Game 20

A game from this year's Spens Cup quarterfinal match between Edinburgh Civil Service and Lanark.

[Event "Spens Cup"]
[Date "19 Mar 2005"]
[White "David Stewart"]
[Black "Tom Brown"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White Grade "1679"]
[Black Grade "1669"]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 0-0 8.Bc4 Nc6 9.Qd2 Bd7 10.0-0-0 Rc8 11.Bb3 Ne5 12.Nde2 (This looks very passive. White has an opportunity here to start the thematic Kingside pawn push) a5 13.a4 Nc4 14.Bxc4 Rxc4 15.b3 Rc8 16.Bh6 (This results in the White queen being sidelined for the remainder of the game. There was still the possibility of the pawn storm beginning with 16.h4) Bxh6 17.Qxh6 Qc7 18.h4 (a bit late, Black's attack gets home first) b5 19.axb5 Bxb5 20.Rd2 Bxe2 21.Nxe2 Qc5 22.g4 a4 23.bxa4 (fatally weakening his King. But what else? 23.Kb2 is better but still loses.) Qa3+ 24.Kd1 Qxf3 25.Rg1 Nxe4 26.Rd3 Nf2+ 27.Kd2 Nxd3 (missing Rxc2+ with mate in a few moves) 28.cxd3 Rc2+ (this still works) 29.Kxc2 Qxe2+ 30.Kc3 Rc8+ 31.Kb4 Qb2+ 0 - 1