2017 On The Move Round 2 Anton Taylor, 2027 - Andy Porter, 2106 Sicilian: Kan (B41)

2017 On The Move Round 2
Anton Taylor, 2027 - Andy Porter, 2106
Sicilian: Kan (B41)

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Be3 Nf6 6. e5? I don't even know how to explain this lapse in judgement but Black emerges a healthy pawn up for no white compensation. White is just losing after this. 6. ... Qa5+ 7. Nd2 Qxe5 8. Be2 d5 9. O-O Nc6 10. Nxc6 bxc6 11. c3 Qc7 12. Re1 Bd6 13. Nf1 O-O 14. Qa4 Ne4 15. f3 Nc5 16. Qh4 f5 17. Qf2 Nd7 18. Rad1?? Everything up until now is losing but this move is yet another howler eliminating any chance of victory. 18. ... f4 19. Bc1 Bc5 20. Ne3 Bxe3 21. Bxe3 fxe3 22. Qxe3 Qa7 23. Bd3 Qxe3+ 24. Rxe3 Nc5 25. Bc2 Bd7 26. b4 Nb7 27. c4 Nd6 28. Bb3 Rab8 29. a3 Rf6 30. Ba2 g5 31. g3 Kg7 32. Kg2 Rbf8 33. Rd2 h5 34. Bb3 g4 35. f4 Ne4? An unnecessary risk. Black is still winning but this provides complications and counter-chances for white. 36. Rxe4 dxe4 37. Rxd7+ R8f7 38. Rd4 e5 39. Rxe4 exf4 40. gxf4 Rxf4 41. Rxf4 Rxf4 42. c5 Rf3 43. Ba4 Rxa3 44. Bxc6 Kf6 45. b5 axb5 46. Bxb5 Ra5 47. Be8 Rxc5 48. Ba4 Rc3 49. Bb5 Kg5 50. Be2 Rc2 51. Kf1 Kf4 0-1

This is my most embarrassing game from the event. It often happens that a chess Grandmaster will make a terrible blunder and the other GMs ridicule him saying, "Does a person that can make such horrible moves deserve his title?". I would ask the same of myself. Does a person capable of making these kinds of elementary mistakes deserve the NM title. I must conclude that he does not. Therefore, I have to begin working twice as hard and three times as long as before if I really want to make the title this year. There are no acceptable excuses for this kind of fumbling mess. Some might think this is harsh but this is simple fact. If I want the title I can't accept this kind of performance. The situation isn't hopeless. On the contrary, I know exactly what to do to train it out of myself. I have become stagnant and plateaued over the last few months. Time to hit it hard once more and become the machine I have seen that I can be.