She is in Dubai so I will have to do this. Here is last nights game against DB, another tight one hinging on small decisions.
1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. a3 Bxc3 5. bxc3 b6 6. Bf4
(The game Explorer on chess.com gives ….6 …. OO here, but only one game and a white win so Bf4 seems largely untested, cant be bad)
6 …. Bb7 7. e3 d5 (maybe 7 …. d6 is more solid)
8. Nf3 OO 9. Qc2 Nbd7 10. Bd3 ( probably 10. cxd5 first is more accurate)
10. … dxc 11. Bxc4 Be4 12. Bd3 Bxd3 13. Qxd3
My thoughts on this positionin the game :-
1. Its pretty level
2. Dont get check mated on h7
3. Best winning chance is the c and d files
4. a Knight for bishop exchange would be useful
13 ….. h6 14. OO Nh5 15. Bg3 Nxg3 16. hxg3 (think I would have played fxg3 here)
16. …. Nf6 17. c4 c5 18. Rfd1 cxd 19. exd Rac8. Reasonably happy now as have achieved 1-4 above
20. a4 Qc7 21. Ne5 Rfd8 22. Qf3 (stopping my planned Nd7)
22. …… Nh7 23. Qe3 f6 24. Nf3 ( and the game swings slightly my way, I had wondered if Ng6 might happen but its hard to see what it might do from there)
24. ….. Qxc4
I am a pawn up but all the heavy artillery is still on, dificult win if it stays on, if the artillery comes off then the end game is won, so was not too unhappy when DB started offering exchanges
25. Rdc1 Qd5 26. Rxc8 Rxc8 27. Rc1 Rxc1 28. Qxc1 Qd7 29. Qc4 Nf8
30. Nd2 Qd5 31. Qc3 Kf7 32. f3 Ke7 33. Kf2 Nd7 34. Qb4+ Qd6
35. Qc3 e5 36. Nb3 a5
DB had less than a minute left at the time control, I think time has been significant in both our games
37. dxe fxe. (this broke up my pawns a bit but I felt it was important to keep Dave’s horse off d4)
38. Ke2 Nc5 39. Nxa5? bxa5 40. Qxa5 Qa6+ 41. Qxa6 Nxa6 42. Kd3 Kd6
43. Ke4 g6 44. f4 Nc5+ 45. Kf3 exf 46. gxf Nxa4 47. g4 Nc5
White Resigns