(1) McPhillips,K - Daly,C [E11]
THE COD, 09.09.2006
[Daly]



1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Nbd2 d5 5.e3 0-0 6.a3 Be7 7.b4 a5 8.b5 c6 9.bxc6 Nxc6
More usual here would hhave been bc6 but I wanted a more unbalanced type of game. Black is able to achieve easy equality anyway.

10.Bd3 a4!?
[10...dxc4 11.Bxc4 (11.Nxc4 b5 12.Nce5 Bb7 And Black is very comfortable 13.Bxb5 Nxe5 14.Nxe5 (14.dxe5 Qxd1+ 15.Kxd1 Ne4 16.Ke1 Rfc8 And Black has more than enough compensation.) 14...Bxg2 15.Rg1 Bd5 ) 11...Na7 Would have been interesting]

11.0-0 Bd7 12.Bb2 Na5
The point of the a4 plan. Seize space and create an annoying outpost on b3 for White to worry about.

13.Ne5 dxc4 14.Nexc4 Nxc4
[14...Bb5!? ]

15.Nxc4 b5
[15...Bc6 Was probably best now with a more or less equal position. I was however ina far more impatient and ambitious mood.]

16.Ne5 b4
Really the only consistent follow up to b5. Otherwise Black could easily end up saddled with a weak pawn on b5.

17.axb4 Bxb4 18.Ba3 Qe7??
This again a case of my positional mind getting the better of my tactical awareness, even though I had felt a certain unease in my bones about possible tactical flaws at this particular moment. I wanted to secure the iniiiative on the Qside so much that I moved way too fast and in my haste overlooked a simple but lethal combination. Instead Ba3 was still better for White but not by that much. [18...Bxa3 19.Rxa3 Qe7 20.Qa1 Rfb8 21.Nxd7 Qxd7 22.Bc2 Rb4 ]

19.Nxd7 Nxd7 20.Bxh7+
And thats it! Game over! I was of course disgusted with myself for losing so cheaply but on the other hand I was glad just to be done with chess for the day. I had sleep to catch up on!

20...Kh8 21.Be4 Ra5 22.d5
And a after a few more meaningless moves I resigned.

22...Nf6 23.d6 Bxa3 24.dxe7 Bxe7 25.Rxa4 1-0