Icy45 (2536) - Flying Saucers (1771)
4th PAL-CSS Freestyle Final (CSS Freestyle Tournament), 10/20/2006
Round 1 [Dagh Nielsen] [A07]
My
opponent was Auno Siikaluoma from Finland. I knew in advance that he is currently very active in correspondence
chess, and that he would probably play some "irregular" Nf3 opening, against which it would
be difficult to prepare something concrete. I think the game can best be characterised as a nervous
affair, where first white and later black had huge winning chances, but it was eventually a fair draw.
1.Nf3 [%emt
0:00:04]
1...d5 [%emt 0:00:07]
2.g3 [%emt
0:00:11]
2...Nf6 [%emt 0:00:37]
3.Bg2 [%emt
0:00:08]
3...c6 [%emt 0:00:45]
4.
4...Bg4 [%emt
0:02:40]
5.d3 [%emt 0:00:14]
5...Nbd7 [%emt
0:00:43]
6.Qe1 More commo
n is 6.Nbd2. Since my opponent played a tempo, while I was in unknown waters, I of course felt a little
uneasy. [%emt 0:00:09]
6...e5 [%emt
0:01:34]
7.h3 [%emt 0:00:10]
7...Bh5 [%emt
0:00:41]
8.e4 [%emt 0:00:11]
8...dxe4 [%emt
0:00:13]
9.dxe4 [%emt 0:00:10]
9...Bc5 [%emt
0:02:13]
10.b4 [%emt 0:00:14]
10...Be7 [%emt
0:10:34]
[10...Bd6 11.Nh4
a5
(11...
13.Nc3)
12.Nf5 Bxb4
13.Nxg7+ Kf8 14.c3
Kxg7 15.cxb4 Bg6 was
"too unclear" for my taste.]
[10...Bb6 and I felt that white would get
too easy initiative after either of the indicated moves.
11.Na3
(11.Nbd2)]
11.Bb2 [%emt
0:02:04]
[11.Nh4
(11...Bg6)]
11...a5 [%emt 0:04:41]
[11...Qb6 12.Nxe5 I
did not like giving up the e5 center pawn and opening up the b-file for white at the same time.]
12.bxa5 This turned out to be a critical
moment. 12. bxa5 came as a complete surprise for me, and usually, one should follow the sensible advice
of being very careful in such a situation. Secondly, I have tried to build up the habit of always considering
the various alternatives if the time allows it. Sometimes one is a little tempted to just follow the
immediate engine suggestion. I replied too fast and can best explain it by "first game nerves"
and the fact that I was already down on time in a game "on my opponent's territory". [%emt
0:01:40]
12...Qxa5 [%emt 0:00:48]
[12...Bxf3 was prudent, when after
13.Bxf3
Qxa5 14.a4 Bb4
15.c3 Be7 16.Nd2
13.Qxa5 [%emt 0:01:15]
13...Rxa5 [%emt
0:00:04]
14.Bc3 [%emt 0:02:13]
14...Rc5 [%emt
0:00:47]
15.Nfd2 [%emt 0:01:47]
15...Nf8 [%emt
0:00:41]
16.Re1! With the idea
of Bf1-d3 and harassing black's misplaced rook on c5. I discovered this idea also while my opponent
was pondering the move. With the back against the wall, I decided to try and take the time necessary
to get my act together instead of panicking and giving white an easy way forward. I think I succeeded
fairly well in finding perhaps the only way to achieve a still playable position. [%emt 0:08:32]
16...Ne6 [%emt
0:13:36]
17.Bf1 [%emt 0:00:16]
17...Nd4 [%emt
0:00:13]
[17...
18.Bd3 [%emt 0:00:25]
18...Nd7 Over
the next 10-15 moves or so, both white and black has to decide between several different continuations
giving white a certain endgame edge. [%emt 0:00:14]
19.Bxd4 [%emt
0:01:59]
[19.Kg2!?]
19...exd4 [%emt 0:00:15]
20.Nb3 [%emt
0:01:58]
20...Ne5 [%emt 0:00:43]
21.Kg2 [%emt
0:00:48]
21...Nxd3 [%emt
0:00:10]
22.cxd3 [%emt 0:00:25]
22...Rc2 [%emt
0:04:29]
[22...Rb5 23.N1d2
Bb4
(23...Rb4 24.Nc4
Ra4 25.Nxd4
b5 26.Nf5
bxc4 27.Nxg7+
Kd7 28.Nxh5)
24.a4 Rb6
25.g4 Bg6
26.a5 Ra6 and
there was too much harmony in white's position for my taste.]
23.Nxd4 [%emt 0:01:37]
23...Rb2 [%emt
0:00:16]
24.g4 [%emt 0:02:59]
24...Bg6 [%emt
0:03:44]
[24...Bc5!? 25.Ne2
Bg6]
25.Nc3 [%emt 0:00:33]
25...Kd7 [%emt
0:00:12]
26.Re2 [%emt 0:01:49]
[26.Reb1!? Rxb1
27.Rxb1 b5 and
for example
28.Nce2 Ra8
29.Rb2 f6
30.Rc2 Ra6
31.Nc1]
26...Rb4 [%emt 0:03:31]
[26...Rxe2 27.Ncxe2
Ra8 28.a4]
27.Nc2 [%emt 0:01:59]
27...Rb2 [%emt
0:00:15]
28.f4 [%emt 0:00:26]
28...f6 [%emt
0:00:15]
29.Nd1 [%emt 0:06:55]
[29.Ne3!? Rxe2+
30.Nxe2 Ra8 and
for example
31.a4 b5
32.a5 Ra6
33.Nf5 Bb4
34.Nxg7 Rxa5
35.Rxa5 Bxa5
36.Kf2 c5
37.Ke3 Bf7]
29...Rb6 [%emt 0:00:09]
30.Nce3 [%emt
0:02:46]
30...Rd8 [%emt 0:00:33]
31.Nf5 [%emt
0:01:56]
31...Bf8 [%emt 0:00:14]
32.Nc3 [%emt
0:01:37]
32...Rb4 [%emt 0:00:11]
33.Rd1 [%emt
0:01:01]
33...Kc7 I think
black has defended quite well for the last 10 moves or so, and his pieces are now well placed to neutralize
white's advantage of an extra pawn. [%emt 0:00:24]
34.Nh4 This
move came as a complete surprise, and in hindsight I cannot agree with it. While white may still not
be objectively worse, the table seems to be turned in a practical sense. [%emt 0:00:22]
[34.Rc2]
34...Rbd4 [%emt 0:01:07]
35.Nxg6 [%emt
0:00:10]
35...hxg6 [%emt
0:00:03]
36.Re3 [%emt 0:00:08]
36...Bc5 [%emt
0:00:16]
37.Kg3 [%emt 0:01:01]
37...b5 [%emt
0:00:43]
38.g5 [%emt 0:00:11]
[38.h4]
38...R4d7 [%emt 0:00:39]
39.Rf3 [%emt
0:00:21]
39...Ra8 [%emt 0:00:11]
40.Rd2 [%emt
0:00:15]
40...Kb6 [%emt 0:02:16]
[after 40...Bb4 41.d4
Ra3 42.Rc2
Bxc3 43.Rfxc3
Rxc3+ 44.Rxc3
Rxd4 I did not believe that black had
any real winning chances.]
41.Ne2 [%emt 0:00:51]
41...Rda7 [%emt
0:00:10]
42.Nc1 [%emt 0:00:38]
[42.d4 Bb4
43.Nc3 Bxc3
(43...f5 44.exf5
gxf5 45.h4 and
white is probably close to a draw.)
44.Rxc3 Rxa2
45.Rxa2 Rxa2
46.gxf6 gxf6
47.e5 fxe5
48.fxe5 Rd2
49.Kf3 Rxd4
50.e6 Kc7
51.e7 Kd7
52.Rxc6 with a draw]
42...Ba3 [%emt 0:00:41]
43.Rc2 [%emt
0:00:10]
[43.Ne2 Bb4]
43...Bxc1 [%emt 0:00:17]
44.Rxc1 [%emt
0:00:09]
44...f5 at some
point over the next 10 moves, white crosses the line from a draw to a loss. [%emt 0:00:25]
[44...Rxa2 45.f5]
45.Re3 [%emt 0:00:11]
[45.exf5 gives rise to some beautiful
stalemate draw variations.
45...gxf5 46.d4
Ra3
(46...Rxa2 47.Rc5)
47.Rxa3 Rxa3+
48.Kh4 g6
49.d5
(49.Re1 looks OK for white also.)
49...c5
(49...cxd5 50.Rc6+!
Kxc6 and stalemate!)
50.Re1 c4
51.Re6+ Kc5
52.Rc6+ Kxd5
53.Rc5+ Ke4
54.Rxc4+ Kf3
55.Rc6 and white is close to a draw.]
45...Rxa2 [%emt 0:00:15]
46.exf5 [%emt
0:00:21]
[46.e5]
46...gxf5 [%emt 0:00:08]
47.Re6 [%emt
0:00:20]
[47.Re5]
47...Rc8 [%emt 0:01:16]
48.h4 [%emt
0:01:40]
48...Rd2 [%emt 0:00:55]
49.h5 [%emt
0:00:48]
49...Rxd3+ [%emt
0:00:50]
50.Kh4 [%emt 0:00:08]
50...Rf3 [%emt
0:00:05]
51.h6 [%emt 0:00:25]
[51.g6!? Rxf4+
52.Kg5]
51...Rxf4+ [%emt 0:00:05]
52.Kh5 [%emt
0:00:31]
52...gxh6 [%emt
0:00:08]
53.g6 black has
an obvious potential winning plan in sacrificing a rook for the g-pawn and rolling down with the b-
and c-pawns. I was aware of this plan, but hoped that my engine would find it on its own if it worked,
even though I was not using TBs. With only 6 mins left on the clock, I thought I could not really investigate
various candidate moves in depth at any point. As it is, the immediate b4 is probably winning on both
move 53 and 54. [%emt 0:00:16]
53...Rg4 [%emt
0:00:30]
[53...b4 and for example
54.g7
Rg4 55.Rg6
Rxg6 56.Kxg6
Kb5 57.Rf1
b3 58.Rxf5+
c5 59.Rf2
Rg8 60.Kh7
Rxg7+ 61.Kxg7
c4]
54.Kxh6 [%emt 0:00:09]
54...Rc7 [%emt
0:00:39]
[54...b4]
55.Rf6 [%emt 0:00:09]
55...b4 But
now it is too late. [%emt 0:00:19]
56.Rb1 [%emt
0:00:09]
56...Kb5 [%emt 0:00:51]
57.Rf7 [%emt
0:00:37]
57...Rc8 [%emt 0:00:05]
58.Rb7+ [%emt
0:00:40]
58...Ka4 [%emt 0:00:19]
[58...Kc5 59.g7]
59.Ra7+ [%emt 0:00:27]
59...Kb5 [%emt
0:00:05]
60.Rb7+ [%emt 0:00:11]
60...Ka4 [%emt
0:00:03]
61.Ra7+ [%emt 0:00:26]
61...Kb5 [%emt
0:00:04]
62.Rb7+ (Lag: Av=0.21s,
max=1.0s) [%emt 0:00:19]
1/2-1/2
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