Monday, December 14, 2009

This and that...


I haven't played much lately since there are not many opportunities to play rated games near Corpus Christi.

Last Sunday there was a 4 round quick rated event. There were 10 players & finished 4-0.

Round 1
Win Robert Muir (1441)
After an equal middle game and early end game, I played horribly and got to a lost position, but I had a big time advantage & won on time.

Here I am Black and just played Rf5, I missed that White can play g4, after which I should have played pxp e.p. and the game is fairly balanced, but after g4 I played R g5 and got into a worse end game.

Round 2

I don't play the exchange variation of the Kings Indian often, but decided to give it a go.

Here Black is supposed to play cxd, but he erred with Nd7. I got a good advantage but later got into a bishops of opposite color ending up a pawn. The ending was probably drawn, but since I had no losing chances, I played on and tried to create as many problems for Black as possible . Just because it is an opposite colored bishop ending it does not mean it is an automatic draw, one still has to work!

Round 3

Shaw vs Me

1.d4 c6 2.f4 d5 3.e3 Bf5 4.c4 e6 5.Nf3 Nd7 6.Be2 Ngf6 7.0-0 Ne4 8.Nc3 Ndf6 9.cxd5 exd5 10.Nxe4 Nxe4 11.Ne5 f6 12.Nd3 Bd6 13.g4 Bg6 14.f5 Bf7 15.Nf4 g5 16.fxg6 hxg6 17.Bf3 Qe7 [ 17...g5 18.Bxe4 gxf4 19.Bg2 fxe3] 18.Bxe4 Qxe4 19.Qf3 Qxf3 [ 19...g5 20.Qxe4+ dxe4 21.Ne2 Bxh2+] 20.Rxf3 g5 21.Nh5 Bxh5 22.gxh5 [ 22.Rh3 Kf7 23.Rxh5 Rxh5 24.gxh5 Rh8 25.h3 Rxh5] 22...Rxh5 23.h3 Kf7 24.Bd2 Rah8 25.Kg2 g4 26.Rf2 Rxh3 27.Rg1 f5 28.Rxf5+ Ke6 29.Rf2 Rh2+ [ 29...g3 30.Re2 Rh2+ 31.Kf1 Rf8+ 32.Ke1 Rff2] 30.Kf1 Rxf2+ 31.Kxf2 Rh2+ 32.Rg2 Rxg2+ [ 32...g3+ 33.Kf3] 33.Kxg2 Kf5 34.Kf2 Ke4 35.Ke2 g3 0-1

Round 4
Win vs Henry Velasquez (1534)



I am also playing a 12 game rated match with Henry Velasquez (1534). The time control is G/60 with a 5 second delay. The score so far is 8-0=2 in my favor.

This is a position from our last game.

I am White and should have played Ra7, but chickened out an played Re2, I managed to get into some trouble, but my opponent blundered in time trouble.