[Event "Koelle 'A'"]
[Site "Mechanics Institute"]
[Date "2017-11-09"]
[White "Rodney Jacobs"]
[Black "Cassandra Barnett"]
[WhiteElo "1704"]
[BlackElo "1142"]
[Result "1-0"]

1.e4 d6 2.d4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Be3 Nf6 5.f3 {(RJ) I had played f4 against Cassandra before, and assumed she would have prepared against that. So thought I would use the f3 setup, which involves an early Qd2, Bh6, h4 and g4.} O-O 6.Qd2 Nc6 7.h4 e5! {(RJ) By far the best move, according to Chessbase.} 8.d5 Ne7 9.Bh6 {(RJ) O-O-O is the book move.} Nh5 {(RJ) A really nice move, one that I had not anticipated. It contemplates the f5 break.} 10.Nge2 f5 11.Bxg7 Nxg7 {(RJ) the engines prefer Kxg7.} 12.O-O-O fxe4 {(RJ) The engines prefer f4.} 13.fxe4? {(RJ) I agonised over the recapture for a long time, and made the wrong choice. I should have retaken with the knight. The text does shut the Black minor pieces out of f5, but White now has a horrible weakness at f2 and along the f file. However the computers call it even.} Rf2 14.Qe3 Qf8 15.Re1 {(RJ) I had planned Nb5, winning the c pawn, but then I realised that after Rc8 Black has strong pressure against c2.} Bg4 16.Nd1 {(RJ) best.} Rf6 17.Qg5 {(RJ)  Best} Bxe2?! {(RJ) This helps White free up his position. The engines far prefer Bd7} 18.Bxe2 Rf4 {(RJ) Best.} 19.Bf3 {(RJ) Trying to stymie the pressure along the f file. Not bad. But Stockfish 7 prefers h5.} h6? 20.Qg3? {(RJ) Oddly, neither of us seemed to have noticed that White can just take the h pawn. (Unless I have recorded the game wrongly.)} Qf7 21.Ne3 Rf8 22.Nd1? {(RJ) Correct is Ng4 or Rd1.} c6! {(RJ) The correct response to White's dithering.} 23.Nc3? {(RJ) c4.} Kh7 {(RJ) Missing the opportunity to play cd.} 24.Rd1 {(RJ) It's now even.} Qe8 25.Rd2 cxd5 26.Nxd5 Nxd5 27.Rxd5 Qc6! 28.Rd3? {(RJ) Intending to meet Rc8 with Rc3. But Rhd1 is the move.} Qb6 {(RJ) I was relieved to see this. Ne6 is strong.} 29.Rhd1 R8f6 30.Qe1 {(RJ) It's complex. Deep Shredder says White has a .5 advantage, but the stronger Stockfish 7 says it's dead even.} Re6 31.Kb1 Ne8 {(RJ) White now does have an edge.} 32.h5 g5 33.Qd2 g4 34.Rb3 {(RJ) Best. White doesn't want the Black queen aiming at f2.} Qc6 {(RJ) Also best. Fairly tense at this point. I have 8 minutes left to Cassandra's 33.} 35.Rc3 Qd7 36.Be2 Nf6 {(RJ) Ref6 was stronger. White now has about a 1 point advantage.} 37.Bd3 {(RJ) Too timid. g3! is the move.} Kg7 38.Re1 Nxh5 39.Bc4 {(RJ) Qe3 is better.} Ref6 40.Qd5 {(RJ) The engines don't like this, indicating this takes it from about even to a .5 advantage for Black.} Rf8 41.Bb5 Qf7? {(RJ) Dropping the crucial d pawn. Qe7 and Black stands better. Now White has the upper hand.} 42.Qxd6 Qf6 {(RJ) Best.} 43.Rc7+ {(RJ) Also best.} Rf7 44.Rxf7+ Kxf7 45.Bc4+ {(RJ) Qb8! is stronger.} Kg6 {(RJ) the engines now put it at about .8 for White.} 46.Be6? {(RJ) In time trouble, with only 6 minutes to go to Cassandra's 20, I picked up the bishop, only then realising my queen was en prise. I was about to resign, but then noticed I could put my bishop between the queens, protecting mine.} Rxe4?? {(RJ) Looks on the surface impressive, but overlooks a devastating pin. Cassandra's only serious mistake in the game, and something of a tragedy after playing so strongly. Ng7! and Black has an edge.} 47.Qd3 Ng3? {(RJ) Black now has to make do with Qxe6.} 48.Bd5 Kg5 49.Bxe4 Qf2 50.Rd1 Kf4 51.Bxb7 e4 52.Qd6+ Ke3 53.Qd4+ Ke2 54.Ba6# {(RJ) I really enjoyed this game, although I was on the back foot for a fair part of it. It showed that ratings mean very little, and that Cassandra is now a real force to be reckoned with. When the need arose - e.g at moves 9 and 22, she was able to come up with the correct strategic plan, while I  had problems in that regard. However, when it came to a tactical flurry, she made errors through, I think, rushing a little.}