Artwork by illustrator Stephanie Smith.I played in another Open event this weekend and scored a USCF 1500 performance rating. That's solid, but nothing spectacular.
The following game was typical of my battles. I made no simple tactical mistakes, but I consistently used more clock time and my position always seemed to be slightly worse than my opponent's. In two of these battles my opponents found exceptional tactical shots to finish me off. In one game I returned the favor. The last game was a draw.
febcupop.pgnBelow is the critical position from another game, likesforests-careyfan:
(a) What move gives White an advantage?
(b) White actually played 21.Na4. What move wins for Black?