Gold Coast Open |
Gold Coast Open |
1. d4 g6 2. e4 Bg7 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 d6 5. Be3 Ne7 6. Qd2 h5 7.
A bit risky to Castle Long this early in the game, but as Black has yet to make solid advances on the Queen side, there is no immediate danger.
7... b6 8. Bd3 Bb7 9. Nge2 Na6
The Knight threatens to menace at b4 but also has the attractive feature of fortifying the c5 thrust!
The position becomes closed and the game consequently becomes a positional struggle. Taking at d5 was bad as it would have opened the e-file and given White some possibilities and greater central control.
12. f4
A strong move allowing White to maintain the initiative.
12... Qd7 13. Rdf1 f6 14. Rf2
Black is completely solid and safe after Castling Long. White's tricks and dreams for the f-file are going nowhere fast!
To take using the f pawn allows Whites rook to come down to the 7th rank where they could become pesky.
Both sides are starting to play passively. But Qd8 is a great playable waiting move when your opponent is 200 points higher than you and therefore under greater pressure to win.
The natural looking d6 is met by Bc6 and an attempt by Black to snatch a free d pawn.
20... Nd6 21. Nxd6 Qxd6 22. b5
Taking at c5 probably offered White greater opportunity to break things open with an advantage.
22... Nc7 23. Bd1 Bc8 24. Kb1 Bd7 25. Nc3 Kb7 26. Qe2 g5
The only tremendously bad move Black plays in this game. This pawn thrust allows possibilities of the White dark squared Bishop eventually being able to sacrifice as long as White maintains his doubled rooks on the F-file.
White is stuck now. If he takes at a6 the Knight will recapture with a view to the powerful outpost at b4. But White is determined not to give up.
28. bxa6+ Nxa6 29. Nb5 Bxb5 30. axb5
An inactive Bishop for a well placed Knight. This is what Donald Trump would call a good deal!
Black clearly has the advantage now, but the closed position is now starting to work in Whites favour.
Sometimes an attack is best met with a counter-attack, especially when White's King is in the neighbourhood.
This threatens to win a Queen and Bishop for two rooks if Black can get the check in at a2.
This move doesn’t go anywhere, and I knew that when I played it. So why did I then? A little something called increments and free time added to my clock.
All right, White has uncovered the move to hamper Black's ideas of grandiose victory. Now Black apparently is struggling to make any progress in the position.
36... Nxd5!!
This is the most brilliant move in the history of Queensland Chess!!! Even my opponent said post mortem that this move deserves a double explanation mark. I disagreed, I thought it was worth three.
37. exd5
If White takes using the c-pawn I will push my own c-pawn and White is in difficulty with nothing to show for his additional piece.
37... f5
Black playing e4 becomes unstoppable now and the previously dormant Bishop at g7 suddenly has new life on the long diagonal where White King happens to be.
Ordinarily this move would extinguish Black's attack and the game would be there for White to mop up at his convenience. But, White overlooked the double-action power that a Queen possesses.
My opponent reckons at this point that best play for White can still achieve a draw, and he might well be correct in this supposition. Unfortunately for him, during the game he thought he was winning and on the offensive. Now let's watch how I smoke his King out of hiding and into the dungeon.
41. Qc3
My opponent reckons that 41. Kc2 is the move that saves the day with the following variation. 41. Kc2 Ra2+ 42. Bxa2 Rxa2+ 43. Kd1 (the only move avoiding mate) Ra1+ (not Qa1+ which loses for Black) 44. Ke2! And now Black can only check with the rook forcing the draw as Black alternates his King between d1 and e2.
41. Kc2 Ra2+ 42. Bxa2 Rxa2+ 43. Kd1 Ra1+ 44. Ke2 Ra2+ 45. Kd1 Qa1+?? (45... Ra1+=) 46. Qc1 Qd4+ 47. Ke1 Ra1 48. Rf7+ Kc8 49. Rf8+ Kd7 50. R1f7+ Kd6 51. Rd8+ Ke5 52. Re8+ Kd6 53. Re6#
41... Rxb3+
Crash and bash tactics that any legitimate 1600 should see right away.
I won’t give this move an exclamation mark as it is self evident.
43. Kxa3 Qxc3+ 44. Ka2 Qxc4+ 45. Ka3 Qxb5 46. Rf7+ Ka6 47. Ra1 Qb4+ 48. Ka2 Qd2+ 49. Kb3+ Kb5
And my opponent blundered a rook and resigned soon afterwards but is completely lost here anyway.
*
Petrosian Mem Internet (1) |
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Nd5!? Nxd5 8. exd5 Nb8 9. a4 Be7 10. Be2
32... Qxf7 33. Rxf7 Kxf7 34. Kxg3
A fortunate fork!
Now black looks to have good chances of at least a draw, but white finds an ingenious win
36. Qc8+ Kg7 37. Qc7+ Kg8 38. Qb8+ Kg7 39. h6+!! Kxh6 40. Qxf4+ Rg5 41. Qf8+
41. Qf8+! Kh5 42. Qf3+ Rg4 43. Qxe2
ICC tourney 614 (90 30 u) (1) |
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Nf3 a6 5. Bg2 dxc4 6. Ne5 Ra7!?
Convoluted rook manoeuvres are trendy lately, but here it comes to grief
7.
Black resigns
1-0
Master Open (6.1) |
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 a6 3. g3 b5 4. Bg2 Bb7 5. Nge2 e6 6.
XVII Torre Mem KO (2.3) |
1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 Bc5 4. Nf3
XVII Torre Mem KO (3.2) |
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 d6 5. c3 g6 6.
Tankel, Alan
Game(s) in PGN