Another way?

The next game we'll look at was another Surrey League match for Wallington. I really did not want to play this one - not because of the hysterical mood around Omicron at the time (though, having sat accounting exams wearing a mask, I certainly didn't relish wearing one for several hours' intense concentration) but to avoid fratricide - we were taking on my other club, Epsom. However, I was called in at the last moment, as acting captain no less, on board 2 against Matthew Baker (1898) for a match in which we were heavy favourites against a depleted side.

I've mentioned before that my investigations into flank openings over the last couple of years haven't exactly been by choice; rather I have had to accept that my particular skill set and limited time make it too difficult to play the sort of chess I'd prefer. Although my goal of calming the play down has often clashed with what is still a 1. e4 temperament, on this occasion I was able to get just the sort of risk-free game I've had in mind all this time. Admittedly, not without some adventures along the way...

[Event "Surrey League Div. 3"] [Site "?"] [Date "2021.12.15"] [Round "2.2"] [White "Young, Daniel J"] [Black "Baker, Matthew JD"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A11"] [WhiteElo "2000"] [BlackElo "1898"] [Annotator "Young,Daniel J"] [PlyCount "131"] [EventDate "2021.??.??"] [SourceVersionDate "2021.12.15"] [WhiteTeam "Wallington"] [BlackTeam "Epsom 2"] {I did not want to play this game, since it was against my own club. I almost escaped across the event horizon, but was fated to be pulled in after all when our captain dropped out at the last minute. With Omicron now in the popular lexicon this was the first game I'd had to play wearing a mask - and hopefully the last. Time control: 75 minutes for all moves + 10 seconds per move (yes, an increment this time!)} 1. Nf3 {(1:15)} d5 {(1:15)} 2. c4 c6 {Despite the club connection, Baker was unknown to me, so with no time to prepare I wanted to avoid any fireworks - and for once I got my wish! This is Black's most solid defence to the Reti.} 3. g3 Nf6 {Normal, of course - few other moves have much independent significance. } (3... Bg4 {is the only real exception. A move later this would give White good prospects with Ne5 (see below) but now the knight will soon be pushed back with ...f6. And after} 4. Bg2 e6 {doubles down on the light-square strategy. Historically the main move has been} 5. cxd5 {, which forces Black to make a concession since he can't immediately capture towards the centre owing to 5... cxd5?? 6. Qa4+. Therefore Black has to give up the two bishops, but there is a downside for White: having released the central tension so early, he lacks a pawn lever to open the centre, meaning that the g2 bishop actually has few prospects.} (5. O-O {is the other try, but I feel that if White isn't going to commit to anything he is letting Black get away with the luxury of developing his light-squared bishop outside the pawn chain. To my eye, now is the time for} Nf6 {, since White's main plan is less dangerous after committing the king.} (5... Nd7 {is more popular, controlling e5. On the other hand, exchange Slav structures are more difficult for Black without ... Nc6 in reserve to seal the c-file, so White can argue he has achieved something, and especially if Black plays as he normally does with} 6. cxd5 exd5 {- 6... cxd5 is at worst only slightly inferior to this move, if at all. As well as possible minority attack ideas, White enjoys a central majority and real chances to break in the centre.} 7. d3 Ngf6 8. Nc3 Bd6 9. h3 Bxf3 { (or 9... Bh5 10. e4 at once, and Black has a sidelined bishop in addition to his other troubles)} 10. Bxf3 O-O 11. e4 {The engine will happily say Black is equal, but the 67 percent score from over 50 games with this move appear to tell a different story. The opening of the centre allows White's bishops to come into their own.}) (5... Bxf3 6. Bxf3 dxc4 {is not very intimidating since} 7. Na3 Bxa3 8. bxa3 $14 {opens queenside lines for White (the b- and c-files as well as the a1-h8 diagonal), and he will soon regain the pawn since ...b5 is too weakening in a position where Black has given away his light-squared bishop.}) 6. Ne5 {White's tragedy is that O-O is not a neutral waiting move, so this doesn't lead to anything. However, I haven't yet found anything in the various alternatives (6. d3, 6. cxd5 - transposing to the old lines - or 6. Qb3) either.} Bh5 7. cxd5 cxd5 8. g4 $6 {In the 4... Bg4 variation below this gives White a good game, but here there is his own king to consider. White should play 8. Nc3 but 8... Bd6 avoids any danger.} Bd6 9. Qa4+ Kf8 10. gxh5 Bxe5 11. f4 {It was necessary to close down the diagonal to h2, but White's kingside is a mess.} Bd6 $15) 5... Bxf3 {With nothing obvious after 5. O-O we find ourselves looking here again...} 6. Bxf3 cxd5 7. O-O Nc6 8. d4 {(8. d3 is also possible, though scores very poorly)} Nf6 9. Nc3 Be7 10. e3 O-O $11 { In return for the two bishops, Black has achieved a symmetrical structure and easy development. On the one hand, Exchange Slavs are miserable enough as Black without playing them as White too; on the other hand this is an archetypal 'two results' kind of position. I wouldn't choose this against everyone, but it has its uses.}) 4. Bg2 Bf5 {The Barcza System - Black's most straightforward attempt to equalise with natural developing moves. This is a more important fork in the road.} (4... Bg4 {is sharper here than on the previous move, since Black isn't regaining the tempo lost to} 5. Ne5 {straight away any more.} Be6 (5... Bf5 {is more natural but can get Black into a lot of trouble if he's not alert.} 6. cxd5 cxd5 7. Nc3 {Now 7... Nc6 isn't so bad, but the obvious move is} e6 $6 {when} 8. g4 $1 {seizes the initiative - Black can't take twice because of Qa4+, but} Bg6 {leaves him close to getting his bishop trapped.} (8... Bd6 {loses a pawn to a desperado sacrifice -} 9. Qa4+ Kf8 10. Nxf7 Kxf7 11. gxf5 $18 {- that also ruins Black's king position.}) 9. h4 {There is nothing better than} h6 10. Nxg6 fxg6 $16 {with an obvious structural advantage for White.}) 6. cxd5 Bxd5 {So the bishop finds its way onto an even better diagonal, but it will soon be harassed by the white knights.} 7. Nf3 c5 (7... e5 8. Nc3 Bxf3 (8... e4 $6 {proves premature after} 9. Nh4 $14 {followed by 10. d3.}) 9. Bxf3 {is a popular solution, yet to me it seems that White's central majority and two bishops give him excellent long-term prospects - the results back that up, and if true it's another case where the engine is remarkably slow on the uptake.}) 8. Nc3 Bc6 9. O-O e6 { White's usual move is 10. d3, but in recent times he is doing very well with} 10. Re1 Be7 (10... Nbd7 11. e4 e5 {stops White's main plan, but at the cost of weakening the d5 and f5 squares as well as strengthening a possible f4-f5 plan. } 12. d3 Be7 $14 {Here both 13. Nh4 and 13. a4 (preparing Nd2-c4) have done well for White. Black cannot easily organise any pressure on the backward d3 pawn.}) 11. e4 {, hoping to save a tempo by pushing through d2-d4 in a single move. Now Black can't trade his bishop off on g2 if the f3 knight moves.} O-O 12. d4 cxd4 13. Nxd4 $14 {Black has no counter-argument to White's more active pieces and space advantage. Activating the light-squared bishop is not enough to equalise on its own!}) (4... g6 {is a favourite defence of mine from the black side.} 5. b3 (5. Qa4 $5 {is a sideline that's more dangerous than it looks. The idea is to trade time with the queen for an inferior arrangement of Black's queenside: either he plays 5.. . Bg7 and recaptures on d5 with a piece, or he unpins the c-pawn with 5... Nbd7 and ultimately puts the knight on b6 instead of its proper place on c6. By and large he prefers the latter, and} Nbd7 6. cxd5 cxd5 7. Nc3 Bg7 8. O-O O-O 9. d4 Nb6 $11 {is meant to be fine for him, but I've never found these positions easy for Black.}) (5. cxd5 {White can also avoid any such pretentiousness and just go straight for torture in a Fianchetto Gruenfeld:} cxd5 6. d4 Bg7 7. O-O O-O $11 {shouldn't offer him very much, but it risks nothing.}) 5... Bg7 6. Bb2 O-O 7. O-O {Now the main moves are 7... Bg4, trying to sort out the problem piece immediately, or my old favourite 7... Nbd7 intending to arrange ...e5.}) (4... dxc4 5. O-O $44 { , meanwhile, is its own beast - Black can make this a real gambit if he wants to, but in return White gets excellent play on the queenside. I think White has chances of an opening advantage, but both sides have to do their homework here and perhaps this one is best saved for another time...}) 5. Qb3 {This was my own move at the board, which is at least something you can get away with in such openings. The problem was that I could remember the old move being under a cloud, but nothing that White had come up with instead!} (5. cxd5 {All the books will tell you that White should swap on d5 and then play} cxd5 6. Qb3 { , eyeballing b7 and punishing Black for the impudently early development of his light-squared bishop. Unfortunately Black can cut across that dreamy narrative with} Nc6 $1 {, sacrificing a pawn to gain control of the centre. Speaking for myself this isn't a pawn I want to take, but otherwise White's play is inconsistent - within the first six moves he has released the central tension, given Black's knight access to c6 and moved his queen before developing the other pieces.} (6... Qb6 {Back in dreamland they used to timidly defend like this, which indeed justifies White's play - then} 7. Qxb6 axb6 8. Nc3 Nc6 9. d3 e6 10. O-O $14 {, when b5 and d4 are excellent spots for White's knights, the b-pawns are likely to become static weaknesses, and the f5 bishop is blunted by the d-pawn.}) 7. Qxb7 (7. d4 {could also be tried, but the d-pawn does not belong here - just compare Black's bishop here to the variation above! Concretely, Black can equalise immediately with} Qb6 8. Qxb6 axb6 9. Nc3 Nb4 10. O-O Nc2 11. Rb1 Nb4 $11 {repeating moves.}) 7... Bd7 8. Qb3 e5 9. d3 Rb8 10. Qd1 $44 {With active pieces, a lead in development and a huge centre, I feel that Black simply has too much for a pawn. Disappointingly, Marin fails to consider this line at all in his 2019 DVD series on the English, notwithstanding that he got a lost position by move 15 against a 2200 the year before...}) (5. O-O {is a modern try for an advantage, partly as a move order trick.} e6 (5... dxc4 6. Na3 {is a line more often reached by 4... dxc4 and should not frighten White. The critical move is of course} b5 {when} (6... e5 { is a small trap worth knowing - White must take on c4, and not} 7. Nxe5 $4 Bxa3 8. bxa3 Qd4 {losing a piece.}) 7. b3 cxb3 8. axb3 $14 {is considered to give White more than enough for a pawn: Black is not developing his kingside and the c-pawn will quickly come under attack both along the c-file and the long diagonal. Try playing some moves for him!}) 6. cxd5 {Now if ...cxd5 then White can go back into his favourite lines with 7. Qb3, or if (as is more common)} exd5 7. d3 {he can shift gear and play for e2-e4 again.} Be7 8. Nc3 O-O 9. Nd4 Bg6 10. e4 {Black's most-played move here is 10... dxe4, when I feel White's space advantage could be worth a little something. Maybe he would do better to let White inflict an IQP on him with 10... Nbd7, though (particularly at my level) not everyone is comfortable submitting to that.}) 5... Qb6 6. Qxb6 { Hoping in vain to reach the old lines.} (6. cxd5 {White's most-played move is 6. d3 (intending 7. Be3) but I think this deserves more tests. Obviously 6... cxd5 is a transposition, and 6... Nxd5 gives White a central majority which he could even try exploiting on a full board with Stockfish's 7. Qd1!?. So Black favours} Qxb3 7. axb3 Nxd5 {, closing the long diagonal and c-file as well as keeping White's knights away from b5. True, this isn't a position to put on a postcard, but by incurring the doubled b-pawns rather than inflicting them, White has two half-open files on the queenside in addition to chances of restricting the f5 bishop.} (7... Bxb1 $143 $2 {is far-sighted strategy but short-sighted tactically:} 8. dxc6 $1 {and Black cannot retreat his bishop because of} Be4 9. Rxa7 $1 $18) 8. d3 Nb4 9. O-O Nd7 {This much is Birtwhistle-Greet, 4NCL 2014. It might seem that White is just lumbered with static weaknesses, but let's play a few moves.} 10. Bd2 e5 {This might seem rash given what follows, but as we'll see it's useful to keep control of the b8-h2 diagonal.} (10... e6 11. Na3 Be7 12. Nc4 {Believe it or not, Black's position is very delicate - for example} O-O $6 13. Na5 {and he is in big trouble since} Rab8 {fails to} 14. Bf4) 11. Na3 {Again on the a3-c4(-a5) circuit - Nc3 is often a specious move when a black pawn stands at c6.} Be7 12. Nc4 f6 13. Rfc1 {The final preparation for the next move, stopping Nc2 for good, and now} Be6 14. d4 $1 $14 {begins to chew on Black's centre in true hypermodern style.} O-O (14... exd4 $2 15. Nxd4 Bxc4 16. Rxc4 {and the knight lacks a good retreat square - if} Nd5 17. Bxd5 cxd5 18. Rc7 $18 {when Black is bound hand and foot}) (14... e4 15. Ne1 f5 {loses material to the familiar mechanism} 16. Na5 Rb8 17. Bf4 $16) 15. dxe5 Nxe5 16. Nfxe5 fxe5 17. Bc3 $16 { The white pieces have come to life and Black must tend to his e-pawn. See what secrets lie in the drabbest of positions!}) 6... axb6 7. cxd5 Nxd5 {7... cxd5?! would transpose to the old line. Now, with such a compact queenside structure as well as control of the a-file, Black should be safe against any meaningful pressure. Indeed I have to hurry to develop before a2 comes under fire.} 8. Nc3 Nb4 9. O-O e6 (9... Nc2 {Black too must get his pieces out. I saw at the board that} 10. Rb1 Nb4 $6 11. d3 Nxa2 $4 {fails to} 12. Ra1 Be6 13. Nd4 $18 {, when the knight is lost along with the six tempi it has already burned.}) 10. d3 {(1:00) The d-pawn belongs here in this system - White's fundamental argument is that Black's 'active' light-squared bishop is actually out of play, similarly to the Short Caro-Kann.} Be7 {(1:05)} 11. Bf4 Nd7 12. a3 Nd5 13. Nxd5 {There wasn't much choice, and anyway simplification can amplify a bad piece.} (13. e4 $6 {I briefly considered provoking this exchange, but} Nxf4 14. gxf4 Bg4 $15 {is no good for White since his central pawns lack mobility and Black now has the advantage of the two bishops.}) 13... exd5 $11 { Rather than 13... cxd5?!, allowing White to seize the c-file and bring Nd4-b5 back into the picture. Now the position is dynamically balanced: I have a neater structure, but Black has the a-file and a little more space; his light-squared bishop is hemmed in, but so is mine.} 14. b4 $6 {Now asked to find a plan, I didn't choose a pretty one: a backward pawn is created on the half-open a-file, and Black is gifted a blockading outpost at a4 as well as the a1-h8 diagonal. But I hope the kindly reader will take my word that this didn't escape my notice at the board. I believed that I needed queenside landing squares, and hence to make contact with Black's position. Maybe so, but I can be too direct in level positions sometimes, and this is a move that only works if it works...} (14. Nd4 {was my first idea, preparing e2-e4 to activate my light-squared bishop, but I rejected it because of} Bg6 15. e4 $6 Bf6 {taking the initiative. White can refine this plan, however...}) (14. e4 $5 {can be played at once. I only considered this alongside Rfd1 with an eye to the loose knight, which felt like a bit of a cheapo and truthfully just wastes a move.} dxe4 15. dxe4 Bxe4 16. Rfe1 {Alas, Black can return the sacrificed pawn in order to simplify.} f5 17. Ng5 Bxg5 (17... Bxg2 $2 {Exposing the pinned bishop on e7 allows White to regain his pawn with the more active position:} 18. Kxg2 Kf8 19. Ne6+ Kf7 20. Nxg7) 18. Bxg5 O-O 19. Bxe4 fxe4 20. Rxe4 Rae8 $11 {White's fleeting initiative comes to a halt.}) 14... Bf6 15. Ra2 {(42) 15. d4?! would be totally inconsistent, leaving aside the obvious plan of ...b5 and ...Nb6-c4. Black should now have blockaded with 15... Ra4 straight away, but instead he dithered...} O-O $6 {(58)} 16. Be3 $6 {... and so did I! I wanted to provoke ...b5, giving me a queenside foothold and chances to turn the screws with Nd2-b3-a5 - see the classic model game Capablanca-Lilienthal, Moscow 1936. Unfortunately this is too optimistic, since my queenside pawns will come under fire well before then.} (16. a4 $142 Rfe8 (16... b5 $6 17. a5 b6 $2 {was why I rejected this line, but my passed pawn is far from doomed since c6 is also very weak.} 18. Bd6 Rfe8 19. a6 Ra7 20. Rc1 Rc8 21. d4 $16 {With Black's knight having no route to c4 this can be played with a clear conscience, fixing the weak pawn.}) 17. Be3 {True, Black can cover his queenside with} c5 18. Rb1 Ra7 19. bxc5 bxc5 20. Rb5 b6 21. d4 Be6 $11 {, but White has no God-given right to an advantage...}) 16... Bg6 $2 { Another cosmetic move, this time with surprising consequences.} (16... Ra4 $142 {was still correct. Instructively, White should bail out here to stay active:} 17. Nd4 $1 (17. d4 $143 $6 {is the grim path, but} Rfa8 18. Rfa1 Be7 19. Bd2 b5 $17 {is total misery, with my rooks defending a3 forever, two bad bishops and Black's knight en route to c4.}) 17... Bxd4 18. Bxd4 Rfa8 {White loses a pawn (19. Bb2 Rxb4) but gets the two bishops in return, and after} 19. f4 Rxa3 20. Rxa3 Rxa3 21. Ra1 Rxa1+ 22. Bxa1 $15 {he has good drawing chances thanks also to Black's devalued queenside. Sometimes you just have to know when to fold...} ) 17. Bh3 $1 {Peculiarly winning a pawn - the placement of Black's f6 bishop is most unfortunate. This played out as a relay, for I'd returned to the board with some water just as Baker left it upon his last move; now I went to check the other boards and let him mull the consequences alone. I watched his expression very carefully when he returned, but whatever he thought he didn't show it.} Rfd8 18. Bxd7 Rxd7 19. Bxb6 $16 {Since my backward a-pawn remains whilst Black now has the bishop pair, I was braced for great technical difficulties; in fact I only reluctantly played my 17th move. Still, whether Black can hold is now his problem!} Ra6 20. Bd4 {(26)} Be7 {(42)} 21. Rb1 { Black's last move forced me to make a choice - always a good idea. I finally opted to keep Ne5 in reserve, partly because I've been trying to keep the g6 bishop passive rather than trade it off, and also because without my knight it could be difficult to lift a blockade on a4.} (21. Ne5 $144 {After} Rd8 22. Nxg6 hxg6 23. Bc5 Bf6 {Black is ready to meet slow moves with ...b5, emphasising White's light-square problems. So it's vital to take forcing measures with} 24. b5 $1 {, returning the pawn but wrecking the black structure. I overlooked this.} cxb5 25. Rb1 b6 26. Be3 d4 27. Bd2 Rd5 {Now b5 is defended, but} 28. Bb4 $1 $16 {allows White onto the c-file first and frees the a2 rook from guard duty.}) 21... Ra4 22. Bc5 {Angling for b4-b5 here too - ...Ra5 or ...b6 would be met by bxc6, so perhaps the threat of Ne5 really is stronger than the execution! Black radically prevents this idea, but at too high a price.} Bxc5 $6 {Now the b-file is opened, my rooks can start to play, and Black 'acquires' a weak backward pawn of his own.} (22... f6 $142 {is the computer suggestion, waiting on events and ruling out the Ne5 exchange. However, White stands very well after} 23. Bxe7 Rxe7 24. Rc1 (24. b5 $6 c5 { is premature}) 24... Bf7 25. Nd4 $16 {- besides the pawn, he has the far better minor piece and Black cannot hold back b4-b5 for long.}) 23. bxc5 Ra5 24. Ne5 {Now that I'm finally ready to push my d-pawn, it is time to exchange the minor pieces. The d7 rook is also driven into passivity since 24... Re7?? 25. Nxc6! wins immediately.} Rc7 25. Nxg6 {(13)} hxg6 {(28)} 26. d4 $16 { By now Wallington were 3-1 up with only the top two boards in play, but above me we were a pawn down in an unclear position. A risk-free position with all the winning chances is a rare treat for me, but with the clock starting to loom I would have prioritised the match score if I had to. In the meantime, I simply improved my pieces.} Kf8 27. Rb3 Ke7 28. Rab2 Ra7 {A sad necessity, since White would gladly exchange the a- and b-pawns: his weakness would be removed whereas Black's would merely be transferred to c6.} 29. Kg2 Ke6 30. Kf3 {(12)} Kf5 {(23)} 31. h4 Re7 32. e3 $6 {Back to cosmetic moves - V for Victory! - but the immediate 32. g4+ would have prevented any counterplay.} ( 32. g4+ $142 Kf6 33. e3 {I was unsure of} g5 34. h5 g6 $2 {, but} 35. h6 $18 { cuts the king off and forces Black to lift his guard of the seventh rank.}) 32... g5 33. g4+ Kg6 34. hxg5 {Again the wrong direction - White should try to pacify the kingside rather than open it.} (34. h5+ Kh6 35. Kg3 g6 36. hxg6 Kxg6 {I couldn't settle on a plan in the face of ...f5, liquidating more pawns and centralising his king. The procedure is actually very simple; I mentioned that the trade of a- and b-pawns is highly favourable, but in the heat of the moment I didn't grasp that I can force it.} 37. a4 f5 38. gxf5+ Kxf5 39. a5 Rh7 40. Rb6 {My oversight was that of the man in the arena - when I input the game I saw this immediately. 41. a6 would be devastating, so finally} Rxa5 41. Rxb7 $18 {and the aim is achieved (title drop!).}) 34... Kxg5 35. Kg3 {(7)} f5 {(18) } 36. f4+ $6 {Though Stockfish likes it, I don't think I should have put another backward pawn on an open file so lightly.} Kg6 37. gxf5+ $6 {I was starting to get nervous in deepening time trouble, and it shows in my impetuous decisions - why give Black a chance to liquidate almost the entire kingside?! In a better ending one should trade pieces, not pawns...} (37. g5 { keeps Black's king out, but even here things are getting trickier:} Ra8 { is possible (38. Rxb7 Rxe3+) and if} 38. Kf3 Rh8 39. Kg2 $16 {- White's king is overworked and he will need to regroup his rooks if he is to make any progress.}) 37... Kxf5 38. Rh2 {I stopped recording here, but Baker graciously let me copy his scoresheet afterwards.} g6 $6 {A shared illusion.} (38... g5 $142 {is consistent, simplifying even further. I thought I'd prevented this because of} 39. Rh5 {, but was wrong to assume that a rook trade would win easily.} Rg7 40. Rxg5+ Rxg5+ 41. fxg5 Kxg5 42. Kf3 Kf5 {With no kingside left to defend, Black's king can hurry across to c7 in time to avert the winning plan outlined above.} 43. Rb6 Ke6 44. a4 Kd7 {I don't see how White can make progress - compare this with the game for a clear illustration of the principle of two weaknesses.}) 39. Kf3 $6 {Missing a more active move, which Black promptly shuts down: after 39. Rh8! White threatens to drive off Black's king with Rf8+, and the e7 rook is paralysed defending both the seventh rank and the e-file.} Ra8 40. Rg2 $2 {And this is simply terrible technique, which should cost the win - on no account should Black have been allowed to seize the h-file.} Rh7 41. Rg5+ Kf6 42. Kg3 Rh1 43. Kf3 {I see nothing better, but this certainly isn't progress since 43... Rh7 is a (twofold!) repetition.} (43. Rxb7 $144 {Black holds easily with} Rxa3 (43... Rg1+ $143 $4 {frightened me only because of short-sightedness;} 44. Kf3 Rxg5 45. fxg5+ Kxg5 46. Rb6 $18 { wins another pawn}) 44. Rc7 (44. Re5 Ra2 $11 {followed by 45... Rg1+ is a perpetual}) 44... Rxe3+ 45. Kf2 Re6 $11) (43. Kf2 $144 {tries to shield the king from checks with the g5 rook. However, that means allowing the black king to rejoin the fray.} Rh7 44. Rg3 Kf5 45. Kf3 Ra7 46. Rg5+ Kf6 47. Kg4 {The only active plan, but now Black rounds up the a-pawn.} Rh1 48. Re5 Ra1 49. Rb6 R1xa3 $14 {White retains slim winning chances since Black is still burdened with his last kingside pawn, but I can't see a direct way.} 50. Rxd5 Rxe3 51. Rd6+ {is warded off by} Re6 $8 52. Rxe6+ Kxe6 $11 {when Black's king becomes active.}) 43... Rf1+ 44. Ke2 Ra1 45. Rxb7 R8xa3 {I must mention that the scoresheet was unclear on which rook did the deed here - but beggers can't be choosers so I've had to trust my memory, and sadly I think Black captured like this.} 46. Rb6 $4 {However, now we have to ask whether two competent players really missed such an obvious perpetual check? Well, maybe - time trouble hasn't been kind lately - but Baker had around ten minutes left. I suppose the reader will have to make up their own mind...} (46. Rg3 $142 {to free up g4 is the only way to keep the game alive, but White's chances are slim after} Kf5 47. Rf7+ Ke4 48. Re7+ Kf5 49. Re5+ Kf6 {, since Black's king is kept out only by diverting both white rooks to the task.} 50. Re8 (50. Kf3 Rf1+ 51. Kg2 Raa1 52. Kh3 Rh1+ 53. Kg4 {looks like progress, but what next after} Rh8 $14 { ? White's king can't find peace whilst all four rooks are on the board.}) 50... Kf5 51. Rg5+ Kf6 52. Rg2 Kf5 53. Kf3 {Threatening 54. Rf8+ and 55. Rxg6, but the black king is so active that he can even afford to trade a pair of rooks.} Rf1+ 54. Rf2 Rxf2+ {(54... Rh1 may also be good enough, but this is more instructive)} 55. Kxf2 Kg4 {White's king is driven from the short side of the e-pawn, meaning that he will have to let it fall to avoid the checks and Black can mop up the remaining pawns as he pleases.} 56. Ke2 Ra2+ 57. Kd3 Ra3+ 58. Kd2 Kf3 59. Re6 Ra2+ 60. Kc3 Ra3+ 61. Kc2 Rxe3 62. Rxc6 Re2+ 63. Kc3 Re3+ 64. Kb4 Rd3 {In summary I think I'd already thrown away the win by this point.}) 46... R1a2+ $4 {Whatever the truth, now my king finds shelter and Tartakower is again proven right that the winner is he who makes the penultimate mistake. Black can only defend c6 by trading a pair of rooks, leaving his king with too much to do.} (46... R3a2+ $142 47. Kf3 Rf1+ {If this really did happen, maybe it seemed that White could escape via g4, but such geometry is only possible in time trouble.. .} 48. Kg4 Rg1+ 49. Kh3 Rh1+ $11) 47. Kf3 Ra6 48. Rxa6 $18 { The computer spitefully tells me that its move 48. Rg2 is better, but since this wins and I was able to play the rest of the game both instantly and perfectly I have to disagree.} Rxa6 49. Rg2 Kf5 50. Rb2 {The threat of 51. Rb6 forces Black's rook to go over to passive defence, freeing my king from the e-pawn.} Ra7 (50... g5 $5 {is a final attempt, however White wins after} 51. fxg5 Ra8 (51... Kxg5 52. Rb6) 52. Rb6 Rc8 {with the decoy sacrifice} 53. g6 $1 Kxg6 54. e4 $1 dxe4+ 55. Kxe4 Re8+ (55... Kf6 56. d5 $18 {is the same principle }) 56. Kf4 Re6 57. d5 $18 {, winning the c-pawn at last.}) 51. Rb8 Rc7 52. Rf8+ Ke6 53. Kg4 Ke7 54. Rh8 Kf6 55. Rd8 {Again, a comparison with the 38... g5 variation above is illuminating. Black is out of options.} Re7 56. Rd6+ Re6 57. Rxe6+ {Baker used most of his remaining time on his previous move; when I unflinchingly chopped the rook off he just gave a rueful smile.} Kxe6 58. Kg5 Kf7 59. f5 gxf5 60. Kxf5 {Long ago I wrote a blog post about how key squares and critical squares can economise calculation, and composed almost this very position to illustrate the point. If White reaches e6, a critical square, he always wins the c-pawn, and in turn c6 is a key square - if my king gets there the c5 pawn promotes - so I knew I was winning.} Ke7 61. Ke5 Kd7 62. Kf6 Kd8 63. Ke6 Kc7 64. Ke7 Kc8 65. Kd6 Kb7 66. Kd7 {The top board only went our way later, so I got to take us over the line. It was nice to play a low-risk game, and I showed patches of good technique, particularly in the single-rook ending which I am proud of. However, my continuing problems with time management, as well as indecision both in the double-rook ending and out of the opening, make it hard to be entirely satisfied.} 1-0

The winning point in a 5-1 victory that strengthened our early title credentials was a nice way to round off the truncated chess year, even if the circumstances weren't ideal. And the manner of the win was valuable too, for in truth this wasn't my kind of game at all. 

I have played over a thousand serious games, but if you go through them for wins of this length... well, there aren't many. Perhaps it isn't hard to see why, for having analysed the game properly I now see that I handled the double-rook phase terribly, badly failing to keep Black's counterplay in check. It's striking how much more confidently I played once the first pair of rooks were exchanged, even in time trouble. For me the other noteworthy moment was 14. b4?!, which is clearly far too compromising for a quiet position like this - if I am going to get to grips with such openings then I will need to get more patient. Nevertheless, once in a blue moon I can keep a lid on things, and this was a welcome change of pace.

This was my last game of 2021, and January is the busiest time of the year at work so I didn't return to the board until the end of the month. I then proceeded to play three games in five days with mixed fortunes; I haven't decided which ones to delve into yet but there is more content to come!