TCC 40 Round 5

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.  I attempt to copy Dominick's play against my Caro-Kann but Paschal isn't having any of it and goes his own way early on.  I waste a little time trading my knight for Paschal's light squared bishop.  He gets compensation in the form of a half open h-file so my king finds shelter on the queenside.  Paschal keeps his king in the center and his 13...b5 allows me to gain time against his knights in the center.  He elects to trade them for my rook but the price is too high because I also win the d-pawn. My bishop pair and central control keeps his active rooks at bay and wins the game.

Both sides play about 8 bookish moves in a Botvinnik style English. 14.Na4 seems like a probe that Mazzotta didn't like the intel he recieved from it so it returns to base with 15.Nac3. Dispite the waste of time, he just lets a very minimal advantage slip.  The real culprit is 17.g5 and the uncoordination of White's pieces in the aftermath.  After the pawn push to g5, the pawn is undefendable and White has to go all in with depleted reserves from the early skirmish. Both players overlook the virtue of a pawn grab with 24...Re3! Instead, 24...Ne5 lets some advantage slip. Dominick sac's the exchange and Marius finds 30...Be2 to slow him down, after which Mazzotta's nude king has to pay the price for his immodesty.

King plays his London system and gets the kind of game he wants from the opening.  The hugh blunder 16.Ba6?? allows Mennella to use a nice tactic.  Instead 16.Be2 or 16.Ba4 is very even.  After 16.Ba6 the Qf1 is defected from the defense of the back rank and after 17...Nxd2 Black collects at least a piece. King resigns.