I'm six games into the Las Vegas tournament and after losing the first two I've won 4 in a row in the U1900 section. Since my last game was another miniature
http://www.chessvideos.tv/chess-game...r.php?id=39002 I have time for a quick post before the final game this evening.
Under 1900 players are just horrible, myself included in those two losses, although I did just jump straight in after an eight hour drive and no sleep so that's my excuse. Anyway, here's probably my most interesting game where I often wasn't sure what to do.
http://www.chessvideos.tv/chess-game...r.php?id=39004
- After 10. Kf1 I thought I might do better than just get a positional edge but I couldn't find anything crushing. He needed to play 9.h3 or an earlier Bb3 or a2 or something.
-I was suspicious of 15...f5 changing horses midstream as I had planned on Rd8, Kh7, maybe g5 first. I couldn't resist either shutting out his bishop or doubling on the f-file if he took but he gets some activity with Qd5+, exf5, and Qe4 I think. Then I should have played 16...f4 since he could still do that. So, oops.
-I guess 26...Qc8 made more sense than moving that rook back and forth but it didn't seem like he could do much anyway. I'm trying to come up with Queen trapping threats, threats of making g4 work especially while there's a fork on f3, or preparing h5 and g4.
-On 28...Rdf1 I didn't really check to see if the immediate Nd4 traps the Queen as I was worried about time. It didn't really look like it would with the check and it doesn't.
-29.Kf1? If he played 29.Qd3 I would lose on time trying to calculate g4.
-Then I still had some trouble. I played 34...Kh8 rather than Rg7 in time pressure intending to take over the d-file but whites next move made that impossible. Anyway I was doing fine till 43...Rh7? with the tunnel visioned idea of trading off his damn rooks completely forgetting I let the rest of his army out.
-50.Rxb7? I guess he felt lost and decided to swindle with a rook and knight attack but I think the two minor pieces and rushing pawns versus my Queen would require some accuracy on my part since I had nothing to sacrifice for a pawn+piece.
I need to pay closer attention and get less trade happy when I get a big material advantage. His rooks were neutralized and I could have just sent a rook and Queen over to mate him.
Last edited by RoundTower; 12-30-2010 at 12:16 AM.
Reason: fixed move number