13 September 2013

Winning, Losing, and Neither

Lately, I have been controlling my obsession with online blitz. Nonetheless, today when the feed for the Sinquefield Cup appeared to be malfunctioning, I gave up on watching Grandmasters play. Instead, a sequence of opponents helped me add half a dozen illustrations of subpar play to my database. The time control was game 15.

In my first game, I seized the opportunity to double my opponent's pawns, only to discover that my plan left me down a pawn. After further errors, I was behind two pawns. My opponent gave one back and he eagerly exchanged rooks into an opposite colored bishop ending with an extra pawn.

Black to move

I happily played 34...Rxe3+. We continued 35.Kxe3 f6 36.h3 Kg5 37.Kf3 Kh4 38.Kg2 f5 39.Be6 f4 40.Kf3 Bc5 41.Kxf4 Bxf2

White to move

I was confident that I could hold this position by trading my bishop and a-pawn for his two queenside pawns. Nonetheless, we played another 25 moves before my opponent stalemated me.

My second opponent also ended up with doubled f-pawns, and for awhile I thought that I had good chances to score.

White to move

24.Be4 Qc5 25.Rh4 Rg7 26.Re1??

Evidently, I am blind to discovered attacks.

Black to move

My opponent strung me along for a few moves. 26...Rag8 27.g3 Bxe4 28.Rhxe4 d3+-+. I played another twelve moves before resigning.

The third game was strange, and I had some problems that should have given my opponent a clear edge. He missed the right plan. When he won a pawn, I saw my opportunity.

Black to move

23...Rf7!-+.

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