D34 Tarrasch Defence: 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 Be7 (1.c4 Nf6 2.g3 e6 3.Bg2 d5 4.d4 c5 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.cxd5 exd5 7.Nf3 Be7 8.O-O O-O 9.Bg5 cxd4 10.Nxd4 h6 11.Bf4 Bg4 12.Rc1)

The game below is my only game against FIDE Master Tapio Salo that I have a notation of. If I recall correctly, we have only played two games against each other and this game is from a simultaneous exhibition that he gave at the club in March 27th 2004. After the simultaneous exhibition we played a blitz tournament where I was able to get my first win against a titled player. It was the second time I played against him and I have to admit that the blitz game was won on time. If my memory serves me right, the final position in that game consisted of me having one pawn and a king and my opponent had two connected pawns and a king. I can't remember the exact location of those pieces anymore unfortunately, but I do remember that those were all that remained on the board. After this day, I have won two International Masters, played a draw against another FIDE Master and won a few National Masters, not sure about the exact count, since I have not kept track of those. I have not won any games against Grandmasters and since I play against them very rarely, I do not really have all that many chances to do that. I have played against maybe two Grandmasters and only once against both of them, both I lost, which is of course not a surprise. I am not saying that I could consistently win games against FIDE Masters or International Masters or other traditional chess titled players, but maybe if some of them are not at their best anymore, I may have a chance against them. I used the term traditional chess titles to describe the titles that existed before the addition of the new FIDE Online Arena titles for amateur players.

[Event "Simultaani"] [Site "?"] [Date "2004.03.27"] [Round "?"] [White "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Black "Salo, Tapio"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D34"] [WhiteElo "1706"] [BlackElo "2253"] [Annotator "Stockfish 6 64 BMI2 (30s), TV"] [PlyCount "46"] [EventDate "2004.??.??"] [EventType "rapid"] 1. c4 Nf6 2. g3 e6 3. Bg2 d5 4. d4 c5 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. cxd5 exd5 7. Nf3 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Bg5 {Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Carlsbad Variation} cxd4 10. Nxd4 h6 11. Bf4 (11. Be3 Re8 (11... Bg4 {Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Spassky Variation}) 12. Rc1 Be6 {Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Chandler Variation}) 11... Bg4 12. Rc1 {D34 Tarrasch Defence: 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 Be7} Re8 (12... Qd7 13. Qd3 Rad8 14. Rfd1 Rfe8 15. Nxc6 {Adianto,U (2610) -Magomedov,M (2460) Dubai 1996}) 13. Ndb5 {N The pressure on the isolated pawn grows} (13. Nxc6 bxc6 14. Na4 Qa5 15. f3 Bf5 16. Be3 Rac8 17. Bc5 Qa6 18. Rf2 Bxc5 19. Rxc5 Re3 20. Bf1 Nd7 21. Rc1 Qa5 22. Qd4 Ree8 23. b3 Be6 24. Rc2 c5 25. Nxc5 Nxc5 26. b4 Qa4 27. Rxc5 Rxc5 {Shaidullina,S (2182)-Shadrina,T (2340) Serpukhov 2001 0-1 (57)}) (13. h3 Be6 14. Ncb5 Nh5 15. Be3 Qd7 16. Nxe6 fxe6 17. Nd4 Nf6 18. Nxc6 bxc6 19. Qa4 c5 20. Qa5 c4 21. Rfd1 Bd6 22. Bd4 Qe7 23. Kh2 Rab8 24. f4 Bb4 25. Qa4 Bc5 26. Be5 Rb4 27. Qc2 Be3 {Szamos,A (2175) -Singliar,A (2180) Slovakia 1999 1-0 (71)}) (13. h3 Bh5 {+/=}) 13... Rc8 14. Nxd5 Nxd5 15. Bxd5 ({Inferior is} 15. Qxd5 Bxe2 16. Qxd8 Rexd8 (16... Nxd8 $4 17. Rxc8 Bxb5 18. Re1 {+-}) (16... Rcxd8 $6 17. Nc7 Bxf1 18. Rxf1 {+/-}) (16... Bxd8 17. Nd6 Bxf1 18. Kxf1 {+/-} (18. Nxe8 $6 Bxg2 19. Kxg2 Be7 {=}) (18. Rxf1 Bb6 {+/=}) (18. Bxf1 $6 Bc7 19. Nxc8 Bxf4 20. gxf4 Rxc8 {=})) 17. Rxc6 Rxc6 ( 17... Bxb5 {is clearly weaker} 18. Rxc8 Rxc8 19. Bxb7 {+/-}) 18. Bxc6 Bxf1 ( 18... bxc6 $6 19. Re1 Bf3 20. Nc3 {=/+} (20. Nxa7 $2 {doesn't work because of} Bc5 {-+})) 19. Kxf1 bxc6 20. Nxa7 Rd1+ 21. Ke2 Ra1 22. Nxc6 Bc5 {+/-}) 15... Qa5 (15... Nb4 16. Bf3 Rxc1 17. Bxc1 Bxf3 18. exf3 Nxa2 19. Qxd8 Bxd8 20. Be3 { =}) 16. Nc3 {Black has an active position} (16. Qb3 $5 Kh8 17. Bxf7 {+/-}) 16... Bb4 (16... Red8 17. Qd3 Nb4 18. Qg6 Nxd5 19. Qxg4 Nxf4 20. gxf4 {=} (20. Qxf4 $2 Bg5 21. Qe4 Bxc1 22. Rxc1 b5 {+/-})) 17. Bxc6 (17. Be3 Rcd8 18. Qb3 Ne5 19. Bxb7 Be6 {=}) 17... bxc6 (17... Rxc6 18. Re1 {=/+}) 18. f3 (18. Re1 { !? = has some apparent merit}) 18... Bh3 {+/-} 19. Re1 $4 {another step towards the grave} (19. Rf2 {+/-}) 19... Qb6+ {-+} 20. Kh1 (20. e3 {is the last straw} g5 21. Bxg5 hxg5 22. Na4 {-+}) 20... Qf2 (20... Rcd8 $5 {might be the shorter path} 21. Qxd8 Rxd8 22. Rf1 {-+}) 21. Rg1 Bxc3 22. Rxc3 Rxe2 23. g4 (23. Qxe2 {hardly improves anything} Qxe2 24. Re3 Qf2 25. Rd3 Re8 26. Be5 Rxe5 27. Rd8+ Kh7 28. Rd2 Qxf3+ 29. Rdg2 Bxg2+ 30. Rxg2 Re1#) 23... Bg2+ (23... Bg2+ 24. Rxg2 Qxg2#) 0-1