My most dramatic OTB Tournament game.

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Avatar of blueemu

I played this game years ago, in the final round of an OTB Tournament in the Canadian Maritimes.

I've shown it before on this site... a couple of years ago?... but I'm a shameless attention-whore and I'm posting it again.

The game had a strong effect on me at the time. It was a back-and-forth struggle sweeping in waves over the whole chess-board, including all four corners. Just as I was breaking through to the enemy King, my opponent launched a last-ditch counter-attack that came within an ace of mating me.

It felt like a sword-fight with rapiers, at the edge of a cliff.

 

Avatar of blueemu

Thanks for the kind remarks.

Yes, I was very happy to find 42. ... Rf8 over-the-board. It made possible my later 50. ... Rf7 and 51. ... Rg7! with a very pretty simultaneous defense (on the rank) and counter-attack (on the file).

The only other over-the-board find that I felt as good about was a NEW (?) piece sacrifice on move 8 (!) that I discovered in a QGD Tchigorin game here on this site:

Avatar of blueemu
alexm2310 wrote:
In all the QG games I've played, I've astonishingly never seen that idea. Given most of the moves played are pretty common in that opening, it's impressive. Is it safe to assume you went on to win that game? Nf6 then Bg3 seems the natural continuation after which white should win, provided he doesn't blunder

Here's the game: mate on move 15 (against a 1963-rated player!).

https://www.chess.com/daily/game/61959468?page=1

After White's Bxc4!, Black's situation is far more critical than it appears.

Black's problem (assuming that he correctly refuses the offered f4 Bishop) is that after White's following Qb3, Black can't play e7-e6. Since he already has a Knight sitting on g6 (blocking his g-Pawn and preventing a fianchetto), the fact that he can't move his e-Pawn is a disaster.

How does Black develop his pieces? His f8-Bishop and h8-Rook are paralyzed until he solves the e7-e6 problem.

The reason I was so happy about finding that move (Bxc4!) is that it seems to completely refute Black's fourth move (dxc4?).

Avatar of blueemu
alexm2310 wrote:
So obviously you'd want to develop instead of taking the c pawn, but in this case it's difficult to see why it's quite so bad in this position

If he had played 4. ... e6 instead of taking on c4, Black would have had a perfectly playable game, yes.

The QGD Tchigorin (usually reached by 1. d4 d5 2. c4 Nc6) isn't nearly as bad as its reputation... but you can't afford to play that line and ALSO concede the center with dxc4.

The Queen's Gambit Accepted is perfectly playable (1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4), and the QGD Tchigorin is perfectly playable (1. d4 d5 2. c4 Nc6)... but trying to mix the two lines seems almost suicidal.

Avatar of JamesColeman

Nice idea. I just looked it up in Chessbase, it's surprising how often that line occurs, with many games coming from 1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nc3 dxc4 (which is just about okay-ish there) and then 4.Nf3 Bg4 (4...Nf6 or ...a6 would be better) transposing to that variation.

Avatar of blueemu

Is it a known piece sac? I was hoping that I'd invented it... sad.png

Avatar of JamesColeman

Alas it's quite well known. 73 games on Chessbase after 7...Ng6 and White has played your piece sac in an impressive 61 times out of the 73 games, the first time seems to have been way back in 1979. It's still a nice move, though.

Avatar of blueemu

Awwww.... frustrated.png

Oh, well. First you get good, THEN you get fast.

Avatar of KalpaksKurryKlub

I wished I had my best win against a 2150 but I lose all of my notation and my dad always yells at me for losing my notation lol.

Avatar of NastyNugget

Amazing game blueemu, thanks for sharing it!

Avatar of BronsteinPawn

Botvinnik? Come on bud, 2016, forget about that patzer and refute that thing, my engine says that after e5 you threw your -.07 advantage to the trash can.

After e5 White just needs to play d4 and bust that thing to the sky.

Avatar of blueemu

Anyone who talks about his engine finding a -0.07 difference on move 6 is either joking (which I do believe you are) or has absolutely no idea how chess engines work.

Avatar of BronsteinPawn

Nice compliment to my intelligence, thanks.

I was worried about d4 refuting your Botvinnik thing but Black has many resources to avoid it. Black is probably already better after e5. White played the opening horribly.

Avatar of BronsteinPawn

I think 2...d6?! is a dubious move, every chess player should know that 2...Nc6 is the mainline, even tho many GMs are resistant to accept it.

Avatar of Jimmy720
Wow
Avatar of blueemu
BronsteinPawn wrote:

Nice compliment to my intelligence, thanks.

I just finished a discussion with ThrillerFan, which might explain why I'm being snide, insulting and arrogant.... IT'S CONTAGIOUS!

I was worried about d4 refuting your Botvinnik thing but Black has many resources to avoid it. Black is probably already better after e5. White played the opening horribly.

Yeah, White's 6. c3 move seems to invite a Botvinnik... in his first six moves, White has already ruled out or at least delayed both the f2-f4 Pawn break (by blocking it with his f3-Knight) and the transfer of a Knight to d5 (by pre-empting the c3-square with a Pawn).

 

Avatar of BronsteinPawn

Lol ThrillerFan sucks, who plays the Modern these days and claims the London is refuted by it?

Delusional 2000s that think they can act as if they were Sveshnikov.

I was thinking of Nb3 to play d4 but thought that a5 would be umcofortable but later on thought about a4 and I dont know about life.