[Event "BCC Championship Reserves"] [Site "BCC"] [Date "2016.06.02"] [Round "9"] [White "Jasan Barnett"] [Black "James Eyre"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "825"] [BlackElo "1262"] [ECO "A00"] [Opening "Van Geet: 1...Nf6"] {With the ratings just released the day before, I determined beforehand to try to get a draw from this game to give myself an increase in my rating (which I calculated to be approx. 30 points). I find James hard to play in the endgame so I needed to start well. With my decision after the Chris Segrave game to abandon Alapin's Opening (and variations thereof), this would be my first competitive match as white following my new style (the most obvious element of this being a knight first move rather than a central pawn)} 1.Nc3 {Chessmaster 10th ed. calls Dunst an unusual opening which I like as my old white opening (Alapin) is also not commonly used.} Nf6 {Black follows the Dunst lead.} 2.h3 {I don't want the knight coming down to g4 at any stage. It also gives my dark squared bishop an escape route once I move it (eventually) to g5} d5 3.d4 {Not wanting my knight to be pressured by the d pawn} e6 4.Nf3 {I wanted both knights to be attacking 8 squares each as early as possible} c5 5.Bg5 {I was not concerned about losing the d4 pawn and also got my bishop to g5} cxd4 6.Nxd4 {Keeping the knights attacking 16 squares theme going (including 6 in black's territory now)} Nc6 7.e3 {I can now pin the c6 knight as well with the light squared bishop next move.} Be7 {As I was never planning on taking the knight I was happy with this. I would have found a6 more annoying} 8.Bb5 {Pin on king established} Bd7 {Again, I had no plans to take the knight, so I was happy with this move as well as I wanted to prepare for the b5 bishop's escape route.} 9.a3 {The light squared bishop can now retreat all the way back to the 2nd rank} O-O 10.Qd2 {I gave myself options to castle either side} a6 {Retreat sequence activated! <death star siren wailing in background>} 11.Ba4 b5 {Phase 2 retreat} 12.Bb3 b4 13.axb4 {I saw this as an opportunity to take a half-open file} Bxb4 14.f3 {Preventing the knight from coming down to e4 if black decided to chase my g5 bishop away} Be7 15.O-O {The logical castling side, now that the a1 rook has the half-open file. I offered a draw here} e5 {This was interesting. Right now the white bishop can consecutively take the knight at f6, the bishop at e7 and the queen at d8, while black can counter with a three-move capture with the e5 pawn of the knight at d4, the knight at c3 and the queen at d2. With white moving first, however, the bishop can retreat where the pawn cannot.} 16.Bxf6 {After offering a draw (which I always planned on doing after 15 moves if I was in a good position), I then decided to force black to make a decision (take my knight and potentially fall into the trap I mentioned previously: The pawn stranded on the 2nd rank) or re-take the bishop (probably with bishop)} Bxf6 {It was here I realised that the black pawn move to e5 on move 15 was (slightly) flawed. It weakened the d5 pawn which (right now) is hanging and is being attacked by my bishop and c3 knight.} 17.Nxc6 {This move gave me the draw opportunity I wanted: The queen is attacked and the d5 pawn is hanging} Bxc6 {I can freely take the pawn and go ahead by that pawn. I offered the draw again and it was accepted. Chessmaster 10th ed agreed with all moves done except black's 15th move (It suggested Qb6). I believe this was my first completed official game where Chessmaster agreed with every move I made :) James played well too, considering he was visibly suffering a little from a threatening cold (Hope you got over it :))} {#d} 1/2-1/2