C87 Closed Spanish Game: Steinitz-type lines after 6.Re1 d6 (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O d6 5.c3 Be7 6.Re1 O-O 7.d4 a6 8.Ba4 Bg4 9.Bxc6 bxc6)

Another correspondence chess game from Red Hot Pawn and this was played in the first round of the 2014 October Split II tournament. Out of the 22 games that started for this tournament, I have 3 games left to finish. I am currently on third place in group 1, only one point behind the current leaders NN Cheap and aukermdr. They are actually not even my biggest competition for winning the group as they have their maximum possible score two points lower than me. However, only by winning the three games I have left can I ensure my place on the second round. The one player that is my biggest rival for the win is caissad4, who is currently on fourth place and has not lost any points so far. So in order for me to take the first place in this group or even share it, I need to win both of my games against caissad4 but that is very hard to accomplish. The game below was one of the easier games in this tournament for me. I have added one mate in one, three mate in twos and one mate in three. Until tomorrow, my fellow chess enthusiasts!

[Event "Split"] [Site "http://www.redhotpawn.com"] [Date "2014.10.24"] [Round "1"] [White "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Black "Number 6"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C87"] [WhiteElo "1914"] [BlackElo "1538"] [Annotator "Tactical Analysis 2.10 (5s), TV"] [PlyCount "59"] [EventDate "2014.??.??"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 (3... a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O d6 (5... Be7 6. Re1 O-O 7. c3 d6 {1/2-1/2 (25) Karpov,A (2720)-Ameglio,L Turin 1982}) 6. c3 Be7 7. d4 O-O {1-0 (40) Reshevsky,S-Knoller New York 1920}) (3... d6 4. O-O {1-0 (49) Reig Albero,F (1939)-Simon Morales,M Benimodo 2017}) 4. O-O d6 {C66 Spanish Game: Berlin Defense. Improved Steinitz Defense} 5. c3 (5. Re1 a6 6. Ba4 Be7 7. c3 {1-0 (49) Reig Albero,F (1939)-Simon Morales,M Benimodo 2017}) 5... Be7 6. Re1 O-O 7. d4 a6 8. Ba4 Bg4 9. Bxc6 bxc6 {C87 Closed Spanish Game: Steinitz-type lines after 6.Re1 d6} 10. dxe5 dxe5 {1.35/17} (10... Bxf3 $1 $14 {0.45/25} 11. Qxf3 dxe5 12. Nd2 Re8 13. Nc4 Bc5 14. Bg5 Re6 15. Rad1 Qe7 16. h3 h6 17. Bh4 Qe8 18. Rd3 h5 19. Red1 Be7 20. Bxf6 Rxf6 21. Qxh5 Bc5 22. R1d2 Rh6 23. Qxe5 Qxe5 24. Nxe5 Bd6 25. Nxc6 Re8 26. e5 Bc5 {Reig Albero,F (1939)-Simon Morales,M Benimodo 2017 1-0 (49)}) 11. Qxd8 $16 Rfxd8 $146 (11... Raxd8 12. Nxe5 (12. Nbd2 Bc5 13. Nb3 Bb6 14. Be3 Bxf3 15. gxf3 Rd3 16. Rad1 Rfd8 17. Rxd3 Rxd3 18. Kf1 g6 19. Ke2 Rd8 20. Nd2 Bxe3 21. fxe3 Nd7 22. Nc4 Nb6 23. Na5 Rd6 24. b3 c5 25. Rd1 Rxd1 {1/2-1/2 (25) Karpov,A (2720)-Ameglio,L Turin 1982}) 12... Bd7 13. f3 h6 14. Be3 Bd6 15. Nxd7 Rxd7 16. Nd2 Rdd8 17. Nc4 Nd7 18. Rad1 Ne5 19. Nxe5 Bxe5 20. f4 Bd6 21. Kf2 f6 22. Rd4 a5 23. Rdd1 Kh7 24. Ke2 h5 25. e5 fxe5 26. fxe5 {Reshevsky,S-Knoller New York 1920 1-0 (40)}) 12. Nxe5 { White is clearly better.} Bd7 13. Bf4 {1.15/24} (13. Nd2 $142 {1.56/21}) 13... Bd6 14. Nd2 {0.67/23} (14. Nxd7 $16 {1.56/21} Nxd7 15. Bxd6 cxd6 16. Na3) 14... Re8 {2.15/24} (14... Nh5 $14 {0.67/23}) 15. Ndc4 $18 Rab8 {2.57/24} (15... Nh5 $142 {1.94/26} 16. Nxd7 Nxf4) 16. Nxd7 Nxd7 17. Bxd6 ({But not} 17. Nxd6 $6 cxd6 18. b3 (18. Bxd6 Rxb2 19. f3 h6 $16) 18... Ne5 $16) 17... cxd6 18. Nxd6 Re6 19. Nc4 Rbe8 {3.39/20} (19... Ne5 {2.36/25 was called for.}) 20. f3 f5 21. Rad1 fxe4 $2 {7.60/19 [#]} (21... R8e7 {3.39/25} 22. Nd6 fxe4 23. Rxe4 Re5) 22. fxe4 $2 {2.65/26} (22. Rxd7 {7.60/19} exf3 23. Rxe6 Rxe6 24. gxf3) 22... Rxe4 23. Rxe4 Rxe4 24. Rxd7 Rxc4 {Endgame KR-KR} 25. Rc7 a5 26. Kf2 Kf8 27. Ke3 h6 28. Kd3 Rh4 29. h3 ({Resist} 29. Rxc6 $6 Rxh2 30. Rg6 Kf7 $16) 29... Rh5 $2 { 4.43/23 [#]} (29... Rf4 {2.42/23 keeps fighting.} 30. Ke3 (30. Rxc6 Rf2 $16) 30... Rc4) 30. Rxc6 {Accuracy: White = 51%, Black = 19%.} 1-0 [Event "Grand Seven Fourteen"] [Site "http://www.redhotpawn.com"] [Date "2014.09.11"] [Round "1"] [White "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Black "RBHILL"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C87"] [WhiteElo "1885"] [BlackElo "937"] [Annotator "Tactical Analysis 2.10 (5s), TV"] [PlyCount "29"] [EventDate "2014.??.??"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 (3... d6 4. O-O Nf6 5. Re1 a6 {1-0 (49) Reig Albero,F (1939)-Simon Morales,M Benimodo 2017}) 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O d6 (5... Be7 6. Re1 {1-0 (44) Deepan Chakkravarthy,J (2482)-Singh,D (2306) Mumbai 2009}) 6. Re1 (6. c3 Be7 7. d4 O-O {1/2-1/2 (43) Cohn,E-Forgacs,L Nuremberg 1906}) 6... Be7 {C87 Spanish Game: Closed Variations. Averbakh Variation} 7. c3 O-O 8. d4 Bg4 9. Bxc6 bxc6 {C87 Closed Spanish Game: Steinitz-type lines after 6.Re1 d6} 10. Bg5 $146 {-0.36/23 [#]} (10. dxe5 $16 {1.35/19} Bxf3 (10... dxe5 11. Qxd8 Raxd8 12. Nxe5 Bd7 13. f3 h6 14. Be3 Bd6 15. Nxd7 Rxd7 16. Nd2 Rdd8 17. Nc4 Nd7 18. Rad1 Ne5 19. Nxe5 Bxe5 20. f4 Bd6 21. Kf2 f6 22. Rd4 a5 23. Rdd1 Kh7 24. Ke2 h5 25. e5 {Reshevsky,S-Knoller New York 1920 1-0 (40)}) 11. Qxf3 dxe5 12. Qe2 (12. Nd2 Re8 13. Nc4 Bc5 14. Bg5 Re6 15. Rad1 Qe7 16. h3 h6 17. Bh4 Qe8 18. Rd3 h5 19. Red1 Be7 20. Bxf6 Rxf6 21. Qxh5 Bc5 22. R1d2 Rh6 23. Qxe5 Qxe5 24. Nxe5 Bd6 25. Nxc6 Re8 26. e5 Bc5 {Reig Albero,F (1939)-Simon Morales,M Benimodo 2017 1-0 (49)})) (10. h3 Bxf3 11. Qxf3 d5 12. Nd2 dxe4 13. Nxe4 exd4 14. Bg5 dxc3 15. Nxf6+ Bxf6 16. Rad1 Bxg5 17. Rxd8 Raxd8 18. bxc3 Rd6 19. Rd1 Re6 20. Qf5 Be7 21. Qa5 c5 22. Qxc7 Re8 23. g3 Bf8 24. Kg2 Re2 {Deepan Chakkravarthy,J (2482)-Singh,D (2306) Mumbai 2009 1-0 (44)}) (10. Nbd2 Nd7 11. h3 Be6 12. Nf1 f6 13. Ng3 Re8 14. Nh2 Bf8 15. f4 exd4 16. cxd4 d5 17. e5 f5 18. Nf3 c5 19. Be3 g6 20. Rc1 c4 21. Ng5 c5 22. Nxe6 Rxe6 23. Qf3 cxd4 24. Bxd4 Nc5 {Cohn,E-Forgacs,L Nuremberg 1906 1/2-1/2 (43)}) 10... Rb8 {0.60/19} (10... h6 $15 {-0.36/23} 11. dxe5 dxe5 12. Bxf6 Qxd1 13. Rxd1 Bxf6) 11. b3 {-0.16/22} ( 11. dxe5 $14 {0.60/19} Ne8 12. Bxe7 Qxe7 13. Nbd2) 11... h6 $11 12. Bh4 Nd7 { 0.45/22} (12... d5 $11 {-0.20/24}) 13. Bg3 {-0.71/22} (13. Bxe7 $14 {0.45/22 keeps the upper hand.} Qxe7 14. Nbd2) 13... exd4 {0.16/25} ({Black should try} 13... Bf6 $1 $17 {-0.71/22}) 14. cxd4 Bxf3 15. Qxf3 {Accuracy: White = 0%, Black = 18%. . Loss on time!?} 1-0