Paul Littlewood has kindly annotated the game below which U18 Girl’s Champion Bodhana Sivanandan chose as her favourite from the tournament against GM Nigel Davies.
Nigel Davies - Bodhana Sivanandan
British Championship Hull Round 5
1.c4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.cxd5 cxd5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bf4 Nc6 6.e3 a6
The Slav Exchange variation can be a bit dull because of the symmetrical nature of the position, but Bodhana decides to vary matters by not playing the usual Bf5. However, it is still hard for either side to generate any meaningful advantage, as the position can become rather blocked.
7.Bd3 Bg4 8.Nge2 e6 9.0-0 Bd6 10.Bxd6 Qxd6 11.f3 Bh5 12.Nf4 Bg6 13.Nxg6 hxg6 All the exchanges have not really helped White to gain any advantage, and the position is equal.
14.f4 Qe7 15.Rc1 Nd7 16.g3 f5?!
This move is probably OK, but I do not like it, as it fixes the kingside pawn structure and means that it leaves White a free hand to expand on the queenside. It also weakens the e6-pawn, and this could easily become a factor in the endgame. Consequently I would prefer the simple 16…0-0 17.Na4 Rac8 18.Rf2 Nb4, when Black is at least equal.
17.h4 Rc8 18.Kg2 Nf6 19.Qd2 Kf7 20.Rfd1 Rc7?! Rather passive, allowing White to improve the position of his knight on c3 without putting any obstacle in the way. Better was 20…Qb4.
21.Na4 Nh5 22.Rh1
Guarding against the threat of 22…Nxg3 23 Kxg3 Qxh4+.
22…Rhc8 23.Nb6 Rh8 24.a3 Qd6 25.Qc3 Qd8 26.Na4 White now has a tiny advantage, but it is not easy for Black to defend as she has virtually no active plans to undertake.
26…Qe7 27.Nc5 Nb8 28.Qd2 Rhc8 29.b4 Qd8 30.a4 Nd7 31.a5 An interesting alternative was 31.Nxb7 Rxb7 32.Rxc8 Qxc8 33.Bxa6 Nb6 34.Bxb7 Qxb7 35.b5! Nxa4 36.Qa5 Nb6 37.Ra1. However, after 37…Nf6 38.Qa7 Qxa7 39.Rxa7+ Nfd7 40.Kf3 Ke7 the position is equal.
31….Ndf6 32.Rc2 More to the point was 32.Rb1 Ng4 33.Rhc1 Nhf6 34.b5 axb5 35.Rxb5 Qe7 36.Rb6, when White has a strong initiative. Further analysis, however, shows that Black may be able to hold on by playing 36…Nd7 37.Rxb7 Nxc5 38.Rxc7 Rxc7 39.dxc5 Rxc5 40.Be2 Qc7 41.Rxc5 Qxc5 42.Bxg4 fxg4, when Black has good drawing chances in the queen ending.
32….Ne8 33.b5 33.Nxb7 was possible as before, and it leads to a small advantage for White after 33…Rxb7 34.Rxc8 Qxc8 35.Bxa6 Nd6 36.Ra1 Nc4 37.Bxb7 Qxb7 38.Qc3.
33……axb5 34.Bxb5 Nd6 35.Bd3 Nf6 36.Rhc1 Nfe4 37.Qb4 Qe7 38.Kh3 Nxc5 39.Rxc5 Ne8 Simpler was 39…Nc4 40.Bxc4 Rxc5 41.dxc5 Rxc5 42.Rb1 dxc4 43.Qxb7 c3, and Black is OK.
40.Qb6 Qd8?
I suspect at this stage time trouble was playing a part, as both sides made errors. Instead, 40…Rxc5 41.Rxc5 Nd6 is equal.
41.Bb5? Instead, 41.Rxc7+ Rxc7 42.Bb5 was winning. The line could continue 42…Ke7 43.Rc5! Rxc5 44.dxc5 Qxb6 45.cxb6 Nd6 46.Bc6!, or 44…Qc8 45.c6 bxc6 46.Bxc6 Nc7 47.Bb7 Qd7 48.a6, in both cases leading to a clearly won position for White.
41…Rxc5 42.dxc5 Qxb6 43.axb6 Ke7 44.g4 Nf6 45.Ba6?! Nd7?
Nigel makes one last attempt to win, and Bodhana fails to find the correct way response for Black. In fact after 45….fxg4+ 46.Kg2 (46.Kg3? Ne4+ 47.Kxg4 Rxc5 48.Rxc5 Nxc5 49.Bb5 Ne4 is a lot better for Black), then 46….bxa6 47.b7 (or 47.c6 Nd7! which Bodhana may have missed) Rb8 48.c6 Ne8 49.c7 Nxc7 50.Rxc7+ Kf6 51.Kg3 a5 52.Kxg4 a4 53.Kf3 a3 54.Rc3 a2 55.Ra3 Rxb7 56.Rxa2 Rb3 is slightly better for Black.
46.Bxb7 Rxc5 47.Rxc5 Nxc5 48.Bc6 Kd8 49.h5?
Nigel misses 49.gxf5! gxf5 50.h5 Kc8 51.Kh4 Ne4 52.b7+ Kb8 53.Bd7 Nc5 54.Bc8 Nxb7 55.Bxe6, winning. Similarly, if 49….exf5 then 50.h5! gxh5 51.Kh4 g6 52.Bxd5 Ne4 53.Be6! is winning, because Black is in Zugzwang and so must allow the white king to g5.
49….fxg4+ 50.Kxg4 gxh5+ 51.Kxh5 Nb3 52.b7 Kc7 53.Bd7 d4! 54.exd4 Nxd4 55.Kg6 Ne2 ½-½
A really tough battle! Bodhana was under the cosh for most of the game, but she kept on fighting and was eventually rewarded with a draw.