2017 3 Tables - October Round 1 Mike Thomas, 2022 - Anton Taylor, 1948 Indian (A45)

2017 3 Tables - October Round 1
Mike Thomas, 2022 - Anton Taylor, 1948
Indian (A45)

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 d6 d5 is more common at top level but this move has been played fairly often so it isn't bad. 3. Nc3 Nbd7 4. Nf3 g6 All sorts of moves have been tried here. Probably the most direct route with 4. ... c5 is better than this but this is fine as well. 5. Qd2 e4 is better but only slightly. Qd2 is a good choice as well. White has a small space advantage in either case. 5. ... Bg7 6. e4 O-O 7. O-O-O White is already very comfortable here and has all the long distance planning. It's possible that black has just played too "solidly" and built his only coffin. There is game to play but it is tedious and precise for Black and in a human-versus-human game that might be ok but it isn't preferable. 7. ... c5 8. dxc5 Nxc5 9. e5 Nfe4 10. Nxe4 Nxe4 11. Qe3 d5 12. Bd3 It's interesting that this move is condemned by Komodo. Instead Kb1 is preferred. Neither move is a direct victory path for white so I suspect the ending is much the same. However, it is worth noting that this move takes some squares away from the white queen and makes Qb6 stronger. 12. ... Qa5 This seemed a better alternative to me than Qb6. That move was rejected because it leads to isolated double pawns and I assumed this was headed to an endgame. Komodo thinks this is drawn with a slight plus to white. I agree. 13. Kb1 Be6?? Here was my error. Nc5 or Bg4 are better choices. 13... Bg4 14. Bxe4 dxe4 15. Qxe4 Rac8 16. Rd5 Bf5 17. Rxa5 Bxe4 18. Rc1 a6 seems a good start to black's recovery from his lackluster opening. I simply missed the obvious and crushing reply to Be6. 14. Nd4 Nc5 15. Bh6 Rfc8 Things are pretty bad but this loses much faster. My idea was a double attack after Nxe3 and Qc7 when I can possibly grab the e5 pawn but this idea is far too slow and not at all backed by any sound calculation. 16. Bxg7 Kxg7 17. h4 Bd7 18. h5 Rh8 19. h6+ 19. e6! Nxe6 20. Qe5+ Kg8 21. hxg6 f6 22. gxh7+ Kf8 23. Nxe6+ Bxe6 24. Qxe6 19. ... Kg8?? Already beaten ... I miss the bit of greater resistance from Kf8. More poor calculation. 20. e6 Bxe6 21. Nb3 1-0

This game is fairly humiliating. Poor results in my last several tournaments has undone most of my years work rating-wise. I am suffering burn-out and a drop in confidence. After my next game related post I plan to share some of my method of attack for solving these and other issues.