Guildford 1 v Surbiton 1, Surrey League Division 1.
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 c5 5.e4 Nc6 6.Nge2
This is the Botvinnik Variation of the English. White clamps down on the centre and aims to expand with pawn breaks on either the kingside or queenside. A very popular system which was the cornerstone of The Iron English by GM Simon Williams. Black has many different responses but the White strategy is the same.
6…e5 7.O-O d6 8.h3 Be6 9.d3 Qd7 10.Kh2 h5
Black goes for the kingside attack, but it's not dangerous. I was now thinking of a more central riposte involving pushing the f-pawn to f4 and f5.
11.Nd5 Nh7 12.f4 O-O-O This is logical but provocative. Rb1 and b4 is an obvious plan to open the queenside. Alternatively I could continue pushing Freddie (Simon Williams names his pawns after their starting squares).
13.Nec3?!
But this is neither one thing nor the other. The engine says Be Bold, sacrifice a pawn with 13.f5 gxf5 14.exf5 Bxf5 15.Rb1, and b4 is coming with a clear advantage for White.
13...f5 14.Nb5 Objectively this is not the strongest move, but it does set a trap, which Black falls into…
14...exf4??
This loses by force as White now has a nice tactic to blow open Black's position.
15.Nxa7+! Kb8
With the idea 15...Nxa7 16.Nb6+ and the knight forks the king and queen.
16.Nxc6+ bxc6 17.Qb3+ Qb7 18.Nxf4 Qxb3
Exchanging queens, but it doesn't really change anything.
19.axb3 Rhe8 20.Nxg6 fxe4 21.Bxe4 d5 22.Bg2 Kb7 23.Nf4 Kb6 24.Bd2
Here the strongest continuation was 24.Nxe6 Rd7 (24...Rxe6 25.Rf7 threatening to capture on g7, also Rfa7 with mate to follow) 25.Ra6+ Kxa6 26.Nxc5+ Ka7 27.Nxd7 winning a piece.
24...Rd7 25.Rae1 Rde7 26.cxd5 cxd5 27.Bxd5 Bf5 28.Rxe7 Rxe7 29.Bc4 Kc6 30.d4 Bxd4 31.Nd5 Re5 32.Rxf5 1–0
It's all over since recapturing on f5 loses to Ne7+ forking king and rook. This game illustrates Fischer's observation that tactics flow from a superior position.