[Event "Hamilton Russell Cup"] [Site "RAC"] [Date "2015.03.31"] [Round "0"] [White "Eckersley-Waites, Tom"] [Black "Emerson, Roger"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2282"] [BlackElo "2192"] [EventType "team-tourn (rapid)"] [EventCountry "ENG"] [ECO "B02"] [Opening "Alekhine: Scandinavian, Exchange"] 1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. exd5 Nxd5 4. Bc4 c6 ({Safer than} 4... Nb6 {0} 5. Bb3) 5. Qf3 e6 (5... Be6 6. Nge2 Nd7 7. Bxd5 cxd5 8. Nf4 Nf6 9. Nxe6 fxe6 10. d4) 6. Qg3 Nd7 7. d4 N7f6 8. Nf3 Be7 (8... Nxc3 $142 9. bxc3 Ne4 10. Qe5 Nxc3 { Wunderer,E (2136)-Rastert,R (2124)/Verbandsliga Nord Baden 0607 2006 (3.8)/0-1} 11. Bd2 Nd5 12. O-O Qd6 13. Qg5 h6 14. Qh5 g6 15. Qh4 Be7) 9. h4 Nxc3 10. bxc3 Qa5 ({I thought about} 10... O-O {but was worried about} 11. Bh6 Nh5 12. Qg4 { I missed} f5 $1 {after which white can't play} 13. Qxh5 {because} g6 {wins the white queen!}) ({Or I could have played} 10... Nh5 {immediately} 11. Qg4 g6 12. Qe4 Bd6 13. Bd2 Nf6 14. Qe2 Qc7) 11. Bd2 Nh5 12. Qe5 Qxe5+ (12... Bd8 {is probably better} 13. Bd3 Bc7 14. c4 Qxd2+ 15. Nxd2 Bxe5 16. dxe5 Nf4 17. Be4 f5 18. exf6 gxf6 19. g3) 13. dxe5 g6 14. g4 Ng7 15. Bh6 Rg8 $6 (15... O-O 16. O-O-O f5 (16... b6 17. h5 Rd8 18. Rxd8+ Bxd8 19. Rd1 Be7 20. Bd3) (16... Rd8 17. Bg5 Rxd1+ 18. Rxd1 Kf8 19. h5)) 16. O-O-O Bd7 17. Rd2 O-O-O $2 ({If} 17... Rd8 18. Ng5) (17... c5 {may be best} 18. Ng5 Bc6 19. Rhd1 Bxg5 20. Bxg5 Kf8 { though it's difficult to see how black unravels his pieces}) 18. Bg5 Bxg5 19. hxg5 (19. Nxg5 $142 c5 20. Nxf7 Rdf8 21. Nd6+ Kc7 22. Bd3 Rf4 23. Be4) 19... c5 ({If} 19... Rh8 {white can double rooks on the h-file to win the pawn} 20. Ne1 c5 21. f3 Bc6 22. Rdh2 {Nevertheless this might be black's best option. After} Rd7 23. Rxh7 Rxh7 24. Rxh7 Ne8 {it might still be difficult for white to realise the pawn advantage}) 20. Rxh7 Bc6 21. Ne1 Rxd2 22. Kxd2 Kd8 23. Ke3 Ke7 24. Bd3 ({white can't play} 24. Nd3 {immediately because of} b5) ({so} 24. Be2 Ne8 25. Nd3 c4 26. Nf4 b5 27. Bf3 {might be marginally better}) ({Best of all might be} 24. f4 Ne8 25. f5 Nc7 26. f6+ Ke8 27. Bb3 Nd5+ 28. Kd2) 24... Ne8 25. Be4 Bxe4 26. Kxe4 Nc7 27. c4 ({Better is} 27. Nd3 b6 28. c4 {although after} Na6 29. c3 Nb8 30. f4 Nc6 {white has only a slight advantage}) 27... Rd8 28. Nf3 b5 29. Nh4 Rd4+ 30. Ke3 Rxc4 ({Best objectively is the surprising} 30... Kf8 $1 31. Nxg6+ Kg8 32. Rh8+ Kg7 33. Rc8 Kxg6 34. Rxc7 Rxc4 35. Rxa7 Rxc2 36. f4 Rc3+ 37. Ke4 Rc4+ 38. Ke3 {with a draw}) 31. Nxg6+ Ke8 32. Rh8+ Kd7 33. Rh7 Ke8 34. Nh8 Nd5+ 35. Kd2 Rf4 36. g6 $6 (36. Ke2 Nc3+ 37. Ke3 Nd5+ $11) 36... fxg6 37. Nxg6 Rxf2+ 38. Kc1 Rg2 {and the game was eventually drawn after a time scramble involving an exchange of rooks and Tom being able to simplify down to an ending with N+P v N.} {#d} 1/2-1/2