[Event "Koelle 2017"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2017-11-30"]
[White "Cassandra Barnett"]
[Black "Bas van Riel"]
[WhiteElo "1142"]
[BlackElo "1832"]
[Result "0-1"]

{(BvR) This was the first ever classic game Cassandra and I played. The last round of the Koelle 2017 and I had to win to (jointly-) win the tournament. I was going to take the game very seriously because Cassandra, in the previous rounds had played very good chess against some strong opposition, eg. Rob, Rodney, Ruari amonst others. Before our game, I had a good look at some of her recent games. I found that she has been improving fast, and that she is very underrated imo.} 1.d4 {(BvR) This was the first ever classic game Cassandra and I have played. The last round of the Koelle 2017 and I had to win to (jointly-) win the tournament. I was going to take the game very seriously because Cassandra, in the previous rounds had played very good chess against some strong opposition, eg. Rob, Rodney, Ruari amonst others. Before our game, I had a good look at some of her recent games. I found that she has been improving fast, and that she is very underrated imo.} Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 {(BvR) The Gruenfeld Indian, an opening which I like a lot, but don't play very often. I feel that I don't know enough of its theory. Because I rarely see it applied at the club, I assumed that Cassandra would be out of book very quickly. How wrong I was. Up till move 10, we both played book- moves. I believe that Cassandra found the correct moves, intuitively.} 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 {(C.B) Knowing the opening principles, I liked kicking the knight for extra development. I didn't know it was book.} Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3 c5 8.Be3 O-O 9.Bc4 cxd4 {(BvR) It took me while to 'untangle' the different lines, which crossed my mind, and get the move- order correctly, eg. postponing cxd4, and first play 9...Bg4 or Nc6 or Qa5.} 10.Nxd4?! {(BvR) Not the best option (slightly better and more logical would have been cxd4) , as black now have a long-term target along the c-file due to white's, isolated c-pawn.
(C.B) I wanted cx but I miscalculated thinking I would eventually lose d4 after Bg5 and so forth. I'll have to study it more as I think I have ways out of it. It just shows I didn't know the book.} Nc6 11.Ne2 {(BvR) The knight would have been better placed in the centre. The engine shows that the position is -0.78 in black's favour.
(C.B) I was trying to support c3 more. I suppose it isn't needed just yet.} Qc7 12.Qc2 Bg4 13.f3 Bd7 14.Rd1 {(-0.58)} Na5 15.Bb3 Bb5 {(BvR) at this point, I spend about 10 minutes to find a plan: 15..Nxb3 would create a supporter for the lonely c3-pawn, so was rejected; the hard choice was between Rfd8 and Bb5. In both cases I had the option to play Nc4 after.} 16.Bd4 {(-1.01)} Bxe2? {(BvR) Positionally a bad move. Black should have kept the (albeit small) pressure up with 16..Rad8. After all, white's black bishop is stronger than black's g7 bishop as long as he does not exchange on d4.} 17.Kxe2 {(BvR) -0.63} Nc4? {(BvR) -0.36. Simplifying by swapping the minor pieces makes it harder to win.} 18.Bxg7 Kxg7 19.Rd4 {(BvR) -0.55
(C.B) I got worried about queen checks and chose to not take the knight. It may not be as important as I thought (or is it?).} Nd6 20.Rhd1 {(-0.95)} Rac8 {(BvR) (-0.41) I overlooked the strongest move 20...f5, to try and break open the white king's position.} 21.c4 b6?! {(BvR) -0.26. I looked at the much stronger 21...b5 instead, but could not find a clear enough plan after 22. Rc1, Qc5; 23.Rd5 etc, But as it turns out (thanks, engine) white simply will lose the game: 22.Rc1, bxc4; 23. Bxc4, e5!} 22.Qc3? {(C.B) I should have just gone with g3. I wanted my queen on black squares (opposite to pawns). I looked at Qc2, Qc3 and (after looking at other options) I forgot I had ditched them both (and why)! I worked out that the knight couldn't go to b5 while my queen was protected by the bishop; I simply forgot.} f6? {(BvR) I missed Cassandra's mistake...} 23.R1d2? {(BvR) I now saw the killer move Nb5, but Cassandra still didn't spot it. Virtually any other rook- or queen- move would have given black only a slight -0.44 advantage.} Nb5 {(BvR) -3.54} 24.Qb2 Nxd4+ 25.Rxd4 Qxh2 26.Ke3 Qe5 27.f4 Qc5 28.Kf3 Rfd8 29.Rxd8 Rxd8 30.Qc2 Qd4 31.Ke2 e5 32.g3 Qg1! 33.Qc3 Qg2+ 34.Ke1 Qxe4+ 35.Kf2 exf4 36.gxf4 Qxf4+ 37.Ke2 Re8+ 38.Kd1 Qf1+ {(BvR) Cassandra, you played an excellent game until your only mistake of the game at move 22. All the time, keeping the positions simple and balanced.} {#R}