The Master Annotates

Seth Homa was kind enough to annotate his last round win. Unfortunately, He was playing me!
I have added some of my own notes as well, Enjoy.

Nichols,Anthony T 2022 - Homa,Seth 2218 E90
March Mini Swiss
3-11-2007
(Homa, Seth-Nichols, Tony)

1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 g6
3.Nc3 Bg7
4.e4 d6
5.h3 0–0
6.Bg5 Na6
7.Nf3 Qe8

This move threw me off. Now, I was worried about Nh5.

8.Bd3

This line was new to both of us, but we had previous experience with the general strategies. We have had the position after 5.Nf3 O-O 6.h3 e5 7.d5 Na6 8.Bg5 a couple of times in our battles.
8.g4 is a better move. It's unclear where the bishop should go.

8... e5
9.d5 Nd7

This retreat, which obstructs the c8-bishop and aims for the same square as the offside a6-knight, looks odd, but black needs to push his f-pawn to create play.

10. g4

So, white decides to make this break as unpleasant for black as possible. No, there will be no castling kingside

10... Ndc5

In hindsight, 10...f5 right away looks better. For example: 11.gxf5 gxf5 12.exf5?! e4!

11.Be2

This amounts to a loss of tempo, so maybe the unnatural 11.Bb1!?, keeping touch with the e4-square, should be considered.

11... f5

Obvious, but it needed to be calculated. See note to white's 14th move.

12.gxf5 gxf5
13.Rg1 Kh8
14.Nd2

The fight centers around the e4 point. White aims to occupy, black intends to open his dragon bishop by moving his e-pawn. Tony and I both saw the following line: 14.Qd2 fxe4 15.Bh6 Bxh6 16.Qxh6 Qf7 17.Ng5 Qxf2+ 18.Kd2 e3+ 19.Kc2 Nb4+ 20.Kc1 Qxg1+ 21.Nd1 Bf5–+

14... fxe4

14...Nb4 is not so good. White replies 15.Qb1 playing defensively only for a moment. a3 and b4 will force an uncoordinated retreat from black's cavalry. 15...Qg6 attempting to exploit the pin on the g-file does not work on account of 16.h4 h6 17.h5

15.Ndxe4 Bf5

It looks like Black is winning the battle for e4.

16.Nxc5

Possibly inaccurate as it abandons the fight for the e4 square. However, alternatives didn't look satisfactory. I was expecting 16.f3 which is ugly, but supports the knight and gives white time to castle without the pain of having an enemy pawn on d3.

16... Nxc5
17.Qd2 Bg6

Blocking the g-file and opening the f-file, preventing the enemy king from moving.

18.Be3

Necessary.

18... e4

Black has acheived his main goal. However, that was only the first battle... the war continues.

19.0–0–0

19.Bd4?? loses tactically to 19...Nd3+; 19.Bxc5?? and this would be a horrible positional mistake. White would abandon his dark squares to the Fates. 19...dxc5

19... Nd3+
20.Bxd3 exd3

I was fairly happy with my position. My king is pretty safe here. The problem is how to attack Black's king!

21.h4

White plays to stir up trouble by opening more lines on the kingside. He has to act quickly, otherwise black's plusses will start to tell in a hurry (e.g, ...a6 with ...b5). 21.Nb5 White plays this a move later, but maybe right away is better. The added benefit is Nxc7 is threatened with a fork.

21... Qf7

Preventing the dark squared bishop from moving, and connecting the rooks.

22.Nb5

Tony fights with great energy. White has ideas of Nd4 into e6, or Bd4, exchanging a key piece of black's attack and defense.

22... c6!?

I thought this was forced and strong. However, this gives white good chances of at least a draw on move 25. Rybka 2.2 doesn't seem to mind a knight on e6.

23.Nxd6 Qf6
24.c5 cxd5

Black is just one move away from winning comfortably with 25...d4. It's time to mix things up again!

25.h5!?

25.Rg4! is Rybka's choice, and a good one although black seems to still keep a tiny pull. A sample: 25...Qf3 26.Rdg1 d4 27.Bxd4 (27.Rxd4!? also deserves a closer look.) 27...Bxd4 28.Rxd4 Qxf2 29.Qxf2 Rxf2 30.h5 Rc2+ 31.Kb1 Bxh5 32.Rxd3 Rxc5=

25... Bxh5
26.Rxg7!?

Now the complications become ludicrous!

26.Nb5 Bg6 27.Bd4 Qh4 28.Qxd3 is a better idea. White maximizes the pressure.

26... Qxg7

Forced. 26...Kxg7?? leaves black suffering for a reply to Bd4 after 27.Qxd3±; 26...Bxd1 taking this exchange loses beautifully to 27.Nf5!! OK, I didn't see this, but Rybka did! 27...Qxf5 28.Bd4 Qf4 29.Rg4++-

27.Bh6?

Should be the losing move! 27.Qxd3 also had to be looked at. I rejected it to (27...Bxd1 28.Bd428.Qxd1 Qg2–+ presents no difficulties.) 28...Rf6 29.Qc3 Raf8 30.Ne8 Qg1–+ More craziness!

27.Re1 Bg6 28.Qb4 Kg8 29.f4 Black is better but White has lots pressure.

27... Qd4?

At the time I thought this was winning, but a day later with computer analysis, I have to give this a question mark! 27...Qg4 Funny, as I play this a move later, that I never considered playing it here. There is the simple threat to the d1–rook, but more importantly, black has control over d4 and can meet Qc3+ with ...d4.

28.Be3

I seriously underestimated this move. I had to refocus fast, as now white has serious counter chances once again.

28... Qg4

The difference now is white owns d4. 28...Qg7 29.Bh6 could have been a draw, or I might have then spotted 29...Qg4

29.f3??

The losing move was an oversight caused by white's oncoming time trouble (11 minutes to my 24).
I can't explain the text move. Much better was 29.Qc3+ Kg8 30.Re1

29... Rxf3
30.Qc3+ Kg8
31.Rg1 Rg3–+

The move white missed.

32.Rxg3 Qxg3
33.Nf5!

The only one of my opponent's moves that completely skipped my radar. White threatens, among other things: my queen, forks (if I move my queen to g6 or g4), and Nh6+ followed by Qf6+ or Qh8+. Even worse, I can't check white's king as the bishop covers g1.

33... d2+!!

Deflecting white's queen. Even now, with an objectively lost position and less than 4 minutes on his clock, Tony puts up incredibly tough resistance to the very end.

34.Qxd2

34.Bxd2 Qg1+ 35.Kc2 Qd1+ 36.Kd3 Qf1+ 37.Kc2 Qxf5+ picks up the knight; 34.Kxd2 Qg2+ 35.Kd3 Qe4+ 36.Kd2 Qxf5 ditto.

34... Qf3

Covering d5, g2, and even c3 indirectly (Qc3? Qd1 mate).

35.Nh6+

He used up 6 of his remaining 9 minutes on this move. 35.Qxd5+ would have on the pawn as opposed to what happened in the game. However, this would have helped black more. 35...Qxd5 36.Ne7+ Kf7 37.Nxd5 Bf3 and while black lost a pawn compared to the game, the bishop is unobstructed in protecting the queenside.

35... Kf8
36.Qd4

White couldn't avoid the trade of queens.

36... Qf1+
37.Kd2 Qd1+
38.Kc3 Qxd4+
39.Kxd4 Re8

Protecting d5 indirectly with a gain of time.

40.Nf5 Bf3
41.Bh6+ Kg8

41...Kf7?? is a 10 on the "D'oh!" factor. 42.Nd6+=

42.Nd6 Re6!

Accurate. Black ignores defending his b-pawn just yet and frees his h-pawn.

43.Bf4 h5!

Again, black protects his b-pawn indirectly. This time, Re4+ would be the trick.

44.b4 h4
45.b5 h3
46.c6 bxc6
47.bxc6 Re7

If instead 47...Re2 48.c7 Bg4 49.Kxd5 h2 50.Bxh2 Rxh2 51.c8Q+ Bxc8 52.Nxc8 Rxa2 May or may not be won.

48.Bh2 Re2!

Going to attack the c-pawn from behind with gain of time. 48...Rc7?? Just when you may have thought this wins the c-pawn and the game (49.Kc5 d4)... 49.Nf5! and suddenly white has a draw! 49...Rxc6?? and even a win if black plays this! 50.Ne7+

49.c7 Bg4
0-1

White resigned with just seconds left on his clock. An epic, last round battle with everything at stake!49...Bg4 50.Bg3 Rc2–+
A very interesting game! Well done Seth!