Mike Stokes - Douglas McKerracher
Harrogate Club Championship 19.12.2005

Annotations by Mike


1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4
this is the normal move but I have often found it leaves my c-pawn weak against black's bishop on f5, so in my last game against Douglas I played 4 d3. I reverted to d4 after discovering a line that hit the Bf5, as demonstrated by my 6th and 7th moves.

4...c6 5.Nf3 Bf5 6.Ne5 Nf6 7.g4 Bg6 8.h4 Nbd7 9.Nc4 Qc7 10.Qf3 h5 11.Bf4 hxg4 12.Qe3
threatening Nd6+ which would win the queen or be checkmate if she retreated to d8.

12...e5
appears to be the only saving move.

13.dxe5
I created what looked like a winning attack, but couldn't find a way through Douglas' defence and eventually had to settle for a draw.

13...Nh5 14.Nd6+ Kd8 15.0-0-0 Nxf4 16.Qxf4 Bxd6 17.exd6 Qa5 18.Be2 Qf5 19.Qg5+ f6 20.Qxf5 Bxf5 21.Rdg1 Ne5 22.Nd1 Kd7 23.Ne3 Be4 24.Rh2 Nf3 25.Bxf3 Bxf3 26.Nxg4 Kxd6 27.Ne3 g5 28.Rg3 Be4 29.Rgh3 c5 30.f3 Bc6 31.h5 Rh7 32.h6 Rah8 33.Rd2+ Ke6 34.Ng4 Ke7
in the final position we both felt that if we tried to win we would probably lose! 1/2-1/2