[Event "Barrow-van Riel Challenge"] [Site "Bendigo"] [Date "2021.05.16"] [White "van Riel, Bas"] [Black "Healey, Leigh"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "1644"] [BlackElo "1641"] [ECO "B90"] [Opening "Sicilian: Najdorf"] 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.Be3 b5 9.Nd5?! Nbd7 10.a4 Bxd5 11.exd5 b4 12.a5 Qc8 13.O-O Be7 14.Qd2 O-O 15.Rfd1 Qb7 16.Ra4 Rfb8 17.Bb6?! {(Bas) At this moment I felt that i had the better position (a modest +0.63, as it turned out). Both sides were fully developed, and it was time to contemplate how to expand the advantage (eg having more space, the pair of bishops, and blacks potentially weak b-pawn). I decided for a complicated combination with the ultimate purpose of swapping my a-pawn for black's b-pawn, thereby creating a passer-pawn along the b-file for the long run.. to queen !?. This became the theme of an interesting game, but it did not pan out at the end as I had hoped. Leigh defended very well. At hind sight the immediate 17.f3...would have maintained my better position rather than risking a rather murky future after Bb3.} Nxb6 18.Rxb4 Qxd5?! {(Bas) Bd8 would have been slightly better according to Stockfish} 19.axb6 Qxd2 20.Nxd2! Nd5 21.b7!? Ra7 22.Rb3 Nf6 23.Nc4 Raxb7 24.Rxb7 Rxb7 25.b3 Ne8 26.Na5 Rc7 27.Nc4 Rc6 28.Bf3 Rc5 29.Ne3 g6 30.Nd5? {(Bas) A missed chance, overlooking 30.b4, Rc8 (30...Rc3 fails after 31. Nd5 winning material); 31. Bb7 and 32. Bxa6.. achieving my original goal, but without much punch left.} Bf8 31.c4 {(Bas) Stockfish gives black a tiny advantage (0.2- 0.5) in this stage of the game, thanks to his extra pawn.} Kg7 32.Ra1 a5 33.Nc3 f5! {(Bas) active defence by Leigh} 34.Nb5 Nf6? {(Bas) Leigh could have consolidated his advantage by playing 34....Be7!; 35.Rxa5, Nc7; 36.Kf1, Nxb5; 37.Rxb5, e4; 38.Rxc5, dxc5; 39.Bd1 (stockfish, -0.45 for black). We both missed this combination.} 35.Rxa5 d5! 36.Ra7+ Kh6 37.Rf7? {(Bas) Overlooking the threat of checkmate at the backrank after 37...dxc4!; 38.bxc4, Rxc4; 39.h3, and black will be a strong pawn up (-0.66, stockfish). Leigh told me after the game that he had considered this line, but 'forgot' to play it..Now the game peters out into a clear draw.} Bg7 38.Rc7 Rxc7 39.Nxc7 dxc4 40.bxc4 Nd7 41.Bc6 Nc5 42.Bd5 Bf6 43.f3 e4 44.fxe4 fxe4 {0.5-.05. (Bas) I enjoyed this interesting game, even if it was perhaps more puff and huff than excitement.Thanks Leigh.} {#d} 1/2-1/2