Sunday, September 18, 2011

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

Friday, July 22, 2011

Hide the Women and Children

C - K
G/20 Owen Sound, 22.07.2011
D47 - Semi-Slav, Meran Variation


K owned me in this game. I thought I was winning after 14.f4 and i bet i was completely losing. We'll see. 1.d4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 c6 Thematic. He wanted a Meran or Anti-Meran. Because he doesn't play the Botwinnik, and the Meran has intrigued me and terrified me on both sides, i decided to play it 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 Bd6 [Mainlines are either 8...a6 ;
or 8...Bb7 but the text is playable] 9.0-0 0-0 10.Qc2



a6 11.e4?
Wrong idea. I shouldn't have tried to open lines as i wasn't quite set to attack [11.a4 b4 12.Ne4 Nxe4 13.Bxe4] 11...e5 12.dxe5 Nxe5 13.Nxe5 Bxe5 14.f4? [I didn't even look at his next move. I thought I was winning. Something like 14.Ne2 -- 15.f4 may have been the proper way to do this, as his bishop ended up very strong on d4] 14...Bd4+ 15.Kh1 Ng4 16.Nd1?? [Again, Smyslov would never have played the text. 16.h3 giving up the exchange was better 16...Nf2+ 17.Rxf2 Bxf2 18.e5 Qh4 19.Bxh7+ Kh8 (19...Qxh7 20.Qxf2) but i have no compensation ] 16...Qh4 [16...Nxh2! 17.Kxh2 Qh4#] 17.h3?? [17.g3 was much better as my queen was covering mate] 17...c5 [17...Qg3 18.hxg4 Qh4# an unusual mate, but if Kirk missed it the first time, not surprising he missed it the second time.] 18.Be2 Nf6 19.Be3 [19.Kh2] 19...Bb7 [19...Bxh3 20.gxh3 (20.Bxd4 Bg4+ 21.Kg1 cxd4) 20...Qxh3+] 20.Bxd4 Bxe4 21.Bxf6?? [21.Bd3 Qxh3+ 22.Kg1 Qxd3 23.Qxc5] 21...Qxh3+ 22.Kg1 Qxg2# Brutal by me, opened too many lines. No sense of fear. 1-0 He laid a good beating on me

Monday, July 18, 2011

Warmup for London tournament

K - C
G/20 Owen Sound, 18.07.2011
A57 - Benko Gambit

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5
I had been going through Benko's autobiography so it was natural i would try this eventually. this was a good choice for a move in a "tune-up" game for the upcoming tournament as it would get us into relatively unfamiliar positions 4.Bg5 New to me. 4...d6? [Too passive. After playing both sides of the Tromp for years I should have suspected that 4...Ne4 was good;
I wanted to play 4...e6 but I was terrified about something like 5.d6] 5.Nf3 e6 I was trying to transpose into some sort of Blumenfeld, but basically I was floating 6.e4 Be7 7.Qc2 bxc4 8.Bxc4 Nxd5 [This was fine, but realistically if I wasn't going to win a pawn I should've just closed it down with 8...e5 ] 9.Bxd5 [9.exd5 Bxg5 10.dxe6 Bxe6 11.Bxe6 fxe6 with sharp play would have suited Kirk more] 9...exd5 10.Bxe7 Qxe7 11.0-0 0-0? [and Fritz says I can get away with 11...dxe4 12.Re1 f5 13.Nc3 0-0 not greedy enough.] 12.exd5 Bg4 [Another way to go was 12...Na6 ] 13.Nbd2 Nd7 14.Rfe1 Qd8 [afterwards we took a quick look at 14...Qf6 15.Ne4 Qg6 amd Kirk thought that 16.Nh4 was good but after 16...Qh5 17.f3 (17.g3 Qxd5) 17...Qxh4 18.fxg4 Qxg4 it's all good] 15.Qe4 Nf6 [I liked the idea of 15...Bxf3 16.Qxf3 Nb6 instead of knight on f6 but i guess i have the same problem with the knight on e4 as i had on c4] 16.Qf4 Bxf3? [Shouldn't have been so quick to exchange 16...Qd7 put more pressure on White as the queen does two things at once] 17.Qxf3 Qc7 18.Nc4 Rfe8 19.b3 a5 [Fritz liked forcing the action on the e-file with 19...Re7 ] 20.Qf4 Red8 21.Rad1 a4 22.Qe3 axb3 23.axb3 Re8 [23...Qb7 put more pressure on with the rook defending. i wonder if i should've played 20. ...Rad8 instead or would i have run out of room] 24.Qf3 Rxe1+ [Again Fritz liked 24...Re7 ] 25.Rxe1 h6 to watch for backrank mates 26.h3 Rb8 27.Nd2 Qb7 28.Ne4 Nxe4 29.Rxe4 Qd7 [29...Kf8 was better, keeping the threat on] 30.Qe3 Kf8 [I was worried about checks on the diagonals and i guess this would have done two things...attackd d5 and stopped the checks 30...Qf5 ] 31.Qd3 Re8 32.Rxe8+ Qxe8 33.Kf1 Qe5 34.Qe3? f6? we both blunder in time pressure. i think i imagined by king being on e7 (i wanted him guarding the d-pawn not the queen) [34...Qxd5 wins] 35.Qxe5 fxe5 36.Ke2 g5? [I think that something like 36...g6 would have allowed me to try to get at the queenside, because he couldn't come through on f5] 37.Ke3 Kf7= his flag fell somewhere around here. i started the clocks back up to 5 minutes and i pressed too hard and he ended up winning in blitz. so we'll call it a draw. interesting game...lots of poor decisions (as opposed to blunders) by me. nice tune up ½-½

kirk got into time trouble but i would be happy with that game over the board. i felt like i was the one with the initiative and didn't give him very much. i didn't play perfectly, but i was happy enough with it as a warmup.

Saturday, June 04, 2011

G/25 w K

C - K [D35]
G/25 04.06.2011


In preparation for a summer tournament we decided to get together and play a QGD G/25 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 c6 5.cxd5 [I know I could play but he plays the Cambridge Springs and I don't like it 5.Nf3 ] 5...exd5 6.e3 Be7 7.Bd3 0-0 8.Qc2 h6 9.Bh4 Be6 10.Nf3 Nbd7 11.0-0 Rc8 [I thought I had the exact same position as in a current correspondence game that I have but my memory is obviously faulty. 11...Re8 12.Bg3 Nh5 13.Be5 Bg4 14.Ne1 Nhf6 15.h3 Be6 16.f4 etc] 12.Ne5 [If I wanted to try something like this maybe 12.h3 Re8 13.Ne5 Nxe5 14.dxe5 Nd7 15.Bg3 Nc5] 12...Nxe5 13.dxe5 Ng4 The first of many oversights this game...dropping a pawn 14.Bg3 Qc7 [Fritz liked 14...Bh4 better, stopping anything funny] 15.Qe2? [15.Be2! was better. I didn't even look at this because I didn't realize my Bd3 was attacked;
After the game we looked at 15.Bf5 Nxe5 but it had the same problems] 15...Nxe5 16.Bc2 [Shoudl have put some pressure on him 16.Rac1 ] 16...Bd6 17.f4 Bg4! Not sure if it was the best move but i definitely overlooked it 18.Qf2 [18.fxe5 Bxe2 19.exd6 Qb6 20.Nxe2] 18...Nc4 19.b3 Na3 Despite the material (and looming pin) I thought I was still good mainly because of this awful knight. 20.Bd3 Rfe8 21.Ne2? [K thought that 21.Kh1 was good] 21...Bxe2 22.Bxe2? [22.Qxe2 Bc5 23.Bf2 etc] 22...Bc5 23.f5 Qb6 24.Kh1 Nc2 25.f6 Nxe3 26.Qf3 Nxf1 27.Rxf1 g6 28.Bd3 Re3 29.Qf4?? [Short on time I missed 29.Qg4! saving the game as it gains me a tempo since the rook is attacked] 29...Rxd3 30.Qxh6 Bf8! 31.Qf4 Qd4 32.Qg5 Rd1 yes i got run over (badly) but it was nice to play. i'm impressed how much effort K has put into this 0-1

any ideas on a good line v. mainlain Scandinavian? That was something else that came up in conversation...let me know :)

Monday, May 23, 2011

I'm flattered

I was flattered to receive this email today

Gentlemen

Hope you are well! I've been informed that the 10th Pan/Am Team Tournament is being organized this year, by CADAP (the South American CC zone). I'm contacting all those players who played for Canada on our two teams in the 9th Pan/Amm TT, plus have extended invitations to all those that seem to be most of our other top players and that are still relatively active. It seems the start date is some time in July, but I believe if more time is needed this will be pushed up to August or September. Also, Canada, once again has been given the opportunity to form two teams if we wish. This is in case, however, they need more teams in order to put together the event. This event will be played on the ICCF Webserver, like last time.

Naturally I will try to put together the strongest team(s) possible. I also realize that some of you already have heavy commitments in other events. And I understand this. If you're interested in playing, please let me know one way or the other, asap! Thanks.

Best wishes


we'll see if anything comes of it. i'm very excited and honoured to even be mentioned. i am planning on playing a tournament with K this summer (dusting off my OTB "skillz") hopefully in London but we'll see

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

2 more G/15s

C - K
C31 - King's Gambit Declined
G/15 Owen Sound (1), 16.02.2011


We played 2 more G/15s tonight 1.e4 e5 2.f4 d5 I was hoping for this 3.exd5 Bc5 [3...e4 4.d3] 4.d3 [I played the passive text, worrying about ...e4 instead of the aggressive 4.Nf3 ] 4...Bxg1? Positional mistake. If he really wanted a pawn he could have grabbed the d-pawn with less trouble 5.Rxg1 Qh4+ 6.g3 Qxh2 7.Rg2 Qh1 8.Qe2 Bh3 9.Qxe5+ Ne7 10.Rf2 f6?? [10...Bxf1 and Fritz doesn't mind his position after 11.Rxf1 Qxd5 of course...the knight isn't pinned when the queen moves.] 11.Qh5+ with a double attack. Not a real interesting game. 1-0

K - C
A88 - Dutch : Leningrad Variation
G/15 Owen Sound (2), 16.02.2011

1.g3
I figured he was ticked off so I'd try and transpose into something interesting as opposed to grinding him in a symmetrical KIA/KID 1...f5 2.d4 Nf6 3.c4 d6 4.Bg2 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Nf3 0-0 7.0-0 c6 8.e3? [Teh text was passive 8.Qc2 aiming for 8...-- 9.e4 was better] 8...Nbd7 9.Ng5 I didn't see this at all 9...Nb6 10.b3 h6 [Fritz recommended the immediate 10...e5 ] 11.Nf3 Nbd7 12.Ba3 Qa5 13.Bb2 e5 14.Nh4 Kh7 15.Qc2 e4 16.Bh3 g5?? [I should have continued with locking down everything with 16...d5 like I had been planning, but I got impatient] 17.Nxf5? [17.Bxf5+ Kg8 (17...Kh8 18.Ng6+) 18.Be6+ Kh8 19.Ng6+] 17...g4 18.Bg2 Qxf5 19.Nxe4 Kh8 avoiding all the checks [19...d5 Fritz says would work as well 20.Nxf6+ Nxf6] 20.Rac1 Nxe4 21.Bxe4 Qa5 22.Bc3 Qd8 23.d5 c5 24.Qb2 Ne5! blocking up everything 25.f4 gxf3 26.Rxf3 Nxf3+ 27.Bxf3 Bxc3 28.Qxc3+ Qf6 we both used a chunk of time but missed some big tactics 0-1

not a particularly memorable evening of chess but we did get to play which is important...

Friday, January 14, 2011

2 games

C - K
C78 - Ruy Lopez
G/15 Owen Sound (1), 14.01.2011


We played a couple of games at his house tonight (G/15) in preparation for the tourney on January 29th. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 He asked for a Ruy Lopez 3...a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 [If I had known that he was going to avoid the mainline I would have just played 5.d3 ] 5...Bc5 6.d3 [I chickened out. I shoudl have just played my usual 6.Nxe5 ] 6...b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.Bg5 d6 9.Nc3 [9.Bd5] 9...Nd4 10.Nd5 [Fritz thinks I should have played 10.Nxd4 Bxd4 11.Nd5] 10...c6 11.Nxf6+ gxf6 12.Bh6 Re8 [He had the intermezzo 12...Nxb3 He should have been looking hader at this point] 13.Nxd4 exd4 14.Qf3 Kh8 15.Bxf7 for instance. And he resigned.

Not a great game by him. I was happy enough...yes I didn't see anything, but I saw what little was there and played sensibly. 1-0

K - C
A40 - Owens Defense
G/15 Owen Sound (2), 14.01.2011


In return I asked him to play 1.d4 e6 I had been thinking about playing this for a while so figured...why n ot? 2.e4 [If 2.c4 I could always transpose to a Queen's Indian. I was thikning about doing this from 1.e4 e6 and if 2.d4 then b6 and if 2.Nf3 or other, going to a Sicilian] 2...b6?! Unusual but I wanted to get K out of his comfort zone 3.c4 Bb7 4.Nc3 [4.Qc2 Qh4 was in Silman's book based on a Korchnoi Candidates game (!)] 4...Bb4 Pressure on the e-pawn 5.Bd3 f5 6.f3 and I think I'm already better 6...fxe4 7.fxe4 Bxe4? [7...Nf6 is better] 8.Qg4? [and he blinked first 8.Bxe4 Qh4+ 9.Kf1 and he's better because Bxc3 is no longer check and my rook is hanging] 8...Bxd3 9.Qxg7 Qf6 10.Qxf6 Nxf6 11.Bg5 Rf8 [11...Ne4] 12.0-0-0 Bxc4 13.Kb1 Bxc3 14.bxc3 Ne4 Another easy win and we had a couple beers, but neither one of us saw very much! 0-1