[Event "Hamilton Russell"] [Site "Oxford & Cambridge Club"] [Date "2016.10.26"] [White "Chapman, Terry"] [Black "Lee, Peter"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A05"] [Opening "Reti: 1...Nf6"] {Notes by Peter Lee, except where those in brackets TC by Terry Chapman} 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.d4 Bg7 4.g3 O-O 5.Bg2 d6 6.O-O Nbd7 7.Nc3 e5 8.e4 Re8 9.d5 Nc5 10.Qc2 a5 {A fairly standard line} 11.b3 c6 12.Bd2 {Unusual. Better 12. Be3 or perhaps12 dxc6} cxd5 13.cxd5 b6 {Starting a poor plan to develop the Bishop on a6. Better 13 .. Bd7 or 13 .. b5 when black is slightly better.} 14.Rfc1 Ba6 15.Ne1 b5 {(The position is dead equal after non-critical opening play by white, but this gives white a definite edge).} 16.a3 a4! {At this stage, with b4 threatened, I felt slightly unhappy. This starts an interesting sequence of events which should be better for White. (An excellent practical move. White has a pleasant advantage after say 16…Rc8 17 b4).} 17.bxa4 bxa4 18.Nxa4 Nxa4 19.Qxa4 Bd3 20.Qb4 Rb8 {Now the game might have ended rapidly in a draw after 21 Qa4 Ra8 with repetition. But Terry rightly goes for a Queen sacrifice.} 21.Nxd3 Rxb4 22.Nxb4 Qb6 {My computer makes this about +0.8 for White, but it is quite difficult for White to co-ordinate his pieces and the Queen is active, and impossible to trap. Over the next 10 or 12 moves, Terry went from 10+ minutes ahead on the clock to 10+ minutes behind.} 23.Be3? {(Natural, but essential was Rc6 when white should emerge with the clear advantage he thought he had. Now my computer says = but white’s position is harder to play).} Qb5 24.Bf1 Qa4 25.f3 Nd7 26.Na6 f5 27.Rcb1 Qc2 {Better is 27.. Qa5 when Black is equal.} 28.Bb5 Rd8 {Black could play 28 .. Rf8 as Bd7 is not really a threat, as Black has Qd3 forking two minor pieces in reply.} 29.Nb4 Qc3 30.Bd3 fxe4 31.Rc1 Qb3 32.Rcb1 Qc3 33.Rc1 Qxa1?! {At this point, Qb3 would have led to a draw by repetition, but as Terry was quite short of time and the Athenaeum needed a win, I counter-sacrificed my Queen, though White should be better after this. (Peter’s courage in playing on earned him the point. Objectively this is almost a losing move, but I had assumed we were ready for a handshake and a friendly chat, and suddenly had to make complex decisions instead).} 34.Rxa1 exd3 35.Ra2 {(35 Rd1 rounds up the pawn and is practically winning) My machine makes both 35 Ra2 almost as good as 35 Rd1.} Nc5 36.Nc6 {Start of a losing plan. (36. Rd2 is still best, but Nc6 should be fine too).} Ra8 37.Kf2 Ra4 38.Bxc5 {(The right idea with a minute remaining).} dxc5 39.d6 {39 Ke3 is better.} Ra6! {(I had only seen 39…Bf6 40. d7 Ra8 41. Ke3 c4 42.a4 when it turns out white is better, though evaluating such a complex position in the seconds remaining was of course beyond my capacity).} 40.d7 Bf6 41.d8=Q+ Bxd8 42.Nxd8 Rd6 43.Nb7? {(The losing move! After 43. Ke3 Rd8 44. a4 c4 45. Kd2 Kf7 46. a5 it turns out the outside passed pawn and blockading king fully compensate for black’s central passers).} d2 44.Rxd2 Rxd2+ {With a winning endgame. Impossible to defend with hardly any time. 0-1 after a few more unrecorded moves} 0-1