Seek the Truth

Many years ago I was going through a game played by two others at the Spokane Chess Club with the one who lost the game. We were looking for improvements in his play when his opponent stopped by, stating, "but, this is what happened in the game." That player who won that game never got his rating substantially above where it was then. The other player continued to improve. Both of them have far better records against me than anyone else rated 500 points lower, but that's another story.

Yesterday, at the Inland Empire Open, my second round opponent resigned at move 22. In the post game analysis, our task was to find his errors and improve upon them rather than celebrate my performance. Analyzing with Steve and other opponents is also one of the central pleasures of weekend chess tournaments.

In 2006, Steve and I tied for first in the Reserve (u1700) section of the Washington Challenger's Cup. It was my first significant success in a weekend Swiss (see "My Chess Journey"). Our game in that event had one of the longest chess moves ever played in one of my games--his 37 minutes and my 23 minutes. The last time we played, two years ago, the game was even until he made an endgame error (see "Bishop vs. Knight").

Stripes,James (1831) -- Brendemihl,Steve (1557) [A80]
Inland Empire Open Spokane (2), 17.05.2025

1.d4 f5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bg5 e6 4.e4 h6?!

4...fxe4 5.Nxe4 Be7 6.Bxf6 Bxf6 is the normal continuation.

White to move

5.Bxf6 Qxf6 6.Nf3

6.exf5 appears in several games.
6.e5 Qf7 7.h4 d6 8.Nf3 Nc6 9.Bb5 Bd7 10.Qe2 0-0-0 11.0-0-0 and White won after a long struggle 1-0 Melkumyan,H (2640) -- Kamsky,G (2623) Titled Tuesday intern op 27th Feb Late Chess.com INT blitz 2024.

6...Bb4 7.exf5 Bxc3+

7...0-0 was worth considering 8.fxe6 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 d6 White is slightly better.

8.bxc3

Black to move

8...exf5N

I expected 8...Qxf5, which my database shows me was played in a short draw in 2015.

8...0-0 is probably best 9.fxe6 Qxe6+ 10.Qe2 Qf7 11.Ne5 Qf6 12.Qf3 (White should have played 12.Qc4+ d5 13.Qxd5+ Be6 14.Qxe6+ Qxe6 15.Bc4) 12...d6 13.Bc4+ Be6 14.Qxf6 Rxf6 15.d5 Bf5 16.Nd3 Nd7 and Black won in 76 moves 0-1 Naegeli,O -- Diemer,E SUI-ch 57th Thun 1956.

9.Bc4 d6 10.0-0

White has a comfortable game

10...Nc6

10...Kf8 is a computer recommendation. 11.Re1 g5 12.Re3 f4 13.Re2

11.Re1+ Ne7

11...Kf8

12.Qe2

12.Qd3 might be better 12...g5 13.Re2 Rh7 (13...g4 14.Rae1 gxf3 15.Rxe7+ Qxe7 16.Rxe7+ Kxe7 17.Qe3+ Kd8 18.Qxf3+-) 14.h3 g4 15.hxg4 Rg7 16.Rae1 and White is slightly better.

12...Kd8

12...g5 and I might have played 13.d5 to open d4 for my knight.

White to move

13.Rad1!+/=

A move that the computer likes better after seeing it played.

13...Re8 14.Ne5

Hope chess: take my knight, please. 14.Bb3 is probably better.

14...d5

14...c6 15.Bf7 (15.Nf7+? Kc7) 15...Rf8 16.Bh5 Kc7 and Stockfish wants to sacrifice the knight
14...-- I had this fantasy 15.Nf7+ Kd7 16.Be6+ Kc6 17.Qc4+ Kb6 18.Rb1+ Ka5 19.Qb5#

15.Bb3

Before placing my knight on e5, I thought I could play 15.Bxd5 Nxd5 16.Nc6+ but after my opponent's move. I saw that 16...Qxc6 protects the rook.

Black to move

15...c6

It was difficult to find an improvement for Black at this point in the game. White's advantage is clear and the moves come easy.

15...a5 16.a3

16.c4+- Be6

16...dxc4 17.Bxc4 Kc7 18.d5+-

17.cxd5 Nxd5 18.Qd2

I almost played 18.c4?? Nc3 19.Qd2 Nxd1 20.Bxd1 and White may have compensation for the material wantonly thrown away.

18.Bxd5 Bxd5 19.c4 Bf7 20.d5+-

18...Kc7 19.c4

Black to move

19...Ne7

We looked at 19...Nb6 20.Qa5 Kc8 21.c5 Bxb3 22.axb3 Nd5 and White does not seem to have much of an attack, even though Black's positional difficulties remain.

20.d5 Red8

20...Rad8 21.Qa5+ Kb8 22.dxe6+-
20...cxd5 21.cxd5 Bxd5 22.Bxd5 Rad8 23.Qc1+ Kb8 24.Bf7+-

21.d6+ Kb8

We looked at 21...Kc8 22.dxe7 Qxe7 23.Qxd8+ (23.Ng6 is better) 23...Qxd8 24.Rxd8+ Kxd8 25.Nxc6+ White is a piece to the good.

White to move

22.dxe7!

It's nice to be able to play such a move. Black resigned.

22.dxe7 Rxd2 (22...Re8 23.Qd6+ Kc8 24.Nxc6; 22...Qxe7 23.Qxd8+ Qxd8 24.Rxd8+ Bc8 25.c5) 23.e8Q+ Kc7 (23...Rd8 24.Rxd8+ Kc7 25.Rxa8) 24.Qxa8

1-0