C87 Closed Spanish Game: Steinitz-type lines after 6.Re1 d6 (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Be7 5.O-O d6 6.d4 Bd7 7.c3 Nf6 8.Re1 O-O)

I am still continuing on the path where I share my games from Red Hot Pawn and Chess.com on alternating days. There might be a game from GameKnot for a change tomorrow if I can remember to go through it. Probably also some games from Chess.com as well because if I recall correctly, the opening that was played in the game from GameKnot, it did not offer anything new. The game below was played in the 2014 August Grand Seven Fourteen III tournament at Red Hot Pawn. This is a tournament that had 21 players at the start and everyone played each other twice, so this tournament added the game count for all the players playing the tournament by 40 games. I am currently fourth and I will stay in fourth place since nobody can't overtake me and I also can't overtake anyone anymore. I have three games left in the tournament and I am just trying to keep my rating decent and maybe increase it a bit because it is the only thing I can do at this point. In the game below I had my chances to win but I was not able to do so and ruined my position to the extent that I could have lost the game, but at the end I was happy to reach the draw. I have added two mate in ones, two mate in twos and one mate in three puzzle today. Until tomorrow, my fellow chess enthusiasts!

[Event "Grand Seven Fourteen"] [Site "http://www.redhotpawn.com"] [Date "2014.08.11"] [Round "1"] [White "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Black "blither"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C87"] [WhiteElo "1914"] [BlackElo "1725"] [Annotator "Tactical Analysis 2.10 (5s), TV"] [PlyCount "117"] [EventDate "2014.??.??"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 (3... d6 4. O-O Bd7 5. c3 a6 {1-0 (46) Sanchez,I (2020)-Mbatha,C (1677) Tromsoe 2014}) 4. Ba4 {C68 Spanish Game: Columbus Variation} Be7 (4... d6 5. O-O (5. c3 Bd7 {0-1 (37) Ljubojevic,L (2605) -Westerinen,H (2465) Nice 1974}) 5... Bd7 6. c3 Nf6 7. Re1 Be7 {1-0 (32) Ziane, N (2162)-Campbell,M Dallas 1999}) 5. O-O d6 6. d4 Bd7 7. c3 Nf6 8. Re1 O-O { C87 Closed Spanish Game: Steinitz-type lines after 6.Re1 d6} 9. Bg5 {0.03/25} ( 9. Bc2 $16 {1.08/21}) 9... h6 {0.78/22} (9... b5 $11 {0.03/25} 10. Bb3 h6) 10. Bh4 {-0.04/23} (10. Bc1 $16 {0.78/22}) 10... Re8 {0.70/21} (10... b5 $11 { -0.04/23} 11. Bc2 (11. dxe5 Nxe5 12. Nxe5 dxe5 13. Bb3 Bc6 14. Nd2 Nd7 15. Bg3 Bh4 16. Nf1 Bxg3 17. hxg3 Nc5 18. Bd5 Bxd5 19. exd5 Qg5 20. Qc2 Rae8 21. b4 Nd7 22. c4 Qd8 23. cxb5 axb5 24. Ne3 Nb6 25. Qc6 f5 {Ljubojevic,L (2605) -Westerinen,H (2465) Nice 1974 0-1 (37)}) 11... Nh5 12. Bxe7 Qxe7) (10... Rc8 11. d5 Na7 12. Bxd7 Qxd7 13. c4 c5 14. dxc6 Rxc6 15. b3 Rd8 16. a4 b5 17. axb5 axb5 18. Nbd2 Qc7 19. Qe2 bxc4 20. bxc4 Rb8 21. h3 Nc8 22. Nh2 Rb2 23. Nhf1 Nb6 24. Rec1 Kh7 25. Qd3 {Sanchez,I (2020)-Mbatha,C (1677) Tromsoe 2014 1-0 (46)}) 11. Nbd2 {-0.08/26} (11. d5 $14 {0.70/21} Nb8 12. Bxf6 Bxf6 13. Nbd2) 11... Ng4 $146 {0.72/18} (11... exd4 $11 {-0.08/26} 12. cxd4 Rb8) (11... Nh7 12. Bg3 Bg5 13. Bxc6 Bxc6 14. dxe5 dxe5 15. Nc4 Qxd1 16. Raxd1 f6 17. Na5 Red8 18. h4 Bf4 19. Bxf4 exf4 20. Nxc6 bxc6 21. Nd4 Rab8 22. b3 c5 23. Ne6 Rxd1 24. Rxd1 c4 25. b4 a5 26. bxa5 {Ziane,N (2162)-Campbell,M Dallas 1999 1-0 (32)}) 12. Bxe7 { 0.16/23} (12. Bg3 $16 {0.72/18}) 12... Qxe7 {0.64/19} (12... Rxe7 $11 {0.16/23} 13. d5 Nb8) 13. h3 {0.00/25} (13. d5 $14 {0.64/19} Nb8 14. Bc2) 13... Nf6 { 0.67/20} (13... b5 $11 {0.00/25}) 14. Bc2 {0.00/22} (14. d5 $14 {0.67/20} Nb8 15. Bc2) 14... Rad8 {0.98/19} (14... Qd8 $11 {0.00/22}) 15. d5 {0.40/20} (15. Nf1 $16 {0.98/19}) 15... Nb8 {1.05/18} ({Black should play} 15... Na7 $14 { 0.40/20}) 16. Nf1 {0.43/25} (16. Nc4 $16 {1.05/18}) 16... a5 {0.93/21} (16... Nh5 $14 {0.43/25}) 17. Ng3 {0.12/23} (17. Ne3 $16 {0.93/21}) 17... g6 {1.05/20} (17... c6 $11 {0.12/23 keeps the balance.}) 18. Qd2 {0.38/21} (18. Nd2 $16 { 1.05/20}) 18... Kg7 $14 19. c4 $36 {White has some pressure.} b6 {1.09/21} ( 19... a4 $14 {0.52/23}) 20. a3 $16 c5 {1.45/19} (20... Bc8 $142 {0.85/22}) 21. b4 {0.40/25} (21. Rf1 $16 {1.45/19}) 21... Na6 {1.59/22} (21... cxb4 $14 { 0.40/25} 22. axb4 Na6) 22. bxa5 b5 {2.25/23} (22... bxa5 $16 {1.33/25} 23. Qxa5 Ra8) 23. cxb5 $18 Bxb5 24. Rab1 Rb8 {2.46/19} (24... Nc7 $142 {1.72/25} 25. Nh4 Kh7) 25. Bd3 $2 {0.78/24} (25. Rb2 $18 {2.46/19 is more deadly.}) 25... Bxd3 { 1.88/22} (25... c4 $16 {0.78/24 was necessary.} 26. a4 Bxa4 27. Bxc4 Nc5) 26. Qxd3 Qa7 {3.19/22} (26... c4 $142 {1.70/25} 27. Qxc4 Nc5) 27. Rb5 $2 {0.54/26} (27. Nd2 $18 {3.19/22}) 27... Rxb5 {1.25/24} (27... Nc7 $14 {0.54/26} 28. Rbb1 Qxa5) 28. Qxb5 $16 Rb8 {2.35/20} (28... c4 $16 {1.00/26 keeps fighting.}) 29. Qc6 $18 Ne8 30. Nd2 $1 Qa8 {3.50/21} (30... Nac7 {2.31/26 was worth a try.}) 31. Qd7 Rb2 {3.86/22} (31... h5 $142 {2.56/25} 32. Ngf1 Qb7 33. Qxb7 Rxb7) 32. Nc4 Rb7 33. Qc6 Qa7 $2 {8.59/22} (33... Rb8 {3.77/26} 34. Qxa8 Rxa8) 34. Nxd6 Nxd6 35. Qxd6 f6 36. h4 h5 37. Re3 c4 38. Rf3 {4.91/21} (38. Nxh5+ $142 $1 { 15.76/24} gxh5 39. Rg3+ Kh7 40. Qxf6) 38... Rf7 39. Ne2 $2 {0.82/22} (39. Qc6 $18 {5.02/23}) 39... Nc5 $16 40. Nc3 $2 {-0.51/28} (40. Qb6 $16 {1.07/23 Threatens to win with Rxf6!} Qxb6 41. axb6) 40... Qxa5 $15 41. Qc6 $1 Qxa3 { 0.10/27} (41... Nxe4 $1 $15 {-0.51/28} 42. Nxe4 Qe1+ 43. Kh2 Qxe4) 42. Nb5 Qc1+ 43. Kh2 Nxe4 {[#] aiming for ...Nd2.} 44. d6 Nd2 {Strongly threatening ...e4.} 45. Rc3 $2 {-10.11/20} (45. d7 $11 {0.00/31} g5 46. hxg5 (46. d8=Q {leads to mate.} Nf1+ 47. Kg1 Ng3+ 48. Qd1 Qxd1+ 49. Kh2 Qh1+ 50. Kxg3 gxh4#) 46... Nxf3+ 47. Qxf3) 45... Nf1+ $19 46. Kh3 Qf4 47. g3 Qxf2 {[#]} 48. Qg2 Qf5+ 49. g4 hxg4+ 50. Qxg4 Qxg4+ 51. Kxg4 {Endgame KRN-KRN} f5+ 52. Kf3 Kf6 {White must now prevent ...Rb7.} 53. Ke2 Nh2 54. Rxc4 Ke6 55. Rc5 {-3.34/23} (55. Rc7 $142 {-2.25/23}) 55... Ng4 56. Rc6 Rd7 $2 {0.00/28} ({Better is} 56... Rb7 $19 { -3.10/20} 57. Nc3 Rb2+ 58. Ke1 Kd7) 57. Nc7+ $11 Kf7 {...e4 is the strong threat.} 58. Nd5 $2 {-1.65/22} (58. Na6 $11 {0.00/28}) 58... Ke6 $2 {0.00/34} ( {Black should try} 58... Rd8 $1 $19 {-1.65/22 Hoping for ...Ke6.} 59. Ra6 Ke6 60. Nc7+ Kd7) 59. Nc7+ {Accuracy: White = 21%, Black = 25%.} 1/2-1/2