My opponent was a boy, I drew with him 2.5 years ago. I had Black, we played the same variation of Italian game. I knew that White has some activity as a compensation for an isolated pawn, so I need to be careful.
The most interesting moment of the game occurred after his 29. f3, which was a mistake. He could play b4 with an equal position. I immediately saw c5 and played it. After his Qe4 I considered Qb3, but after some thinking decided that he can play 31. Rd3 Qxb2 32. d5 which I thought was giving him some chances. Actually it was a chance for me to win. In another line that Fritz gives – 30… Qb3 31. Rd2 cxd4 32. Qd3 Qd5 Black is also better, as well as after 30… Qb3 31. Qd3 Qb6 32. Kf1 Rxd4.
So, we went into a rook ending and I soon realized that I don’t have a chance to win. I also had about 8 minutes left vs. his 15 and offered a draw, which he accepted.
September 27, 2015 at 2:59 am
That was a smart draw offer.
So much behind the scenes. For example, I wonder if you are thinking of 16…Bxa2, 17.Nf6+ and figuring that that might work out for him. Oh, 17.b3 wins the bishop, so maybe look to play ….a5!? to set it up; i.e.,…Bxa2, b3 a4.
You played very accurately in the opening, which I find hard to do and needing much clock-time (for the Class level, anyway).
19…Be6 looked a little passive. You could play 19…Nf4, 20.Qd2 Qd6 (if …BxN, 21.QxN), 21.NxBd5 NxNd5, and you have the stronger position; quite solid for Black.
23…hxg6! Rather nice, as it avoids 23…Qxg6, 24.NxB cxN, 25.Qf4!
28.Qc3 looks forced (…Re8, 29.g3), as you have in the game after 28.Qe3?! Qc2, 29.Qd2 QxQ, 30.RxQ d4! the cleanest way. Or 29…Qb3, 30.Qc3 Qd5, threatening …c5 and apparently winning a pawn by force.
29.f3?! Looks highly optimistic. Better would seem to be 29.Re1 Qxd, 30.QxQ RxQ, 31.Re8+ Kh7, 32.g3 Rd2, 33.b4! Rd3, 34.Re7.
39…b4 looks very interesting. If 40.Re8, then …Kc5 and your king can wriggle in there if chased, and if left alone, then …b3, …Rc5, and …Rc2 would be one desired plan.
September 27, 2015 at 3:08 am
I didn’t see 29.b4 either. I like how you played it, and won the pawn. 🙂
The sad thing, is once again (for me, anyway), I am noticing someone’s game where the game peters out at approx move 40, but that is right when, with another time-control, you probably would have put a lot more thought into move 39 and 40 and methinks likely would have been playing for the win in the second time-control. 😦
September 28, 2015 at 11:17 pm
Thanks for your comments!
I agree about 19… Be6, I just wanted to avoid exchange.
The best I think is 19… Rxe1 20. Nxe1 Nf4 and then Qd6.
In your line with 29. Re1 White still is down a pawn, though in the rook endgame. 29. b4 makes it equal and drawn.
Yeah, I absolutely agree about your second time-control opinion.
Instead of getting fruits of your labor you have to think how can you survive the time control.
September 29, 2015 at 12:47 pm
I didn’t play yesterday, it was uneven number of players and I got a 1-point bye. I was feeling like I am in a good shape, so was very disappointed.
What you can do, this is what happens when your rating goes down, so you are in the bottom of the section.
Anyway, it didn’t make sense to play in the middle section where most of the people are rated 1400+-1600+, also it is not FIDE rated.
September 30, 2015 at 3:42 pm
That’s interesting, and understandably very disappointing. At our clubs, the TD doesn’t play if it’s odd, even though both TDs are Experts.
I played a Master last night. It was 0.0 at one point late in the game, then I traded queens to take it to an endgame, but it was a big blunder. I was down two pawns to one with 17 seconds on my clock, and 3 seconds on his clock (I offered a draw twice during the game, but he categorically refused them), and I though I could still draw it but it turns out it was winning for him, and then his king got out and I had to resign as he was going to be two pawns up in a king and pawn ending. It was -.68 at one point in the ending, right before that, but difficult to play. Curiously, I was never nervous throughout the entire game, a rarity for me.
October 2, 2015 at 9:19 am
At least you resisted as much as you could.
I played yesterday, had White with the guy rated 1940, I have =1, -2 record against him. I got under some pressure in the middlegame, but then equalized. It was a R+B vs. R+N endgame, his time was going down gradually and honestly I thought he will flag.
But then when he had like 30 seconds vs. my 5 minutes suddenly a moment of blindness happened (I woke up at 5am that day and though went home especially to get a 20 minutes nap, it showed).
I blundered a central pawn and on the next move a bishop. Needless to say, he started to play faster and I lost.
I thought about offering him a draw before, but my position looked better to me and again I thought that he is going to lose on time.
Same happened with Karjakin today, he was too exhausted after semi-final, blundered two pieces in a row.
October 3, 2015 at 3:54 pm
Posted my games from this week.
Sorry to hear about your game. 😦 You should post it anyway. 😉
Yeah, they are just dropping pieces in that world cup. Giri did it against Svidler too, from a better position with very little pressure against him.
October 6, 2015 at 6:57 am
I saw your games, commented on one, will comment on the other too.
I played yesterday, got White against master.
He played French, I made a few positional mistakes, got under kingside attack and lost.
October 6, 2015 at 7:06 pm
Sorry to hear about your loss. 😦 The good news is that you got to play a Master! 🙂 It’s just a matter of time before we take those games in stride. 😉
October 9, 2015 at 2:46 pm
I wonder how your game against that Master went. I posted my game game from Thursday.
October 9, 2015 at 10:06 pm
Maybe I’ll post all of them. I lost another one on Thursday, against a 1940 rated boy, I lost to him 4 months ago. He played Max Lange attack then and crushed me, so I chose Caro-Kann. It was a bit worse for me, but then I played too aggressively with my queen (probably because of the above) and it got caught, so I had to give it up for two light pieces.
Do not remember playing with such material imbalance before. I lost.
October 10, 2015 at 3:37 pm
Yeah, that one sounds interesting, and interesting opponent. Alex made a blunder on Tuesday and was in a situation trying to find a draw with an attack, an exchange and pawn down. We’ll find some stuff if we look at it, no doubt.
October 12, 2015 at 2:38 pm
Good luck in your game, if you play tonight! 🙂
October 13, 2015 at 5:29 am
Here is fun Max Lange beat-down by Black!
http://www.ficsgames.org/cgi-bin/show.cgi?ID=381828501
October 13, 2015 at 6:58 am
I didn’t play on Monday, we had Thanksgiving.
Nice defense by Black!
October 14, 2015 at 5:20 am
I played last night. A bit depressing that I can’t seem to hack it at G/90 with delay. There is a Denver tournament coming up on the 24th where the first three rounds are G/90, delay 5, and it seems for some reason that I don’t cut it, although in the under 1800 section, which there is one, I still may be okay in time-pressure. Then again, chess is not a relative thing, you can do it or you can’t. Not sure.
October 16, 2015 at 6:37 am
I will comment on your game. I could tell you again not to spend too much time on the opening or look for simple solutions or play more blitz, but… You have to consider time as a factor of the game, same as position or material balance or tactical lines.
I played yesterday, got unexpectedly Asian girl, same rating, I lost to her twice – once underestimating her and another time by giving up perpetual for the losing (supposedly winning) move. She can play well and drew with a master in the first round.
We played Ruy Lopez. I had Black and felt comfortable from the beginning. I got attack on the kingside going and … do not want to spoil my future post, so shortly speaking I won in a good style, finishing with 3 minutes left.
October 19, 2015 at 3:21 am
Blitz, along with other things, have only made me a more nervous player. Blitz may help you not lose on time, but it’s easier to drop things. I don’t think blitz skills helps me in time-pressure, it helps me more when I’m not in time-pressure. In time-pressure, slow-chess skills and habits help more, ironically enough.