Bowers, Francis - Browning, Dennis
Div. 2 P'boro B vs. Rookswood
[2023.09.14]
[B75]
Annotator was unusually present at postlude analysis. Visiting Rookswood captain Francis Bowers, while at Peterborough Chess Club, continued the chess tradition of occasional analysis of club games asking tutor Fred and occasionally his opponent tutor Dennis Browning, regular winner of internal competitions, to annotate games. The games were distributed to club members by email. Tutor James Conlon extended the tradition to beginner level games in the hope that immediate feedback would give learners the chess knowledge and experience that would come only after many games actually played. This game is the first league game to be displayed to all members. Rather than use email to send games to members, tutor James, as current website manager, has decided to post the games on the club website. Eventually these games may be posted on the LMS results website, where there is provision for PGN files. James happened to be present at the postlude analysis but did not take part in the process.
If you are reading this with an interactive board alongside, you may like to know that this was created by James using SCID software, with the JavaScript reading each position from FEN notation.
1.e4
1. ... c5
2.Nf3
Nc6
One usually reaches the Dragon via the move order
3.d4
cxd4
4.Nxd4
Nf6
5.Nc3
g6?!
A dubious move order.
6.Be3
White selects well-trodden paths. But the way to grab the advantage was the bold
6. ... Bg7
7.f3
[
7.Bc4
is more precise
]
7. ... d6?!
It is not clear whether the d-pawn should stay on d7 or be ready for d7-d7. Black should simply have castled.
8.Qd2
Nxd4?
In the postlude analysis the annotator simply did not understand this less than thematic move. Black should transpose to the main line with
9.Bxd4
Be6
By analogy, a move employed by GM Luke McShane in the first London Chess Classic.
10.Bb5+!
The annotator likes this move.
10. ... Bd7?
A valuable loss of a tempo, Black must be prepared to go all in and even be prepared to castle manually starting with
11.Bxd7+
Qxd7
The opening skirmish is nearly over and White clearly has the advantage. His King is safer and he is ready to launch a Kingside assault starting with either 12.g4! or 12.0-0-0.
12.Nd5?
Invites exchanges which eases the tension. I readily chide students of chess where they move the same piece more than once in the opening phase ...unless and, to eschew exchanges, ...unless.
12. ... e5?
Strategically a horrible move. Black is left with a vulnerable backward d6-pawn and, he has a horrible Bishop on g7, hemmed in by his own pawns.
13.Bc3
[
13.Be3
was also good, keeping control of the c1-h6 diagonal
]
13. ... Nxd5?
14.Qxd5
O-O
15.O-O-O
Rfd8
16.Rd3
[
I think a better plan is
16.Kb1
Rac8
17.Qb3
with ideas of Rd5, Rhd1, a3 (luft) and Bb4 increasing the pressure on d6.
]
16. ... Rac8
17.Rhd1
17. ... Qe7
18.Bb4?
Round about here White begins to lose the thread. The engines suggest the plausible line:
18. ... Qg5+?
19.Kb1?
19. ... Qxg2
Thank you.
20.R3d2?
20. ... Qg5?
A nervous response. Simply
21.Bxd6
In some lines threatening 22.Be7.
21. ... Bf6?
Now it is Black who is losing the plot!
22.Qxb7
Rc4?
Black thought this was an interesting try but it should have proved to be the losing move.
23.Qxa7+-
Rd4?
24.Rxd4
exd4
25.Qa3?
Whatever happened to calculation?
25. ... Qb5
[
25. ... d3
as pointed out by annotator in the postlude analysis, opening up the a1-h8 diagonal, was the best try
]
26.Rd3
26. ... Rc8
27.Bg3
Kg7
28.Qb3
Qc5
29.f4?
A blunder, as conceded by White after the game. Simply
29. ... Qc6
30.a4
30. ... Qxe4=
Draw agreed.
=-=
Created with Scid 4.7