[Event "O&C v MCC"] [Date "2016.12.14"] [Round "0"] [White "Chapman, T."] [Black "Eckersley-Waites, A."] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "A00"] [Opening "Benko Opening"] 1.g3 {All annotations by Terry Chapman} Nf6 2.Bg2 g6 3.e4 {I know a reasonable amount of main-line theory, but today my idea was to set up a sound and flexible structure and 'just play chess'} d6 4.c4 c5 5.Ne2 Nc6 6.d3 Bg7 7.Nbc3 O-O 8.O-O Ne8 9.h3 (9.Be3 e5 (9...Nc7 10.d4)) 9...Nc7 10.f4 Ne6 11.Rb1 Ned4 12.a3 a5 13.Kh1 e6 14.g4 f5 15.exf5 gxf5 16.g5 Ne7?! {An odd move. I'm not sure what black's idea was. The best follow-up may well be Nec6!} 17.h4 {Now black, perhaps anxious about white's king-side attacking potential, spent 20 minutes and decided to change the play...} Bd7 18.Bxb7 Ra7?! (18...Rb8) 19.Bg2 Bc6?! 20.Nxd4 cxd4 {...but the idea doesn't work out and white is a pawn up with a much better position} 21.Bxc6 (21.{Equally strong was} Nb5 {and if} Bxb5 {(my opponent's intended move I believe)} 22.cxb5 d5 23.a4 {Apart from being a pawn up, white's position is overwhelming, he can win as he pleases}) 21...Nxc6 22.Nb5 Re7 23.Qf3 Qd7 24.Bd2 (24.{Equally strong was} h5 h6 25.b3 $18 (25.g6 $18)) 24...Kh8 25.Rbe1 e5 26.Qd5 e4 27.Nxd6 e3 28.Bc1 Re6? 29.c5? (29.{Equally strong was} Nxf5 $18 { Now something dreadful happened. White is two pawns up with play in the centre, on the queenside and on the king-side. Such positions should not be played out, but displayed at the National Gallery. Seen from the commanding side, I respond to their harmony and strength , fluid potential, their beauty more keenly than I can respond to almost any picture. However, Black also had less than two minutes on the clock, and there being no increment, I made the lazy decision to maintain the tension and complete the win without the slightest risk or even need to calculate. Thus although N:f5 wins a third pawn it also opens up some lines for black, and on seeing the absurd variation} Qc8 30.Nxg7 Rh6 {with a threat or two I played just to hold the position (what can black do?) and watch his clock run down. Of course after 31.gh in this line black would just resign as white's queen covers back to g2 against the checks.}) 29...Rd8 30.Kg2? {Two moves earlier black's rooks had been on e7 and f8, blocking his dark-squared bishop, and I had complacently failed to notice his one idea. Suddenly black is better. A farcical chaos ensued.} (30.{Equally strong was In the same spirit. After} Qf3 {White would still be well on top} Bf8 31.Nxf5 Bxc5 32.Nh6 $16) 30...Bf8 31.Rf3 Bxd6 32.cxd6 Rxd6 33.Qc4 Ne7 34.h5 Rc6 35.Qa4? Rdc8? (35...{Equally strong was In the same spirit. After} Rxc1 36.Qxd7 Rc2+ {is a winning position for black}) 36.Kg3 Qe8? 37.Qxd4+ Kg8 38.Kh4? (38.{Equally strong was In the same spirit. After} h6 {wins for white}) 38...Rxc1 39.Rfxe3? (39.{Equally strong was In the same spirit. After} h6) 39...Rxe1 40.Rxe1 Ng6+ 41.hxg6 Qxe1+ 42.Kh3 Qf1+ 43.Kg3 Qe1+ {Black had nine seconds left now. White could consider Qf2 as a winning try, assuming that black could not achieve mate in nine seconds and must lose on time. I was a little afraid that my opponent might actually manage in the nine seconds, though it seemed unlikely. Then I had the thought that playing for a win in such an inelegant way, reminiscent of the worst kind of on-line blitz game, was hardly how I wanted to conclude my Hamilton-Russell cup career. So draw agreed.} {#d} 1/2-1/2