The devil went down to Guildford

It wasn't a conscious decision to stop entering weekend tournaments, but nevertheless until the game in today's post my last appearance in such an event was way back in December 2018. My free time has become increasingly precious to me, and the motivation to generate four or five games for myself to look at hasn't been there. Still, at the start of April there was a strong weekender in nearby Guildford, and with a lot of people I know having entered I decided to have a go.

I took a bye on Friday night, and was due to start from round two. I duly did, but only after a train strike and some crossed wires left me stranded at home with less than an hour until the start. After roaring down the A3, spitting blood as I went and gambling on road signs to find the venue, I turned up a few minutes after the start in a less than sanguine mood. My one-time 4NCL teammate Jacob Yoon, rated 2198, was the victim of my frustration:

[Event "Guildford Open"] [Site "?"] [Date "2023.04.01"] [Round "2.12"] [White "Yoon, Jacob"] [Black "Young, Daniel J"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A48"] [WhiteElo "2198"] [BlackElo "2011"] [Annotator "Young,Daniel J"] [PlyCount "64"] [EventDate "2023.??.??"] [SourceVersionDate "2023.04.07"] {This was the first weekend tournament I'd entered since 2018. I was expecting to get a lift to Guildford, but it failed to materialise and I had to jump in my own car and race down the A3 with only a vague idea of where I was going. Miraculously I was only a few minutes late, but I was fuming, and apparently took out that frustration on my opponent. Time control: 90 minutes for all moves + 30 seconds per move.} 1. Nf3 {(1:30)} Nf6 {(1:27)} 2. b3 {I was expecting 1. e4, so took this as a sign he didn't want to take me on in a prep battle. In fairness, he has played similarly in later games so I doubt it was just for me.} g6 3. Bb2 Bg7 4. d4 O-O 5. g3 d5 6. Bg2 Ne4 7. Nbd2 c5 {Now White is the one who has to prove equality.} 8. e3 Nc6 9. Ne5 $2 {This is premature whilst White is yet to complete development.} (9. O-O $142 {Now Black can solve any lingering problems by swapping off his light-squared bishop and stabilising the centre with ...e6:} Bg4 {(9... Bf5 has also been played with success)} 10. h3 Nxd2 11. Qxd2 Bxf3 12. Bxf3 cxd4 13. exd4 e6 $11 {White's bishop pair isn't a major factor because he can't lever open the centre without exposing his centre to attack, for example} 14. c4 dxc4 15. d5 Ne5 16. Bg2 Rc8 $146 {(Stockfish considers this slightly more precise than 16... exd5 as in Braun-Handke, Playchess.com Blitz 2020)} 17. f4 {And now Black achieves mass liquidation with} c3 18. Bxc3 Rxc3 19. Qxc3 Nc6 20. Qc1 Bxa1 21. dxc6 Bd4+ 22. Kh2 bxc6 23. Qxc6 $11) 9... Nxd2 $2 {Letting Yoon off the hook. Giving up the chance of a pin against d2 is not the way to punish him for leaving his king in the middle.} (9... cxd4 $142 {Now, whichever capture White chooses, he will have to make a concession to get out of the opening in one piece.} 10. Nxc6 (10. Nxe4 Nxe5 11. exd4 Nc6 12. Nc5 Qa5+ {Now White has an unpleasant choice between 13. Kf1, when ...e5 hits very hard, or} 13. c3 Bxd4 $17 {losing an important pawn.}) (10. exd4 Qa5 $17 {will likely transpose to another line, since White has lost control of c3.}) 10... bxc6 11. exd4 (11. Bxd4 $6 Nc3 12. Qc1 Bxd4 13. exd4 c5 14. dxc5 Qa5 $19 {and White is hanging on by a thread since he still can't evacuate his king -} 15. O-O $4 Ne2+) 11... Qa5 {In order to complete development, White has to settle for} 12. Bxe4 dxe4 13. O-O Bh3 $17 {, and of course the loss of the light-squared bishop is anything but satisfactory here.}) 10. Qxd2 {(1:08)} cxd4 {(1:10)} 11. exd4 Be6 12. O-O Rc8 $11 {So the big chance has slipped away, and it's just a game after all. Still, I had no idea at the time and couldn't be dissatisfied with comfortable equality.} 13. Rac1 Qd6 {Clearing d8 for the other rook to come into play and prompting White to resolve the stand-off of the knights.} 14. Nxc6 Rxc6 $5 {I spent a long time over this move, before making a decision that considerably sharpens the play. I was wary of the c5 square getting blockaded if I took with the b-pawn, and the rook becomes active on the c-file and - surprisingly - the third rank, but this comes at the considerable expense of letting White mobilise his queenside pawns.} (14... bxc6 {I don't think my choice is as bad as the engine initially claims, but this is at the very least safer.} 15. Qa5 {This was the move I was afraid of, hitting a7 and simultaneously menacing Ba3. However, Black can simply ignore the threat and play} (15. c4 $6 dxc4 16. bxc4 Rfd8 17. d5 (17. Rfd1 Bg4) 17... Bxb2 18. Qxb2 cxd5 19. cxd5 Rxc1 20. Rxc1 Bxd5 21. Rd1 e6 22. Bxd5 exd5 23. Rd4 $15) (15. Bc3 {If White does nothing then Black's next move will be} c5 {with easy equality, for example} 16. Rfd1 cxd4 17. Bxd4 Bxd4 18. Qxd4 Qa3 19. h4 h5 $11 {The e6 bishop is admittedly misplaced, but the backward c-pawn and Black's nigglesomely placed queen help to make up for it.}) (15. b4 {This stops Black's pawn break in its tracks, but on the other hand White can never push c2-c4 and recapture with a pawn now. So Black can just take time to tidy up his position with} h5 16. h4 Bf5 17. Rfe1 e6 18. a4 Kh7 $11 {(preparing to activate the bishop via h6) and White is not making progress.}) 15... c5 $1 $11 {anyway, since it should be obvious that the pawn is poisoned -} 16. Qxa7 $4 Ra8 17. Qb7 Rfb8) 15. c4 {(48) Yoon played this instantly with a look of triumph. I was relying on} Ra6 {(43) to gain a tempo, and then} 16. c5 Qd7 {, and White doesn't have time to stop me exchanging the light-squared bishops.} 17. a3 Bh3 18. Bxh3 Qxh3 19. b4 h5 {It's hard to believe that White can be in any real danger, and he isn't if he shows some care, but if you ignore that your opponent has a right to exist despite being 200 points lower rated then...} 20. Qe2 {(37)} Re6 {(34) As I said, the third rank is surprisingly useful for Black. White's plan is clearly to push through his queenside pawns to victory, so I have to muster my forces on the kingside and seek counterplay there. Until White can re-route his bishop I'm essentially a piece up, so there is some reason to hope for success, and Yoon's next move certainly doesn't help him in that sense.} 21. Qb5 $6 {The computer is silent on this, but it's a step in the wrong direction since there is obviously only one follow-up and it proves to be impossible. Wandering away from the defence of his king is a risky business...} h4 22. Qxb7 $2 {Suicide! No doubt he thought that the c-pawn would be enough to divert me, but White abandons control of the entry point to the second rank and this proves to have dire consequences.} (22. Rce1 $142 {Neutralising the e-file should be the first priority.} hxg3 23. fxg3 (23. hxg3 $2 Rf6 $1 $19 {looks clumsy, but it keeps the rook on the board and prepares ...Rf5-h5. White is powerless against the looming mate threats.} 24. Rxe7 Rf5 25. Qd7 Bf6 26. Re3 Kg7) 23... b6 24. Qd7 bxc5 25. bxc5 Rb8 {This time White's queen is involved in the game, but nevertheless Black is active enough that the engine finds itself spitting out perpetuals everywhere, for example} 26. Bc3 Rb3 27. Qe8+ Kh7 28. Qxf7 Rxc3 29. Qxe6 Rxg3+ 30. hxg3 Bxd4+ 31. Rf2 Qxg3+ 32. Kh1 Bxf2 33. Qxe7+ Kh6 34. Qf8+ Kg5 35. Qe7+ $11) 22... hxg3 $2 {At the board I didn't believe White's previous move, but I also didn't realise just how good my position was. I began straightforwardly by opening the h-file, but in fact Black can win quickly by advancing the pawn to h3 instead.} (22... Re2 $142 {By starting this way, which gains a tempo against b2, Black can instead go in for} 23. Ba1 Qf5 $1 {(I missed this idea)} 24. Rce1 h3 $1 {and the tomb is sealed.} 25. Rxe2 (25. f3 $144 Rg2+ 26. Kh1 Qc2 $19 {also mates}) 25... Qf3 $19 {This would have been a nice way to conclude proceedings, without allowing the possible defence that blemishes the game. On the other hand, I wouldn't have been able to demonstrate the winning resource that I did!}) 23. hxg3 Re2 24. Ba1 Bh6 {I played this with my next move in mind, however it is only worth a draw if White finds the best response. Yet I loosely evaluated my attack as just 'compensation for the pawn' and actually thought that what now unfolds was a draw too, confirming again the old rule that if I think I have compensation for a pawn I'm actually winning.} 25. Rce1 $2 {(18) Yoon plays the most automatic move on the board, seemingly taking back the e-file - this wins against all but one of Black's replies. And yet, Black to play and win...} (25. Rc3 $2 {also fails after} Qe6 {- it turns out that Black has enough time to get both his king and his bishop out of the other rook's way, which can decisively strengthen the attack from h8.} 26. c6 Bd2 27. Rb3 (27. Rc5 {Other rook moves are no better:} Qh3 28. c7 Be1 {is a familiar motif.} 29. c8=Q Bxf2+ 30. Rxf2 Re1+ $19) (27. Rc2 Qe4 {White can try giving up the exchange, but} 28. Rxd2 Rxd2 29. c7 Rc2 $19 {shuts down the c-pawn after which Black can return to the ...Kg7/...Rh8 idea.}) 27... Kg7 28. Qd7 (28. c7 $2 Rh8 29. Qb8 Qh3 $19 {and White has to give up his queen to stop mate.}) 28... Qe4 29. Qh3 $8 {White beats off the first wave of the attack and is ready to plug the holes with Qg2. However the roof caves in nonetheless following} Be1 30. c7 Bxf2+ $1 31. Rxf2 Rxf2 32. Kxf2 Qc2+ 33. Ke1 Qxb3 34. c8=Q Rxc8 35. Qxc8 Qb1+ 36. Kd2 Qxa1 $19 {with excellent winning chances in this pawn-up queen ending, as White's king is much too exposed.}) (25. Rfe1 $142 $1 {is the way to defend. Now Black can either force a draw with the same move as in the game, or play on with compensation after} Bxc1 26. Rxe2 e6 27. Qc7 $11 {Since White is able to meet ...Kg7 with Qe5+, there is no snap mate and I would probably have taken the other course.}) 25... Be3 $3 {(23) Never let it be said I'm entirely hopeless at tactics! This clearly came as a thunderbolt to my opponent. After the game he seemed to imply it was just a lucky cheapo, but if you insist on wandering off with your queen to grab an irrelevant pawn then accidents can happen.} 26. Rxe2 {After long thought Yoon settled for the relatively best defence, but he took long enough, and looked miserable enough, that I finally clocked that this was no draw.} (26. fxe3 Qg2# {is obviously the main point}) (26. Qxd5 {Strangely I'd seen that I could answer this with} Qxg3+ $6 (26... Bxf2+ $142 27. Rxf2 Rxe1+ 28. Rf1 Rxf1#) 27. Qg2 Bxf2+ $1 {winning a rook, but not that I could just play this straight away!} 28. Kh1 Qh4+ 29. Qh2 Qxh2+ 30. Kxh2 Bxe1+ $19) 26... Qxg3+ 27. Kh1 {Now we see why White should have defended with 25. Rfe1!, for I really would have to settle for a perpetual check if he could play Kf1 here. As it is, I regain the rook and then win easily thanks to White's barren kingside.} Qh3+ 28. Kg1 Qg4+ 29. Kh1 Qxe2 30. Rg1 {(11)} Kg7 {(16) (30... Qf3+ is slightly faster, but mate is mate)} 31. Qxd5 Rh8+ 32. Kg2 Qxf2# {A pleasing start to the tournament, although I have to admit that my opponent was off colour. The Qb5xb7 plan was a grave misjudgement for someone of his strength.} 0-1

From the KJCA days I remembered Yoon as quite a gung-ho young player, so it was a surprise to see him play such a quiet opening. Maybe unfamiliarity was why he thought he could go on an adventure with his queen? I don't doubt that if the position after 22. Qxb7? was presented to him fresh, he would choose to play Black. As mentioned in the notes, I didn't realise I was already winning by that point, but I knew where my preferences lay: all of Black's pieces can get active, whilst White's heavy guns are doing nothing and his bishop is just a pawn with a pointy hat. The sacrificed pawn proved to be totally irrelevant.

Needless to say, I mostly wanted to show this game because of the result and my problem-like 25th move. However, even a passive position can contain defensive resources, as the computer improvements on moves 22 and 25 show. Moreover, the optimum winning method was not to blow open all the lines and then murder the white king with my heavy pieces (though that ultimately worked out OK) but instead to keep the h-file closed and use the h-pawn as part of a mating net. Vindication perhaps for the modern engine trend of pushing rook's pawns as far as they will go. In any case, it is good to have an open mind - I played that part of the game on autopilot.

One of the games severely overran, so pairings for the afternoon only went up immediately before the round started. That was a shame, for I was facing an FM who I hadn't played for a very long time and my memory played a trick on me. However, I was undeterred and had a clear plan for the game - create as much chaos as possible...