C18 French: 3.Nc3 Bb4: Main line: 7.h4 and 7.Qg4 (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Ba5)

I was able to get so close to 1800 at the FIDE Online Arena before I lost a game again and the incline turned into a small decline. This was the 44th rapid game in a row where my rating was 1700 or above and I was only 6 games away from securing the title of Arena International Master. I had won four games in a row at FOA before this loss occurred and I think it might be my best winning streak there, but I can't say it for certain without actually looking at my statistics in more detail. I think it would have been still possible to not get the title had I lost all my remaining games against much weaker opponents. That being said, I of course tried to play against similarly rated players or higher rated ones in order to ensure that my goal was reached.

The game below started to go wrong for me quite quickly as I played the silly 6.f4 and instead I should have played 6.Bd2. While f4 might not have been huge mistake, but instead a small inaccuracy, I should avoid that move in my future games if I can remember it that is. The first real blunder I play on move 8. I should have played 8.Qd3 instead of Qa4. 8.Qa4 is a novelty in the position, nobody had played that stupid move before, at least according to my reference database. Due to some inaccuracies, I found myself in a balanced position again after 10...Qxa5. However, I did not play the most accurate moves and I started to drift towards an inferior position. The position does even out a again until make my position worse again by playing 16.Bxd5. I should have castled instead.

My biggest troubles of the game start when make a really bad move 20.Kd2. It could have been the losing move, but due to a mistake by my opponent, 27...Nxb2+, I have some chances to draw this game again. The game does continue in Andrea's small advantage, but at least it is no longer winning after his 27th move. I get my last chance for the draw on move 31, but I do not see the right idea and instead played the losing move 31.Rb2. Andrea Martelli dominates the rest of the game and does not give me anymore chances for a draw.

[Event "Challenge 35876504"] [Site "online arena"] [Date "2015.12.12"] [Round "1"] [White "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Black "Martelli, Andrea"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C18"] [WhiteElo "1798"] [BlackElo "1934"] [Annotator "Stockfish 7 64 POPCNT (30s), TV"] [PlyCount "108"] [EventDate "2015.??.??"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Ba5 {C18 French: 3.Nc3 Bb4: Main line: 7.h4 and 7.Qg4} 6. f4 (6. b4 cxd4 {French Defense: Winawer Variation, Retreat Variation, Armenian Line}) 6... cxd4 7. Qxd4 Nc6 {Black threatens to win material: Nc6xd4} 8. Qa4 {N} (8. Bb5 Bd7 (8... Nge7 9. b4 Bb6 10. Qd3 a5 11. Rb1 axb4 12. axb4 O-O 13. Nf3 f6 14. exf6 Rxf6 15. Ne2 e5 16. fxe5 Bf5 17. Qb3 Re6 18. Nf4 Rxe5+ 19. Nxe5 Nxe5 20. Bd3 Nxd3+ 21. cxd3 Qd6 22. Ne2 Qg6 23. Nf4 {Ignacio,R-Clawitter,C (2082) San Diego 2012 0-1 (34)}) 9. Bxc6 Bxc6 (9... bxc6 10. Nf3 Ne7 11. Bd2 O-O 12. Qd3 c5 13. Ng5 Ng6 14. O-O h6 15. Nxf7 Kxf7 16. f5 exf5 17. Qxd5+ Ke8 18. e6 Bb5 19. Qb7 Rb8 20. Qxg7 Qd4+ 21. Qxd4 cxd4 22. Nxb5 Rxb5 23. a4 Re5 24. b4 {Fuchs,G (1965)-Malivanek,J (2195) Hradec Kralove 1994 1/2-1/2 (47)}) 10. Nf3 Nh6 11. Qd3 Nf5 12. Nd4 Nxd4 13. Qxd4 O-O 14. Bd2 Bb6 15. Qd3 d4 16. Ne4 Qh4+ 17. g3 Qh5 18. O-O f6 19. Bb4 Rf7 20. Nd6 Rd7 21. Rae1 a5 22. Bd2 Rxd6 {Martinez Lopez,C (1780)-Nunez Lucero,F (2178) Barcelona 2014 0-1}) (8. Qd1 Nge7 9. Bd2 a6 10. Nf3 O-O 11. b4 Bb6 12. Bd3 Ng6 13. Na4 Ba7 14. Nc5 Bxc5 15. bxc5 Qe7 16. O-O Qxc5+ 17. Kh1 b5 18. Qe1 Bb7 19. h3 Nge7 20. Bxh7+ Kxh7 21. Qh4+ Kg8 22. Ng5 Qxc2 {Da Silva Filho,J (1679) -Costa,E (1568) Joao Pessoa 2013 0-1 (33)}) (8. Qd3 d4 9. b4 dxc3 10. bxa5 Qxa5 {=/+}) 8... d4 (8... Bd7 $5 9. Bd2 Nge7 {+/-}) 9. b4 {=/+} dxc3 10. bxa5 { White has the pair of bishops} Qxa5 (10... Nge7 11. a6 {=}) 11. Qc4 (11. Qxa5 $5 {should be examined more closely} Nxa5 12. Ne2 {=}) 11... Nge7 {=/+} 12. Bd3 Qd5 13. Qe4 Qxe4+ 14. Bxe4 O-O 15. Ne2 Nd5 16. Bxd5 exd5 17. Nxc3 d4 18. Ne2 Bf5 {Black threatens to win material: Bf5xc2} 19. Ra2 Rac8 20. Kd2 $2 (20. Kf2 {=/+ and White could well hope to play on}) 20... Rfd8 (20... Na5 $5 21. Kd1 Rfd8 22. a4 {-+}) 21. Ng3 {+/-} Be6 22. Rb2 Na5 23. Rb4 (23. Ke2 Rd7 {-+}) 23... Nc4+ (23... d3 24. cxd3 Nb3+ 25. Rxb3 Bxb3 26. Ne4 {-+}) 24. Kd3 b6 25. Re1 a5 26. Rb1 g6 (26... Bd7 27. Rb3 {-+}) 27. Bb2 $2 (27. Re4 Nxa3 $1 { Black moves ahead of the opponent} 28. Bxa3 Rc3+ 29. Kd2 Rxa3 {+/-}) 27... Nxb2+ $4 {hands over the advantage to the opponent} (27... Bd7 {-+ would have given Black the upper hand}) 28. Rxb2 {=/+} Rc3+ {Black forks: a3} 29. Kd2 Rxa3 30. Rxb6 d3 (30... Ra2 {+/-}) 31. Rb2 $4 {allows the opponent back into the game} (31. Rd6 {is just about the only chance} Rxd6 32. exd6 dxc2 33. Ne4 {=}) 31... dxc2+ {-+} 32. Kxc2 Ra4 33. Ne4 $4 {a blunder in a bad position} (33. Rf1 {-+}) 33... Bf5 34. g3 (34. Kb3 {is no salvation} Rdd4 35. Nc5 Rdb4+ 36. Kc3 Rc4+ 37. Kb3 Bc2+ 38. Rxc2 Rab4+ 39. Ka3 Rxc2 {-+}) 34... Rxe4 (34... Bxe4+ 35. Rxe4 Rxe4 {-+}) 35. Rxe4 Bxe4+ 36. Kc1 (36. Kc3 {cannot change what is in store for White} Kg7 {-+}) 36... a4 37. Ra2 (37. Rb4 {cannot change destiny} Rc8+ 38. Kb2 Rc2+ 39. Ka3 Bf3 {-+}) 37... Rc8+ 38. Kd2 Ra8 39. Ke3 (39. Kc3 { does not improve anything} Bd5 40. Ra3 f6 {-+}) 39... Bd5 40. Ra3 Bb3 41. Kd4 ( 41. g4 {is not the saving move} Rc8 42. f5 Rc4 {-+}) 41... Rd8+ 42. Ke3 Kg7 43. h3 (43. g4 {hardly improves anything} Rd1 {-+}) 43... Rd1 44. Ke2 Rh1 45. h4 ( 45. Kf2 {-+ a last effort to resist the inevitable}) 45... h5 46. Kf3 Kf8 47. Ke4 Rg1 48. Kf3 Ke7 49. Kf2 Rb1 (49... Rd1 {it becomes clear that Black will call all the shots} 50. Ke3 Ke6 {-+}) 50. Kf3 Ke6 51. g4 hxg4+ 52. Kxg4 Rg1+ ( 52... Rf1 {makes sure everything is clear} 53. Kg5 {-+}) 53. Kf3 Rh1 54. Kg3 Kf5 (54... Kf5 55. Kf3 Rh3+ 56. Kg2 Rd3 57. Kf2 Rd2+ 58. Ke1 Ra2 59. Rxa2 Bxa2 60. e6 fxe6 61. Ke2 a3 62. Kd2 Bd5 63. Kc3 Ke4 64. f5 exf5 65. h5 gxh5 66. Kb4 a2 67. Kb5 a1=Q 68. Kb6 Ke5 69. Kb5 Qb2+ 70. Ka5 Bc6 71. Ka6 f4 72. Ka5 Qb5#) 0-1