A34 Symmetrical English: 2.Nc3, lines with ...d5 (1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Bg2 Nc7 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.O-O e5 8.d3 Be7 9.a3 O-O)

This game that you can view below was played in the first round of the third division, group 4 team match between SalSK 3 and ÅmSK over twelve years ago. I played on board 5 for SalSK 3 in this match. We started these division matches with a nice 3 - 1 win. These matches are played on five boards but as draws do not count for the score, the result in the game below is basically considered as 0-0 in the match score. Even though similar to short castles, I just meant that neither team gets any points for the draw. With our team winning the match and me being able to draw against a higher rated opponent and therefore increasing my rating again, this match went quite well for me. Sure me winning this game would have been excellent, but I am happy about the way things went regardless. Until Monday, my fellow chess enthusiasts!

[Event "Sarjapeli"] [Site "?"] [Date "2003.09.20"] [Round "1"] [White "Åsten, Eero"] [Black "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "A34"] [WhiteElo "1548"] [BlackElo "1403"] [Annotator "Stockfish 9 64 POPCNT (30s)"] [PlyCount "139"] [EventDate "2003.02.15"] 1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Bg2 Nc7 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. O-O e5 8. d3 Be7 9. a3 O-O {A34 Symmetrical English: 2.Nc3, lines with ...d5} 10. Rb1 a5 ( 10... Bf5 11. Be3 Rc8 12. b4 cxb4 13. axb4 b5 14. Qd2 Re8 15. Rfc1 a6 16. Nh4 Bd7 17. Nf5 Bf8 18. Ne4 Bxf5 19. Rxc6 Bd7 20. Rb6 Re6 21. h4 h6 22. Rxe6 Nxe6 23. Qa2 Nd4 24. Bxd4 exd4 25. Qxa6 {Andersson,U (2545)-Tseitlin,M (2480) Polanica Zdroj 1978 1-0 (42)}) (10... f6 11. Ne1 Bd7 12. Nc2 Rb8 13. Ne3 Nd4 14. Ned5 Nxd5 15. Nxd5 Be6 16. Nxe7+ Qxe7 17. b4 c4 18. e3 Nb5 19. Qc2 Rbc8 20. dxc4 Rxc4 21. Qb2 Rfc8 22. a4 Rc2 23. Qxc2 Rxc2 24. axb5 Ba2 25. Ra1 { Wolfangel,C-Bellahcene,O Nimes 2014 1-0 (39)}) 11. Be3 Ne6 {Black has an active position} 12. Qc1 $146 (12. Qc2 Ned4 13. Bxd4 cxd4 14. Ne4 a4 15. Nc5 Bxc5 16. Qxc5 Ra5 17. Qc2 Be6 18. Rfc1 Bb3 19. Qd2 Qb6 20. Ne1 Rb5 21. Ra1 Na5 22. Nc2 Bxc2 23. Qxc2 Nb3 {0-1 (23) Menna Barreto,L-Padua Filho,A Nola Friburgo 1980}) (12. Nd2 Ned4 $11) 12... Ned4 13. Bxd4 (13. Nd2 Be6 $15) 13... exd4 (13... cxd4 14. Nb5 $15) 14. Ne4 (14. Nb5 Be6 15. b3 Na7 16. Nxa7 Rxa7 $11 ) 14... b6 15. Ned2 (15. Qc2 Be6 $17) 15... Rb8 (15... Be6 16. Re1 $17) 16. Nc4 Be6 (16... b5 17. Nfe5 Na7 18. Nd2 $15) 17. Nce5 (17. Nfe5 Nxe5 18. Nxe5 Qd6 $15) 17... Nxe5 (17... Bd5 18. Nxc6 Bxc6 19. Re1 $15) 18. Nxe5 Bd5 (18... Rc8 19. Nc6 Qe8 20. Nxe7+ Qxe7 21. Re1 $15) 19. Bxd5 (19. Nc6 Bxc6 20. Bxc6 h5 $15) 19... Qxd5 $15 20. Nf3 {White king safety improved} Rfe8 21. b3 (21. Re1 Bf8 $17) 21... Bf6 (21... Bf8 22. Re1 $15) 22. Re1 Re6 (22... Qd7 23. Qc4 $15) 23. Qc4 $15 {White threatens to win material: Qc4xd5} Qd6 (23... Qb7 $15) 24. a4 ( 24. Qb5 $5 $11 {looks like a viable alternative}) 24... Rbe8 $17 25. Rb2 (25. Nd2 Qd7 $17) 25... g5 (25... g6 26. Qc1 $17) 26. Kf1 (26. Nd2 Rxe2 27. Rxe2 Rxe2 $17) 26... Qe7 (26... Qc6 27. Kg1 $19) 27. Rc2 $2 (27. Qd5 $142 $5 $17) 27... g4 $19 28. Ng1 (28. Nd2 Bg7 $19 (28... Rxe2 $6 29. Ne4 Rxe1+ 30. Kxe1 $17 )) 28... Bg5 29. Qd5 $2 (29. e4 $142 dxe3 30. Qxg4 exf2 31. Rxe6 fxg1=Q+ 32. Kxg1 fxe6 33. h4 $19) 29... h5 $4 {gives the opponent counterplay} (29... Re5 $5 {and Black can already relax} 30. Qc6 Re6 31. Qd5 $19) 30. h4 $2 (30. f4 Rg6 31. e3 dxe3 $17) 30... gxh3 $4 {Black loses the upper hand} (30... Re5 $142 { and the scales tip in favour of Black} 31. Qc6 Re6 $19) 31. Nxh3 $17 Re5 (31... Rg6 32. e3 dxe3 33. Rce2 $15) 32. Qf3 (32. Qh1 Qf6 $17) 32... Bh6 (32... Qe6 33. Kg2 Qg6 34. Rh1 $15) 33. Qg2 (33. Kg2 Qe6 34. Nf4 Qg4 $15) 33... Kh7 (33... Qe6 34. Nf4 Qf5 35. Qh3 Bxf4 36. Qxf5 Rxf5 37. gxf4 Rxf4 38. f3 $17) 34. Qf3 $2 (34. Ng1 $5 $11 {must be considered}) 34... Qe6 (34... h4 35. e4 dxe3 36. fxe3 Qd7 $19 (36... Rxe3 $6 37. Rxe3 Qxe3 38. Qxf7+ Kh8 39. Qf6+ Kg8 40. Qg6+ Bg7 41. Kg2 $11)) 35. Ng1 $4 {the position is going down the drain} (35. Nf4 $142 Qd7 36. Rd2 $17) 35... Qxb3 $19 36. Rc4 b5 (36... Kg7 $142 {and the rest is a matter of technique} 37. Kg2 R8e6 $19) 37. Qxf7+ $18 Bg7 38. axb5 Qxb5 39. Nf3 Rf8 (39... R8e7 40. Qf4 Rd5 41. Qh4 $18) 40. Qc7 Ref5 41. Qe7 (41. Rec1 { might be the shorter path} Qb8 42. Qxa5 Qd8 $18) 41... Kh6 (41... Kg8 42. Qe4 $18) 42. Qe4 a4 $6 {puts up no strong fight} (42... Qe8 43. Qxe8 Rxe8 $18) 43. g4 (43. Ra1 $142 {and White can celebrate victory} Qd7 44. Rcxa4 $18) 43... hxg4 $14 44. Qxg4 a3 {Black advances the passed pawn} (44... R8f6 45. Kg2 Kh7 46. Rh1+ Bh6 47. Qe4 Rg6+ 48. Kf1 Rxf3 49. Rxh6+ Kxh6 50. exf3 $11) 45. Rcc1 ( 45. Kg2 Kh7 46. Ng5+ Kg8 $11) 45... a2 46. Qh3+ $4 {what a pity, victory was in sight} (46. Ra1 $142 {would bring relief} Qa6 47. Red1 $11) 46... Rh5 $19 47. Qe6+ (47. Qg2 {desperation} Qc6 48. Rc2 $19) 47... Rf6 48. Qxa2 (48. Qe4 { is not much help} Qd7 49. Red1 Rh1+ 50. Ng1 Qh3+ 51. Ke1 Rxg1+ 52. Kd2 Rxd1+ 53. Rxd1 Re6 $19) 48... Rg6 (48... Qd7 49. Qd2+ Kg6 50. Qg5+ Rxg5 51. Nxg5 Bh6 52. Rxc5 Bxg5 53. Rxg5+ Kxg5 54. Rc1 Qf5 55. f3 Rh6 56. Kf2 Rh2+ 57. Ke1 Rh1+ 58. Kf2 Rxc1 59. e3 Qh3 60. exd4 Qh2+ 61. Ke3 Re1#) 49. Qd2+ $19 Kh7 50. e3 ( 50. e4 {does not save the day} Bh6 51. Rb1 $19) 50... dxe3 (50... Qd7 $142 { secures victory} 51. Ke2 dxe3 52. Qxe3 Re6 $19) 51. Qxe3 $11 Bh6 {Black threatens to win material: Bh6xe3} 52. Qe7+ Rg7 (52... Kg8 $142 $5 {must definitely be considered} 53. Qd8+ Kh7 54. Qe7+ Kg8 55. Qd8+ Kh7 56. Qe7+ $11) 53. Qe4+ $16 Kh8 (53... Rg6 $142 54. Rb1 Rh1+ 55. Ke2 Rxe1+ 56. Rxe1 Qb4 57. Qe7+ Rg7 $16) 54. Rcd1 (54. Rb1 $142 Rh1+ 55. Ke2 Qxb1 56. Rxb1 Rxb1 57. Ne5 Rb2+ 58. Kf3 $16) 54... Rh1+ $11 55. Ke2 Qb2+ 56. Nd2 Rxe1+ 57. Kxe1 Rg1+ 58. Nf1 Qc3+ 59. Ke2 Qc2+ 60. Rd2 {White threatens to win material: Rd2xc2} Bxd2 61. Qe8+ Kg7 62. Qe7+ Kh6 63. Qe6+ $4 {spoils everything} (63. Qd6+ Kg5 64. Qe5+ Kh6 65. Qd6+ Kg5 66. Qe5+ Kh6 67. Qd6+ $11) 63... Rg6 {Black threatens to win material: Rg6xe6} (63... Kh5 64. Qf7+ Kh4 65. Qc4+ Qxc4 66. dxc4 Rxf1 67. Kxf1 Kg4 68. Ke2 Bh6 69. Kd3 Kf3 70. Kc2 Ke4 71. Kc3 Bf4 72. Kc2 Kd4 73. Kd1 Kxc4 74. Ke2 Kd4 75. Kf3 Ke5 76. Ke2 Ke4 77. f3+ Kd4 78. Kd1 c4 79. Kc2 c3 80. Kb3 Kd3 81. Ka3 Kc4 82. Ka4 c2 83. Ka5 c1=Q 84. Kb6 Qb1+ 85. Ka6 Qb8 86. Ka5 Qb5#) 64. Qh3+ $11 Kg7 65. Qd7+ Kf6 66. Nxd2 Qb2 67. Qd6+ {White forks: c5} Kg7 68. Qe7+ Kh8 69. Qf8+ Kh7 70. Qf7+ 1/2-1/2