Naturally, after the broadcast ended, I immediately went to the recording and advanced to round two. I did not need to see the oversights that Chris pointed out to know that I missed some opportunities, but the number was shocking. My opponent also missed several opportunities. This was my fifth game against Edwin Matos in these Morning Membership events. I won the first three, but we had two draws this week.
Maybe you will find our errors instructive and this game will serve a purpose other than polluting the web with examples of substandard play.
Stripes,J (1798) -- Matos,E (1426) [B21]
Morning Membership Event (Friday) Chess.com (2), 21.08.2020
1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3
4.Bc4 cxb2 5.Bxb2 is a line that I have dubbed the Danish Morra. It is unsound, of course, but I win my share of blitz games with it.
4...e6 5.Bc4 a6 6.Nf3 d6 7.0–0 Nd7 8.Qe2 Qc7
8...Ngf6 9.Rd1 b5 10.Bb3 Bb7 11.Bf4 Qb8 12.Nd5 Ne5 (12...Nxd5 13.exd5 e5) 13.Nxe5 dxe5 14.Nxf6+ gxf6 15.Bxe6 Bc8 16.Bd5 and White won in 54 moves, Jussupow,N (2152)--Kalinitschew,S (2472) Schwaebisch Gmuend 2013.
Morning Membership Event (Friday) Chess.com (2), 21.08.2020
1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3
4.Bc4 cxb2 5.Bxb2 is a line that I have dubbed the Danish Morra. It is unsound, of course, but I win my share of blitz games with it.
4...e6 5.Bc4 a6 6.Nf3 d6 7.0–0 Nd7 8.Qe2 Qc7
8...Ngf6 9.Rd1 b5 10.Bb3 Bb7 11.Bf4 Qb8 12.Nd5 Ne5 (12...Nxd5 13.exd5 e5) 13.Nxe5 dxe5 14.Nxf6+ gxf6 15.Bxe6 Bc8 16.Bd5 and White won in 54 moves, Jussupow,N (2152)--Kalinitschew,S (2472) Schwaebisch Gmuend 2013.
9.Rd1 Be7
We have reached a unique position, according to my databases, but it still has a familiar feel.
10.Bf4 Ne5
10.Bf4 Ne5
White to move
11.Nxe5
11.Bxe5 dxe5 was better according to Stockfish on chess.com. I like my bishop and might get to place it on b6.
11...dxe5 12.Be3 Nf6 13.Rac1 0–0 14.Bb3 Bd7 15.Nd5!
Black to move
This is the sort of tactical problem that I like to set for my opponent when I play the Smith-Morra. However, it turns out that I was ill-prepared to follow through.
15...Bb5
15...Qd8 16.Bb6 Qe8 17.Nc7 Bb5 18.Qc2+–
16.Qf3
Why did I reject 16.Qxb5 Qxc1 (16...axb5 17.Nxf6+ Bxf6 18.Rxc7+–) 17.Nxe7+ Kh8 18.Qxe5+–?
16...Qd8
16...Nxd5 17.exd5 (17.Rxc7 Nxc7) 17...Qa5 18.dxe6 fxe6 19.Qxb7+–
17.Nxe7+?
Again, there is a a simple route to a decisive advantage: 17.Nxf6+ Bxf6 18.Rxd8 Raxd8 19.Bc5+–
17...Qxe7 18.Bc5 Qe8 19.Bxf8
While I was thinking about my move, Chris was wondering whether I thought the bishop was better than the rook. No. The rook cannot move, so I might delay the capture if I can do something else that is useful. Not finding a useful alternative, I spent nearly a minute contemplating what to do after taking the rook. How best should I coordinate my pieces after winning the exchange? Finally, I came up with a plan--a terribly flawed plan.
19.Qe3 Nd7 20.Bxf8 Nxf8 might have been what I sought.
15...Qd8 16.Bb6 Qe8 17.Nc7 Bb5 18.Qc2+–
16.Qf3
Why did I reject 16.Qxb5 Qxc1 (16...axb5 17.Nxf6+ Bxf6 18.Rxc7+–) 17.Nxe7+ Kh8 18.Qxe5+–?
16...Qd8
16...Nxd5 17.exd5 (17.Rxc7 Nxc7) 17...Qa5 18.dxe6 fxe6 19.Qxb7+–
17.Nxe7+?
Again, there is a a simple route to a decisive advantage: 17.Nxf6+ Bxf6 18.Rxd8 Raxd8 19.Bc5+–
17...Qxe7 18.Bc5 Qe8 19.Bxf8
While I was thinking about my move, Chris was wondering whether I thought the bishop was better than the rook. No. The rook cannot move, so I might delay the capture if I can do something else that is useful. Not finding a useful alternative, I spent nearly a minute contemplating what to do after taking the rook. How best should I coordinate my pieces after winning the exchange? Finally, I came up with a plan--a terribly flawed plan.
19.Qe3 Nd7 20.Bxf8 Nxf8 might have been what I sought.
19...Qxf8 20.Rc7??
The plan was to get a pig. 20.Qe3 was better.
20...Bc6
The pig is destined for the butcher. I played the opening well, created problems for my opponent, and should have had a won game. Now, the position is equal, difficult, and we both have about two minutes on the clock. The time control was 5+2.
White to move
21.Qe3 Ne8 22.Rxc6 bxc6 23.Qb6 Nd6 24.f3 Nb5 25.Ba4
Black to move
25...Rb8
25...Nd4 and Black has a clear advantage.
26.Qxa6 Qc5+ 27.Kh1 h6
27...Nd4
28.Bxb5 cxb5 29.Qd6
Black to move
29...Qc2?? 30.Qd2??
This blunder was likely what Chris had in mind when he stated that I wouldn't like it. I had 36 seconds on my Clock, and spent three on my move. Edwin had 59 seconds after 29...Qc2. The failure of my thought process here reminds me of a difficult game at the Spokane Chess Club a week ago. We have continued to meet on Lichess, instead of in person, at the usual time on Thursday nights. Kenny wins most of his games and usually finishes at the top of our events. I played well in my game against him, finding a combination that gave me a queen against a rook, knight, and pawn. We each had five other pawns. I could clearly see a line that I had to avoid that could have walked into checkmate, and found a forced draw that ended the complications. But, my queen was completely dominant and I should have won. Replaying two positions from that game gave me two easy wins against Komodo.
I saw Edwin's threat to checkmate me and missed that I could take his rook with check and then bring my queen back to defend my rook.
30.Qxb8+ Kh7 31.Qd6+–
30...Qc4 31.b3 Qc5 32.h3 Rc8 33.Qd6 Qf2 34.Rd2 Qe1+ 35.Kh2 Qe3
White to move
I was at 23 seconds after this blunder. Edwin had 44. Speed kills, as they say.
36...Qf4+ 37.Kg1 Qe3+–+
Another upset is in the works. Had I been in my opponent's position, I might have played 37...Rc1+ 38.Kf2 Qh4+ 39.Ke2 Qe1+ 40.Kd3 Qf1+ 41.Re2 Rd1+ 42.Ke3 Qg1+ 43.Rf2 Re1+ 44.Qxe1 Qxe1+–+. Of course, such things are easier to see after the game is over and the clock is not a critical factor.
38.Kh2 Qf4+ 39.g3 Qxf3 40.Qxb5
40.Qa3 was a defense that I overlooked.
40...Rc1 41.Rg2 Qd1 42.g4 Qh1+ 43.Kg3 Qe1+
43...Rc3+ ends matters in favor of Black 44.Kf2 Rc2+ 45.Qe2 Rxe2+ 46.Kxe2 Qxg2+
44.Kh2 Qxe4 45.Qe8+ Kh7 46.Qxf7
Black to move
And suddenly, the game is equal again.
47.Qxf4 exf4 48.a4 f3?
48...Rb1+ is equal.
White to move
"Not what I would play." Chris Bird
I was playing by intuition, but had there been time, I might have thought that Black's pawns are coming faster than White's. I do not have time to work two pawns up the board.
49.Rb2 e5 50.Kg3 e4 51.Kf2 Kg6=
49...Rc3 50.a5=
50.Kg3 keeps an advantage.
50...Rxb3 51.Ra2 e5 52.a6
Black to move
52...f2 53.Kg2 Rxh3 54.a7 Rh1 55.Rxf2 (55.a8Q f1Q+ 56.Kg3 Rh3#) 55...Ra1 and Black is better, but perhaps the advantage is not decisive. With Black's error, White again has a decisive advantage. Chess.com's computer assessment tabulated that each player had three missed wins as well as blunders numbering in double digits.
53.a7+– f2 54.Kg2
I lacked the time to calculate this "simple" win: 54.a8Q f1Q 55.Qxe4+ Kg8 56.Ra8+ Kf7 57.Qe8+ Kf6 58.Qf8+ Ke6 59.Qxf1
54...Rf3 55.Kf1
Forced.
55...e3 56.a8Q e2+
White to move
The website shows that I had 19 seconds, but it felt like less.
57.Rxe2 wins.
57...f1Q+
"White is getting mated." Chris Bird
58.Kd2 Rf2+
Chris pointed out 58...Rd3+ 59.Kc2 Qd1+ 60.Kb2 Rb3#. This elementary checkmate pattern is the second one in Pandolfini's Endgame Course, and should be second nature to all chess players. Of course, blindness under time pressure is also common.
59.Kc3 Qxh3+ 60.Kb4 Rf4+ 61.Kc5 Qc3+ 62.Kd6
Black to move
Black gives away the queen.
62...Qd4+
63.Kd7??
And White leaves it on the board. 63.Kxe5 wins.
63...Rf6
The first checkmate in Pandolfini's Endgame Course: 63...Rd4+ 64.Kc6 Rd6+ 65.Kc7 Qe7+ and mate in one.
64.Qa3 Qb5+ 65.Ke7 Qb7+ 66.Ke8 Qf7+
66...Qc8+ 67.Ke7 Re6+ 68.Kf7 Qe8#
67.Kd8
Black to move
68...Qxa2
69.Kc7 Qf7+ 70.Qd7 Qf4+
My clock is down to eight seconds.
71.Qd6
71.Kb6
71...Qc4+ 72.Qc6 Qxa2 73.Qe4+ Kh8 74.Qe8+
Black to move
"Black can block." Chris Bird
74...Qg8 with an advantage.
75.Qe4+ Kh8 76.Qe8+
76.Kd6
76...Kh7 77.Qe7 Qa7+ 78.Kd8 Qxe7+ 79.Kxe7
Black to move
79...Kg6–+
80.Ke6 h5 81.gxh5 Kh6
81...g5 82.Kf5 Kh6 83.Kg4 Kg7 84.Kxg5 Kh7=
82.hxg6 Kxg6 ½–½
This game was a battle.
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