50% after 3 - Bedford Chess Club

Apologies for the late posting – technical issues on my side (Paul was punctual of course!).

Draw today to take me to 1.5/3. I got the opening I wanted but missed the most incisive continuation at move 19. My opponent played in the more elite British Championship in the 1970s but then gave up chess for several decades.

  [Event "British Over-65 Championship, Llandudno"]  [Date "2017.08.01"]  [Round "3"]  [White "Lightfoot, Malcolm"]  [Black "Habershon, Paul"]  [Result "1/2-1/2"]  [WhiteElo "1873"]  [BlackElo "2018"]  [PlyCount "49"]   1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. Be2 c6 6. O-O Bxf3 7. Bxf3 dxe5 8.  dxe5 e6 9. c4 Ne7 10. Qxd8+ Kxd8 11. b3 Ng6 12. Bb2 Nd7 13. Re1 Bb4 14. Re2 Ke7  15. a3 Ba5 16. Be4 Ndxe5 17. Bxg6 Nxg6 18. Bxg7 Rhg8 19. Bh6 Rad8 ({More  accurate is} 19... Nh4 20. g3 Rad8 21. h3 Rd1+ 22. Kh2 Nf5 23. Bf4 Nd4 24. Rb2  Nf3+ 25. Kg2 Ne1+ 26. Kh2 Nd3) 20. Nd2 Nh4 21. Ne4 {The move I had overlooked.  I had forking plans after 21 g3 with temporary sacrifices on d2.} Nf3+ ({I  thought my rook would get trapped after} 21... Rxg2+ 22. Kh1 Rdg8 {but Fritz  likes it:} 23. Ng3 f5 24. Be3 Bb6 25. Bxb6 axb6 26. Rae1 Rg6 27. Rd1 f4) 22.  Kh1 Nd4 23. Rb2 Rg6 24. Bd2 Bxd2 25. Nxd2 {I now accepted a draw offer as my  advantage seems to have evaporated. Fritz still prefers Black after 25...h5  but it's unclear.} 1/2-1/2

Paul Habesrhon 1st August 2017

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