C64 Spanish Game: Classical Defence (3...Bc5) except 4.O-O Nf6 (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Bc5 4.O-O Nge7 5.c3 Bb6 6.d4 exd4 7.cxd4 d5 8.exd5 Nxd5 9.Re1+ Be6)

The game below was played on the third round of a tournament that was played at Helsinki in 2008. On the first two rounds I had lost both of my games, so getting this win was a nice change to the way things had gone so far. On the fourth round I lost again, but it was against a player who was rated 2024 at the time, so back then it was an acceptable loss. On the last three rounds I was able to avoid losing a single game, so the tournament ended on a positive note for me.

Back when this game was played, I did not really know that much of opening theory, but the variation I played in this game I had known for about four years before I played this game. Not exactly theory, but a system that was taught to me by a National Master. Basically up to the move 11...O-O, I was in a comfortable situation where the ideas of this system I played from memory. This way of playing might not be completely sound for Black, but I think it can be played against players rated lower than 2000. It is possible that one could struggle even against those players in this line, but against most players it may still be playable because the opponent would need to find a narrow path to the advantage. In this game my opponent stepped off that path when he played 10.Bxc6+.

After my opponent's 10th move the game was played evenly again for awhile. The move 12.Qc2 was one that I had not seen before, so this was probably the first time during this game that I actually used my time to think about the next move I was going to play. I was very confident about my chances to win the game after I saw the move 14.Rxe6. In fact that was the losing move of the game.

Well, probably already after 11.Ng5 already I was thinking that I am going to get a good result from this game. It is also very satisfying to play a move like 17...Qxf2 with the knowledge that I am going to win the game. The game ended in checkmate on move 18 when I played 18...Re1#.

Game number two. The game was played on the second round of the Open Finnish Championship tournament that was played at Naantali in 2008. On the first round I lost a game against a player who was rated 1982. I guess the first two rounds went okay for me because I was clearly lower rated than my opponents, but the next three rounds were really horrible as I lost on every round. My first win and actually the only win of the tournament came from my round 6 game. On rounds seven and nine I was able to get two more draws, so I finished the tournament with 2.5 points out of the possible 9. This has been maybe the worst tournament that I have ever played because I dropped my rating 101 points.

I was quite confident about my chances after my opponent played 10.Ng5, but I was even happier after Lyly took on e6, because I knew that it was good for me. After the blunder 13.Qg4, I should have already had a winning advantage, I even replied with the strongest move 13...Qf6.

All seemed to go very well for me, but then I chose the wrong plan on move 18 and I threw away the win. I played 18...Nb4 with the idea of going for the rook on the corner, which is almost never a good idea, especially in a position like this.

The position slowly drifted towards a draw and I had to accept that I had messed up yet another win after 39.Nf7+ when the draw was agreed upon.

[Event "HSL Pääsiäisturnaus"] [Site "Shakkikoti"] [Date "2008.03.21"] [Round "3"] [White "Tuominen, Esa"] [Black "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C64"] [WhiteElo "1746"] [BlackElo "1672"] [Annotator "Stockfish 8 64 POPCNT (30s), TV"] [PlyCount "36"] [EventDate "2008.??.??"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Bc5 {Spanish Game: Classical Variation} 4. O-O Nge7 (4... Nf6 5. c3 O-O 6. d4 Bb6 7. Bg5 {Spanish Game: Classical Variation. Modern Main Line}) (4... Nd4 5. b4 {Spanish Game: Classical Defense: Zaitsev Variation}) 5. c3 Bb6 6. d4 exd4 7. cxd4 d5 8. exd5 Nxd5 9. Re1+ Be6 {C64 Spanish Game: Classical Defence (3...Bc5) except 4.O-O Nf6} 10. Bxc6+ bxc6 11. Ng5 O-O 12. Qc2 (12. Nxe6 fxe6 13. Qg4 Nb4 14. Qxe6+ Kh8 15. Qb3 Bxd4 16. Be3 Rb8 17. Na3 Nd5 18. Qa4 Nxe3 19. fxe3 Bxb2 20. Rad1 Qg5 21. Nc4 Qc5 22. Re2 Rb4 23. Qc2 Qxc4 24. Qxc4 Rxc4 25. Rxb2 Rc3 26. Re2 h6 {Reyes Rios,J (1985) -Vallejo,D Medellin 2010 1/2-1/2 (32)}) 12... g6 (12... Nf6 13. Nxe6 fxe6 14. Be3 Bxd4 15. Bxd4 Qxd4 16. Nd2 Nd5 17. Ne4 Nb4 18. Qb3 Rae8 19. Rad1 Qb6 20. Rd7 Nd5 21. Qc2 Qa5 22. Rd1 Qxa2 23. Ng5 Nf6 24. h4 Qa5 25. g3 Qf5 26. Qxf5 exf5 27. Rxc7 {Arizmendi Martinez,J (2440)-Eslon,J (2375) Valencia 1998 1/2-1/ 2 (32)}) 13. Nxe6 fxe6 14. Rxe6 $4 $146 {not a good decision, because now the opponent is right back in the game} (14. Bh6 Rf7 15. Qe4 Qf6 16. Nd2 Bxd4 17. Nf3 Bxb2 18. Rad1 e5 19. Qe2 Bc3 20. Rf1 Re8 21. Ng5 Rd7 22. Ne4 Qf5 23. Nxc3 Nxc3 24. Qc4+ Nd5 25. Qxc6 Qe6 26. Qc5 c6 27. h3 Qd6 28. Qc4 Rb7 {Niedermaier, H (2230)-Grzesik,T (2300) Germany 1987 1/2-1/2 (46)}) (14. Be3 $142 $11 { this is the best bet to save the position}) 14... Bxd4 $19 15. Re2 Qf6 (15... Rxf2 {and Black can already relax} 16. Rxf2 Qe7 17. Bd2 $19) 16. Bh6 (16. Nc3 Rae8 (16... Nxc3 $6 17. bxc3 Rae8 18. Be3 Bxe3 19. Rxe3 $11) 17. Bh6 Rxe2 ( 17... Bxc3 $2 {looks very interesting, but} 18. Bxf8 Rxe2 19. Qxe2 $18) (17... Nxc3 $6 {is much worse} 18. bxc3 Rxe2 19. Qxe2 Qxf2+ 20. Qxf2 Bxf2+ 21. Kf1 $15 ) 18. Qxe2 Qxf2+ 19. Kh1 Qxe2 (19... Nxc3 $2 {doesn't lead to anything significant} 20. Qe6+ Kh8 21. Bxf8 Qxf8 22. bxc3 Bxc3 23. Rb1 $18) (19... Bxc3 $6 20. Qxf2 Rxf2 21. bxc3 $17) 20. Nxe2 Bxb2 $19) 16... Rfe8 17. Bc1 $4 { sad, but how else could White save the game?} (17. Nc3 Bxc3 18. bxc3 $19) 17... Qxf2+ $3 {Deflection: e2.} 18. Rxf2 (18. Rxf2 Re1# {Mate attack Deflection}) 18... Re1# 0-1 [Event "Naantali Avoin SM"] [Site "?"] [Date "2008.07.01"] [Round "2"] [White "Lyly, Seppo"] [Black "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C64"] [WhiteElo "1912"] [BlackElo "1768"] [Annotator "Stockfish 8 64 POPCNT (30s), TV"] [PlyCount "77"] [EventDate "2008.06.30"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Bc5 {Spanish Game: Classical Variation} 4. O-O Nge7 (4... Nf6 5. c3 O-O 6. d4 Bb6 7. Bg5 {Spanish Game: Classical Variation. Modern Main Line}) (4... Nd4 5. b4 {Spanish Game: Classical Defense: Zaitsev Variation}) 5. c3 Bb6 6. d4 exd4 7. cxd4 d5 8. exd5 Nxd5 9. Re1+ Be6 {C64 Spanish Game: Classical Defence (3...Bc5) except 4.O-O Nf6} 10. Ng5 O-O 11. Nxe6 fxe6 12. Bxc6 bxc6 13. Qg4 (13. Nc3 Qh4 (13... Qf6 14. Be3 Nxe3 15. fxe3 Qf2+ 16. Kh1 Qxb2 17. Na4 Qa3 18. Qc2 Ba5 19. Re2 Qd6 20. Nc5 Rf7 21. Kg1 Bb6 22. Rc1 e5 23. Qc4 Re8 24. Rf2 Qd5 25. Rxf7 Kxf7 26. Kf1 exd4 27. exd4 Ke7 28. Qxd5 {Toelly,M (1938)-Reinwald,P (2231) Austria 2015 0-1 (45)}) 14. Ne4 h6 15. g3 Qh3 16. Nc5 Rxf2 17. Kxf2 Qxh2+ 18. Kf3 Rf8+ 19. Ke4 Bxc5 20. dxc5 Nf6+ 21. Ke3 Qxg3+ 22. Ke2 Qg2+ 23. Ke3 Ng4+ 24. Kd4 Rd8+ 25. Kc3 Rxd1 26. Rxd1 Qf3+ 27. Rd3 Qf6+ {Marcetic,M (2245)-Lazarevic,M (2160) Belgrade 2006 0-1 (34)}) 13... Qf6 $146 (13... Nb4 14. Qxe6+ Kh8 15. Qb3 Bxd4 16. Be3 Rb8 17. Na3 Nd5 18. Qa4 Nxe3 19. fxe3 Bxb2 20. Rad1 Qg5 21. Nc4 Qc5 22. Re2 Rb4 23. Qc2 Qxc4 24. Qxc4 Rxc4 25. Rxb2 Rc3 26. Re2 h6 27. g3 Re8 28. e4 {Reyes Rios,J (1985) -Vallejo,D Medellin 2010 1/2-1/2 (32)}) 14. Qxe6+ $2 (14. Rf1 $142 Bxd4 15. Qe2 $19) 14... Qxe6 15. Rxe6 Bxd4 16. Re2 Rae8 17. Rxe8 Rxe8 18. Kf1 Nb4 (18... Rf8 $142 { ends the debate} 19. f3 Ne3+ 20. Bxe3 Bxb2 $19 (20... Bxe3 $143 21. Nc3 $14)) 19. Na3 $15 Nd3 {Black has a mate threat} 20. Nc2 {White threatens to win material: Nc2xd4} Bxf2 ({Not} 20... Bxb2 21. Bxb2 Nxb2 22. Ne3 $11) 21. Bd2 Bb6 22. b3 Rf8+ (22... Ne5 23. Ne3 $17) 23. Ke2 $15 Nf4+ 24. Bxf4 Rxf4 25. Rf1 Rxf1 26. Kxf1 {A minor pieces endgame occured} Bc5 (26... Kf7 27. Ke2 $15) 27. Ke2 $11 Kf7 28. Kd3 Ke6 29. Ke4 Bg1 30. h3 c5 31. g4 Bf2 32. Kf3 Bd4 33. Ke4 Bg1 34. Ne1 Kd6 35. Nf3 Bf2 36. Ng5 {White threatens to win material: Ng5xh7} h6 { Black threatens to win material: h6xg5} 37. Nf7+ Kc6 38. Nd8+ Kd6 39. Nf7+ 1/2-1/2 [Event "Ladder"] [Site "http://www.redhotpawn.com"] [Date "2017.01.11"] [Round "?"] [White "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Black "Pauline Calf"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C64"] [WhiteElo "1885"] [BlackElo "1524"] [Annotator "Tactical Analysis 2.10 (30s)"] [PlyCount "23"] [EventDate "2017.??.??"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Bc5 4. c3 Nge7 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb6 7. O-O d5 8. exd5 Nxd5 9. Re1+ Be6 {C64 Spanish Game: Classical Defence (3...Bc5) except 4. O-O Nf6} 10. Bg5 {LiveBook: 33 Games} Nde7 $2 {2.68/26 [#]} (10... Qd6 $16 { 1.00/29} 11. Na3 O-O 12. Nc4 Qb4 13. Nxb6 axb6 14. Bxc6 bxc6 15. Qc2 Qd6 16. a3 Rfe8 17. Bh4 Bd7 18. Bg3 Qg6 19. Qxg6 Rxe1+ 20. Rxe1 hxg6 21. Ne5 Be8 22. Rc1 Ne7 23. Nc4 Rc8 24. Ne3 f6 25. d5 cxd5 {Stehno,P (2310)-Heberla,B (2487) Marianske Lazne 2006 0-1 (53)}) (10... Qc8 11. Ne5 O-O 12. Nxc6 bxc6 13. Bxc6 Rb8 14. Nc3 Nb4 15. Bf3 Qd7 16. a3 Nd5 17. Qd2 f6 18. Bxd5 Bxd5 19. Nxd5 Qxd5 20. Be3 Rbd8 21. Rad1 Rf7 22. Qc2 Rfd7 {1/2-1/2 (22) Wallgren,U (2086)-Nagel,G (1939) Berlin 2012}) 11. Bxe7 $146 {1.37/26} ({Only move:} 11. Nc3 $18 { 2.68/26 Threatens to win with d5.} O-O 12. d5 $1 Bxd5 13. Bxc6 Bxc6 14. Bxe7 Qxd1 15. Raxd1 Rfe8 16. Nd5 f6 17. Bb4 Rxe1+ 18. Nxe1 Bxd5 19. Rxd5 Re8 20. Kf1 Kf7 21. Rd7+ Kg6 22. Nd3 Re4 23. Bc5 Bxc5 24. Nxc5 {1-0 (24) Mercado,L (2053) -Denon,N (1671) Bento Goncalves 2010}) 11... Kxe7 $4 {4.47/24} (11... Qxe7 $16 {1.37/26 is tougher.} 12. Qa4 O-O-O) 12. d5 $1 1-0