Hello all!
Just getting back home and going through this weekend's games I played for the the Team Championships...things went pretty well as we won our match by a score of 12-8; our lower boards 8-10 really won the Match as the top 5 boards besides my score were all even...many times in a Team competition you need those lower boards and ours came through nicely! Our 8,9, and 10 boards each won their matches 1.5-0.5 giving us 4.5-1.5 on those boards and i also won 1.5-0.5 and out Team won , good good stuff
Here are both my games, I did not analyze nuch, but I recognized and commented at points that did jump out at me..more to come later....Thanks for the time
Game 1 TeamTournament Board3 Game 1
Hal Evans - Joshua
Sicilian Defense, Grivas Variation
1. e4, c5;
2. Nf3, Nc6;
3. d4, cxd4;
4. Nxd4, Qb6 I had already decided I was not going to play my usual Sveshnikov or Kaslishnikov...I had studied the Grivas allot in the months and years past and am comfortable with it, and in such a short match, that meant the most to me.
5. Nb3, e6;
6. Be3, Qc7;
7. Nc3, Nf6;
8. Qd2, Bb4;
9.f3, 0-0 Following one of the main lines in which black relies on his counter play on the Q-side.
10. 0-0-0, a6;
11.a3 !? rather novel here but good,as White decides to "put the question to the Bishop", I decicded to retreat it, tho I see nothing wrong with exchanging it on c3 as well.
11...Be7;
12.h4, d6 controlling the c5 square.
13. h5, h6 securing g5 but i like 13..b5!? also, tho it is much sharper.
14. g4 +- White has some Kside pressure
14...Nh7;
15. f4, Na5 15..b5 now is no better as 16. Bg2 gives White lots of play
16. g5 driving home on the Kside, my position is very shaky here, but White has used over an hour and 1/2 of his initial 2 hours...
16...Nb3+;
17.cxb3, b5? a clear mistake but I was playing on my opponent's time pressure already...
18. Kb1 and here 18.gxh6!? looks real powerful...
18...Bb7
19. gxh6, gxh6;
20. f5 again good but I was really worried about 20. Bd4!?
20...Ng5;
21. Rg1, Kh7;
22.Bxg5( 22. Qd3!?)
...Bxg5 I felt like I had breathing room now and White had 15 minutes for his next 16 moves!
23. Qxd6 bailing out...
23...Qxd6=
24.Rxd6, Bf4
25. Rd1 (Rd7 was better),
...Rad8;
26. Rxd8, Rxd8;
27 f6 (27. fxe6!? held out more hope I believe),
...Bg5! Now I have a threat or 2...
28.e5, Bf3;
29. Be2? A time pressure blunder 29.Ka2 is what I thought was best;
29...Bxe2_+
30. Nxe2, Rd2 ( I missed 30...Rd5 with clear advantage)
31. Nc3=-, Rh2
32. Ne4, Rxh5
33. Rg4 (33.a4! maybe?! )
...Rh1 !
34. Kc2, Rh2;
35.Kc3, Rh3+
36. Kb4, Kg6-+
37. Nd6, Rh4
White Resigns
A fun game, mistakes, but it was still fun
I like winning a match game with Black, that way I can feel much freer when I am playing White!
Board 3
Game 2
Joshua- Hal Evans
After winning the first game, I felt very stess free and good...I can play how I want and take a draw at anytime, winning my mini match for the Team..You play much better when you feel the stress is off
Dutch Defense
1. d4 My standard
f5 the Dutch Defense showing Black's aggressive intenstions, tho Hal does play this allot..
2. c4, Nf6
3. g3, e6
4. Bg2, c6 the Stoneewall...grrrrrr
5. Nc3, d5
6. cxd5, cxd5
7. Bg5, Be7
8. e3, 0-0
9. Nge2 Im playing carefully, so if black wants a win back,he will have to take the risks, not me !
9...Nb4( and here 9...Qb6 is good for early equality).
10. Bxe7, Qxe7;
11. h3, Nf6
12. 0-0, Nc6;
13. Nf4, Bd7;
14. a3 consilidating the B4 square
14...a6 and he controls the b5 square
15. Rb1, Rab8;
16. b4, b5;
In this type of position, its going to take a mistake or worse to give one side or the other an advantage..I had used almost 50 minutes, Hal had used 1 hour and 10 minutes up until now...
17. Nh5, Rbc8 (and after thinking almost 15 minutes Hal missed the only chance to attempt to make life miserable for me with 17...Ne4!? and if 18. Nxe4, fxe4; 19. Nf4 than Black has a small edge...but after his missed chance I played)...
18.Nxf6+! (=), Qxf6;
19. Ne2 I offered a DRAW and after some thought Hal accepted!
1/2-1/2
Match score: 1.5-0.5
I hope you enjoyed this break-down,and please feel free to comment, ask, correct or whatever else is on your mind.,Id appreciate it!
Have a great night:)
joshua