Eastgate May Swiss

A complex game, which I lost due to insufficent calculation.

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 c6 5. O-O Bd6 6. b3 O-O 7. Bb2 Nbd7 8. d4 c5 9. cxd5 Nxd5 10. Nbd2 Rb8 11. Rc1 b6 12. Ne4 Be7 13. dxc5 Nxc5 14. Nxc5 Bxc5 15. Ne5 Bb7 16. e4 Nb4? 17. a3

I had played 16... Nb4 thinking 17. a3 Nc6 18. Nxc6 Bxc6 but now I realized this loses a piece to 19. b4

Also I completely missed the threat of 18. Nd7

17... Na6 18. Nd7 Qe7 19. Nxf8 Qxf8 20. b4 Be7 21. Qg4 Rd8 22. Rfd1 Rxd1+ 23. Rxd1 Nb8 24. h4 Bc8 25. Qf4 Nd7?

Chessmaster prefers 25... Na6

which prevents 26. Qc7

26. Qc7 Nf6 27. Qxa7 h6 28. Qxb6 Nd7 29. Qb5 Nf6 30. Qc6 Qe8 31. Qxe8+ Nxe8

Down the exchange and two pawns, and with queens off the board, I can probably resign here.

32. Bd4 Bd7 33. Bc5 Bxc5 34. bxc5 Ba4 35. Rd8 Kf8 36. e5 Ke7 37. Ra8 Bb5 38. a4 Bc4 39. Ra7+ Kd8 40. Rxf7 Kc8 41. a5 Bb5 42. c6 Nc7 43. Rxg7 1-0

A flurry of exchanges and I've won a piece without realizing it. Around move 18 I realized I was up a piece, and it took me a few minutes to figure out how I had won it.

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Qc7 7. cxd5 cxd4 8. cxd4 Qa5+ 9. Bd2 Qxd5 10. e3 Nc6 11. Qc1 Nf6 12. Bc4 Qd8 13. Bb5 Bd7 14. O-O Ne4 15. Bxc6 Nxd2??

Loses a piece after the text. Black must play 15... Bxc6 right away.

16. Bxd7+ Qxd7 17. Qxd2 O-O 18. Rfc1 Rac8 19. Rxc8 Rxc8 20. Rc1 Rc6 21. Ne5 Rxc1+ 22. Qxc1 Qe8 23. h3 g6 24. Qc7 Kf8 25. Qxb7 Kg7 26. Qxa7 Kf6 27. a4!

Now threatening 28. Qxf7+ Qxf7 29. Nxf7 and if 29... Kxf7 30. a5 and queens.

27... h5 28. Qxf7+ Qxf7 29. Nxf7 1-0

A fairly even game, for the most part, but a passed pawn combined with time pressure allows White to win.

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Bxc4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. O-O b6 8. d5 exd5 9. Nxd5 Bb7 10. Ng5 Ne5 11. Nxf6+ Qxf6 12. Bb5+ Bc6 13. Ne4 Qd8

Chessmaster prefers 13... Qg6

14. Bxc6+ Nxc6 15. Qa4 Qc7 16. Rd1 Be7 17. Bd2 O-O 18. Rac1 Ne5 19. Qc2 Ng4 20. Ng3 Qb7 21. Bc3 Bf6 22. Qf5 Bxc3 23. Rxc3 Nf6 24. Rcd3 Qc7 25. Nh5 Nxh5 26. Qxh5 Rad8 27. Rd5 Rfe8 28. e4 Qc8 29. Kf1 Qa8

Chessmaster likes 29... Qa6+ here.

30. Qg5 Rxd5?!

Giving White a passed pawn.

31. exd5 f6 32. Qg3 Rd8 33. d6 Qc6 34. Qf4 Kf7?

34... Qb5+ followed by 35... Qxb2

35. Qc4+ Kf8 36. Qe6

White goes on to win in a mutual time pressure situation

1-0

Black has good pressure throughout most of this Slav, but White finds a nice tactical combination; Black later resigns after blundering his queen.

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 a5 6. Bf4 e6 7. e3 Nbd7 8. Bxc4 Bb4

b4 is often a useful outpost for a Black piece in the Slav.

9. O-O O-O 10. Qc2 Nd5 11. Ng5 N7f6 12. Bxd5 exd5 13. Be5 g6 14. f3 Nh5 15. Bf4 Nxf4 16. exf4 Bf5 17. Qf2 h6 18. g4

18. Nh3 Bxh3 19. gxh3 and White's pawn structure is in tatters.

18... Bd3 19. Rfd1 hxg5 20. Rxd3 gxf4 21. h4 Be7 22. g5 Kg7 23. Qh2 Rh8? 24. Qxf4 Bd6 25. Qg4 Qc7 26. Kg2 Rae8 27. Rh1 Rh5 28. Rc1 Bf4 29. Nxd5! Qd6?

Loses a piece. More interesting is 29... cxd5!? 30. Rxc7 Bxc7

30. Nxf4 Rhh8 31. Qg3 Re7?? 32. Nh5+ 1-0