2006 Feb. Toledo Swiss- R3

Mowery,E (1146) - Prong,C (1798)
2006 February Toledo Swiss, 2.11.2006
English Opening [A13]

1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.e3 c5 4.d4 Nc6 5.g3 Nf6 6.Bg2
White must exhage the c-pawn before moving the bishop to g2.
6...Be7
Even in the opening one must pay attention because changing the move order will sometimes hang pieces.
7.Nf3
Again the c pawn hangs.
7...0-0 8.0-0 dxc4
Finally, I go up a pawn.
9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.Qe2 Qd3
I wasn't terribly excited about trading the queens off to gain a pawn on d3. I didn't think I would be able to hold it, yet I was ahead a pawn and it would not be catastrophic if I gave the pawn back.
11.Nd2
This was a blessing. I felt fairly confident that I could hold the c4 pawn.
11...Qxe2 12.Nxe2 Na5
The only problem with trying to hold the c4 pawn is that it will take awhile for black to get his rooks and light squared bishop active.
13.b3 cxb3 14.axb3 Bb4
This threatens to win the b3 pawn after the exchange on d2. Furthermore, Nxb3 will fork the d2 and a1 squares.
15.Nd4
Black could ill afford to lose the b3 pawn and yield a connected passed pair of queenside pawns to black.
15...e5 16.Ra4 Bc3 17.Nb5
This knight forks the c3 bishop, the a7 pawn and the c7 square, which would be uncomfortable for black.
17...Bxd2 18.Bxd2 Nxb3 19.Bb4
White had to be thinking that black would play Rd8, but the white rooks are susceptible to a bishop fork.


19...Bd7 20.Bxf8 Bxb5 21.Rb4 Bxf1
With the two pawn advantage, black just continues to reade off material.
22.Bxf1 Nd2
I should have jumped at the opportunity to rid my opponent of the bishop pair by playing Rxf8 or Kxf8
23.Be7 Nxf1 24.Kxf1 b6
Nd5 with the fork of the bishop and rook was tempting, but I was going to give up the b-pawn to force an exhange. I figured the two pawn advantage was enough to win. 25.Bxf6 gxf6 26.Ke2 Rd8
This move keeps the king away from my baby queens on a7 and b6.
27.e4 Rd6 28.h4 a6 29.Ke3 b5
One step close to the promised land. With things secure on the queenside, I decided to lock things down on the kingside before proceeding with the coronation.
30.f4 Kg7 31.h5 Kh6 32.g4 Rb6
Preparing a5.
33.f5?
A terrible mistake. This alongs the black king access to the g5 square and forces the white king further from the queenside queening squares.
33...Kg5 34.Kf3 a5
Only a matter of time now that the pawns are rolling.
35.Rb1 b4
The passed pawn must be stopped.
36.Rd1 b3 37.Kg3 b2 38.Rd8 Rb3+ 39.Kg2 Kxg4
Not accurate, but good enough in this position. b1/Q was best.
40.Rg8+ Kxh5 0-1