Hallen, David – Scarpa, Mario

Hallen, David (1472)
Scarpa, Mario (1354)
Result: 1/2-1/2

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Date: 21 January 2025
Location: Crewe Chess Club
Tournament: 2024/2025 League Season NSDCA Division 4
Round: ?
Opening: C55 Two Knights Defence
Submitted by:
Published on: 22 January 2025
Categories: game

[Event "2024/2025 League Season NSDCA Division 4"]
[Site "Crewe Chess Club"]
[Date "2025.01.21"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hallen, David"]
[Black "Scarpa, Mario"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[BlackElo "1354"]
[BlackTeam "Crewe I"]
[ECO "C55"]
[EventDate "2025.01.21"]
[WhiteElo "1472"]
[WhiteTeam "Cheddleton D"]

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 h6 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.c3 d5 6.exd5 Nxd5 {Black tests the waters and checks is White is prone to exchange or not...}7.O-O Bg4 {Black is hoping in 8. ... h3 9. Bh5 g4 as it would disrupt White's castling formation.}8.h3 Bh5 9.Nbd2 a6 10.a3 b5 11.Ba2 Nf4 12.Ne4 Nxd3 13.Ng3 Bg6 14.Qe2 Nxc1 15.Raxc1 Bd6 16.Rcd1 O-O 17.Bd5 Qd7 18.Rfe1 Rad8 {Black disingage from Bishop's pinning}19.Ne4 Na5 {The Bishop cannot move from d6, lest Bxf7+ and subsequent Rxd7. Therefore, Black tries to get the to get Nc4 hoping to exchange it for the Bishop, which is being annoyingly dangerous}20.Nxd6 cxd6 21.Be4 Nc4 {If White exchanges Bishops, fxg6 frees the f-file for the Rook. Besides, White's attitude to exchange was already tested on move 6, which could imply that White exchanges now only unwillingly and only because he feels forced to (which would imply he's not leading the game).}22.Bd5 {As predicted...}22...Qc8 23.Nh4 Kh8 24.Bxc4 bxc4 25.Nxg6+ fxg6 26.Qe4 {White offers to draw but Black refuses}26...Qc5 {Black combines pressure on f2 hoping that White's greed makes him move Qxg6. The plan is to get to Rxf2 and then discovery check.}27.Rf1 Rf5 {White doesn't blunder and Black plans to double the Rooks on the f-file to increase the pressure on f2}28.Qe2 Rdf8 29.Rd2 g5 30.Qe4 R5f6 31.Qd5 {Black realises he has 15 minutes left while White still has 40. Black offers to draw fearing that the time pressure might make him blunder and White accepts.} 1/2-1/2