did i get to 1500?

i played in a four rounder at London today. me and kirk drove down, rented a very nice Matrix. i'm a fan. in any case, i scored 1/4 against dramatically higher competition. we'll see if it was enough...i need to get to 1500 so i can play the U2000 section at the Canadian Open. i scored 0/3 with 1.Nc3 as white


C - NN(1615)
London Open London, ON (1), 29.04.2006
B07 - Pirc Defense : Byrne variation

Playing in the first round of the London open. I was hoping to gain 16 points so I could get up to 1500 and be able to play in the U2000 at the Canadian Open. The first round was against a kid who said he hadn't played a tournament game in a couple of years, thus 1615 didn't mean very much to me. 1.Nc3?! My new idea for this tournament. I was hoping to transpose back to most of the 1.e4 openings while avoiding a bunch of the stuff I don't like (Winawer, Scandinavian). The negatives of course are that they don't have to transpose back to a 1.e4 opening (see my next two white games) and of course I avoid the mainline of the Alekhine and I'm forced to play the 3.Nc3 line v. the Caro 1...Nf6 2.d4 d6 I was terribly happy with this 3.e4 g6 Okay so here I am I decided to play 4.Bg5 the Byrne variation, which I had dabbled with before but didn't really decide beforehand what to play. I will have to decide before the Canadian Open. Probably just the [mainline 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Be3 and go for it] 4...Bg7 5.Qd2 Nbd7 6.Nf3?! [Theory doesn't show this at all. Better is 6.0-0-0 or; 6.f4] 6...0-0 7.Bd3 [I was stuck for a plan here. Probably best was 7.0-0-0 but I was worried about him coming with the queenside pawns; I also thought about playing 7.Bc4 hoping for 7...Nb6 8.Bb3 avoiding the pawn storm on the queenside and allowing me to castle safely on the queenside; 7.Bh6 c5 8.Bxg7 Kxg7 9.0-0-0 was also a possibility] 7...c5 8.e5? [Too ambitious. I should have probably solidified the center with 8.d5 a6 9.a4; Even 8.0-0 cxd4 9.Nxd4 may have been okay as well] 8...cxd4! I missed this in my calculations. Well didn't really miss it, I miscounted in my calculation that they captured a pawn here [Something like 8...dxe5 9.dxe5 Ng4 was okay for me] 9.exf6 dxc3 10.Qxc3 [Now I'm just down a pawn. 10.bxc3 gave me double isolated pawns and being down material.] 10...Nxf6 11.Qb3 Forced because of the discovered attack 11...b6 12.0-0-0 [I had decided to do a kingside attack but practically 12.0-0 may have been better] 12...Be6 13.Qa4 Qc7 14.h4 [Maybe strengthening the center instead of going for his king was better. But I fear that something like 14.Rhe1 was more the slow kill as well] 14...Ng4 15.Rdf1 [I wanted to make 15.h5 work but I thought it just loses a whack of material because after 15...Nxf2 16.hxg6 I thought that Black can just take back the pawn, whereas after something like 16...fxg6 (16...hxg6 17.Qh4 Nxd3+ 18.Rxd3 Rfc8) 17.Qh4 Nxh1 (17...Nxd1 18.Qxh7+ Kf7 19.Bxg6#) 18.Rxh1 h5 But I'm okay here 19.Bxg6 ] 15...h5 16.Nd2 [I wonder if closing off the long diagonal with 16.c3 may have been a better try; or even 16.Kb1 ] 16...Ne5 17.Kb1 Nxd3 18.cxd3 b5! A strong move by him 19.Qa6 [19.Qxb5 Rab8 wins for Black; 19.Qb4 a5 20.Qe4 looks strong for him as well] 19...Bf5 20.Rc1 [I don't know why I didn't look at 20.Qa3 sure it would have put the capture on d3 off a move. Looking back, the Nd2 hurt me more than it should have] 20...Bxd3+ 21.Ka1 Qd7 22.Rhd1 [I think I mentally blocked the move 22.Qa3 because I wanted to keep the a-pawn backward and eventually try to pick off the b-pawn to even the material. As a result though I got a passive, terrible position] 22...Bf5 23.Nb3 Rac8 24.f3 Qe6 25.Rxc8 [At this point I was able to grab the b-pawn 25.Qxb5 Rxc1+ 26.Rxc1 Rc8 27.Rxc8+ Qxc8 28.Qe2] 25...Rxc8 26.Qxb5 Rc2 27.Bc1 Qc8 28.Qf1 Be6 [Fritz found a mate 28...Qc3 29.bxc3 (29.Qb5 Rxc1+ 30.Nxc1 Qc2 31.Qe8+ Kh7 32.Qh8+ Bxh8 33.Nd3 Qxd1+ 34.Nc1 Qxc1#) 29...Bxc3+ 30.Bb2 Bxb2+ 31.Kb1 Re2+ 32.Rd3 Bxd3#] 29.Kb1 Bf5 30.Ka1 Qa8 Again Hans, this was because I offered a draw in his time trouble, not because I thought it was even 31.Rd2= a5 32.Rxc2 Bxc2 33.Qc4 Bf5 34.Qa4 Qd5 35.Qxa5 Qd3 36.Nd2 Bh6 37.Qc3 and I eventually lost in a bishop v. knight ending 0-1

NN (1701) - C
London Open London, ON (2), 29.04.2006
A03 - Bird's Opening

1.f4 A bit of a surprise, but a pleasant one. I used to play this as White and was comfortable with the reversed-Dutch positions. Also I wasn't sure if I was going to play a Sicilian or something else v. 1.e4 1...d5 2.e3 [2.Nf3 is more common, but the text transposes] 2...Nf6 3.Nf3 g6 [As someone who has played this as White at a lowly level I wanted to avoid playing 3...c5 ;
or 3...Nc6 as it allows him to develop his bishop easier] 4.Be2 [4.b3 is another way to kill a tempo to try and develop his bishop to c4 or b5] 4...Bg7 5.0-0 0-0 6.d3 c5 I'm very happy with my position here, a reversed Dutch 7.Nc3 [7.Qe1 like in the Ilyin-Genevsky Dutch is the mainline.] 7...d4!? I'm not sure whether this was good or not, but my reasoning was this. I was developed enough to make a second pawn move that would force his knight to move eventually. He will have trouble developing his bishop, and this will potentially open up the diagonal for my darksquared bishop. In addition, he was a little bit older than me and looked like he was banging out his moves like he'd played them a million times. I figured an aggressive move like ...d4 would make him think a little bit 8.exd4 [The text is exactly what I was hoping for but after 8.Ne4 Qb6 would not have worked as well because there is no pin(8...Nc6 9.Nxc5 dxe3 10.Bxe3 Nd5; 8...Nxe4 9.dxe4 Nc6) ] 8...cxd4 9.Ne4 Nc6 10.Qe1 [I wonder if 10.Nxf6+ may have been better. I would have been happy with this position as well. His development is going to be tough, probably best being b3 and Bb2, and if he plays c3 or c4, he ends up with the isolated pawn 10...Bxf6 ] 10...Qb6 11.Qh4?? Terrible and a "pawn tactic" actually wins it for me, ironically enough ;) 11...Nxe4 12.dxe4 d3+ 13.Kh1 dxe2 14.Re1 Bf6 15.Qg3 Nd4 16.Nxd4 Qxd4 17.Rxe2 Qd1+ 18.Re1 Qg4 19.Qf2 Bd7 20.e5 Bh4 21.g3 Bc6+ 22.Kg1 e6 23.Be3 Be7 24.Bxa7 Rxa7 25.Qxa7 Qf3 26.Rf1 [I was honestly hoping for 26.Re2 Qxe2 27.Qf2 Bc5!] 26...Qg2# 0-1

C - NN (2053)
London Open London, ON (3), 29.04.2006
D01 - Richter-Veresov Attack

1.Nc3 I was paired up against an expert. He really blitzed me this game and I tried to slow down but I found it tough 1...d5 2.d4 Bf5! Realizing that I was playing for either e4 or a terribly passive position 3.Nf3 [Chessgames said I should've stuck to my goal of e4 in one move and played 3.f3 ] 3...Nf6 4.Bg5 e6 Now he has a good position 5.e3 [I wonder if I should've played for the bishop pair, as in similar lines in the Caro-Kann advance and the Slav with 5.Nh4 ] 5...c6 6.Bd3 Bb4 7.Bxf5 exf5 8.0-0 Nbd7 9.Ne2 I was happy enough with my position. Obviously I won't be able to break with f3 but I can come up the queenside (hopefully) 9...h6 10.Bxf6 [In my game I won the bishops dominated and in the games I lost the bishops dominated. I've already realized that I undervalue the bishop pair but it was dramatically shown this tournament 10.Bf4 g5 11.Be5 is okay] 10...Nxf6 11.c3 [A little slow maybe. If I was going to play c4 I should've played it in one move 11.c4 particularly because the bishop is doing nothing on b4] 11...Bd6 12.Rc1 ["You should have played 12.g3 and opportunities to play for many moves more. Instead you played h3. If you understood that concept you should not have lost that game. Also you played the queenside pawn attack but never followed through (planning). " (HJ)

I absolutely agree. I can't recall why I decided against it] 12...0-0 13.c4 Re8 [13...dxc4 14.Rxc4 may have been better for me, because it would have been more difficult for a patzer like me to do a queenside attack] 14.c5 Bc7 15.h3? [Obviously once i have c5 in 15.g3 is good as he literally has no squares for his bishop. As sad as this is, I trusted his expert opinion in that if it was good he wouldn't allow it.] 15...Ne4 16.b4 a6 [I thought 16...a5 was good] 17.Nd2 I didn't want to be reactive, but I figured this gave me the option of f3 as well 17...Qf6 18.Nxe4 fxe4 19.Qd2 Re7 20.a4 Rae8 21.Nc3 I was happy about this move, because later on I threaten Nxd5 21...Qh4 22.b5 axb5 23.axb5 I'm happy now that I have a bit of a threat now. 23...Re6 24.f4?! [24.b6 Bb8 25.Ra1 and now I am really threatening coming through on the queenside] 24...exf3 25.Rxf3 Rg6 26.Qf2= [As you said I should have tried 26.b6 Bg3 (26...Bb8 27.Rcf1) 27.Rcf1] 26...Bg3 Honestly I missed this move 27.Qc2 Rge6 28.Qd3 Qg5 [28...Rxe3 29.Rxe3 Bf2+!] 29.Nd1 Very passive 29...Bc7 30.Kf2? My opponent called this move "suicidal" after the game. My play should have been on the queenside [30.Ra1] 30...Rg6 31.g4 [31.Qf1 may have been better] 31...h5 32.Qf5 Qh4+ 33.Kg2? [I didn't want to play 33.Ke2 because of the potential pin but this was much better as he can't really win a pawn here 33...hxg4 (33...Qe7 34.Qxh5 and I'm at least as good) 34.Qxf7+ Kh7 35.hxg4] 33...hxg4 34.Qxf7+ Kh7 35.Qxe8?? I missed Black's next 35...gxf3+ 36.Kxf3 Qh5+ [I only saw 36...Qxh3+ which is bad as well. I lost the flow of the game with Kf2 and then i was just out of it moving my king into the field of attack instead of away from it.] 0-1

C - NN (1845)
London Open London, ON (4), 29.04.2006
D01 - Richter-Veresov attack

Once again... 1.Nc3 Nf6 2.d4 d5 3.Bg5 c6 [I was hoping for 3...e6 4.e4 going into a French. This line doesn't transpose into the Caro quite as nicely] 4.Bxf6 exf6 5.e4?! [5.e3 may be better] 5...dxe4 6.Nxe4 Be7 7.Nf3 0-0 8.Be2 Bf5 9.Ng3 Be6 [If 9...Bg6 I may have tried 10.h4 h6 11.h5 Bh7 12.Bd3 similar to the mainline of the Caro] 10.0-0 Nd7 11.c3 Nb6 12.b3?! [Missing that he was going to d5 not to c4. Maybe 12.Re1 Nd5 13.Qc2 Nf4 14.Nf5 Nxe2+ 15.Rxe2 Re8] 12...Nd5 13.Qd2 Qc7 14.c4 [Again not necessary because I think that he was happy going to f4 regardless. I liked the idea of the big pawn center and trying to push through 14.Bd3 Qa5 15.c4 Qxd2 16.Nxd2 Nf4 17.Bf5] 14...Nf4 15.Bd1 [I didn't want to give up the bishops altogether, but activity trumps bishop pairs. 15.Bd3 ;
15.Rfe1 Nxe2+ 16.Rxe2 Rfe8 17.Rae1] 15...Rfd8 16.Bc2 g6 17.h3 [17.Rfe1 may have been better. Again I was playing too quickly and didn't have a plan and was playing reactively. Luft is generally good, but I wonder if the rook move, then 17...-- 18.Ne2 Nxe2+ 19.Rxe2 same idea as before 19...-- 20.Rae1] 17...a5! Strong move. Paralyzing most of my pawns 18.Rad1 Bf8 19.Ne2 [19.Ne4 may have been better. Luck favours the aggressor 19...f5 (19...Kg7) 20.Neg5 Bc8 21.g3 Nh5 (21...Ne6 22.Nxe6 Bxe6) ] 19...Bh6 [19...Nxe2+ 20.Qxe2] 20.Nxf4 Bxf4 21.Qc3 Hoping to pick off the f-pawn eventually 21...Bd6 22.Qb2 [Fritz wanted me to try 22.c5 but I was worried about the backward d-pawn. Unfairly? Can you comment on this please?] 22...a4 23.d5 Bd7 24.Qxf6 Grabbing my pawn. At the end of a long day, my goal was just to grab a pawn, offer a draw and go home. 24...cxd5 25.Rxd5 Bc6 26.Rdd1= There's my draw offer 26...Be7 27.Qc3 Qf4 28.Qe3 Hoping to go into a pawn up endgame 28...Qxe3 29.fxe3 Bc5 30.Nd4 axb3 31.Bxb3? [I have no idea what I was thinking 31.axb3 seemed better with hindsight. My excuse (for what it's worth) was that I was a little upset that he didn't respect me enough to accept my draw offer (of course the 400 rating point differential and the fact my opponent had a tough tournament had nothing to do with it) and also that 8 hours is a lot of chess for a day 31...Ra2 32.Rf2] 31...Ba4 32.Kf2 Bxb3 33.Nxb3? [Again 33.axb3 was better here as well.] 33...Rxa2+ 34.Kf3 Rc8 35.Nxc5? [35.Rd7 was stronger 35...Bf8 36.Rxb7 Rxc4 37.Nd4] 35...Rxc5 36.g4 [36.Rd4 held onto things as you mentioned previously 36...Rc2 (36...Ra4 37.Rb1 Rcxc4 38.Rxc4 Rxc4 39.Rxb7) 37.Rb1 R5xc4 38.Rxc4 Rxc4 39.Rxb7] 36...Rxc4 37.Rd7 Hoping to double the rooks and get a draw. Despite the fact I went from a double rook ending a pawn up into a double rook ending a pawn down, my sense of danger had disappeared. 37...Rb2 38.Rfd1 [38.Kg3! was also recommended by you. It's unclear why I missed this. My plan was much slower. I should've took a deep breath and went for a walk between the middlegame and the endgame. I have no chance of doubling the rooks with the text move] 38...Rcc2 39.Re7 Rf2+ 40.Ke4 Rb4+ 41.Ke5 [My only chance was 41.Rd4 and if 41...Rxd4+ (41...Rb1 42.Rdd7 and go for the b-pawn?) 42.Kxd4] 41...Rf3 42.Kd6 [42.e4 was better. 42...Rxh3 (42...Kf8 43.Rdd7) 43.Rf1 Re3 44.Kd5] 42...Rb3 43.Re1 b5 The game is pretty much over here 44.Kc5 Rb2 45.Rd1 b4 46.Rb7 b3 47.Kb4 [47.Rd3 Rxh3 48.Rdxb3 Rxb3 49.Rxb3 Rg3 and I'm still worse as 3 beats 1] 47...Rh2 48.Kxb3 Rxe3+ 49.Kc4 Rhxh3 50.Rf1 Rhf3 I could safely resign here. 51.Rg1 Kg7 52.Kd4 Ra3 53.Ke4 Rfb3 54.Rb1 Rxb1 55.Rxb1 g5 56.Rb5 h6 57.Kf5 Rf3+ 58.Ke4 Rf4+ I was outmatched in the open section but I think I'm heading in the right direction 0-1