Author: Neil Hickman

  [Event "World Seniors, England v Armenia"]  [Site "?"]  [Date "2016.07.03"]  [Round "?"]  [White "Plaskett, H J."]  [Black "Vaganian, R."]  [Result "1-0"]  [ECO "B02"]  [Annotator "Hickman,Neil"]  [PlyCount "57"]    1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. e5 d4 4. exf6 dxc3 5. fxg7 cxd2+ 6. Qxd2 {"Rare and seemingly innocuous" writes Barden} Qxd2+ 7. Bxd2 Bxg7 8. O-O-O {It's easy to suggest that White has a slight advantage here because of his better pawn structure but quite another to convert that into a win against a strong opponent} Bf5 9. Ne2 O-O $6 ({Perhaps} 9... Nc6 {would have worked out better; but that may be being wise after the event}) 10. Ng3 $1 ({An improvement over the routine} 10. Bc3) 10... Be6 11. Nh5 Bxb2+ $6 ({Bizarre, says Barden. Understandably Vaganian didn't like} 11... Bh8 12. Bh6) (11... Nc6 12. Nxg7 Kxg7 13. Bd3 {would have left White with a pretty clear advantage - better pawns, two bishops in an open position - but nothing obviously decisive.}) 12. Kxb2 Bg4 13. Re1 Bxh5 {And on the face of it Black has emerged in one piece, but White's lead in development and the weakness of the Black king's position will prove fatal} 14. g4 $1 {Even stronger than taking the pawn. As Jim showed in a famous game against Miles, he can use an initiative and an attack as well as anyone.} Bg6 15. h4 f6 16. h5 Bf7 17. g5 Rd8 18. Bd3 fxg5 19. Bxg5 Nc6 20. Bxe7 {Only now does White bother getting the pawn back, having got the open lines for attack first} Nxe7 21. Rxe7 Rac8 22. Bf5 Kf8 23. Re3 {A simple but instructive point of technique is that Jim's rooks now proceed to win the game operating on the black squares which the Black bishop can't cover} Rb8 24. Bxh7 Kg7 25. Bd3 Kh6 26. Re7 Rf8 27. Rxc7 Bg8 28. Rg1 Rxf2 29. Rcg7 ({Quite good enough to force resignation, but Fritz points out that} 29. Rg6+ $1 Kxh5 30. Rcg7 {is even stronger because of the increased potential for mating threats.}) 1-0