[Event "Middlesex League, board 5"] [Site "Willesden"] [Date "2024.11.13"] [White "Sam Tracey"] [Black "Andy Hayler"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "1643"] [BlackElo "1930"] [ECO "A65"] [Opening "Benoni: 6.e4"] 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 {The Benoni. White can avoid this with 3. Nf3 ... or even 3. e3 ... but this is the principled move.} e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.Nf3 {White also has the sharp 7. f4 ....} Bg7 8.h3 {To prevent ... Bg4, which is very much to route to equality in the Classical Benoni} O-O 9.Bd3 {White would rather have his bishop here than on e2, which is the classical. This is the modern treatment.} b5 {and this is the antidote. WHite usually plays Bxb5 here leading to a long forcing sequence.} 10.Nxb5 {This is fine also.} Re8 11.O-O {11. Nd2 ... is the alternatrive, then just 11. ... Nxd5 =} Nxe4 12.Re1 {White has tried other moves here but this is the main line.} a6 {An important finesee.} 13.Na3 {13. Nc3!? .... is maybe best but sharp.} Nf6 {Best. Black is equal.} 14.Rxe8+ Nxe8 {Also correct, to avoid pressure on the d6 pawn with Bf4 and Nc4} 15.Qb3 {This looks a bit odd though. 15. Bg5 ...} Nd7 {Black will develop ...Rb8 with tempo} 16.Nc4 Rb8 17.Qc2 Ndf6 {I had originally intended the immediate 17. ... Bb7 and this is best, with a slight edge. The WHite d5 pawn comes under a lot of pressure.} 18.Ne3 Nc7 19.Bc4 Bb7 {19. ... Nb5! was best} 20.Qd3 Qe7 {My idea was not the best. 20. ...Bh6 looks crude but is best and equal.} 21.Bd2 Qe4 {This was my plan, to gain space, ut actually white is fine here. 21. ... nb5 was best} 22.Qxe4 {22.Qb3 was better} Nxe4 23.Ba5 {Good move - 23. Bc1 is too passive.} Nb5 24.Rd1 {24. Bd3 ...} Re8 {24. ... Bxb2 25. Rb1 Bc3! is best} 25.a4 Nd4 26.Rd3?! {26. Nd2 ... was best} f5! {Black has a slight initiative now and there are tactics in the air. I had 45 minutes to my opponent's 25 at this point.} 27.Nxd4 {27. Kf1 ...} Bxd4 {27. .. cxd4 is even better} 28.Rb3 Bc8 29.Bc3 {I expected 29. Rb8 ...} f4! 30.Bxd4 cxd4? {30. ... Nd2! wins} 31.Ng4? {31. Nf1! ... clings on.} Bxg4 32.hxg4 Nd2 {Now White is dropping a piece. 33. Rb4 a5} 33.Rd3 Nxc4 {33. ... Re1 was better} 34.Rxd4 Nxb2 35.Rxf4 Re1+ {35. ... a5!} 36.Kh2 Rd1 {36. ... a5!} 37.Rb4 Nd3 38.Rb8+ Kg7 39.g5 Nc5 {Black can get away with taking the pawn on f2 as well.} 40.Ra8 Rxd5 {Now the Black king can escape up the board} 41.Ra7+ Kg8 42.f4 Rf5 {Correct} 43.g3 Rf7 44.Ra8+ Kg7 45.a5 Rd7 {That pawn will be hard to stop. 45. ... d5 is most precise.} 46.Rc8 Kf7 47.Rh8 Ke6 48.Kg2 Kd5 49.Re8 Kc4 50.g4 d5 {The pawn rolls} 51.f5 d4 52.f6 d3 53.Re7 {Sneaky but Re1 ... was called for.} d2! 54.f7 d1=Q 55.f8=Q Rd2+ {Down to about 4 minutes now, so my moves were not precise. I just wanted to make sure I did not lose on time as there is no increment at this venue.} 56.Qf2 {56. Kg3? Qg1 and it is curtains.} Rxf2+ {56. ... Qxg4 was quicker} 57.Kxf2 Qxg4 58.Rxh7 Ne4+ 59.Ke1 Qxg5 {Around here I stopped recording the score. A few more moves were playedbut I finally stumbled on a mating net.} 0-1