TCC-40 Round 2

Dominick gains a dream position in a very well played English opening.  He fails to follow up the natural build up with 22.Nc2 heading for b4. 23.Qb3 looks nice but has no future since the queenside attack needs to be reorganized with Nc2-b4.  Roods meanwhile starts a growing initiative on the kingside. He misses a fantastic shot with 27...Nf5.  This move is so strong that it keeps popping up in subsequent variations.  Roods misplays his attack but manages to win the ending.

The Lucan-Mennella game is equal throughout most of the opening but Lucan loses his way with 24.d5 giving Mennella a pawn.  Both sides attack and Mennella wins the b-pawn and his attack looks threatening.  Lucan could draw easily with 35.Bf7 forcing James to give perpetual check but instead keeps playing for the win, eventually losing his bishop and the game.

Paschal plays a Caro-Kann and Ball plays an unorthodox exchange variation with 4.Bf4 instead Rubinstein's 4.Bd3.  The he mixes systems further by playing 5.c4 creating an interesting Botvinnik style position. Paschal plays passively by taking the pawn and falls way behind in development and ends up losing the exchange and ultimately the game.