Actually went to a tournament

2.5/5...didn't play very well, but played well enough to win some points. the only "clean" win was my round 3 game...ahven't thrown them into fritz or looked at the book yet. the losses were against a master and an expert so i can't be disappointed in that. The VD game was weak but it was the 5th G/40 in a day and i haven't played a tournament since 2008 so i was tired by the end...

ZK(2252) - C [B12]
September Active London, ON (1), 17.09.2011

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nf3 e6 5.Be3 Nd7 6.Nbd2 Ne7 7.Nb3 c5 8.dxc5 Nc6 9.Nfd4 Nxd4 10.Nxd4 Bg6 11.c6 bxc6 12.Nxc6 Qc7 13.Bb5 a6 14.Ba4 Be7 15.0-0 Kf8 16.Nxe7 Kxe7 17.f4 Nc5 18.Bxc5+ Qxc5+ 19.Kh1 h5 20.c3 h4 21.h3 Be4 22.Bc2 Qe3 [ 22...Bxc2 23.Qxc2] 23.Bxe4 Qxe4 24.Qe1 Qc4 [ 24...Qf5] 25.f5 g5 26.fxg6 fxg6 27.Qe3 Raf8 28.Qa7+ Ke8 29.Qb8+ Ke7 30.Qd6+ Ke8 31.Qxe6+ Kd8 32.Qd6+ Ke8 33.Qxg6+ Kd8 34.Qd6+ Ke8 35.Rfd1 1-0

C - LM (1402) [D26]
September Active London, ON (2), 17.09.2011

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 a6 6.0-0 b5 7.Bd3 [ 7.Bb3] 7...Bb7 8.Nbd2 c5 9.dxc5?? The "real" queen's gambit :) 9...Qxd3 10.Ne5 Qd8 11.b4 Nbd7 12.Bb2 Nxe5 13.Bxe5 Be7 14.Qe2 0-0 15.Rfd1 Qc8 16.Rac1 Qc6 17.Nf3 h6 18.Bxf6 Bxf6 19.Rd6 Qe4 20.c6 Rac8 21.Nd2 Qxb4 22.Qd3 Ba8 23.Nb3 Be5 24.Rd4 Bxd4 25.Nxd4 Rfd8 26.Qe4 Rc7 27.h3 Rdc8 28.Qd3 Qd6 29.Qe4 Bxc6 30.Qg4 Bd5 31.Rd1 Qf8 32.Kh2 Rc1 33.Rd2 Ra1 34.e4 Bxa2 35.f4 Rcc1 36.Nf3 Rh1+ 37.Kg3 Bc4 38.Qh4 Ra3 39.Rd8 Qxd8 40.Qxd8+ Kh7 41.Qh4 Be2 42.Kf2 Bc4 43.Ne5 Ra2+ 44.Kg3 g5 45.fxg5 1-0

DA (1405) - C [A48]
September Active London, ON (3), 17.09.2011

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bg5 Bg7 4.Nbd2 d6 5.e4 0-0 6.Bc4 Bg4 7.h3 Bxf3 8.Qxf3 Nbd7 9.0-0-0 e5 10.c3 c6 11.h4 h6 12.Be3 b5 13.Bb3 a5 14.g4 a4 15.Bc2 h5 16.gxh5 Nxh5 17.Rdg1 Qa5 18.Bd1 a3 19.b4 Qd8 20.Qg2 Ndf6 21.Bb3 d5 22.exd5 Nxd5 23.Bg5 Qd6 24.Ne4 Qd7 25.Bd2 exd4 26.Nc5 Qf5 27.Bc2 Qc8 28.Bxg6 fxg6 29.Qxg6 Ndf6 30.Rg5 Qe8 31.Qd3 Rd8 32.cxd4 Rd5 33.Rhg1 Rxg5 34.Rxg5 -- 35.Rg2 Qf7 36.Kb1 Qd5 37.Bh6 Rf7 38.Rg5 Qh1+ 39.Kc2 Qa1 40.Bxg7 Qxa2+ 41.Kd1 Rxg7 42.Qf5 Qa1+ 43.Ke2 Qxd4 44.Ne6 Qe4+ 45.Qxe4 Nxe4 46.Rxh5 Re7 47.Re5 a2 48.Rxe4 a1Q 49.Rg4+ Kf7 0-1

i messed up third round game because i missed a move somewhere, but anyways...

RG (1625) - C [B14]
September Active London, ON (4), 17.09.2011

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Nf3 Bb4 7.Qb3 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 0-0 9.Bd3 dxc4 10.Qxc4 b6 11.Bf4 Ba6 12.Qb3 Bxd3 13.Ne5 Ba6 14.Rd1 Bb7 15.0-0 Nbd7 16.Rfe1 Qc8 17.Re3 Nd5 18.Rf3 Nxf4 19.Rxf4 Bd5 20.Qc2 Qc7 21.Rh4 Nf6 22.g4 Be4 23.Qe2 Qe7 24.Qe3 [ 24.g5] 24...Bg6 25.Nxg6 fxg6 26.g5 Nd5 27.Qg3 Rf5 28.f4 Raf8 29.Rf1 Qc7 30.Qe1 Qd6 31.c4 Rxf4 32.Rfxf4 Rxf4?? [ 32...Nxf4] 33.cxd5 Rxh4 34.Qxh4 Qxd5 35.Qf4 Qd7 36.Qb8+ Kf7 37.Qf4+= Ke7 38.Qe5 Kd8 39.Qb8+ Ke7 40.Qe5 a5 41.Qxg7+ Kd6 42.Qe5+ Kc6 43.h4 Qd5 44.Qg7 Qd7 45.Qe5= 1/2-1/2

C - VD(1945) [D86]
September Active London, ON (5), 17.09.2011

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 c5 8.Be3 Qc7 9.Bb5+ [ 9.Rc1] 9...Bd7 10.Bxd7+ Nxd7 11.Ne2 0-0 12.0-0 Rad8 13.Rc1 Nf6 14.f3 e5 15.d5 Ne8 16.Qd2 Nd6 17.Bh6 Nc4 18.Qg5 f6 19.Qh4 Qa5 20.f4 Nd2 21.Rfe1 Bxh6 22.Qxh6 Nxe4 23.c4 Qd2 24.h4 Qe3+ 25.Kh2 Nf2 26.Rc3 Ng4+ 27.Kh1 Qxc3 28.Qxf8+ Kxf8 29.Nxc3 exf4 30.Ne4 Re8 31.Re2 Rxe4 0-1

quick draw

here's a quick draw for people who don't like playing against the queen's gambit accepted

[Event "5th Gibraltar Chess Festival"]
[Site "Gibraltar Gibraltar"]
[Date "2007.01.29"]
[EventDate "2007.01.23"]
[Round "6.1"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[White "Yuriy Kuzubov"]
[Black "Ivan Sokolov"]
[ECO "?"]
[WhiteElo "2554"]
[BlackElo "2632"]
[PlyCount "20"]
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Be6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Ng5 Bg4 7. Bxc4 Bxd1 8.
Bxf7+ Kd7 9. Be6+ Ke8 10. Bf7+ 1/2-1/2


not that 4. ...Be6 is that common, but I can recall some computers playing it against me. if you're ever looking for a 10 move draw v. one of your buddies in a tournament where you don't want to be paired, here's an easy option ;)

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

can i play the semi-slav again?

i was always afraid of the meran variation, but while going through Purdy's "Fine Art of Chess Annotation" I saw this move order

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 c5!

turning it into a QGA (Black took 2 moves to play ...c5, but White took two moves to play Bxc4) maybe Nbd7 isn't the greatest move in the QGA, but Lasker tried it against Capa Capablanca-Lasker. it may be worth a look, eventually ;)

99 problems and the french ain't one...

i think i may try for the french, but if kirk decides to try and snooker me and play the QGA i know at least what the main ECO Is

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O a6 7.Qe2 b5 8.Bb3 Bb7

i tried to get a picture of the position but my IE is fucked so i'll have to do it later. but i thikn i can play this if worst comes to worst

kirk thinks i should play 1.f4 and the najdorf at london if i go (must call kees today). he says if i get 1.f4 d5 i can win and be a positional master and if i get 1.f4 e5? 2.e4!! i can win and be a tactical master, which will make me a great master...lol

match v. k.

so i was checking out the CFC home page and apparently there's a tournament in London, ON on November 27th which is 4 G/60s. November 27th is a Saturday and apparently also is also BUY NOTHING DAY in England. random. anyways, i think that would be a good tune-up...there's a guy at work who would likely trade me so i'm gonna ask kirk if he wants to go. i can't think of any reason why he wouldn't want to. the problem is that i wouldn't want to unass my opening "secrets" but it shouldn't be a big deal.

Opening "Secrets" so far

well i have a couple of ideas actually. firstly, i have to decide whether i want to play chess or if i want to win. if i want to win, i believe i will play the Dilworth Variation of the Ruy Lopez the line basically goes 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.c3 Bc5 10.Nbd2 O-O 11.Bc2 Nxf2 12.Rxf2 f6 and so on. the only problem is getting kirk to play 11.Bc2. let me see if there's any realistic alternatives for white.

Dolezal - Z.Polgar 1994 continued 11.Nxe4?! dxe4 12.Ng5 Bxb3 13.Qxb3 e3 14.Ne4 exf2 15.Nxf2 Nxe5 16.Bf4 Ng4 17.Bg3 Ne3 18.Rfe1 Qf6 19.Ne4 Qc6 0-1

there's some brutal open lines there. if i can get polgar's position after 13. ...e3 i should be fine :)

i'll try the open lopez one game...possibly two. i wouldn't mind actually playing some chess with kirk with either the marshall or the tchigorin but i worry i'm fighting an uphill battle with either. i guess i'll plan on playing the open and go from there. the open lopez is an excellent idea because kirk feels "above" playing garbage and will go for the ruy lopez. we've played in once before in a "fun" match and also in a blindfold game at work. i feel confident enough in that line. it will all depend on how the match is going. here's the ratings of us after the match is over depending on the score...(btw, we decided on a 4 game rated active G/50 match)

K.Sadler	Score	C.Sadler
1606	4-0	1478
1574	3½-½	1494
1542	3-1	1510
1510	2½-1½	1526
1486	2-2	1542
1470	1½-2½	1558
1454	1-3	1574
1438	½-3½	1598
1422	0-4	1630

so basically i need to score at least 2½/4 to keep my rating and anything higher is gravy. my goal is likely to win both games with black and 1/2 with white.

so what are my plans for v. 1.d4? probably a nimzo if possible. i had a good idea from Sasikiran-Torre, Olympiad 2004 where he played ...d6, ...Nc6, ...e5, ...O-O-O. i likely already posted that but i think it's a lovely idea. if he played 3.Nf3 instead of 3.Nc3 then i will likely play the Queen's Gambit Declined : Tartakower, Makagonov, Bondarevsky system against him. But if he wants to go into a QGD he can't be hoping for that much. Let's say he gets brave and tries 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 i guess i'll just do my usual two knights stuff v. him. okay enough about black

WHITE

okay i have a couple of ideas here. firstly, i believe that i am going to play 1.d4 for a couple of reasons. 1.i'm worried that he's going to unass the Alekhine defense. for real. i was planning on meeting it with 1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 3.f4?! but i realized that it may not be my cup of tea. same with the sicilian. who knows what he will play, i don't want to try an inferior line, he would likely play 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 hoping to get me into an advanced french. to be perfectly honest i wouldn't mind playing a sicilian. maybe i could try 1.Nf3 in the second game and give him the option. in any case, i'm hoping for 1.d4 e6, my plan is James Mason's 2.Bf4



it looks terrible but maybe it's not so bad. my trick here is to piss him off horribly then attempt to transpose into a QGD with Bf4, or a QGD Exchange with Bf4.

i have a couple of other ideas...firstly being 1.f4 e5 2.e4 exf4 3.Bc4 because he has absolutely no idea what to play and it would piss him off to no end. that is a possibility for the second game. another idea, if let's say he doesn't play 1.d4 e6 (but he will the first time because he will want to offer me the french, is the Geller gambit as played in Shipov-Lesiege FIDE KO 2001


1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O a6 7.e4

although that is taking a gamble, because who knows it he plays 6. ...a6 in the QGA or even if he plays the QGA, but if he does it's an interesting gambit. i don't think he'd offer the botwinnik system, but if he did i would have to take it. my main plan though is the Bf4 QGD. i think it could work.

anyways that's enough for today. time to study the lines a little bit :)