c-file. } 27...Rc8 28.Rd1 Rc2 29.Nd4 $1 {Probably the winning move. At the cost of the a-pawn, white is able to swap off queens and the passed d-pawn becomes very strong.} 29...Qxb4 30.Bxb4 Rxa2 31.Nc6 Bf6 {Perhaps the last chance to block the pawn was 31...Nf6, though white is still winning. } 32.d6 Ng7 33.d7 Ne6 34.d8=Q+ Nxd8 35.Nxd8 Rb2 36.Ba5 Kg7 37.Nc6 Rc2 38. Nd4 Ra2 39.Bc7 h5 40.Nf3 Re2 41.Kf1 Re4 42.Re1 Rc4 43.Be5 {White forces off the bishops and the win becomes easier. } 43...Rc2 44.Bxf6+ Kxf6 45.g3 Ra2 46.Re2 Ra1+ 47.Kg2 Ra3 48.h4 Ra4 49.Ng5 Ra7 50.Kf3 {White activates his king - black has problems with his weak f7 pawn. } 50...Ra3+ 51.Re3 Ra7 52.Rb3 Kf5 53.Rb5+ Kf6 54.Rb4 Ra3+ 55.Kf4 Ra7 56. Rb6+ Kg7 57.Ne4 Ra4 58.Rb7 {With white in command of the 7th rank, the end is nigh.} 58...Rc4 59.Ke5 Ra4 60.Ng5 Ra5+ 61.Kd6 Rf5 62.f4 Rf6+ 63.Ke7 Rf5 64.Ke8 Rf6 65.Rxf7+ Rxf7 66.Nxf7 Kf6 67.Ne5 Kg7 68.Ke7 {In this hopeless position, Andrew's time ran out. Notes by Paul Brooks} 1-0
[Event "Rated Classical game"] [Date "2020.11.26"] [White "Mike Hussey"] [Black "Alan Brusey"] [Result "0-1"] [Opening "Queen's Pawn Game: Mason Variation"] 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.c3 c5 5.Be2 Nc6 6.Nf3 Bd6 7.Bg3 Bxg3 8.hxg3 Qd6 9.Nbd2 e5 10.dxe5 Nxe5 11.Nxe5 Qxe5 12.Nf3 Qd6 13.Qc2 Be6 14.Ng5 O-O-O 15.O-O-O h6 16.Nf3 Ne4 17.Bd3 f5 18.Bxe4 fxe4 19.Nd2 Qe5 20.Nb3 b6 21.Qe2 Kb7 22.Qb5 Rc8 23.a4 Rc7 24.a5 {The game has been fairly equal (maybe slightly better for black) up to this point.} 24...Bd7 $2 25.a6+ $2 {Mike misses his chance.} ( 25.Nxc5+ Rxc5 26.Qxd7+ Rc7 27.Qxd5+ Qxd5 28.Rxd5 { leaves white 2 pawns up and in a good position to go for the win.} ) 25...Ka8 26.Qe2 Ba4 27.Rh5 g5 28.f4 exf3 29.Qxf3 Bxb3 30.Rxh6 Re8 31.Re1 Bc4 32.Rf6 Bxa6 33.Rf5 Qe4 34.Qf2 d4 35.Rf8 dxc3 36.Rxe8+ Qxe8 37. Qf3+ Bb7 38.e4 cxb2+ 39.Kxb2 Re7 40.Rf1 Bxe4 41.Qf6 Bxg2 42.Rf2 Qb5+ 0-1