C 2½-1½ K and a blindfold win too

Sadler_C - Sadler_K
December Match Internet Chess Club (4), 29.12.2005
B90 - Najdorf : Kasparov Variation

We had just previously played a blindfold game, so I felt more focused. In reality this is probably the worst game (more double question marks) that we have played since we started doing this weekly thing. 1.e4 [The blindfold game K - C went 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 Bxd2+ (The paradoxical 4...Be7 is the main move in this line. The benefit being that the d-pawn is unguarded because the bishop blocks everything.) 5.Nxd2 (5.Qxd2 the knight's best square is c3) 5...0-0 6.e4! d6 7.Bg2 e5 8.Ngf3 Bg4 9.Qb3 Bxf3 10.Nxf3 exd4 11.Nxd4 Nc6 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.0-0 Rb8 14.Qc2 c5 15.Rfd1 Qe7 16.Re1 Nd7 17.f4 Rbd8 18.Re3 h5 19.Rae1 h4 20.e5 hxg3 21.Bd5 gxh2+ 22.Qxh2 Kirk actually played 18.Re2 but announced 22.Qxh2 on this move, and i agreed with it, so to make it work we listed 18.Re3 22...dxe5 23.Rxe5 Nxe5 24.Rxe5 Qf6 25.f5 Rde8 0-1 Not the greatest game but it got us both thinking] 1...c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 [I half expected 5...g6 , but instead of trying to blow him off the board with the Yugoslav attack I was going to try and punish him instead with Korchnoi's 6.Bb5+] 6.Be3 Ng4!? [This was a big surprise! I had planned on going for a Keres attack with 6...e6 7.g4 etc.] 7.Bg5 [The alternative is 7.Bc1 Nf6 but I wanted to try this line and see if he had something planned] 7...h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Bg3 h5? [A dubious novelty. Developing with 9...Bg7! was much stronger. Kirk said it was a "grandmasterly" move, and if by grandmasterly he means "ugly" then yes, yes it was a grandmasterly move] 10.h3 Nf6 11.Qd2 Bh6N [I apologize to Kirk. This line was actually played between two grandmasters Kachian-Shneider EUCup 1997 where it continued 11...h4 12.Bh2 e5 13.Nf3 g4 with an eventual draw. Kirk's idea was to try to pressure me into not castling queenside.] 12.f4? [Dubious. 12.f3 was much better.] 12...Rg8 13.fxg5 [13.f5 was the move. I was thinking about doing this (this move was my longest think) but then i thought why don't i just exchange his one active piece (bishop) and get on with it? look at his queenside pieces.] 13...Bxg5 14.Bf4?? [Of course 14.Qe2 was necessary and he has a good position] 14...Bh4+?? [14...Bxf4! 15.Qxf4 e5 and it's curtains] 15.g3 [15.Kd1 may have been better] 15...Bxg3+ 16.Bxg3 Rxg3 17.0-0-0 Rxc3?! Dubious but interesting sac. It is unplayable here because of his lack of development. 18.Qxc3 Nxe4 This is worth a diagram.



Morphy would eat this position alive 19.Qf3 [19.Qe3 is a better diagonal for White. I won't be able to get an attack on f7] 19...e5?? 20.Qxe4 Qg5+ 21.Kb1 f5 22.Nxf5?? [absolutely idiotic. I was wondering why Kirk didn't resign and he would have if i would've played the correct 22.Qe2 ] 22...Qxf5 23.Qxf5 Bxf5 24.Rxd6 Ke7 25.Rb6 [25.Rh6 was obviously better] 25...Be4! 26.Rg1 Nd7 27.Rb4? [27.Rg7+! Kd8 28.Rd6 Bf5 29.Rg8+! wins;
Even 27.Rh6 was better as well, giving me a second chance. But if I missed it the first time I will miss it the second time too] 27...Nc5 28.Rg5 [The way the game went, I missed his threat of Bf3. 28.Be2 was a much better move. Guarding the back rank and freeing up my bishop] 28...Kf6 29.Rxh5 Rd8 30.Kc1 Bf3! Threatening something for the first time. I thought that I was busted. Luckily I saw a move 31.Rb6+ Kg7 32.Rg5+ Kh7 33.Bd3+! Clearance sacrifice 33...e4 [33...Nxd3+ may have been better but I'm still winning] 34.Rxc5 exd3 35.cxd3 Rxd3 36.Rc7+ Kg8 37.Re6 Rd8 38.Ree7 Rb8 [38...Bd5 i would've tried 39.Rxb7 Bxb7 40.Rxb7 and won the rook endgame since his king is stuck on the 8th rank] 39.Rg7+ Kf8 [39...Kh8 40.h4 -- 41.h5 -- 42.h6 etc.] 40.Rgf7+ Kirk said that he wanted to do two weekly games (Saturday and Sunday). i think it's a good idea. we'll play one more game tomorrow to finish off 2005. 1-0

merry christmas

i made out well chess-book wise for christmas.

kirk got me The System by former World Correspondence Champion Hans Berliner. It's an interesting idea for White, mostly based on 1.d4, 2.c4, 3.Nc3, 4.f3, 5.e4, 6.Nge2 etc. there's some interesting criticism on Silman's website, but like the original My System it makes you think.

he also got me a used Karpov book on his games from 1979-1984 called Chess at the Top : 1979-1984. It's a great find! 49 annotated games from Karpov in that period (when he was on the top) including all of the 1981 Merano match with Korchnoi. it was a fabulous gift.

chuck got me the algebraic version of Art of Attack so i have no excuse not to go through it because it's algebraic. also he got me and kirk The Chess Players' Battle Manual which will be helpful because it gives good ideas for practical play and plans v. the colle and the tromp and the f4 sicilian which are literally my three worst chess enemies ;) he also got us reshevsky's Art of Positional Play which i've already read and annotated and kotov's Think Like a Grandmaster which is a must have for any chess library. so we made out pretty good

also jane got me a $20 gift certificate which i'm pretty sure i'll put towards Soviet Chess

merry christmas y'all

2nd annual Game of the Year

well folks it's coming up on Christmas, and i doubt i'll play any more CFC games, so here's the nicest game i played all year, even though it ended up a draw, i was happy with it artistically

Olheiser,G (2080) - Sadler,C (1557) [B12]
KW Team Challenge Kitchener, ON (1), 11.06.2005

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Ne2 e6 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6 7.h5 Bh7 8.Bd3 Bxd3 9.cxd3 Nd7 10.Qg4 c5 11.0-0 Ne7 12.Nc3 cxd4 13.Nb5 Nxe5 14.Qe2 N7c6 15.f4 Qb6 16.a4 a6 17.Na3 Bxa3 18.bxa3 Nd7 19.Bd2 0-0 20.f5 Nce5 21.Bf4 Nxd3 22.Qxd3 e5 23.Rab1 Qa7 24.Bd2 e4 25.Qb3 Nf6 26.Qxb7 Qc5 27.Bb4 Qc2 28.Bxf8 Rxf8 29.Qb3 Qc7 30.Ne2 Ng4 31.Qg3 Qxg3 32.Nxg3 Ne3 33.Rf2 Rc8 34.Nf1 Ng4 35.Rf4 Nf6 36.g4 d3 37.Rd1 Rc3 38.Kf2 Rxa3 39.Ne3 Rxa4 40.Kg3 Ra2 41.Rf2 ½-½

i stopped recording at move 41 but the final position was



i'm not going to do a worst game of the year because this year was blunderific (refer to any tournament in KW for more details)

merry christmas y'all

K 1½ - 1½ C

K - C
December Match Internet Chess Club (3), 17.12.2005
D45 - Semi-Slav : Stoltz Variation

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 c6 [I woke up about 10 minutes before 8 o'clock and didn't really feel like another QGA 3...dxc4 . I decided on the Semi-Slav last night actually because I'm sure it will be something we both will face v. the 1.d4, 2.Nf3 setup] 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 [I know Kirk has no class as a chess player but I still thought he might try 5.Bg5 the Botwinnik system. I was flipping through an old TWIC and from 2000 i found a couple of games by Senff that went 5...dxc4 (5...dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 b4?! 8.Ne4 Qd5 9.Ned2 c3 10.exf6 cxd2+ 11.Qxd2 gxf6 12.Bxf6 Rg8 13.Qc2 Nd7 14.Bh4 b3 15.axb3 Bb4+ 16.Kd1 c5 17.Bc4 Qh5 18.Qe4 Nb6 19.Qc6+ Bd7 20.Qxb6 Rg4 21.Rxa7 1-0 Gershon - Senff W Jun 2000) 6.e4 b5 7.e5 b4?! An inspired try! He scored ½/2 with it, but that's v. 2400 competition. I might give it a punt in blitz sometime. 8.exf6 gxf6 9.Bh4 bxc3 10.bxc3 Ba6 11.Nd2 Qd5 12.Bxf6 Rg8 13.Be5 Bh6 14.Bg3 Nd7 15.Be2 Bxd2+ 16.Qxd2 Qxg2 17.0-0-0 Qd5 18.Rhe1 Nb6 19.Qc2 Qa5 20.Bf3 Nd5 21.Bxd5 cxd5 22.Bd6 Bb5 23.Bb4 Qc7 24.Qxh7 Qf4+ 25.Rd2 0-0-0 26.Bc5 Rg2 27.Qh3 Rxh2 28.Qe3 Qxe3 29.fxe3 Rxd2 30.Kxd2 a6 31.Rf1 f5 32.Rg1 Rh8 33.Bd6 Kd7 34.Bf4 Rh7 35.Kc2 Kc6 36.Kb2 Kb6 37.Ka3 Rb7 38.Bd6 Bd7 39.Rg8 Kc6 40.Bc5 Rb1 41.Ra8 Re1 42.Rxa6+ Kb7 43.Ra7+ Kc6 44.Kb4 Rxe3 45.a4 f4 46.Ra6+ Kb7 47.Rb6+ Kc7 48.a5 Bc6 49.Ra6 Re1 50.Bb6+ Kd6 51.Ra7 Rb1+ 52.Ka3 Bd7 53.Bc7+ Kc6 54.Bxf4 Rb7 55.Ra6+ Kb5 56.Ra8 Bc6 57.Rc8 Bd7 58.Ra8 Bc6 59.Bg5 Rg7 60.Rb8+ Rb7 61.Rc8 Ra7 62.Bd8 Ra8 63.Rxa8 Bxa8 ½-½ Lopez Martinez - Senff W Jun 2000.

It may not be sound but it might be a switch from the usual Botwinnik stuff.] 5...Nbd7 6.Qc2 dxc4?! [Played because 6...Bd6 7.g4 is the Shirov-Shabalov Gambit which I have never liked from the Black side (or the White side particularly). I've never analyzed it. One of my Semi-Slav books gives 7...Bb4 as played by Kramnik against Gelfand with a nice game. The text was played back in the 1940s which is funny because after the game I commented that I was playing like a 1930s grandmaster.] 7.Bxc4 Be7 [Now I'm out of book. They have played 7...Bd6 ;
and the natural 7...b5 before. I had resigned myself to a quiet opening and wanted to see if Kirk could breach the defenses] 8.0-0 [8.g4 was maybe playable here if he had his heart set on a Shirov-Shabalov type position, but i think g4 is weaker with the pawn on e7 v. d6] 8...0-0 9.e4 c5!? I played this because in similar positions in the Meran proper e4 can be answered by c5. Unfortunately it wasn't an exact tranposition so i missed something 10.e5 Nd5 11.Bxd5 exd5 [11...cxd4 was okay here] 12.Nxd5 cxd4 13.Nxd4?! [The preparatory 13.Bf4 (holding on to the pawn AND developing) was required here] 13...Nb6 [I was worried about the position after 13...Nxe5 14.Nxe7+ Qxe7 15.Re1 but missed that after 15...Re8 16.f4 Qd7 His knight was hanging as well. I had resigned myself to the fact that I was going down material and didn't look hard enough. honestly though i was happy enough with my position. with the e-pawn gone i can actually get my pieces into play 17.Be3 Ng4] 14.Nxb6 [14.Nxe7+ the time here? 14...Qxe7 15.Nf3 looks pretty solid to me] 14...Qxb6 15.Be3 Bc5 16.Ne6! [I almost resigned on the spot, seeing that the rook was attacked by the bishop on the other end of the exchanges. I expected the pressure to build with 16.Rad1 . Then i collected myself and realized that it was just an exchange of pieces.] 16...Qxe6 [16...Bxe6 17.Bxc5 Rfc8 worked just as well. I knew he was gaining initiative and just wanted to hang on 18.Bxb6 Rxc2] 17.Bxc5 Re8 18.f4?! [I thought I was busted after 18.Bd6 ] 18...Qd5 19.Rfd1 Qc6 20.Rac1 Be6 Necessary because there was always an eventual threat of ...Rc8, ...b6 21.Rd6 [If 21.f5 Bxa2 22.b3 Rxe5! I missed that. I thought that I couldn't grab the pawn] 21...Qb5 22.f5 Bxa2 23.e6? [We both missed that 23.b4! was strong 23...b6 24.Qxa2 (24.Bd4 Bd5) 24...bxc5 25.e6 caused some troubles.] 23...fxe6 24.fxe6 [Fritz said that 24.f6 was better opening up the king] 24...Rxe6 25.Rxe6 [25.b4 was tricky again 25...Re2 26.Rd2 Rxd2 27.Qxd2 Be6] 25...Bxe6 26.Qe4 Qc6 27.Qf4 [I, of course, was hoping for 27.Qxc6 bxc6 and trying to ground him down on the sunny side of a (probably drawn) endgame. He, of course, wanted to keep as much material on the board] 27...Rc8 28.Be3 Qe8? Throwing away any slight advantage I had 29.Rxc8 Qxc8 30.Bxa7 I totally missed, like Kirk 10 moves earlier, that this pawn was hanging. 30...Qd7= Game drawn by mutual agreement That was a quick draw in the big picture, but it seemed like more than 30 moves to me. Opposite colored bishops, symmetrical pawn structures...it's a draw. And I think it's the first half point I've nicked off Kirk as Black since we started. ½-½

here's one from the dubious novelty department...

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 f5?!

it's so horrifying that i absolutely have to try it once at blitz

December Match (2)

Sadler_C - Sadler_K (1672)
December Match Internet Chess Club (2), 11.12.2005
B97 - Sicilian : Najdorf, Poisoned Pawn variation

Before the game Kirk mentioned that he wanted me to play the Poisoned Pawn v. him. I had already decided to play 1.e4 but i was thinking more of the English attack lines, but if he wanted it... 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 [Again my pregame plans included stuff like 6.Be3 e6 7.f3 -- 8.Qd2 -- 9.g4 -- 10.0-0-0] 6...e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Nb3 is something I will try in the future. It definitely gives a different game, as is played by GMs including Bluvshtein and more recently in the FIDE World Cup Kamsky. 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.Bxf6?! [I got the move order screwed up 10.f5 Nc6 11.fxe6 fxe6 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.e5! Vallejo-Pons - Kasparov, Armenia - ROW 2004] 10...gxf6 11.f5 [Thinking I was following theory. 11.Be2 probably was better at this point] 11...Nc6



[I was hoping he'd play something like ...e5, that way i can attack f7 with Bc4 and he'd really have to fight to get d5 in. An interesting line in this variation is 11...e5 12.Nd5 (Another interesting idea in this line (and others) is 12.Rb3 with the idea of comign over to the kingside on the 3rd rank.) 12...Kd8 13.Nb3 with lots of play for White.] 12.Bc4?? dropping a piece. [12.Nxc6 bxc6 was better, but i can't easily get the bishop to c4 with the pawn on e6.] 12...d5? [12...Bh6! 13.Qd3 Ne5 and I'm sunk. That Ne5 idea (in general in this line) is a good one and impotant to remember.] 13.exd5 I was moving too quickly around here. [13.Bb3 as ugly as it was, had to be played.] 13...Nxd4? [Again 13...Bh6 was playable.] 14.Qxd4 Bc5 15.Qd3 [I totally missed 14. ...Bc5 in my calculations, but again I was moving too quickly. For whatever reason I was blind to that bishop, between here and the Bh6 idea a couple moves previous. 15.Qxf6! was much better. Sure I can't castle, but he has to spend a tempo saving the rook.] 15...exd5 [15...Bb4 was better.] 16.Nxd5! Know he's in trouble. The knight is easily the best piece on the board. and causes a lot of threats. 16...0-0 17.Qxa3 Black resigns[I have a much better position, even with the queens off, but I think he should have played on. One of the lines we were looking at after the game was 17.Qxa3 Bxa3 18.Nxf6+ (18.Nb6) 18...Kg7 19.Nh5+ Kh6 (19...Kh8 was another idea. THe trick is that he has to stay on the dark squares.) 20.g4 b5 (20...Bxf5 21.gxf5 Kxh5 22.Rxb7) 21.Be2 and I'm better but it's tough.

I thought Kirk would want to give up the Poisoned Pawn after this game because i know he hates positions like this with wild play and no king safety. Surprisingly he said right after the game that he wants me to book up with White in this line and we'd play it again in two weeks. I mentioned that we could always play the Alekhine :) It should be an interesting run up to the Canadian Open.] 1-0

December Match (1)

K - C
December match Internet Chess Club (1), 03.12.2005
D28 - Queen's Gambit Accepted

Me and Kirk have decided to play the same things and have the same repetoire, which includes 1.Nf3 as White. Najdorf v. 1.e4 and QGA v. 1.d4. 1.d4 [I believe he avoided 1.Nf3 today because we agreed to play 1...c5 v. it] 1...d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 dxc4 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.0-0 a6 7.Qe2 b5 8.Bb3 cxd4 THe immediate 8. ...Bb7 was better. I was hoping to give him an IQP though 9.Rd1 Be7 10.a4 Qb6 [10...bxa4 was Reshevsky-Fine I think I'm in good company. His move was definitely stronger.] 11.axb5 0-0 12.Nxd4 Bb7 13.Nc3 axb5 14.Rxa8 Bxa8 15.Qxb5 Qc7 16.Bxe6 Bc6? [16...Bd6 17.f4 fxe6 18.Nxe6 Qe7 19.Nxf8 Qxf8;
16...fxe6 17.Nxe6 Qc8 18.Nxf8 Kxf8 19.f3] 17.Nxc6 Nxc6 18.Nd5 Nxd5 19.Bxd5 Nb4 20.Qb7 Nxd5 [20...Qc2] 21.Qxd5 Rd8 22.Qb3 Rb8 23.Qc3 Qb7 24.Qd4 Bf6 25.Qd7 Qb6 26.Rd6 Qb3 27.Rd3 Qc2 28.Rd1 h6 29.Qd2 Qc7 30.g3 Qb6 31.Qe2 Bxb2 32.Bxb2 Qxb2 33.Rd8+ Black resigns[33.Rd8+ Of course I could've played 33...Kh7 but i was shocked when he found that and i went braindead. I guess I should've played on. Oh well. Despite my tactical oversights, I think the QGA held up pretty well and i was pretty happy with it.; 1-0