Welcome to my English Opening game with Mikel Peterson page!

On this page I have posted one my chess games in which I played the White side of the English Opening . The game includes analysis and diagrams. This game is one of two games in which I managed to draw a master.

[Event "Lakeland Open"]

[Site "Lakeland, FL"]

[Date "1994.10.29"]

[Round "1"]

[White "Mike Serovey"]

[Black "Mikel Peterson"]

[Result "1/2-1/2"]



1. c4 Nf6 2. g3 d5 3. cxd5 Nxd5 4. Bg2 g6 5. Nc3 Nb6 6. Nf3 Bg7 7. O-O O-O 

8. d3 Nc6 9. a3 e5 10. Bg5 f6 11. Bd2 Be6 12. Qc2 Nd4 13. Nxd4 exd4 14. Na4 

Bd5 15. Nxb6 cxb6 16. Rac1 Bxg2 17. Kxg2 Qd5+ 18. f3 Rae8 19. Rf2 Re6 20. 

Qc4 Qxc4 21. Rxc4 Rfe8 22. Kf1 f5 23. Bb4 Rc6 24. b3 Rec8 25. a4 a6 26. f4 

b5 27. axb5 axb5 28. Rxc6 Rxc6 29. Ke1 Bf8 30. Bxf8 Kxf8 31. Kd2 Rc3 32. b4 

Rb3 33. e4 dxe3+ 34. Kxe3 Rxb4 35. Rc2 Rb1 36. Rc8+ Ke7 37. Rc7+ Kd6 38. 

Rxb7 b4 39. Rxh7 b3 40. Rb7 Kd5 41. h3 b2 42. Kd2 Rh1 43. Rxb2 Rxh3 44. Rb6 

Rxg3 45. Rf6 Kd4 46. Rd6+ Kc5 47. Rf6 Kd4 48. Ke2 Kc5 49. Kd2 Rg2+ 50. Ke3 

Kd5 51. Ra6 Rg3+ 52. Ke2 Kd4 53. Rd6+ Kc3 54. Rc6+ Kd4 55. Rd6+ Kc5 56. Rf6 

Rg4 57. Ke3 Kd5 58. Rf8 Ke6 59. Re8+ Kd7 60. Re5 Kd6 61. d4 Rg3+ 62. Ke2 

Ra3 63. Rb5 Kc6 64. Rc5+ Kd6 65. Re5 Rg3 66. Ra5 Ke6 67. Re5+ Kf6 68. Ra5 

g5 69. fxg5+ Kxg5 70. d5 Kf6 71. d6 Rg7 72. Rd5 Ke6 73. Ra5 Rf7 74. Ra6 Rd7 

75. Kf3 Rxd6 76. Ra8 Rd4 {Draw agreed} 1/2-1/2

Lakeland Open
Round 1, Board 1
Game Played 29 October 1994
White: Mike Serovey (1633)  Black: Mikel Peterson (2237)

1. c4 Nf6 2. g3 d5

Black challenges the Center immediately. White can transpose into the Réti Opening by playing either Nf3 or Bg2 here.

3. cxd5 Nxd5 4. Bg2 g6 5. Nc3 Nb6

In reversed Sicilian type positions the Knight going to b6 is quite common. Here it seems a little odd. Most of my opponents just capture on c3.

6. Nf3 Bg7 7. O-O O-O 8. d3 Nc6

White's setup is typical of both the English Opening and the Réti Opening. This is the only time that I can remember seeing Black's setup.

9. a3 e5 10. Bg5 f6

I am tempted to give f6 a question mark here. Just because a master played it doesn't mean that it is a good move! That move hems in Black's fianchettoed Bishop and slightly weakens the pawns around the Black King.

11. Bd2 Be6 12. Qc2 Nd4 13. Nxd4 exd4 14. Na4 Bd5

Although the material is even here, White needs to be careful because losing his fianchettoed Bishop can leave his King's position weak. Black's fianchettoed Bishop comes back to life in a few moves while White's dark=squared Bishop takes longer to get into play.

15. Nxb6 cxb6

I believe that capturing towards the Center is better here. Capturing with the c pawn leaves the Black d pawn isolated. Also, capturing with the a pawn would put Black's Rook on a half open file.

16. Rac1 Bxg2 17. Kxg2 Qd5+

This is what I mentioned earlier. The White fianchettoed Bishop is now gone and the White King is in check. It is not good for White to have the Black Queen on that diagonal. Playing the King back to g1 is probably better that playing f3 here. Playing 18. f3 leaves the f pawn pinned to the King and leaves the e pawn backwards. Black sees this and later gangs up on the White e pawn.

18. f3 Rae8 19. Rf2 Re6 20. Qc4 Qxc4 21. Rxc4 Rfe8

This is what I mentioned earlier. Black is now ganging up on White's e pawn and next move the Black fianchettoed Bishop comes back to life guarding the Black d pawn. Black has a couple of weaknesses here. One is the fact that the queenside pawns are doubled and the other is the isolated d pawn.

22. Kf1 f5 23. Bb4 Rc6 24. b3 Rec8

White's Rook on f2 is doing next to nothing while Black has shifted his focus from the e file to the c file. White wants to win the d pawn but cannot get his Bishop on the right square in time.

25. a4 a6 26. f4 b5 27. axb5 axb5

This is where White begins to have problems that lead to the loss of the b pawn. White needs to get his Rook on f2 back into this game.

28. Rxc6 Rxc6 29. Ke1 Bf8 30. Bxf8 Kxf8 31. Kd2 Rc3

Up until this point the material has been even. Black is about to win a pawn, but that extra pawn is doubled. White must keep Black's newly created passed pawn from queening! White also needs to get his Rook to a better square.

32. b4 Rb3 33. e4 dxe3+ 34. Kxe3 Rxb4

White finally got his Rook unblocked! White also has a passed pawn in the Center to match Black's doubled passed pawns on the Queenside. White here decided that he needed to win the backwards doubled pawn and then to keep his Rook behind Black's passed b pawn.

35. Rc2 Rb1 36. Rc8+ Ke7 37. Rc7+ Kd6 38. Rxb7 b4 39. Rxh7 b3 40. Rb7 Kd5

In a matter of a few moves White has gone from being down a pawn to being up a pawn. Even so, Black's passed pawn on b3 is creating problems for White.

41. h3 b2 42. Kd2 Rh1 43. Rxb2 Rxh3

In short order Black gets his pawn back and for the rest of the game both players dance around the remaining pawns.

44. Rb6 Rxg3 45. Rf6 Kd4 46. Rd6+ Kc5 47. Rf6 Kd4 48. Ke2

Here Black can play 48... Rxd3. White would then play 49. Rxg6 followed by Rg5.

Kc5 49. Kd2 Rg2+ 50. Ke3 Kd5 51. Ra6 Rg3+ 52. Ke2 Kd4 53. Rd6+ Kc3

It looks like Black has won the pawn on d3 but White can keep the Black King in check until it moves away from that pawn.

54. Rc6+ Kd4 55. Rd6+ Kc5 56. Rf6 Rg4 57. Ke3 Kd5

Black is higher rated by about 600 points and therefore does not want to give up a draw by repetition of position! Still, as long as White can guard his two pawns with his King and keep checking the Black King with a Rook every time that it moves to d4 or c3 Black cannot win the d pawn.

58. Rf8 Ke6 59. Re8+ Kd7 60. Re5 Kd6 61. d4

By moving the d pawn forward one square White creates a new pawn structure and starts the repetition count over again. With two pawns guarding the Rook on e5 the Rook is still safe if White should trade off his f pawn. Also, the Rook on e5 cuts off the Black King from the d pawn.

Rg3+ 62. Ke2 Ra3 63. Rb5 Kc6 64. Rc5+ Kd6 65. Re5 Rg3 66. Ra5 Ke6 67. Re5+ Kf6

Both sides have moved their rooks back and forth on the same ranks in order to keep the opposing kings away from the remaining pawns. Now Black decided to exchange pawns on the Kingside in order to create a passed pawn to match the one that White has.

68. Ra5 g5 69. fxg5+ Kxg5 70. d5 Kf6

Black pulls his King back to stop White from queening his passed d pawn.

71. d6 Rg7 72. Rd5 Ke6 73. Ra5 Rf7 74. Ra6 Rd7 75. Kf3 Rxd6 76. Ra8 Rd4 1/2-1/2

Black offered the draw here because he realized that all White has to do is keep his King in front of the f pawn and his Rook behind it and Black cannot queen it. Any time that the Black King tries to help the pawn to advance White can place the King in check with the Rook.

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