2 November 2019 - County U-160s - Kent v Middlesex

County Under-160s match - Kent v Middlesex

Saturday 2 November 2019

White: Keith Nevols (157) - Black: L Macallar (158)

King's Indian Defence

1. e4 g6

2. d4 Bg7

3. c4 

Steering issues into the King's Indian Defence about which I had a bit more knowledge than the Pirc Defence which would have resulted after 3. Nc3 Nf6.

3. ...... d6

4. Nc3 a6?!

An odd move which I thought served little purpose.

5. Nf3 Nd7

6. Be2 e6

7. Bg5 

7. Be3 would have been a more accurate way to take advantage of the defensive set-up that Black is putting together.

7. ..... Ne7

8. Qd2 h6

9. Be3 

The point of my manoeuvre was to delay Black from castling.

9. ...... b6

10. O-O Bb7

White has the advantage in space but Black does not have any clear weaknesses. It is the ultimate 'wall'.

White's best is 11. d5 but I was unsure about allowing Black control of c5 and e5 so I decide to prepare an offensive around f4, in the way of the Grand Prix attack with which I was a little familiar.

11. Ne1?! c5

12. f4 Qc7

13. Rd1 cxd4?!

Black decides to resolve the tension in the centre. The engine recommends continuing the wall strategy with 13. .. Rd8 and castling kingside.

14. Bxd4 Bxd4

15. Qxd4 Qc5

16. Kh1? 

Poor. 16. Nf3 brings the knight back into the action.

16. ...... Qxd4

17. Rxd4 

 

17. ........Nc8

Understandable that Black needs to defend the d6 pawn but 17. ... O-O-O and sacrificing it would have given Black a good initiative against the e4 pawn. For example, 18. Rxd6 Kc7 19. Rd1 Nc5 20. Rxd8 Rxd8 21. Bf3 Rd4 or 20. e5 Nf5.

So White's best, after 17. .... O-O-O might be to decline the sacrifice with 18. Nc2.

18. Rd1?

Too cautious. 18. Nc2 and then Ne3 would keep the pressure on.

18. ..... f5?!

Risky to open the centre with the king in the middle. 18. .. Ke7 defends d6.

19. exf5 

19. Bf3 would have been more accurate. Now Black can rid himself of the weak e-pawn.

19. ...... exf5

20. Bf3 Bxf3

21. Nxf3 Nf6

22. Rfe1+ Kf7

Black's main weaknesses are the isolated pawn on d6 and the pawns on b6 and g6 which are possibly vulnerable to attack. So 23. Nd5 is best here. Instead I think it is time to advance the King. 

23. Kg1 Ra7

24. Nd4 Re8

25. Rxe8 Kxe8

26. Re1+ 

It can't be wrong to take an open file but the engine prefers tidying up with b3 or g3.

26. ...... Kf7

27. b3 Rc7

28. Kf2 Ng4+

29. Kg3 Nf6

30. Kf3 Ng4

With a draw offer, which I accepted. I could not see how I could progress.

However, 31. Nd5 Rb7 32. h3 Nf6 33. Nxf6 Kxf6 34. Re8 Rc7 35. g4! gives White a strong initiative which, had I seen it, should have been tried.