1.a3
A strong second to 1.Nc3. OK, not really. Anti-computer strategy actually, namely, anti-computer-much-better-book knowledge-than-me play.
1...e5
no surprises there!
2.e4
I had the computer thinking on its own, and I wasn't about to go and forget my centre.
2...Nf6
Now, one would think, the computer will definitely not find a transposition line and start playing from the book again. Possible, perhaps, after 3. Nc3 so ...
3.d3
d5
Wonderfully predictable!
4.exd5
Nxd5
5.Nf3
Nc6
6.Nc3
I've gotta challenge that centralised Black Knight
6...Nxc3
7.bxc3
Computer: "Stupid. Human. Weakened. Pawn Structure. Die." Human: "Hopefully that strengthens my centre, and opens avenues for my queenside rook"
7...Bc5
Still, all as expected!
8.Be3
Please take me too! Then watch me use my centre pawns! (the c, soon to become d-pawn actually goes all the way and wins for me in this game - more by luck than good judgement though)
8...Bxe3
OK, actually, was expecting ...Bb6 when exchanging it would open up the Black Rook's grin down the a-file to my lonely pawn.
9.fxe3
0-0
10.Be2
e4!?
11.Nd2
This looses White a pawn, but after Black's follow up leaves White with a resultant initiative, and a nice pawn centre. [11.dxe4
This is what the computer recommends, but I just couldn't stand the thought of such a pawn structure. I wanted, at least, a nice pawn centre, even if nothing else!]
11...exd3
12.cxd3
Qg5
13.Kf2
defending both e3 and g2
13...Qf6+
going for the win of the c-pawn, but now my minor pieces find nice squares. This is where White gets the initiative I mentioned earlier.
14.Bf3
Qxc3
15.Ne4
a nice centralised knight, with gain of time on the Black queen
15...Qe5
16.Qb3?
I thought this would hinder the development of the Black bishop. I was wrong, as Junior 8 later showed me. Black gives back a pawn for centralised pieces and an initiative (see notes to next move).
16...Rd8?
[16...Be6!
17.Qxb7?!
Bd5
and Black is making the threats. Couple this with the White king position, the time needed to bring the White queen to a safer square ... and White's centre pawns will probably not mean much]
17.Rac1
planning to gain time on the Black queen by moving the rook to c5, then double on the c-file. This also immediately pressures the Black queenside.
17...a5
not sure what this is about. Perhaps to bring the Black a8-rook out via a6?
18.Rc5
Qe6
19.Qxe6
I'm a pawn down, but I will still be left with nice pressure for my pawn deficit. Perhaps I should have kept the queens on, but where should I have put it? [19.Qc2
Ne5
20.d4
(20.Rxc7
Nxd3+
21.Ke2-/+
) 20...Nxf3
21.gxf3
Ra6
and Black relieves the pressure on the queenside and weakens my h-pawn in an endgame - at the expense of slightly strengthening my centre. Is this better than the game continuation? I prefer the tangible pressure on the queenside in the game continuation. In my mind it is easier to make something of that compared to the better central pawn structure as in this variation.; 19.Qc3
Qa2+
is also not what I want to allow]
19...Bxe6
20.d4
Interestingly, Junior 8 on 19 ply depth considers this to be very good for White
20...h6
21.Rb1
Ra7
Well, that's one way to defend it! Doesn't look too pretty though!
22.Rcb5?!
The computer assures me that Nc3 was the better move. This wasn't the most deeply thought out move, to be honest. I think most club chess players are capable of good moves and cunning plans, but keeping up the performance over a whole game is what separates the Masters from the rest of us.
22...b6
23.Nf6+!
But now, at least, I had created a concrete pawn weakness on the Black kingside. Perhaps that's why I played the rook to b5, I don't remember.
23...gxf6
24.Bxc6
Bc4
The Black bishop goes nuts, places himself on to enemy turf (making himself simply more vulnerable), and starts chasing my rook - to an arguably better square!
25.Rh5
So, I can start to pick on the freshly created weaknesses straight away ...
25...Kg7
26.Rc1
chasing that rabid bishy
26...Bd3
27.Rc3
Bg6
28.Rh4
Black's queenside pawns are not moving for a while. Black can, at the moment, defend all his weaknesses on the Kingside. I'd better start thinking about how to increase my pressure i) get the pieces to better squares, and ii) make some movement in the centre
28...Rd6
29.d5
Rd8
Black is clearly bursting with ideas of what to do! Better was perhaps ...f5 hindering an e4 pawn push
30.e4
Rd6
Only a computer would have the shame to play like this!
31.Rch3
But now, wha t to do? Black has weaknesses on the Kingside, queenside (c7 pawn), and White has the centre and wonderfully active rooks. Should I improve the centre of my King first, or force the Black pawn to h5. i thought it might be later handy to have the Black pawn on h5, instead of h6: it stops the bishop from taking the d1-h5 diagonal later on, and my Bishop can now help in attacking it if the need should arise. I'd be interested to know what others would have played here.
31...h5
32.Rf3?
I thought ... well, the game is pretty much about me finding the weak spots to pick on now. Black hasn't got anything to do that I cannot stop. So, lets just have a little fun, and pick on another kingside pawn! Actually, 32.a4 was far more sensible, stopping any thought of ...a4 - Ra5 - Rc5
32...a4
33.Rhf4
Ra5
the Black rook makes a bid for freedom!
34.Rc3
Rd8?
[34...Rc5!
35.Rxc5
bxc5
36.Ke3
Rd8
37.Kd3
Rb8
38.Bxa4
Ra8
39.Bb3
Rxa3
40.Kc4
and el-stupido has let Black get out of trouble!]
35.Ke3
The King is a total wimp, lets be honest, but when the forces are few, or packed behind pawns, he does have his uses.
35...b5
36.Kd4
Black should have played the rook to c5 when he had the chance. Now it is clear that White enjoys a great position. Just win a pawn, and then it will be a clearly better position.
36...Rb8
37.Rc5
Rb6
38.Rf2
f5!?
Nevertheless, Mephisto Nigel Short is a very direct computer programme, active in attack and defence. Why is this active? Well, at the cost of a pawn, Black secures other advantages. White needs to now keep his f5-pawn defended, and White has all th emore reason to do so as it, at the moment, keeps Black's bishop locked out of a nice diagonal. This means that operations on the queenside cannot be made without immbalancing the game on the board as a whole.
39.exf5
[39.e5
I'm pretty sure I would have considered this alternative, I cannot remember - nor can I the reasons why I chose exf5 over this.]
39...Bh7
40.Ke5
move the King over to defend the pawn. Without thinking of Mephisto's response - a bad sign. I ceased to play "real chess".
40...f6+
Ahh. Hmm. Yes, well Ke6 may well be good. But what if it gets tangled up behind the Black lines? Could calculate it all. Or, lets just play safe....
41.Ke4
[41.Ke6
Ra7
42.Rxb5
Rxb5
43.Bxb5
Bg8+
44.Kd7
is OK, but not something I would readily choose]
41...Kh6
42.h4?!
stopping any dubious ideas the Black king had. But this weakens my g2-pawn.
42...Rb8
43.Rb2?
without considering Black's possible responses, (I was loosing concentration), I attack a pawn on the queenside, and forget about my own newly created weaknesses. Mephisto jumps on them immediately.
43...Rg8
44.Bd7
now I sunk into thought, kicking myself for my error. I must loose at least a pawn - which one is least important? This question guided my next move. In the end, I decided that my h-pawn was the least important. Among other reasons, I wanted to keep the Black bishop from off of the b1-h7 diagonal. [44.Kf3
Bxf5
45.Rbxb5
Rxb5
46.Bxb5
was actually perhaps the best way to keep an advantage]
44...Rg4+
45.Kf3
Rc4?
Black's doesn't calculate too deep, and decides to protect his c-pawn. But this leads to a nice advantage for White, though I didn't play it very accurately at all (understatement)
46.Rxc4
bxc4
47.Rb5
By now I was thoroughly disconcerted at the play I had allowed Black, after the wonderful strangle-like position I had earlier. Psychological factors entered the fray - and objectivity got lost somewhere on the way. I just wanted pieces off. Nevertheless, I had convinced myself that, with rooks swapped off, I could win. "Less pieces on the board to mess with my head", I thought.
47...Rxb5
48.Bxb5
Bxf5
[48...c3
49.Bd3
]
49.Bxc4
Kg6
50.Ke3
Bc2
My thoughts were: 1) My king is better played, 2) my pawn structure is slightly more solid, and 3) he will have one more pawn on a light square than me (important as my Bishop will be able to attack one more pawn than his)
51.Bd3+?
But, getting caught up in a more or less forcing variation, I convinced myself, wrongly, that White still had the win if Bishops were off too. Now, the three advantages that I listed in the previous note, where whittled down to just two (slightly more solid pawn structure, and slightly better placed king - both "slightly"s indicate that I was too optimistic to trade off the real trump - the factor relating to the Bishops, as in the previous note)
51...Bxd3
now the position is actually a pretty straightforward draw - I had simply calculated wrong (but then, so will Mephisto - or, rather, not deeply enough)
52.Kxd3
Kf5
53.Kd4
Kg4
so far so good; all as planned
54.Kc5
Kxh4??
Just as I had calculated and the whole reason I swapped off the Bishops. But ... [If Black had played the mean, 54...Kf4
or Kf5, I would have had to accept a draw. In my excitement, I didn't realise this till the iron logic of Junior 8 pointed it out, and in a split second! e.g. 55.Kb4
Ke4
56.Kxa4
Kxd5
57.Kb4
Kd4
58.a4
c5+
59.Kb3
Kd3
60.Kb2
Kd2
61.Kb3
Kd3
]
55.Kc6
now the win is easy and my centre pawns had the last laugh after all!
55...Kg3
56.Kxc7
Kxg2
57.d6
1-0