First Win Against a Candidate Master

This was the game I played tonight at the Charlotte Chess Center. 

It was round 2 of their Tuesday Night Action tournament and this was my first game of the new tournament. Time control was G/75 with a 15 second increment after each move. 

If you did not watch my death match against Bradenlaughlin you did not witness an embarrassing defeat of 24-6 in Braden's favor. Mainly this came about because my opponent came better prepared. I also helped my opponent by being unsure in the openings on plans and ideas. I played passive moves allowing him positions he thrives in. I did not make complications where I could out calculate him. I was afraid of losing so I couldn't play to win. 

Well I had vowed to never again have a performance like that. I took a deep dive into tactics and attacking play. I watched some GingerGM for inspiration. I looked back at some of my more exciting games to feel the rush of being on edge not knowing who is going to win because the position is so double-edged. 

The result? I play against a Candidate Master who doesn't play actively and allows a beautiful sacrifice on e7 that allows my pieces to flood into the game and overwhelm his extra forces.