Pounding the Ponzi
I want to share this game with my friends, because after playing it I immediately dropped it into my favorites bin! It will be included in my "60 Memorable Games" when published
The Ponziani is an incredibly aggressive (foolish? negligent?) attempt by white to wipe black off the board very quickly. A strong player from Billings plays it, so I have had to understand some of its theory. This was a game in 30, so not a blitz cheapy, and I was proud of the resources I used to go up material, maintain the pressure, and ultimately force a checkmate in the middle of the board (had he not resigned).
Next I share a win against the French, which can be difficult for me. I was on my way to win a tough Knight ending when my opponent ran out of time. Time control was G/15;+10.
And finally, I share my win from the ICC's T4545 League. This is a fun team league that simulates tournament time controls at G/45;+45. I am on Board 3 this tourney (except BD 1 this weekend), so am doing much better. This player is stronger than his rating, and was very aggressive in a KGD. I was happy with how I ignored my messed up structure and used my open files to exploit his unsafe king to go up an exchange, which was all I needed.
