(1) Collins,John - Flynn,David [B20]
West Nottingham 2 - Fiveways 1 (Board 4), 03.10.2005

Notes by John Collins.

1.e4 c5 2.a3!
Not nearly as bad as it looks, and it has the advantage of forcing both sides to think from move 2.

2...g6 3.b4 Bg7 4.Nc3 cxb4 5.axb4 e6
Black has many moves to choose from, but this and his next are not good.

6.d4 Ne7 7.Nf3 d5 8.e5 Bd7?
This is a terrible move; Black did not foresee my next.

9.b5!
Now Black's whole queenside is locked in, and his a-pawn is pinned so that he cannot free himself. Also the a3 to f8 diagonal is opened for my bishop. I told you it is a good opening!

9...a5
This doesn't really help, but what can Black do?

10.Ba3 h5 11.h4 0-0
Perhaps Black should delay castling or avoid it altogether. It would be difficult for White to get at the black king in the centre, and now the Black knight is pinned.

12.Bd3 b6 13.Qe2
I thought longer about this move than any other. The point is that if Black plays Nf5 at any stage, then White wants to reply with Bxf5, then after exf5 White can take the d5 pawn without losing the b-pawn.

13...Qc7 14.Nd1 Bc8 15.Bd6
To get the queen off the c-file before playing Ne3.

15...Qd7 16.Ne3 Bb7
Black is hopelessly tied up; how does White proceed?

17.g4 hxg4 18.Nxg4 f5?!
Desperate measures.

19.Ne3 Rd8
Unpins the knight at last, and gives his king some room to escape.

20.Kd2 Nc8 21.Ba3 Bf8 22.Bxf8 Rxf8 23.Rag1 Kf7
The game is lost for Black; I simply have to find an efficient way of finishing him off.

24.Ng5+ Ke8 25.h5 gxh5 26.Qxh5+ Kd8 27.Nh7!
Now the knight reaches the deadly square f6.

27...Rh8
Forced.

28.Qg5+ Kc7 29.Nf6 Rxh1
Forced.

30.Rxh1 Qd8 31.Rh7+ Ne7
Spot the continuation...

32.Rxe7+
A logical game! 1-0