Compensation For The Exchnage

PLAYED on board four (of five), and was stand-in captain, in division one of the Central London League for Battersea 2 against title-chasing Rangers last night.
Carsten Pedersen (194) - Spanton (170)
Sicilian Closed
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 Nc6 5.d3 d6 6.f4 e6 7.Nf3 Nge7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Be3 Nd4
The main move, although Bobby Fischer preferred 9...Rb8 when he had this position in 1956.
10.e5 Nef5 11.Bf2 Nxf3+ 12.Qxf3 Nd4 13.Qd1 dxe5 14.fxe5 Bxe5 15.Ne4 f5 16.Nxc5 Qd6
The game has been following the main line of the f4 Closed Sicilian, but here more common is 16...Qc7.
17.b4 Nb5?!
This would be good if grabbing the exchange were good, but since grabbing the exchange is bad, then better is 17...Nc6.
18.a4! Bxa1?
Better is 18...Nc7, but Stockfish10 and Komodo10 continue 19.d4 Bg7 20.c4 with a queenside initiative for White.
19.Qxa1 Nc7 20.Nxb7 Bxb7 21.Bxb7 Rab8 22.Bc5 Qd8

How should White proceed?

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23.Bc6!
White has a pawn and the bishop-pair for the exchange, which is just about material parity. But Black is weak on the dark squares and his rooks have limited scope, so White is much better, as he would be after other retreats by the light-square bishop.
I expected 23.Bxf8, when 23...Qxf8 24.Bf3 Rxb4 is only slightly better for White.
23...Rf7?!
It was probably better to oblige White to win back the exchange by 23...Na6 24.Bxf8. However after 24...Qb6+ 25.Rf2 Rxf8 26.b5 White is much better.
24.b5 Nd5?!
Still reasonable is ...Na6, when 25.Ba3 (Black is back in the game after 25.bxa6? Qc7) Qb6+ 26.Kh1 Nc7 is, if nothing else, better than the game.
25.Qe5
Attacking e6 and threatening Bd4 to exploit the dark squares.
25...Qc8 26.Re1 a6 27.c4
Also good is 27.bxa6 as 27...Qxc6? runs into 28.Qxb8+.
27...Nf6 28.Bd6 Ng4 29.Qc5 Rbb7 30.Bxb7 Qxb7 31.Qc6 axb5 32.Qxb7 Rxb7 33.axb5
White has won back the exchange and emerged a good pawn up, and with unstoppable queenside passers.
The game finished:
33...Kf7 34.h3 Nf6 35.Rb1 Ne8 36.Be5 Nc7 37.Bxc7 Rxc7 38.b6 Rc8 39.c5 Ke7 40.c6 Kd6 41.c7 Re8 42.Rc1 1-0
Rangers won the match 4-1
My updated Battersea statistics for 2019-20
Event*..Colour...Grade...Opponent's Grade...Result
CLL..…...B....…..168...………169...……….....W
CLL...…..B...…...168...………196...…………..D
CLL...…..W...…..168...………176...…………..L
LL....……W...…..168...…....…175...………….D
CLL...…..B...…...168...………192...…………..D
CLL...…..W...…..168...………181...…………..L
LL...…….W...…..168...………168...…………..L
EC...…….B...…..168...………175...……….….L
CLL...…...B.........170...………172...…………..L
LL...…….W...…..170...………183...…………..D
LL............W........170...…........180......……......L
LL....…….B...…..170....……...182...………….W
CLL...…...B...…..170...………183...……….….D
LL...……..B...…..170...………162...…………..W
LL...…….W...…..170...………172...…………..W
LL...…….W...…..170...………152...…………..L
CLL...…...B.........170..............194...................L
Overall this season for Battersea I have scored +4=5-8 for a grading performance of 165.
In season 2018-19 I scored +12=12-13 for a grading performance of 169.
In season 2017-18 I scored +10=8-9 for a grading performance of 175.
*CLL: Central London League; LL: London League; EC: Eastman Cup.