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Oswestry Chess Club
[Event "Darwinian Knights B - Oswestry B"] [Site "?"] [Date "2025.03.11"] [Round "Bd 3"] [White "Sadler, Paul"] [Black "Graham, Nick"] [Result "0-1"] [Annotator "Van Kemenade,Rudy"] [ECO "C55"] [WhiteElo "1541"] [BlackElo "1563"] [PlyCount "64"] [GameId "2156174644812059"] [EventDate "2025.03.16"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 {The Italian has had a major resurgence in recent years at all levels.} Nf6 4. d3 h6 5. c3 Be7 6. O-O d6 7. Nbd2 (7. Re1) (7. Bb3 {main lines}) 7... Na5 (7... O-O) (7... Bg4 {main lines}) 8. Bb5+ c6 9. Ba4 b5 10. Bc2 {This position is one that could easily have arisen from a Ruy Lopez opening} Be6 {perhaps a little early, the B could be vulnerable to a later d4-5} (10... O-O {1-1-1}) (10... Qc7 11. Re1 c5 12. Nf1 Nh7 13. Ne3 Ng5 14. Nd5 Qb7 15. Nxg5 Bxg5 16. Bxg5 hxg5 17. Qd2 f6 18. a4 bxa4 19. Bxa4+ Kf8 20. b4 cxb4 21. cxb4 Nc6 22. Rac1 Nd4 23. Rc7 Qb8 24. Rec1 Bg4 25. Bd1 Be6 26. Ne7 Rh6 27. Nf5 Nb5 28. R7c6 Rh7 29. Bg4 Bd7 30. R6c2 g6 31. Ne3 Nd4 32. Rc3 f5 33. Bd1 Qd8 34. Rc7 g4 35. Nf1 Qh4 36. Rb7 f4 37. Rcc7 Rd8 38. f3 gxf3 39. Bxf3 g5 40. Bd1 g4 41. Qf2 g3 42. Qd2 gxh2+ 43. Kh1 Rg7 44. Ba4 f3 45. g3 Qh3 46. Qf2 Ke8 47. Bd1 Rg8 48. Nxh2 Rg7 49. Ba4 Rxg3 {0-1 Chigvintsev,A (2325)-Lykov,V (2260) RUS-Cup3 Omsk 1996 (9)}) 11. b4 Nb7 12. Re1 (12. a4 $14 {is a useful probe on what is a slightly weakenedBl Q side, especially with the K still in the middle}) 12... Qc7 13. Nf1 a5 $11 {so Bl gets a chance to advance here first} 14. a3 (14. d4 O-O 15. Bb2 axb4 16. cxb4 Bxa2 17. dxe5 dxe5 18. Bxe5 Qd8 19. Qe2 Bc4 20. Rxa8 Qxa8 21. Qd2 Qa3 22. Bc3 $11 {SF17- though perhaps Wh might try for a K side attack with the two Bs and Bl's N awkward on b7.}) 14... axb4 15. cxb4 d5 $6 {opening up the game with the K still in the middle is usually risky.} (15... O-O $11 {SF17}) 16. exd5 Nxd5 17. Bd2 (17. Bb2 {as noted by Wh, would be stronger and does indeed win e5 pawn (which it is too dangerous to try to hold)} Bf6 18. Ng3 Nb6 19. Nxe5 $18 {SF17}) 17... Bf6 18. Ng3 g6 (18... O-O 19. Nh5 $16 {SF17}) 19. Bb3 $18 (19. Qc1 $18) 19... Bg7 20. Bxd5 {Wh realised afterwards that this was giving up the Italian B too cheaply.} (20. Qc1 $18 {as noted by Wh, would have had Bl thinking twice about 0-0. And indeed this is SF17's choice.} Kf8 21. Qb2 Kg8 22. Nxe5 $18 {SF17}) 20... cxd5 (20... Bxd5 21. Nxe5 $11 {SF17}) 21. Rc1 {round about here, Bl says he mnoticed time problems, with only some 20 mins vs Bl's 40+, so tried to speed up} (21. Qe2 O-O 22. Nxe5 $14 {SF17}) 21... Qd6 22. Qb3 {it does protect a3, but creates problems for Wh} (22. Qe2 {as indicated by Wh afterwards is certainly better than the text, which sets up the coming blunder} Nd8 23. Nxe5 Qxe5 (23... Rxa3 24. d4 $16) 24. Qxe5 Bxe5 25. Rxe5 Rxa3 26. Rc7 Rxd3 27. Nf1 f6 28. Re1 O-O $11 {SF17}) (22. d4 {alternative suggested by Wh} e4 23. Ne5 Qe7 24. Rc6 Nd6 25. Bf4 Nc4 26. Nxc4 bxc4 27. Nxe4 dxe4 28. d5 Rd8 29. Qa4 Bd7 30. Bd6 Qh4 31. g3 Qg4 32. Qc2 f5 33. Rxc4 Kf7 $11 {SF17}) 22... O-O $17 23. Bc3 $2 d4 $19 24. Qb2 dxc3 25. Qxc3 Rfc8 26. Qd2 Rxc1 27. Qxc1 Qxd3 28. Nxe5 Bxe5 29. Rxe5 Qxa3 30. Qd2 Rd8 31. Qe2 Qc1+ 32. Nf1 Bc4 0-1
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Annotated by