B49 Sicilian: Taimanov: 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be3 a6 7.Be2 (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Be2 Nf6 7.O-O Qc7 8.Be3)

The second post of mine in a row where the featured game was played in the paweljaniak's mini-tournament I, which is a normal stakes tournament. That is to say the entry cost and the winnings are normal. Out of the three mini-tournaments I currently play at GameKnot, only one is considered to be a high-stakes tournament where the entry cost and the winnings are higher than normal. This is my latest game from GameKnot. Nothing has changed in the tournament since yesterday, on my part that is, I am still on last place with 1.5 points. My opponent, bengi95, is on third place at the moment and he has gathered 3.5 points in nine games. Those points consist of 3 wins and 1 draw.

I am a bit disappointed of this draw against a lower rated player, but considering the fact that bengi95 was clearly better at times in this game, I should be glad that this turned out to be a draw rather than a loss. Then again, it was I who was on the better side last, before the position withered to a drawish one. Admittedly the way I played in the different colored bishops endgame was not that good. The reason for this is that I do not possess enough understanding of these types of positions just yet.

[Event "paweljaniak's mini-tournament I"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/chess.pl?"] [Date "2016.01.30"] [Round "?"] [White "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Black "bengi95"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B49"] [WhiteElo "1759"] [BlackElo "1667"] [Annotator "Stockfish 7 64 POPCNT (30s), TV"] [PlyCount "77"] [EventDate "2016.??.??"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Nc3 e6 {Sicilian Defense: Paulsen Variation} 6. Be2 Nf6 (6... Nge7 {Sicilian Defense: Paulsen Variation, Taimanov Variation}) 7. O-O Qc7 8. Be3 {B49 Sicilian: Taimanov: 5.Nc3 Qc7 6. Be3 a6 7.Be2} Ne5 9. f4 Nc4 10. Bc1 (10. Bxc4 Qxc4 11. e5 (11. Qf3 Bb4 12. Na4 Ba5 13. b3 Qc7 14. c4 d6 15. Rac1 Bd7 16. c5 Bxa4 17. cxd6 Qd7 18. bxa4 O-O 19. Nb3 Qxa4 20. Nxa5 Qxa5 21. Bd4 Rac8 22. Rxc8 Rxc8 23. e5 Nd5 24. f5 Qd2 25. Ba7 Rc1 {Kiefer,G (2254)-Hell,P (2239) Baden 2014 1/2-1/2 (39)}) 11... Nd5 12. Nxd5 Qxd5 13. c4 Qe4 14. Qd2 Bb4 15. Qf2 O-O 16. a3 Bc5 17. Rae1 d6 18. Nxe6 fxe6 19. Bxc5 Qxc4 20. exd6 Bd7 21. Qe3 Rac8 22. Bd4 Qd5 23. Qe5 Qxe5 24. Bxe5 Rc2 { Lobron,E (2497)-Taimanov,M (2407) Stockholm 2004 1-0 (48)}) 10... Bb4 11. Qd3 b5 12. Bf3 {N} (12. e5 Bxc3 13. Qxc3 Nd5 14. Qg3 O-O 15. b3 Qb6 16. Rd1 Na5 17. Kh1 Nc6 18. Nxc6 dxc6 19. f5 Kh8 20. c4 Ne7 21. f6 Ng6 22. fxg7+ Kxg7 23. Bg5 f5 24. exf6+ Kg8 25. Bd3 Qb8 26. Qh3 Qc7 {Arnold,L (2348)-Klebel,M (2391) Germany 2005 1-0}) (12. e5 Bxc3 13. Qxc3 {+/-} (13. exf6 $6 Nxb2 14. fxg7 Rg8 15. Bxb2 Bxb2 {=})) 12... e5 {=} 13. fxe5 (13. b3 exd4 14. e5 Bxc3 15. exf6 gxf6 (15... Bxa1 $4 {avaricious play} 16. fxg7 (16. Bxa8 $6 {is not possible} gxf6 17. bxc4 Bc3 {=}) 16... Rg8 17. Qxh7 {+-} (17. Bxa8 $6 {is impossible} Rxg7 18. bxc4 Bb7 19. Bxb7 Qxb7 20. Qe2+ Kd8 {+/-})) 16. Bxa8 Bxa1 17. bxc4 Bc3 {=}) 13... Nxe5 14. Qe3 (14. Qd2 $5 Bc5 15. Kh1 {=/+}) 14... Bc5 {+/-} 15. Kh1 Nxf3 {Black has a mate threat} (15... O-O 16. Qg1 {+/-}) 16. gxf3 {=/+ Black has the pair of bishops} Qe5 {Black threatens to win material: Qe5xd4} 17. Nce2 O-O (17... d5 18. exd5 Qxe3 19. Bxe3 Nxd5 20. Bf2 {=/+}) 18. c3 {Prevents intrusion on b4+d4} (18. Rg1 g6 {=}) 18... Bb7 (18... d5 19. exd5 Qxd5 20. Nf4 {+/-}) 19. Qf4 (19. Qg5 Qxg5 20. Bxg5 Nh5 {=}) 19... Bxd4 (19... Qxf4 $5 20. Bxf4 Rfe8 {=/+}) 20. cxd4 (20. Nxd4 Qxf4 21. Bxf4 d5 {+/=}) 20... Qxf4 {=} 21. Bxf4 {Opposite coloured bishops appeared} Nh5 22. Bd6 {White threatens to win material: Bd6xf8} Rfe8 23. Ng3 Nxg3+ 24. hxg3 Rac8 25. Rac1 f6 {Secures e5} ( 25... f5 26. Rxc8 Rxc8 27. d5 {=}) 26. Rc3 (26. Kg2 f5 27. Rxc8 Rxc8 28. exf5 h5 {=}) 26... g5 27. Kg2 (27. Rxc8 Rxc8 28. d5 f5 {=}) 27... h5 (27... Rxc3 $5 28. bxc3 f5 {=/+}) 28. Rh1 g4 {Black gains space} 29. d5 {White wins space} gxf3+ 30. Kxf3 Rxc3+ 31. bxc3 Kg7 $2 (31... f5 $5 {and Black can hope to survive} 32. Rxh5 fxe4+ 33. Ke3 Rc8 {+/=}) 32. Rxh5 {+/-} Kg6 (32... Rc8 33. Bb4 Rd8 {+/-}) 33. Rh2 (33. Rf5 {+- White has a promising position}) 33... f5 { +/=} 34. exf5+ Kxf5 {White has a new passed pawn: g3.} 35. Rd2 (35. g4+ Kg6 36. Rh5 Rc8 {+/=}) 35... Re1 36. g4+ Kg6 37. Kf2 {White threatens to win material: Kf2xe1} (37. Kf4 Ba8 {+/=}) 37... Rc1 {Black threatens to win material: Rc1xc3} 38. Bb4 Kg5 39. a3 1/2-1/2