[Event "Junior Online 4NCL Division 1"] [Site "Lichess Online"] [Date "2023.02.16"] [Round "3.22"] [White "Thomas, James"] [Black "Zhan, Richard"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A48"] [WhiteElo "1400"] [BlackElo "1668"] [Annotator "Donnelly,MJ"] [PlyCount "43"] [EventDate "2023.02.16"] [SourceVersionDate "2008.05.10"] [WhiteTeam "Downend Upstarts"] [BlackTeam "Desert Penguins Saturn"] {[%evp 0,43,18,19,27,21,24,30,33,32,37,33,33,28,11,23,18,18,22,13,13,-6,108,88,184,170,130,132,454,454,559,189,189,152,157,160,277,276,277,277,277,282,282,281,435,456]} 1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 {The solid London System , an ancient opening as indicated by its alternative name of the Mason Attack, which has become very popular at all levels in recent years. A great number of opening texts have been published on this opening and as its a relatively straightforward opening to play its a useful starting point for young players to begin to grapple with the intricacies of opening theory.} Nf6 3. e3 g6 {Adopting a Grunfeld style set up. This secures the safety of the Black king after king's-side castling but does not make any effort at present to counter White's control of the key e5 square. Also often played are the immediate attack on Whites centre with} (3... c5) ({or attempting to neutralise the action of the Bf4 via} 3... e6 4. Nf3 Bd6) 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. h3 {Preventing Bg4 and also giving the Bf4 a safe retreat to h2 in case of a later Nh5, or ideas such as h6 and g5, by Black.} O-O 6. Be2 {As played by top players such as Kamsky or Bauer although White has several other alternatives such as} (6. Bd3 {favoured by Nakamura,}) ({or keeping options open with} 6. Nbd2 {again played by Nakamura and also Li and Dubov, or attacking the d5 point with}) (6. c4 {another line played by Kamsky.}) 6... c5 7. c3 b6 8. Nbd2 Bb7 9. O-O Nc6 10. Ne5 {Both players have so far played the opening well and in line with several of World Elite's games but now Black makes an error allowing White to start to apply pressure on Black's position.} Re8 $6 {Possibly planning to attain e5 by a plan such as Nh5/f6/e5 but White thwarts this idea with a good reply.} ({Instead} 10... Nd7 {is correct forcing a decision about White's key centrally placed knight. Examples of play are} 11. Nxc6 (11. Nxd7 Qxd7 {Dreev-Mamedyarov,Titled Tuesday intern op Chess.com blitz 2021.}) (11. Ndf3 Ndxe5 12. Nxe5 Nxe5 13. Bxe5 Bxe5 14. dxe5 Qc7 {Kirszenberg-Lagunes, FRA-chT 1989.}) 11... Bxc6 {Li-Xiong, Lichess.org rapid match 2020. In each case Black is at least equal. Note also that the usual strategy for supporting a Ne5 with f4 is not here available as this square is occupied by the bishop.}) 11. Bb5 {A strong move pinning the Nc6. Alternatives that have been played are much less effective. For example} (11. a3 Nd7 12. Nxc6 Bxc6 13. Nf3 Bb7 {Dani-Strgacich, Villa Martelli ProAm op 2016.}) (11. Ndf3 Nd7 {Lima-Oliveira, Titled Tuesday intern op Chess.com blitz 2023. In both games Black has solved the problem of the Ne5.}) 11... Rc8 (11... Qc8 {Silverman-Tripp, USA-ch S22002 ICCF e-mail 2022 met with the same reply as in the main game} 12. Qa4 {and after the curious} Nb8 13. Bxe8 Nxe8 {Black had nothing for the exchange.}) 12. Qa4 Nxe5 (12... a6 {loses even more quickly after} 13. Nxc6 Bxc6 ({or} 13... axb5 14. Nxd8 bxa4 15. Nxb7 Ra8 16. dxc5 Ra7 17. Nd6 exd6 18. cxb6) 14. Bxc6 b5 15. Qxa6 {winning too much material in each case.}) 13. dxe5 {The strongest recapture. After} (13. Bxe8 Nd3 {gives Black some compensation in pushing back the bishop and weakening White's pawn structure via} 14. Bb5 Nxf4 15. exf4 a6 16. Be2 (16. Bd3 {is poor due to} Nh5 17. g3 b5 {with a decent game for Black.}) 16... b5) 13... Ne4 $2 {This tactical reply loses quickly.} (13... a6 14. Bxe8 (14. Bxa6 $2 Ra8) 14... Nxe8 {is preferrable when Black may struggle on the exchange down but with a solid position.}) 14. Nxe4 (14. Bxe8 {again allows Black to play on as in the last note with} Nxd2 15. Rfd1 Qxe8 16. Qxe8+ Rxe8 17. Rxd2 e6) 14... dxe4 15. Bxe8 {Now the exchange can be taken without problems.} Qxe8 16. Qxe8+ Rxe8 17. Rfd1 {To add to Black's woes White can now dominate the central open file and aim to occupy the seventh rank.} Ba6 ({If} 17... Bc6 18. Rd2 {and doubling on the d-file follows. If Black tries to stop this idea with} Bb5 {then White may play} 19. f3 Bd3 20. fxe4 c4 21. b3) 18. Rd7 Ra8 19. Rad1 {Emphasing White's strong position although there was nothing wrong with the immediate win of a pawn by} (19. Rxe7) 19... Bd3 20. Rxe7 Kf8 (20... c4 {is only marginally more hopeful as White has the moves} 21. f3 ({or} 21. b3 {undermining the bishop whilst Black remains a pawn and the exchange in arrears.})) 21. Rd7 Ke8 22. e6 {A pleasant final touch winning more material. A nicely played game by someone with a rating of,at present, only 1400 elo.} 1-0