(2) Moldovan,John (1801) - Balakrishnan,Praveen (2015) [D35]
Kenilworth Summer Tournament - open Kenilworth, NJ (4.1), 30.06.2011
[Moldovan & Houdini 1.5a]

#1 of 2 simultaneous games G/55+5 (delay) D35 Queen's Gambit Exchange Variation

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 [I expected 3...Bb4 ]

4.cxd5 exd5 5.d4 Bd6 6.Bg5 c6 7.Qc2 0-0 [For 7...h6? see Moldovan - Chen : Kenilworth Gauntlet 03/31/2011]

8.e3 Bg4 [RR: 8...Nbd7 9.Bd3 Qc7 10.0-0 (‹10.0-0-0 Re8 11.g4 Kh8 12.Rdg1 b5 13.Bxf6 Nxf6 14.g5 T. Petrosian - Sidorov : Gorky 1950 14...Nh5= ) 10...h6 11.Bh4 Re8 12.Rfc1 a6 13.Rab1 Qb8 14.b4 g5 15.Bg3 Bxg3 16.hxg3 Qd6 17.a4 Re7 18.b5 axb5 19.axb5 Ng4 20.bxc6 bxc6 21.Na4+/= Moldovan - Guest1216104 : Playchess 2009; 8...Re8 9.Bd3 h6 10.Bh4 Be6 11.Ne5 c5 12.0-0 cxd4 13.exd4 Nc6 14.Nxc6 bxc6= Botvinnik - Kottnauer : Groningen 1946]

9.Bd3 This threatens Bxh7+... [... But >=9.Ne5 Be6N (‹9...Bh5 10.Bd3 (10.f4 T. Petrosian - Tolush : Soviet Ch., Moscow 1950 10...Qe8 ) ) 10.f4+/= ]

9...h6 10.Bh4 Nbd7 11.0-0-0 [11.0-0 /\Bxf3N (11...Re8 12.Rab1 Nf8 1/2-1/2 Yakovlev - Pakulev : Sterlitamak 2008) 12.gxf3 Qc7 13.Bg3 is safer.]

11...b5 12.Kb1 Diagram



12...a5N [Predecessor: 12...Be7 13.h3 Be6 14.g4 b4 15.Na4 Ne4 16.Bxe7 Qxe7 17.Ne1 Nb6= Jovicic - Vukmirovic : Belgrade 2006; >=12...Rc8N ]

13.e4 [>=13.h3 ]

13...dxe4?! [13...b4 14.e5 bxc3 15.exf6 Nxf6 16.Qxc3 Rc8= ]

14.Nxe4 Be7 15.Nxf6+ [>=15.h3 Bxf3 16.gxf3+/= ]

15...Bxf6 16.Bxf6 [>=16.Bg3 ]

16...Qxf6 17.Be4 Rac8 18.Qd2? [>=18.h3 Be6 19.Rhe1= /\c5?? 20.d5+- ]

18...Rfe8 19.Rhe1? Diagram

[19.Bc2=/+ ]

19...Rxe4! Did I miss something? Yes. Black will recover the Exchange and win my g-pawn.

20.Rxe4 Bf5 21.Rde1 Qg6 [>=21...Bxe4+ 22.Rxe4 Qg6 23.Qd3 Nf6 24.Re3 Qxg2-+ ]

22.Qf4 Re8 23.Ne5 Bxe4+ 24.Rxe4 Nxe5 25.dxe5 Qxg2 Around this point, with Joe Demetrick needing an opponent and my prospects here looking good dim, I started a 2nd game.

26.Re3? [26.Re1-/+ , covering the back rank, was best.]

26...Qd5? [>=26...Qf1+ 27.Kc2 Rd8-+ ]

27.a3 Rd8 28.Rf3? This loses. [28.Qg4-/+ was a better try.]

28...b4-+ 29.Rg3? Qh1+ 30.Ka2 Rd1 [Not 30...Qxh2?? 31.Rxg7+ Kxg7 32.Qxh2+- ]

31.axb4? Ra1+ 32.Kb3 Qd1+ 33.Kc4 Rc1+ 34.Rc3 Qd5# A good win by Praveen & a disappointing performance for me. Time left - Moldovan 1:50, Balakrishnan 12:35 Estimated time used - Moldovan 56:50, Balakrishnan 45:15 Longest think by White - 9 minutes for 28.Rf3 Longest think by Black - 5 minutes for 29...Qh1+ 0-1