First Saturday FM-A Budapest in May 2011

I had only a mediocre return to chess after more than two years away, but I got better toward the end of the event, and I won both round 10 and 11 fairly smoothly.

[Event "First Saturday FM-A"]

[Site "Budapest"]

[Date "2011.11.14"]

[Round "10"]

[White "Jamalia, Natalie"]

[Black "Cross, Ted"]

[Result "0-1"]

[ECO "B33"]

[WhiteElo "1984"]

[BlackElo "2058"]

[Annotator "Cross,Ted"]

[PlyCount "70"]

[EventDate "2011.11.14"]

[EventType "tourn"]

[EventRounds "11"]

[EventCountry "HUN"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8.

Na3 b5 9. Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 O-O 12. Nc2 Bg5

I have always enjoyed the wild craziness of this opening, and I play it from both sides! All of this is standard for this variation so far.

13. Nce3 Ne7 14. Bd3 Rb8 15. O-O g6 16. Nxe7+ Qxe7 17. Nd5 Qa7 18. Kh1 Be6 19. Bc2 Qb7 20. Nb4?!

The opening had drifted to a slight edge for black, and this was the first little mistake for either side. It simply wastes a tempo for white and let's black have a trade that I desired anyway. Better was 20. a3 with just a slight black edge.

20... a5 21. Nd5 Bxd5 22. exd5 Rfc8 23. Qg4 Bh6 24. Qh4 Bg7 25.

Rad1 Rc5 26. f4 Rxd5!?

Nothing wrong with this plan, though more accurate is 26... b4 with a more distinct advantage for black.

27. Rxd5

Giving more chances is 27. f5 Rxd1 28. Rxd1 d5 29. Bb3 d4 30. Rf1 Kh8 though black retains an edge.

27... Qxd5 28. Bb3 Qd3 29. Rd1 Qe2 30. Qe7 Rf8 31. fxe5 Bxe5 32. Qh4 a4 33. Re1 Qxb2 34. Bd5 Qxc3 35. Rf1 Qd3 0-1

I followed up this straightforward win with one that was fun, especially since it was the first time I was trying a new opening.

[Event "First Saturday FM-A"]

[Site "Budapest"]

[Date "2011.11.15"]

[Round "11"]

[White "Cross, Ted"]

[Black "Makrai, Peter"]

[Result "1-0"]

[ECO "B23"]

[WhiteElo "2058"]

[BlackElo "1812"]

[Annotator "Cross,Ted"]

[PlyCount "91"]

[EventDate "2011.11.15"]

[EventType "tourn"]

[EventRounds "11"]

[EventCountry "HUN"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 e6 3. f4 d5 4. Nf3 d4 5. Ne2 Nf6 6. d3 Nc6 7. c3

 This was my first time trying the Grand Prix Attack. My move here isn't bad, though the database statistics prefer 7. g3 Be7 8. Bg2 O-O 9. O-O.

7... Qb6

This seems to be a novelty, at least in my database, and the computer seems to think it isn't bad.

8. g3 h5

But this feels a bit optimistic and white now has a slight edge. Better is to just develop with 8... Be7.
9. h3 Be7 10. Bg2 Bd7 11. O-O Bd8?

Black makes the first mistake in a complicated middle game, and follows it up with another one next move.

12. Ne5 Qc7?

While this is a mistake, black's position was already difficult.

13. Nxc6 Bxc6 14. cxd4 Be7 15. Be3 O-O-O?

And one more mistake to seal the deal.

16. Rc1

Not bad, but the computer likes 16. Qc2 even more.

16... Kb8 17. f5 Qa5 18. fxe6 fxe6 19. Qb3 Bd7 20. dxc5 Ka8 21. d4 h4 22. Bg5

More accurate is 22. Nf4! e5 23. Ng6 Rhe8 24. Nxe5 with a dominating position.

22... Ng8 23. gxh4 Bxg5 24. hxg5 e5 25. Rf7 Qa6 26. Rcf1

About this point I began to play cautiously, knowing my position was winning and not wanting to allow counterplay. Here the computer prefers 26. d5 Qxe2 27. c6 bxc6 28. dxc6 Bxc6 29. Rxc6 Qd1+ 30. Qxd1 Rxd1+ 31. Kh2 Nf6 32. Rcc7 though I'm wary during games of allowing what looks like more counterplay options.

26... Bb5

If 26... Be6 then 27. d5 is best, though I had planned to play 27. Rf8 Ne7 28. Rxh8 Rxh8 29. d5 which is just fine.

27. R1f2

Again being cautious. Stronger is 27. Nc3 Bxf1 28. Bxf1 Qc6 29. Nd5.

27... Bc4 28. Rf8 Ne7 29. Qf3 Rhxf8 30. Qxf8 Nc6 31. Qf3

One more time with the overcautious play. Much better is 31. Qxg7 Bxe2 32. d5 Nb8 33. Qxe5 Bb5 34. Qf6 Qa5 35. e5.

31... exd4 32. Nf4 d3 33. Nd5

 It's hard not to win at this point, but more accurate was 33. b3! Ne5 34. Qe3 Bg8 35. Nd5 and total domination.

33... Bxd5 34. exd5 Nb4 35. d6 Nc6 36. Rd2 Qc4 37. Qe3 Qc1+ 38. Kh2 Nd4 39. Qxd3 Nf5 40. Qd5 Rb8 41. Rf2 g6 42. d7 Qxg5 43. c6 Qg3+ 44. Kg1 Qc7 45. cxb7+ Rxb7 46. Qxb7+ 1-0