[Event "Middlsex League"] [Site "Chiswick Town Hall"] [Date "2024.10.02"] [White "Shreyas Royal"] [Black "Cian Ward"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2635"] [BlackElo "2056"] [ECO "C02"] [Opening "French: Advance, 5.Nf3 Qb6"] 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 {The Advance variation.} c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 {5. ... bd7 is the main alternative.} 6.a3 c4 {6. ... Bd7 7.b4 ... is perhaps the main line, with 6. ... a5 a common side line, and also 6. .. Nh6. This line with 6. ... c4 leads to a complex position where Black usually castles queenside.} 7.Nbd2 Na5 {Thematic in this line. Not the amusing 7. ... Nge7 8. Bxc4! ... which I once had in a county match as White.} 8.h4 {White can also play 8. Rb1 ... and 8. g3 ...} Bd7 {Standard.} 9.Rb1 {Clearly White wants to play b3 at some point.} O-O-O {Normal in this line.} 10.b4 {Or 10. b3 ... transposing.} cxb3 11.Nxb3 Ba4 {This pin was the idea behind ... Bd7} 12.Nfd2 Nxb3 {12. .. Ne7 or 12. .. Kb8 are more common.} 13.Nxb3 Ne7 14.Qc2 {White needs to break the pin at some point} Nc6 15.Qa2 Bxb3 {15. ... Qc7 ma be more precise.} 16.Rxb3 Qc7 17.Rb1 {Best.} Na5 {or 17. ... Kb8} 18.Rh3 {Swinging the rook into play, defending c3 and in some lines headed to g3 or f3.} Nc4 19.Bg5 {19. Rf3 ... was another way.} Rd7 20.a4 h6 21.Bc1 Kb8 {or 21. ... Be7} 22.h5 {To pre-empt ... g5} Be7 23.Rg3 {23. Rf3 ... was an alternative.} f5?! {23. .. f6 was best.23. ... Rg8 was an option too.} 24.Bxc4 {24. Rxg7 ... immediately was most precise.} dxc4 25.Rxg7 Bb4 {This was the tactical point if giving up the pawn.} 26.Rg3 {26. Rxd7 Bxc3+ was the idea.} Ba5?! {Here 26. ... f4! was natural and best. Black is nearly equal after this.} 27.Kf1 $16 {Shreyas finds the most precise move.} Qc6 28.Rb5 {or 28. Qc2 ...} Bb6 {Also 28. .. b6 was possible.} 29.Qb1 {or 29. Qc2 ...} Rd5 {Maybe 29. ... Bd8 was best but White is well on top.} 30.f3 {A careful move. Swapping on d5 and then Rg6 was strong also.} Bd8 31.Rg7 Rd7 32.Rxd7 {32. d5! ... was even better} Qxd7 33.Ba3 Be7 34.Bxe7 Qxe7 35.Qb4?! {Shreyas played this quickly, but the computer much prefers 35. d5! .... By now Black only had a few minutes to Shreyas's more than an hour, and he missed the most challenging and not obvious reply.} Qxb4 {35. ... Qg5! gave some practical chances.} 36.Rxb4 {This ending is winnimng for White.} Rg8 {36. ... Rc8 37. a5 ...} 37.Rxc4 Rg5 38.Rc5 Rxh5 39.d5! exd5 40.e6 {or 40. Ke2 ...} f4 41.c4 Re5 42.cxd5 b6 43.Rc4 Kb7 44.Rxf4 Kc7 45.Rf7+ {With just seconds left on the clock, Black resigned. The e pawn is hard to stop.} {#r} 1-0