B18 Classical Caro-Kann: 4...Bf5 sidelines (1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.f4 e6 7.Nf3 Nd7 8.Bd3)

Today I have added three correspondence games and this one 15 minute rapid game that was played at the FIDE Online Arena on December 12th, 2015. This was the 47th rapid game with a rating of 1700 or above and this was the 5th 15 minute game I played on December 12th. I was also back over 1800 after been below it for too long in my arrogant opinion. I knew that I could get the title then no matter what, as only three games remained for the game requirement because it is impossible to drop the rating over 100 points in those three games. The three remaining games from the 50 game requirement I will post tomorrow as well as couple of newer games I have played at the FIDE Online Arena. After that I will start posting my recent correspondence games again.

The first mistake of the game saw the light of day after my opponent played 10...a6. It is a move that I do not understand at all. Amedeo Rinaldo Romussi would have been better off developing his bishop or with any other move that helps in the development of his pieces. Obviously I do not play the best possible move as a reply, but even with my move I have a clear advantage. The game continues in a way that seems really good for me, but my inaccuracies give my opponent an easier time. For example, I am not sure why I played 13.Nxf5 because 13.Rhe1+ would be so much better. By playing 13.Rhe1+, I would keep Amedeo Rinaldo's king in the center a little bit longer. I do play Rhe1 a move later, but by then it is much more mild than it would have been a move earlier. Times like these I think that all the connections in my brain are probably not working correctly... Amedeo Rinaldo replies with 14...g6, which would have given me a clear advantage, had I played an accurate response. The game continuation fizzles out to an even position, until on move 17, my opponent makes another mistake that gives me the advantage again.

My bad move 19.Kb1 equalises the position once again and my advantage is short-lived. The game continued to head towards a draw and it would have probably ended in one too without the blunder 33...Nd6. Even after that I do not seem to find the right ideas because on move 35, I played Be3. I may have considered the possibility of winning the pawn on b7 by taking on d6 and then on b7, but for some reason I have rejected the idea. Maybe I could not calculate if my opponent gets some counterplay on the kingside and therefore ended up playing a move that seemed safer. After Be3, the position remained even for a long time and only on his 50th move, my opponent blunders the game away.

[Event "Challenge 35879266"] [Site "online arena"] [Date "2015.12.12"] [Round "1"] [White "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Black "Romussi, Amedeo Rinaldo"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B18"] [WhiteElo "1806"] [BlackElo "1365"] [Annotator "Stockfish 7 64 POPCNT (30s), TV"] [PlyCount "145"] [EventDate "2015.??.??"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. f4 {Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation, Maroczy Attack} (6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. h5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 e6 11. Bd2 Ngf6 12. O-O-O Bd6 {Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation, Seirawan Variation} (12... Be7 {Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation, Lobron System})) (6. Nh3 {Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation, Flohr Variation}) 6... e6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. Bd3 {B18 Classical Caro-Kann: 4...Bf5 sidelines} Bxd3 9. Qxd3 Ngf6 10. Bd2 (10. O-O Bd6 11. Ne5 O-O (11... Qb6 12. Kh1 g6 13. c3 Rf8 14. Bd2 h5 15. b4 O-O-O 16. a4 Nxe5 17. fxe5 Bxe5 18. Bg5 Bxg3 19. Bxf6 Bd6 20. Bxd8 Qxd8 21. Qe4 Qc7 22. Rf6 Kd8 23. Raf1 Ke8 24. h3 Qe7 25. b5 c5 26. dxc5 { Cubukcu,B (1661)-Yilmaz,V Manavgat 2015 1-0}) 12. Be3 Rc8 13. Rad1 Qc7 14. Kh1 Nd5 15. Ne4 Nxe3 16. Qxe3 Be7 17. Qg3 f5 18. Qb3 Nxe5 19. dxe5 Kf7 20. Nd6+ Bxd6 21. Rxd6 Rfe8 22. Rfd1 Re7 23. Qh3 Kg8 24. Qh4 Rce8 {Prijovic,B (2005) -Jovic,S (2262) Sarajevo 2012 0-1 (38)}) 10... a6 {? N} (10... Bd6 11. O-O-O Qc7 12. f5 Bxg3 13. fxe6 fxe6 14. hxg3 Qxg3 15. Qc4 O-O-O 16. Ng5 Rde8 17. Rh3 Nb6 18. Qc5 Qc7 19. Rf3 h6 20. Bf4 Qd7 21. Qe5 Kd8 22. Nf7+ Qxf7 23. Qb8+ Nc8 24. Rb3 Nd5 25. Be5 {Haffner,Z-Gal,T Hungary 2005 0-1 (31)}) (10... Qc7 11. O-O (11. O-O-O O-O-O 12. Ng5 Nb6 13. f5 exf5 14. Qxf5+ Kb8 15. Bf4 Bd6 16. Bxd6 Rxd6 17. Rhe1 Rd5 18. Re5 h6 19. N5e4 Nxe4 20. Nxe4 Nc4 21. Rxd5 cxd5 22. Qxd5 Ne3 23. Qb5 Qxc2# {0-1 (23) Nazarian,A (2012) -Kostoglotov,D (1712) Moscow 2008 }) 11... Bd6 12. Ne5 Rd8 13. Qe2 O-O 14. Rad1 c5 15. Bc3 Nd5 16. Ne4 Nxc3 17. bxc3 Be7 18. Rf3 Nf6 {1/2-1/2 (18) Swiercz,S (1948)-Ficet,A (1730) Calvi 2005}) (10... Bd6 $5 {= should not be overlooked}) 11. O-O-O (11. f5 $5 Bd6 12. fxe6 fxe6 {+/-}) 11... Qc7 12. f5 exf5 $4 {another bit of territory lost} (12... O-O-O 13. Qb3 Bd6 14. fxe6 fxe6 15. Ng5 {+/-} (15. Qxe6 Bxg3 16. hxg3 Qxg3 {=}) ) 13. Nxf5 (13. Rhe1+ {ends the debate} Kd8 14. Ne5 {+-} (14. Nxf5 Kc8 {+-})) 13... O-O-O {+/-} 14. Rhe1 (14. Ng5 Nc5 15. Qf3 Ne6 {+/-}) 14... g6 (14... Nc5 15. Qf1 Nce4 16. Ne5 Nxd2 17. Rxd2 {=}) 15. Ng3 {White has an active position} (15. Ne7+ $5 Kb8 16. Ng5 {+/-}) 15... Bd6 {+/= Black threatens to win material: Bd6xg3} 16. Nf1 Rde8 17. Qc4 {White threatens to win material: Qc4xf7} Nb6 { Black threatens to win material: Nb6xc4} (17... Nd5 $5 {=}) 18. Qb3 {+/-} Nbd5 19. Kb1 (19. c4 $5 Nf4 20. c5 {+/-}) 19... Rxe1 {=} 20. Rxe1 Re8 21. Rxe8+ Nxe8 22. g3 {Consolidates f4} Qe7 23. Ne3 Nec7 24. c4 Nxe3 25. Qxe3 Qxe3 26. Bxe3 f6 {Controls e5+g5} 27. Kc2 Kd7 28. Nd2 Ke6 29. Kd3 Kf5 30. Ne4 Be7 31. h3 Ke6 32. Bf4 {White threatens to win material: Bf4xc7} Ne8 33. b3 Nd6 $4 {throwing away the advantage} (33... h5 {= and Black has air to breath}) 34. Nc5+ {+-} Kf5 $4 {a blunder in a bad position} (34... Kf7 {+-}) 35. Be3 (35. Bxd6 {and White has prevailed} Bxd6 36. g4+ Kf4 37. Nxb7 {+-}) 35... g5 36. g4+ Kg6 37. Bf2 f5 38. gxf5+ Kxf5 39. Bg3 h5 40. Ke3 b5 41. cxb5 {White forks: a6+c6} Nxb5 (41... axb5 42. a4 bxa4 43. bxa4 Nc4+ 44. Ke2 {=}) 42. Nxa6 {White has a new passed pawn: a2} (42. a4 Nc3 43. Nxa6 Nd5+ 44. Ke2 Ke4 {=}) 42... Bf6 {Exerts pressure on the isolated pawn} 43. Kd3 Nxd4 (43... Bxd4 $2 44. a4 Bg1 45. axb5 cxb5 46. Ke2 {+-}) 44. Nb4 Be5 {Black threatens to win material: Be5xg3} 45. Bf2 {White threatens to win material: Bf2xd4} c5 {Black threatens to win material: c5xb4} 46. Nd5 g4 47. hxg4+ hxg4 {Black has a new passed pawn: g4.} 48. Be3 g3 {Black advances the passed pawn} 49. Bg1 Nf3 {Black threatens to win material: Nf3xg1} 50. Bxc5 g2 $4 (50... Ke6 {would bring relief} 51. Ne3 Ne1+ 52. Ke4 g2 {=}) 51. Ne3+ {+-} Kf4 (51... Ke6 {desperation} 52. Nxg2 Bf6 { +-}) 52. Nxg2+ Kg3 (52... Kf5 53. a4 Bc7 54. b4 Ne5+ 55. Kd4 {+-}) 53. Ne3 Ne1+ (53... Kf4 {+- otherwise it's curtains at once}) 54. Ke4 Bb2 55. a4 Bf6 56. a5 Bd8 (56... Kf2 {cannot undo what has already been done} 57. a6 Ke2 58. a7 Nd3 59. Bb6 Nf2+ 60. Kf5 Bd8 61. Bxd8 Kxe3 62. Bb6+ Kd2 63. Bxf2 Kc1 64. a8=Q Kb1 65. Qc6 Kb2 66. Qc4 Ka1 67. Bd4+ Kb1 68. Qc3 Ka2 69. Qb2#) 57. a6 Bc7 (57... Nf3 {cannot change destiny} 58. a7 Nd2+ 59. Kd3 Nf3 60. Bd6+ Kf2 61. a8=Q Ne1+ 62. Ke4 Nc2 63. Qa2 Ba5 64. Qxc2+ Bd2 65. Qxd2+ Kg1 66. Qh2#) 58. a7 Nf3 (58... Ng2 {doesn't get the bull off the ice} 59. a8=Q Nxe3 60. Bxe3 Kg2 61. Qa2+ Kh3 62. Kf3 Bg3 63. Qg2+ Kh4 64. Qxg3+ Kh5 65. Qg5#) 59. a8=Q Nh4 (59... Bf4 { is not the saving move} 60. Nf1+ Kg4 61. Qc8+ Kh5 62. Kxf4 Kg6 63. Qg8+ Kh6 64. Bf8+ Kh5 65. Qg4#) 60. Nf5+ (60. Be7 Nf3 61. Qg8+ Kf2 62. Qg2+ Ke1 63. Bb4+ Nd2+ 64. Bxd2#) 60... Kg4 (60... Kh2 {doesn't do any good} 61. Nxh4 Bg3 62. Kf3 Be1 63. Qg8 Bg3 64. Qxg3+ Kh1 65. Qg2#) 61. Qg8+ Kh3 62. Qh7 (62. Nxh4 Kxh4 63. Be7+ Kh3 64. Kf3 Bh2 65. Qg2#) 62... Bg3 (62... Bd8 {does not help much} 63. Nxh4 Kg4 64. Bf2 Kh3 65. Kf3 Bg5 66. Ng2+ Bh6 67. Qxh6#) 63. Be7 (63. Nxh4 Be1 64. Kf3 Bd2 65. Ng2+ Bh6 66. Qxh6#) 63... Kg2 (63... Bf2 {doesn't change the outcome of the game} 64. Nxh4 Be1 65. Kf3 Kh2 66. Qc2+ Bd2 67. Qxd2+ Kg1 68. Qg2#) 64. Nxh4+ (64. Bxh4 Be1 65. Bxe1 Kf1 66. Qh1+ Ke2 67. Nd4+ Kd1 68. Ba5#) 64... Kf2 65. Qf5+ Ke2 (65... Kg1 {does not solve anything} 66. Kf3 Kf1 67. Bc5 Bxh4 68. Qd3+ Ke1 69. Qe2#) 66. Qf3+ Kd2 67. Bb4+ (67. Qd3+ Ke1 68. Kf3 Bf2 69. Ng2#) 67... Kc2 (67... Kc1 {does not improve anything} 68. Qxg3 Kb1 69. Qc3 Ka2 70. Qc2+ Ka1 71. Bc3#) 68. Qc3+ Kb1 69. Ba3 Be5 70. Qxe5 (70. Kxe5 Ka2 71. Qb2# ) 70... Kc2 71. Bb4 (71. Qd4 Kxb3 72. Qb2+ Kc4 73. Qb4#) 71... Kd1 (71... Kxb3 {cannot change what is in store for White} 72. Bc5 Ka2 73. Qc3 Kb1 74. Qb3+ Ka1 75. Bd4#) 72. Qh2 (72. Qc3 Ke2 73. Qe1#) 72... Kc1 73. Bc3 (73. Bc3 Kb1 74. Qb2#) 1-0