[Event "51st Thanet Congress Open"]
[Site "Sandwich Technology School"]
[Date "2023.08.20"]
[Round "4.2"]
[White "Merry, Alan"]
[Black "Starley, Robert"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2445"]
[BlackElo "2064"]
[EventDate "2023.08.??"]
[ECO "E00"]
[Annotator "Robert Starley"]
[EventCountry "ENG"]
[EventRounds "5"]
[EventType "swiss"]
{I don't suppose there's anyone else in our club who can say he has drawn in rated standardplay over the board with an International Master. Here is Robert Starley's fine achievement from the recent Thanet Congress, together with his own annotations. E16: Queen's Indian: 4 g3 Bb7 5 Bg2 Bb4+} 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 a5 5.Bg2 O-O 6.Nf3 b6 7.O-O Bb7 8.Bf4 Be7 9.Qc2 Be4 ( 9...d5 10.Ne5 $14 ) 10.Qc1 $16 Bb7 11.Nc3 Ne4 12.Nb5 c6 13.Nc3 Nxc3 14.Qxc3 ( {In a previous game I had looked at on Chessbase beforehand, Alan played} 14.bxc3 $14 {instead, so now I had to start thinking for myself.} ) 14...d5 15.cxd5 exd5 16.Ne5 f6 17.Nd3 Re8 18.e4 dxe4 19.Bxe4 Kh8 20.Bg2 $6 {a bit slow} ( 20.Rfe1 $5 Bf8 $18 ) 20...Na6 $16 {[%cal Yc7d5,Ya6c7,Yb8a6] The idea is Nb8-a6-c7-d5} 21.a3 $6 ( 21.Qb3 Nb4 22.Nxb4 axb4 $16 ) 21...Rc8 $2 ( 21...g5 $5 22.Bd2 Nc7 $14 ) 22.Rfe1 $2 ( {Better is} 22.Qb3 $5 a4 ( 22...Qxd4 {is too greedy} 23.Rfd1 $18 {and the queen will be chased around, b6 will fall and the whole position will collapse.} ) 23.Qxa4 $18 ) 22...Nc7 $14 23.Rad1 $6 ( {It might have been better to trade off the strong knight before it has chance to reach d5:} 23.Bxc7 Qxc7 24.b4 $16 ) 23...Nd5 {A comfortable square for the black knight} 24.Qb3 Ba6 25.Bd2 $6 ( 25.Re6 Bf8 26.Bxd5 cxd5 27.Qxb6 Qxb6 28.Rxb6 Bc4 $16 ) 25...Bd6 $14 26.h4 ( 26.Nc1 Qc7 $14 ) 26...Qd7 27.Rc1 a4 {Chasing the queen to a worse square where it doesn't attack the b-pawn} 28.Qc2 ( 28.Rxe8+ Qxe8 29.Qc2 Qg6 30.Bxd5 Bxd3 $14 ( 30...cxd5 $4 31.Qxc8+ Bxc8 32.Rxc8+ Qe8 33.Rxe8+ Bf8 34.Rxf8# ) ) 28...Bb5 29.Nb4 Bxb4 30.axb4 {White has the pair of bishops.} 30...Qd6 31.Qf5 ( 31.h5 Kg8 $14 ( {not} 31...Nxb4 32.Qf5 Bd3 33.Bxb4 Qxd4 34.Qf3 Qxb2 35.Rxe8+ Rxe8 36.Rxc6 $18 ) ) 31...Ne7 $6 ( 31...g6 {is the engine's preference, but I didn't want to weaken my king.} 32.Qf3 $11 ) 32.Qg4 $14 Rcd8 33.h5 Qxd4 34.Qxd4 Rxd4 35.Be3 {White threatens to win material: Be3xd4} 35...Rxb4 36.Bxb6 Rxb2 37.Bxc6 $6 ( {I had expected} 37.Bc5 $5 {when the pin looks strong but I have the defensive resource} 37...Be2 $1 38.Ba3 $11 {White has enough to make a draw but no more.} ) 37...Bxc6 $15 38.Rxc6 {Black has a new passed pawn: a4.} 38...Rb1 $6 {forcing the trade of pieces to head towards a draw} ( {It was possible to keep the a-pawn and some slight winning chances with} 38...h6 39.Rce6 Ra8 40.Bd4 $15 {but this felt too messy to me.} ) 39.Re6 $11 ( 39.Rxb1 $2 Nxc6 $17 {is the point} ) 39...Rxe1+ 40.Rxe1 Kg8 41.Bc5 $6 {The natural move, and good enough, but apparently it's better to go} ( 41.Re4 $5 $11 {to round up the a-pawn rather than focusing on the pin.} ) 41...Kf7 $15 42.Re4 g6 $6 {Good enough to draw, but I could have tried} ( 42...Nc6 $5 43.Rxa4 Re5 $15 {when Black will pick up the h-pawn, although White should still be able to hold the draw.} ) 43.Rxa4 $5 ( 43.hxg6+ hxg6 44.Rxa4 $11 {would immediately be a dead draw.} ) 43...gxh5 {Now I have an extra pawn, but it's not much of a pawn.} 44.Ra7 Ke6 45.Kg2 h6 46.Kh3 ( 46.Rxe7+ Rxe7 47.Bxe7 Kxe7 48.Kh3 Kf7 49.Kh4 Kg6 $11 {and the king and pawn ending will be drawn.} ) 46...Nf5 {a great square for the knight, keeping the king out and defending h6 and e7} 47.Bb4 Rc8 48.Ra6+ Kf7 49.Kg2 Rc4 50.Ba5 Ra4 51.Ra7+ Kg6 52.Bb6 Rxa7 53.Bxa7 h4 54.g4 Nd6 55.Kh3 h5 $11 {Now I lose my extra pawn and there is nothing more to play for, so a draw was agreed.} 1/2-1/2
