[Event "Spielvogel Memorial"] [Site "BCC"] [Date "2017.02.02"] [Round "2"] [White "Rob Loveband"] [Black "Rodney Jacobs"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "1581"] [BlackElo "1721"] [ECO "D08"] [Opening "QGD: Albin, 3.e3"] 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5 3.e3?! {An unusual, very passive way to meet the Albin Counter-Gambit, and transposing to the French Defence, exchange variation. The usual sequence is 3. de d5. Black now has at least equality. (RJ)} exd4 {Black's aim is to isolate and build up against, the White d pawn. (RJ)} 4.exd4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Be7 6.Be2 O-O 7.O-O Nc6 8.Nc3 Bf5 9.a3 h6 10.cxd5 {Recommended by Deep Shredder. Stockfish7 prefers b3. (RJ)} Nxd5 11.Qb3 {Recommended by both programs, each of which call it dead even. (RJ)} Nb6 {Both engines think Nxc3 is marginally better, but it's still even. (RJ)} 12.d5 {Again liked by the computer. (RJ)} Nb8 13.Nd4 Bh7 14.Be3 N8d7 15.Qd1? {The engines recommend placing one of the rooks on d1, and give black a .5 advantage after Rob's Qd1. It does seem to make sense to develop a fresh piece here. (RJ)} a6? {I thought it would be very useful to keep the 2 white knights and white bishop out of b5. But it is far more consistent with Black's aims in an isolated queen pawn opening to pressure the d pawn by Nf6. Both engines recommend that, giving a .6 - .7 plus to Black. (RJ). After this inaccuracy, it's equal again. (RJ)} 16.Bd3 {Challenging on the b1 - h7 diagonal, presumably with a view to planting the knight on f5. Both engines like this. (RJ)} Ne5? {Both programs say this is an error, giving White now a .5 advantage. Correct is Nf6. (RJ).} 17.Bxh7+ Kxh7 18.Nf5 {Again very accurate. The best move. (RJ)} Nbc4? {My stronger program, Stockfish 7, recommends Re8, Deep Shredder Nec4. White now can counter with the strong Bd4. (RJ),} 19.Nxe7? {Missing Bd4. It's back to even again,} Nxe3 {Best. (RJ)} 20.fxe3 Qxe7 21.Qc2+ Kg8 22.Qe4 {I thought this was weird and awkward. Rob thought it was fine. The engines agree with him. (RJ)} Rfe8 23.Rae1 Rad8 24.Kh1 Rd7 25.h3 Qd8 26.Qc2 Rde7 27.e4 {Best. Stockfish 7 gives Black a .46 advantage, Deep Shredder gives Black a .34 edge. I thought I had a slightly better position. But I could not see any winning plan and was a bit worried about how I would deal with Qb3. (RJ) We had less than 10 minutes each left on the clock and it looked like there was a long, hard road ahead to get some advantage, barring a late night blunder! (RJ)} {#d} 1/2-1/2