Three games

ALD – RMD, 11/13/2004 [D21]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nc6? [This fails to 4. d5, which unfortunately I did not notice.] 4. Bf4 Bf5 5. e3 [5. Nc3] b5!? [5. … e6] 6. Nc3 a6 7. a4 Nb4 8. e4 Bg6 9. axb5 Nf6? [The obvious 9. … axb5 is the right move.] 10. Bxc4 [10. bxa6] axb5 11. Rxa8 [11.Bxb5+] Qxa8 12. Bxb5+ Kd8?! [12. … c6] 13. Bd3? [13. O-O] Nxd3+ 14. Qxd3 Qa1+ [The immediate 14. … Nxe4 is stronger.] 15. Nd1 Bxe4 16. Qc3 [16. Qb5 was more correct.] Nd5! 17. Qd2 [17. Qc1 Qa6 18. Ne5 f6 19. Nf7+ Ke8 20. f3 Bxf3 21. gxf3 Kxf7 also maintains an edge.] f5 [Missing 17. … Bxf3 18. gxf3 e5 19. Bg5+ f6 20. O-O fxg5 21. dxe5 c6 22. Nc3 Qa5 23. Qxg5+ Kc8.] 18. Nh4 [18. O-O] e6 [18. … Qa6] 19. O-O Qa7 [19. … Bb4] 20. Nc3 Bb4 21. Bg5+ Kd7? [21. … Nf6] 22. f3 Nxc3? [22. … Qa5! 23. fxe4 fxe4 24. Rc1 Rf8 25. Qe1 Nxc3 26. bxc3 Qxg5 27. cxb4 Qf6 with an attack.] 23. bxc3 Bc6 [23. … Bxc3] 24. cxb4 Rb8 25. Qc3 g6 26. Rc1 Bb5 27. Qc5 Qxc5 28. dxc5 Bc6 29. g4 [29. Rd1+] Rxb4 30. Rd1+ Kc8 31. gxf5 [31. Rd8+] exf5 32. Kf2 Rc4 33. Rd8+ [Now 33. Rc1 is better.] Kb7 34. Rh8 Rxc5 [34. … f4] 35. Rxh7 Rc2+ 36. Kg3 Rc3 37. Nxg6 [37. Rg7] Rxf3+ 38. Kh4 Be4 39. Bd8 Rc3 40. Nf4 Kb6 41. Ne6 f4 [41. … Kb5] 42. Rxc7 Rxc7 43. Bxc7+ Kc6 44. Bxf4 Kd5 45. Ng5 Bg2 46. Kg3 Bf1 47. h4 Be2 48. Nf3 Bd3 [48. … Ke4] 49. h5 Ke6 50. Kg4 Kf6 51. Be5+ Kf7 52. Ng5+ Kg8 53. h6 Bb1 54. Kh5 Bc2 55. Nh3 Bb1 56. Nf4 Be4 57. Bg7 Kh7 58. Ne6 Kg8 59. Kg5 Kh7 60. Kf6 Bc2 61. Kf7! [This wins.] Bg6+ 62. Kf8 Bb1 63. Ng5+ Kg6 64. h7 Kxg5 65. h8=Q 1-0

RMD – ALD, 11/21/2004 [C68]

1. Nc3 Nc6 2. e4 e5 3. Bb5 a6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. Nf3 Bd6 6. d4 exd4 7. Qxd4 f6 8. O-O [8. Be3] c5 [8. … Be6] 9. Qd5 c6 10. Qh5+ g6 11. Qh4 f5?! 12. Qxd8+ [12. Bg5!] Kxd8 13. Bg5+ Be7 [13. … Kc7] 14. e5 [14. Rfe1] Bxg5 15. Nxg5 Nh6 [15. … Ke7] 16. Na4 c4 17. Rae1 b5 18. Nb6 Rb8 19. Nxc8 Kxc8 20. h3 Rb7 21. f4 Re8 22. c3 [22. Rd1] Rbe7 23. Re2 Nf7? [23. … Rd8] 24. h4? [24. Nxh7] Nxg5 25. hxg5 Kd7 26. Rd1+ Ke6? [26. … Kc7] 27. Rd6+ Kf7 28. Rxc6 Re6 29. Rc7+ R8e7 30. Rc8 Rd7 31. Kh2 Rde7 32. b4 Rd7 33. Re3 Rd2? [33. … Ke7] 34. Rc7+ [Missing 34. Rh3! Re7 (34. … Kg7? 35. Rc7+) 35. Rxh7+ Ke8 36. Rh6 Rxa2 37. Rxg6 with advantage.] Re7 35. Rxe7+ [35. e6+] Kxe7 [Despite having an extra pawn (and a passed one at that), White has no obvious winning path.] 36. a3? [36. Rh3] Ra2 37. Kh3 Rxa3 38. g4 [White has been relegated to defense, so 38. Rf3 was necessary.] fxg4+ [The immediate breakthrough with 38. … a5 is better.] 39. Kxg4 Ke6 40. Rg3 [40. Rh3] a5 [Too little, too late. This is only good for a draw now.] 41. Rf3? [Trying to get slick. It’s best just to accept the draw with 41. bxa5.] axb4 42. cxb4 Rxf3? [42. … Rb3! leaves Black with a lasting edge. It’s all over now.] 43. Kxf3 Kf5 44. Ke3 Ke6 45. Ke7 ½-½

ALD – RMD, 11/27/2004 [B00]

1. d4 Nc6 2. d5 Na5 3. e4 e5 4. Nf3 Bd6 [Cramps Black’s position too much. Better is 4. … Nf6.] 5. a3 b6 6. b4 Nb7 7. Ng5 [7. Bd2] h6 8. Qh5 Qe7 9. Nf3 Nf6 10. Qf5 [10. Qh4] c6 11. c4 a5 12. b5?! [12. axb5 is simpler.] cxb5 [12. … cxd5] 13. cxb5 Nc5 [Taking the outpost. Chessmaster suggests 14. Bc5, but I like this better.] 14. Be3? [14. Nbd2] Nb3? [14. … Ncxe4] 15. Ra2 Bc5 [15. … Bb4+] 16. Nxe5? [16. Qxe5!] d6! 17. Nc6 Qxe4? [17. … Bxf5 18. Nxe7 Bxe4 19. Nc6 Bxe3 20. fxe3 Nxd5] 18. Qxe4+ Nxe4 19. Bxc5 Nexc5 20. Bc4 O-O 21. O-O Bd7 22. Re1 [22. a4] Rae8 23. Rxe8+ Rxe8 24. Re2 Kf8 25. Rxe8+ Rxe8 26. a4 Bf5! [After this move, Black maintains enduring pressure for the rest of the game.] 27. Nc3 g6 [Unnecessary.] 28. f3 Bc2 29. Na7 Kd7 30. Kf2 Nd2! 31. Be2 Nxa4 32. Nxa4 Bxa4 33. Ke3 Nb1 34. f4? [34. Kd4] Nc3? [34. … Bb3 wins a pawn immediately because 35. Kd4 fails to 35. … Bxd5! 36. Kxd5 Nc3+.] 35. Bc4 f5 36. h3 h5 37. Kd3 Nb1 38. Kd4 [38. Nc6] Na3 39. Be2 Bc2 40. g4 [40. g3] h4 41. gxf5? [Loses, although White’s game can probably not be saved with the objectively best 41. … Kc3.] Bxf5 42. Bf1? [42. Bd3 Bxh3 43. Bxg6 held more hope.] Nc2+! 43. Kc3 Ne3 0-1 [White can not avoid the loss of a second pawn (or probably a third pawn either) or the exchange of one set of minor pieces.]