C50 Hungarian Defence and Giuoco Pianissimo (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Be7 5.c3 d6)

This was played on round one of a tournament that was played at Turku almost 12 years ago. During the same year that this tournament was played I had only once dropped my rating and in all other occasions whether it was team matches or tournaments I had been able to increase it. That only drop was in a team match I had played in November. So it was time once again to get back on the right track. Good start for the tournament is always important and in this case, the draw was sufficient for that because my opponent was higher rated than me. Back in my earliest chess playing days I had very simple goals when playing over the board chess, I needed to win lower rated opponents and at least draw the higher rated ones. Maybe I have become too keen on winning games that anything except a win from my games is disappointing in some way to me. I think I should adapt that same mentality I had back then, it might help me to get my rating up a bit easier. I also think that I should add some daily tactics training to my schedule, then again I should have a more precise schedule in the first place... At the moment I just do things in their natural flow without any precise time restrictions for the things I do.

My statistics in this opening variation: 2 games with the black pieces, 1 draw (50%) and 1 loss (50%).

[Event "TuTS:n turnaus"] [Site "?"] [Date "2003.12.05"] [Round "1"] [White "Pitkäranta, Tapio"] [Black "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C50"] [WhiteElo "1695"] [BlackElo "1555"] [Annotator "Stockfish 8 64 POPCNT (30s), TV"] [PlyCount "152"] [EventDate "2003.12.05"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Be7 {Scotch Game: Benima Defense} (4... Bb4+ 5. c3 dxc3 6. bxc3 Ba5 7. e5 {Scotch Game: Cochrane Variation}) (4... Bc5 5. Ng5 (5. O-O d6 6. c3 Bg4 {Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit. Cochrane-Anderssen Variation}) 5... Nh6 6. Qh5 {Scotch Game: Vitzthum Attack}) 5. c3 d6 {C50: Hungarian Defence and Giuoco Pianissimo} 6. Nxd4 Ne5 7. Bb3 (7. Be2 Nf6 8. f3 a6 9. Be3 d5 10. O-O dxe4 11. fxe4 Nxe4 12. Bf4 Ng6 13. Qa4+ Bd7 14. Qb3 Nc5 15. Qc4 Nxf4 16. Rxf4 O-O 17. Rf1 Bd6 18. Nd2 Qg5 19. N2f3 Qg6 20. b4 b5 21. Qd5 c6 {Moudallal,T (2026)-Khalili,M (1693) Beirut 2016 1-0 (36)}) 7... Nf6 8. Bc2 O-O 9. O-O Bd7 $146 (9... Bg4 10. f3 (10. Qe1 c5 11. Nb3 a5 12. f4 Ng6 13. f5 Ne5 14. h3 Bh5 15. Bf4 Ra6 16. g4 Nfxg4 17. hxg4 Bxg4 18. Kg2 Bh4 19. Bg3 Qg5 20. a4 d5 21. exd5 Bxg3 22. Qxg3 Rh6 23. Rf4 Qh5 24. N1d2 Bh3+ {Divis,J (1875)-Kucera,V (2079) Czechia 2007 0-1 (43)}) 10... Bd7 11. Nd2 c5 12. Ne2 Qc7 13. f4 Neg4 14. Nf3 Nh6 15. h3 Kh8 16. c4 b5 17. b3 bxc4 18. bxc4 Rab8 19. Ng3 Nhg8 20. Qd3 Ne8 21. Bd2 f6 22. Bc3 g6 23. Rad1 Rd8 24. Rd2 {Von Hermann,B (2104)-Jahnke,A (2049) Germany 2010 1-0 (43)}) (9... c5 10. Ne2 $11) 10. h3 { Secures g4} (10. f4 Nc6 $14) 10... Qc8 (10... c5 11. Ne2 $11) 11. f4 $14 Nc6 12. Qf3 Kh8 13. Be3 Rg8 (13... Ng8 14. Nd2 $16) 14. Nd2 Rb8 (14... h6 15. Rae1 $16) 15. Nxc6 bxc6 (15... Bxc6 $142 16. Bxa7 Ra8 $18) 16. Bb3 {White threatens to win material: Bb3xf7} (16. e5 Rxb2 17. exf6 Rxc2 18. fxe7 c5 $18) 16... Be6 (16... a5 $5 $16) 17. Bxa7 Rb7 18. Be3 Bxb3 19. axb3 Qb8 (19... Rb8 20. b4 $16) 20. Ra4 (20. b4 $5 Rf8 $18) 20... Nd7 21. Rfa1 Nb6 22. Ra6 c5 23. R1a2 (23. e5 $142 $5 $18) 23... f6 24. Qf2 Qc8 25. Nc4 (25. f5 $5 $16) 25... Nxc4 $14 26. bxc4 {White has a new doubled pawn: c3} Qe6 27. Bxc5 Qxc4 (27... Qxe4 $5 28. Be3 Qxc4 $11) 28. Bd4 $16 c5 {Black threatens to win material: c5xd4} 29. R6a4 {White threatens to win material: Ra4xc4} Qe6 30. Be3 Rgb8 (30... f5 31. exf5 Qxf5 32. Ra7 $16) 31. Bc1 (31. f5 Qd7 $16) 31... Kg8 (31... f5 32. exf5 Qxf5 33. Ra8 $14) 32. Qf1 (32. f5 Qb3 $16) 32... Kf8 (32... f5 33. exf5 Qxf5 34. Ra8 $16) 33. Qc4 (33. f5 Qf7 $18) 33... Qd7 (33... Qxc4 $5 34. Rxc4 Rd7 $16) 34. Qd5 $18 Qc7 (34... Qb5 35. Ra8 $18) 35. Ra6 Rb6 36. Ra7 (36. Ra8 Rxa8 37. Rxa8+ Rb8 $18) 36... R6b7 37. Rxb7 Qxb7 38. Qxb7 Rxb7 39. Kf2 Ke8 40. Ke3 Kd7 41. f5 Kc6 (41... Bd8 42. Ra8 $18) 42. Ra8 Rd7 43. Rh8 h6 44. c4 Bd8 $2 (44... Rd8 45. Rxd8 Bxd8 46. Kf3 $18) 45. Kd3 (45. Bd2 $142 {makes it even easier for White} Bb6 46. Rg8 Rf7 $18) 45... Ba5 46. Rb8 Rb7 47. Rxb7 Kxb7 48. Bd2 (48. Ke3 Kc6 49. Kf3 Kd7 $18) 48... Bb6 $4 {Black falls apart} (48... Bxd2 49. Kxd2 h5 50. g3 $18) 49. b4 (49. Ke2 $142 {makes sure everything is clear} Kc8 50. Kf3 $18) 49... cxb4 $16 50. Bxb4 Kc6 51. g4 Ba7 52. Bd2 Bc5 53. Ba5 Kd7 54. Kc3 Kc6 55. Kb3 Kd7 56. Ka4 Kc6 57. Bd2 Kb6 58. Be1 Kc6 59. Ba5 Bd4 60. Kb3 Bc5 61. Be1 Kb6 $4 {the position was bad, and this mistake simply hastens the end} (61... Bd4 62. h4 $16) 62. h4 (62. Bb4 $142 {secures the point} Bd4 63. Bxd6 $18) 62... Kc6 63. Bd2 Bf2 64. h5 Bc5 65. Ba5 Kd7 66. Ka4 Kc6 67. Bc3 Kb6 68. Bb4 (68. Bd2 Bf2 $16) 68... Kc6 (68... Bxb4 $5 {might be a viable alternative} 69. Kxb4 Kc6 $11) 69. Kb3 (69. Be1 Bd4 $16) 69... Bd4 (69... Bxb4 $142 $5 {is worth consideration} 70. Kxb4 Kd7 $14) 70. Kc2 $16 Bb6 $4 {Black crumbles in face of a dire situation} (70... Be5 71. Kd3 $16) 71. Kd3 (71. e5 dxe5 72. Bf8 $18) 71... Ba7 $4 {the final mistake, not that it matters anymore} (71... Bd8 $142 $16) 72. Bc3 $18 Bc5 73. Bd4 (73. g5 hxg5 74. Bxf6 $18) 73... Bb4 $4 {another bit of territory lost} (73... Bxd4 74. Kxd4 Kc7 $14) 74. Ba7 (74. g5 fxg5 75. Bxg7 $18) 74... Ba3 $4 {gives the opponent new chances} (74... Bc5 75. Bxc5 Kxc5 76. Kc3 $11) 75. Kc3 $4 {letting the wind out of his own sails} (75. g5 Bc5 76. Bxc5 Kxc5 $16) 75... Bc1 (75... Bc5 $142 $5 {would keep Black alive} 76. Bxc5 Kxc5 $11) 76. Kb3 Bd2 1/2-1/2 [Event "TMCL 2016 Div C4 Round 5 Obsessive Chess"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2016.05.15"] [Round "?"] [White "LangstonTillman"] [Black "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C50"] [WhiteElo "1692"] [BlackElo "1819"] [Annotator "Stockfish 8 64 POPCNT (30s), TV"] [PlyCount "47"] [EventDate "2016.??.??"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Be7 4. d4 exd4 5. c3 d6 {C50 Hungarian Defence and Giuoco Pianissimo} 6. Nxd4 Bd7 (6... Nf6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. O-O Ne5 9. f4 Nxd3 10. Qxd3 b6 11. e5 Ne8 12. Nc6 Qd7 13. Qf3 Ba6 14. Nxe7+ Qxe7 15. Qxa8 Bxf1 16. Kxf1 dxe5 17. Qf3 exf4 18. Bxf4 Nf6 19. Nd2 Re8 20. Bg5 Kh8 21. Bxf6 {Siembab, B (2210)-Gulik,M Dzierzoniow 2007 1-0}) (6... Ne5 7. Be2 Nf6 8. f3 a6 9. Be3 d5 10. O-O dxe4 11. fxe4 Nxe4 12. Bf4 Ng6 13. Qa4+ Bd7 14. Qb3 Nc5 15. Qc4 Nxf4 16. Rxf4 O-O 17. Rf1 Bd6 18. Nd2 Qg5 19. N2f3 Qg6 20. b4 b5 21. Qd5 {Moudallal, T (2026)-Khalili,M (1693) Beirut 2016 1-0 (36)}) 7. O-O Nf6 {Black threatens to win material: Nf6xe4} 8. Nd2 $146 (8. Qc2 O-O 9. f4 Qc8 10. Re1 Be6 11. Bd3 g6 12. f5 Bd7 13. Qf2 Ne5 14. Bc2 Qd8 15. Bg5 Nfg4 16. Bxe7 Qxe7 17. Qg3 h5 18. Nd2 h4 19. Qf4 g5 20. Qf1 f6 21. Bb3+ Kg7 22. h3 Nh6 {Skrlep,J (1606)-Sitar,Z (1533) Novo mesto 2003 1/2-1/2 (60)}) 8... O-O 9. h3 {Consolidates g4} Ne5 10. Bb3 Re8 11. Re1 Bf8 12. Nf1 h6 {Secures g5} 13. Ng3 b5 14. Ndf5 (14. f4 Nc4 $11 ) 14... a5 $11 15. a4 Qb8 (15... bxa4 16. Bxa4 Bxa4 17. Rxa4 $11) 16. Nh5 (16. f4 Nc4 17. Qd3 c6 $16) 16... Nxh5 $11 17. Qxh5 Be6 (17... bxa4 18. Bc2 $11) 18. Bxe6 Rxe6 $2 (18... fxe6 $142 $5 {should be examined more closely} 19. Nd4 bxa4 $11) 19. Nd4 $16 Rf6 (19... Re8 $5 20. axb5 Qb7 $16) 20. axb5 $18 Nd3 (20... Qe8 21. Qd1 $18) 21. Rf1 Qe8 22. Qe2 Nc5 23. f3 Qe5 $2 (23... d5 $142 24. exd5 Qxe2 25. Nxe2 Nb3 $18) 24. Rxa5 (24. Rxa5 Rxa5 25. Nc6 $18) 1-0