[Event "4NCL 2009-10"]
[Site "Sunningdale ENG"]
[Date "2010.01.16"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Ledger, A."]
[Black "King, D."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E09"]
[WhiteElo "2431"]
[BlackElo "2494"]
[Annotator "Andrew Ledger"]
[PlyCount "115"]
[EventDate "2009.10.24"]
[EventType "team"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "ENG"]
[SourceDate "2010.02.28"]
[WhiteTeam "Betsson"]
[BlackTeam "Guildford"]

{I thought this game was worth annotating, not because it has tactical
fireworks or because of any theoretical importance, but because it is a nicely
played game all the way through against a strong GM opponent.} 1. d4 e6 2. c4
d5 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 {The last time we played, I went 2. e4 and we played a
dull French Tarrasch, so I decided on something different - my first ever
Catalan.} Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 {I guess Danny wanted to avoid the
heavily theoretical lines after dxc4 - see numerous games by Kramnik, Anand
and so on!} 7. Nbd2 c6 8. Qc2 a5 {This is unusual although it makes sense to
stake out some ground on the queenside before deciding how to develop further.}
(8... b6 {is more usual, planning Bb7 and an eventual c5.}) 9. e4 a4 10. Re1 b6
11. e5 Ne8 12. cxd5 {Perhaps a bit lazy. I wanted to rule out the possibility
of black using the d5 square, especially for his e8 knight. But, of course if
black does this, white can use the e4 square and has good chances to build up
on the kingside.} cxd5 13. h4 {Played along the lines of a Kings Indian Attack.
I don't have any pawn breaks so want to use my extra kingside space to build
up an attack. As it turns out, although this never materialises, the fact that
it is there as a plan encourages black to act on the queenside.} Qc7 14. Qd1 {
This is why 12. cxd5 may have been premature. White wants to keep queens on so
cedes the c-file, for the time being.} a3 15. bxa3 Ba6 {Black should probably
take back on a3, although I liked white's position after something like:} (
15... Bxa3 16. Bxa3 Rxa3 17. Rc1 Qd8 18. Qc2) 16. Re3 {This was an interesting
moment. After the game, Danny said he felt the rook was a bit clumsy here and
I guess he may have a point given that white's pieces aren't exactly
harmonious. But, I liked this rook, ready to swing over to the kingside and
also safeguarding the extra a-pawn. Of course, neither of us was to know that
this pawn on a3 would eventually win white the game - but even here, I felt it
was useful given that it controls b4 and may eventually be able to advance to
a4-a5 and leave white a 'real' pawn ahead.} Bb5 17. Bf1 {Not the computer's
first choice, but another move I was pleased with. If the black bishop is left
unmolested, black can start to play on the white squares on the queenside.}
Bxf1 18. Nxf1 Qa7 19. h5 h6 20. Rb1 {White must still have an edge - extra
space and an extra half pawn on the a-file.} Nc7 21. g4 {Perhaps too ambitious,
as it could potentially prove loosening later on. But with the bishop still
sat on c1, and the rook ready to swing across from e3, black has to be careful
of a kingside attack suddenly appearing after a timely g5.} Qa4 (21... b5 22.
Reb3 Qb6 23. g5 hxg5 24. Bxg5 Bxg5 25. Nxg5 {is the sort of thing that starts
to look quite worrying for black and explains the chosen move.}) 22. Qxa4 {
I was more pleased with this move than just about any other in this game.
Given the previous comments, you might think that white would be looking to
keep queens on almost regardless. It is so easy to get into the mindset of
"must keep queens on", that I was pleased that I could consider this option
properly. It is actually quite difficult to keep queens on in a convenient way
and after exchanging, white just has a healthy plus.} (22. Reb3 Nb5 {
is awkward for white, for example.}) 22... Rxa4 23. Rc3 Ra7 24. Ne3 Rfa8 25.
Nc2 {Always nice to overprotect an extra pawn, even if it is a lowly doubled
a-pawn. Part of the idea is to bring the bishop to b4 and gradually gain space.
} Ne8 26. Nfe1 {I was fairly convinced that this was a good move even if my
computer doesn't really like it. The idea is mainly to maintain white's space
advantage by meeting f6 with f4, as later happens, but also to bring the
kinght to a more useful square.} Rc7 27. Rbb3 Rac8 28. Rxc7 Rxc7 29. Bd2 {
Another benefit of 26. Nfe1, I can contest the c-file at my leisure.} f6 30. f4
{I felt round here that I had a clear and possibly winning advantage. White's
space advantage makes it really difficult for black to find good squares for
his knights.} Kf7 31. Rc3 Ra7 {Maybe black should swap rooks although it is
understandable as then, there is no prospect at all of anything other than
grim defence.} 32. Nd3 Nc7 33. Rb3 {The c7 knight remains black's main problem.
} b5 34. f5 {A good move - now the advantages that white has are starting to
build up as black's position creaks.} Nb6 35. Bf4 Nc4 36. exf6 Bxf6 (36... Kxf6
37. Bxc7 Rxc7 38. fxe6 {offers more hope.}) 37. Bxc7 Rxc7 38. fxe6+ Ke7 (38...
Kxe6 39. Nf4+ Kd6 40. Rxb5 Nd2 41. Rxd5+ Ke7 42. Ne3 {is just as bad}) 39. Rxb5
Nd6 40. Rc5 Rb7 41. Rxd5 {So, we've got to the time control and white is 4 (!)
pawns up. But actually, it didn't feel completely clear cut to me at the time.
The e pawn is doomed, the a pawns can get quite hard to defend and black's
pieces are quite well placed.} Rb1+ 42. Kf2 Kxe6 43. Ne3 Ra1 44. Kf3 Rxa2 45.
a4 {I thought for ages around here, working out how to keep the a pawn. I
started to see masses of knight forks and gradually realised that everything
appears to be working for white.} Ke7 (45... Rxa4 46. Nc5+) (45... Ra3 46.
Rxd6+ {are among the more obvious knight forks.}) 46. a5 Ra3 47. Ne5 (47. Rxd6
Rxd3 {didn't look so clear}) 47... Rb3 {Of course, black didn't want to play
this, but it was one of the main lines I had looked at just to get the rook
off forkable squares.} (47... Bg5 48. Rxd6 Rxe3+ 49. Kf2 {
was the main line I had to check, double check, triple check and so on.}) 48.
a6 Bg5 49. Rxd6 {I was rather aggrieved to find out later that some of my team
thought I'd blundered around here...} Kxd6 50. N5c4+ Kc7 51. a7 {
And the rook isn't even safe from forks on the b-file....} Rxe3+ 52. Nxe3 Kb7
53. Nf5 Bf6 54. Ke4 Kxa7 55. Kd5 Kb6 56. Ke6 Kb5 57. d5 Kc4 58. Nxh6 1-0

