4NCL Online – A Fine Way to End the Season?

[Event "4NCL Online - Season 2"] [Site "lichess.org"] [Date "2020.11.17"] [Round "7.2"] [White "Bott, Simeon"] [Black "Lewis, Andrew P"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B65"] [WhiteElo "1671"] [BlackElo "1944"] [Annotator "Andy Lewis / Martin Walker"] [PlyCount "111"] [EventDate "2020.??.??"] [WhiteTeam "Warwick University A"] [BlackTeam "Anglia Avengers 1"] [TimeControl "2700+15"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5 $1 {Based upon my 4 decades of experience with this opening, this is the most promising response to the Classical Sicilian.} e6 7. Qd2 Be7 {The most solid option for Black.} ({ An alternative approach, which has been my main response to the Richter-Rauzer over years, is the gambit:} 7... a6 8. O-O-O Bd7 9. f4 h6 10. Bh4 g5 $5 { However, notwithstanding my impressive score with this line, I've become concerned that this is just too risky to play against a well-prepared opponent. }) 8. O-O-O Nxd4 9. Qxd4 O-O 10. f4 Bd7 $4 {A truly awful move - walking into an obvious tactic on the d-file. The only explanation (not an excuse) I can offer is that I was attempting to follow the line in my 2017 game against Justin Tan - but transposed in my memory Black's 10th and 11th moves.} ({Normal and good is:} 10... Qa5 {- which is the move I have found on at least 4 (!) occassions. eg:} 11. Bc4 Bd7 12. e5 dxe5 13. fxe5 Bc6 14. Bd2 Nd7 15. Nd5 Qd8 16. Nxe7+ Qxe7 17. Rhe1 Rfd8 18. Qg4 Nf8 19. h4 Qc5 20. Bb3 Ng6 21. Qg3 { Tan,J-Lewis,A 4NCL: Oxford v AA [1] 1-0 and after:} Ne7 {Black would have achieved at least equality.}) ({An interesting alternative is:} 10... h6 $5 { which leads to a wild game between 2 World Champions after:} 11. h4 $5 hxg5 12. hxg5 Ng4 13. Be2 e5 14. Qg1 exf4 15. Bxg4 Bxg4 16. Qh2 f5 17. Qh7+ $16 { Anand,V (2725)-Kasparov,G (2795) PCA/Intel-GP rapid 1995 (3.2) 0-1}) 11. e5 ({ Also to be considered is:} 11. Bxf6 {forcing the compromising recapture.} gxf6 (11... Bxf6 12. e5 Be7 13. exd6 $16) {White has now various good moves. But the simplest is:} 12. Bb5 $16 {when Black doesn't even have the 2Bs by way of compensation for his sub-prime P-structure.}) 11... dxe5 12. fxe5 Nd5 (12... Qa5 $2 {is met simply by:} 13. Bxf6 $18 (13. Bc4 $143 Bc6 14. Bd2 Nd7 15. Nd5 Qd8 {returns to the Justin Tan game.})) 13. Bxe7 Qxe7 14. Nxd5 exd5 15. h4 $5 ( 15. Qxd5 Bc6 $44 {helps Black.}) ({My first thoughts turned towards:} 15. Bd3 $14 {restricting Bd7. One can already envision a highly favourable ending in which all major pieces are exchanged and the White K lands on d4.}) 15... Rfe8 16. Re1 Bf5 {The threat of ...Be4 now practically forces:} 17. Bd3 Bxd3 18. cxd3 {After the exchange of Bs I thought I should be fine - but I had not reckoned on this recapture. The plan is Pd4 to bolster Pe5 - which may creates a permanently favourable P-structure for White.} b6 19. Kb1 Rad8 20. Qf4 Qe6 ({I was looking at ideas based upon:} 20... f6 $5 {However, I felt that the Q would prove superior to the 2Rs in a position with Ks exposed. eg:} 21. exf6 Qxe1+ $2 (21... Qxf6 $142 22. Qxf6 gxf6 {with a tenable endgame for Black.}) 22. Rxe1 Rxe1+ 23. Kc2 $18) 21. d4 Rc8 22. g4 (22. h5 $14 {would have been my preference, preventing a Q check on the b1-h7 diagonal.}) 22... Qg6+ 23. Qf5 (23. Ka1 {looks much better. White will follow up with Ph5 with a K-side initiative. Meanwhile, Black has little counterplay against the unweakened White Q-side.}) {Now I spied an opportunity to break up White's impressive P-structure.} 23... Rc4 24. Rd1 f6 $5 25. b3 ({Black avoids the Q-exchange before playing ...Pf6, since:} 25. e6 $2 {blunders Pe6 to:} Rxe6 $17 ) 25... Rc3 26. Qxg6 hxg6 27. Rhe1 Rg3 {This was my plan initiated with 23... Rc4. Unfortunately, I had completed missed my opponent's reply!} 28. g5 $1 { Black indeed wins a P. But it's a miserable doubled-P: the powerful protected-passed Pe5 is more than compensation.} fxg5 29. hxg5 Rxg5 30. Rc1 Rg4 31. Red1 Rf8 32. Kb2 {A good, safety move. White avoids any possibility of any 7th-rank counterplay against the White-K.} g5 {Black is strategically lost, and has to play as actively as possible.} 33. Rc7 Rf7 34. Rc8+ Kh7 {I was still playing for the win, and had completely overlooked:} ({Now was time to play:} 34... Rf8 {and settle for the draw.} 35. Rc7 Rf7 36. Rc8+ Rf8 {etc.}) 35. Rd8 {Yikes! Black is in deep trouble. He is going to lose Pd5, and then Rd1 will turn out to be powerfully placed to support the newly created passed-P.} Rf2+ 36. Ka3 Rgg2 37. Rxd5 Rxa2+ (37... a5 38. Ka4 (38. Z0 $140 Rxa2#) 38... Rxa2+ 39. Kb5 Rgb2 40. Kxb6 Rxb3+ 41. Rb5 $16) 38. Kb4 a5+ $6 ({ Here is where Black started to go wrong in the double-R endgame. After:} 38... g4 39. Rd7 a5+ 40. Kb5 Rgd2 41. Rg1 Rg2 42. Rh1+ Rh2 {Black's passed pawn is as fast as White's. But Black's cannot be stopped: White's can! So White is the one fighting for a draw.}) 39. Kc3 ({Now white goes wrong!} 39. Kb5 Rg3 40. Kxb6 Rxb3+ 41. Rb5 {is winning.}) 39... Rge2 40. Rb5 g4 41. d5 $1 {A nice tactic by White.} Rxe5 ({After} 41... Rac2+ 42. Kd3 g3 43. d6 g2 44. d7 g1=Q 45. Rxg1 Rcd2+ 46. Kc3 Rxd7 {, black is slightly better.}) 42. d6 $1 Re8 { Black is simply lost after this move.} ({A more spirited resistance was provided by:} 42... Rxb5 $1 {After} 43. d7 Ra3 $1 ({Even after} 43... Rc5+ $6 44. Kd4 Rcc2 45. Kd3 Rcb2 46. d8=Q Rxb3+ 47. Kc4 Rb4+ 48. Kd5 Rh2 {, winning for white will be no easy matter against all those pawns.}) 44. d8=Q Raxb3+ 45. Kc2 Rb2+ 46. Kd3 (46. Kc1 $2 Rb1+ 47. Kd2 R5b2+ 48. Ke1 Rxd1+ 49. Qxd1 Rb4 $1 50. Kf2 g3+ $1 {is a remarkable draw - as Rb4, backed up by Pa5 & Pb6 creates a fortress. The White K cannot advance, and the lone Q can achieve nothing by herself.}) 46... Kg6 {when the well coordinated-Rs and the exposed White K give Black decent defensive chances.}) 43. d7 Rd8 44. Re5 g3 45. Re8 Rxd7 46. Rxd7 g2 47. Re1 Rf2 48. Rg1 Kh6 49. Rd2 Rf3+ 50. Kc2 g5 51. Rdxg2 Rf5 52. Rh1+ Kg6 53. Rd1 Kh5 54. Rd4 b5 55. Kd2 Rf3 56. Rd5 {Black resigned} 1-0