Columbus Open, June 22-24 2001










Game start 5 back 1 back 1 forward 5 forward Game end Flip board Autoplay

Move
Trompowsky AttackA45

C. Carroll (1468) - E. Gittrich (1171)

Columbus Open (U1600, Round 1, G/90)
Columbus, Ohio USA
June 23, 2001


This game had a shorter time control than the other games this tournament because I was playing on the two-day schedule.

I think I've ruined my opponent's pawn structure, but he manages to save the draw with a well-played endgame.

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 Ne4 3. Bf4 d5 4. Nd2

This move is "dull" and "creates too few problems for Black," according to GM Joe Gallagher. "All openings are sound below master level." -- William Lombardy

4... Bf5 5. Nxe4 Bxe4 6. e3 e6 7. Ne2 Nc6 8. Ng3 Bg6 9. Bb5 Be7 10. O-O O-O 11. c3 a6 12. Bxc6 bxc6 13. Ne2?!

While my knight wasn't terribly strong on g3, I don't know if it has anywhere better to go.

13... c5 14. b3 c4 15. bxc4 dxc4 16. Qa4 Bd3 17. Rfe1 g5 18. Bg3 h5 19. h3 g4 20. Nf4 h4 21. Bh2 gxh3 22. Nxh3 Bd6 23. Bxd6 Qxd6?!

23... cxd6 restores Black's pawn structure

24. Qd1 Bg6 25. Qg4 Qe7 26. Qg5?!

26. Nf4, increasing pressure on the pinned piece, is probably better.

26... Qxg5 27. Nxg5 Bd3 28. Nf3 Rab8 29. Ne5?

I'm so worried about the Black bishop that I refuse the gift at h4?

29... Rb2 30. Nxd3 cxd3 31. Red1 d2 32. Kf1 Rfb8 33. Ke2 R8b5 34. Rxd2 Rxd2+ 35. Kxd2 Rb2+ 36. Ke1 Rc2 37. Rb1 Rxc3 38. Kd2 Ra3 39. Rb2 Kg7 40. Ke2 Ra5 41. f4 c5 42. dxc5 Rxc5

Draw agreed 1/2-1/2

 










Game start 5 back 1 back 1 forward 5 forward Game end Flip board Autoplay

Move
French Defense/Advance VariationC02

M. Prezkop (1119) - C. Carroll (1468)

Columbus Open (U1600, Round 2, 30/90 SD/60)
Columbus, Ohio USA
June 23, 2001


When Black can take out White's central pawns in a French Advance, it's usually enough for the win.

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 6. Nbd2? cxd4 7. Qb3 Qxb3 8. axb3 dxc3 9. bxc3 Nge7 10. Bd3 Ng6 11. Nf1? Ngxe5 12. Nxe5 Nxe5 13. Bb5+ Bd7 14. Bxd7+ Nxd7 15. Be3 Bc5 16. Bf4 a6 17. b4 Be7 18. Ne3 O-O 19. Kd2 Bf6 20. Ng4 Rfc8 21. Ra3 Rc4 22. g3 Rac8 23. Nxf6+ Nxf6 24. f3 d4 25. b5?

25. Be5 is strong.

25... dxc3+ 26. Kc2 axb5 27. Rha1 Nd5 28. Be5 h6 29. Rb1 Nb4+ 30. Kb3?!

30. Rxb4 Rxb4 31. Rxc3 at least gives White a pawn for the Exchange, although the game is probably lost by this point anyway.

30... c2 31. Rba1

31... c1=Q wins the Exchange, but "When you see a good move, wait, look for a better one"

31... Nd3 32. Bb2

Now 32... c1=Q wins a full rook, but "When you see a good move, wait, look for a better one"

32... Rb4+

White resigns. 33. Ka2 Rxb2# 0-1

 










Game start 5 back 1 back 1 forward 5 forward Game end Flip board Autoplay

Move
Trompowsky AttackA45

C. Carroll (1468) - J. Green (1159)

Columbus Open (U1600, Round 3, 30/90 SD/60)
Columbus, Ohio USA
June 23, 2001


A miscalculated sacrifice, or just a blunder? Either way, it loses.

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 e6 3. e4 Be7 4. Nd2 Nxe4??

With 4. Nc3 this is a playable move, but here it just loses a piece.

5. Bxe7 Qxe7 6. Nxe4 e5 7. Qe2 d5 8. Ng3 Nc6 9. dxe5 Nd4 10. Qd2 Qxe5+ 11. Be2 c5 12. c3 Nf5 13. Nf3 Qd6 14. Nxf5 Bxf5 15. Qe3+ Kd7 16. Ne5+ Ke8 17. Nc4+?

17. Ng6+ wins the Exchange

17... Qe7 18. Qxe7+?

18. Nd6+ forking king and bishop

18... Kxe7 19. Ne3 Be6 20. O-O-O Rhd8 21. Bg4 Rac8 22. Rhe1 d4!?

This will isolate two of White's pawns, but a lot of pieces get traded off with White still up a piece.

23. Bxe6 fxe6 24. Ng4 dxc3 25. bxc3 Rxd1+ 26. Rxd1 Rc7 27. Ne3 b5 28. a3 b4 29. Kb2 Rb7 30. cxb4 cxb4 31. Nc4 bxa3+ 32. Kxa3 Rd7? 33. Rxd7+ Kxd7 34. Kb3 Ke7 35. Kc3 Kf6 36. Kd4 g6 37. Ke4 h5 38. h4 a6 39. Kf4 Ke7 40. Kg5 Kf7

Can I use my knight to take Black's g-pawn and still make it back in time to stop the a-pawn? Yes, I decided, after double and triple and quadruple-checking my calculation.

41. Ne5+ Kg7 42. Nxg6 a5 43. Ne5 a4 44. Nc4 Kf7 45. Kxh5 Kg7 46. Kg5 e5 47. Kf5 e4 48. Kxe4 a3 49. Nxa3 Kh6 50. g4 Kg6 51. Kf4 Kg7 52. h5 Kh6 53. Kf5 Kg7 54. g5 Kh7 55. Kf6 Kh8 56. Kf7 Kh7 57. g6+ Kh8 58. g7+

Black resigns 1-0

 










Game start 5 back 1 back 1 forward 5 forward Game end Flip board Autoplay

Move
English Opening/Hedgehog SystemA17

L. Wikle (1257) - C. Carroll (1468)

Columbus Open (U1600, Round 4, 30/90 SD/60)
Columbus, Ohio USA
June 24, 2001


A small mistake towards the end leaves me with an inactive bishop and a draw.

1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 Nf6

Looking to reach a QGD sort of position. However, White plays:

3. g3

Well, no need to let White's soon-to-be-fianchettoed bishop have too much reign along the diagonal.

3... c6 4. d4 d5 5. Qb3 Nbd7 6. Bg2 dxc4 7. Qxc4 Be7 8. Nf3 Nb6 9. Qd3 O-O 10. O-O Nfd5 11. Nxd5 exd5 12. b3 Be6 13. a4 Nd7

I didn't want to allow 14. a5 with tempo, leading to 15. a6, plus my knight wasn't going to be very active on b6 anyway.

14. Ba3 Bxa3 15. Rxa3 f6

Depriving the White knight of good squares

16. Ra2 Qe8 17. Rc1 Bf7 18. Qd2 Bg6 19. e3 Nb6

Now that the knight can't go to f6, this is the start of a planned journey to d6, from where the knight will have several options.

20. a5 Nc8 21. Qb4 Qd7 22. Nh4 Bd3!

Putting the bad bishop outside the pawn chain--it will be moving to the hole at b5.

23. Qd2 Bb5 24. e4 a6?

Allows White to isolate my pawn, and gives him an open file. Better, I think, is 24... dxe4 25. Bxe4 and then either 25... Nd6 or 25... f4!?

25. exd5 cxd5 26. Rac2 Bc6

From here on this bishop is just a glorified pawn.

27. Re1 Nd6 28. Qc1 Nb5 29. Nf3 Rfe8 30. Rce2 Rxe2 31. Rxe2 Re8 32. Rxe8+ Qxe8 33. Qf1 Nd6

I might have had something here with 33... Qe4

34. Nd2 Nf5 35. Nf3 Nd6 36. Nd2 Nf5 37. Nf3 Nd6

Draw by repetition 1/2-1/2

 










Game start 5 back 1 back 1 forward 5 forward Game end Flip board Autoplay

Move
Dutch DefenseA85

C. Carroll (1468) - K. Rhodes (1298)

Columbus Open (U1600, Round 5, 30/90 SD/60)
Columbus, Ohio USA
June 24, 2001


1. d4 e6

Now one option is 2. e4 with the White side of a French. Not my favorite, but since I play the French as Black I at least know the basics. The other is 2. c4, where I'd be very happy with 2... d5 and a QGD, but not happy with 2... f5 and a Dutch.

2. c4 f5

This move order avoids the Staunton gambit, 1. d4 f5 2. e4, which in fact is what I usually play against the Dutch. I'm not too familiar with the main lines of the Dutch.

3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bd2 d5 6. e3 c6 7. Na4?!

Not quite sure what I was thinking here--perhaps getting rid of my bad bishop?--but 7. a3 may be better.

7... Bxd2+ 8. Qxd2 O-O 9. Nc3 Nbd7 10. cxd5

I figured I'd like to know which way Black would take back before deciding where to develop my bishop.

10... exd5 11. Bd3 Ne4 12. Qc2 Ndf6 13. Ne5 Nxc3 14. bxc3 Ne4 15. Bxe4 fxe4 16. O-O

Yes, I see that I'm castling into quite a bit of pressure, but I don't like castling queenside or leaving my king in the center any better.

16... Qg5 17. Rfe1 Bh3 18. g3 Qh5 19. Qe2 Rf3

Black wants to stick a pawn at f3 where he'll have mating threats at g2, but I don't see anything I can't defend against. "The refutation of a sacrifice begins by accepting it."

20. Nxf3 exf3 21. Qd3

An eventual ... Qh3 will be met with Qf1

21... Bf5

I can let black have the b1-h7 diagonal here. But when your opponent has sacrificed material, you should always keep in mind the possibility of giving the material back in order to relieve pressure, which is what I chose to do here.

22. e4! Bxe4 23. Rxe4 dxe4 24. Qxe4 Re8 25. Qd3 Rf8

I'm not in any immediate danger now, but I can't just sit quietly while Black proceeds. How can I create some counterplay? Oh! I can generate a passed pawn.

26. c4 Qh3 27. Qf1 Qg4 28. d5 cxd5 29. cxd5 Kf7 30. d6 Rd8 31. Rd1 Qe6 32. Qd3 b6?

Now I can get rid of that annoying pawn at f3, and with tempo no less, so I don't even have to give up my passed pawn.

33. Qxf3+ Kg6 34. Qd3+ Kf6 35. d7 Qxa2??

35... Ke7 is not much better, due to 36. Qa3+ Kf7 37. Qxa7. Chessmaster recommends 35... Qc6

36. Qe4?

36. Re1 wins easily

36... Qf7??

36... Qe6 is necessary here.

37. Rd6+ Kg5 38. h4+

38. Qh4+ is faster, but mate is forced either way.

38... Kh5 39. Qe2+

Black resigns 1-0

 


Back to list of tournaments

This page generated with Palview.

Chuck Carroll ">