Tromp against Veech - Close escape

I could have lost the game ! Missed a knight fork and had terribly bad position - passive and underdeveloped. I was committed to try my best. My young opponent played a very good game and missed his chance narrowly. Well played Veech !

Following is the link to the game in JavaScript window (you can play through the game)

http://www.geocities.com/saubhikr/veech.htm

Roychoudhury,Souvik (1976) - Veech,John (1813) [A45]

SWCC Club Championship, Hales Corner (3.3), 24.07.2008

1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Ne4 The most common response 3.Bf4 c5 Sharpest variation....can be said the main line 4.f3 Qa5+ 5.c3 Nf6 6.Nd2 I liked to play d5 here which is a complex, tactical game and have won a convincing game again Fricano on this line. But against a young player, wanted to play positionally. 6...cxd4 7.Nb3 Qb6 8.Qxd4 cxd is just bad. White's kingside is cluttered and black gets a free game 8...Nc6 9.Qxb6 axb6 10.Nd4 e5 11.Nxc6 exf4 12.Nd4 This is all theory and we played it within 1 min. One funny point is if you put this position to Fritz or Rybk, it wl show aslight advantage to black. I must repeat white has NO ADVANTAGE in Tromp. Then why do I play this ? I play this because the positions are complex enough and one can play for win. My 70+% score in Tromp is because I played the middle gamm better than my opponent. When they were better (like Amanov, Santarious), I lost. 12...d5 Few other common response here are Nd5 (which I feel best) and Bc5. d5 is also comon. It frees the c8 Bishop and stops white's Nh3 move. 13.e3!?

Not a pawn sac as white will get this back in two moves 13...fxe3 Ke2 is the main move. But over the board I felt Bb5+ with a tempo is better as a later Ne2 does not block the bishop.Plus exchanging pieces will help white to exploit the Black's bad pawn structure in end game. I mised the point. 14.Bb5+?! Bd7 15.Ke2 Bc5 16.Bxd7+ Kxd7 17.Kxe3 Rhe8+ 18.Kd3 Bxd4!? I was shocked to see this move. Black has a bad pawn structure which is compensated by his better development and having the good bishop. But this move made me think for a long as my King in center can be subjected to a lot of attack. Plus I have to waste a tempo to play Kd3 to develop my knight on best square e2. 19.Kxd4 [19.cxd4 Shredder thinks this is better. Because black has bad queenside pawns and white can play Ne2-Nc3 and then either play for Rc1-c7 (after Nb5 or attack the d5 square. I felt I can not win this unless black really playes bad. ] 19...Kd6 [19...Re7 I was really worried about this move and this made me think for almost 15 mins to evaluate the subsequent position. 20.Kd3 Rae8 21.Rd1! This is the key defense. 21...Re1 22.Kd2 R1e3 23.Kc1 (23.Kc2 Re1 24.Kd2 R1e3 White can not free the knight.) 23...Kc6 24.Nh3 Nh5 25.Rd4 Position is still equal but black with bad pawn stucture has more to worry.; 19...Nh5 20.g3 This variation is also good as it weakens the f3 pawn.] 20.Kd3 This is the catch. If I would not have played Bb5+, I had controll on e2 square and could have pplayed Ne2. Now I had to waste a tempo to play that. This is why Bb5+ check is not played. Black bishop had no good square as after Bf5+ Kd3, I can kick it with Nd4 and then exchange it favorably with Bd3. 20...Nd7 21.b3?? Too clever and outright blunder ! I was afraid that after Ne2, black can play Ne5+ followed by Nc4+ and get a good position. This was a profilactic move move to stop that. I missed one point. [21.Kd2! This was the right profilactic move in anticipation on Ne5 or Nc5.] 21...Nc5+

Here I planned Kd2 followed by Nd2. But suddenly saw that I am losing an exchange and a pawn and the game by a knight fork on b3 !! The a1 rook is undefended. 22.Kc2 Black is clearly winning here. Fritz assessment is black is 3 pawns up ! HOWEVER, I recently realizzed that I generally did not lose games with just one blunder. I always had another shot and when I lost, I lost for the second blunder. I was committed to apply that lesson and try hard and wait for my chance. 22...b5? Unnecessary waste of time. Ra3 wins easily. 23.b4 I was desparate to complicate the position 23...Nd7? Na4 attacking c3 is much simpler. Black gave few tempo to white. Black has slight advantage only now. 24.Kd2? Counter favor. Kd1 was better as on d2, white gets into the knight check from c4. Black has again clear plus 24...Ne5 25.Ne2 Nc4+ 26.Kd1 Ne3+ 27.Kd2 Nc2!! I saw it is coming few moves back but could do nothing to stop it. If Veech played very well in this game. Excellent move.

28.Nd4!? White sacs the exchange but stays in the game as he will get the b5 pawn back and has a fortress in center. Maaaaay beee some complication can bring him back to the game. [28.Kxc2 Rxe2+ 29.Kb3 Rxg2 Black is a pawn up and white has nothing to show in return. Passive and bad.; 28.Rac1 Rxa2 29.Rxc2 Rxc2+ 30.Kxc2 Rxe2+ 31.Kd3 Rxg2-+] 28...Nxd4?! Too smart [28...Nxa1 29.Nxb5+ Kd7 30.Rxa1 Re6 Black should have played this line. Soften the kingside and open the lines for rook.] 29.cxd4 Ra3 I personally felt Rc8-c4 is better 30.Rhc1 Though now I see black is still clearly better but at this point I was much relieved over the board 30...Ree3 31.Rc5 I was thinking I am getting the b5 pawn back. I missed something. 31...Rad3+?! [31...b6! My rook will be trapped if I take on b5 ! neither of us saw it over the board.] 32.Kc2 Rxd4 33.Rxb5 Re2+ 34.Kc3 Rc4+ 35.Kd3 I was thinking Kb3-followed by Rd1 to get the d-pawn but black will take on king side pawns and win 35...Rxg2 36.Rxb7 White is very close to being saved here. Rook endings are easier to defend for losing side. 36...Rxh2?! Rf4 defending the f7 while attacking the f3 was better. 37.Rxf7 I was thinking whether to play a4-a5 trying to get the pawns first. They say, in Rook ending the activity is more important than material. But today I had enough for trying subtle moves. Played simple. Actually a4-a5 or b5 ideas loses as black will also roll with h5-h4 and might get some mating attack for the cut off king with f5-f4. 37...Rxb4 38.Rxg7

Here I offered draw. a, c, f, h pawns dow not win rook endgame. So I realized I had no chance to win unless he blunders big time. I had just 20 mins vs 60 misn for Veech. With equal pawn and free passer to each, draw is the likely solution. And who knows that better than Veech who just offered a lecture that evening on Rook Endgames. After a short thought, he accepted. I saved from a close defeat! 1/2-1/2

SWCC Championship - Colle from black side against Pokoroski

Following is the analysis of my last round win against Jeff Pokorsoski. I played for fun, took a a lot of risk and won eventually. My opponent played very solid but allowed himself to go to time trouble when he made a few bad moves to loose. Anyway, good game.

Click the following link to play through the game

http://www.geocities.com/saubhikr/pokorski.htm

Pokorski,Jeff (1652) - Roychoudhury,Souvik (1976) [A45]

SWCC Club Championship Waukesh (2.4), 17.07.2008

1.d4 Nf6 2.e3?! c5!?

2.e3 was premature and discloses white plan too early. Colle is ineffective against g6 set up. I should have played 2....g6 here. 3.Bd3 d5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bg4 c4 followed by Bf5/Bg4 was also good. I wanted to keep the tension in the center. 6.h3 Bxf3 [6...Bh5 I was afraid in this case white can take the c5 pawn and keep the same. Analyzed for some time but I was wrong in my assessment. 7.dxc5 e5 8.g4 Bg6 9.Bb5 This is the move I was worried 9...Bxc5 10.Nxe5 0-0 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bxc6 Rc8 13.Bb5 Ne4

Black is down a pawn but fully developed. White's queenside is jammed and not developed. His kingside is loose due to extended pawn moves. Queen can jump to h4, pawn breaks line h5 or f5, bringing Rooks to action, sac on f2/e3 - black has a lot of play. Actually black has an advantage here.] 7.Qxf3 e6 [7...e5 I wanted to play this move but felt it would simplify things for white. May be a6 was a better profileactic move. 8.dxe5 Nxe5 9.Bb5+ Nc6 10.c4=] 8.0-0 a6 Too clever...playing for tempo so that if white takes on c5, I can take in one move. a6 is an useful move stopping Bb5/Nb5 and weakness of b6 can not be exploited given the current position. I was also thinking of cxd but that would allow white to play Bc1 first before developing the Knight on d2. 9.Nd2 Now ehite plans to take on c5 and play e4 when he can take with Knight. He has a Bishop pair with no weakness. It would be very difficult for black to extract win. 9...cxd4?! Bad move as it hands over a good structure to White. I took a risk to sharpen the game. What is my plan to win if I play the right move like Bd6 ? Here I have changed the structure to match Queen's gambit exchange variation and can play for minority attack. Since Knight is blocking the Bishop on c1, I'll be able to play Bd6 and h6 to ensure C1 bishop does not get a good square. But mu assessment was wrong as I found later. 10.exd4 cxd is bad as Bc1 will be locked and black will be the first to use the c-file. 10...Bd6 11.Re1 Here I realized something. I was thinking th Knight had no good squares but it can now go to f1-g3-h5. White has two bishops and open diagonals. The rook can be lifted. This is like Caro Kann exchange variation. This types of positions I play a lot and know there are a lot of attack white can generate. 11...0-0 12.Bc2!? Too blant. 12...Qc7?! I was also equally crude. The threat was to play Nd4 when c2 Bishop is hangling. later I realized white can also get a pawn by intermediate Bxh7+. I should have played for counterplay before white completes his development through b5-b4 [12...e5 This was found to be best move considerinbg the counterplay black gets in return of the isolated pawn. Saw a recent game by Eugene Perelstyne like this. 13.dxe5 Nxe5 14.Qd1 Re8 I was not comfortable to go for this. Not my strength.] 13.Nb3! Missed this move ! This little move defends d4, opens up Bc1 and keeps the queenside tight. I was also worried about Nc5 followed by b4 to close the queenside. 13...Rfc8 Here I realized that h6 to stop Bg5 allows white to sac the Bishop. Thought he can not do that immediately. It also makes difficult to play a later imminent g6 when white plays Qd3 as h6 will be loose. The purpose of my move was to respond Qd3 with Nb4! when I get the powerful c2 Bishop and can safely got for minority attack. 14.Bg5! White is clear better here. If I get this position, 60-70% chance I would win. 14...Be7 15.Bf4 Bd6 16.Bg5 Claer he is happy with draw. But I can not. So I took a big risk here. 16...Nd7! I would defend from trenches. This avoids exchanging one piece. I plan to play Nf8 later. This also controls e5 & c5. Just see, I have no piece in my kingside and everything is jammed on queenside. But I knew I could bring them back quickly and some of them can controlling kingside from distance. I was also thinking of Ne8 when it covers g7 square and can be activated via Nd6. This also keeps 7th rank free for Queen to cover the key kingside squares. But somehow I felt Nd7 is a better defensive move. 17.Qd3 g6 Blunts the d3 Bishop. Nf8 would locked the knight for protection. 18.Rac1! I liked this move as now my Nb4 trick does not work! 18...b5 [18...Bf4 I thought for this move or after intermediate Bh2+. This forces exschange of the Bishop but I was not sure whose Bishop was better. All my pawns were on light squares and this bishop was defending the dark squares. Plus exchanging on f4 white gets a tempo to play Re3-f3 and may be Qd2-f4/h6 etc. I felt I should start my counterplay quickly.] 19.h4! Good move. This position with g4 begs for this move. 19...b4 20.h5 Nf8?! I was afraid of hxg followed by Re6 sac. Last week only I lost a game to Ivan from a clear winning position by missing the Ne6 sac. [20...bxc3 21.hxg6 hxg6 22.Rxe6

22...Bh2+ 23.Kh1 Nf8! 24.Rxc6 (24.Re2 cxb2 25.Rb1 Nb4 26.Qh3 Re8!!-/+ A lot of analysis still needs to be done.) ] 21.Qh3 Bf4 Now it is clear that Bf6 is a big threat with Queen aiming the h8 and I must exchange this powerful Bishop before it is too late (say allows him to sac the exchange) 22.Bxf4 [22.hxg6? Bxg5 23.gxh7+ Kh8 24.Qg4 Qf4 25.Qh5 bxc3 26.bxc3 Qf6-/+] 22...Qxf4 23.hxg6 hxg6 I thought for a long for Ng6 but that isolates my pawns and the Knight remains pinned to h7. White still has an advantage. 24.g3 Aiming as Kg2 followed by Rh1. 24...Qf6 The Queen defends the kingside very well and can not be forced out from her trench (f6 or g7). 25.Kg2 bxc3 26.bxc3 After a long forced moves, I got a breathing time. Thought for a long here. e5 was one idea and same is Rb8. Recently I lost a few games by trying to be over aggressive. Today I wanted to play like Petrosian and win through accurate defense. I felt I must move the Nc6 to open the Rc8 to c3 pawn. After all the key is to have a counterplay. I can't just defend and win. White has not sacrificed anything (yet). 26...Nb8 Not the best move but practical choice. The knight heading to d7 controlling the c5 square in case white plays Nc5 to block the c-file. But this is too slow. 27.Rh1? At last the blunder comes. I was hoping for a false step from my opponent from a long time. He was taking a lot of time but was playing solid. Here He had less than 10 mins. But I think Bb1 first to keep the c3 pawn was better. Position is again becomes unclear. 27...Rxc3! I thought for a long time here as white has a strong threat of Bg6 when my Rc3 is undefended. But eventually I saw I could defend the position. 28.f4 Prevents the Qf3+ [28.Bxg6? Qf3+! Black queen abandones the kingisde to get counterplay. Leaves the defensive duty to the brave knight on f8 alone. All other move loses. 29.Kg1 Rxc1+ 30.Nxc1 Nxg6 was better but I planned this move. 30...fxg6 31.Qh8+ Kf7 32.Rh7+ Ke8 Nh7 was better but in the trees analysis I was this move though really risky but wins. I am sure I would have played otherwise when the position would have come on board.] 28...Rc4 Qg7 was better but somehow I was anxious to not keep my Rook loose for long. 29.Rh2? Bad move. Nd2 was better. [29.Nd2 Rxd4? White gets a tempo on Nf3. Rc8 was better. 30.Nf3] 29...Nc6 I was anxious to develop my queenside and here I needed to bring the knight back on c6 toi attack the d4. Note c6 is a loose square but my opponent was in time trouble and I wanted to complicate things more for him. 30.Nd2 Here I felt Nd2-Nf3-Ng5 is a strong concept. May be white could have gone for this earlier. 30...Rxd4 White gets a tempo on Nf3. Rc3 was better. 31.Nf3 Rc4 32.Ne5 Bad move again as it losses a pawn and opens the f-file for Queen. White lost a tempo on Rh which allowed me to play Nc6. If he would have gone for Nd2 straight away, Ne5 could have been a strong move. 32...Nxe5 33.fxe5 Qxe5 34.Bxg6 Allows mate with 1 sec on clock. 34...Qe2+ 35.Kg1 Rxc1+ 0-1 MATE