Howell, David W L (2675) - Royal, Shreyas (2487)
2024 British Chess Championship (4.1), 30.07.2024
This was a huge win for me in round 4 of the British Chess Championships. David had a very long unbeaten streak, during which not even Magnus could defeat him! This streak just so happened to be broken in this particular game. I was particularly pleased given that David had the white pieces and accordingly was even tougher to defeat.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 Even though David plays everything, this still came as a surprise!
5...exd4 6.e5 d5 7.Bb5 Ne4 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.Nc3 0–0 10.Be3 Bg4 11.h3 Bh5 12.Qc2 Bg6 13.Qb3 Ne7 14.0–0 c6 15.Bd3 Nf5 16.Qc2 Nxe3 17.fxe3 Ng3 18.Bxg6 hxg6 19.Rf2 This is still part of theory.
19...Re8 I'd mixed up my notes and played a slightly imprecise move; however, it is a very logical one as I need to weaken White's pawn structure eventually, and f6 and c5 are the only pawn breaks.
Previously when Mickey Adams had this position, the game continued: 19...f5 20.Ne2 Ne4 21.Rff1 g5 22.Nd2 Qd7 23.a4 Ba5 24.Nc3 Rae8 25.Ndxe4 fxe4 26.Qe2 Qe6 27.Qh5 Bd8 28.a5 Rxf1+ 29.Rxf1 Bxa5 30.Qxg5 Bxc3 31.bxc3 a5 32.Ra1 Ra8 ½–½ Aronian, L (2758)-Adams, M (2694) EU-chT 22nd Batumi 2019 (7.1).
20.a4!? David calls my bluff, realising that I'm not threatening anything just yet. He improves his position, and sets up some possible deflection tactics with 21.a5 Bxa5 22.Rxa5 Qxa5 23.Ng5.
20...Rc8 Preparing the other pawn break in the position!
21.Qb3 Another patient move.
21.a5? It doesn't quite work here due to 21...Bxa5 22.Rxa5 Qxa5 23.Ng5 Qa1+ 24.Nd1 Ne4!.
21...f6! Not seeing any other way to improve my position, I decide to go for it. If 21...Nf5 22.Ne2!
22.Qc2! Artificial, but that's just how chess is nowadays! You've got to scrap principles in some positions and just calculate. Notice how the queen has gone from d1–c2–b3–c2–b3 and now back again to c2!
22...Nf5! 22...fxe5? 23.Qxg6 and Black is busted! 22...f5?! Is strategically dangerous, as after 23.h4 Black lacks counterplay. If 23…c5, then 24.Qb3! cxd4 25.Nxd5.
23.g4! I'd seen all of this, and had a reserve option in mind in case he did go for it.
23...fxe5!? I sensed this was the critical moment to make a smart practical decision. It felt like this was not the best, and perhaps that White would be much better (the engine confirms this!), but it's very difficult to play such positions as a human. Knowing that David would likely get short of time, this made me all the more confident to go for this.
If 23...Ne7 Black is close to equalising, but White has the initiative – although after 24.Raf1 fxe5! 25.Nxe5 c5! apparently Black has enough counterplay.
24.gxf5 e4 Connect 4! It's never easy playing such positions when one's king is vulnerable and one is low on time.
25.Ne1! David had spent most of his remaining time on this move. Personally I would have blitzed it out immediately!
25...Qh4! Played instantly after using his time to calculate.
25...Qg5+? 26.Ng2 Bc7 27.Ne2!, and White manages to consolidate.
26.Ne2 Qxh3! With less than a minute on the clock David required precision. There was only move to be a bit better; everything else is equal, and much easier for Black to play!
27.Qd2? A fairly natural leads to trouble!
27.fxg6! Requires absolute nerves of steel! 27...Bc7 28.Nf4 Qxe3 29.Neg2 Qxd4 30.Qe2!. Despite the dangerous-looking pawns and weak a7–g1 diagonal, White can calmly create his own play with this! 30...Bb6 31.Raf1 e3 32.Rf3 Qd2, and after a difficult sequence of moves White is doing well.
27...Bc7! The knights are good defenders, but are also a liability - they prevent the queen from being able to defend the king. I prevent him from playing Ng2, and now he has a very tough position.
28.fxg6 Re6 29.Nf4 Bxf4 30.Rxf4 Rxg6+ 31.Ng2 Rh6 32.Raf1?! Considering the situation, it's hard to criticise this move.
32.Kf2! was the only way not lose on the spot! 32...g5 33.Rg1! I'd seen this remarkable resource, but couldn't quite believe that this would hold on: 33...Kh8 34.Rf7 Qh5 35.Rf5 Qg4 36.Rf7 Kg8 37.Rxb7=. The computer is showing zeros here!
32...Qh2+ 33.Kf2 Rg6 34.Rg1 Rf8? Harsh to award this a question mark when the only way to win is some ridiculous computer line, and the only way this fails is due to a remarkable resource.
34...Rg3!! The only way to win. However, once again, a very computer-like idea and line! The main idea behind this is that I simply I want to prepare g5: 35.Qe1 (35.Qd1 g5 36.Rf5; 35.Kf1 g5 36.Rf2 Rf8) 35...g5 36.Rf5 Rf8 37.Rxf8+ Kxf8 38.Kf1, and White is stuck! (38.Qb4+ Kg8) 38...Kf7! Preventing the threat of Qb4+ 39.a5 a6 and not allowing any counterplay! 40.b4 (if 40.Qc1, we have 40...Rf3+ 41.Ke2 g4!, and there's no Qh4 here) 40...g4! Finally we go for our own idea - Rf3+ and g3 is the threat and it's -5. It certainly didn't seem like -5 a few moves ago! (40...Rf3+ 41.Ke2 g4 42.Qh4!=)
35.Rxf8+ Kxf8 36.Qb4+ Kg8 37.Kf1 Rf6+ 38.Nf4 Qh3+ 39.Ke2? The most natural move, but losing.
39.Rg2!! David had actually spotted the drawing resource a while later, and told me after the game. It would've been quite impressive had he spotted the draw during his severe time-trouble. 39...Qxe3 40.Rxg7+!, and incredibly, White has a perpetual! 40...Kxg7 41.Qe7+ Rf7 42.Qg5+ Kh8 43.Qh6+ Kg8 44.Qg5+ Rg7 45.Qd8+ Kf7 46.Qc7+ Kf6 47.Qe5+ Kf7 48.Qc7+=. If 39.Ke1 Qxe3+ 40.Ne2 Rf2 41.Qd2 Rxe2+!–+.
39...Qf3+ 40.Kd2 Rxf4! I convert quite easily, although it wasn't so trivial as it looked.
41.exf4 Qf2+ 42.Kc3 Qxg1 43.Qxb7 Qc1+! The most precise. His king stays further from my pawns and gives leeway for my king to walk up the board in case of any perpetual check attempts.
44.Kb3 Qc4+ 45.Ka3 Qxd4 46.Qxc6 Kf7! The only winning move! King activity is vital.
47.Qd7+ Kf6 48.Qd8+ It's quite easy to assume that White has some perpetual here, but I'd calculated far enough to realise that there isn't any need to see ghosts!
48...Kf5 49.Qg5+ Ke6 50.Qg4+ Kd6 I saw this sequence of moves starting from 43...Qc1+, and had correctly evaluated this to be winning.
51.Qg6+ Kc5 52.Qe8 Qb4+ 53.Ka2 Kc4 My king can now aid my pawns.
54.Qc6+ Kd4 55.Qd7 Qc4+ 56.b3 Qc2+ 57.Ka3 Qc5+ 58.Ka2 Kd3 59.Qxg7 e3 60.Qg1 Kd2 61.Qg5 e2 My e-pawn does prove to be overwhelming.
62.f5+ Qe3 63.Qg2 Kc1 64.f6 Qd2+ 65.Ka3 Qb2+ A tremendous victory with the black pieces. I think that this game does a good job in showing how important it is to be practical in chess, and that it's not only about finding the best moves but perhaps also about finding the most uncomfortable ones for your opponent! I beat the UK's former youngest GM on the way to become the youngest British GM in this tournament! It was a special tournament that I'll certainly cherish. 0–1