C99 Closed Spanish Game: Chigorin Defence, 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 cxd4 (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 d6 7.c3 b5 8.Bb3 O-O 9.h3 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 cxd4 13.cxd4 Nc6 14.Nb3)

This game was played in a mini-tournament called "dim_weasel's XIV". Five players took part to this mini-tournament and I was third in the final standings due to tie-break. I was able to gather 2.5 points in 8 games. I shared the third place with two other players and we had to share the third place prize, which was 1 mini-tournament point. It meant that each of us got 0.33 mini-tournament points... My opponent in this game, mhead123, was second in the final standings with 4.5 points.

I started go wrong in the position below when I played 21...Qa5. Up to that point I had things more or less in control. That is not to say that I could not improve my game earlier on, but the first sign of real trouble was my 21st move.

I should have gone for the move 21...Qb7 instead. Mhead123 missed his or her chance and played 22.Rac1. It let me off the hook a bit and I had a chance to fight for the draw again. It was better to play 22.b3 or 22.b4 instead. I was able to hang on quite well in the game until we reached the position below, in which I blundered by playing 29...Rc8??

I should have played 29...b4 and equality might have been reached. However, the game continuation was hopelessly lost for me. Mhead123 correctly saw the continuation that quickly ended the game, 30.Rxc8+ Bxc8 31.e5. After 31.e5 I resigned because I either lose the knight or get mated.

[Event "dim_weasel's XIV"] [Site "http://gameknot.com/chess.pl?"] [Date "2016.06.11"] [Round "?"] [White "mhead123"] [Black "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C99"] [WhiteElo "1940"] [BlackElo "1808"] [Annotator "Stockfish 8 64 POPCNT (30s), TV"] [PlyCount "61"] [EventDate "2016.??.??"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 d6 7. c3 b5 8. Bb3 O-O 9. h3 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qc7 12. Nbd2 cxd4 13. cxd4 {Spanish Game: Morphy Defense. Chigorin Defense Panov System} Nc6 14. Nb3 {C99 Closed Spanish Game: Chigorin Defence, 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 cxd4} Nb4 15. Bb1 a5 16. Be3 a4 17. Nbd2 exd4 18. Nxd4 Bd7 19. a3 Na6 20. Bd3 Rab8 21. Qe2 {White has an active position} Qa5 $146 (21... Qb7 22. Rac1 Nc5 23. Bb1 Nfxe4 24. Nxe4 Nxe4 25. Bf4 f5 26. f3 Bg5 27. Bxe4 Qb6 28. Bxg5 fxe4 29. Qxe4 Rbe8 30. Qd5+ Kh8 31. Kh1 h6 32. Bh4 Rb8 33. Ne6 Rf7 34. Bg3 Bxe6 35. Rxe6 Rd7 36. Rxd6 {Ascic, I-Mrak,M Pula 2001 1-0 (59)}) (21... Nc5 22. Nxb5 Qa5 23. Nd4 $14) 22. Rac1 (22. b3 $5 axb3 23. N2xb3 $16) 22... Nc5 $14 23. Bb1 Rfe8 24. Bf4 Ne6 (24... Bf8 25. Rcd1 $11) 25. Nxe6 $14 Bxe6 26. Qd3 {Exerts pressure on the isolated pawn} (26. Nf3 Bc4 27. Bd3 Bxd3 28. Qxd3 Qb6 $14) 26... Rbd8 27. Be3 Rc8 (27... g6 28. Bd4 $11 ) 28. f4 (28. Bd4 g6 $14) 28... Rxc1 29. Rxc1 Rc8 $4 (29... b4 $142 $11 { would be a reprieve}) 30. Rxc8+ $18 Bxc8 31. e5 (31. e5 dxe5 32. fxe5 $18) 1-0