Two games this week - first up, Stannington A (away), the team responsible for my two defeats last season... Board 1 again, up against Kier Morton who effectively beat me by a move last year.
1.e4
c6
2.d4
d5
3.e5
Bf5
4.f4
e6
5.Nf3
Nd7
6.Be3
Qb6
7.b3
c5
8.Bd3
Delayed (last time Kier played this on move 4).
8...Bxd3
9.Qxd3
Rc8
10.Nbd2
c4?
This is a mistake. I was looking at 11. xc4 xc4 12. Nxc4 Qb4+ 13. Nfd2 thinking I could capture the knight on c4 with my rook - however, after the queen recaptures, taking the queen with my queen breaks the pin on the d2 knight.
11.bxc4
Qa5
12.0-0
Ne7
13.Rfb1
Qc7
14.c5
g6
15.Rb2
Bg7
Bh6 may have been better
16.Rab1
b6
17.a4
Nc6
18.Bf2
0-0
19.Nb3
Rb8
20.Ng5
h6
21.Nf3
bxc5
22.Nxc5
Nxc5
23.dxc5
Rxb2
24.Rxb2
Rc8
25.Qa6
g5
The idea here is to put some pressure on the e5 pawn and try and get my bishop into the game.
26.Rb7
Qd8
27.g3
Rc7
28.Rxc7
Qxc7
29.Qb5
gxf4
30.gxf4
f6
With the idea of opening up both the a1-h8 diagonal and the g-file.
31.Nd4?
A blunder immediately after the time control. This appears to allow me to equalise completely.
31...Nxd4
32.Bxd4
fxe5
33.Bxe5
Bxe5
34.fxe5
Qxe5
35.Qe8+
This looks drawish. Kier offered me a draw and I accepted and sure enough, Fritz scores the position as 0 - a completely dead draw and my sixth in my last 7 competitive games. 1/2-1/2