Friday, March 21, 2008

My Best Games

Here are my best games played on ICC during the past 12 years or so, at least, these are the best that have survived.

In the first, I beat an Expert with the Dragon. Typical Dragon sacs leave me down a Rook, but with 4 Pawns to show for it. It is amazing how little scope his Rooks have in this position, and my 4 Pawns soon overwhelm his position. In the end, mate is forced with my King and Pawns, without any of my Pawns even having to Queen.

schacher(2016)-chessart(1959), 9/17/97, time control 2,10
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Bc4 Nc6 9. Qd2 Bd7 10. O-O-O Ne5 11. Bb3 Qa5 12. Kb1 Rfc8 13. h4 Nc4 14. Bxc4 Rxc4 15. Nb3 Qc7 16. h5 Rxc3 17. Qxc3 Qxc3 18. bxc3 Nxh5 19. g4 Nf6 20. e5 Nxg4 21. fxg4 Bxg4 22. Rde1 Bxe5 23. Bd4 Bxd4 24. cxd4 e6 25. Kb2 Kg7 26. Nd2 h5 27. c4 Rc8 28. Rb1 b6 29. a4 Rc7 30. Ra1 Be2 31. Kb3 g5 32. Rae1 Bg4 33. Ne4 Bf3 34. Rhg1 Bxe4 35. Rxe4 Kg6 36. Kb4 Kf5 37. Ree1 g4 38. d5 e5 39. Kc3 Kg5 40. Kd3 f5 41. a5 bxa5 42. Ra1 h4 43. Rxa5 h3 44. Ra6 Rd7 45. Ke3 f4+ 46. Ke4 h2 47. Rh1 g3 48. Kf3 e4+ 49. Kg2 Kg4 50. Re1 f3+ 51. Kh1 Kh3 {White resigns} 0-1

chessart(1731)-wtneveitt(1691), 10/3/30/99, time control 2,10
1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nxc3 e6 5. Nf3 Bb4 6. Bc4 Qc7 7. Qe2 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 d6 9. O-O Ne7 10. Bb2 O-O 11. Rad1 a6 12. Bb3 Nbc6 13. Nd4 Na5 14. f4 b5 15. Kh1 Nec6 16. f5 Nxd4 17. cxd4 exf5 18. exf5 Nxb3 19. axb3 f6 20. Rd3 Bb7 21. Rh3 Qf7 22. Qg4 Rae8 23. Qh4 h6 24. Rg3 Kh7 25. h3 Re4 26. Rf4 Rfe8 27. Ba3 Qd5 28. Qg4 Re1+ 29. Kh2 R8e7 30. Qg6+ Kh8 31. Rh4 Qf7 32. Rxh6+ Kg8 33. Qg4 Rd7 34. Qh4 Kf8 35. Rh8+ Ke7 36. Rxg7 Qxg7 37. Qxe1+ Kf7 38. Qe6# {Black checkmated} 1-0

The next game features one my best attacks ever. After losing the exchange on move 15, and then a Pawn on move 23, I fight hard to get a King-side attack rolling. The attack prevails nicely.

chessart(1806)-skewered(1963), 9/7/96, time control 2,10
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5 cxd5 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. Bf4 Nc6 6. e3 a6 7. a3 Bg4 8. Qb3 Na5 9. Qa4+ Bd7 10. Qc2 Rc8 11. Bd3 e6 12. Nf3 Be7 13. O-O b5 14. Rfc1 O-O 15. Qe2 Nb3 16. Ne5 Nxa1 17. Rxa1 Bc6 18. Rc1 Bb7 19. Bb1 Ne4 20. Qd3 f5 21. Qe2 Nxc3 22. Rxc3 Rxc3 23. bxc3 Bxa3 24. Qh5 Bb2 25. Nf3 g6 26. Qh6 Bxc3 27. Ng5 Qd7 28. Be5 Ba5 29. Nxe6! Re8 30. Bxf5!! Qf7 ( if 30...gxf5 31 Qg5ch Kf7 32 Qg7ch Kxe6 33 Qf6mate) 31. Ng5! Rxe5 32. Nxf7 Rxf5 33. Nd6 Rh5 34. Qf4 {Black resigns} 1-0

The next is one of my few games played at a standard (the slowest) time control. (I stopped playing standard years ago to preserve my Expert standard rating.) During the game I though a long time and came up with the creative maneuver Qe2-b5-d7, protecting my beleaguered Pawn on e6 while at the same time preparing to double Rooks on the 7th.

chessart(2004)-herbar(1900), 11/30/97, time control 7,12
1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 d6 4. cxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. Nf3 O-O 8. Be2 Nc6 9. h3 Bd7 10. O-O a6 11. Rc1 Rc8 12. Qd2 b5 13. a3 Na5 14. Qd1 Nc4 15. Bxc4 Rxc4 16. Qd2 b4 17. axb4 Rxb4 18. e5 Ne8 19. Nd5 Rb5 20. Nc3 Rb8 21. Bh6 Bc6 22. Bxg7 Kxg7 23. d5 Bb5 24. Nxb5 Rxb5 25. e6 f6 26. Rc6 Nc7 27. Rfc1 Rxd5 28. Qe2 Nb5 29. Rxa6 Nd4 30. Nxd4 Rxd4 31. Qb5 Re4 32. Qd7 Re5 33. Ra7 Re8 34. Qxd8 Rxd8 35. Rxe7+ Kg8 36. Rcc7 d5 37. Rg7+ Kh8 38. Rxh7+ Kg8 39. Rcg7+ {Black resigns} 1-0

I like the next game because we follow the standard line in the Queen's Gambit Declined which I first learned many years ago. The standard position is reached after 16 Qe2. Most Black players now play 16...Bf5, although zoroastro's 16...Be6 does appear in the database as well. After 23...Qxe4 we are already in a major piece ending. I blunder a Pawn with 24 f5?, but I fight on and at the end my Pawn on f6 will Queen.

chessart(1548)-zoroastro(1555), 11/18/06, time control 2,10
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 O-O 6. Rc1 c6 7. Nf3 Nbd7 8. Bd3 dxc4 9. Bxc4 Nd5 10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. O-O Nxc3 12. Rxc3 e5 13. dxe5 Nxe5 14. Nxe5 Qxe5 15. f4 Qe4 16. Qe2 Be6 17. Bd3 Qd5 18. e4 Qd4+ 19. Kh1 Rfe8 20. e5 Bd5 21. Qh5 g6 22. Qh6 Be4 23. Bxe4 Qxe4 24. f5? (24 Rh3) Qxe5 25. Rcf3 (Now I see not 25 f6? Qxf6! 26 Rxf6?? Re1ch and I get mated) Qg7 26. Qh4 Re5 27. f6 Qf8 28. Qd4 Rd5 29. Qc4 Rad8 30. Rb3 R8d7 31. h3 Qd6 32. Re3 h6 33. Qh4 Kh7 34. Re8 Rh5 35. Qe4 Qd5 36. Qxd5 Rhxd5 37. Re7 Rd1 38. Rxd1 Rxd1+ 39. Kh2 Rd2 40. Rxf7+ Kg8 41. Rxb7 a5 42. Kg3 g5 43. Kg4 Rxg2+? (43...Rf2) 44. Kh5 Re2 45. Kg6 Kf8 46. Rb8+ Re8 47. Rxe8+ Kxe8 48. Kg7 {Black resigns} 1-0

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