I reached a comfortable position out of the opening and early middle game, but then failed to understand the demands of the position.
Stripes,James (1821) -- Cambareri,Michael (2005) [A80]
Inland Empire Open Spokane (5), 21.05.2023
White to move
18.Qf7?!
18.Qh6 now, would have been wise.
18.Qxg6 did not feel safe. Anticipating 18...Rg8, I missed 19.Rxf6 Rxg6 20.Rxg6 when White is better.
18...Qd6 19.Qg7
19.Bxg6 Rh8 20.h3 Kc7 21.Bf5 would have kept the advantage, but I was reluctant to snatch a pawn on the file where my king stood.
19...Kc7 20.Qh6 Rh8
White to move
21.Qf4
Planned and forced. Most of White's advantage has slipped away.
21...g5! 22.Qxd6+ Kxd6 23.Rae1
I believed that I was still better, but Michael's rooks were coming to life with threats that I feared more than necessary.
Black to move
23...Rh4!
Michael's defense against my intended e4 break picks up a tempo for doubling on the h-file.
24.g3 Rh6 25.e4
Long-planned and finally played. It is the best move, although I no longer believed so as the game developed over the next few moves. I had the sense that I had thrown away an advantage against Michael, as I have done in so many games.
Michael's defense against my intended e4 break picks up a tempo for doubling on the h-file.
24.g3 Rh6 25.e4
Long-planned and finally played. It is the best move, although I no longer believed so as the game developed over the next few moves. I had the sense that I had thrown away an advantage against Michael, as I have done in so many games.
Black to move
25...dxe4 26.Bxe4 Rah8
26...Nxe4 simplifies the ending in White's favor. 27.Rxe4
26...Nxe4 simplifies the ending in White's favor. 27.Rxe4
White to move
27.Bf5?
Thinking, wrongly, that I was clearly worse, I desperately sought counterplay in a series of harassing checks.
I rejected 27.Rf2! because I did not know how to meet 27...Ng4. Analysis with an engine shows that 28.Rf5! would have satisfied the demands of the position and left White with the better game.
Here also 28.Rfe2 would have been adequate against 28...Rxh2? (but Black has the better choice of 28...e6) 29.Bg2+-) 28...Rxh2 29.Rxg5 Nf6 30.Bg2+-.
27...Rxh2 28.Re6+
Although I was desperately trying to complicate a lost game, the engine says the position is equal.
28...Kd5
White to move
29.c4+??
A game losing blunder. Michael can take either pawn with a winning position. Michael expected 29.Rxe7 and his assessment that it was a better choice for me is correct. 29...Kxd4 30.Rxb7 Nd5 31.c3+ with equality.
29...Kxc4 30.Rxe7 Nd5?
A lucky break from my point of view.
30...Rh1+ 31.Kf2 R8h2+ 32.Ke1 Rxf1+ 33.Kxf1 Rxb2-+
30...Rxb2-/+
White to move
31.Rc1+ Kb3
31...Kxd4 walks into a little combination with a discovery and interference that picks up a rook. 32.Re4+ Kd3 33.Rh4+ Ke2 34.Rxh2++-
32.Rxb7+ Ka2?
The rest is easy, except that my focus on winning the rook blinded me to checkmate.
32...Nb4 was the only defense that keeps the game very much alive for Black with difficult play for both sides.
31...Kxd4 walks into a little combination with a discovery and interference that picks up a rook. 32.Re4+ Kd3 33.Rh4+ Ke2 34.Rxh2++-
32.Rxb7+ Ka2?
The rest is easy, except that my focus on winning the rook blinded me to checkmate.
32...Nb4 was the only defense that keeps the game very much alive for Black with difficult play for both sides.
White to move
 |
| Analysis after 32...Nb4 |
33.Rxc6 a5 34.Rc5 Rd2 35.Re7! would have been hard for me to find (35.Rd7 Rhh2=) 35...Rxd4 (35...Ka2! These engine lines are not clear to me at all.) 36.Rxa5.
Back to the position that did occur.
White to move
33.Bb1+ Ka1 34.Bh7+
I missed 34.Bd3+! Ka2 35.Bc4#, but the interference with the bishop was sufficient to provoke Michael's resignation.
1-0
Michael understood the game much better than I, but his errors came later and determined the final result. This game gave me first place in the event.
1-0
Michael understood the game much better than I, but his errors came later and determined the final result. This game gave me first place in the event.
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