Glendale April Swiss

Black decides not to play on once the loss of a piece is inevitable.

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nc6?!

Usually Black tries to get in an early ... c5 in the Queen's Gambit Accepted. With this move he is saddled with a backwards pawn on a semi-open file.

5. e3 a6 6. Bxc4 b5 7. Bb3 e6 8. O-O Bd6 9. e4 Bb4 10. Re1 O-O 11. a3 Ba5 12. Bc2 Bb7 13. Qd3

Threatening 14. e5 followed by 15. Qxh7#

13... g6?

Chessmaster recommends meeting the threat with 13... e5

14. Bg5 1-0

I blunder a piece in the opening. I try to create counterplay, but am ultimately unsuccessful.

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e4 e5 5. Nf3 Bb4 6. Qa4+ Nc6 7. d5 Bxc3+?

Chessmaster found 7... Nxe4!! 8. dxc6 Nxc3 9. bxc3 (If 9. Qc2? Bf5! winning the queen or else 10. Qxf5 Qd1#) 9... Bxc3+ 10. Bd2 b5! 11. Qd1 Bxa1 12. Qxa1 with Black now up a rook and three pawns for two minor pieces.

8. bxc3 Nxd5 9. exd5 Qxd5 10. Qxc4 Be6 11. Qxd5 Bxd5 12. Bb5 a6?

Black's e-pawn will be hanging after his knight is eliminated. It could be saved by either 12... f6

or 12... O-O-O 13. Bxc6 Bxc6 then not 14. Nxe5 because 14... Rhe8 and 15... f6

13. Bxc6+ Bxc6 14. Nxe5 Bd5 15. O-O f6 16. Re1 O-O-O 17. Nf3 Bxf3?!

Trying to damage White's pawn structure as much as possible for the endgame. But even so, trading off pieces when down material is questionable.

18. gxf3 Rd3 19. Re3 Rd1+ 20. Kg2 Rd7 21. Ba3 Rd5 22. Rae1 Rg5+ 23. Kf1 Rd8 24. Re8 Rh5 25. Bf8 Rxh2 26. Rxd8+ Kxd8 27. Kg1 Rh3 28. Kg2 Rh5 29. f4 Ra5 30. Bxg7 f5 31. Bf6+ Kd7 32. Re7+ Kc6 33. Rxh7 Rxa2 34. Rh5 Ra5 35. Be5 Rd5 36. Rxf5 b5 37. Rf6+ Kc5??

Leaving both the a- and c- pawns en prise, when 37... Kb7 would have defended both.

38. Rxa6 c6 39. Kf3 Rd7 40. Ke4 Re7 41. f5 b4 42. cxb4+ Kb5 43. f6 Rf7 44. Ra8 Kb6 45. Kf5 1-0

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nc3 e6 4. e3 Nf6 5. Bxc4 c6 6. Nf3 b5 7. Bb3 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Bd2 b4 10. Na4 a5 11. Rc1 Bb7 12. Nc5 Bxc5 13. Rxc5 Ne4 14. Rc2 a4 15. Bc4 Nxd2 16. Qxd2 Qe7 17. b3 a3 18. Be2 Rd8 19. Qc1 Qe8 20. Ne5 Rc8 21. Nd3 Qe7 22. Qd2 Ra5 23. Nxb4 Rd8 24. Nxc6?

Thinking I win a pawn after 24... Nxc6 25. Rxc6 Bxc6 26. Qxa5 But Black finds something better.

24... Nxc6 25. Rxc6 Rg5!

Now if White withdraws his Rook Black has a strong attack at g2.

26. Rfc1 Bxc6 27. Rxc6

White still has two pawns for the Exchange; not a lost cause, by any means.

27... Qd7 28. Qc2 h6 29. Bf3 Rb5 30. Rc7 Qd6 31. g3 Rbb8 32. Rc6 Qe7 33. Rc7 Rd7 34. Rc8+ Rxc8 35. Qxc8+ Rd8 36. Qc6 Rd6 37. Qc8+ Kh7 38. Qc5 Qd8?

38... Rd7 saves Black's a-pawn.

39. Qxa3 Rb6 40. Qc5 Ra6 41. a4 Ra5 42. Qc3 Ra7 43. Be2 Rc7 44. Qd3+ g6 45. Qb5 Qc8 46. Bc4

Blocking the open file.

46... Rb7 47. Qc5 Rc7 48. Qb5

Draw agreed. The consensus among people watching the game afterwards was that I probably should have played on, given my passed pawns, and in retrospect they were probably right. Chessmaster played this out to a win for White, although it was a complex one I'm not sure I would have found given the limited time I had left on my clock. White has to move his bishop before his b-pawn can advance, but this opens up the c-file for Black. I probably overestimated the threat of a Black invasion along the open c-file.

1/2-1/2

White gets a strong attack going against my queenside-castled king. I am able to defuse it somewhat, but White still manages to get a perpetual check when I'm up a few pawns.

1. e4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. d4

Transposing into the Advance Variation of the French.

5... Qb6 6. b3 cxd4 7. cxd4 Bb4+ 8. Bd2 Nxd4 9. Bxb4 Qxb4+ 10. Nbd2 Nc6 11. Be2 Nge7 12. O-O Ng6 13. a3 Qb6 14. Bd3 Ngxe5 15. Bb1 h6 16. Kh1 Bd7 17. Nxe5 Nxe5 18. f4 Nc6 19. Nf3 O-O-O

There's a lot of White pieces pointing at my kingside, so I was hoping this might be better. Of course, my queenside isn't as well covered by my pawns.

20. Ne5

I was expecting an f5 push from white sooner or later.

20... Nxe5 21. fxe5 Rhf8 22. Bd3 Kb8 23. a4 a6 24. Ra3 Rc8 25. a5 Qc5 26. b4 Qxb4 27. Qa1

Threatening 28. Bxa6 bxa6 29. Rb1

27... Ka7 28. Rb1 Qe7

b7 is the critical square where the attack will come. After ... Bc6 the queen and bishop will both defend this square.

29. Rab3 Bc6 30. Qd4+ Ka8 31. Rb6 Rc7 32. Bxa6 Rfc8

Leading to back-row threats. Not 32... bxa6? 33. Rxa6+ Ra7 34. Rxc6 Rb7 35. Ra6+ Ra7 36. Qb6 Rc8 (preventing queen checks on c6) 37. Rxa7+ Qxa7 38. Qb5 and now the threat of a6 followed by Qb7 is too strong.

33. Bd3 Bb5??

I was thinking Black could not take the Bishop because of the threat of Rc1+. Fortunately, Black also didn't see what I had missed: 34. Bxb5 Rc1+ 35. Bf1!

34. h3 Bxd3 35. Qxd3 Rc1+ 36. Rxc1 Rxc1+ 37. Kh2 Qc5 38. Qe2 Qxa5

Chessmaster found a winning combination in 38... Qg1+!! 39. Kg3 Rc3+ 40. Kh4 (40. Kf4? Qd4+ 41. Qe4 Qxe4#) (40. Kg4? Qc1 (threatening 41... Qg5#) ) 40... Qc1 (threatening 41... Qg5#) 41. Qg4 (41. Qh5? g5+ 42. Kg4 Qf4#) 41... Qe1+ 42. Kh5 Qxe5+ 43. Kh4 Qf6+ 44. Kh5 g6+ 45. Kxh6 g5+ 46. Kh7 (46. Kh5 Qg6#) 46... Qg6+ 47. Kh8 Rc8#

39. Rd6 Qc7 40. Qg4 g6?

Missing the perpetual check threat.

41. Qa4+ Kb8 42. Qe8+ Ka7 1/2-1/2