Nassau Cup Invitational 2017 part 4

So after racing to a lead in the tournament after the first half, I began to falter and lost two in a row. I was still in first place, but I needed to turn things around quick. Now I was facing FM Carver Moncur, who had beaten me in round 4.

Critical match-up with trophy behind us

Cross,Ted (1995) - Moncur,FM Cecil (1876) [B23]
Nassau Cup Invitational 2017 Nassau (9), 12.03.2017

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 
Not sure why I chose the Sicilian Grand Prix attack, except that I'm sure I wanted to get out of any special preparation Carver had done.
3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bb5 Nd4 6.0-0 Nxb5 7.Nxb5 d5 8.exd5 a6 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.d4 Nxd5 11.dxc5 Nxc3 12.Qxd8+ Kxd8 13.bxc3 Bxc3 14.Rb1 Kc7 15.Rb3 Bg7 
There hasn't been much to say because this has all been theory, headed toward an interesting endgame that I had studied previously. The question was could I remember it all?
16.Bd2 Rb8? 
[16...Be6 17.Ba5+ Kc6 18.Rb6+ Kxc5 19.Nd2 Rhd8 (19...Rhc8? 20.Rd1 Bf5 21.c3 Bc2 22.Rc1 Bf5 23.h3 h5 24.c4+-) 20.Rd1 Rd4~~ 21.c4 Bxc4 22.Rxb7 Rc8 23.Rc1 Kc6 24.Rxe7 Bf8 25.Re3 Kb5 26.Nb3 Rd5=/+]
17.Ba5+ 
GM Renier Gonzalez was analyzing the game afterward and preferred [17.Rb6!?]

Me with GM Renier Gonzalez

17...Kc6 18.Rb6+ Kxc5 19.Rd1?? 
Here is where I mixed up my line. I knew about Nd2 but played too quickly, and the instant I played it I saw that Bg4 ruins it for me. I got truly lucky that my opponent had a moment of blindness next move. [19.Nd2 Bg4 20.Nb3+ Kd5 21.c4+ Ke4 22.Re1+ Kd3 23.Rxe7 Rhe8 24.Rxf7 Bc3 25.h3 Bf5 26.g4 Re1+ 27.Kf2 Re2+ 28.Kg3 Re3+ 29.Kh4 Be6 30.Nc5++-]
19...Bc3?? 
Wow, what a mistake to make just when could have grabbed the advantage. [19...Bg4 20.Rb3 b5-/+]
20.Bxc3 Kxb6 21.Bxh8 f6 22.Rd8 Kc7 23.Rg8 b5 24.Rg7 Kd6 25.Rxh7 Bf5 26.Nd4 Be4 27.Rh3 e5?? 
He overlooked the skewer of his king and rook. [27...Kd5 28.c3 b4 29.Ne2 Bf5 30.Rh7 a5 31.Kf2 Rc8 32.h3 bxc3 33.g4 Bd3 34.Nc1 Be4 35.Bg7 c2 36.g5 Ke6 37.gxf6 exf6 38.Rh8 Rc4 39.Rf8 Bf5 40.Ke3 Rc3+ 41.Kd2 Rxh3 42.Rxf6+ Ke7 43.Ra6 Rf3 44.Rxa5 Rxf4 45.Kc3 g5 46.Bh6 Rf3+ 47.Kb2 g4 48.Ne2+-]
28.Bxf6 exf4 29.Ra3 Rb6 30.Bg5 [30.Bd8] 30...Ke5 31.c3 Rd6 32.Ne2 Rd1+ 33.Kf2 f3 34.gxf3 Bb7 35.Rb3 Bd5 36.Ra3 Bb7 37.Be3 Rh1 38.Bf4+ Kf5 39.Ng3+ 1-0

It felt good not just to get back on track but to beat the toughest opponent. Now I just needed to finish off the tournament well. There was only one person who could catch me, if I lost.

Karelina,Polina (1681) - Cross,Ted (1995) [B25]
Nassau Cup Invitational 2017 Nassau (10), 12.03.2017

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.f4 e6 
The second Sicilian Grand Prix in a row! I knew Polina played it, so this is what I prepared for.
7.Nf3 Nge7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Be3 b6 10.Qd2 d5 
This was all preparation for me. Her next move was new, so I suddenly had to think.
11.Nd1 dxe4 
I have a tendency to simplify too often. [11...d4 12.Bf2 e5=/+]
12.dxe4 Qxd2 13.Bxd2 Bb7 
[13...Ba6 14.Re1 e5=]
14.e5 Rad8 15.a3?
You'll see over the next few moves that the same tactic was available over and over again, and both of us missed it each time. [15.Rf2=]
15...Rd7?! 
[15...Nxe5! 16.fxe5 Bxf3-+]
16.Nc3? 
[16.Re1]
16...a6? 
[16...Nxe5 17.Nxe5 Bxe5 18.fxe5 Bxg2 19.Rf2 Bc6-/+]
17.Ne4? 
[17.Be3=]
17...Nd4!? 
[17...Nxe5! 18.Nxe5 Bxe5 19.fxe5 Bxe4 20.Bxe4 Rxd2-/+]
18.Nxd4 Bxe4? 
[>=18...Rxd4 19.Nf6+ Bxf6 20.exf6 Rxd2 21.Bxb7 Nf5 22.Bxa6 Rxc2 23.Rf2 Rxf2 24.Kxf2 Nd6=/+]
19.Nxe6?? 
Lucky for me that Polina didn't see how to keep me from winning the piece. [19.Bxe4 Rxd4 20.Bd3 Rd7+/=]
19...fxe6 
The computer likes Bg2 better, but I could see my line led to a fairly easy win. [19...Bxg2 20.Nxf8 Rxd2 21.Rad1 Rxd1 22.Rxd1 Bf3-+]
20.Bxe4 Rxd2 21.Bd3 b5 
[21...g5! 22.fxg5 Rxf1+ 23.Rxf1 Bxe5 24.Re1 Bd4+-+]
22.b3 Rc8 [22...g5] 23.a4 c4 24.bxc4 bxc4 25.Be4 Nd5 26.Rfd1 Rxd1+ 
[26...c3-+]
27.Rxd1 Nc3 28.Re1 Nxe4 29.Rxe4 Bf8 30.Rd4? Bc5 0-1
It felt so good to win both games on the final day and take first place with 7/10.

With GM Gonzalez and the sponsor Mr. Lindroth

Nassau Cup Invitational 2017 part 3

I finished the first half of the 2017 Nassau Cup Invitational with 4/5, but could I play well enough in the second half to win first place? Since it was a double round robin, I would be playing the same players over again but with colors reversed.

Joseph,Elton (1808) - Cross,Ted (1995) [D35]
Nassau Cup Invitational 2017 Nassau (6), 11.03.2017

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 Nbd7 6.Nxd5??
Lucky way to begin the second half of the event. My opponent falls for an ancient trap right in the opening. I dislike playing the Queen's Gambit as black, but I wasn't feeling confident about my Dutch at the time.
6...Nxd5 7.Bxd8 Bb4+ 8.Qd2 Bxd2+
Taking the bishop on d8 may be a touch better, but it's a winning position no matter what here.
9.Kxd2 Kxd8 10.e4 N5f6 11.e5 Nd5 12.Bc4 N7b6 13.Bb3 Be6 14.Ne2 Ke7 15.Rac1 c6 16.h3 Rhd8 17.f4 h5 18.Rhf1 g6 19.Ng3 Nc7 20.Bxe6 Nxe6 21.f5 Nxd4 22.Ke3 h4 23.fxg6 fxg6
My move is just fine, though the computer likes the following a shade more. [23...hxg3 24.Rxf7+ Ke6 25.Ke4 Nd7 26.Rcf1 c5-+]
24.Ne4 Nf5+ 25.Kf4 Rd4 26.Kf3 Rxe4 27.Kxe4 Ng3+ 28.Ke3 Nd5+ 29.Kd2 Nxf1+ 30.Rxf1 Rf8 31.Re1 Rf2+ 32.Kd3 Rxb2 33.Re4 Rxa2 34.Rxh4 Rxg2 35.Rh7+ Ke6 36.Rxb7 Kxe5 37.Rxa7 Rg3+ 38.Kd2 Rxh3 39.Ra6 Kd6 40.Ke2 Rh7 41.Ra8 Rg7 42.Kf3 g5 43.Rd8+ Kc7 44.Ra8 Kb7 45.Ra1 g4+ 46.Kg3 c5 47.Rc1 Kc6 48.Re1 c4 49.Rc1 Kc5 0-1

So that was a nice way to begin the second half.

Cross,Ted (1995) - Cox,Valentine (1846) [B96]
Nassau Cup Invitational 2017 Nassau (7), 11.03.2017

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Be7
I know the nuances of the standard Nbd7 far better, so this was a good choice to force me to have to think and try to be accurate.
8.Qf3 Qc7 9.0-0-0 Bd7 10.Bd3 Nc6 11.Nxc6 Bxc6 12.Rhe1 b5 13.Ne2?!
I wanted to reposition my knight to the better d4 square, but the computer prefers [13.Kb1 Bb7 14.a3+/=]
13...Rc8 14.Nd4 Bb7 15.Qe2?!
[>=15.Kb1+/=]
15...0-0 16.Kb1 d5? 17.Bxf6 dxe4 
[17...Bxf6 18.e5 Be7 19.Bxh7+ Kxh7 20.Qh5+ Kg8 21.Rd3 f6 22.Rg3+-]
18.Be5 exd3 19.Rxd3 Qa5?! 
[19...Qc5 20.Nb3 Qb6 21.f5 f6 22.Bd4 Qc6 23.Na5 Qxg2 24.Nxb7 Qxb7 25.fxe6 Rc7+/-]
20.Nb3 
Can't blame me for missing the tactical shot here. It isn't easy to see. [20.Bxg7!! Kxg7 21.Qe5+ f6 22.Qxe6 Kh8 (22...Rce8 23.Nf5+ Kh8 24.Nxe7 Bc8 25.Qe2+-) 23.Qxe7 Rf7 24.Qe3+-]
20...Qb6 21.Rg3? 
I was struggling to understand the position and find a good plan. [21.f5 f6 22.Bd4 Qc6 23.Na5 Qxg2 24.Nxb7 Qxb7 25.fxe6 Rc7 26.Qg4 g6 27.Rg1+/-]
21...g6= 22.Rd3? 
[22.Bd4 Qc7 23.f5 Bd5 24.Qd2 Rfd8 25.fxg6 fxg6 26.Qd3 Bf8 27.Be5 Qd7 28.Nd4=]
22...Bd5 23.Nd2?! Qc6 24.c3? 
[24.Rc3 Qb7 25.Ne4 f5 26.Rxc8 Rxc8 27.Nf6+ Bxf6 28.Bxf6 Be4 29.Rc1 b4 30.b3 a5 31.Bb2=]
24...b4! 25.Ka1?! 
[25.c4 Bxc4 26.Nxc4 Qxc4 27.b3 Qb5 28.Bb2-/+]
25...bxc3 26.Bxc3 Rfe8 27.Rg3?? 
Just horrible, missing an obvious skewer [27.g3 Qb5 28.Qe3-/+]
27...Bh4 28.Rh1? Qa4 29.b3 Bxb3 30.Nxb3 Bxg3 31.Qe5 Rxc3 32.Qxc3 Bxf4 33.Rf1 Bh6 34.Qf3 Bg7+ 35.Kb1 Qd7 36.Rd1 Qb5 37.Rf1 Qf5+ 38.Qxf5 gxf5 39.h3 Rd8 40.g4 fxg4 41.hxg4 Rd5 42.Rf4 a5 43.Ra4 Bc3 44.Kc2 Be1 45.a3 Kg7 46.Re4 Bh4 47.a4 Be7 48.Rc4 Bb4 49.Re4 h5 50.gxh5 Rxh5 51.Nd4 Rh2+ 52.Kb3 Rh3+ 53.Kc2 Ra3 54.Nxe6+ fxe6 55.Rxe6 Rxa4 
This is what I was playing on for, a chance to sacrifice the knight for enough material to give me a chance to do something, anything in the endgame to cheapo my way to a draw.
56.Rc6 Kf7 57.Ra6 Ra3 58.Kb2 Rh3 59.Rb6 Ke7 60.Ra6 Kd7 61.Rb6 Kc7 62.Ra6 Kb7 63.Rg6 Rc3 64.Rg5 Kb6 65.Rg6+ Kb5 66.Rg5+ Ka4 67.Rh5 Rg3 68.Rh2 Rb3+ 69.Ka2 Rd3 70.Kb1 Ba3 71.Ka2 Bb4 72.Kb1 Rd1+ 73.Kc2 Ra1 74.Kb2 Ra3 75.Rh4 Rc3 76.Rg4 Rc5 77.Rh4 Kb5 78.Rh3 a4 79.Rf3 Rd5 80.Rh3 Rd2+ 81.Kc1 a3? 
And this was the type of mistake I was after.
82.Rxa3 Kc4 
Unfortunately, even though I got my cheapo and reached a bishop and rook versus rook endgame, the particular positioning of the pieces here makes it fairly easy for my opponent to still win.
83.Rh3 Bc3 84.Rh7 Rf2 85.Rc7+ Kd3 86.Rd7+ Bd4 87.Kb1 Rb2+ 88.Kc1 Ra2 89.Rb7 Ra1+ 90.Rb1 Ra2 91.Rb7 
[91.Rb5] would have given me more of a chance to slip out of the noose my opponent played wrong.
91...Rf2 92.Rb3+ Bc3 93.Kb1 Rf1+ 0-1

Okay, so another loss. You always want to right the ship after such a loss and not start spiraling downward. Would I be able to do it?

Knowles,Kendrick (1891) - Cross,Ted (1995) [E61]
Nassau Cup Invitational 2017 Nassau (8), 11.03.2017

1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.e3 Nf6 
I have never studied the English deeply enough to develop a standard set of lines to use. I pretty much make it up as I go along, which can get me into trouble, of course. [5...e6; 5...e5]
6.Nge2 0-0 7.d4 cxd4 8.exd4 d6 9.0-0 e6?! 
See, it's not so easy to find the best lines when you don't have them memorized. [9...Bf5 10.h3 h5 11.Be3 Qd7=]
10.b3 a6 11.Bb2 Qa5?! 12.d5 exd5 13.Nxd5 Nxd5 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.Bxd5 Qc7?! 
Here you can see that I'm in for a long, hard struggle to save the game. Material is even, but white is fully developed and has an obvious target on d6 to aim at. [>=15...Bh3 16.Re1 Rfe8 17.Qc1+/=]
16.Qd2 Be6 17.Rac1 Rad8 18.Rfe1 Rfe8 19.Nf4 Bc8 20.Qc3+ Kg8 21.Qf6 Ne5 22.Qg5?! 
A slight inaccuracy on white's part allows me to alleviate some of the pressure. [22.Bg2 Be6 23.h3+/-]
22...Qe7 23.Qxe7 Rxe7 24.Rcd1?! 
[24.Bg2+/-]
24...b6?! 
White made a small error on his move, but I failed to see how to take advantage of it. [>=24...Bg4 25.Ra1 Nf3+ 26.Bxf3 Rxe1+ 27.Rxe1 Bxf3 28.Re3 Bc6=]
25.Kg2 Kf8 26.Re3 Ng4 27.Rxe7 Kxe7 28.Re1+ Kf8 29.h3 Nf6 30.Bc6 Bd7 31.Bb7 a5 
[31...Rb8! 32.Bf3 g5 33.Nd5 Nxd5 34.Bxd5 b5 35.g4+/=]
32.Rd1 Be6?!
[32...Ke7+/=]
33.Bd5?! Bxd5+ 34.Nxd5 Nxd5 35.Rxd5 Ke7 36.Rb5 Rb8= 
Now the endgame is equal, however it is far easier for white to play. Black has to keep his rook active enough to hold the draw, as well as not make any more mistakes.
37.Kf3 Kd7 38.g4 h6 39.h4 Kc6 40.g5 hxg5 41.hxg5 Re8 42.a3 Re1 43.a4 Re6 44.Kg4 f5+? 45.gxf6 Rxf6 46.f4 Re6?! 
I miss several paths to the draw over the remaining moves. [46...Kc7 47.Kg5 Rf8 48.Rd5 Kd7 49.Rd4 Ke6 50.Kxg6 Rg8+ 51.Kh5 Rg3=]
47.Kg5 Kc7 48.Rd5 Kc6 49.Rd3 Kc5 50.Rh3 Kb4 51.Rh6 Kxb3 
[51...Re1 52.Rxg6 Kxb3 53.Rxd6 Kxc4=]
52.Rxg6 Rxg6+?? 
[52...Re1=]
53.Kxg6 Kxa4 54.f5 Kb3 55.f6 a4 56.f7 a3 57.f8Q Kxc4 58.Qxd6 Kb3 59.Qxb6+ Kc2 60.Qc5+ Kb3 61.Qc1 Ka2 62.Kf5 1-0

Depressing to be in first place and then lose two games in a row. Other players were closing in on my first place standing, and if I couldn't find a way to stop the bleeding, the ending of the event would be a painful one for me.