[Event "Braunstone v Ashby 1"] [Site "Braunstone Civic Centre"] [Date "2024.11.30"] [Round "0"] [White "Salisbury, Michael"] [Black "Vann, Richard"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "1831"] [BlackElo "1907"] [ECO "B02"] [Opening "Alekhine: Scandinavian Variation"] {This game is from the Braunstone v Ashby 1 match on 30/10/24. We won 3.5 -1.5. Gheorghe lost to a strong opponent, Tom won very quickly, Paul won easily, and Patrick converted a passed pawn advantage in a methodical way.} 1.e4 Nf6 {The Alekhin. White may play 2 e5 for a standard line , or try something completely different.} 2.Nc3 {Something different. Tom Dove previously advised not 2..d5, but a switch to the Vienna. Both lines I've studied.} e5 {So it's the Vienna. Salisbury said he used to play 3 f4 but he decided not today.} 3.Nf3 Nc6 {We are now in the Four Knights.} 4.Bc4 {Standard but there's now an equalising tactic.} Nxe4 {The main line, which I had looked at prior to the game.} 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Bb5 {This is =, but Bd3 is book.} dxe4 7.Nxe5 {Looks good for White, but my move is obvious. I am now making it all up.} Qd5 8.Nxc6 {Bxc6 forces doubled c pawns. You will soon see why this is not the best.} Qxb5! 9.Nd4 Qg5 {This is what causes White a problem. Note the frequent Q moves are correct, but grate with my chess upbringing.} 10.Kf1 {White was in a spot. If 10 OO then Bh3 wins the exchange, and 10 g3 is met with Bg4, when White is gummed up and has light square weaknesses.} Bc5 {A reasonable try, but not the best. The best plan is to see ...O-O-O is obvious, so as to attack the White king with pawns. What I saw is that 10...Bg4 11 Qe1 O-O-O 12 Qxe4! and Black may not be winning. But if 10...Bg4 11 Qe1 Qd5!! Black not only defends e4 but also gets out of the line of Bc1.} 11.Nb3 Bb6 12.d3 {The problem for me is we are in a highly tactical position, where the best moves are hard to find. Salisbury is too good to drop a piece or allow mate.} Qf6 13.Qe2 O-O 14.dxe4 {This is the sort of position Black needed to avoid. While the pawn on e4 is a target, it was beyond my skill level to get an advantage. White cleverly squeezes out of the K on f1 problem.} Bd7 15.Be3 {Here 15...Bb5 16 Qxb5 Bxe3 17 Qe2! is about =.} Bxe3 16.Qxe3 Bb5+ {The immediate Qxb2 is better. This achieves little.} 17.Kg1 Qxb2 18.h3 Rad8 {Better is Rae8 going after the e pawn. So obviously leaving the Bishop on c6 would have been better for me. The hoped for win I could feel slipping away, like water disappearing into the sand.} 19.Kh2 Qe5+ {19...Qxc2 seemed to allow Rhc1, though it's still a level game.} 20.f4 Qe7 21.Rhe1 Rfe8 22.Nd4 Bd7 23.Nf3 b6 24.Rad1 {Draw agreed in an entirely level position. A very disappointing game for me because I missed several good opportunities to win. However am glad the Alekhine was a success, even though it transposed.} {#d} 1/2-1/2