may 22, 2001
The first of the Second Rounds to complete was the Jan. Main Tounament. I was outplayed in the openings of the first two games against Gary Lazer, but managed to pull them out in the middle game.
White: DrChrome
1 e4 e5
2 Nf3 Nc6
3 d4 ed
4 Nxd4 Bc5
5 Be3 Qf6
6 Nc3??
(6 c3! )
6 S Nxd4
7 Nd5 Qe5
8 c3 Ne6
9 Bxc5 Nxc5
10 Qd4 Qxd4
11 cd Nxe4
12 Nxc7+ Ke7
13 Nxa8 Kd8
14 Rc1 Ne7
15 Be2 Nd5
16 0-0 b6
17 Bf3 Nef6
18 Rfe1 d6
19 Rc4 Kd7
20 Rec1 Ba6
21 Ra4 Bd3
22 Rxa7+ Ke6
23 Nc7+ Nxc7
24 Raxc7 Nd5
25 Re1+ Kf6
26 Bxd5 1-0
{black resigns}
White: Gary Lazar
1 e4 e5
2 Nf3 Nc6
3 Bc4 Nf6
4 d4 ed
5 0-0 Bc5?
6 e5 d5
7 ef dc
8 Re1+ Be6
9 Ng5 Qd5
10 Nc3 Qf5
11 Nce4 0-0-0
12 Nxe6 fe
13 Nxc5 Qxc5
14 fg Rhe8
15 Qg4 h5
16 Qg6 Qf5
17 Qxf5 ef
18 Rxe8 Rxe8
19 Bg5 Nb4
20 c3 dc
21 bc Nd5
22 Rc1 Nxc3
23 Kf1 Ne4
24 Be3 Rg8
25 f3 Nd6
26 Bh6 b5
27 Kf2 Nf7
28 Be3 Rxg7
29 Bxa7 Ne5
30 Rb1 Nd3+
31 Kf1 c5
32 Bb6 c3
33 Rb3 c2
34 Ke2 c1=Q 0-1
{white resigns}
In the first game against Matt, we see the power of Nimzovich's "Outpost".
White: DrChrome
1 e4 e5
2 Nf3 d6
3 d4 ed
4 Nxd4 c5
5 Nf5 Bxf5
6 ef Nc6
7 Nc3 Nf6
8 Bb5 a6
9 Ba4? b5
10 Bb3 c4
11 Bg5 cb
12 ab h6
13 Bxf6 Qxf6
14 Nd5 ! Qe5+
15 Qe2 Qxe2+
16 Kxe2 Nd4+
17 Kd3 Nxc2
18 Nc7+ Kd7
19 Nxa8 Nxa1
20 Rxa1 Kc6
21 Rc1+ Kb7
22 Nc7 Be7
23 Nd5 Bg5
24 Rc7+ Kb8
25 Rxf7 Rg8
26 Nc7 Bf6
27 Nxa6+ Kc8
28 Nc7 b4
29 Nd5 Bg5
30 f6 gf
31 Ne7+ Kd8
32 Nxg8 Ke8
33 Rh7 1-0
{black resigns}
White: Matt
1 e4 e5
2 Nf3 Nc6
3 Bb5 Nd4
4 Nxd4 ed
5 c3 Bc5
6 cd Bxd4
7 Qf3 Qe7
8 0-0 Nf6
9 Re1 0-0
10 d3 Qb4
11 Nc3 Bxc3
12 bc Qxb5
13 c4 Qh5
14 Qxh5 Nxh5
15 Rb1 d6
16 Ba3 Nf4
17 Re3 b6
18 g3 Ng6
19 d4 c5
20 d5 Ne5
21 Rc1 Ba6
22 Rec3 f5
23 f3 fe
24 f4 Nf3+
25 Kg2 b5
26 cb Bxb5
27 Rb1 Nd4
28 Bc1 Bd3
29 Rb7 Ne2
30 Bb2 Nxc3
31 Bxc3 Rf7
32 Rxf7 Kxf7
33 a4 Bc4
34 a5 Bxd5
35 g4 Rb8 0-1
The last two games, against Cartesio, are by far and away the toughest in the round. At last we get to see the Chrome Variation in tournament action!
White: DrChrome
1 e4 c5
2 Nf3 d6
3 d4 cd
4 Nxd4 Nf6
5 Nc3 a6
6 Bc4 e6
7 Bb3 b5
8 0-0 Be7
9 Qf3 Qc7
10 Qg3 Nc6
11 Nxc6 Qxc6
12 Re1 Bb7
13 Qxg7 Rg8
14 Qh6 0-0-0
15 Qh3 Kb8
16 a3 Rg6
17 Bf4 Rdg8
18 g3 Ka8
19 Rad1 h5
20 f3 Rh8
21 a4 b4
22 Na2 Rh7
23 Kf1 a5
24 Nc1 h4
25 g4 Nd7
26 Nd3 Nb6
27 Ra1 Bf8
28 Bg3 Bg7
29 Reb1 Nc4
30 Ke2 d5
31 ed ed
32 Bf4 Re6+
33 Kf1 Rh8
34 Bg5 Rhe8
35 Kg2 Re2+
36 Kh1 Ne3
37 Bxe3 R2xe3
38 Kg2 d4
39 Rf1 Re2+
40 Kg1 Bh6
41 Rab1 Rd2
42 Kh1 Qf6
43 Rbe1 Re3
44 Rxe3 de
45 g5 Qxg5
46 Rg1 Qh5
47 Ne1 Bf4
48 Rg2 Rd1
49 Rg8+ Bb8
50 Rg1 e2
51 Bc4 Rxe1
52 Bxe2 Rxe2
53 Rf1 Qe5 0-1
White: Cartesio
1 e4 e5
2 Nf3 Nc6
3 Bb5 Nd4
4 Nxd4 ed
5 0-0 Qh4 =
6 d3 Bd6
7 g3 Qh3
8 f4 Nf6
9 Nd2 Ng4
10 Nf3 0-0
11 Qe2 c6
12 Bc4 b5
13 Bb3 h6
14 e5 Bc5
15 a4 b4
16 Bd2 a5
17 Qg2 Qxg2+
18 Kxg2 Ba6
19 Rfe1 Bb6
20 Nh4 h5
21 Nf5 g6
22 Nd6 Ne3+
23 Bxe3 de
24 Bc4 Bd4
25 Rab1 Bc8
26 b3 Bc5
27 Nxc8 Raxc8
28 Rbd1 Bd4
29 Kf3 Rce8
30 h3 Re7
31 g4 hg+
32 hg g5
33 fg Rxe5
34 Rh1 d5
35 Ba6 e2
36 Rde1 Re3+
37 Kg2 Bc3
38 Kf2 Bxe1+
39 Kxe3 Re8+ 0-1
{white resigns}The Second Rounds have begun!
Black: Gary Lazar
Event: Jan Main rnd 2
Date: 2001-04-05
(C45 Scotch Game)
My stupid 6th move cost me a piece, but his greedy 11th move allowed me to win it back with interest! Still, my Knight is in a precarious situation on his back rank. Rather than save the Knight on 15, I elect to consolidate my position. Black is in no hurry to capture the interloper, allowing me time to save it after all. After the capture of the Black Knight on d5, Black calls it quits.
Black: DrChrome
Event: Jan. main rnd 2
Date: 2001-04-05
(C55 Two Knights, Max Lange A, Marshall V)
on move 5 , I should have captured the pawn on e4, sure he would have pinned it with Re1 and a tactical nightmare would have arisen - but it is still the best way to deal with this type of attack. His 12th move let me off the hook, 12. g4 wins the black queen. Instead, I escape with equality. His 22nd move was curious, he does not really believe the rook can protect the c pawn, does he? When I test the assumtion with 22...Nxc3, he quickly comes to his senses. However, my trusty Knight has given me a pawn advantage (a passed pawn, at that!) Now comes the matter of dealing with his pawn on the seventh, and then utilising the passed pawn for a victory. White makes no effort to stop the pawn, and resigns when it Queens.
Black: Matt
Event: jan main rnd 2
Date: 2001-04-07
(C41 Philidor, Exchange V)
Having just read Aron Nimzovich's "My System", I saw the value of establishing an outpost on d5 for my Knight. But not untill after my 8th (Bb5) move! I should not have bothered to pin that Knight , better was pinning the other. After his 8...a6, I realise that I cannot exchange the Bishop for the Knight without ruining the outpost oppertunity on d5. In my excitement over the possibilities for that outpost, I blunder and dump the light squared Bishop. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise, for in capturing the Bishop, he gave me back the tempo I needed to do what I should have done in the first place (11.Bg5!). 14. Nd5! and white stands better, despite being a piece down! That Knight ,allmost single handedly, destroys Black - taking both rooks, a pawn, giving check (3 times) and chasing away the Bishop! Black resigned rather than allowing the white Knight's massacre to continue. Outposts are a wonderfull thing!
Black: DrChrome
Event: jan main rnd 2
Date: 2001-04-07
(C61 Ruy Lopez, Bird's D)
White did not castle on move 5, denying me the oppertunity to play the Chrome variation. Still, The Bird worked out quite well. White's tenth move allows me to win a piece, it was all downhill from there. At the end, White resigns rather than deal with 3 passed pawns.
Black: Cartesio
Event: Jan Main rnd 2
Date: 2001-04-05
(B87 Sicilian, Sozin with ...a6 and ...b5)
I went "pawn hunting" on 13. Dangerous, but I thought I could deal with it. My 21st move was weak. I continue to go astray on 27. I have completly given up the the center on 29. Better would have been to give back the pawn on the flank and counter attack the center. (I thought I could carry the pawn advatage to the end...WRONG!) 45. g5, the last hurrah, If he takes it with the bishop , I still have a chance, 46.Bd5! assuring a draw and possibly a win. His 46th move eliminates that possiblity (was he reading my mind?) and white is hopeless. I played to passively, trying to protect the pawn advantage. His position grew stronger as mine deteriorated.
Black: DrChrome
Event: Jan Main rnd 2
Date: 2001-04-05
(C61 Ruy Lopez, Bird's D)
{chrome v}
The Chrome Variation passes it's first (and probably last) tournament test. Black's e pawn colors the entire game. After it takes the Knight on d4, white seems unable to root it out. After it takes the Bishop on e3, it would cost white a rook to get rid of it. On move 27 white exchages his active Knight for my sleepy light squared Bishop. After that, Black is clearly better. Once the e pawn reaches e2, white realises that it will cost him his last rook. So, I am 5-1 for this round. tying with Cartesio. We both advance to the third round.
My tournament record: 22-8