Mayhew,Andrew (188) - Waters,Andy (161)
Thanet Congress Open, 22nd August 2009
Annotated by Andy Waters
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1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.Nc3
This is a passive response allowing Black equality.
3...Nxc3 4.bxc3 d5 5.d4 Bf5 6.f4
A not unpleasant surprise, White signals his intention to launch a king-side pawn thrust.
6...e6 7.Nf3 Be7 8.Bd3 Bg4
Rightly or wrongly I preferred to retain my white squared bishop for now.
9.0-0 c5 10.h3
And here come the pawns.
10...Bh5 11.g4 Bg6 12.f5 exf5 13.gxf5 Bh5 14.f6?
If Black had already castled this would be understandable but here it merely hands Black the open g-file; White has seriously underestimated my counterplay. [14.Qe1 threatening f6 is met by 14...c4 15.Be2 0-0 16.Qg3 (16.f6 gxf6=) 16...Kh8+/=]
14...gxf6 15.exf6 Rg8+ 16.Kf2 Bxf6 17.Qe1+?
White places his queen in the line of fire, Black's bishops and rook will now inflict the deserved punishment.
17...Kd7 18.Bf5+ Kc6
The king is perfectly safe on c6, unlike the opposing monarch.
19.Bg4 Bxg4 20.hxg4 Bh4+ 21.Nxh4 Qxh4+ 22.Ke2 Re8+ 23.Be3 Qxg4+ 24.Kd2 Nd7
Black is two pawns to the good and comfortable.
25.Rf4
25.Rxf7 Nb6-/+
25...Qg6
25...Qxf4 26.Bxf4 Rxe1 27.Rxe1 Although two pawns up I believed I could obtain a better ending by avoiding this line.
26.Qh4 Re4
Missing the brutal 26...Rxe3 27.Kxe3 Qxc2 28.Rf6+ Kb5 29.Rh1 Re8+ 30.Kf3 Qe2+ 31.Kg3 Rg8+ 32.Kf4 (32.Kh3 Qg2#) 32...Qe4# as demonstrated by Rybka.
27.Rg1 Qe6 28.Rgf1
28.Rxe4 Qxe4 29.Qxe4 dxe4 30.Rg7 Rf8 31.Rxh7 regains a pawn but Black now has a supported passed pawn and should win.
28...Rxf4
I was uncertain about trading off to a Q v 2Rs ending with 28...Rxe3 29.Rf6 Nxf6 30.Rxf6 Re2+ 31.Kd1 Re4 32.Rxe6+ fxe6 33.Qxh7 Generally the rooks will be better but the queen can be tiresome if there are easy targets to harry. I chose to avoid the question.
29.Rxf4 Re8 30.Qf2 f6 31.Rf5 Rg8 32.Qf3 Rg3
forcing the rooks off
33.Qxg3 Qxf5 34.dxc5?
I can't recall seeing a game won by someone with tripled pawns. Ceding the e5 square for my knight can't be a good defence.
34...Ne5 35.Kd1
White has nothing better.
35...Nc4 36.Bd4 Qh5+ 37.Ke1 Qh1+ 38.Ke2 f5 39.Qb8 Qe4+ 40.Kd1 Qf3+ 41.Ke1
In time trouble I was hoping White might have overlooked 41.Kc1 Qf1# There was no harm in trying
41...Qe4+ 42.Kd1 Qe6
Covering the c8 square.
43.Qh8
43.Qxa7 and the f pawn will charge 43...f4 44.Qb8 f3 45.Qh2 h5 threatening Qh6 with Nb2+ to follow
43...f4 44.Qxh7 f3 45.Qh2 Qg4 46.Ke1 Qe4+ 47.Kd1
After a decent think I realised I could win by bringing my King to b1.
47...Kb5 48.Qf2 Ka4
Rybka points out 48...Qf4 49.c6 Nb2+ 50.Ke1 Qc1#
49.c6 bxc6 50.Bxa7 Ka3 51.Qe1?
Hastening the inevitable
51...Nb2+ 52.Kd2 Qf4+ 53.Be3 Nc4+ 54.Kd3
54.Kd1 Nxe3+ 55.Kc1 f2 etc.; 54.Kc1 Nxe3 etc.
54...Qe4#
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