After a 3 weeks break caused by a holiday and a big blitz tournament I returned to the OTB classical play. By the way I played in that blitz tournament, there were about 100 people. There were 7 double (with both colors) rounds, time control was 3 minutes plus 2 seconds increment. I started very well making two draws with a FIDE master, it’s good that I didn’t know it before the games. With Black I played Budapest gambit, in both games I repeated the moves in the simple, equal positions in the endgame. Then I beat twice the guy rated 1450, then got another FIDE master. It didn’t go well with him, lost both games.

Then I got a coffee and had +1, =1 with an unrated guy. In round 9 with ~1500 rated boy I blundered, lost, drew in round 10. Then the same happened with a guy rated about 1200 in rounds 11 and 12. I probably got tired and definitely needed another coffee, unfortunately decided that I will be OK. Then I lost last 2 games to unrated, who got 1500 performance rating.

Back to the classical tournament. I got an old foe, I have 4.5-1.5 record with him. Last time I lost to him was 4 years ago when I went for a wrong combination in a won endgame. I got White, he unexpectedly played Modern Defense that became Old Benoni later. The best reply to his 3… c5 would be dxc5, I played conservative d5. After his 7… Nd7 I didn’t want his knight to go to e5, so played Bb5, the best was just Be2.

After the opening he had a weak pawn on d6. On move 17 I played Bf4, I thought that in a compensation for b2 pawn I would get his d6 pawn as well as get my rook on semi-open “b” vertical. After 18. Rb1 he could play 18… Qxa4 and I couldn’t take his bishop because of Qa1+, I didn’t see that line.

I spent some time deciding how to take on d6, Rxc5 was the same strong as Rxd6, Bxd6 was worse. While thinking on taking on b7 I got an idea about following it with Rb8+, then winning the pinned bishop on f8. I realized that with my bishop on h6 he would have his queen on e7 defending, but with the bishop on d6 he wouldn’t have that move.

When he took on e4 I realized that his rook on a8 is defended now, so after the check he doesn’t have to exchange the rooks, just play Bf8. I didn’t like that line, so after some thinking moved my queen to c7. Only at home computer told me that there were no Bf8, it would be a mate in 1, as my queen would take it. I was in a complete shock, how I could not see that. I think in my mind his rook was still defending the bishop on f8. So everything I counted on was right, I was winning the queen for the rook after 22. Rb8+ Qe8 or it was a mate in 21 after 22. Rb8+ Rxb8 23. Qxb8+ Bf8 24. Bd6.

After 22. Qc7 the things started to go downhill. The time factor also affected my play as I spent a lot of time previously. I missed 23. c4 giving me a draw and in a few moves allowed him to exchange the queens and got into a worse bishop endgame. My 40. h4 was a really bad move that costed me dearly later. After several moves I resigned in a lost position.