D35 Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation (1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 O-O 6.Bxf6 Bxf6 7.Bd3 b6 8.cxd5 exd5)

This game is from the fifth round of the tournament that was held at Hanko between June 17th and June 19th in 2005. Before this final round game I had gathered two wins and two draws. So I had played quite well, considering that the draws were played against higher rated players. The win in the game below meant that my final score was 4 out of 5! I think this was the first time that I was able to play these weekend tournaments without a loss. This also marks the record breaking rating increase in one over the board tournament for me because I was able to increase my rating by 101 points! I have not been able to break this record so far and it is very unlikely that I will ever be able to do that. I think I have been able to increase my rating by 100 points once after this tournament, but I have been able to decrease it in a similar fashion as well. That very bad tournament lasted nine rounds though.

Another very busy day for me and it does not even after this post. Luckily similar days I face only once a month, because the club tournament I participate in, is played on a last Wednesday of the month. I think that tournament will end in May, so I need to face these type of days for quite awhile still.

[Event "Hangon turnaus"] [Site "?"] [Date "2005.06.19"] [Round "5"] [White "Pesonen, Pekka"] [Black "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D35"] [WhiteElo "1724"] [BlackElo "1678"] [Annotator "Stockfish 6 64 BMI2 (30s), TV"] [PlyCount "94"] [EventDate "2005.06.19"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 O-O {Queen's Gambit Declined: 4. Bg5 Be7, 5.e3 O-O} 6. Bxf6 (6. Nf3 b6 (6... h6 7. Bh4 b6 8. cxd5 exd5 {Queen's Gambit Declined: Tartakower Variation, Exchange Variation} (8... Nxd5 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. Nxd5 exd5 11. Rc1 Be6 {Queen's Gambit Declined: Tartakower Variation}) ) 7. Bd3 Bb7 8. cxd5 exd5 9. Ne5 {Queen's Gambit Declined: Pillsbury Attack}) 6... Bxf6 7. Bd3 b6 8. cxd5 exd5 {D35 Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation} 9. Qc2 (9. Qh5 Re8 10. Nf3 c6 11. Qxh7+ Kf8 12. O-O Bg4 13. Ne5 Be6 14. f4 Ke7 15. Qh5 Rh8 16. Qf3 Qd6 17. Rad1 Nd7 18. e4 Bxe5 19. fxe5 Qb4 20. Bb1 dxe4 21. Bxe4 Rac8 22. Rf2 Rh4 23. Qe3 Kf8 {Uhlmann, W (2500)-Brueggemann, J (2305) Germany 1991 1-0}) 9... g6 10. Nf3 Bb7 11. O-O {N} (11. h4 h5 12. O-O-O Kg7 13. g4 hxg4 14. Ne5 Bxe5 15. dxe5 Nd7 16. e6 Ne5 17. exf7 Nxd3+ 18. Rxd3 Rxf7 19. h5 Qf6 20. hxg6 Qxg6 21. Nxd5 Bxd5 22. Qc3+ Qf6 23. Qxf6+ Rxf6 24. Rxd5 Rxf2 25. Rg5+ Kf6 {Rummelshaus,H (1927)-Rempe,M (1648) Moehnesee 2010 1/2-1/2 (79)}) 11... Nd7 12. e4 dxe4 {Black forks: d3+f3} 13. Nxe4 {White has an active position.} (13. Bxe4 c6 {=}) 13... Bg7 14. b4 Nf6 15. Nxf6+ Bxf6 { Attacking the isolated pawn on d4} 16. Be4 Bxe4 17. Qxe4 Qd6 (17... c5 18. bxc5 bxc5 19. Rad1 {=/+}) 18. a3 Rfe8 {Black threatens to win material: Re8xe4} 19. Qd3 (19. Qc2 {!? =/+ should not be overlooked}) 19... c5 {+/-} 20. bxc5 bxc5 21. Rad1 cxd4 22. Rfe1 (22. Rc1 Rac8 {+/-}) 22... Rxe1+ 23. Rxe1 Qc5 24. g3 a5 25. Rd1 Rd8 26. Nd2 Be7 27. Nb1 (27. a4 {-+}) 27... a4 28. Kg2 Qb6 (28... Rb8 29. Qe4 {-+}) 29. Qe4 Bc5 30. Qd3 Rb8 31. Nd2 Qa5 (31... Qc6+ 32. Qe4 Qa6 33. Nf3 {-+}) 32. Rb1 (32. Ne4 Qa8 33. f3 Qa5 {+/-}) 32... Rd8 (32... Rxb1 $5 33. Nxb1 Qb6 34. Nd2 Qb7+ 35. Kg1 {-+}) 33. Ne4 {+/-} Qa8 34. Kg1 (34. f3 Be7 {-+}) 34... Bxa3 $1 {Deflection: e4} 35. Nf6+ (35. Qxa3 Qxe4 {Overloading Deflection} ) 35... Kg7 36. Rb6 $4 {the final mistake, not that it matters anymore} (36. Qxa3 Kxf6 37. Rb4 {+/-}) 36... Be7 {-+} 37. Ra6 Qc8 (37... Bxf6 $6 {is no comparison} 38. Rxa8 Rxa8 39. Qa3 {-+}) 38. Ne4 a3 39. h4 Qc1+ (39... Qb7 $5 { keeps an even firmer grip} 40. Ra4 {-+}) 40. Kg2 Rd7 41. Qb5 (41. h5 {is not the saving move} Qb2 42. g4 Qb7 {-+}) 41... Qc7 42. Rc6 (42. Rb6 {does not save the day} d3 43. Nd2 Rd4 {-+}) 42... Qb7 43. Qe5+ (43. Qxb7 {does not win a prize} Rxb7 44. Ra6 Rb2 {-+}) 43... Kg8 44. Rc1 d3 (44... f5 {and Black can already relax} 45. Qe6+ Kf8 46. Kg1 fxe4 47. Qe5 {-+}) 45. Kh3 (45. Kh2 { is one last hope} a2 46. Ra1 {-+}) 45... d2 46. Rd1 Qd5 (46... a2 47. h5 Rd5 { -+}) 47. Qxe7 (47. Qxd5 {is the last straw} Rxd5 48. f4 {-+}) 47... Qf5+ (47... Qf5+ 48. g4 Qf3+ 49. Ng3 Rxe7 50. Rxd2 Rb7 51. Re2 Rb2 52. Re3 Qxf2 53. Re8+ Kg7 54. Re2 Rxe2 55. Nxe2 Qxe2 56. g5 Qe3+ 57. Kg2 a2 58. h5 a1=Q 59. h6+ Kf8 60. Kh2 Qag1#) (47... Rxe7 $6 {is a weaker possibility} 48. Nf6+ Kg7 49. Nxd5 { =}) 0-1