1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d6 3. c4 Nc6 4. Nc3 e5 5. d5 Ne7 6. e4 Ng6 7. g3 Be7 8. h4! Bg4?! 9. Bh3! h5?! 10. Bxg4 Nxg4 11. Nh2! Qd7?! 12. Nxg4 hxg4 13. Qd3 a6 14. Be3 Nf8 15. b4 a5? 15... Nh7! 16. bxa5 Rxa5 17. a4 g6 18. Nb5 b6? 19. Bd2 Ra8 20. a5 bxa5 21. Bxa5 Bd8 22. Ke2! f5

 

Position after 22...f5

 

23. Bxc7!! Rxa1 24. Rxa1 and nothing can be done about Ra7 with a winning attack for White. I will be annotating this game in more detail as part of my series on "The Panther." 1-0

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3

Something of a surprise from Scott. In their game last year, Scott had played a different closed system with 3. Bb5 with great success.

 

3... Nf6!?

The Knight seems sort of misplaced here. More typically, it develops to e7 after either e5 or e6. The standard moves here are 3... e6 or 3... g6

 

4. Bg2 d6 5. d3 e5 6. f4 exf4 7. Bxf4 Be7 8. Nf3 O-O 9. Qd2 d5!?

It is risky to open the position when behind in development. Maybe 9... Be6 10. O-O Qb6!?

 

10. Nxd5 Nxd5 11. exd5 Qxd5

The Queen is eventually a bit exposed on this square and White does have a significant lead in development.

 

12. O-O Bf6 13. c3! Qh5 14. Qe3 Be6 15. Bd6!?

It does look like White might win a pawn here. He should be able to cash in on his development edge in some way. 15. Ng5!? going after the two Bishops is an idea.

 

15... Be7

15... Rfd8?! 16. Bxc5 Qg6 17. d4

 

16. Bxe7 Nxe7 17. Qe5?!

But this does not look promising. There must be something for White here....

a) 17. Qg5!? Qxg5 18. Nxg5 Bd5 19. Ne4 Rac8 20. Rae1

 

b) 17. d4!? Nd5 18. Qg5!

 

c) 17. Rae1! develops the last piece before taking action and looks right: 17... Rae8 (17... Nd5? 18. Qxc5+/-) 18. Ng5! Bxa2 19. Bxb7 and there are even some tactical ideas floating in the air.

 

17... Qxe5 18. Nxe5 Bd5= 19. Nd7!?

The most interesting try to get something out of the position.

 

19... Bxg2 20. Kxg2 Rfd8 21. Nxc5 b6 22. Rae1!?

White is still trying to win. 22. Nb3 Rxd3 23. Rad1 Rxd1 (23... Rad8 24. Nd4) 24. Rxd1 Nc6!= followed by f6 or Ne5 secures Black's position.

 

22... Nc6 23. Ne4 Rxd3 24. Re2

24. Ng5 f6 25. Nf3=

 

24... f6! 25. g4!?

Still fighting for something. The idea is to deprive the Knight of a solid support on e5.

 

25... Rad8

25... h6!? 26. h4 Ne5=

 

26. g5 fxg5 27. Nxg5 h6 28. Nf3

28. Ne6!? Re8 29. Rfe1

 

28... R8d6=

The parties should likely agree to a draw here. Now White loses by trying too hard to win...

 

29. Re8+ Kh7 30. Rfe1 Rg6+ 31. Kf2 Rf6 32. R1e3 Rd2+ 33. Re2 Rd5!? 34. R8e6 Rdf5 35. Rxf6 Rxf6 36. Re4 g5 37. Ke3 Kg6 38. Rc4??

Ironically, Scott played this lemon with the idea of Rxc6 and Ne5+ winning. But what's good for the goose is good for the gander....

 

Position after 38.Rc4??

 

38... Rxf3+! 39. Kxf3 Ne5+ 40. Ke4 Nxc4 41. b3 Nd2+ 42. Kd3 Nf3 43. h3 Ng1 44. c4 Nxh3 45. b4 Kf5 46. a4 Nf4+ White resigns. 0-1

1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 c6 4. Nf3 d5 5. exd5

5. Bb3 is better, keeping tension on the center. 5... Bd6 6. O-O

 

5... cxd5 6. Bb3 Nc6=

One side-effect of the exchange of pawns is that Black's Knight develops to this nice square. Black has the better prospects due to his strong center.

 

7. h3 Bc5

7... Bb4+!? 8. c3 Bd6 denies the Knight the c3 square.

 

8. Bg5

8. Nxe5! Nxe5 9. d4 Bd6 10. dxe5 Bxe5 11. O-O= at least gives White an isolated QP to work on.

 

8... Be6 9. Ba4?!

9. O-O is necessary. The King has got to get out of the center.

 

9... Qa5+ 10. Nc3?

10. c3 Qb6 11. Qe2 Nd7

 

10... d4 11. Bxc6+ bxc6 12. a3

This fork threa t saves the piece but Black can do something with his initiative.

 

12... dxc3

12... Nd7! 13. O-O (13. Qb1 dxc3 14. b4 Qa4 15. bxc5 Rb8 16. Qd1 Rb2 ) 13... dxc3 14. b4 Bxb4 15. axb4 Qxb4

 

13. b4 Bxb4?!

13... Bxf2+! is the more promising pawn to grab in giving back the piece.

 

14. axb4 Qxb4 15. Nxe5 Qd6

15... Nd5 16. O-O O-O

 

16. Qe2?!

16. Bxf6! gxf6 17. Ng4=

 

16... Nd5! 17. Bc1 O-O 18. O-O Rfe8 19. Nc4 Qc7 20. Qe5? Qd7?

20... Qxe5!-+ 21. Nxe5 Nb4

 

21. Qh5

White has a plan!

 

21... g6?

Black wants to help him: this weakens the dark squares around Black's King 21... Nf6 was much better

 

22. Qf3 Kg7=

22... Qd8 now that the g pawn has moved, the Q or the Kt must defend f6.

 

23. Ra3

The idea is to go after the c-pawn by exchanging off the Knight by Ne3xd5 and Rxc3. Better may have been to go after the dark squareswith 23. Ba3! Reb8 24. Bc5

 

23... Qe7 24. Ne3 Nxe3?!

Assisting White further by opening up a nice line. 24... Qf6! 25. Qxf6+ Kxf6 26. Nxd5+ cxd5 27. Rxc3 a5 and the outside passed pawn at least gives Black the better chances.

 

25. fxe3 Bd5?

25... f5 26. Rxc3 Bd5

 

26. e4 Qc5+?+-

A tactical blunder that leaves the dark squares around the King undefended.

 

27. Kh1 Be6

 

Position after 27...Be6

 

28. Qf6+ Kg8 29. Bh6

and now Black must surrender the Queen to guard the dark squares. 1-0

[McAuliffe, Goeller, and Fritz 8]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Bd3?

A blunder which White tries to turn into a gambit. 5. Ng3 is better 5... Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. h5 Bh7 8. Nf3 Nd7 9. Bd3 is standard.

 

5... Qxd4 6. Be3!?

6. Nf3 Qb6 7. O-O makes it look more like a pawn sacrifice.

 

6... Qd8!

Resisting the greedy 6... Qxb2 7. Rb1 Qxa2 8. Rxb7 Qa5+ 9. Bd2 Qd8 nets a second pawn but at some cost in development 10. Qf3!? e6?! 11. g4! Qc8 12. Rxf7 Kxf7 13. gxf5 exf5 14. Bc4+ Ke8 15. Ng5->

 

7. Nf3 e6 8. Nd4 Bxe4 9. Bxe4 Nf6 10. Qf3 Nbd7 11. Nb3!?

11. O-O-O was interesting, trying to make the most of his lead in development. 11... Nxe4 12. Qxe4 Nf6 13. Qf4 Nd5 14. Qg3

 

11... Be7 12. Rd1 Nd5 13. Bxd5?

13. O-O Nxe3 14. fxe3! gives White some chances of developing kingside and central play with his open files.

 

13... cxd5

Black has a solid French defense pawn structure with an extra pawn and without the bad bishop.

 

14. O-O O-O 15. Qg4 Rc8 16. Bh6? Bf6 17. Be3? 17. c3 17... Rxc2-+ 18. Bxa7 b6 19. Nd4 Bxd4 20. Qxd4 Qc7 21. Bxb6 Qxb6 22. Qa4 Qc6 23. Qxc6 Rxc6 24. a4 Rb8 25. Rb1 Rb3 26. Rfc1 Rxc1+ 27. Rxc1 Rxb2 28. Ra1 Rb7

28... Nc5 29. h3 otherwise Nxa4 and the Knight is immune.(29. a5 Nb3) 29... Nb3 30. Rd1 Kf8 31. Rd3 Ke7

 

29. a5 Kf8 30. a6 Ra7 31. Kf1 Nc5 0-1

[Fritz8, McAuliffe, Goeller]

1. e4 c5 2. d4 g6?

2... cxd4 3. dxc5 Qa5+ 4. Nc3 Qxc5 5. Be3 Qc7

Black has wasted time with 3 Queen moves while White developed his pieces.

6. Nf3

6. Nb5 6. Bxa7 Nc6 (6... Rxa7 7. Nb5 Qa5+ 8. c3 Ra8 9. Bc4) 7. Bd4 Nxd4 8. Qxd4 f6 9. Rd1

6... Bg7 7. Bd4 e5? 8. Nd5

8. Nb5! Qc6 9. Bxe5 Bxe5 10. Nxe5 Qxe4+ 11. Qe2 Qxe2+ 12. Bxe2 Ke7 13. Nc7+-

8... Qd6 9. Bc3 Nc6 10. Bc4 Nge7 11. Qd2 a6 12. O-O b5 13. Bb3 Nxd5 14. Bxd5 b4? 15. Bxb4 Qc7 15... Qxb4 16. Qxb4 Nxb4 17. Bxa8 16. Ng5 d6 17. Nxf7 Rf8 17... Nxb4 18. Qxb4 Rb8 19. Qa4+ Bd7 20. Qxa6 18. Bxd6 18. Nxd6+! Kd7 19. Nf5 Nxb4 (19... gxf5 20. Bxc6+ Kxc6 21. Qd5+) 20. Bxa8+ 18... Qd7 19. Bxf8 Bxf8 20. Rad1 Bb7 21. Qc3 Black resigns. 1-0 [Fritz8]

1. e4 c5 2. d4 g6?! 2... cxd4 3. dxc5 Qa5+ 4. Nc3 Qxc5 5. Be3 Qc7

Black has wasted time with 3 Queen moves while White developed his pieces.

 

6. Nf3

White must have something better here. Perhaps 6. Nb5!? Qa5+ 7. Bd2 Qb6 8. Bc3 or 6. Nd5!? Qd8 7. Qd4

 

6... Bg7 7. Bd4 e5? 8. Nd5

8. Nb5! Qc6 9. Bxe5 Bxe5 10. Nxe5 Qxe4+ 11. Qe2 Qxe2+ 12. Bxe2 Ke7 13. Nc7+-

 

8... Qd6 9. Bc3 Nc6 10. Bc4 Nge7 11. Qd2 a6 12. O-O b5 13. Bb3 Nxd5 14. Bxd5 b4? 15. Bxb4 Qc7

15... Qxb4 16. Qxb4 Nxb4 17. Bxa8

 

16. Ng5 d6 17. Nxf7 Rf8

17... Nxb4 18. Qxb4 Rb8 19. Qa4+ Bd7 20. Qxa6

 

18. Bxd6

18. Nxd6+! Kd7 19. Nf5! Nxb4 (19... gxf5 20. Bxc6+ Kxc6 21. Qd5+) 20. Bxa8++-

 

18... Qd7 19. Bxf8 Bxf8 20. Rad1 Bb7 21. Qc3 Black resigns. 1-0 [Fritz8]