This game was like a home game in hockey. I had White and played with one of the organizers (due to an odd number of players) rated ~1660. I absolutely had to win. In the standings before the last round I was in the place opposite where I should have been and had a perspective to lose a lot of rating points. So, again Sicilian, Moscow variation, here is the game.
It was 4… Nd7, against which I am +3. I repeated the scheme with c3, d4, Qe2, she developed the bishop on e7 and was doing OK. I missed 20… Ba3, but she didn’t take a pawn and played Bf8, being wary of h5-h6. I think I looked at Qd3,Ng5 moves, but definitely didn’t see the decisive Qd3-h3 maneuver. I played Qd3 one move later, but the opportunity was lost.
I continued to attack on the kingside, but she defended very well. Then I saw that my queen can get into the Black’s territory. Of course I considered winning b5 pawn, but I didn’t like that her queen gets on “c” vertical and then into my territory. Houdini says that I could get the pawn, even two and still defend my king. Then I missed 45. dxc5, thinking that I can lose that c5 pawn later. It was a winning move. Anyway I got an idea to regroup my knight and try to get it on f6. She could prevent it with Qh4, but didn’t. She was also in the time trouble, having something like 4 minutes vs. my 7. When I put my knight on f6 Black’s position became indefensible. After Qa7+ the game was decided.
December 7, 2011 at 12:18 pm
Nice game!
My instincts would have been to play the 40.Qxb5 and 45.dxc5 after only a few seconds of double-checking to see if it’s safe, but instincts are really best for blitz games. After all, that is only 2 moves out of an entire game, and you can see that White has elaborate defensive play after either one of those moves.
The real story is that you outworked her over the course of many moves. It seemed obvious you were both in time-pressure, justifiably, after a long game, but I was amazed that Black let you get in that long knight maneuver to f6. hehe. It was so obvious, and winning. Sometimes this happens, you refused the complicated moves, so only should have gotten a draw, but Black stopped defending, and was just making king moves instead of thinking on the clock. It’s still a valid win, though, as you are stronger at making quick decisions, and at G/90 that is still a big part of the game.
I thought you waited longer than I would have to get your queen to the queenside, when you repositioned your knight from the rim first.
Very nice, you really hung in there. Congratulations on the win!
This was not an easy “gimme” win.
December 7, 2011 at 4:48 pm
linuxguy – thanks, for critics too
. These 2 moves require a long calculation. Frankly, I didn’t do it at all, just made a decision on intuition.
Anyway, I am not sure that I could make it as long a Houdini, at least not with this 90/G control, I barely made it even without it.
But … when you have an advantage, it always seems that you will get another opportunity, here it looks like she could escape with a draw.
I actually blame myself more for not playing Qd3, especially that I saw that idea, just not Qh3. It’s just a pattern.
It would be a logical win, confirming my understanding that I have an attack on the kingside after e5.
Before the game there was a lecture in the club about King’s Indian. A young guy rated ~2300 made a nice presentation.
You know, I thought I read/knew about it, it looked like I knew nothing, just poor f5 and b4.
There is a lot of little ideas, special maneuvers and moves, tactical threats. I was simply amazed at how deep it could be.
Yeah, I really wanted to win and I think deserved it. There was a little psychological hesitation before the game – she is a nice girl and she is good with my daughter, but … The draw would be catastrophic for me, much more than my win for her. You know, you and me are taking it much closer to the heart than most of the people, I assure you. So don’t pity others, pity yourself.
Also I didn’t drive at least half-an-hour and spent evening in the club to draw a 150 less rated without playing at full strength.
I have to admit that she didn’t offer a draw and fought until the end.