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1. f4 I had made it to the top Board against the top seed and I was feeling confident, although exhausted after the 4 hour marathon against Fergal! Dean was on 4/4 and I was on 3.5/4. I knew a draw was no good for me in terms of the overall standings. 1... d5 I couldn't remember what to play against the Bird Opening, this seemed reasonable... Was the e4 square going to play a key role in this game too? Is he transposing to a Nimzo-Larsen set up here? I figured I just needed to keep making sensible moves. 5... Nbd7 6. Be2 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. Nh4 I didn't really want to lose my light squared Bishop already, so this move annoyed me, but at least I wanted the exchange on my terms... Surely opening the f-file for my rook was good, but alas 9... hxg6 was better! 10... c5 was more active. 11. Bg4 Annoying! It took me a while to realise that after the exchange, Rf5 keeps my pawn on e6 alive! I didn't feel like I was calculating very well at this point, I was so tired after the morning game. 11... Nxg4 12. Qxg4 Rf5 13. d4 Leaving a hole on e4, just like in Game 4! This move also does no favours for his Bb2! 13... Nf6 I have to be careful not to get my Rook on f5 trapped, but I had calculated the sequence carefully here. I had expected 15. Nc3. Thinking about Qh4 and Rh5... It took me quite a while to realise that 17... Qh4 18. g3 Qh3 19. Qg2 really gets me nowhere. I needed to find action elsewhere on the board! His Bishop is quite dead now, but mine is not much better! 20. Rae1 Rf7 21. Qd3 Qc7 22. g3 Rc8 23. Re2 Be7 24. Bc1 c5 25. dxc5 Qxc5 26. Bb2 Bf6 Hoping to straighten out my pawns. 27. Bd4 Bxd4 28. exd4 Qc6 29. Rff2 Rfc7 30. Kf1 Kf7 The king can look after e6! 31. Ke1 Qc3+ 32. Qxc3 Rxc3 33. Kd1 Kf6 This was looking so drawish now, which was no good for me. 34. Re5 h5 35. Rfe2 R8c6 36. R5e3 Kf5 37. Rxc3 I had been expecting 37. Re5+ Kf6 and a draw by repetition here. 37... Rxc3 If I could wriggle in around behind his pawns with my Rook and/or King I might have something here. 38. Re5+ Kf6 39. Kd2 Rc6 40. Re3 Kf5 41. h3 h4 Hoping for the immediate 42. gxh4 Rc8 and Rh8 attacking his doubled pawns. I hadn't bargained on this at all. I could see Dean was becoming more confident. 43... Rc3 44. g5+ Ke7 45. Re3 Rc8 46. c3 Kd6 Obviously not 46... Rxc3 47. Rxc3 bxc3+ 48. Kxc3 when his King walks the a or b pawn home! 47. Kc2 [RR The start of an unsound plan. Better 47. cxb4 axb4 and simply sitting tight, when neither side can make progress.] 47... Rc7 48. Kb2 Rc8 49. cxb4 axb4 50. Re2 I thought this was a mistake. But I was certain this was wrong! This was no longer a draw in my mind! Now my h pawn looks like it can run! And my king can keep tabs on his a pawn. I needed to play 54... Kc7 here to keep the win more straight-forward. I can relinquish e6 because my h pawn will still promote! [RR 54... Kc7 55. a7 Ra6 56. Rh2 Rxa7 57. Rxh3 The computer thinks this is drawish, but I still felt strongly that I could win it! 57... Ra8 58. Rh1 Rf8 59. Rf1 Rh8 60. Rf3 60. Ra1 here keeps things drawish for him. This is a mistake now! [RR 60. Ra1 I'm getting either f4 or d4 and he just can't stop me! 62. Kd1 Re4 63. Kd2 Rxd4+ 64. Ke3 Rd1 65. Ke2 Rc1 I was trying to draw his King away from the centre. 66. Kd2 Ra1 67. Kc2 Ra2+ 68. Kd3 Kc5 69. Re3 Ra6 70. Re2 Kd6 71. Kd4 Ra3 72. Rb2 Ra1 I had wanted to tie up his Rook and come in around from the other side. With his King cut off and his Rook tied to b3, now my King can come in and it should be all over soon! 75... e5 76. fxe5+ Kxe5 was also effective, but I thought what I played was more accurate. 77... Rxd3 was better! White resigns. Time remaining 9.25mins for Dean and 12.22mins for me. I secured 3rd place with this win over the top seed on board 1! What a game! I was over the moon and exhausted after another 4+ hour marathon! 0-1 Annotator(s): Edward Loane. Source(s): Lichess (https://lichess.org/study/uyx8S9s8/D1OEHiuZ). Event information: Tournament report. |
