January TNT Round 3
Mundwiler-Lauritson 0-1
White got a cramped position as Black established a bind on the white squares. White's prices were overburdened covering the weakness on both flanks and Black broke through.
Atem-Lipnowski 0-1
Sam had no trouble converting the pawn he won early with a small tactic.
Tang - Silva 1-0
Black showed that playing the Benoni can be quite risky.
14. f4 was the beginning of White's problems.
Evans - Cleto 0-1
It is rumoured the Magnus Carlsen was inspired to the play the Alekine against Topalov after seeing this game.
Deng - Aaron Green 1-0
11...g5 was a strategic error that allowed White to open the h-file at his convenience.
Magnusson-Trueman 1-0
Black misplayed the opening and lost a piece.
Crawford-Wierda 0-1
The computer find an interesting shot 16...Rxd4 ! but it is a fairly long line.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
January TNT Round 2
January TNT Round 2
Cleto - Mundwiler 0-1
White got nothing for his novel gambit; Les held and played flawlessly to reduce down to a won endgame. Les provided some notes to this game - check it out.
Lauritson -Liu 1-0
White ended up with a passed pawn on d6 ; Weixio resigned rather than be tortured any further.
Greenberg - Tang DRAW
An unusual opening featuring an early White knight tour resulting in a materially equal middlegame where White is likely better.
Kernetsky -Atem 0-1
I don't understand how White does not win this after something like 31. or 32. Qxh5
Lipnowski - Deng 1-0
White got an early advantage and converted easily.
Wierda - Silva 0-1
White's problems started when he "fianchettoed" his knight at b2.
Letain - Wood 0-1
White lost a piece for a pawn early.
Aaron Green - Magnusson 1-0
Did Black miss 33...Nf3+ with a large advantage, or is there a problem with the game score ?
Later Black played the wrong knight to a5 on move 41, and dropped a critical pawn.
Cleto - Mundwiler 0-1
White got nothing for his novel gambit; Les held and played flawlessly to reduce down to a won endgame. Les provided some notes to this game - check it out.
Lauritson -Liu 1-0
White ended up with a passed pawn on d6 ; Weixio resigned rather than be tortured any further.
Greenberg - Tang DRAW
An unusual opening featuring an early White knight tour resulting in a materially equal middlegame where White is likely better.
Kernetsky -Atem 0-1
I don't understand how White does not win this after something like 31. or 32. Qxh5
Lipnowski - Deng 1-0
White got an early advantage and converted easily.
Wierda - Silva 0-1
White's problems started when he "fianchettoed" his knight at b2.
Letain - Wood 0-1
White lost a piece for a pawn early.
Aaron Green - Magnusson 1-0
Did Black miss 33...Nf3+ with a large advantage, or is there a problem with the game score ?
Later Black played the wrong knight to a5 on move 41, and dropped a critical pawn.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
January TNT Round 1
Well, I am slowly catching up on past games. The result of my laziness was evident in the February sectional as I let several half points slip through my hands. I had been attributing my recent good results to the work I had been doing looking at all these Winnipeg games with a critical eye; my theory is now supported - until the next tournament.
Anyway - on to the games/positions of note
Round 1
Silva - Lipnowski DRAW
It is not often that one can drop a piece to Sam and still draw. Silva goes in for a dubious manouevre with 26.Nh5 (instead 26. Ra1 is fine) and drops a piece. Somehow Silva is able to hold the ending, despite rejecting forced draws at 57.Qxg6+ and 59. Qg5+. I can only guess that time trouble may have been a factor for at least one of the players.
Mundwiler - Wierda 1-0
Les drove his knight through traffic down to d6. John gave up an exchange unnecessarily and soon the position opened up ending in a nice combination - White is even a pawn down in the final position !
Wood - Lauritson 0-1
My initial impression is that both players missed several chances.
25...Qxd4 appears to win a piece. 27...Qe4+ covers the h7 pawn.
There are some lines for White that the computer finds that give him a big advantage but I do not think it is fair to think us mortals could find our way through those lines. Exercise for the reader: put your engine on the position after the computer move 31. Qxf6+ and try to guess the computer's next moves.
Tang - Aaron Green 1-0
Black kept sacrificing pieces trying to conjure up a mate, but to no avail.
Liu - Trueman 1-0
Another King's Indian player prematurely sacrifices a piece.
Magnusson - Cleto 0-1
A sacfest resulted in White with a queen and rooks against two minors and rooks.
But White seemed to not see the idea of coming around to the Queenside via h8 and mating Black. For example, 37. Qh8+ Ke7 38. Qb8 and Black has no solution. A few moves later White moved into Black's mating net.
Atem-Letain 1-0
When it was looking very grim, Black missed a resource 26...Rac8 which gave him at least an equal game.
Deng - L. Gibbons 1-0
Not sure why this is 1-0 given the game score. It is difficult for Black but certainly not over yet.
Anyway - on to the games/positions of note
Round 1
Silva - Lipnowski DRAW
It is not often that one can drop a piece to Sam and still draw. Silva goes in for a dubious manouevre with 26.Nh5 (instead 26. Ra1 is fine) and drops a piece. Somehow Silva is able to hold the ending, despite rejecting forced draws at 57.Qxg6+ and 59. Qg5+. I can only guess that time trouble may have been a factor for at least one of the players.
Mundwiler - Wierda 1-0
Les drove his knight through traffic down to d6. John gave up an exchange unnecessarily and soon the position opened up ending in a nice combination - White is even a pawn down in the final position !
Position after 35. Rxd7
Wood - Lauritson 0-1
My initial impression is that both players missed several chances.
25...Qxd4 appears to win a piece. 27...Qe4+ covers the h7 pawn.
There are some lines for White that the computer finds that give him a big advantage but I do not think it is fair to think us mortals could find our way through those lines. Exercise for the reader: put your engine on the position after the computer move 31. Qxf6+ and try to guess the computer's next moves.
Tang - Aaron Green 1-0
Black kept sacrificing pieces trying to conjure up a mate, but to no avail.
Liu - Trueman 1-0
Another King's Indian player prematurely sacrifices a piece.
Magnusson - Cleto 0-1
A sacfest resulted in White with a queen and rooks against two minors and rooks.
But White seemed to not see the idea of coming around to the Queenside via h8 and mating Black. For example, 37. Qh8+ Ke7 38. Qb8 and Black has no solution. A few moves later White moved into Black's mating net.
Atem-Letain 1-0
When it was looking very grim, Black missed a resource 26...Rac8 which gave him at least an equal game.
Deng - L. Gibbons 1-0
Not sure why this is 1-0 given the game score. It is difficult for Black but certainly not over yet.
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