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| 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!?]
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| 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.
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| With GM Gonzalez and the sponsor Mr. Lindroth |
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