C91 Closed Spanish Game: 7...d6 8.c3 0-0 9.d4 (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 b5 5.Bb3 d6 6.c3 Be7 7.O-O Nf6 8.Re1 O-O 9.d4 Bg4 10.d5 Na5 11.Bc2 c5 12.dxc6 Nxc6)

This is an example of those games where I could have lost many times during the game but did not as my opponent was not able to make use of his possibilities. So, in that regard I am lucky to even have drawn this game as I never really had an advantage during the game. It is interesting to see in the notation that the reference games are quite old even though I keep my reference database updated each week. I guess not that many players have played like this in many years or have not ended up in the database. This game was played in a tournament called 2014 August Grand Seven Fourteen III. This a tournament where I can only hope for a third place finish as the two first places are too far ahead of me in points that I can't reach them anymore. I have added two mate in ones, two mate in twos and one mate in eight puzzle today. Until tomorrow, my fellow chess enthusiasts! As always, if you have any feedback to give, please leave a comment, it would be much appreciated.

[Event "Grand Seven Fourteen"] [Site "http://www.redhotpawn.com"] [Date "2014.08.11"] [Round "1"] [White "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Black "Thaba"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C91"] [WhiteElo "1871"] [BlackElo "1572"] [Annotator "Tactical Analysis 2.10 (5s), TV"] [PlyCount "68"] [EventDate "2014.??.??"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 b5 (4... Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 {1-0 (30) Euwe,M-Keres,P Netherlands 1940} (7... O-O 8. c3 {0-1 (69) Rellstab,L-Alekhine,A Salzburg 1943})) 5. Bb3 d6 6. c3 Be7 7. O-O Nf6 8. Re1 O-O 9. d4 Bg4 {C91 Spanish Game: Closed Variations. Bogoljubow Variation} 10. d5 Na5 11. Bc2 c5 (11... c6) 12. dxc6 Nxc6 {0.48/20 C91 Closed Spanish Game: 7. ..d6 8.c3 0-0 9.d4} (12... Be6 $11 {-0.06/25}) 13. Qd3 $146 {-0.33/19} (13. h3 $14 {0.48/20} Be6 14. Nbd2) (13. Nbd2 b4 14. Ba4 (14. cxb4 Nxb4 15. Bb1 Rc8 16. Nf1 d5 17. exd5 e4 18. Bxe4 Nxe4 19. Rxe4 f5 20. Re6 f4 21. Re4 Qxd5 22. Qxd5+ Nxd5 23. Nd4 Bf6 24. Nd2 Bh5 25. N4b3 Bg6 26. Rc4 Rfe8 27. Rxc8 Rxc8 28. Nf3 Nb4 {Rellstab,L-Alekhine,A Salzburg 1943 0-1 (69)}) 14... Rc8 15. Bxc6 bxc3 16. Bb7 cxd2 17. Bxd2 (17. Qxd2 Rb8 18. Bxa6 Bxf3 19. gxf3 Nh5 20. Bc4 Bh4 21. Kh1 Qf6 22. Qe2 Bg5 23. Bxg5 Qxg5 24. Rg1 Qh6 25. a4 Nf4 26. Qd2 Qh5 27. Rg4 d5 28. Bxd5 Rb6 29. Rxf4 exf4 30. Qxf4 Rxb2 31. Qg3 Qh6 {Karastoichev,E-Daskalov,G Varna 1960 0-1 (51)}) 17... Rb8 18. Bxa6 d5 19. Be2 Bxf3 20. gxf3 Bc5 21. Rb1 dxe4 22. Be3 Bd4 23. Bxd4 exd4 24. Bf1 Qd5 25. fxe4 Nxe4 26. Qf3 f5 27. b3 Qa8 {Euwe,M-Keres,P Netherlands 1940 1-0}) (13. Bg5 h6 14. Bh4 Rc8 15. Nbd2 b4 16. Nf1 bxc3 17. bxc3 Qa5 18. h3 Bxf3 19. Qxf3 Nd4 20. cxd4 Rxc2 21. Ne3 Rxa2 22. Rxa2 Qxe1+ 23. Kh2 exd4 24. Nf5 Bd8 25. Nxd6 Bc7 26. Bg3 Rb8 27. Re2 Qc3 { Tolush,A-Schneiderman Stepanov,G Leningrad 1940 0-1 (61)}) 13... Rc8 {0.12/22} (13... Qc7 $15 {-0.33/19 is more appropriate.}) 14. h3 {-0.32/23} (14. Nbd2 $11 {0.12/22}) 14... Bh5 {0.64/20} (14... Be6 $15 {-0.32/23}) 15. Bg5 {-0.42/19} ( 15. Nh4 $14 {0.64/20}) 15... h6 {0.12/22} (15... Nd7 $15 {-0.42/19} 16. Bxe7 Qxe7) 16. Bh4 {-0.73/19} (16. Bxf6 $11 {0.12/22 remains equal.} Bxf6 17. Nbd2) 16... Qc7 {-0.15/22} ({Black should play} 16... Nd7 $1 $17 {-0.73/19} 17. Bxe7 Qxe7) 17. Nbd2 {-0.90/19} (17. a3 $11 {-0.15/22}) 17... Rfd8 {0.00/22} (17... Nb4 $1 $17 {-0.90/19} 18. cxb4 Qxc2 19. Qxc2 Rxc2 20. Bxf6 Bxf6) 18. Bg3 $2 { -1.56/17 [#]} (18. Rec1 $11 {0.00/22}) 18... d5 {-0.28/23} (18... Nb4 $1 $17 { -1.56/17} 19. cxb4 Qxc2) 19. Qe2 {-1.57/17} (19. exd5 $11 {-0.28/23 keeps the balance.} Nb4 20. cxb4 Qxc2 21. Qxc2 Rxc2 22. a3) 19... dxe4 {-0.30/21} (19... d4 $17 {-1.57/17 Strongly threatening ...dxc3.} 20. Bb3 Qa5) 20. Nxe4 $11 Nxe4 {0.75/22} (20... Nd7 $11 {-0.30/21}) 21. Bxe4 $16 f6 {1.12/19} (21... Bg5 $14 { 0.45/21}) 22. Rad1 {0.09/25} ({Better is} 22. Bf5 $16 {1.12/19}) 22... Rxd1 23. Rxd1 Bf7 24. Nh4 $1 {Hoping for Nf5.} Rd8 25. Rxd8+ {0.07/24} (25. Bc2 $14 { 0.59/19}) 25... Bxd8 26. Bb1 {-0.59/21} (26. a4 $11 {0.24/22}) 26... Ne7 27. Qd3 Kf8 {0.00/24} (27... g6 $1 $15 {-0.49/20}) 28. Qh7 a5 29. Qh8+ Bg8 30. Ng6+ Nxg6 31. Bxg6 Qc4 32. Bb1 $2 {-2.02/22 [#]} (32. b3 $11 {0.00/27 and White has nothing to worry.} Qd5 33. Bh7) 32... a4 {-0.87/29} (32... e4 $1 $19 {-2.02/22} 33. Bc2 a4) 33. a3 {-1.88/21} (33. Bh7 $17 {-0.87/29}) 33... Bb6 $2 {0.00/25} ( 33... e4 $1 $19 {-1.88/21 Threatens to win with ...Qd5.} 34. Bf4 Kf7) 34. Bh7 $11 Qf7 {Accuracy: White = 7%, Black = 18%.} 1/2-1/2