[Event "Australian open 2019"] [Date "2018.12.30"] [Round "7"] [White "Ruari Coffey"] [Black "Shawn Zillman"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "1400"] [BlackElo "1704"] [ECO "A45"] [Opening "Indian: 2.Nd2"] 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nd2 g6 3.e4 d6 4.Bd3 Bg7 5.Ngf3 O-O 6.h3 {A move that prevents Bg4, which will limit white's decision of play (R.C)} Nbd7 7.O-O e5 8.c3 Re8 9.Re1 c6 10.b3 {Freeing the b2 square for the bishop. Other options I considered were Nf1 and/or Nh2 with ideas to bring onto g4} Nh5 11.Nf1 exd4 {f5 may have given black more chances. White is playing quite slowly at the moment and breaking through the centre could have been better. The pawn on b3 limits the white queen's movement. (R.C)} 12.cxd4 c5 13.Bb2 cxd4 14.Bxd4 Ne5 15.Nxe5 dxe5 16.Be3 {There is a nice outpost on f4 for the knight and it should be taken under control. There aren't too many piece sacrifices on h2 if allowed as the queen and knight can help with the defence. (R.C)} Bd7 17.Rc1 a6 18.Nh2 Bc6 19.Ng4 Qa5 {Attacking the a-pawn while also threatening to pin the light squared bishop to the queen which would severely cramp white's position. (R.C)} 20.Qc2 Rac8 21.Qb1 Nf4 22.Bf1 h5 23.Nh2 Bf8 {An idea I overlooked. The bishop isn't too helpful on g7, so it will come to b4 and force weaknesses on the rooks. (R.C)} 24.g3 Ne6 25.Nf3 Bb4 26.Re2 Nc5 27.Nd2 {Protecting the pawn and threatening to com to c4 where it will annoy the queen (R.C)} (27.Bd2 Bxe4 28.Bxb4 Qxb4 29.Rxe4 Qxe4 30.Qxe4 Nxe4 {Black is an exchange up (R.C)}) 27...Bb5 28.Nc4 Bxc4 29.Rxc4 b5 30.Rc1 Ne6 31.Rec2 Rxc2 32.Qxc2 Re7 33.Rd1 Rc7 34.Qe2 Bc3 35.a4? {I would consider this a mistake as it loses a pawn. I didn't realise that after the queen is on a4, it attacks the rook so I have to use a tempo to save it. (R.C)} bxa4 36.bxa4 Qxa4 37.Rb1 Qxe4 38.Rb8+ Kh7 39.Qxa6 Qf5 {The black queen is needed to cover the back rank and is rushing to g7, where it will cover everything. (R.C)} 40.Qa4 {Aiming at e8. The queen going to g7 is now forced. (R.C)} Qf6 41.Qe8 Qg7 42.Bb6! {And the rook is trapped in the middle of the board by four different pieces. White now wins the exchange for the pawn. (R.C) _MARK:a7!,b8,b7!,b6,c8!,c7?,c4-6!,d7!,e8,e7!,f1_} Bd4 43.Bxc7 Nxc7 44.Qc6 {Black now has a strong bishop aiming at the f2 square. If black can get their queen attacking there as well, white will have to make their pieces quite passive. (R.C)} Ne6 45.Qc8 e4 46.Bc4? {The h8 square is now protected by the bishop so Qf6, attacking f2 is now almost unstoppable. Kg2 would have been better. (R.C)} Bxf2+?! {Put this through an engine and this is a blunder, as the king can take the piece and run to the other side of the board. Looking at it with less than 2 minutes, it seems that black can get the perpetual. (R.C)} 47.Kg2 {I didn't dare but also missed the follow up. (R.C)} (47.Kxf2 Qd4+ (47...Qf6+ 48.Ke1 Qc3+ 49.Kd1 Qf3+ 50.Be2 {And white is holding. Not easy to see when both players are in time trouble. (R.C)}) 48.Ke2) 47...Bxg3 {The bishop is now untouchable to the king. (R.C)} 48.Rb3 Qd4 49.Rxg3 Nf4+ 50.Kh1 Qd1+ 51.Rg1 Qf3+ 52.Kh2 {I offered a draw as black can't make progress without losing the f7 pawn, and it skips the threefold repetition. (R.C)} {#d} 1/2-1/2