My next game…

Replay (I am black)

In our previous game, my opponent had played 1.e4 and I blundered in a better position to lose. Here, he switches openings but plays it extremely strangely, allowing me to equalise very quickly!

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e3 e6 4. Bd3 c5 5. c3 Bd6 6. a4 O-O 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. b4 Be7 9. Bb2 b6

(9… a5 10. b5 Nbd7)

10. O-O Bb7 11. Qc2 Nbd7 12. Rd1 Rc8 13. Qe2 Qc7 14. a5 Rfd8

I looked deeply at 14… Ne4 15. Bxe4 (15. Rc1) 15… dxe4 16. Nd4 Ne5 with a pretty imbalanced position. I wasn’t sure if my pawn at e4 was a weakness or strength and so I decided to avoid this line.

15. axb6 axb6 16. Na3 Ra8 17. Nb5 Qb8 18. h3 Rc8 19. Rxa8 Bxa8 20. Ra1 Ne4?! 21. Bxe4

21. Nfd4 Ne5 22. Bc2, holding on to both bishops was an option.

21… dxe4 22. Nfd4 Ne5 23. Ra7 Bf6 24. Ba1

24. Ra1 was probably the right move, realising that the rook won’t be able to survive on the 7th rank.

24… Bd5 25. Qb2?

The rook needs rescuing! (25. Ra3)

25… Nc6?

25… Nd3! 26. Qa3 (26. Qe2 Bxd4 27. exd4 Nf4 28. Qe3 Bc6 29. Nd6 Qxd6) 26… Bh4 is already winning.

26. Ra6?!

26. Ra3 Nxd4 27. cxd4 Bc4 28. Nc3 -/+

26… Bc4 27. Ra3?

(27. Nxc6 Rxc6 28. Nd4 Rc8 29. Ra3)

27… e5 28. Nxc6 Rxc6 29. Na7?

29. Qd2! Bxb5 30. Qd5! Rd6 31. Qxb5 was the only chance, now its game over.

29… Rc7 30. Nb5 Bxb5 31. Qa2 Rc8 32. Ra7 Bc4 33. Qa3 Rd8 34. Qa4 g6 35. Qa3 Kg7 0-1

Finally, a win this year

It was a weird experience. Playing in a league match, the opposing team’s top board (who I was playing) was ranked lower than our board 5. Despite that, our game should have really been a draw but I squeaked by with a win in time trouble and we won the match 4-1. The game can be replayed here (I was black).

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Bxf6 Qxf6 8. g3 Nc6 9. Nxc6 bxc6 10. Bg2 d5 11. exd5 cxd5 12. Qf3 Qd8 13. a3 Be7 14. O-O O-O 15. Rfd1 Qc7
The opening has been quite dry and I was trying my best to keep as many pieces on the board and try and outplay my opponent. Here, I initially thought that he might be able to play 16. Rxd5?!. I run into trouble after 16… exd5 17. Nxd5 Bb7 but then realized that 16… Bb7 17. Rd7 Qxd7 18. Qxb7 and black is better.

16. h4 Rb8 17. Rab1 Bb7 18. Qe2 Bc5
I debated between the text move and 18… Bf6, unsure as to which diagonal the bishop should sit on.

19. Qd3 Rfc8 20. Ne2 Qb6 21. Rf1 a5 22. Qd2 Ba6 23. c3 Qc7
23… a4! never crossed my mind, but it fixes white’s pawns and gives me concrete targets to aim at. From this point on, my opponent loses the thread a bit, letting his pieces stay passive and allowing me to improve my position.

24. b4? Ba7 25. Kh1 Bxe2 26. Qxe2 Qxc3 27. Qb2 axb4 28. axb4 g6 29. Rfc1 Qxb2 30. Rxc8+ Rxc8 31. Rxb2 Kg7 32. b5 Bd4 33. Rd2 Rc4 34. Bf1 Rb4 35. Kg2 Kf6 36. Rd1 e5 37. Be2 h5 38. f3 Rb2 39. Kf1 Ke6 40. f4 Be3 41. fxe5 Kxe5 42. Ke1 Ke4 43. Kf1 f5 44. Rd3 f4?
44… d4 was probably better, not yet allowing the bishop check on d3, as happens later in the game.

45. gxf4 Bxf4 46. Rd1 d4?
And this is definitely an error, and now the position is a dead draw! 46… Rb3, not allowing Bd3+ was needed.

47. Bd3+! Kf3 48. Bxg6 Rxb5 49. Bxh5+??
My opponent now commits a fatal blunder, in deep time trouble – he was down to less than a minute by this point. 49. Rxd4 maintains the equilibrium.

49… Rxh5 50. Rxd4 Rxh4 51. Rd3+ Be3 0-1
Mate follows.

How to avoid blunders

If you want advice on this subject, I’m the last person you should come to. Case in point:

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. h3?! Nc6 4. Bc4 e6 5.  Nc3 Nf6 6. d4 cxd4 7. Nxd4 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Nxc6 bxc6 10. Bd3 e5 11. Ne2 d5  12. exd5 cxd5 13. Ng3 e4 14. Bb5 Qb6 15. Qe2 a6 16. Ba4 Bd6 17. Nh1 Rb8 18. c3  Be5 19. Bb3 Qc7 20. Rd1

Avoiding mate (20…Bh2#)

20…Bd7 21. Qe3 Bh2+ 22. Kf1 Bb5+ 23. Ke1 Bf4??

How can I even begin to explain this blunder? Before this move, I have played reasonably well, his king is “uncastled”, and Fritz gives me a 2 pawn advantage. Bf4 is the first move I consider and promptly dismiss as a blunder. I then think through some variations after Be5 and they seem ok. I then lift the bishop and plonk it down on f4. I hope I learn a lesson for the future: always, always, JUST before moving, make sure its not a blunder!

24. Qxf4 Qb7  25. Ng3 a5 26. Nf5 a4 27. Nxg7 1-0

So that’s three straight games where I have gone from a better position (the previous two were outright winning) and thrown it all away.