Eastgate Open

A fairly quiet game, although the outcome might have been different if I had seen the combination on move 24.

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. h3 Bd6 6. Bd3 O-O 7. O-O Re8 8. c3 b6 9. Qc2 g6 10. Bg5 Be7 11. Nbd2 Nfd7 12. Rae1 c5 13. dxc5 Nxc5 14. Bb5 Bd7 15. Bxe7 Rxe7 16. Rxe7 Qxe7 17. Re1 Qd8 18. Nd4 a6 19. Bd3 Nc6 20. N2f3 Ne6 21. Nxc6 Bxc6 22. Ne5 Qc7 23. Qe2 Nf4 24. Qe3 Nxd3

missing the combination 24... Nxg2! then if 25. Kxg2 d4+

25. Nxd3 Re8 26. Qd2 Qd8 27. Rd1 a5 28. Nf4 Qg5 29. f3

White could play 29. Nxd5 safely

29... Qe7

29... d4 saves material, because if White takes the pawn Black wins White's f-pawn. However, after 30. cxd4 Bxf3 White's passed pawn could be problematic.

30. Nxd5 Bxd5 31. Qxd5 Qe3+ 32. Kh1 Qe6 33. Qd3 Qxa2 34. Rd2 Qe6 35. Kh2 Qe5+ 36. g3 h5 37. f4 Qe4 38. Qd4 Qe6 39. Kg2 Qe3 40. Qxe3 Rxe3 41. Kf2 Re6 42. Kf3

Draw agreed

1/2-1/2 [C. Carroll]

Inaccurate endgame play costs me the win.

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 e6 3. e4 Be7 4. Nc3 d5

Transposing into a French Defense.

5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. a3

7. Nf3 is "book"

7... c5?!

Allows White to get the d6 knight which is often devastating.

8. Nb5 Nb6 9. Nd6+ Kd8 10. dxc5 N6d7 11. Nf3 Nc6 12. Ng5 Ncxe5 13. f4 h6 14. fxe5 hxg5 15. c4 Kc7 16. cxd5 exd5 17. Qxd5 Qxe5+ 18. Qxe5 Nxe5 19. Be2 Be6 20. b4 b6 21. Nb5+ Kc6 22. Nd4+ Kd7 23. Rd1 Ke7 24. Nxe6 fxe6 25. O-O bxc5 26. bxc5 Rac8 27. Rb1 Rb8 28. Rfc1 Rxb1 29. Rxb1 Rd8 30. Bb5 Rb8 31. Rb4 a5 32. Rb1 Nc6 33. a4 Nd4 34. Kf2 Kf6 35. Ke3 Ke5 36. Kd3 Nxb5 37. axb5

37. Rxb5 is wrong, as after 37... Rxb5 38. axb5 , Black's distant passed pawns will win.

37... Kd5 38. c6 Kd6

not 38... Kc5?? 39. c7

39. Rc1 Kc7 40. Kc4 e5 41. Re1?

41. Kc5 wins

41... Re8 42. Kc5 e4 43. b6+ Kc8 44. b7+?

44. Rf1

44... Kc7 45. Rd1 Re5+ 46. Kd4 Re8 47. Re1 Kxc6 48. Rb1 Kc7 49. Rb5

Draw agreed. Crafty evaluates the position as better for Black after 49... e3!

1/2-1/2 [C. Carroll]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 g6 3. Bxf6 exf6 4. c4 f5 5. e3 Bg7 6. Nf3 d6 7. Nc3 O-O 8. g3 Re8 9. Bg2 Nc6 10. O-O h6 11. a3 a5 12. Qc2 Bd7 13. Nd5 Ne7 14. Nf4 a4 15. b4 axb3 16. Qxb3 Qc8 17. Rab1 Rb8 18. Nd3 Bc6 19. Nb4 Be4 20. Nd3 Kh7 21. Nd2 Bxg2 22. Kxg2 b6 23. Qd1 Qa6 24. Rb3 Nc6 25. Qf3 Na5 26. Rc3 c5 27. Qd5 cxd4 28. exd4 b5 29. Nb4 Qb7 30. Qxb7 Rxb7 31. Nc2 bxc4 32. Re3 Rxe3 33. fxe3 Rb2 34. Rc1 Nb3 35. Nxc4 Ra2 36. Rb1 Rxc2+ 37. Kh3 Rxc4 38. Rxb3 Ra4 39. Kg2 Bf8 40. h4 Kg7 41. Kf3 Kf6 42. Kf4 Ke6 43. Rb8 Be7 44. Rb3 d5 45. Rb6+ Bd6+ 46. Kf3 Rxa3 47. Kf2 f6 48. Kf3 g5 49. h5 f4 50. gxf4 gxf4 51. Kf2 fxe3+ 52. Ke2 f5

White resigns

0-1

1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 dxc4 4. e3 e6 5. Bxc4 c5 6. O-O a6 7. a4 Nc6 8. Nc3 Be7 9. Ba2 O-O 10. d5 exd5 11. Nxd5 Nxd5 12. Bxd5 Nb4 13. Bb3 b6 14. Bd2 a5 15. Bc3 Kh8 16. Ne5 Qe8 17. Qh5 Be6 18. Bxe6 fxe6 19. Qg4 Bf6 20. Rad1 Nd5 21. Qe4 Nxc3 22. bxc3 Bxe5 23. Qxe5 Rc8 24. Rd6 Rc6 25. Rfd1 Rxd6 26. Qxd6 Rg8 27. Qd7 Qg6 28. h3 h6 29. Qc7 Qc2 30. Rd8 Qxc3 31. Rxg8+

Draw agreed

1/2-1/2