Two games

RMD – ALD, 11/12/2004 [C49]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. e4 e5 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. Bxc6 [5. O-O] dxc6 6. Nxe5 Qe7 7. d4 Bxc3+ [7. … Nxe4] 8. bxc3 Nxe4 9. Bb2 O-O 10. Qf3 [10. O-O] Ng5 11. Qe3 f6 12. Nd3 [12. h4!? was worth considering.] Qxe3+ 13. fxe3 Re8 14. Kd2 Bf4 [14. … Ne4+] 15. h3 b6 16. g4?! [16. Nf2] Be4! 17. Rhf1 [17. h4!?] Nxh3 [17. … Bg2!] 18. Nf2 Nxf2 19. Rxf2 Re6 20. c4 Rae8 [20. … b5] 21. Re1 Bg6 22. c5 b5 23. a3 a5 24. Bc3 Ra8 25. Rf4 Re4 26. Rxe4 Bxe4 27. Rg1 Kf7 28. g5 fxg5 29. Rxg5 h6 30. Rg4 Bd5 31. e4 Be6 32. Rh5 Re8 33. Ke3 a4 34. Rh5 Re8 35. Kf4 [35. Ba5] Kg6 [35. … g5+] 36. Rh1 Bc7 37. e5 [37. Kf3] Bd5 38. Rg1+ Kf7 39. Bd2 [39. Ba5] g5+ 40. Kg3 Kg6 41. Rf1 Re7 42. Rf8 [It would have been better not to simplify.] Rf7 43. Rxf7 Kxf7 44. Kg4 Kg6 45. Ba5 h5+ 46. Kg3 Kf5 47. Bxc7 h4+ 48. Kf2? [48. Kh3 puts up a much stronger defense.] Kg4 [48. … g4 is quicker.] 49. Kg1 Kf3 50. Kh2? [This loses by force. 50. Bd8 was necessary.] g4 [50. … b4 also wins.] 51. c3 g3+ 52. Kg1 h3 53. e6 h2+ 54. Kh1 Kf2#

ALD – RMD, 11/17/2004 [C50]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O Nf6 5. Nc3 O-O 6. d3 d6 7. Re1 [7. h3 is most common; this move was played in Sowa-Madej 2001.] Ng4 [7. … Bg4] 8. Re2 b6 9. h3 Nxf2!? [9. … Nf6] 10. Rxf2 Bxf2+ 11. Kxf2 Qf6? [Just plain bad.] 12. Nd5 [Or 12. Bg5 Qg6 13. Bb5 Bb7 14. Nd5 Rae8 15. Bxc6 Bxc6 16. Ne7+ Rxe7 17. Bxe7.] Qd8 13. Bg5! Qd7 14. Nh4 [Missing 14. Nf6+!! gxf6 15. Bxf6, when Black is forced to give up the queen with 15. … Qe6. Otherwise, White gets an overwhelming attack with …Ng5 and …Qh5.] Na5 [With the idea of going after the strong bishop on c4, but both 14. … Nd4 and 14. … h6 are better.] 15. Ne7+? [Missing yet another win, this time with 15. Qh5! Qe6 16. Ne7+ Qxe7 17. Bxe7 Nxc4 18. Bxf8 Kxf8 19. dxc4.] Kh8 16. Qh5 Nxc4 17. dxc4 [17. Nd5 would have preserved more of an edge.] Bb7 18. Ke3 [19. Re1] Rae8 [19. … Qe6] 19. Neg6+? [Patience was called for. 19. Rf1 would have kept a small but long-term advantage. Now White has to fight to maintain equality.] fxg6 20. Nxg6+ Kg8 21. Nxf8 Rxf8 22. Qe2? [22. Kd3] h6 23. Bh4? [23. Bxh6] Qf7? [23. … Rf4] 24. Bg3 Qg6 [24. … Bxe4] 25. Qg4 Qxg4 26. hxg4 Rf6 27. Rh1 a6 28. Bh4? Rf4 29. Bd8 Rxe4+ 30. Kd3 Rd4+ [32. … Rxg4] 31. Kc3 Bxg2 32. Rg1 Bc6 33. Bxc7 b5 34. cxb5 axb5 35. a3 Be4 36. Ba5? [36. b3] Rc4+ 37. Kb3 [37. Kd2] Bxc2+ [37. … Bd5! wins faster.] 38. Ka2 d5 39. Re1 Rxg4 40. Rxe5 Be4 41. Bc3 Kh7 42. Re7 Bd3 43. Re5 [43. Be5] Bc4+ [43. … d4] 44. Kb1 [44. b3] d4 45. Bb4 Rg5 [45. … d3] 46. Re1 Rg2 47. Rd1 d3 48. Bc3? [47. Kc1] g6 [Missing the win with 48. … Bb3! 49. Re1 d2 50. Bxd2 Rxd2.] 49. Re1 h5 [Black is going way too slowly. 49. … d2 is faster.] 50. Rd1? [50. ... Bb3] h4 51. Bd2?? [51. Rh1] h3 [51. … Bb3] 52. Bf4 h2 53. Be3? [53. Bxh2 could not be avoided, although White is lost in any event.] g5 54. Rh1 Kg6 55. Kc1 d2+ 56. Kc2 g4 [56. … Bd5] 57. Bxd2 g3 58. Kc3 Kf5? [58. … Rg1] 59. b3? [59. Be1] Bxb3? [59. … Rg1] 60. Kxb3? [I might as well have resigned if I was going to play this. 60. Be3 was necessary, not that there was any chance of saving the game in any event.] Rxd2 61. Kc3 Rd5 62. Kc2 Kg4 63. Kc3 Kh3 64. Kc2 g2 65. Re1 h1=Q 66. Rxh1+ gxh1=Q 0-1