2017 Owensboro June Open Round 1 Stephen Wilson, 1204 - Anton Taylor, 2027 Caro-Kann (B10)

2017 Owensboro June Open Round 1 
Stephen Wilson, 1204 - Anton Taylor, 2027 
Caro-Kann (B10)

1. e4 c6 2. Nc3 d5 3. d3 e5 This move has been tried several times in the database and even by the likes of Anatoly Karpov. However, I am not convinced that it is even particularly good since it only becomes a second target for white's pieces. There is no satisfactory alternative and the only move more commonly played is dxe4. 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. Qd2 As ugly as this move looks it really isn't as bad as it first appears. There is no satisfying punishment mostly because the absence of the light square bishop only gives white's pieces squares to play on with impunity. I do not think a master would make such a move but it seems strangely playable. 5. ... Bxf3 6. gxf3 Be7 This move keeps the enemy queen out of g5 and prepares to play Bf6 to protect the e5 pawn. 7. Ne2 Preparing f4 is unnecessary and playing it immediately is just good for white. 7. ... h6 A somewhat tricky move I considered that kingside castling was probably dangerous and so preparing g5 at some point was useful. the positionb is roughly equal. 8. Qc3 d4 9. Qb3 b6? I was uncertain what to play here. A pattern that was not at all clear to me is in the following variation: 9... Na6 10. Qxb7 Nb4 11. Kd1 Bc5 12. a3 Rb8! and the queen is lost. Had I seen this pattern Na6 would have been played. I missed Bc5! 10. f4 Nd7 equal with chances for both sides. This should technically favor me in this matchup where I have several years of tournament experience on my relatively new to tournament chess opponent. 11. c3 c5 A terrible blunder. Nc5 occured to me after I hit the clock and is komodo's recommendation to keep equality.  12. Bh3! This and Bg2! are both considerably good moves and probably winning. 12. ... Ngf6 13. Bd2 A wasted move giving black some initiative. This is what he needs more than anything. 13. ... g5 One good blunder deserves another. I simply make a giant hole on f5 for white's pieces to jump into. But if this is not the right move (and probably never correct) then the earlier h6 is suspect as well. 14. fxg5 hxg5 15. Bxd7+? Oh, thank God, one attacker down. Black is on the defense and this trade releases a little pressure. Nxd7 16. Ng3 Nf8 17. Nf5 Ne6 Now black is okay and can try once more to drum up an attack in an equal position. 18. Qd5 Qxd5 19. exd5 Nf4 20. Bxf4 gxf4 21. Ng7+?? The decisive blunder. The desperado knight has only to go back after making a useless check and once more concede a monstrous initiative only this time the target is glaringly obvious. 21. ... Kd7 22. c4 Rag8 23. Nf5 Bf8 24. h4 Rh5 25. Nxd4 cxd4 26. Ke2 Rg4 27. a3 Be7 28. b4 Rhxh4 29. b5 f5 30. a4 e4 31. dxe4 fxe4 32. Rxh4 f3+ 33. Kd2 Bxh4 34. a5 Bxf2 35. axb6 axb6 Amazingly Komodo gives Rg1 as winning by force ... for example: 35... Rg1 36. Rxg1 Be3+ 37. Kd1 Bxg1 38. bxa7 f2 39. a8=Q f1=Q+ 40. Kd2 Be3+ 41. Kc2 d3+ 42. Kc3 Qc1+ 43. Kb3 Qc2+ 44. Kb4 Qb2+ 45. Ka4 Qa1+ 46. Kb4 Bd2+ 47. Kb3 Qc3+ 48. Ka2 Qxc4+ 49. Kb2 Bc1+ 50. Ka1 Qd4+ 51. Ka2 Qb2#  36. c5  36. ... bxc5 37. b6 Bg3 0-1 White concedes that his pawn will not have a future and extends his hand.