Saturday, December 10, 2016

2016 Free No More Round 2 CM Jerry Baker, 2152 - Anton Taylor, 1865 English Opening, by transposition (A17)

CM Jerry Baker, 2152 - Anton Taylor, 1865
English Opening, by transposition (A17)
http://chessmicrobase.com/microbases/9425/games/918669

1. b3 Nf6 2. Bb2 e6 3. c4 d5 4. e3 b6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Nc3 Ba6 This pawn offer to prevent white from castling is me going for blood. This is the first game I played against Jerry after deciding to earn my master title. I AM out for blood. 7. Qc2 Nc5 8. d3 Be7 9. Be2 Bb7 10. O-O O-O 11. Rad1 c6 12. e4 Qc7 13. e5 Nfd7 14. d4 Na6 15. Bd3 g6 16. a3 f5 This is a howler. Black's position is borderline lost (after fxe6 e.p. Black's backwards e-pawn comes under fire and Black lacks the coordination to defend adequately) 17. exf6 Bxf6 18. Rde1 I thought it was better to play Rfe1 but the Candidate Master is having no f-pawn attack shenanigans. Rae8 19. Re2 e5 I was very optimistic about this position. The problem is that all of Black's minor pieces are inferior and lacking in a clear future. The only way for black to hope for anything is to create complications. 20. dxe5 Nxe5 21. Nxe5 Bxe5 22. h3 d4 This equalizes. At the time I played the move I flattered myself thinking that the passed pawn gave me an advantage. The clerical problem is still the minor pieces. They are in no position to escort the pawn to queening. However, it is a "criminal" as Nimzo put it and White will have to keep watch over the pawn giving Black the needed time to coordinate something. 23. Ne4 c5 24. Rfe1 Qc6 25. Bc1 Nc7 26. b4 Bf4 27. Bxf4 Rxf4 28. b5 Qd7 29. Qd2 Ref8 30. Ng3 R4f7 31. Qg5 Qd8 32. Re7 I took a lot of time here looking at Rxf2. For some reason I did not see what wins the game now that I see it with fresh eyes. White is simply lost after the rooks and Bishop start eating decisive material. BUT, alas I did not play that way and chose to complicate my king's safety instead. As I sit here looking at this tragicomedy of a game I winder how much of these annotations Jerry saw during the game. Given our meandering blunder trading I would say he and I probably saw about as much as one another. The decisive factor in this game was not my brilliant play, it was not my opponents mistakes, it was a blundering about stabbing at each other in the dark. I am overjoyed at the richness of tactical opportunity home analysis gives you from the use of computers but I am also saddened that I saw so little sitting at the board. Rxe7 33. Rxe7 Rf7 I also missed 33. ... Ne6 which would have netted me the rook. But the time scramble is coming and I'm going to win it as history knows. 34. Nf5 0-1 The final score in your favor covers a multitude of sins.

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