Final round 9 today. My opponent didn't want to draw, so I had to play.
S., C. - Ajezz
Vienna Open (9), 23.8.
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 dxc4 4. a4 Nf6 5. e3
5... e5 should equalize immediately, but my move is also okay.
5... Bf5 6. Bxc4 e6 7. Nge2 Bb4 8. O-O O-O 9. Ng3 Bg6 10. Na2
Now I thought that after a bishop retreat he plays b4 with a space advantage so I played Qe7. After 10... Bd6 11. b4 e5 however, my position is okay. Maybe I should give my bishops more love and not exchange them against knights all the time...
10... Qe7 11. Nxb4 Qxb4 12. b3 Rd8
And here Re8 is probably more precise, to prepare e5.
13. Ba3 Qb6 14. Qf3 Nbd7 15. Bd6 a5 16. h4 h6 17. h5 Bh7 18. Ra2 Re8 19. Rd2
I could play 19... e5 here, but during the game I did not like the position after 20. dxe5 Nxe5 21. Bxe5 Rxe5 22. Rfd1, but it is totally okay for Black. I decided to play this line but exchange one pair of rooks.
19... Rad8 20. Rfd1
But now I realised that after the line given above (including the exchange on d2) White has Rd7 (X f7). I really wished at this point I had played e5 earlier. This line is probably still best for Black, however. My move is a mistake.
20... Qa7 21. e4 b6
Well, things have gone horribly wrong and I am probably just losing now. 21... b6 is to prepare c5 and also cover f7 in some lines.
22. Ba3 e5
Now that he has given me the opportunity, I play e5, but I am not convinced it is best. Maybe just play passively with Qc7?
23. Nf5
I think a plan based on d5 is best, but almost any line is winning for White, so it doesn't matter probably.
23. exd4 24. Be7
But now he really should have taken back on d4. He became confused of all the winning lines, I guess. After the game he told me he wanted to achieve more here than with Rxd4; but he simply overlooked...
24... Bxf5
,,, after which he is just lost. The funny thing was that in the analysis after the game he kept on overlooking the move Bxf5 in several other lines. It's maybe a psychological thing, with the bishop standing so hidden.
25. Bxd8 Bxe4 26. Qf4 Rxd8 27. Rxd4 Bd5 28. Bxd5 cxd5 29. Qd6
Tactics are over and I am winning. I have to be careful though. Here after 29... Qb8 for example, 30. Rxd4 Nxd4 31. Qxd4 and the pin on d7 could give me a headache.
29... Rc8 30. Qh2 Qc7 31. Qh3 Re8 32. R4d3 Nc5 33. Rc3 Qf4 34. Rf3 Qb4 35. Rxf6
Probably just desperation. Now after Re1+ he doesn't play Rxe1 Qxe1 Kh2 Qe5+, but Kh2, and I was not so sure about a possible perpetual (which there most probably isn't but why take chances). My move is the safe choice.
35... gxf6 36. Qg3+ Kh7 37. Rxd5 Qxb3 38. Qd6 Kg7 39. Rf5 Qb1+ 0-1
So yesterday, I had a nice position and blundered horribly, while today my opponent had an almost winning position and I was lucky that he blundered. Undeserved victories are always sweet.
So now the tournament is over and I am going back home tomorrow. I will make a final summarizingpost once I am home.
Code:
[Event "Vienna Open"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2009.08.23"]
[Round "9"]
[White "S., C."]
[Black "Ajezz"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D10"]
[WhiteElo "2137"]
[BlackElo "2018"]
[PlyCount "78"]
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 dxc4 4. a4 Nf6 5. e3 Bf5 6. Bxc4 e6 7. Nge2 Bb4 8. O-O O-O 9. Ng3 Bg6 10. Na2 Qe7 11. Nxb4 Qxb4 12. b3 Rd8 13. Ba3 Qb6 14. Qf3 Nbd7 15. Bd6 a5 16. h4 h6 17. h5 Bh7 18. Ra2 Re8 19. Rd2 Rad8 20. Rfd1 Qa7 21. e4 b6 22. Ba3 e5 23. Nf5 exd4 24. Be7 Bxf5 25. Bxd8 Bxe4 26. Qf4 Rxd8 27. Rxd4 Bd5 28. Bxd5 cxd5 29. Qd6 Rc8 30. Qh2 Qc7 31. Qh3 Re8 32. R4d3 Nc5 33. Rc3 Qf4 34. Rf3 Qb4 35. Rxf6 gxf6 36. Qg3+ Kh7 37. Rxd5 Qxb3 38. Qd6 Kg7 39. Rf5 Qb1+ 0-1