don't call it a comeback

K - C
March match (4) 03/26/2006
E91 - King's Indian, 6.Be2

1.e4 g6 Kirk may think this is new for me, but actually the record will show that this was the first opening I ever played in a CFC rated game. 2.d4 Bg7 3.c4 This is what I was hoping for. I was secretly trying to backdoor into a Benoni while avoiding the Taimanov attack. 3...d6 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 c5 [6...e5 is the King's Indian proper. Not only did I want to play the Benoni, I firmly believe that blocking the long diagonal (after a d5 by White) is not strongest for a player at my level, what do I know though?] 7.dxc5 [Kirk claims this is his "refutation to the ...c5 line". 7.d5 of course leads to a benoni.] 7...Qa5!? [I know this works in other lines, but probably 7...dxc5 and trading off the queens was better here. Kirk mentioned that he liked 8.0-0 Qxd1 (but I wonder if 8...Qb6 was better) 9.Rxd1 . I think my line was too slow as I am already down in development] 8.0-0 Qxc5 9.Be3 Qc7 [I missed Kirk's next move. If I would've thought about it I may have tried 9...Qa5 ;
the only one I half-calculated was 9...Qb4 but that wasn't going to be pretty] 10.Nd5?! I knew there was stronger than this [The stereotyped plan of 10.Qd2 -- 11.Bh6 was probably good here, but would have allowed me to catch up in development. Kirk's idea was more dynamic if not as strong] 10...Nxd5 11.cxd5 Bxb2 12.Rb1 Bg7 13.Nd4 e5? [I missed Kirk's next move. After 13...Nd7 14.Nb5 is not as good because of (14.Rc1 Nc5 works good as well) 14...Qa5] 14.Rc1 Qe7 15.Nb5 Nd7? [15...Na6! was much better as 16.Nxa7 Nc5 blocks up the position again and minimizes losses. ] 16.Nxa7? [16.Nc7 Rb8 17.Bxa7 wins immediately] 16...Nf6 [16...Nc5 was better. I get on with it] 17.f3 Bd7 [17...Nh5 trying to create some counterplay may have been better.] 18.Qb3 Rfb8 19.Rc7 Bh6? I thought this was genius and freed everything. 20.Bxh6 Rxa7 21.Bg5! but i missed this. The game is pretty much over here 21...Kg7 22.Bb5 Rd8 23.f4 Too much pressure, I'm busted at this point 23...Qe8 24.fxe5 Nxe4 25.Bxd8 Nd2 26.Bf6+ Kg8 27.Bxd7 Qxd7 28.Rxd7 Nxb3 I figured I'd let him checkmate me 29.Rd8# Black checkmated Much better play by Kirk. Again I was overoptimistic and ignored any threats, like I do in most of my losses. 1-0

March match (3)

C-K
C02 - French : Advance variation

1.e4 e6! [A nice choice from Kirk. I was hoping for 1...e5 and playing a Ruy Lopez] 2.d4 d5 3.e5 [I had a feeling that Kirk was hoping for 3.Nc3 Bb4 but I still don' thave a good line] 3...c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.a3 c4 7.Nbd2 Nge7?



8.Bxc4! The only trap I know in the French 8...dxc4 9.Nxc4 Qa6 [Kirk claimed after the game that he was lost at move 8 but I disagree. I liked his ...Qa6 better than 9...Qc7 ] 10.Nd6+ Kd7 11.Nxf7 Rg8 12.Qb3 [Sveshnikov-Milos went 12.Qc2 h6] 12...Nf5 [The subtle 12...Qd3 was an interesting try, but it was counterintuitive after all the tempi i gained] 13.d5!? I figured that forcing play would have been better. I may have been wrong 13...Na5 14.dxe6+?! [14.Qa4+ was better] 14...Ke8 [Believe it or not ,because of the way the pieces are set up 14...Kc7! is safer for Black] 15.Qa4+ Nc6 16.Qxa6 bxa6 17.g4 Again I wanted to be forcing and keep the threat of Nd6+ available [17.Bf4 protecting e5 may be better] 17...Nh6 18.Nxh6 [Protecting g4 was probably better, but I am down a piece after all and I was hoping to open lines. Kirk was blitzing moves at this point and had almost given up 18.h3 ] 18...gxh6 19.g5? Bxe6 20.gxh6? [20.Rg1 was better but even still... ] 20...Bg4? [Kirk missed 20...Bd5! after which 21.Rg1 Rxg1+ 22.Nxg1 Nxe5 he is just better] 21.Rg1 Kf7? 22.Ng5+ Black resigns I wonder if Kirk didn't really want to play. There is still some play left. 1-0

2-1 for Kirk

[Event "G/60"]
[Date "2006.03.19"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Jung, Hans (FM)"]
[Black "K"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C49"]
[WhiteElo "2229"]
[BlackElo "1398"]
[PlyCount "63"]
[EventDate "2006.03.19"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 h6 7. Bxc6 bxc6 8. Nxe5 Re8 9. Nf3 d5 10. e5 Nd7 11. Bf4 Nf8 12. h3 d4 13. Ne4 Bf5 14. Ned2 Ng6 15. Bg3 Be7 16. Nb3 c5 17. Qd2 Qd5 18. Kh2 c6 19. a4 Bd8 20. Na5 Bc7 21. Nc4 Re6 22. a5 Rae8 23. Rfe1 Bb8 24. Re2 f6 25. Rae1 fxe5 26. b3 e4 27. Bxb8 exf3 28. Rxe6 Rxe6 29. g4 Rxe1 30. Qxe1 Be6 31. Bxa7 Nf4 32. Qe5 1-0

[Event "G/60"]
[Date "2006.03.19"]
[Round "2"]
[White "K"]
[Black "NN"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B12"]
[WhiteElo "1398"]
[BlackElo "1382"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[EventDate "2006.03.19"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nf3 e6 5. Be2 h6 6. O-O Bb4 7. c3 Ba5 8. Be3 Ne7 9. Nh4 O-O 10. Nxf5 Nxf5 11. Bd3 Nd7 12. Bxf5 exf5 13. Qh5 Re8 14. Nd2 Re6 15. Qxf5 c5 16. dxc5 Rxe5 17. Qh3 Qe7 18. Rae1 Nxc5 19. Bxc5 Qxc5 20. Rxe5 Bc7 21. Qe3 Qd6 22. Nf3 Rf8 23. Rd1 Bb6 24. Qd3 Qc5 25. Nd4 f6 26. Re3 Qc8 27. Nf5 Kh8 28. Re7 Qc5 29. Qg3 g5 30. Rd4 Qc8 31. Qh3 1-0

[Event "G/60"]
[Date "2006.03.19"]
[Round "3"]
[White "NN"]
[Black "K"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D02"]
[WhiteElo "1679"]
[BlackElo "1398"]
[PlyCount "70"]
[EventDate "2006.03.19"]

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bf4 Bf5 4. e3 e6 5. c4 c6 6. Nc3 Bb4 7. Rc1 O-O 8. Be2 Nbd7 9. O-O Rc8 10. Nh4 Bg6 11. Nxg6 hxg6 12. a3 Be7 13. cxd5 cxd5 14. Bd3 a6 15. h3 Nh5 16. Bh2 Nb6 17. Qe2 Bd6 18. Bxd6 Qxd6 19. Rfd1 Rc6 20. e4 Nf4 21. Qe3 Nxd3 22. Qxd3 Nc4 23. Qe2 Rfc8 24. exd5 exd5 25. Qc2 Nxa3 26. Qb3 Nb5 27. Nxb5 axb5 28. Ra1 b4 29. Ra7 Qb8 30. Ra4 Qd6 31. Rxb4 Rc1 32. Rxb7 Qf4 33. Rf1 R8c2 34. Qe3 Rxf1+ 35. Kxf1 Qh2 0-1

Sunday Afternoon G/60

NN - C.
Sunday Afternoon G/60 (1), 19.03.2006
D94 - Grünfeld, 5.e3

We threw a three-round tournament on the weekend. We had 17(!) people show up so it was a little crowded at the Farmer's Market. I shouldn't have gone into such a sharp position but I decided to regardless. We played this game between the first and second rounds because I had a bye the first game and his mother said they had to leave at 12:30 so we tried to get a game in between. 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 [Hoping for a Slav or something. Not sure why I didn't just play 2...b6 ] 3.e3 g6 4.c4 Transposing to a quiet Grünfeld 4...Bg7 [Another option is 4...c6 ] 5.Nc3 0-0 [I could've played 5...c6 here as well, but I wanted to get ...c5 in one move (thank you Jonathon Rowson)] 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.e4?! [So I'm in an exchange Grünfeld (which doesn't exactly make me feel warm and fuzzy) but a tempo up. 7.Bc4 may be better ] 7...Nxc3 8.bxc3 c5 9.Be2 Nc6 10.Be3 Bg4 11.e5 I've always wondered about pushing this pawn instead of the d-pawn in the Grünfeld. 11...cxd4[11...Qa5 was also playable, but after 12.Bd2 ah of course (Stronger is probably 12.0-0 Qxc3 13.Rc1 Qa3) 12...Rad8 , trying to take advantage of the fact he hasn't castled.] 12.cxd4 Rc8 13.0-0 b6? The beginning of a bad plan. I should have either tried to lever his pawn chain with [13...f6;
or allowed the rooks to be connected 13...Qd7 . My idea was that I wanted to get my knight to d5 for some reason] 14.h3 Bxf3? [Giving up the bishop pair. 14...Be6 was stronger, but I'm dogmatic and i don't like having my bishop in front of my pawns. I know, I know, if I'm dogmatic why am I playing the Grünfeld?] 15.Bxf3 e6 To allow my knight to get to d5 via e7 16.Qa4 This seemed strong to me 16...Na5? [16...b5! was a strong rejoinder because of 17.Qxb5 Nxd4 18.Bxd4 Qxd4 19.Rad1 Qxe5 20.Qxe5 Bxe5 and I'm up a clean pawn;
16...Qd7 was okay too] 17.Rfc1 Qe7 Not immediately losing, but setting up a tactic 18.Bd2 Rxc1+? [18...Qh4 may have been better, then i'm actually threatening something] 19.Rxc1 Rd8 20.Bb4 Qg5 21.Qa3 Rxd4? [I probably shouldn't have gone after the pawn and played 21...Bf8 22.Bxf8 Rxf8 instead, but my opinion is that if I can't see the immediate loss i'm taking the pawn so...] 22.Be7! Qxe5 23.Rc8+ Bf8 24.Rxf8+ [24.Bxf8! was better] 24...Kg7 25.Qe3? [25.Qe3? and I resigned even though 25...Qxe3 26.fxe3 Rd7 is playable, i do have 2 pawns for the piece and the e-pawn is hanging. Not a very good game by me.] 1-0

C - NN
Sunday Afternoon G/60 (2), 19.03.2006
E24 - Nimzo-Indian : Samisch Variation

1.d4 I had planned on playing 1.e4 before this tournament, but last time we had a tournament my opponent had this "how-to" openings book and it recommended a bad line against my f3 Nimzo, so I figured I'd try it against him. 1...d5!? A surprise already 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4!? Theoretically this is not as good as other moves because it transposes into a bad Samisch variation (as what I play). I realize that it was even played by Vallejo in Linares this year but I don't care for it 4.a3 [4.Nf3 would transpose to the Ragozin variation instead] 4...Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 Nf6 6.cxd5 [The Bacrot-Vallejo game continued 6.e3 0-0 7.cxd5 exd5 8.Bd3 c5 9.Ne2 Bg4 10.f3 Bh5 11.Nf4 Bg6 12.Be2 Nc6 13.h4 h5 14.0-0 Ne7 15.dxc5 Qa5 16.Nxg6 fxg6 17.Rb1 Qxc5 18.c4 dxc4 = ½-½, but I found e3 to be a difficult development of the bishop, particularly with the pawn on a3. In my line I get the bishop pair and get rid of the doubled pawns;
6.f3 would transpose to my f3 line] 6...exd5 [6...Nxd5 7.Qc2 f5 looks interesting] 7.Bg5 [7.e3 again is playable] 7...0-0 [7...c5 was Botwinnik-Kotov in which Kotov had a nice finish 8.f3 h6 9.Bxf6 Qxf6 10.e3 0-0 11.Ne2 Re8 12.Kf2 Qe7 13.Qd2 Nd7 14.Nf4 Nf6 15.Bd3 Bd7 16.h3 Qd6 17.Rhb1 b6 18.Bf1 Re7 19.a4 Rae8 20.Re1 c4 21.g4 g5 22.Ne2 Rxe3 23.Ng3 Qxg3+ 24.Kxg3 Ne4+ 0-1. I decide to go on a mad hunt for a pawn which I probably should have been punished for] 8.e3 Bf5 9.Qb3 Trying to exploit the undefended b-pawn and the underdefended d-pawn. 9...b6 [9...Nbd7 10.Qxb7 c5 may be better, trying to take advantage of my lack of development] 10.Bxf6 Qxf6 [This loses a pawn but I wonder if 10...gxf6 was better? I doubt i] 11.Qxd5 So now I'm up a pawn but he is almost fully developed. If Fritz played Fritz it would probably be a draw, at club level pawn grabbing can pay off (I didn't learn my lesson from last game) 11...Nc6 [I wonder if kicking the queen with 11...c6 was better] 12.Bb5 Ne7! Gaining tempo on the queen 13.Qb3 a6 [Takign up space with 13...c5 may have been better] 14.Be2 Qg5 15.Bf3 This is still gonna be awkward development for me. 15...Bg4? [An unsound exchange sack. I wonder if tempoing my queen (again) with 15...Be6 16.Qc2 Rad8 would have been better] 16.Bxa8 Rxa8 17.Nf3! I was happy with this move 17...Qd5? [Terrible, down material and wanting to trade off queens. Better was 17...Bxf3 18.gxf3 Qh5 and I could've either tried 19.Ke2 (or 19.f4 . Being down material he has to try to keep as much wood on the board as possible) ] 18.Qxd5 Nxd5 19.Ne5 Bf5 I wouldn't figure out a way to get e4 in 20.c4 [20.g4 was something else I was thinking about, and as dangerous as his pieces got after c4, this was probably the better choice] 20...Nc3 21.Kd2 Ne4+ 22.Ke2 Nc3+ 23.Kf3?! Not as strong as going back to the back rank, but the idea of Kd2 in the first place was to unite my rooks...plus i'm up material ;) 23...Be4+ 24.Kg3 f5? I think he pushed the f-pawn one square too far, my knight is the best piece on the board easily. 25.f3 Rf8? [It's hard to suggest good moves here. 25...Bb7 may have been better, but I can understand why he didn't want to play passively] 26.fxe4 Nxe4+ 27.Kf3 g5 28.h3 [28.g4! was better] 28...h5 29.g4 h4 30.gxf5 Ng3 31.Kg4 Sure I'm running out of squres, but I'm up a whole rook so I can sack back the exchange and grab his pawn. 31...Rxf5 32.Ng6 [Too transparent a threat. Maybe 32.Rhg1 was better] 32...Kg7 33.Ne5 Kf6 34.Rhg1 Ne4 Now he's actually threatening something 35.Nd3 Nd2 36.c5 Kg6 37.Rad1 Nf3 38.Ne5+ Stopping the mating net. It's just mop up from here 38...Nxe5+ 39.dxe5 Rxe5 40.cxb6 cxb6 41.Rd6+ Kf7 42.Rxb6 Rxe3 43.Rxa6 Kg8 44.Rb1 Re7 45.Kxg5 Kh8 46.Rbb6 Rg7+ 47.Kxh4 Kg8 48.Rg6 So I ended up 1-1. Lost some points. Kirk scored 2/3 with his only loss v. FM Hans Jung so he was pretty satisfied. 1-0

March (2)

K - C
March Match (2) 3/7/2006
C55 - Two Knights Defense - Modern Bishops Opening

1.e4 e5 I wanted to try the same Tchigorin line as Kirk played last week against him, but he didn't want a theoretical battle. 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 grrr. I *knew* there was a reason I don't play 1.e4 e5 ;) 3...Nf6 [Playing over Morphy games have made me refuse to play 3...Bc5 because of 4.b4! I do a meaner NN impersonation than a Morphy impersonation] 4.d3 h6 [4...Be7;
and 4...Bc5 are also tried here. I figure I'll try and make it a little tougher for him to develop his bishop] 5.0-0 Bc5?! [Stronger is 5...d6 and my position has no weaknesses to attack. I was more ambitious though] 6.Be3 [6.Nc3;
or the immediate 6.c3 were more popular in the 1800s] 6...Bb6 not wanting to allow him to open the f-file but [6...Bxe3 7.fxe3 d6 wasn't so bad either] 7.Nbd2 [wanting to play c3, but i wonder if 7.Nc3 overprotecting d5 might be better] 7...0-0 8.c3 d5 I was happy enough with this move. I calculated that it didn't immediately lose and i figured i could get away with it, as it allowed me to play ...Bg4 (because of the lack of h3), which allows me to put more pressure on the center. 9.Bb3 [I think he should have simplified in the center and went after my e-pawn 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Bxb6 axb6 11.Re1 for instance] 9...Bg4 10.Qc2 Re8 [10...d4 immediately was better. I was worried about dropping the e-pawn thogh] 11.Rfe1 d4! 12.cxd4 exd4 13.Nxd4?? [13.Bf4 was better. I missed this in my calculations as i missed that the e-pawn had already captured on d4] 13...Bxd4 I was happy with this, allowing Nd5 on the next move 14.Qc4 Be6 Even though I won, I was uncomfortable with my position and I think if Kirk would've took some pieces off and slowly crept at me, I would've suffered quite a bit (Bxb6 for instance). In any case... 0-1

standing on the shoulders of giants

this humorous quote, attributed to Sir Isaac Newton was partially about how he saw further because he was "standing" on the knowledge passed on by past generations, and partially a slight to his short-statured rival Robert Hooke. our game i titled standing on the shoulders of giants as we both blitzed out about 13 moves of ruy lopez theory

C - K
March match (1) 3/3/2006
C99 - Ruy Lopez : Tchigorin variation, 12. ...cxd4

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 [I haven't found an antidote for the Falkbeer yet (still playing 2.f4 d5 3.Nf3 unsuccessfully online) so I decided to see what he had in store for the Ruy Lopez.] 2...Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3! [The exclam was for bravery. I have been diligently working on tactics for the past couple of weeks so felt comfortable allowing the Marshall. If I go back to an Anti-Marshall it will probably be 8.a4 ;
as i haven't figured out the weakpoints of 8.h3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 Nf6 compared to the mainline] 8...d6 9.h3 Na5! This was a surprise. Kirk probably expected me to vary earlier, but I have never seen him play the Tchigorin before. [Kirk said afterwards he couldn't remember the line that "the Russians used against Fischer" so he decided to play the Tchigorin. I assume he meant 9...Nd7 as in Fischer-Tal ] 10.Bc2 c5 As I got this position, as so many times before, instead of the usual Ng3 and go at the king, I was gonna try and play Nbd2-Nf1-e3 and dominate the weak d5-square 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 cxd4 13.cxd4 Nc6 14.Nf1? [The mainline is 14.Nb3 ;
14.a3 is also played to take squares away from the knight.] 14...Nb4?! [Much stronger is 14...exd4 and White can't play 15.Nxd4 because of 15...Nxd4 16.Qxd4 Qxc2;
14...exd4 there are lots of moves for White but I think Black has better play. I may try this as Black from now on 15.Bb1 (15.Bf4; 15.Bg5; 15.Bb3) ] 15.Bb3 a5 16.a3 Na6 17.Bg5 trying to work on e5 and d5 17...h6 18.Bxf6 Bxf6 19.Ne3 keeping with my plan 19...Be6 20.Bd5? Giving him a tempo to mobilize his pieces [I should've just played 20.Bxe6 fxe6 21.d5 right away] 20...Rac8 21.Bxe6 fxe6 22.d5 [22.dxe5 dxe5 23.Rc1 was another try] 22...Nc5 23.Rc1 [I liked this move but 23.dxe6 Nxe6 24.Qd5 Qd7 25.Rad1 was another attempt] 23...Qd7 24.dxe6 Nxe6 [24...Qxe6 25.Nd5 would've been okay as far as i was concerned too] 25.Nd5 Rxc1 26.Qxc1 Rc8 27.Qd2? [I had Kirk's tactic that didn't work 3 moves later 27.Qxh6 . I should've been looking for things like this.] 27...Bg5? I wonder if Kirk just slowly felt himself get smothered and wanted to force something [27...Qd8 28.Nxf6+ gxf6 29.Qxh6 was still good for me though. HIs position was falling apart] 28.Nxg5 Nxg5 29.Nb6 Qxh3 An interesting try that almost worked 30.Qd5+ Black resigns 1-0

Black to move and win. This is the position I had after I played 10.g3?? at the tournament. Note the glass knight on c3...when i crossed over to Cerner in Kansas a couple of months ago, I brought my chess tube with me and it opened up during the ride (or crossing the border) and when i opened my suitcase all my pieces were all over...and i was missing a knight :( now that's the one i always sack in blitz ;)

February Round 2

K - C
February (2) 02-26-2006
B41 - Sicilian : Kan Variation

Okay this was the second (and final) game of February 2006. Kirk had moved to Walkerton earlier in the month and his internet didn't get hooked up until Friday. I wanted to play two games this weekend but unfortunately I went into work at 2:30am on Friday night/Saturday morning so I was in no shape to play. 1.e4 This was to be expected 1...c5 I'm still not sure what my "main" 1.e4 weapon is. I got smucked horribly in blitz last night v. my own weapon (the Grand Prix) where I tried to castle queenside and he rebuffed that idea. Kirk had mentioned in the past that he does not have a good line v. the Kan, so in a "must-win" game (match tied, last game) I decided to play the Kan v. him 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Be3!? Of course I have not played the Kan for months and months so could not remember what to play v. this (if anything). I think the problem is that it leaves the e-pawn unprotected, so probably ...Nf6 was the best, but I just wanted to get into a comfortable situation where he couldn't really attack me with his usual Be2, f4, O-O line. e.g. get comfortable, get him out of his comfort zone 5...Nc6 [5...Nf6] 6.Bd3 Nge7 [Again 6...Nf6 probably was better here. Again, like so many times before, I had decided in my mind what I was going to play regardless (or irregardless) of what my opponent did (see any of my Caro-Kann Advances historically)] 7.0-0 Nxd4 8.Bxd4 Nc6 this is the idea. It wastes a tempo for White. A similar idea is possible when the bishop is *not* on e3, except I tempo the queen. 9.c3?! [9.Be3 is better;
9.Bc3 has also been played, trying to stay on the long diagonal, but i imagine his pieces would be falling over top of each other trying to get his knight developed] 9...Nxd4 10.cxd4 d5? [10...Qb6 wins a pawn, but I thought with symmetrical pawn structures (both open c-file) i had equality] 11.e5 [I think he wanted to avoid the isolated pawn after 11.exd5 Qxd5 but that may have been best. The advantage to his move is that he wants to limit the scope of my bishops. The disadvantage is that with the blocked center he can't take advantage of his advantage in development. ] 11...Be7 [Again Qb6 wins a pawn here again 11...Qb6] 12.Nd2 0-0 [I could've finally tried 12...Qb6 13.Nb3 but I figured I should probably castle eventually. Although I could've took my time with the blocked center. I think he should've took a little longer here and tried to get an attacking plan.] 13.Rc1 f5! I don't know if this was an exclam, but at this point, I'm thinking two things. One, get my pieces into play. Two, about the only threat he has is Bxh7+ so why not try and solve both. He chooses to give up Bxh7+ 14.f4 [I wonder if uniting his rooks with 14.Qe2 was any better. Rashid Ziatdinov must be rolling in his grave about our patzer development ;);
or even 14.Nf3 guarding his d-pawn] 14...Qa5! I was happy with this move, trying to get him to play a3, because his d-pawn and b-pawn are still hanging and without the a-pawn guarding b3, Nb3 is not so strong 15.a3? [Falling into my plan 15.Qc2 may have been better, doubling up on h7 after an eventual g4 and stopping 15...Qxa2?? because of 16.Ra1;
Another idea was 15.Bb1 which looks funny but may be good as it guards a2 and takes one piece off the d-file.] 15...Bd7 [Maybe I screwed up the move order 15...Qb6 16.Nb3 Bd7 was forced, whereas he didn' thave to play 16.Nb3 in this line] 16.Nb3 [16.Qe2 Qb6 17.Nf3;
or even 16.Nf3 may have been better. ] 16...Qb6 17.Kh1? [Maybe the immediate overprotection by 17.Rc3 was better, but my position is better here and i'm getting some material] 17...Ba4 18.Bc2 Rac8


White to move

19.Rf2? [This loses material but what was better. I liked 19.Nc5 Bxc2 (Fritz found 19. ..Bb5 winning a pawn) 20.Qxc2 Bxc5 (20...Qb5!) 21.dxc5 Qc6] 19...Bxb3 20.Bxb3 Rxc1 [Perhaps 20...Qxb3! would have been more in the style of Morphy] 21.Qxc1 Qxb3 Not a great start by Kirk, but I was happy enough to win. I built up the pressure and finished it. 0-1

Weekend tourney Round 3

NN - C
B02 - Alekhine's Defense, Maroczy Variation

I forgot to mention in my other game that the time control was the unusual G/110+30 seconds. My opponent was a 40-ish gentleman who was rated lower than me, just what I was hoping for. Originally I was paired with a guy who was rated 1900 who was having a crappy tournament. I picked up a King's Gambit book from Chuck's bookstore and also let Kirk in on my little opening secret for this game so I was fired up to play. 1.e4 Nf6! The exclam is not for the quality of the move (I'm sure there are better) but for me actually playing it. I told myself, partially as a tribute to Kirk's excellent site, that I was going to play the Alekhine's at least in my life OTB. 2.d3 I knew it. [This or 2.Nc3 were inevitable] 2...d6? [The question mark is for going against my preparation. I had a miniscule debate with Eric Schiller about the merits of this move on Chessgames.com and he was happy enough with 2.d3 because 2. ...e5 allowed a reversed Philidor. Considering I had just gotten smacked around in 10 moves against the Philidor a couple hours previously you can understand my reasoning against playing 2...e5 . I'm sure it was stronger though] 3.Nf3 g6 4.h3 [Slow, probably 4.g3 was better] 4...c5 Now we have transposed into a Closed Sicilian. I have played positions like this quite often so I was relatively comfortable with it. 5.Be3 Bg7 [Fritz preferred 5...Qb6 making him either weaken his queenside, return his bishop, move his queen or sacrifice a pawn. ] 6.Nbd2 [He had to move either the pawn or the knight as after something like 6.Be2 Nxe4 7.dxe4 Bxb2 8.Nbd2 Bxa1 9.Qxa1 I felt better. Whether that was true or not, I'm not sure] 6...0-0 7.c3 Nc6 8.d4! I underestimated this move, however obvious it was 8...cxd4 9.cxd4 He has the easier position here, as it's tough to find a good square for my bishop and if he gets d5 in where does the knight go. I did some calculatin' and decided to play 9...d5 myself 10.e5 This was the line I was calculating. [Of course 10.exd5 Nxd5 is fine for Black] 10...Ne4 11.Nxe4 dxe4 12.Ng5 [This move did not come into my calculations, surprisingly. I had only looked at 12.Nd2 Nxd4 with a better position] 12...f5? [Of course 12...Qd5 is better. I don't know what I was thinking. Actually that's not true. I know exactly what happened. Mentally I had resigned myself to the fact that (because of the d3-pawn) he could only play Be2.] 13.Bc4+ Kh8 [13...e6 14.Bxe6+ Bxe6 15.Nxe6 Qa5+ looks like it might almost work but after 16.Bd2 what do i do?] 14.Nf7+ Rxf7 15.Bxf7 e6! This move totally saves my bacon. He now has to work to get his bishop out. 16.d5? [Trying to attack my precarious position 16.h4 Qe7 17.Bxg6 hxg6 was better, particularly with his rook still on h1] 16...Nxe5 The only thing I had was his precarious king position. This is the only try at getting an advantage for Black 17.dxe6 Qa5+ 18.Qd2 [18.Kf1 Bxe6 19.Bxe6 Qa6+;
18.Bd2 Nd3+ 19.Kf1 Qa6] 18...Nd3+ 19.Ke2 [19.Kd1 Nxb2+ 20.Ke1 Nd3+ 21.Kd1 Qxd2+ 22.Kxd2 f4 (22...Bxa1 23.e7 Bd7 24.Rxa1 Kg7 25.Bd5 Re8 26.Bxa7 Rxe7) ] 19...Qa6 20.Kf1 Bxe6!? [20...f4 was better, but i thought i had that move whenever I wanted] 21.Bxe6 Qxe6 22.g3 Trying to give room for his king. 22...Nxb2 23.Rb1 Nc4? [I should've grabbed the pawn. But just like 20. ...f4 I thought I could always grab the a-pawn whenever. 23...Qxa2 ] 24.Qe2 Nxe3+ 25.fxe3 [Only imagining that 25.Qxe3 Qxa2 was forced. I made some strange decisions in this game.] 25...b6 26.Rc1 g5!? I realized it was time to get one of my majorities rolling. Maybe it was premature, who knows 27.Qc4 wanting to trade queens off. UNderstandable. I missed the second part of his move though 27...Qe5 28.Qa6 An interesting idea. Threatening checkmate. 28...h5 [Maybe better was 28...Rf8 ;
28...Qxg3 29.Rc8+ Bf8 30.Rxa8 Qf3+ with perpetual] 29.Rc8+ Rxc8 30.Qxc8+ Kh7 31.Ke2



Black to play and lose

31...Qxg3?? Horrible. Obviously better was [31...Qb2+ as i can capture the a-pawn with check, as because of the e-pawn, he can't make any progress with his king and he can't leave the rook 32.Kf1 Qa1+ 33.Kg2 Qxa2+ 34.Kg1 Qa5 looks pretty good to me.] 32.Qxf5+! This was the (obvious) move i missed 32...Kh6? Allowing him to capture the e-pawn with check. Better was [32...Kh8] 33.Qe6+ Kh7 34.Qxe4+ Kh6 35.h4 g4? [35...gxh4 36.Rxh4 (36.Qxh4 Qg2+ 37.Kd1 Qf3+= allows perpetual) 36...Be5 is playable. I'm still up a pawn. I was mentally defeated and I really thought that h4 was a strong move. Now I'm just screwed] 36.Qe6+ Kh7 37.Qf5+ Kh6 38.Qg5+ Kh7 39.Qxh5+ Kg8 40.Qe8+ Kh7 41.Qe4+ Kg8 42.h5 Qe5 43.Qxe5 Bxe5 44.e4 Kh7 45.Rg1 g3= and I offered a draw because I only saw... 46.Kf3 Kh6 but i missed 47.Kg4! [47.Rxg3 and I thought maybe I could sneak out a draw but it looks losing 47...Bxg3 48.Kxg3 Kxh5 49.Kf4 Kg6 50.Ke5 Kf7 51.Kd6 Ke8 52.Kc7 Ke7 53.Kb7 Ke6 54.Kxa7 Ke5 55.Kxb6 Kxe4 56.a4 Kd5 57.a5 Kd6 58.a6] 47...a5 48.Kf5 Bd6 49.e5 and I resigned. That was an interesting game, but I needed to relax after making the blunder. Relaxation is important. I was much too stressed about this tournament. I will try to change that in the future.

I'm probably dropped below 1500 after this tournament. My main problem is that since I've beaten experts I expect to play at that level all the time, which just isn't true. I need to be more consistent, nothing more nothing less. 1-0

Weekend tourney Round 2

C - NN
C41 - Philidor Defense : Nimzowitsch Variation

This is the first I've touched a chessboard (Tuesday) since the tournament (Saturday). It was a very unpleasant tournament for me and I'm not sure what caused it. Too much quickplay no doubt. I forgot to bring my clock that should have been a warning. I had decided beforehand to play 1.e4, the Alekhine and the Nimzo/QGD. I had White the first game

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 As everytime Black avoids the Ruy, I wonder why I didn't just push my f-pawn on the second move 3.d4 Nf6 Interesting move order. Regular is [3...exd4;
and of course every White player v. the Philidor is looking for 3...Bg4 ;) ] 4.Bg5?! [I had to protect the pawn. Kirk recommended 4.dxe5 but after 4...Nxe4 i wonder if i would've found 5.Qd5!;
The mainline is 4.Nc3 and after 4...Nbd7 it is the Hanham Variation] 4...h6 [Schwartz-Paulsen continued 4...exd4 but I like the idea of him putting the question to my bishop. 5.Nxd4 Be7 6.Bd3 0-0 7.Nc3 c6 and eventually White won. I think I would play 4.Bg5 again though] 5.Bxf6? [Better was 5.Bh4 but I couldn't see what to play after 5...g5 6.dxe5 (not 6.Bg3? Nxe4) 6...Nxe4 7.Bd3 and it's messy but i doubt he wants his pawn on h4;
Even better was the immediate 5.dxe5 hxg5 6.exf6 g4 7.Nd4 Qxf6 I thought about it, but I realized why complicate things unnecessarily and just gave up the bishop pair, which I was loath to do before the game started.] 5...Qxf6 6.Nc3 c6 7.d5!? [I probably should have got on with it 7.Qd2 or;
7.Be2 but I thought that with all his pawn moves, I could try one too. In addition, this indirectly stopped him from playing ...b5] 7...Be7?



White to play and win

8.Qd2? [I missed that the bishop on e7 stopped the queen from coming back to d8 and stopping the fork 8.dxc6! bxc6 (8...Nxc6 9.Nd5 Qg6 10.Nc7+ is pretty obvious) 9.Nd5 Qg6 (9...cxd5 10.Qxd5 and wins the rook) 10.Nc7+] 8...0-0 9.0-0-0[9.dxc6 bxc6 (9...Nxc6 10.Nd5) 10.Nd5 cxd5 11.Qxd5 still worked, but if I missed it the first time, i was sure to miss it again. Of course it's not as strong this time because in the other line 11...Nc6 12.Qxc6 was check] 9...Nd7



White to play and lose horribly

10.g3?? Believe it or not there was some thought behind this move. [I wanted to put my knight on h4 and get to f5 but of course I couldn't do it immediately because of Qxh4, so I played 10.g3 losing the knight immediately. 10...-- 11.Nh4;
Of course something like 10.Be2 was better.

] 10...Qxf3

Why did I miss that the knight was defended only by the g-pawn? I wanted to play g3 while I could because I didn't want him to be able to pin. Kirk gave a more realistic excuse...not being used to playing with "real pieces". I had too much time to think, so I was making these deep knight inflitration ideas instead of looking at the board like I would in a blitz or active game. My opponent felt terrible and even apologized after the game.

So what's the solution? I want to play at the Canadian Open but I' m not real good at losing. Should I go back to playing things like the Caro? Should I give up chess? Should I analyze with a real board? I have given up correspondence. I'm thinking about just playing chess as a social activity, but I think I need a break. I may go to play more passive things as Black and just play 1.f4 as White and actually go through GM-RAM and endings books and sit at a board instead of this idiot box. We'll see 0-1

analyze this

AB - C
Grey Bruce Chess Club 2006
B09 - Pirc : Austrian Attack

1.e4 d6!? not something i'm gonna play next weekend but i wanted to try something different and move the struggle to the middlegame. also it's poor to get your opening busted by a stronger player before you go to a tournament. so i play something that i will never actually play OTB 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be3 c6? [I haven't played this system very much before, but better than the "Rat" was 6...Nc6 ;
or the double-fianchetto 6...b6 i fell in love with the idea though of 6. ...c6 7.Bc4? Nxe4! ] 7.Qd2 Bg4 [7...Ng4 was another option] 8.Be2 b5 Trying to make him think twice about queenside castling 9.h3 Bxf3 [9...b4! 10.hxg4 bxc3 11.Qxc3 Nxe4 12.Qd3 was a more interesting try] 10.Bxf3 a5 11.0-0?! My threats worked. I think it would have been a better plan for him to push g4 etc. instead of castling kingside, but what do i know? ;) 11...Qc7? [11...d5 To stop the threat of e5] 12.Nxb5? [12.e5! b4 13.Nb5 won immediately] 12...cxb5 13.e5 Nc6 14.exf6 Bxf6 Now I feel I'm better with the c- for e-pawn trade 15.Rac1 [Maybe 15.c3 ] 15...Rac8 16.c4 b4 17.c5 dxc5 18.Rxc5 Qd6 19.d5? [Asking for too much out of the position. Maybe 19.Rd5 was better] 19...Nd4 20.Rxc8 [20.Rxa5 Rc2 21.Qd3 Nxf3+ 22.Rxf3 Rxb2] 20...Nxf3+ 21.Rxf3 Rxc8 22.Bf2 Rd8 23.Rd3 e6 I win a pawn by unbearably shoddy technique does me in. if you can believe it, i actually lose this game 24.a3 exd5 25.axb4 Qxb4 26.Qxb4 axb4 27.Bd4



Bxd4+? [What a silly mistake by me. I realized that only his king would be able to help him, but missed that his king would be closer to my pawn. 27...Be7 was decided to be best afterwards.] 28.Rxd4 Kg7 29.Kf2 Kf6 [29...b3 may have been better 30.Rb4 d4 31.Ke2 Re8+ 32.Kd3 Re3+ 33.Kxd4 Rg3] 30.Rxb4 d4?? [Probably the losing move 30...h5 was much better allowing my king to stay near my pawn. Why did I make such terrible blunders? I was mentally defeated after the 27. ...Bxd4. i needed to take a breath and think. THIS GAME WAS NOT LOST AT THIS POINT] 31.Ke2 h5 [31...Re8+ 32.Kd3 Re3+ 33.Kxd4 Rg3] 32.Kd3 Kf5 33.Rxd4 Rb8 34.b4 Rb7 35.g3 Ke6 36.Rc4 Kd5= 37.Rc5+ Kd6 38.Kc4 f5 39.b5 Rb6 40.Kd4 and I stopped recording and eventually lost. It was good to play some strong opposition but I made some strange moves in the middlegame. 1-0

there were some good things to take from that. i won a pawn and had an excellent middlegame v. a relatively strong player. that is the level of player i will play in kitchener. the problem is that when he put a bit of pressure on me i crumbled. i need to focus more. Kirk, if you wouldn't mind doing a bit of analysis on this, i'd appreciate it ;)

February Round 1

C - K
February Match(1) Internet Chess Club (1), 06.02.2006
QGD: Tarrasch, Prague variation, 9.Bg5

First new game of February. Kirk has just moved to a new place and was "borrowing" a wireless connection from a neighbour so there were long periods with no connection. Finally, after about 15 moves I got frustrated and just offered a draw. 1.c4 Something new for me in my quest to avoid the Queen's Gambit and still allow the Nimzo ;) Of course Black can play stuff like [1.c4 e5 (and 1...c5 but it will give me a chance to think over the board since these positions are all new to me.) ] 1...c5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 e6 [I was hoping for something like 3...Nc6 4.g3 g6 5.Bg2 Bg7 6.0-0 0-0 7.d4!] 4.g3 [I could've tried 4.d4 here;
but I was thinking about 4.e4 and a Mikenas-Carls. The problem with trying to get a Nimzo out of 1.c4 is that I can't play the Mikenas-Carls.] 4...d5 5.cxd5 exd5 [The text allows me to transpose into the Tarrasch Defense. If he would've tried 5...Nxd5 I don't think I would've been quite so comfortable going into a Semi-Tarrasch 6.d4] 6.d4 Nc6 7.Bg2 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Bg5 Be6



And after some to-ing and fro-ing we actually made it to the mainline of the Tarrasch Defense. A Queen's Gambit, which I was hoping to avoid with 1.c4, but the Tarrasch, at our patzer level, is easier to play as White. [The mainline is 9...cxd4 10.Nxd4 h6 11.Be3 Re8] 10.Rc1 [10.dxc5 Bxc5 11.Bxf6 Qxf6 12.Nxd5 Qxb2 13.Nc7 was another interesting choice] 10...Nd7?! [No mention of 10. ...Nd7 in any book on the Tarrasch I have, but it seems an interesting choice. Similar to the idea of 10...Ne4 11.Bxe7 Qxe7 with the knight guarding the c5-pawn, but i think the knight may be more influential on e4 than d7.] 11.Bxe7 Qxe7 12.dxc5 Qxc5 13.Ng5! d4 14.Nxe6 fxe6 15.Bxc6? Throwing away advantage by looking for tricks [15.e3! was much better, with the idea of attacking the queen with tempo before exchanging the bishop 15...Rad8 16.Ne2 Qb6 17.Bxc6 bxc6 18.Qxd4] 15...bxc6 16.Ne4 [16.e3 Ne5 17.exd4 Qxd4 18.Qxd4 Nf3+ may have been better.] 16...Qe5= Again i offered a draw because i was fed up with the connection[I had only thought about 16...Qd5 17.Qc2 . I threw away a White, but there's lots more opportunity. Plus maybe I have a future option as White with 1.c4 :)] ½-½

yet another one bites the dust

bye bye art of attack

hello SOVIET CHESS - 1917-1991

i actually learned something from the last book...i feel stronger

return of the caro

K-C
January Match Internet Chess Club (8), 24.01.2006
B12 - Caro-Kann : Advanced Variation

We decided to have a midweek game. 1.e4 c6 I wanted to move the battle to the late middlegame/endgame. Over the board there won't be as many miniatures for and against I hope 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nf3 e6 5.Be2 c5!? [I tried something different today. Normally I play the Karpov-esque 5...Ne7 6.-- Nd7 and only then 7.-- c5 and 8.-- Nc6 . ] 6.0-0 Nc6 7.c3 Nge7 [The main line is 7...cxd4 8.cxd4 then 8...Nge7 but I didn't want to open any lines for him. I can't understand why someone would play this way v. the old Karpov Knights way. Development is awkward at best and painful at worst.] 8.Bg5!? [The mainline is 8.dxc5! Ng6 9.b4 Ngxe5 . I wa happy with his move because it allowed me to develop a little bit] 8...Qb6 9.Qb3?! giving himself doubled isolated pawns [9.Qd2 may have been better] 9...Qxb3 10.axb3 Bxb1 11.Rfxb1 cxd4 12.cxd4 Nf5



Whether I'm better or worse here I'm happy with my position. I missed Kirk's next move, but I wanted just to trade off the bishops and my two queenside pawns are better than his. 13.Bb5! Be7 14.Rd1 Bxg5 15.Nxg5 h6 [I wanted to play 15...Ke7 to break the pin, but after an eventual 16.Nf3 -- and 17.g4 the knight is out of play] 16.Nf3 0-0 [Now 16...Ke7 17.Bxc6 bxc6 18.g4 loses] 17.Bxc6 bxc6 Now it comes down to whether the backwards c-pawn is weaker than the doubled isolated b-pawns. 18.g4 Ne7 19.Rdc1 [Fritz liked 19.Ra3 and I think that's okay as well. Easier for him to get at the a-pawn, since my knight is guarding the c-pawn. ] 19...Rfc8 20.Ne1 Ng6?! [Fritz wanted me to go after the b-pawn, but my idea was to play 20...Rc7 defending the a-pawn 21.-- Rac8 and freelance with my knight. With this setup of rooks if he decided to go after my a-pawn, i can always play 22.-- Ra8] 21.Ra6? [I think 21.Nd3! was better, limiting my knight.] 21...c5! 22.Nd3? [22.Rxc5 Rxc5 23.dxc5 Nxe5 24.h3;
or 22.dxc5 Nxe5 23.h3 was better] 22...cxd4 23.Rxc8+ Rxc8 24.Rxa7 Rc2 25.f4 Rd2 26.f5 Rxd3 [Fritz said that 26...exf5 was stronger but I thought my line was winning as well] 27.fxg6 fxg6 28.Rb7 Re3 29.b4? [29.Rb4 may have been a bit better, but it's a win now] 29...d3 30.Kf2 Re2+? [a blunder by me 30...d2! was instantly winning] 31.Kf1 Rxb2 32.b5 Rxh2? [Again not paying attention. I got lazy 32...Rb1+ 33.Kf2 d2] 33.Ke1 Rb2 34.b6 h5 Trying to make a second weakness 35.gxh5 gxh5 36.Rb8+ Kh7 37.b7 h4 38.Kd1 h3 39.Kc1 Rb3 40.Kd2 h2 White resigns 0-1

game 7

C-K
January Match Internet Chess Club (7), 22.01.2006
C92 - Ruy Lopez : Closed, Kholmov Variation

This was not the best of games. 1.e4 Kirk mentioned that he had started playing 1.e4 so I wanted to see what he played v. the Ruy 1...e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 [I had actually thought about playing 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.0-0 because of the crazy (unsound) line I saw 5...f6 6.Nxe5!? fxe5 7.Qh5+ Kd7 (7...g6 8.Qxe5+ +-) 8.Qxe5 and it will be difficult for Black to free himself. Unfortunately, Black doesn't have to play that line.] 4...Nf6 5.0-0 [I also thought about trying this 5.Qe2 to avoid the Open Lopez, as favored by Tiviakov and Tpstar But then I thought about it and realized that I wanted to see what he would play.] 5...Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3! What the heck, I thought. I'm gonna go for it. 8...d6 9.h3 [Again I had thoughts of playing 9.d4 Bg4 10.Be3 but was curious to see what his Closed Lopez line was] 9...Be6!? The Kholmov variation. Tough enough in practice, but not the greatest theoretically. A nice choice 10.d4 Bxb3 11.Qxb3 [11.axb3 is played as well but that isolated pawns after 11...exd4 12.cxd4 weren't very appealing to me(12.Nxd4 Nxd4 13.Qxd4 was another option, but I think the tempi on the queen makes it easier to roll the queenside pawns.) ] 11...exd4 [11...Qd7 is main line, but the text is theory as well] 12.cxd4 Nxd4?? [12...Na5;
or 12...d5 were better. I assume that Kirk thought I played 12.Nxd4 and trade that way. ] 13.Nxd4 c5 14.Nc6 Qc7 15.Nxe7+ Qxe7 16.Bg5 1-0

2nd endgame in a row

K-C
January Match Internet Chess Club (6), 21.01.2006
C99 - Ruy Lopez : Closed, Tchigorin Variation, 12 ...cxd4

1.e4 e5 [I wanted revenge for our game last week, no doubt about it. I wasn't in the mood for another Opocensky Najdorf 1...c5 ;
didn't want a passive position with 1...c6 ;
and don't have the bollocks to try 1...Nf6 vs. the arch-duke of the Alekhine himself (but will in the future even if it's just blitz). So 1.e4 e5 it is] 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 [Of course there's always other options. I had to think at this point whether I wanted to play something "normal" or get him thinking on move 3 with something like 3...f5 ] 4.Ba4 [A less classy player would probably have played 4.Bxc6 ] 4...b5 a little finesse to stop a later Bxc6 5.Bb3 Nf6 6.0-0 [They say that 6.d4 is good here on chessgames.com (12 wins for White v. 2 losses, most of them miniatures). Interesting. Although after 6...exd4 7.e5 Ne4 I don't see what the big deal is as in Menke-Rellstab 1947(or even 7...Ng4 ) ] 6...Be7 7.Re1 0-0 The only reason I offered the Marshall, was not because I wanted him to play 8.c3 and allow it, but was to kill some time and let him decide whether or not to allow it. He didn't 8.h3 [The odd time where I do play the Closed Lopez I play this move order because the anti-Marshalls (IMHO) aren't as good for White as the mainline Closed Lopezes. 8.a4 Bb7 for instance] 8...d6 [I recalled that the grandmaster refutation to this line is 8...Bb7, but I couldn't remember why :) if 9.c3 (9.d3 is normally played by the Linares crowd) 9...d5! allows a better Marshall. 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxe5 Nxe5 12.Rxe5 Black doesn't have to waste a tempo with ...c6 and can play something like 12...Bf6 (or even 12...Nf4! ) ] 9.c3 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 cxd4 13.cxd4 exd4?! [13...-- Releasing the tension in the center, which as a certain Mr. Frarey tought me the hard way, whomever released the central tension in the Lopez loses. I wanted to mix it up though. Kirk has made me suffer on the Black side of the Tchigorin too many times with the 14.Nf1 -- 15.Ng3 -- 16.Nh4 -- 17.Nhf5 plan and checkmated me horribly. So I wanted him to have to think for a change, plus I figured it would be easier to develop my knight if he didn' thave d5 kickign it from c6 and where was my bishop gonna go. Hell, maybe I'll have to try a different Lopez next time ;)] 14.Nxd4 Nc6 [I was thinking about moves like 14...Be6 for a while, trying to get him to trade off the bishop and get rid of my isolated pawns. The problem with this thinking (although it does develop my bishop) is that I'm making a conscious effort not to trade bishops for knights if I can help it (although that will be shown laughable later on in this game)] 15.N2f3 Ne5 Again to get my pawn away from d6 [15...Nxd4 16.Nxd4 d5 17.exd5 Bb4 18.Re2 Bb7 may have been an easier way to open up the game. History has shown (me) that Black's game gets easier the more open it is in the Tchigorin] 16.Bf4 Rd8!? not the greatest move but I had to free my pieces. [16...Nh5!? 17.Nxe5? (but 17.Bh2 basically refutes it) 17...Nxf4 may have been decent;
Probably just developing with 16...Bd7 was the strongest.] 17.Rc1! Yes! Taking advantage of my weaknesses in development. I had to decide where to put my queen. Fitz likes Qb6, but I was worried about tactics on the e7 bishop 17...Nxf3+ 18.Qxf3 Qb7 19.Bb3 Bd7 Now I wanted to trade off a pair of rooks. I don't think he will be able to put sufficient pressure on my d-pawn. 20.Qd3?! [20.e5! Qxf3 21.Nxf3 dxe5 22.Nxe5 and the weakness of my bishop on e7 tell] 20...Rac8 21.Nf3? [21.Rxc8 Rxc8 22.Nf3 because the rook is guarding the e-pawn.] 21...Rxc1 22.Rxc1 Qxe4 23.Bxf7+! I totally missed this. I had flashbacks to the previously mentioned game where he checkmated me horribly. I didn't see anything terrible though with... 23...Kf8 24.Qxe4 [The exchange was forced as 24.Qd2 Bxh3 is good for Black (and i even saw that)] 24...Nxe4 25.Bd5 Nc5 Aiming to fork 26.Bg3 [I wasn't sure what to try with 26.Rd1 Be6 was recommended by Fritz but 27.b4 looked good to me, stopping my queenside and leaving me with an isolated pawn] 26...Be6= I offered a draw here. Kirk took about 2 minutes before deciding on 27.Rxc5! Fritz likes it as two bishops for a rook is pretty good. The only problem with it, positionally, is that it gives me winning chances on the queenside and gets rid of my isolated pawn. 27...dxc5 28.Bxe6 Rd1+?! 29.Kh2 Bd6 This was the idea behind my odd 28th move. I wanted to trade off the bishops and go knight and light squred bishop v. rook. Unfortunately, Kirk was not so accomodating 30.Ne5 [30.Bc8 was probably better, because I'm impatient so I likely wouldn't have seen the error of my ways and played 30...Bxg3+? probably losing b/c of the active king] 30...Ke7 [I couldn't make 30...Re1 work but after 31.f4 Re2 Fritz says it's all good. My move was based on the active king. Kirk's king is more of a bystander than anything.] 31.Bc8 Bxe5? Giving up the bishop pair for no compensation, plus he grabs a couple of pawns. I was counting on 3 being better than 2 on the queenside, but honestly I was very lucky it worked out so well. [31...Re1 didn't work here as 32.Nc6+ won a piece but;
31...Rd2 32.Bxa6 Rxb2 was pretty good] 32.Bxe5 a5 33.Bxg7 a4 34.Bh6? [34.f4 was better] 34...b4 [I thought about 34...Rb1 35.b3 axb3 36.axb3 Rxb3 but that gets rid of my most advanced pawn 37.Bf5 c4 38.Bxh7 and now what?] 35.Bf5 Ra1 36.Bxh7 Rxa2 37.Bg7 [Defending the other way 37.Bc1 was likely better.] 37...a3 38.Bg8? [38.bxa3 bxa3 (38...Rxa3 to keep the pawns together loses to 39.Bg8) 39.f4 will be tough for me.] 38...Rxb2! 39.Bxb2? [He's gotta go for his own with 39.f4 ] 39...axb2 40.Ba2 c4 41.h4 c3 42.Bb3 b1Q He blundered in the endgame. As the last two games have shown, we *both* need to work on technique. We're both victims of bad decisions as much as anything 0-1

black is back y'all

C - K
January Match Internet Chess Club (5), 15.01.2006
C31 - King's Gambit Declined : Falkbeer, Tartakower Variation

I decided before this game to play a King's Gambit. I had found a new idea v. the Falkbeer which Kirk plays and wanted to try it out 1.f4 e5 [I go through this move order for a couple of reasons. I didn't believe that Kirk would play 1...d5 because history has shown that he doesn't like the closed positions that follow. Also, Kirk never plays 1.e4 e5] 2.e4 [And also history has shown that I don't like From's Gambit 2.fxe5 . Lasker's defense is my antidote (as Black) to From's 2...d6 3.exd6 Bxd6 4.Nf3 g5! with equality] 2...d5 3.Nf3 And here's mine (and Tartakower's idea).



I've been looking for an alternative line to [3.exd5 because I just don't like the positions after 3...e4 I like Tchigorin's 4.Bb5+ but the positions aren't particularly good and the mainlines i don't find any better, so hence the text] 3...Bg4! [and of course I don't even consider this move. It looks strong to me. I had looked at 3...exf4 transposing back to C36. ;
and the position after 3...dxe4 4.Nxe5 is fairly good as far as I'm concerned with lines like 4...Bd6 5.d4 exd3 6.Nxd3] 4.Be2 This was the only move I saw that didn't immediately lose material or ruin my position [4.exd5 e4 5.Qe2 is more in line with the falkbeer lines;
4.Nc3 d4 looks much better for Black;
4.h3 dxe4 5.hxg4 exf3 6.Qxf3 gives me a mangled kingside;
4.Qe2 was another option but i think Kirk would have ended up way ahead in development after something like 4...Nc6] 4...Bc5?! [This is a novelty as far as I can tell 4...exf4 has been played a number of times.] 5.Nxe5 Bxe2 [5...Bh3! was a possible move, threatening 6.gxh3 (6.Kf1 may be better for White according to Fritz, but i think it sucks to play as White) 6...Qh4+ 7.Kf1 Qf2#] 6.Qxe2 Nf6 [6...Nd7 7.exd5 Qh4+ 8.g3 Qe7] 7.Qb5+ Nbd7 8.exd5 [8.Nxd7 Nxd7 9.Qxb7 and 9...d4 with an ugly position is almost forced(9...Rb8 for instance 10.Qxd5 and i'm better; 9...dxe4 10.Qxe4+ Be7 11.0-0 looks better for me as well) The immediate 8.Qxb7?! isn't as good because after 8. ...Rb8 I can't capture the d-pawn. That tactical point is what I missed ] 8...0-0 9.b4? [Brutal. SOmething like 9.Nxd7 Nxd7 10.Kd1 would have been better. I'm way behind in development at this point, i just wanted to get the bishop off the diagonal so i can castle but i missed that...] 9...Bd4! attacks my rook 10.c3 [10.Nc3 doesn't really help me. At this point I wasn't counting on castling, so if I'm not going to castle trading off pieces is probably my best idea] 10...Bxe5 11.fxe5 Nxe5 12.0-0 [Plans change. Maybe 12.d4 first was better.] 12...Qxd5 i'm definitely worse here....i'm going to have to trade off queens without picking off the b-pawn which was the point of my queen excursion in the first place. 13.Qxd5 Nxd5 14.Rf5!? Nd3 [I was counting on this move. If he would've played something like 14...Rfe8 ;
or 14...f6 , but the text actually half gives me a chance to get back in the game, and catch up in development] 15.Rxd5 Nxc1 Trading off one of my undeveloped pieces 16.Na3?! A forcing move but [16.Rd7 was likely better] 16...Ne2+ 17.Kf2 [In the big picture 17.Kf1 would've been better. When I made this move i didn't picture him picking off the d-pawn (with check, hence Kf1 being better than Kf2). I imagined something grand like me pushing the d-pawn to d4 and all the way to victory or something like that. Delroy rides again! Unfortunately the continuation wasn't quite so dramatic...] 17...Nf4 18.Rd7 Rfd8 19.Rxc7 Ne6? [I imagine he played this because he was afraid of 19...Rxd2+ 20.Ke3 but 20...Rxa2! 21.Rxa2 Nd5+] 20.Rxb7 Rxd2+ 21.Kf1 two moves to get to f1, instead of one. an extra tempo here would've likely really helped me out. [21.Kf1 -- 22.Nc4 Rc2 23.Nd6 Rxc3 24.Rd1 i dunno if it's really better] 21...Nf4 22.Re1 Rxa2? [Allowing a tactic because of back rank mate. 22...h6 was likely better winning him a pawn. One of Kirk's "chess weaknesses" is refusing to slow down things to give his king some breathing room.] 23.Rxa7 Rd8 [23...Rxa7?? 24.Re8#] 24.Nb5 this is the key here. 24...Rxg2 [24...Rxa7 may have been better 25.Nxa7] 25.Nd6? not calculating hard enough [I thought about 25.Rd7 again with but if 25...Rb8 (25...Rxd7 26.Re8#) (not 26.Rb7 with a repetition but) 26.Re4! g5 27.Rxf4! gxf4 28.Kxg2 Rxb5 29.Kf3 and I think i'm better in in this endgame.] 25...Rxh2 26.Re8+?! [I think now was the time to go for the repetition by 26.Rd7 Ra8 27.Ra7 and if 27...Rf8 28.Ree7] 26...Rxe8 27.Nxe8 Rc2 28.Nd6 h6 29.Rxf7 Nd5 30.Rf3 [30.Rd7 Rxc3 31.b5 was pretty close to what happened] 30...Nxc3 [Of course hoping for 30...Rxc3 31.Rxc3 Nxc3] 31.b5 Nd5 32.Rb3 Nb6 33.Ne4 Kf7 34.Rf3+ Ke6 35.Rg3 g5 36.Nxg5+? [36.Rh3! was much better, but i figured that even I could draw R+N v. R] 36...hxg5 37.Rxg5= and I offered a draw which Kirk initially declined. He did offer a draw afterwards, but I don't know if it was at this point or when it was. I didn't see it (or hear it on ICC) so I continued playing and... 37...Kd6 38.Rf5 Rb2 39.Ke1 Nd5 40.Rg5 Rxb5



41.Ke2?? This is an unbelievable blunder. My excuse is that I was tired. A more realistic excuse is that (similar to my game in Kitchener last year where I dropped my queen on the sunny side of Q+P v. RR) I had already mentally chalked this up as a draw and the only thing i was trying to avoid was a fork. I wasn't even looking for my rook to be captured. Yes I feel he should have accepted my draw, but I should've opened my eyes. Sub-masterly play by me ;) 41...Nc3+ 42.Kd3 Rxg5 43.Kxc3 Rg4 44.Kd3 White resigns 0-1

i still need to learn focus. sneaky's recommendation of writing down the moves has startd but i totally played from about move 21 on too fast and was hardly paying attention at the end. oh well live and learn.

in response to my terrible tournament last year, i read an interesting article today about "Why We Have Disaster Tournaments". I'm just glad I'm not the only one ;)

a quickie

K - C
January Match Internet Chess Club (4), 14.01.2006
D07 - Tchigorin Defense

1.d4!? Highly unexpected. I guess he wanted a break from the Najdorf, but I was going to try a Caro regardless. 1...d5 2.Nf3 [2.c4 I had been thikning about trying 2...e5 since Kasim played it successively (1½/2) at the Keres Memorial including a draw v. Karpov. I woke up this morning and tried to figure out how I would play this v. 2.Nf3. So ] 2...Nc6 3.c4 e5?! [Maybe 3...Bg4 is better, but I wanted to try and get ...e5 in and see how it worked] 4.Nxe5 [4.dxe5 d4 transposes to the main line of the Albin] 4...Nxe5 5.dxe5 d4 6.Bf4 Be6 [6...Ne7 7.-- Ng6 may have been better] 7.e3 [7.Qb3 Ne7 again going to g6] 7...dxe3 [7...g5! Similar to the game today at Corus Topalov-Kamsky 8.Bg3 h5 9.h4 dxe3] 8.Qxd8+ Rxd8 9.Bxe3 Bb4+ [9...f6 10.exf6 Nxf6 and it's a real gambit] 10.Bd2 Bxd2+ 11.Nxd2 Ne7 12.f4 Nf5 13.Be2? [13.Rc1 was likely better, protecting his c-pawn and getting rid of all fork options.] 13...Ne3 White resigns[13...Ne3 some of the lines are 14.Kf2 (14.Bf3 Nc2+ 15.Ke2 Nxa1 16.Rxa1) 14...Nxg2 15.Kxg2 Rxd2 Kirk may have resigned early but the position was getting ugly and I don't think he was really in the mood to play this morning] 0-1

january match (3)

C-K
January Match Internet Chess Club (3), 08.01.2006
B90 - Sicilian : Najdorf, Kasparov Variation

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 [I tried to move order him here 2...Nc6 3.Nf3 and he either has to go into an unfamiliar (non-Najdorf) Sicilian with 3...Nf6 (or avoid a "normal" Sicilian altogether with 3...e5 ) ] 3.Nf3 [I didn't have the bollocks to try 3.f4 , but maybe next time] 3...Nf6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 a6 and so after a little to-ing and fro-ing we come to the tabiya of the Najdorf. Me and Kirk played some blitz the other day and he went for the mainline v. Bg5 so I decided to go for 6.Be3 again and, not surpisingly, he went for 6...Ng4 again 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Bg3 Bg7! [Last time he played 9...h5 and got a bad position. The text is theory] 10.Bc4 [Other moves are 10.Be2 ;
10.h3;
and 10.Qd2 . I figured that Bc4 put pressure on f7 and also would tempt him to play ...b5 and then both his kingside and queenside would be exposed] 10...0-0 [10...Qb6 looks interesting as well as Kirk's 10...h5;
or just develop 10...Nc6 ] 11.Ne6?! fxe6?! [11...Bxc3+ 12.bxc3 Qa5 was better according to Fritz] 12.Qxg4 This worked out exactly the way I wanted. My queen is on the kingside, there's pins and once i castle queenside there will be another pin on his queen. 12...Qd7 13.0-0-0 [The immediate 13.h4! may be better] 13...b5! 14.Bb3 Bxc3 [A better plan may have been 14...a5 15.a3 a4 16.Ba2 with his own pawn storm] 15.bxc3 Nc6? [Maybe 15...Qe8 trying to get some other pieces on the kingside, but I understand Kirk's rationale. For the third game in a row (or maybe more even) he's severely underdeveloped.] 16.h4! Na5 King safety should be at a premium at this point but I wonder if there's anything he can do? [16...Rf6] 17.hxg5 Nxb3+ 18.cxb3 e5 19.Qh5 hxg5? Losing immediately, but even after[19...Qe6 20.g6 it's pretty tough.

Kirk got himself in trouble with too many pawn moves and not enough development. He said after the game that he needed to learn to defend v. kingside pawn pushes. Maybe in a line like this it would have been better not to castle at all, since pawn-wise, he was strongest in the center. It's hard to say.] 1-0

Black is OK

K - C
January Match Internet Chess Club (2), 07.01.2006
B92 - Sicilian : Najdorf, Opocensky Variation

Game two. This one was Saturday night. We are aiming for one more tomorrow morning, before I go back to work and Kirk goes back to school. 1.e4 c5 [I had thought about playing the Marshall attack against Kirk or maybe the Tchigorin and aim for a middlegame. Then I was finishing up my Karpov book today and I decided to try the Najdorf based on an interesting idea he had in there. 1...e5 ] 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.a4 [The line in the Karpov book was 9.Be3 Be6 10.Qd2 Nc6 11.Rfd1 a5! in Ehlvest-Georgadze Spartakiade 1983.



I didn't imagine that Kirk would play Qd2 and Rfd1 but it was an interesting idea taking up more space on the queenside. Of course with Kirk's 9.a4 it is silly to try to expand on the queenside with 9. ...a5] 9...Be6 10.Be3 I knew this was the mainline but I figured I had to try to "punish" him for the text. I also realized that one of the goals of the Najdorf is to play ...d5. I knew I wasn't fully developed, but I took a couple minutes, saw it wasn't immediately losing and thought what the hell ;) 10...d5!? [Theory gives 10...Nc6 ] 11.exd5 Nxd5 12.Nxd5 Qxd5 I figured that if Kirk wanted to trade off queens I at least had equality. Kirk mentioned after the game that he didn't want another 20 move draw :) 13.Nd2?! An interesting idea, giving the bishop some protection when it tries to kick my queen. 13...Nc6 14.Bb6 [I didn't count on this move at all, although it makes sense keeping me from doubling up on the d-file. I was looking at both 14.c4 and;
14.Bf3] 14...Nd4 15.Bc4 Qd6 16.a5 Qc6?! [If I wanted to play here I should've done it a move earlier. Better is likely 16...Rac8 doing the same thing. The idea behind ...Qc6 was to get the queen off the d-file.] 17.Bd3 [Fritz said that 17.Bxd4 exd4 giving an isolated pawn was better, although now that I can back it up with a rook on d8 (or a pawn after the bishop exchange) it doesn't look so bad.] 17...Bc5 Trading off the bishop, freeing my game quite a bit 18.Qh5!? Interesting but I think he got impatient, trying to force the issue. 18...f5! I was hoping to do this a move earlier actually, hoping to push ...e4, and try and keep Kirk from getting his knight to f3. 19.c3? [Trying to complicate things 19.Bxc5 Qxc5 20.c3 was probably better.] 19...Bxb6 20.axb6 Nb5 [20...Nb3 Forcing off the exchange of the knights may have been better.] 21.Rfe1 [21.Nf3 threatening Nxe5 21...e4 22.Ng5 h6 23.Nxe6 Qxe6 24.Bxb5 axb5 may have been better] 21...g6 [The immediate 21...e4 was better but i was worried about something like 22.Nxe4 fxe4 23.Bxe4 (but of course I had the intermezzo of 22...g6! I wonder if I would've played it) ] 22.Qd1 e4 Now I have a big space advantage. 23.Bc2 Rad8 [I was going to try 23...Qxb6 but I figured why rush? I'll always be able to grab that.] 24.Ba4 Qxb6 25.Qc2 So now I decided to try and get my knight to d3 25...Nd6 26.Rad1 Nf7 27.Qc1? [Better to defend with the knight than the bishop 27.Nb3 Ne5 28.Nd4 (28.Nc1 is okay as well. Kirk was in time trouble (a little over 5 minutes left) and was probably tired from apartment hunting and driving back home today and it looked like the position was busted, so I can understand why he might have missed this) ] 27...Ne5 28.Bc2 Ng4! While trying to keep my knight from d3, he exposes his kingside a little more. 29.Re2 e3 [I was looking at 29...Nxf2 30.Rxf2 e3 as well but it was a little trickier. The text was still winning but a little more straightforward] 30.Rxe3 Nxe3 31.fxe3 Qxe3+ 32.Kh1 Rd7 Kirk resigned here as I am going to double up rooks and win more material. I was happy with my game, and even if the ...d5 wasn't perfect, it was an interesting idea that worked out. I'm definitely getting more comfortable in the Najdorf. Interesting that this was the first win as Black since we started playing weekly in October (!)0-1