2018-09-18 - Pickup, Ian 1-0 Nendick, Philip

Game of the Month September 2018

[Event "D&F A v Horfield A"] [Site "?"] [Date "2018.10.18"] [Round "?"] [White "Pickup, Ian"] [Black "Nendick, Phil"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C47"] [PlyCount "77"] [EventDate "2018.??.??"] [SourceDate "2018.09.19"] [SourceVersionDate "2018.09.19"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Bb4 6. Qd3 $6 {Start to get myself into a tangle. Phil would have been scenting another win against me.} Qe7 7. Nxc6 (7. Nf5 {One interesting line that I didn't even consider!} Qxe4+ 8. Qxe4+ Nxe4 9. Nxg7+ Kf8 10. Bh6 Nxc3 11. Nh5+ Ke7 12. Bg7 Ne4+ 13. c3 Bc5 14. Bxh8 Nxf2 15. Bf6+ Kf8 16. Rg1 Ne4 17. Rh1 Nf2 $11) 7... bxc6 $6 (7... dxc6 8. f3 O-O 9. a3 Ba5 10. Be3 Be6 $15) 8. Bd2 Bxc3 9. Bxc3 Nxe4 10. Bxg7 { Looks like there's going to be a discovered check leading to at least the loss of an exchange. Better grab a pawn.} Rg8 11. Bh6 Ng3+ (11... Nxf2+ 12. Kxf2 Qf6+ 13. Qf3 Qxh6 14. Re1+ Kf8 15. Bd3 d5 $11) 12. Be2 {And now he stopped for a long think. Nxh1 allows Qxh7 which looks nasty.} Qxe2+ (12... Nxh1 13. Qxh7 Rf8 14. Bxf8 Qxf8 15. O-O-O Nxf2 16. Rf1 d5 17. Rxf2 Be6 $14) 13. Qxe2+ { At worst I am going to have an opposite bishops ending and his Q side is stll undeveloped.} Nxe2 14. Kxe2 Rxg2 15. Kf3 Rg6 16. Rae1+ Kd8 17. Rhg1 Rf6+ { Trying to avoid a drawish ending but this is a mistake.} 18. Bf4 d6 $2 (18... Re6 19. Rxe6 fxe6 20. Rg8+ Ke7 {I think I would have chosen to win the h pawn.} 21. Bxc7 (21. Rg7+ Kf6 22. Rxh7 Kg6 {but it's only +0.6}) 21... Kf7 22. Rd8 Kg6 23. Ke3 d5 24. Bd6 a5 25. Kd4 Bb7 26. Rd7 Ba6 27. Re7 $16) 19. Rg8+ {Now the Bc8 is a goner.} Kd7 20. Ree8 Rb8 {Hoping for some after play an immediate b3.} 21. Rd8+ (21. b3 Rb4 22. Rd8+ Ke6 23. Rge8+ Kf5 24. Bd2 Rd4 25. Ke3 Rxd2 26. Kxd2 Be6 27. Ra8 Ke5 28. Ke2 d5 29. Rxa7 Kd4 30. a4) 21... Ke6 22. Rge8+ Kd5 ( 22... Kf5 23. Bc1 Re6 24. Rf8 Re1 25. Bd2 Rb1 26. Bc3) 23. b3 {Now I can play it!} Rb4 24. c4+ Kc5 25. Rxc8 d5 26. Rb8 (26. Ke3 Re6+ 27. Rxe6 fxe6 28. Rxc7 dxc4 29. Rd7 Kb6 (29... e5 30. Bxe5 Rb5 31. Bd6+ Kb6 32. b4) 30. bxc4 Rxc4 31. Rxh7 Ra4 32. h4 e5 33. Bxe5 Ra3+ 34. Ke4 Ra4+ 35. Kf3 c5 36. h5) 26... Rxb8 27. Rxb8 dxc4 28. bxc4 Kxc4 29. Rb7 (29. Ra8 a6 30. Rxa6 Kb5 31. Ra7 Kb6) 29... a5 30. Rxc7 a4 31. Re7 c5 32. Ke4 Kb4 33. Ke5 Rc6 34. Kd5 Rc8 35. Bd6 Kb5 36. Rb7+ Ka6 37. Rxf7 c4 38. Rc7 Rxc7 39. Bxc7 1-0

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