2019-02-06 - Flores, Patrick 0-1 Pickup, Ian

Game of the Month February 2019

[Event "Bath B v Downend C"] [Site "Salisbury Conservative Club, "] [Date "2019.02.06"] [Round "2"] [White "Flores, Patrick"] [Black "Pickup, Ian"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B99"] [Annotator "Pickup, Ian"] [PlyCount "60"] [EventDate "2019.02.06"] [SourceVersionDate "2018.09.13"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Be7 8. Qf3 Qc7 9. O-O-O Nbd7 10. Be2 b5 11. Bxf6 Nxf6 12. Bd3 b4 13. Nce2 e5 $6 {Played with the intention that after Nf5 an opposite coloured bishops game would arise, making it easier to achieve my primary goal of not losing with Black.} ( 13... g6) 14. fxe5 $6 (14. Nf5 $11) 14... dxe5 15. Nf5 Bxf5 16. Qxf5 O-O 17. h4 $17 a5 18. Rh3 $2 {I thought this was a bit slow for attacking my King but maybe it was played to keep an eye on a3.} a4 19. Kb1 Rfd8 $2 {I thought I was being clever by pinning the bishop but it would have been better to move a rook to the c file.} (19... Rfc8 20. Rc1 g6 21. Qf3 h5 22. b3 Ra5 23. Bc4 Rc5 24. Ng3 Rxc4 25. bxc4 Qxc4 26. Qe2 Qc6 27. Qd1) 20. Rc1 Qa5 21. g4 b3 22. a3 ( 22. Bc4 bxa2+ 23. Ka1 Qb4 24. Bxa2 Rab8 25. Rb1 Rd1 26. Qxe5 Rxb1+ 27. Bxb1 Nxg4 $19) 22... Bxa3 $1 {The computer agrees. I felt it had to be played now rather than after bxc+ when the R might cover the pawn on a3. In fact bxc+ still led to an advantage but rather a murkier one.} (22... bxc2+ 23. Bxc2 Rdb8 24. Bd1 Qd2 25. Qxe5 Nxe4 26. Rf3 f5 27. g5 Bd6 28. Qd4 Ra5) 23. bxa3 bxc2+ $6 {Nothing like as good as Rab8 but still leaving White with plenty of chances to mis-defend.} (23... Rab8 $1 24. Kb2 (24. c3 b2 25. Rf1 Qc5 26. Kc2 Qxa3 $19) 24... bxc2+ 25. Kxc2 Rb3 26. g5 Ne8 27. Qf2 Nd6 28. Qe1 Qc5+ 29. Nc3 Rc8 30. Kd1 Qd4 31. Ne2 Rxd3+ 32. Rxd3 Qxd3+ 33. Qd2 Rxc1+ 34. Nxc1 Qf3+ 35. Ne2 Qh1+ 36. Kc2 Qxe4+ 37. Kd1 Qc6 $19) 24. Rxc2 $2 (24. Kxc2 {Looks risky but in fact is best.} Rab8 25. Nc3 Qc5 26. Kd2 Qxa3 27. Rc2 Rb2 28. Qxe5 Qb3 29. Rxb2 Qxb2+ 30. Ke1 Nxg4 31. Qc7 Qf2+ 32. Kd1 {It needs a stronger engine than mine to prove a win against Kxc2.}) (24. Bxc2 $4 Qb5+ 25. Ka1 Rab8 26. Rb1 Rd1 27. Qc8+ Rxc8 28. Bxd1 Qd7 $19) 24... Rab8+ 25. Rb2 $2 (25. Ka1 Rb3 (25... Qb6 26. Qf1 $11) 26. Ka2 Rbxd3 27. Rxd3 Rxd3 28. Rc8+ Rd8 29. Rxd8+ Qxd8 30. Qxe5 Nxg4 $19) 25... Rxb2+ 26. Kxb2 Qd2+ 27. Ka1 Rb8 28. Qxe5 (28. Bb5 {Patrick said afterwards he thought this would have saved the draw but in fact I still had a winning sequence.} Qd1+ 29. Ka2 Qc2+ 30. Ka1 Rxb5 $19) 28... Qd1+ 29. Ka2 Qb3+ {0-1} 30. Ka1 Qxa3# 0-1

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