[Event "BCCC 2026"]
[Site "Ballarat "]
[Date "2026-06-18"]
[White "Sam Song"]
[Black "Scott Stewart"]
[WhiteElo "0"]
[BlackElo "0"]
[Result "1-0"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 a6 6. a4 {Anything is playable
here... a4 is slightly less common.} (6. Be3) (6. Bc4) (6. f3) (6. h3) (6. Be2)
6... Nbd7 7. Be3 g6 8. g3 $6 $12 {I could play something like Be2 or Bc4 and
castle, but I liked the fianchetto structure with possible future h3 and Kh2
ideas. This looks more solid, eyeing the e4 pawn and eliminating potential
king-side risks.} 8... Bg7 9. Bg2 Ne5 10. O-O Nc4 11. Qe2 $6 {A Bishop on c1
looks very passive. I didn't think taking on b2 with 11....Nxb2 was good.} 11...
Nxe3 (11... Nxb2 $6 12. Nd5 (12. Rfb1 Qc7 13. Ncb5 axb5 14. Qxb5+ Bd7 15. Qxb2 $1
$14) 12... Nxd5 13. exd5 Qa5) 12. Qxe3 Ng4 13. Qd2 {Queen has to stay defending
the d5 knight, d3 gives black an extra tempo after 13....Ne5, hence Qd2.} (13.
Qd3 $6 Ne5) 13... Qb6 $6 14. Nd5 $3 {I was deciding between 14. Rfd1 and Nd5 here,
Nd5 creates forced material imbalances. I thought Black had no way to trap my
knight, and  I would just be up an exchange at the end of the line. I believe
Qc5 runs into some queen-trapping ideas. Black either has to accept the trade or
go back to d8, after which I would have full control.} (14. Rfd1) 14... Qxd4
(14... Qxb2 $2 {Almost unplayable, I can follow with Nb3 and Black's pieces are
very awkwardly placed.} 15. Nb3 O-O 16. f4 e6 17. Rab1 $6 Qa3 18. Nb6 $1) (14...
Qc5 $2 15. Nb3 $1 Qa7 (15... Qc6 16. Na5 Qc5 17. b4 Qa7) 16. Nc7+) 15. Nc7+ Kd8 $1 16.
Qxd4 $1 Bxd4 17. Nxa8 $1 $14 {I banked on a future a5 or the opening of b-file to help
my knight escape. Black lacks development and coordination and is way too slow.}
17... a5 $2 {Apparently a huge mistake: the engine said Black had some Be6
business that could later directly hit my rook on f1. The rook cannot move
because the f2 pawn is targeted.} (17... Be6 18. a5 Bc4 $1 19. c3 Ba7 20. e5 $3 {I
would actually have had some difficult moves to find in order to keep the
balance. Not sure how easy it would be.}) 18. c3 $16 Ba7 19. b4 $1 b6 20. bxa5 $6
bxa5 21. Rab1 $6 {I overlooked 21....Ba6; h3 would have simply solved all my
problems.} (21. h3 Ne5 22. Rfb1 Ba6 23. Bf1) 21... Ba6 22. c4 Bxc4 $4
({Apparently black would be pretty much still in the game after e6.} 22... e6
23. h3 $6 Ne5 $1 24. Kh2 Ke7 25. Nc7 Bxc4 $1 26. Rfc1) 23. Rfc1 $1 Nxf2 $6 24. Nb6 $18
{Black will be down a full rook.} *