[Event "BCC Championship"] [Site "BCC"] [Date "2016.04.28"] [Round "4"] [White "Michael Tausz"] [Black "Patrick Cook"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "1433"] [BlackElo "1669"] [ECO "C00"] [Opening "French: Chigorin Variation"] 1.e4 e6 2.Qe2 {MT: I played this against PC before - and lost quickly. But I did not think it was the opening's fault, so I try again.} Nf6 3.g3 d5 4.d3 Be7 5.Bg2 O-O 6.Nf3 c5 7.O-O Nc6 8.c3 b6 9.Rd1 Bb7 10.e5 Nd7 11.d4 Rc8 {MT: Black is first on the c-file, but I think White is fine here. I planned to get a rook to c1 soon if needed.} 12.Be3 cxd4 13.cxd4 Nb4 14.Nc3 Ba6 15.Qd2 {MT: I worried about some annoyance by Nd3, but it seems that after a3 the knight would have no way out.} f6!? {MT: The "!?" was awarded by PC. Trying to get rid of White's centrepawns. I was not unhappy to see it, as it seems to weaken Black's castle as well as e6. Can White get to it?} 16.a3 Nc6 17.Bh3! {MT: The "!" was given by PC. I was proud of this move at the time, as the bishop tries to sneak onto its preferred diagonal the roundabout way. But the followup I had planned upon 17...f5 does not lead to anything, so this move may not be so good after all.} fxe5? {MT: PC gave this move the "?", and I agree. It loses a pawn for no real return.} (17...f5 18.Bg5 Bxg5 19.Nxg5 {MT: That's what I thought, and thought it is also good for White, but I had not appreciated the next move.} Nxd4! {MT: now White is a pawn down and has to wiggle back. The Nd4 aims at b3 or Nf3+ after chasing away Ng5, so the exchanges are rather forced.} 20.Qxd4 Qxg5 21.Nxd5! {MT: saves the pawn.} Nc5 (21...exd5? 22.Qxd5+ Kh8 23.Qxd7) 22.Qe3 Qxe3 23.Nxe3 {MT: I like Black better here, but maybe just equal?}) 18.Bxe6+ Kh8 19.Bxd5 {MT: I like this. Wins a pawn and protects Nf3 the backway.} exd4 20.Bxd4 Nxd4 21.Nxd4 {MT: Ne6 and Nc6 are threats.} Rf6 22.Ne6 Qe8 23.Ne4 Rxe6!? {MT: I was surprised by this exchange sac, but also happy with my position before the sac. PC gave it the "!?". It might well have worked if not for a later miss (move 29 maybe).} 24.Bxe6 Ne5 {MT: Threatening Nf3+.} 25.Qd5 {MT: Given the option at move 29, maybe Qf4 better?} Nf3+ 26.Kg2 Rd8 27.Qf5 Nd4 28.Qf7 Qxf7 (28...Nxe6? 29.Rxd8 {MT: one can hope...}) 29.Bxf7 {MT: Pretty much forced until here.} Bb7?! {MT: During the game I worried about 29..Be2. Looking at it in peace, I can still not see a good way to hang on to the exchange after that move.} (29...Be2! {MT: With all kinds of forks at c2 and b3 and bishop checks at f3 I can't see how to hold on to the exchange. So RxNe4 seems best, but this leaves not much of an advantage. Black's creative exchange sac seemed to have been good!} 30.Rxd4 Rxd4 31.Nc3 Ba6 32.Re1 {MT: etc.}) 30.f3 Nc2 (30...Nxf3? 31.Kxf3 Rf8 {MT does not work because of the zwischenzug 30.RxR+}) 31.Rxd8+ Bxd8 32.Rc1 Ne3+ 33.Kf2 Nf5 34.Be6 Nd4 35.Nd6 {MT: White is happy to exchange.} Nxe6 36.Nxb7 Be7 37.Rc8+ Nf8 38.Nd8?! {MT: I liked this move for "aesthetic" reasons, but those are not good reasons for deciding on candidate moves! I was also certain that I get another pawn after the exchanges, so it was still enough to win. Still, 38...Re8 was actually much better, as the bishop has nowhere to go!} (38.Re8! Bxa3 39.bxa3 Kg8) 38...Kg8 39.Ne6 Kf7 40.Nxf8 Bxf8 41.Rc7+ Ke6 42.Rxa7 {MT: Forced until here. I am pretty sure White is winning (not that I dared to believe it yet!).} b5 43.Rb7 {MT: Not falling for ...Bc5+} b4 44.Rxb4?! {PC: unnecessary...but still winning! MT: Maybe unnecessary, but I am pretty sure it is the easiest way. Eliminates any annoying fork or whatever Black can try with the bishop. The pawn endgame is easily won, as there will be a passed pawn on the right, and there are two pawns to the left. No way the black King can stop them all.} Bxb4 45.axb4 Kd5 46.b5 Kc5 47.b6 Kxb6 48.Ke3 Kb5 49.f4 g6 50.g4 Kc5 51.Ke4 Kd6 52.f5 Ke7 53.Ke5 Kf7 54.b4 gxf5 55.gxf5 Ke7 56.b5 {#r} 1-0