Games, 8/26/06

I played one weak and one strong opponent today.

Win: likesforests(1467)-friend

1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 d5 3. cxd5 Qxd5 4. Nc3 Qd6 5. g3 b5 6. Nxb5 Qc6 7. Nc3 Bg4 8. Bg2 Nf6 9. O-O Ne4 10. Nxe4 Qxe4 11. Ne1 Bf3 12. Bxf3

I missed 9.Nh4, activating my skewer while protecting the g2-bishop. Crisp tactical execution is required against stronger opponents.

10.Ne5 was stronger than 10.Nxe4, but I opted to avoid complications when I already had a win.

11...Bf3 was a blunder. Black could have counter-attacked 11...Qxe2 with a much closer game.

Win: JeanPhilippe(1545)-likesforests(1488)

1. c4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qd2 Bb4 5. Nc3 Qf6 6. e3 Bxc3 7. bxc3 Nge7 8. Bb2 Qd6 9. Qxd6 cxd6 10. Ne2 b6 11. Nd4 Ba6 12. Bd3 Ne5 13. Be2 Bxc4 14. Bxc4 Nxc4 15. Rb1 Nxb2 16. Rxb2 O-O 17. Nb5 Rfc8 18. O-O Rc5 19. Rc1 Nc8 20. a4 a6 21. Nd4 g6 22. h3 Na7 23. Rcc2 Rac8 24. Rb3 b5 25. axb5 Nxb5 26. Ne2 a5 27. Nd4 Nxc3 28. Kf1 Nd5 29. Rxc5 Rxc5 30. Nb5 a4 31. Rb1 Nc3 32. Nxc3 Rxc3 33. Ra1 a3 34. Ke2 Rc2+ 35. Kf3 a2 36. g4 d5 37. Kg3 Kf8 38. f3 Ke7 39. Kf4 Kd6 40. e4 Kc5 41. exd5 Kxd5 42. Ke3 Kc4 43. h4 Kc3 44. h5 gxh5 45. gxh5 Kb2 46. Rh1 a1=Q 47. Rxa1 Kxa1 48. Kf4 Rc5 49. Kg4 d5 50. f4 d4 51. f5 d3 52. Kg5 d2 53. Kf6 Rc7 54. h6 d1=Q 55. Kg7 Qg4+ 56. Kxh7 f6+ 57. Kh8 Qa4 58. Kg8 Qa8# 0-1

This was an interesting game, with no major blunders. After 3...Nc6, White is playing a reverse Scandinavian w/ an extra c4.

8...Qd6 was a positional misevaluation. I worried White would attack my cramped position, and accepted doubled pawns to stop him.

23...Rc8 was a tactical (process) error. If Black were alert he would have played 24.Rxb6, winning a pawn.

29...Rxc5 was good, but 29...dxc5 was better, undoubling my pawns. I need to keep looking even after finding a good move.