Anton Taylor, 1846 - Eddie Ray Wood, 1718
Ruy Lopez (C70)
http://chessmicrobase.com/microbases/9425/games/918667
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Bc5 4. c3 Nge7 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 a6
8. Ba4 d6 This position is perhaps the most interesting to me in this game for a number of reasons. Firstly, d5 gives white a very clear advantage after the minor pieces are captured and Black's queenside is in horrible disarray. Secondly, I do not know why Black players would volunteer into this position today. This is definitely not a double-edged concession of the center. White is just better here. And lastly and MOST importantly I have played against Eddie dozens of times and never lost a game in this variation. I know for a fact we have reached this position a half dozen times. Remembering those games and the tactical shootouts Eddie likes I play this slow a methodical reducing his counterplay. 9. h3 d5 is a crusher but I wanted to have fun and watch an "attacking" player sweat a losing positional battle. Cruel? Yes. Fun? Also, yes. 9. ... O-O 10. O-O Bd7 11. Bg5 Provoking a weakness in the light suares. After 11. ... f6 12.Be3 white is still better. 11. ... Qe8 12. Qd3 Bxc3 13. bxc3 Nxd4 And here it is. My opponent, not content to lose positionally, strikes out with a tactical trick that fails to a simple tactic of my own. White is clearly winning after this. 14. Qxd4 Bxa4 15. Bxe7 Bc6 16. Bxf8 Kxf8 17. Rfe1 f6 18. Re3 Qg6 19. Rae1 Re8 20. Nd2 Re5 21. Rg3 Qf7 22. Nc4 Rc5 This looks like Black may try to mop up some pawns but he's a rook down. the compensation is just not there and there is no time for an endgame. This half knight-wheel wins the game. 23. Ne3 Re5 24. Ng4 Rg5 25. Rf3 h5 26. Nxf6 Rxg2+ 27. Kxg2 Qg6+ 28. Kh2 Ke7 29. Rg1 Qf7 30. Nd5+ Bxd5 31. Rxf7+ Bxf7 32. Rxg7 Kf8 33. Qf6 1-0
This game makes me proud. I know that's the wrong attitude but let me finish. As I said, I have played against Eddie many times in the past. I can remember as a basic learner losing hundreds of club games to him. His lifetime plus score against me is enormous. When this game was played I had been on a six year break from tournament chess and had not seen eddie in probably eight years. So, what I'm really proud of was my memory. I remembered a game I played that many years prior and was able to use that to score a nice win against an old friend. It makes you feel like a real chess professional to do something like that. It's the fledgling dream of that steal trap memory that the pros seem to have.
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