1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 I was happy with the draw as I always relish playing the best players. I'd played a number of blitz games against Andy online a couple of years before (which he won about 9.5/10) and knew what opening to expect. 3...cxd5 4.c4 e6 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.Nf3 Be7 [or 6...Bb4 ; or 6...Nc6 ] 7.cxd5 [or 7.c5 ; or 7.Bd3 ; or 7.Bg5 ] 7...Nxd5 8.Bd3 [or 8.Bc4 ; or 8.Bb5+ ] 8...a6?! First deviation from typical theory. As Andy said after the game, this looks a little slow and I probably would have been better off castling or playing Nc6 [better is 8...0–0 ; or 8...Nc6 ] 9.0–0 0–0 [9...Nc6 10.a3 0–0] 10.Re1 Fritz likes this but also looks at NxN [10.Nxd5 Qxd5 11.Bf4 (11.Re1 Nc6 12.Bf4) 11...Nc6 12.Re1 Qa5 for example] 10...Nc6 maybe black would reach the same position in a main line but with a more useful move than a6; it doesn't look bad but care not to waste time is needed in such position as white can launch an attack with the isolated pawns structure; actually we have come back to the Fritz opening book by now and there are a couple of games listed. 11.a3 [or 11.Be4 Nf6 12.Bxc6 bxc6 a bit nicer for white, but black has some compensation in the bishop pair and it doesn't at all look hopeless for now] 11...b5?? Doh! I was hoping to play a good game against this strong player and have a good fight, (and to play well in the first game of this tournament), but instead after this I have to defend and hope for at best a lucky draw, and within a couple of moves I assume I am going to lose and just have to put up the best defence I can. This move falls into the category of undefended pieces being vulnerable to double attacks, and this is an absolute classic. [11...Qb6 would have been fine, e.g. 12.Ne5 (12.Bc4 Rd8) 12...Nxe5 13.Nxd5 (13.dxe5?! Nxc3 14.bxc3 probably not a good isolated pawn for white with both knights traded; will probably act more as a weakness than a strength) 13...exd5 14.dxe5 d4 e.g. 15.b4 Be6 not too bad for black] 12.Nxd5 exd5 [12...Qxd5 is no better after 13.Be4 Qd6 the line I saw, which was the reason I didn't play 12..Qxd5, was 14.Ne5 (14.Qc2 Bb7 15.Bxh7+ Kh8 16.Be4 but 14.Ne5 is probably even better) 14...Nxe5 (if 14...Bb7 then 15.Bf4 is a nightmare for black, e.g. 15...Nxe5 16.Bxb7 (not 16.dxe5 Qxd1; not 16.Bxe5 Qd7) 16...Qd7 (16...Ra7 goes down a whole piece 17.Be4 followed by Bxe5 or dxe5 17...Nf3+ is futile 18.Qxf3 Qxd4 19.Be3) 17.Bxa8 Ng6 e.g. (17...Rxa8 18.dxe5 a rook down for black) 18.Qf3 Nxf4 black is down an exchange) ] 13.Qc2 tactics 101; how embarassing to allow such a simple tactic this early in the game [both Fritz (and my opponent in the post game analysis) think this may have been even better for white 13.Bxh7+ Kxh7 (13...Kh8 14.Bb1 preparing a deadly bishop queen battery) 14.Qc2+ Kg8 15.Qxc6 e.g. 15...Bf5 (the more defensive looking 15...Be6 allows 16.Rxe6! this appears not to be the best once Fritz ponders for longer, but it's interesting and worth looking at 16...fxe6 17.Qxe6+ Kh7 (17...Kh8 is wrong due to 18.Ne5 heading for g6 18...Kh7 19.Qh3+ Kg8 20.Ng6 Qd6 21.Qh8+ Kf7 22.Nxf8 Rxf8 23.Qh5+ Kg8 24.Bd2 black is 2 pawns down with a bad position) 18.Bd2 (the point of Kh7 instead of Kh8 being that after 18.Ne5 black plays 18...Qd6 covering the g6 square with the king and queen 19.Qh3+ Kg8 20.Bd2 F gives just over half a pawn to white) 18...Bf6 19.Bf4 Ra7 20.Bd6 Re8 21.Qxd5 Rd7 22.Qf5+ Kg8 23.Bc5 F gives white just under a pawn; I think good technique is required from white to keep the advantage though) 16.Bd2 Re8 white's knight is a good piece and black has no real compensation for the pawn 17.Rac1 Qd7 18.Qxd7 Bxd7 F +1 eval to white] 13...Qd6 Not bad under the circumstances. Fritz prefers Qb6 though; I'm not immediately sure why, perhaps because it supports queenside play with a5 b4 etc [13...Qb6 14.Bxh7+ Kh8 15.Bd3] 14.Bxh7+ Kh8 15.Bf5 F agrees with this but seems to prefer Bd3 [F looks at this at first 15.Bd3 e.g. 15...Bg4 16.Ne5 Nxe5 17.dxe5 Qd7; F also shows the following sharp option is pretty good too 15.Ne5 Nxd4 16.Qd3 Qf6 17.Bd2 Be6 returning the pawn with some kind of compensation, e.g. 18.Bc3 Bc5 19.b4 Bb6 with a complicated tangle which is unpleasant for black 20.Nc6 (20.Bg6 fxg6 21.Bxd4 Bxd4 (21...Bf5 22.Qd2 Bxd4 23.Qxd4 Be4 24.Rad1 (24.f3 Rfe8 25.fxe4 Rxe5 26.Rf1 (26.exd5?? Rxe1+) 26...Rxe4 27.Qxd5 (27.Rxf6 Rxd4 28.Rxg6 Kh7 about equal) 27...Qb6+ 28.Kh1 Rae8 about equal) ) 22.Qxd4 Rac8 F+0.75) 20...Qh4 threatening f2 after the d4 knight moves 21.Bxd4 Bxd4 22.Nxd4 Qxh7 23.Qg3 Qh6 F gives white just under a pawn advantage 24.Rad1] 15...Bxf5 [15...Bf6 16.Be3 g6 17.Rac1 (17.Bf4 Bxf5 (17...Qxf4 18.Qxc6 Bxf5 19.Qxf6+ Kg8) 18.Qxf5 gxf5 19.Bxd6 Rfc8) 17...Bxf5 18.Qxc6 Qxc6 19.Rxc6 Kg7 20.h4 Rfe8; Fritz's first choice is 15...Kg8 16.Bd2 Bxf5 17.Qxf5 g6 18.Qd3 (18.Qh3 Rfe8 19.Rac1 Bf6 20.Qg4 Rad8) 18...Rfe8 19.Ne5 Bf6 20.f4 Rac8; 15...b4 16.Bxc8 Raxc8 17.Qf5 Kg8; 15...g6 16.Bd3 Bg4 17.Ne5 Nxe5 18.dxe5 Qe6 19.Be3] 16.Qxf5 g6 doesn't change the evaluation much according to F, but F prefers Kg8 17.Qh3+ when looking at 16..g6 before playing it I overlooked this obvious reply; then again I was in poor form in this game in terms of overlooking my opponent's critical replies. [F says 17.Qg4 is even stronger, ostensibly preparing to push the h pawn, e.g. 17...Rac8 18.Bf4 Qd8 19.h4] 17...Kg8 Obviously Kg7 Bh6+ 18.Qh6 [F prefers 18.g3 preparing Bf4, e.g. 18...Bf6 19.Bf4 Qd8 20.Be5] 18...Rfe8 the correct move according to Fritz. I spent some time looking at Bf6 also [18...Bf6 19.Bf4 Qd7 20.Ng5 Bxg5 21.Bxg5 Qf5; 18...Qf6 loses a piece to 19.Bg5 Qg7 20.Qxg7+ Kxg7 21.Bxe7 Nxe7 22.Rxe7] 19.Bf4 F concurs 19...Qf6 not that bad, (although black's position is bad whatever he plays), but not as good as Bc8 according to Fritz [19...Bf8 a nifty option which I don't think I considered in the game 20.Qg5 (20.Bxd6 F says this is a mistake from white and gives white slightly under a pawn advantage 20...Bxh6 21.h4 f6) 20...Qd7 21.h4 Bg7 F +1.3; 19...Qd7 maybe also a little better than the game move, e.g. 20.Be5 Nxe5 21.dxe5 Bf8 22.Qd2] 20.Be5 Nxe5 21.dxe5 [21.Nxe5 not as good apparently 21...Rac8 22.Qe3 Qf5] 21...Qf5 the other option was Qe6 which Fritz slightly prefers [21...Qe6 22.Rad1 Rac8 23.Qd2; anything like 21...Qb6 is stupid 22.e6 fxe6? 23.Qxg6+ Kf8 24.Ne5 mating] 22.e6? a mistake according to Fritz; evaluation drop from 1.7 to 0.7. I now looked at the candidate moves fxe6, Bf8, and Bf6 and decided on the latter [22.Rad1 e.g. 22...Bf8 23.Qd2 Rad8 24.Nd4 Qd7; 22.Qd2 if I recall correctly, my opponent said after the game he should have played this, which F agrees with too with evaluation about 1.7 22...Qe6 23.Rad1] 22...Bf6 A good move; I saw that after exf7+ Kxf7 the king is in no immediate danger, e.g. blocking a Queen check on h7 with Bg7 followed by Rh8 (threatening a queen trap), and the bishop is on a very strong diagonal [at first Fritz prefers this move, then after computing for longer prefers the game move Bf6 22...fxe6 ; 22...Bf8? is poor 23.exf7+ Qxf7 (23...Kxf7 24.Ng5+ Kf6 25.Nh7+ Kf7 26.Nxf8 Rxe1+ (26...Rxf8?? 27.Qh7+ Kf6 28.Qe7#) 27.Rxe1 Re8 28.Rc1) 24.Qd2 Bg7 25.Rxe8+ Rxe8 26.Rc1] 23.exf7+ Kxf7 24.Qd2 [F prefers 24.h4 Rh8 25.Qd2] 24...Rac8 Fritz seems to be torn between Rxe1 and d4 instead of this move; Rac8 isn't bad though, and F gives about +0.8 [24...Rxe1+ 25.Rxe1 Re8 26.Rc1; 24...d4 25.b4 d3 26.Rad1 Red8 27.Re3 Rac8 28.Ne5+ Bxe5 29.Rf3 Qxf3 30.gxf3 Rc4 31.Qe3 Bd4 32.Qf4+ Bf6 F evaluates about +0.6; I'd rather be white here though] 25.Rxe8 Rxe8 26.Rc1 [F prefers 26.h3 ] 26...Qe4?! a mistake according to F; I think I pointed out after the game that I thought d4 was better [pushing the pawn is the best form of counterplay 26...d4 e.g. 27.h4 d3 28.Rc7+ Kg8 29.Qh6 Qh5 30.Qc1 Qf5] 27.h3 ok but not as good at h4 according to F [27.h4 d4 28.Qh6] 27...d4 got it right this time 28.Ng5+ not bad, but Fritz drops evaluation to abot 0.7 and prefers some of the alternatives [28.Qh6 d3 (it's worth pointing out 28...Rh8?? 29.Qxh8 Bxh8 30.Ng5+) 29.b4 Re7 30.Qh7+ Kf8 (30...Bg7?? 31.Ng5+) 31.Rc8+ Re8 32.Qd7 F gives white just over a pawn advantage; 28.b4 Re7 (28...d3 is a mistake losing the d pawn 29.Re1 Qf5 30.Rxe8 Kxe8 31.Ne1 Ke7 32.Nxd3) 29.Qh6 d3 30.Qh7+ Kf8 31.Rc8+ Re8 32.Qd7 same position as in the 28.Qh6 line above; 28.h4 Kg7 (28...Bxh4 is bad after 29.Re1 Qg4 30.Ne5+ Rxe5 31.Rxe5; 28...d3 29.b4 Re7 30.Qh6 Qe6 31.Rc5 isn't great for black) 29.b4 Re7 30.Re1 Qb7 31.Rxe7+ Qxe7 32.Nxd4 Bxh4 Fritz gives white slightly under a pawn] 28...Bxg5 29.Qxg5 Re7 black's last two moves were correct according to Fritz (eval +0.8) 30.f3 Fritz isn't too keen on this and drops white's advantage to under half a pawn. I think I was a little surprised at this as it doesn't look a very meaningful move. [F at first likes: 30.b4 d3 31.Qh6 Qe6 32.Qf4+ giving about 0.7 to white; 30.Qh6 after further cogitation, F settles on this 30...d3 e.g. 31.Rc8 Qe1+ 32.Kh2 Qe5+ 33.f4 Qg7 34.Qg5 the engine really needs a couple of minutes per move in such positions (unless you have a supercomputer) as the evaluation can changes rapidly if it comes across a strong unexpected move in any line] 30...Qe6 I recall that I wanted to keep queens on as I judged it would give me better drawing chances, although this is very questionable (e.g. my king being more exposed to checks than white's may be a factor) and therefore the candidate moves I looked at avoided trading queens; Qd3 which is visibly poor and Qe6, which isn't too bad. Actually it would have been better to play Qe3+ trading queens according to F [30...Qe3+ 31.Qxe3 Rxe3 I think I was worried here white would check then I would either become cut off on the 1st rank, or if I played Kf6 or Ke6 I would either lose a pawn or have to trade rooks, and assumed I would be lost in the pawn ending resulting from that 32.Rd1 (32.Rc7+ Ke6 33.Kf2 (33.Rc6+ the move I was concerned about draws according to F 33...Kd5 the point being the king supports the d pawn promotion threat so he doesn't necessarily have to worry about losing some pawns 34.Rxg6 d3 white has to be very careful since his king is cut off and the rook is the only piece he can stop the d pawn promoting with 35.Rg7 Ke6 36.Rg6+ Kd5 37.Rg8 Re2 38.Rd8+ Kc4 it seems to be better for black now, and would take a quantum computer to conclude if one side is bound to win lose or draw) 33...g5 34.Rc6+ Kd5 35.Rc2 Fritz assesses it as about equal) 32...Re2 33.Rxd4 Rxb2 34.Rd7+ ironically the computer is saying it is winning here for white, so maybe I was right not to trade into this rook ending, and the computer just needed more time to think about it. It seems to follow the rule, the more pieces that are traded in an ending, the more cut and dry they become, (e.g. rook vs rook is more committal than keeping queen + rook and queen + rook, and in turn pawns vs pawns is much more committal than rook vs rook). There is a great deal of subjectivity in endgames, even though they are perceived as mathematical, evaluation is often very uncertain.] 31.Qf4+ F agrees with this. I had overlooked that Qe6 allowed the trade of queens anyway, so it was pretty much unavoidable 31...Qf6 at least I didn't have to think about this as it was forced (anything else loses the d pawn) 32.Qxf6+ Kxf6 33.Kf2?! amazingly this is actually quite a bad mistake if black is on the ball (which I wasn't) [33.Kf1 Fritz gives +1 eval to white, e.g. 33...Kf5 34.Rd1 Rd7 35.Ke2 Kf4 36.Kf2 Kf5 37.Rc1 Re7 38.b4] 33...Re6?! I miss the chance to bring it close to a draw. I'm not sure what stopped me playing d3; it wasn't hard to see, and after Rd1 I play Re2+ [33...d3 the reason for white's inaccurace Kf2 is clear; black threatens Re2+ 34.Re1 forced (34.Rd1 Re2+ 35.Kg3 Rxb2 (35...d2 may also give drawing chances) 36.Rxd3 a5 black gets counterplay creating a passed pawn on the side away from the kings) 34...Rc7 threatening Rc2. The computer considers a number of possible moves for white, but the evaluation is distant. The evaluation for this position is given as a tiny edge for white (0.2) 35.Ke3 (35.Rd1; 35.Kf1; 35.Kg3) ] 34.Rd1 Rd6 [not 34...Ke5?? 35.Re1+ Kd5 36.Rxe6 Kxe6 with a lost pawn ending] 35.Ke2 F agrees with both of white's last moves. If I had got d3 in earlier, the king wouldn't be able to walk in front so easily 35...Ke5 F isn't sure about this, changing eval from +1 to +1.5 approx [F prefers 35...Kg5 e.g. 36.g3 (36.Rc1 d3+ 37.Ke3 Kh4 38.Kf2 Re6 39.g3+ Kh5 (obviously 39...Kxh3?? 40.Rh1#) 40.Re1 Rc6 F gives white just under a pawn advantage) 36...Re6+ 37.Kf2 Rc6 38.Rxd4 Rc2+ 39.Ke3 Rxb2 40.Rd6 white should win but black has changes for some counterplay creating a passed pawn] 36.g3? F changes the evaluation from +1.5 to about +0.3; it's hard to see exactly why the computer judges it as so bad. It did gives me a good chance at counterplay in the game continutation however [after 36.Rc1 F gives white 1.5 pawns advantage, e.g. 36...Re6 37.Kd2 Rd6 38.Re1+ Kd5 39.Kd3 b4 40.f4 bxa3 41.bxa3 Kc6 42.Rc1+ Kb7 43.h4 Rf6 44.g3 Rd6 45.Rc4] 36...g5 a decent move, but F preferred Kd5 marginally. I took the opportunity to hinder the advance of the pawns and preparing Rh6 [F prefers 36...Kd5 37.h4 Re6+ 38.Kd2 Re3 39.Rf1 Rb3 40.Kc2 Re3 41.Rf2 Ke5 42.Kd1 Rd3+ 43.Kc1 Re3 44.Kc2 F gives 0.3 to white] 37.Kd3 I could tell my opponent wasn't very happy over the next few moves because he spent a fair bit of time thinking about them. Kd3 creeps nearer to a draw according to F, which prefers Rh1 [37.Rh1 Rg6 38.Rh2] 37...Rh6 F disagrees with this also, preferring Kd5. I felt it logical to play on the weakness of h3 and force the rook into the corner (although pushing pawns it isn't inactive here) [37...Kd5 38.Rd2 a5] 38.Rh1 [F suggests 38.Re1+ Kd5 39.Re4 Rxh3 40.Rg4 (40.Rxd4+ Ke5 41.Rg4 Kf6 42.b3 Rh1) 40...Rh5 41.Rxd4+ Ke5 42.Re4+ Kd6 43.g4 Rh8 F+0.6] 38...Rf6 F seems to agree with me for once 39.Rf1 Rh6 F agrees with this too 40.f4+ at first F agrees then prefers Re1+ [40.Re1+ Kd6 41.Re4 Rxh3 with another complicated position] 40...Kd5? a bad blunder [40...gxf4 was correct 41.gxf4+ (41.Rxf4 is wrong 41...Rxh3 42.Re4+ Kf6 43.Re8 Rxg3+ 44.Kxd4 F assesses this as almost dead drawn; white can still try though in case black blunders) 41...Kf5 42.Rf3 Rd6 white has a fair bit of work to do (F gives +0.46)] 41.fxg5? letting black off the hook [41.f5! this is crushing (F +2) creating a protected passed pawn 41...Rf6 42.b4 Ke5 43.Rc1 (or more simply 43.g4 Rh6 44.Rf3) 43...Rd6 (43...Rxf5?? loses 44.Rc5+ Ke6 45.Rxf5 Kxf5 46.Kxd4; 43...Kxf5?? 44.Rf1+ Ke5 45.Rxf6 Kxf6 46.Kxd4) 44.Rc5+ Kf6 45.g4] 41...Rxh3 after this it is suddenly looking like white has a very difficult task of winning 42.Rf5+ Ke6 43.Rf3 Rh5 Atually after thinking for longer F switches to the game move [F slightly prefers 43...Ke5 (+0.3 instead of +0.5) 44.g6 Rh6 45.g4 Rxg6 46.Rf5+ Ke6 47.Rf4 Ke5 48.Re4+ isn't that great for black, and will probably lose ultimately] 44.Rf6+ [F seems to prefer 44.g6 Rg5 45.Kxd4 Rxg6] 44...Ke5 my opponent said after the game he missed this move and had a momentary blind spot 45.g4 F agrees with this. Evaluation is about 0.36 45...Rxg5?? how to throw away a game you have grittily defended since the opening and prised out reasonable drawing chances. I rushed this move, perhaps being down on time a little and thinking there was nothing stopping me play it. It should have rang alarm bells to me that my opponent being graded over 190 is unlikely to let a pawn hang for no reason, but I fell for this trick hook line and sinker. Naturally this leads straight to a lost pawn ending, and Rh3+ would have given white a lot of work to do. It is encouraging that I edged back into the game giving myself drawing chances against a strong player after blundering a pawn in the opening, but it's a little pointless if I'm prepared to throw it away so easily. I believe a similar thing happened against Oliver Gill in my frist game back after a couple of years off of competitive chess back in October, although in that game I was already losing, but in that instance I thought my opponent had allowed me a strong outpose for a knight free of charge, but there was inevitably a catch. The real give away in this kind of situation is how unlikely my opponent is to play a loose move when they are trying hard to make sure they win, and I should have checked and double checked the move to find that catch. Maybe I was also less worried about losing because it was against a high graded opponent so I played the move in a more blaze way than if I was playing someone lower graded and defending, and this is a pretty stupid thing. I don't recall feeling terribly under pressure, including any kind of time pressure, and was happy to play on and try and draw, so it just comes down to a stupid and lazy oversight, and an anti-climactic end to an otherwise interesting game. 46.Rf5+ Rxf5 47.gxf5 Kxf5 48.Kxd4 Kf4 I felt like playing it out just to show the logical conclusion of the game; I'm not sure why exactly and I wasn't rushing or trying to psyche out my opponent in any way, just casually playing the moves 49.Kc5 Ke4 50.Kb6 Kd4 51.Kxa6 Kc4 52.Ka5 Kc5 53.b4+ Kc4 54.Kb6 Kb3 55.Kxb5 Kxa3 56.Ka5 Kb3 57.b5 Kc4 58.b6 Kc5 59.b7 Kc6 60.b8R There were two or three spectators by this point as it was one of the last games to finish and Andy asked for a rook to promote to, which I found quite amusing and I resigned. 1–0
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