[Event "Barrow Van Riel"] [Date "2019.05.19"] [White "Leigh Healey"] [Black "Ruari Coffey"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "1722"] [BlackElo "1644"] [ECO "B90"] [Opening "Sicilian: Najdorf"] 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 Nbd7 7.a3 Qc7 {By playing a3, I expected that white would also put the light squared bishop on c4. (R.C)} 8.Be2 e6 9.O-O Be7 10.Be3 b6 {In many lines on the Sicilian, there are sacrifices on most light squares (e6, b5 and f5), hence why I decided against b5. I was also worried about a bishop or knight occupying b6 later in the game, especially after an a/c 4-5 push. (R.C)} 11.f3 Bb7 12.Qd2 Rc8 13.Rfc1 O-O 14.Bf2 Ne5 15.Nb3 {Opening up the diagonal for the dark squared bishop and preparing to out pressure on the weakened pawns. (R.C)} Rfd8 16.Qe3 Nfd7 17.Na4 Nc5 18.Naxc5 dxc5 {bxc5 was also considered, however an open d-file was slightly more desirable than an open b-file and central pawns. (R.C)} 19.c4 {There is now an excellent outpost for the knight on d4 and taking will only favour black.(R.C)} Nc6 20.Bg3 Bd6 21.f4 Nd4 {Perhaps a bit hasty, e5 was also an option but allows whites' queen to move to the kingside after the f-pawn is gone and the rooks switch over. (R.C)} 22.e5 Qc6 23.Bf1 {Of course not exd6 because of mate on g2. I can always hope though. (R.C)} Be7 24.Bf2 Nxb3 {Should have doubled up the rooks first before trying this. (R.C) Or maintaining the presssure along the d-file by Nf5 and/or Qe4 (bas)} 25.Qxb3 Rd2 26.Rd1 Rcd8 27.Rxd2 Rxd2 28.Rd1 Rxd1 29.Qxd1 {When going through all the calculations initially (Nxb3), I missed Qxb6 so now white has a very active queen. (R.C) I take it, that you meant that you could not play the intended 28...Qd7 because of Qxb6 (bas)} b5 30.Qd3 b4 31.axb4 cxb4 32.b3 g6 {Creating a flight square for the king (R.C)} 33.Qd4 a5 34.Qb6 a4 {My position is okay at best but I figured this is the best way to create counter-play, as my bishops are quite active compared to white's bishops. (R.C)} 35.bxa4 Qxb6 36.Bxb6 Be4 {b3 is met with Bd3 and Bb1. (R.C)} 37.Bd4 b3 38.Bb2 {Preventing Ba3. (R.C)} Bc5+ 39.Kh1 Be3 40.a5 Bxf4 41.c5 Be3 42.Bc4 Bxc5 43.Bxb3 Kf8 44.Bc4 Ke7 45.Bc3 Kd7 46.h3 Kc6 47.Kh2 Ba7 {Perhaps Bd5 of Bf2 would have been more advantageous. (R.C)} 48.g4 Kc5 49.Be2 Bb8 50.Kg3 g5 51.Kf2 Bc7 52.Bf1 {Ke3 would be a mistake due to Bg2. (R.C)} Bc6 53.Ke3 Bb5 54.Bd4+ Kb4 55.Bg2 Kxa5 {After winning the outside passed pawn, I felt that I should be able to win in the duel bishop endgame but is still very tricky to make sure I don't make a mistake. (R.C)} 56.Be4 h6 57.Kf3 Kb4 58.Be3 Bd8 {Exchanging the bishop for the two pawns would be very scary for black so better to be safe than sorry. (R.C)} 59.h4 Ba4 60.hxg5 hxg5 61.Bh7 Bc6+ 62.Kg3 Kc4 63.Bc1 Kd5 64.Bb2 Bc7 65.Bg8 Be8 {f6 immediately as it is pinned and the resulting endgame would have been very easy being two pawns up all of them being connected. (R.C)} 66.Kf3 Bxe5 67.Bc1 f6 68.Bh7 Bd4 69.Ba3 Bc5 70.Be4+ Kd6 71.Bb2 e5 {Ke7 and black will have all the time to be able to get the bishops to help push the pawns. I was thinking that I can win after exchanging the LSB but am unable to shift the king off of e4. (R.C)} 72.Bc3 Ba4 73.Ke2 Ba3 74.Ba5 Bd7 75.Bf3 Ke6 76.Be4 Bb5+ 77.Kf3 Bc5 78.Bd8 Be7 79.Bc7 Kd7 80.Ba5 Bc6 81.Bb6 f5 82.gxf5 g4+ 83.Ke3 Bg5+ 84.Kd3 Bb5+ 85.Kc3 Kd6 {g3, controlling f2 would be much better. (R.C)} 86.Bf2 Bf4 87.Kb4 Bd7 88.Bc5+ {I had overlooked this move. Keeping the d7 square for the king is required. (R.C)} Kc7 89.f6 Bd2+ 90.Kc4 Be6+ 91.Bd5 Kd7 92.f7 Bh6 93.f8=Q Bxf8 94.Bxf8 g3 95.Bc5 Bf5 96.Be3 Kd6 97.Bc5+ Kd7 98.Be3 {Against a player who was, until recently (past year), a few hundred points above me, this is a good result. (R.C) A great and absorbing fight by both of you (bas)} {#d} 1/2-1/2