[Event "Club Championship 2018 A Grade"] [Site "Wellington Chess Club"] [Date "2018.09.20"] [Round "1.1.1"] [White "Forster, Bill"] [Black "Nijman, Brian"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2011"] [BlackElo "2162"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A40"] [Opening "Kangaroo Defense: Keres Defense, Transpositional Variation"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/hellsorganist"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/laKytRsp/9iCZsqsZ"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 e6 2. c4 Bb4+ 3. Nc3 { The database tells me that this is the worst of the three possible replies. I should have known that Brian would never meekly play ...Nf6 with a Nimzo, an opening I don't think he plays } 3... b6 4. e4 Bb7 5. Bd3 f5! 6. exf5?? { This always works in these positions right? } 6... Bxg2! 7. Qh5+ Kf8! { Uh oh. I considered resigning but White gets some decent play for his Rook. Both Black's rooks are a long way from getting into the game to make an extra one "felt" (as they say). Importantly I was able to play faster than normal (I am lost anyway, so I can play basically carefree), whilst Brian started burning a lot of time. } 8. Bg5 Nf6 9. Qh4 Nc6 10. Ne2 Bxh1 11. Nf4 exf5 (11... Nxd4! { was one winning move Brian pointed out after the game }) 12. O-O-O Bxc3 13. bxc3 Be4? { The first real mistake, there was no need to allow my Knight into d5 like this } 14. Bxe4 fxe4 15. Nd5 h6!? { Very clever but this actually surrenders the advantage } 16. Bxf6! $10 (16. Nxf6?! Kf7!! { is very embarrassing for White, it basically wins more or less instantly. Like a deer in the headlights I almost played this anyway as it seems to be the only thing that makes sense - but eventually I found something that does provide problems and in fact rescues the game (0.00) according to the all seeing Stockfish }) 16... gxf6 17. Rg1 { Fortunately White had plenty of time (Black was running on fumes) and was able to find the one-two punch of the 16th and 17th. The rook aspires to g6, weakened by the otherwise good ...h6. } 17... f5! { With no time Brian finds the right computer move } 18. Qf4! { And surprisingly I find the only good move in the position too } 18... Qe8 19. Nxc7 { We're both obviously cheating, as play continues along the 0.00 tightrope. } 19... Qh5? { Unsurprisingly Brian can't play perfectly on increment. I still had time on my clock and was able to see the forced win that now presents itself. I had to adjourn to the kitchen for a glass of water as SVT (Supra Ventricular Tachycardia) also threatened as it tends to for me in these situations. If only I could afford the time for such measures in every game I would have an extra hundred or two Elo for sure } (19... Qe7 { or }) (19... Qf7 { or }) (19... Nb4 { (because if } 20. Nxe8?? Nd3+ { wins) are the three moves that hold the balance, more or less }) 20. Qd6+! { It's more important to control e8 than to pick up the rook on a8. } 20... Ne7 (20... Kf7 21. Qxd7+ Ne7 { was Brian's intention, but he missed } 22. Qe6+ { which transposes, apart from the missing pawn on d7 }) 21. Qf6+ Qf7 22. Qxh8+ Ng8 23. Qxg8+! { Of course the computer hates this idea, but it's the right thing to do, swap down to an easy piece up ending } 23... Qxg8 24. Rxg8+ Kxg8 25. Nxa8 { I am perfectly capable of stuffing up something like this. But I still had 8 minutes or so, and Black doesn't even have one pawn for the piece (something that took me some time to realise) } 25... Kf7 26. Nc7 Kg6 27. Kd2 Kg5 28. Nd5 f4 29. h3 d6 30. Ke2 Kf5 31. Ne7+ Kg5 32. Nc8 Kh4 33. Nxd6 Kxh3 34. Nxe4 Kg2 35. Nf6 { 1-0 Black resigns. } 1-0