1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nb6 7. O-O Be7 8. d3 O-O 9. a3 Be6

We now have a Reversed Dragon.

Give Steve a square and he'll take it. The Knight is powerfully posted here, threatening Nxf6+ and Nc5.

With complete control over the critical squares, including c5, but Black has time for counterplay. But better was 15. Nc5! Bxc5 16. Rxc5 (16. bxc5!? Nc8 17. Nc4 ) 16... f6 17. Bxc6! bxc6 18. Qc2

15... Na4!? 16. Ba1

16. Nec5 Nxb2 17. Nxd7 Nxd1 18. Nxf8 Nb2 19. Rc2 Na4 20. Nxh7 Kxh7

16... Bh3 17. Nbc5 Nxc5 18. Nxc5 Bxc5 19. Rxc5 Bxg2 20. Kxg2 Rae8= Fritz8 21. Qc2 Re6 22. h4 Rc8?! Passive. 23. Rc1 Re7 24. Qc4! Suddenly, Black is tied in knots. 24... Qd6 25. Qg4?! 25. b5! 25... Rce8 26. R1c2 Nd4!= 27. Bxd4 exd4 28. R5c4 Rd8 29. Rc5 c6 30. h5! Re6 31. Rg5 Kh8 32. Rcc5 32. Rxg7?? f5 33. Qg5 h6 wins 32... Qf8 33. Rcf5 h6 34. Rg6!? fxg6?? 34... Re7 was still unclear 35. Rxf8+ Rxf8 36. Qxe6 +- and White won on time in a few more moves. 1-0 [Goeller]

1. e4 e6

A surprise from Scott, even though everyone knows I hate playing against the French these days. I figured he must be better prepared for the Advance Variation than I am and so fell back on the Two Knights.

2. Nc3 d5 3. Nf3 Nf6!

Black's best line, though one I rarely see from anyone below 2000.

4. e5 Nfd7 5. d4 a6!?

Getting me completely out of book and trying for a closed line where he can out-maneuver me. Normal is 5... c5 6. Ne2!? ( I have also played 6. Bg5) (6. dxc5) (and 6. Bb5) 6... cxd4 (6... Nc6 7. c3 would be similar to the game) 7. Nexd4 Nc6 when 8. Bb5!? is an interesting line I might have tried.

6. Ne2

Two more natural developing moves suggest themselves:

a) 6. Bg5 Be7 7. Bxe7 Qxe7 8. Bd3 c5 9. dxc5 Nc6 10. Qe2 Nxc5 11. O-O=

b) 6. Bd3! is probably best, with a tempo on well-known lines: 6... c5

(6... Be7!? 7. Ne2! c5 8. c3 Nc6 9. O-O b5 10. Bf4 cxd4 11. Nexd4 1/2-1/2 Oettinger,H-Kunerth,W/Krakow 1938 (50))

7. dxc5 Nc6

(7... Bxc5 8. O-O Nc6 9. Bf4 f5?! 10. exf6 Nxf6 11. Qe2 O-O 12. Rae1 Re8 13. Ne5 Bd6 14. Bg3 Qc7 15. Ng4 Nxg4 16. Qxg4 Ne5 17. Bxh7+! Kf8 18. Qh5 Nf7 19. Bg6 Re7 20. Bxf7 d4 21. Bxd6 Qxd6 22. Ne4 1-0 Achcar,N-Curcio,J/Barra Mansa 1969 (22))

8. Bf4 Nxc5 9. O-O Be7

(9... b5 10. Ne2 Be7 11. Ned4 Na7 12. Re1 Bb7 13. c3 g5 14. Bc1 g4 15. Bc2 gxf3 16. Qxf3 Nc6 17. Qh5 Kd7 18. Qxf7 Qe8 19. Qf3 Ne4 20. Nxe6 Qg6 21. Bxe4 dxe4 22. Qh3 Ke8 23. Nc7+ Kf7 24. Rxe4 Rad8 25. Bh6 Bc8 26. e6+ Kf6 1-0 Perez Pardo,J-Rodriguez Rodriguez,A/ESP 1992 (26))

10. Re1 Bd7

(10... O-O 11. Qd2 f5 12. exf6 Bxf6 13. Ne5 Nxe5 14. Bxe5 Bxe5 15. Rxe5 Qf6 16. Qe3= 1/2-1/2 Sale,S-Lehmann,Z/Budapest 1992 (27))

11. Qd2 b5 12. a3 b4 13. axb4 Nxd3 14. Qxd3 Nxb4 15. Qd2 O-O 16. Ne2 Qb6 17. Be3 Qc7 18. Ned4 Rfc8 19. c3 Nc6 20. Bg5 Bf8 21. Nxc6 Qxc6 22. Nd4 Qb7 23. Re3 h6 24. Bf4 a5 25. Rg3 Kh8 26. Qe2 Rab8 27. b3 a4 28. Bxh6! Rxc3 (28... gxh6 29. Qg4+-) 29. Bxg7+ Bxg7 30. Rxc3 Qb4 31. Qe3 Kg8 32. bxa4 Bxa4 33. Rac1 Qb2 34. Qg5 Kf8 35. Rc7 1-0 Spassky,B-Prie,E/FRA 1991/[Ernst] (35)

6... c5 7. c3 Nc6 8. a3 c4!

I felt I had a tempo on regular lines, but after the position gets closed up it hardly matters.

9. h4

9. g3!? Na5 10. Bg5 Qc7 11. Bg2 Nb3 12. Rb1=

9... Na5 10. Nf4 Nb6 11. Be3 Bd7 12. Ng5?

One of my typically insane Knight sortees. I had planned to play 12. Nd2! Ba4 13. Qg4 with some initiative, but I guess I wanted to roll the dice and have the game end quickly....

12... Qe7!?

Black likely would have won quickly with 12... h6! since 13. Qh5? was my idiotic plan (better 13. Nf3 Nb3 14. Rb1 Ba4 15. Qe2 = ) (and not 13. Nxf7? Kxf7 14. Qg4 Nb3 ) overlooking 13... hxg5! 14. Qxh8 gxf4 15. Bxf4 Na4 16. Rb1 Qb6

13. Rh3?! O-O-O

And here I was hoping for 13... h6 14. Rf3!? hxg5 15. Ng6 g4! (15... fxg6 16. Bxg5 wins the queen, though Black is ok after 16... Ba4 17. Qb1 Qf7 18. Rxf7 Kxf7 19. Qc1 Nb3 20. Qf4+ Kg8 21. Rb1 with compensation ) 16. Nxe7 gxf3 17. Ng6 fxg6 when Black has more than ample compensation for the Queen, as I had failed to calculate correctly.

14. Qg4 f6 15. Nf3 f5 16. Qg3

White should invite an ending with 16. Qg5 Nb3 17. Qxe7 Bxe7 18. Rb1=

16... Be8 17. Be2 Na4 18. Rb1 Bf7 19. Bd1 Nb6 =

I felt that the position was about equal now and offered a draw with my next move. But Scott felt the need to win this game to place respectably in the tournament. He probably also knew that he understood these positions much better than I did. And I just wanted to go home, really, which he also must have known.

20. Nd2 Qc7 21. Ne2?!

Too passive. 21. Kf1

21... Kb8

21... Bh5 22. f3

22. Nc1 Be8 23. Qf3 Rc8

And here I kept telling myself that the right thing to do was just keep improving my pieces and hope he'd do something rash. But somehow I just couldn't keep myself from breaking open some lines to help him win...

24. g4?

24... Bg6

I resigned since I must lose the exchange and the rest is just a matter of time now. Best is 25.g5 f4 26.Qxf4 Bxb1 27.Nxb1 and it will take forever for Black to win it, but win it he must. I might have played on against 24... fxg4 25. Qxg4 Bg6 26. Qxe6 Bxb1 27. Nxb1 Nc6 though this is hopeless also. 0-1

1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nc3 Be7 6. Bg5 O-O 7. Qc2 c6 8. e3 Nbd7 9. Bd3 Re8 10. O-O-O!? Nf8 Black must play more actively for counterplay against White's king, beginning with 10... Qa5 11. Kb1 h6 11. Ne5 Be6 12. Kb1 Ng4 13. Bxe7 Qxe7 14. Nxg4 Bxg4 15. Rdg1 Bh5 16. g4 Bg6 17. Bf5 Qf6 17... Red8 18. h4 Bxf5= 19. gxf5 g6? Inviting trouble. >= 19... Nd7 20. Rg5 Kh8 21. Rhg1 Rg8 22. Ne2 Qe7 23. Nf4 Nf6= 20. h5! Re7 20... g5!? 21. hxg6 fxg6 22. Ne2 Rg7 23. Ng3 Re8 24. a3 Ree7 25. Rh6 Qg5 26. Rgh1 Ref7 27. fxg6 Rxg6 28. R6h5 Qg4?!

Better 28... Qd8 - White now wins the Exchange:

29. Nf5! Qg2

29... Qf3 30. Nh6+

30. R5h2!

30. Nh6+ Rxh6 31. Rxh6 Rxf2 allows counterplay

30... Qf3

30... Qe4 31. Nh6+ Rxh6 32. Qxe4 dxe4 33. Rxh6+-

31. Nh4 winning the Exchange and the game. 31... Qf6 32. Nxg6 Nxg6 33. Rh6 Qxf2 34. Qxf2 Rxf2 35. Rxh7 Rf3 36. Rxb7 Rxe3 37. Rhh7 Re6 38. Rxa7 Rf6 39. Rhc7 Nf8 40. Ra8 Rf1+ 41. Kc2 Rf6 42. Rcc8 Kg7 43. Rxf8 Rxf8 44. Rxf8 Kxf8 45. Kc3 Ke7 46. Kb4 Kd6 47. a4 Kc7 48. Kc5 Kb7 49. Kd6 Kb6 50. a5+ 1-0 [Fritz8]

Both players knew that the following game, if decisive, would determine the U-1800 Champion.

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. d3 Nc6 5. Be3 d6 6. Qd2 Nd4 7. Bg2 Nf6 8. h3 O-O 9. Nd1?!

9. Nce2! preserves the option of queenside castling.

9... Ne8

9... d5 10. e5 Nd7 11. f4 Nf5 12. Bf2=

10. c3 Nc6 11. f4 f5 12. Nf3 Nf6 13. Nf2 fxe4 14. Nxe4 Nxe4

14... Qa5

15. dxe4 Qc7?! 16. Ng5!? e6?!

16... Kh8 17. Qd5 Nd8 18. O-O-O

17. Rd1

17. O-O-O!

17... h6 18. Nf3 Rd8 19. f5?

19. O-O

19... exf5?

19... d5! 20. exd5 (20. fxg6? dxe4!-+) 20... Rxd5 21. Qf2 Rxd1+ 22. Kxd1 exf5

20. Bxh6! Bxh6

20... fxe4 21. Qd5+ Kh7 22. Ng5+ Kxh6 23. Qxe4 Bxc3+ 24. bxc3 Kg7 25. O-O->

21. Qxh6 Qg7 22. Qg5 Be6 23. exf5 Bxf5+/- 24. O-O Rd7 25. Nh4 Rf8 26. Bd5+ Kh7+- 27. g4?

27. Nxf5! gxf5 28. Qh5+ Qh6 29. Rxf5 Qxh5 30. Rxh5+ Kg7 31. Bxc6 bxc6 32. Rxc5!+- and White's connected passed pawns should make it easy.

27... Bc2! 28. Rde1?

28. Rxf8 Qxf8 29. Rd2 Bb1 30. Rf2!

28... Rxf1+ 29. Rxf1 Ne5! 30. Rf6 Qh6! 31. Qxh6+ Kxh6 32. Nf3 Nxf3+

32... Kg7! 33. g5 Bf5 34. Nxe5 dxe5 35. Be6 Rd1+ 36. Kf2 Rd2+! 37. Ke3 Rd3+ 38. Ke2 Rxh3 39. Rf7+ Kh8 40. Bxf5 gxf5 41. Rxf5 Rh2+ would be hard for White to win.

33. Rxf3 Kg7 33... Kg5 34. g5! Bf5 35. Re3 Kf8 36. h4 b6?

Black may still be equal after 36... Rh7!=

37. h5!+- Kg7

37... gxh5 38. Rf3

38. h6+ Kh7 39. Re8 1-0 [Fritz8]

1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nc6 3. d4 d6?! 3... d5!= 4. d5! Somebody is reading the blog! 4... Ne5 5. f4 Ng6 6. Nf3 e6 7. c4 7. dxe6 fxe6 8. Bd3+/= 7... Bd7 8. Be2 Be7 9. O-O Rb8?!+/- 10. dxe6 Bxe6?? 10... fxe6 11. f5+- Ouch! 11... Bxf5 12. exf5 Ne5 13. Nxe5 dxe5 14. Qa4+ b5 15. cxb5 Qb6 15... Qd4+ 16. Nc3 Nf6 17. Bg5 Rg8 18. Bxf6 gxf6 19. Nd5 Qb7 20. Bf3 Kf8 21. Nxf6 Qxb5 22. Qxb5 Even stronger is 22. Nxh7+! Kg7 23. f6+ Bxf6 24. Qxb5 Rxb5 25. Nxf6 Kxf6 26. Be2+ 22... Rxb5 23. Nxg8 23. Nxh7+ Kg7 24. f6+ Kxh7 25. fxe7 Rbb8 26. Bc6 Kg7 23... Kxg8 24. Rab1 a5 25. Rfe1 f6 26. Bc6 Rb4 27. a3 Rd4 28. Rbd1 c4 29. Rxd4 Bc5 30. Bd5+ Kg7 31. Kf1 exd4 32. Ke2 c3 33. bxc3 dxc3 34. a4 Bd4 35. Bb3 Be5 36. g3 Kh6 37. Kf3 Kg5 38. Bc2 Kh6 39. h4 Kh5 40. g4+ Kxh4 41. Rxe5 fxe5 42. f6 1-0 [Fritz8]

This game was played earlier in the tournament.

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. Bf4 Bf5 6. e3 Nd5 6... b5 7. Bg3 Qa5 8. Qd2 Nxc3 9. bxc3?! 9. Bxc4! Nd7 10. bxc3+/= 9... b5! 10. Be2 Nd7 11. O-O h6 12. a4 Qb6 13. Rfe1 e6 14. Bf1 Be4 15. Qb2 Be7 16. Nd2 Bg6 17. axb5 cxb5 18. Nxc4?? One of two clear oversights that lose the game for White. 18... bxc4 19. Qa2 Qb3 20. Qa6 Qb6 21. Qxc4 O-O 22. Ra6 Qb7 23. Qa4 Nb6 24. Qa2 Nd5 25. c4?? Nb4 White resigns. 0-1