4th International Chess Festival Rome part 2

After the depressing first four rounds, I began to settle down and do better. In the first game, the player didn't know the line I played in the Two Knights and blundered straight away.

Cross,Ted (1994) - Nanni,Sergio (1610) [C56]
4th International Chess Festival Rome (5), 11.12.2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.e5 Bb4+?? 
Not sure what he saw here, but maybe he didn't expect me to play c3?
6.c3 dxc3 7.bxc3 Qe7? 8.0-0 0-0 9.exf6 gxf6 10.cxb4 Ne5 11.Bb3 d6 12.Bb2 Bg4 13.Nbd2 c6 14.h3 Be6 15.Nxe5 dxe5 16.Bxe6 Qxe6 17.Qg4+ Qxg4 18.hxg4 Rad8 19.Ne4 Kg7 20.f4 1-0


The next game didn't feel so badly played, but the computer dislikes a lot of our moves.

Simeoni,Matteo (1794) - Cross,Ted (1994) [B33]
4th International Chess Festival Rome (6), 12.12.2019

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Nd5 Nxd5 8.exd5 Nb8 9.c4 Be7 10.Be2 0-0 11.0-0 a6 12.Nc3 Nd7 13.Be3 f5 14.f4 Kh8?!
I didn't know this opening line particularly well, so I made a lot of less than perfect moves. Fortunately the same can be said about my opponent.
[>=14...Bf6 15.Qd2 exf4 16.Bxf4 Ne5=]
15.Rc1 b6?! 
[>=15...exf4 16.Bxf4 Bg5 17.Bxg5 Qxg5 18.Qd4 Ne5=]
16.Na4 Rb8 17.Qc2?! 
[>=17.b4 exf4 18.Bxf4 b5 19.Nb2 g5 20.Be3=]
17...Nc5?! 
[>=17...b5 18.cxb5 axb5 19.Nc3 exf4 20.Bxf4 b4=/+]
18.fxe5?! 
[>=18.Nc3=]
18...dxe5 19.Nxc5 bxc5 20.Rcd1?! 
[>=20.Bd2=/+]
20...Bd6 21.Kh1?! 
[>=21.Rde1=/+]
21...Qf6 
[>=21...Qe7 22.Bc1 a5-/+]
22.Bg1?! 
[>=22.b3-/+]
22...f4?! 
[>=22...e4-/+]
23.Bd3 e4 
[>=23...Bf5 24.Bxf5 Qxf5 25.Qxf5 Rxf5-/+]
24.Bxe4 Rxb2 25.Qd3 Bg4 
[25...Rxa2!?]
26.Rd2 Rfb8 27.Rxb2 Rxb2 28.Bf3 Bxf3 29.Qxf3 Rxa2 30.Qe4? 
[30.Re1 Kg8 31.Re6 Qd8 32.Qb3 Rd2=]
30...g5 
[>=30...a5 31.Qe8+ Qf8 32.Qxf8+ Bxf8 33.Rxf4 Kg8=/+]
31.Qe8+ Qf8 32.Qxf8+?! 
[>=32.Qe4=]
32...Bxf8 33.Re1? 
[33.h4! Rc2 34.Rd1 Bd6 35.Ra1 a5 36.Rxa5 Rc1 37.hxg5 Be5 38.Kh2 f3+ 39.g3 Rc2+ 40.Kh3 f2 41.Bxf2 Rxf2 42.Rxc5 Rd2=]
33...Kg7 34.Re5 h6 
[34...Kf6 35.Re6+ Kf5 36.Re8 Bd6 37.Re6 Bb8-+ 38.Bxc5? Ra1+ 39.Bg1 Ba7-+]
35.h3 a5 
[>=35...Ra1-+]
36.Re6 Kf7 37.Rc6 Rc2 38.d6 Ke6 39.Ra6 
[39.Rxc5 a4! 40.Ra5 Rxc4 41.Bc5 Rc1+ 42.Kh2 f3 43.gxf3 Rxc5-+; 39.Bxc5 Bg7 40.Rc8 Bf6-+]
 39...Rxc4 40.Rxa5 Bxd6 41.Ra6 Rc1 0-1

I felt a lot better after winning two in a row. If I could just win out the rest of my games then I could even hope to finish among the top spots. But then see what happened...

Salvato,Giuseppe (1710) - Cross,Ted (1994) [B22]
4th International Chess Festival Rome (7), 13.12.2019

1.e4 c5 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.d4 e6 5.Nf3 Nc6? 
Okay, so I don't know this line very well and could have gotten into trouble early. Luckily he decided to stick to the standard lines.
[5...cxd4]
6.Bc4 
[>=6.c4 Ndb4 7.dxc5! a5 8.Nc3 Bxc5 9.Bf4+/-]
6...cxd4 7.cxd4 d6 8.0-0 dxe5?! 
[>=8...Be7]
9.dxe5 Be7 10.Nc3?! 
This was about the only slight mistake my opponent made in this game. He was just 13 years old, and you can forget about that low rating. He was clearly skyrocketing upward and that rating meant nothing. He went undefeated and won clear first place in this tournament, gaining more than 200 rating points!
[10.Qe2+/=]
10...Nxc3 11.bxc3 Qxd1 12.Rxd1 0-0 13.Be3 b6 14.Bb5 Na5 15.Nd4 Bb7 16.Nb3 Nxb3? 
I never had any chance of winning this game throughout, but I was at least drawing it. This move made it much harder for me.
[16...Bc6! 17.Ba6 Rfb8 18.Rab1 Nb7=]
17.axb3 Rfd8 18.Rxd8+ Bxd8 19.Rd1 a6 20.Be2 b5 21.c4 Bc6 22.cxb5 axb5 23.f4= Kf8 24.Rc1 Bd7 25.Bf3 Rc8? 
[25...Ra2=]
26.Rxc8 Bxc8 27.Bc6 b4?! 
[27...Ba6 28.Bc5+ Kg8+/-]
28.Kf2 
[28.Bc5+ Be7 29.Bd6+-]
28...Be7 29.Kf3 Ba6 30.Bb6 f6 31.Ke4 Bf1?? 
Even at this stage I still could have held the draw. I needed to play more energetically in the center.
[31...Kf7 32.Kd4 g5 33.fxg5 fxe5+ 34.Kxe5 Bxg5 35.Be4 h6 36.Kd4 Be7 37.Bc5 e5+ 38.Kd5 Bb7+ 39.Kxe5 Bxe4 40.Bxe7 Bc2=]
32.Kd4 Kf7 33.Bc5 fxe5+ 34.fxe5 Bxc5+ 35.Kxc5 Kg6 36.Kd6 Kf7 37.Bd7 Bxg2 38.Bxe6+ Kf8 39.Bc4 1-0

I didn't yet know how great this kid would do, winning the rest of his games to take clear first place, but I saw how methodical he was against me and knew he was far better than his rating. Still, I felt terrible enough at losing this to withdraw at this point. I hope I'll do better next year.

4th International Chess Festival Rome part 1

After moving from Nassau to Rome this summer, December was when I played my first chess tournament here. I figured I'd be a bit rusty but hoped I'd manage to do well anyway. In the end it didn't turn out well, but there were some mitigating factors. The playing site was pretty nice. Quite a few grandmasters played in the master's section, such as Sergei Tiviakov. I played in the Under 2200 section.

Round one went well, as I played a typical Giuoco Pianno opening and my opponent simply blundered in an even position.

Cross,Ted (1994) - Palmucci,Lorenzo (1637) [C54]
4th International Chess Festival Rome (1), 03.03.2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Nxe4 8.Bxb4 Nxb4 9.Bxf7+ Kxf7 10.Qb3+ d5 11.Qxb4 Re8 12.0-0 Kg8 13.Nc3 Nf6 14.Rfe1 c6 15.h3 a5 16.Qb3 Rb8 17.Ne5 [>=17.Rxe8+ Qxe8 18.Ne5 Bf5 19.Re1+/=]
17...Be6 18.Re3 c5 19.Qd1 Qb6?? 20.Na4 Qb5? 21.Nxc5 Bf5? 22.Rb3 1-0

His queen had a few ways to get trapped there near the end and he fell into one of them, but he was already lost anyhow from the first mistake.

I was fortunate in round 2. My opponent played a line I didn't know and I began to go astray. Just as my position was getting bad, he offered a draw.

Di Lazzaro,Gabriele (1827) - Cross,Ted (1994) [A80]
4th International Chess Festival Rome (2), 09.12.2019

1.d4 f5 2.Bg5 Nf6 3.Bxf6 exf6 4.e3 d5 5.c4 c6 6.Bd3 Be6 7.b3 Bb4+ 8.Nd2 Qa5?
[8...f4! 9.a3 (9.exf4? dxc4-+) 9...Ba5 10.Ne2 fxe3 11.fxe3 Qe7 12.Qc2 Nd7 13.0-0 Bf7=]
9.Ne2 Nd7 10.Qc2 g6 11.a3 Bd6? 
[11...dxc4 12.bxc4 Nb6 13.c5 Nd5 14.Rb1 Bxd2+ 15.Qxd2 Qxd2+ 16.Kxd2 0-0-0+/-]
12.c5 Be7 13.b4 Qc7 14.h4 Kf7? 
[>=14...h5]
15.Nf4 b5? 
[>=15...Rag8]
16.Nb3 
[>=16.a4+-]
16...a6 17.Ke2 1/2-1/2

Round 3 is when I saw my rust, making several dumb mistakes that threw away a clear win.

Cross,Ted (1994) - Luigi,Rinaldo (1771) [B33]
4th International Chess Festival Rome (3), 10.12.2019

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.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Nd5 Be7? 11.Bd3 Rb8 12.c3 Be6 13.Nc2 Bxd5?+- 14.exd5 Na5 15.Qg4?! 
[>=15.Nb4+-]
15...Kf8 16.0-0 
[>=16.Qh5 Nc4 17.Rb1 Rg8 18.0-0 f5 19.Nb4 Rb6 20.Bxc4 bxc4 21.Qxf5+-]
16...Qc8 17.Qxc8+ 
[>=17.Qh5+-]
17...Rxc8 18.Ne3 Nc4 19.Rfc1?? 
I didn't miss that the pawn was hanging on b2. I saw it. But then I kept analyzing other things for a long time and ended up forgetting about it when I played my move!
[19.Bxc4 bxc4 20.b4 cxb3 21.axb3 Rxc3 22.Rxa6 Rc8 23.b4+-]
19...Nxe3? 
He didn't take it. I figured I'd have enough compensation for rough equality, and the computer agrees.
[19...Nxb2 20.Bf1 Na4=]
20.fxe3 Kg7 21.a4 
[>=21.Kf2+/-]
21...Rc5 22.e4 Rb8 23.axb5 axb5 24.Ra7 Bd8 25.Rd7 Bb6 26.Kf1 b4 27.Rxd6 bxc3 28.Rxc3 Ra5 29.Rb3 Ra1+ 30.Ke2 Re1+? 31.Kxe1 Ba5+ 32.Kd1? 
I didn't take long enough here and overlooked an easy win. I glanced at the correct Rc3 but thought it dropped everything after he played Rxb2. I failed to notice that my bishop covered the c2 square.
[32.Rc3 Rxb2 33.Rdc6+-]
32...Rxb3 33.Kc2 Rb8 34.Rc6 Bd8 35.Ba6 Kf8 36.Rc8?! Rxc8+ 37.Bxc8 Ke7 38.Kc3 Kd6 39.Kc4 Bb6 40.h4 Bf2 41.h5 h6 42.Bf5 Bb6 43.Kb5 Bd4 44.b3 Ba7 45.Ka6 Bc5 46.Kb5 Ba7 47.b4 Bd4 48.Ka6 Kc7 49.g4 
[>=49.b5 Be3 50.Bg6 Bd4 51.Bxf7 Be3 52.Be8! Bc5 53.b6+ Kb8 54.Bd7 Bd4 55.Be6 Bc5 56.Kb5 Bf8 57.Kc6 Bb4 58.b7 Be7 59.g4 Ba3 60.Bc8 Bb4 61.d6+-]
49...Be3 50.Bg6 Bd4 51.Bxf7 Be3 52.Bg6 
[52.b5 Bd4 53.Be8! Bc5 54.b6+ Bxb6 (54...Kb8 55.Kb5+-) 55.d6+ Kxd6 56.Kxb6+-]
52...Bd4 53.Bf5 Be3 54.Be6 Bd4 55.Bf7 Be3 56.b5 Bc5 57.b6+?? 
This is the really depressing end to the game. I miscalculated and thought I was winning. I was but only with Be8 to cover the c6 square.
[57.Be8! Kd8 58.b6 Kc8 59.Kb5 Bf8 60.Kc6+-]
57...Bxb6 58.d6+ Kc6 59.Bd5+ Kc5 60.Kb7 Ba5 61.d7 Kd6 62.Kc8 Ke7 63.Bc6 Bd8 64.Bb5 1/2-1/2

How depressing to draw a completely winning game. Two draws in a row wasn't a good way to start the event. I think this contributed to what happened next.

Cavatorta,Fosco (1812) - Cross,Ted (1994) [B50]
4th International Chess Festival Rome (4), 10.12.2019

1.e4 c5 2.c3 Nf6 3.d3 Nc6 4.Nf3 g6 5.Be2 Bg7 6.0-0 d6 7.Nbd2 e5 8.a3 a5 9.a4 0-0 10.Nc4 Be6 11.Na3 h6 12.Nb5 d5 13.Qc2 Rc8 
[>=13...d4=/+]
14.Bd2 Nh5 15.Qc1 Kh7 16.h3 Qd7 17.Nh2 Nf4? 
I had played the opening fairly well and gotten an advantage. Now, however, I looked long and hard at the position and didn't like the idea of playing back to f6. It felt passive and I thought it might cost me most of my edge. The computer disagrees and says black is still much better after the correct Nf6. My move sacrifices a pawn for what I hoped would be more activity and the bishop pair.
[17...Nf6-/+]
18.Bxf4 exf4 19.Qxf4 Be5? 
This move seemed obvious but turned out not to be so good. Playing d4 would have been equal.
[>=19...d4~/=]
20.Qe3 d4 21.Qd2 g5? 
[>=21...f5 22.f4 Bb8 23.e5 g5 24.Bf3 gxf4 25.Nd6 Bxd6 26.exd6 Qxd6=]
22.Ng4 Bg7 23.c4?! 
Several times throughout this part of the game white makes mistakes that give me equality, but I fail to capitalize on them.
[>=23.f4 gxf4 24.Rxf4 f5 25.exf5 Bxf5 26.Raf1 Rcd8 27.Nh2+/-]
23...b6? 
[>=23...f5 24.exf5 Bxf5=]
24.f4 gxf4 25.Qxf4 f5 26.exf5 Rxf5? 
[>=26...Bxf5 27.Qd6 Nb4=]
27.Qd6 Rcf8? 
[27...Qxd6 28.Nxd6 Rxf1+ 29.Rxf1 Rf8+/-]
28.Bf3 
After this I'm simply lost. The bishop pair just couldn't do enough to generate counterplay.
28...h5 29.Be4 Kg8 30.Bxf5 Bxf5 31.Qxd7 Bxd7 32.Rxf8+ Kxf8 33.Nf2 Ne5 34.Rd1 Bh6 35.Kf1 Bc6 36.b3 Be3 37.Nd6 Bd7 38.Ke2 Ke7 39.Nfe4 Ng6 40.Nb5 Bc6 41.Na3 Nf4+ 42.Kf3 Ne6 43.h4 Bh6 44.Nc2 Bd7 45.Rf1 Nf4 46.Ne1 Bg4+ 47.Kg3 Ne2+ 48.Kh2 Bf4+ 49.g3 Be5 50.Nf3 Bg7 51.Nfg5 Be5 52.Rf7+ Kd8 53.Rb7 Nc1 54.Nf7+ Kc8 55.Nxe5 Kxb7 56.Nxg4 Nxd3 57.Ngf2 Ne5 58.g4 hxg4 59.Kg3 Kc7 60.Nxg4 Nf7 61.Kf4 Kd8 62.Kf5 Ke8 63.Ne5 Nh8 64.Kf6 Kf8 65.Ng6+ Kg8 66.h5 Nf7 67.Ne5 Nd8 68.Ng5 1-0

I seriously though about dropping out at this point. I had expected to do better against such opposition, yet I had a single win to go with two draws and a loss, and I was dropping quite a few rating points already. I figured I was in bad playing shape and would only drop more if I kept going.