C24 Bishop's Opening: 2...Nf6 (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 d5 6.exd5 Nxd5)

This one was played in the first round of a tournament called 2014 August Banded Threesomes at Red Hot Pawn. Players were divided into seven three player groups and one four player group as there was uneven number of players joining the tournament. As only the winner advances or in a case of a tie more than one will advance, this tournament went in a interesting way. In four of the groups only one player advanced but in the other four most players advanced to the second round. In three of those groups two out of three advanced and in one of them came a three-way tie, so all the players from that group advanced to the next round. In my group, me and KellyJay were the ones to advance to the second round. The time control in this tournament is three days per move plus seven days that are in the timebank. This tournament started on August 22nd 2014. The first position I want to highlight, is the one after 31...Rc6. In that position KellyJay played 32.Kf2, which created even more problems to my opponent than he or she faced before it. The idea of doubling the rooks on the c-file and taking the knight from e4 with the bishop, allowing the rook to go all the way to c3 is a similar plan I used in one of the games I shared yesterday. Unfortunately I did not go for that plan in this game and my advantage quickly vanished.

The second position of interest is the one after 37...Rxc2. KellyJay chose to play 38.Ra7+, which was placed the rook one square too far. At a6 the rook would have attacked the pawn on b6 and maybe lured my rook back from c2 to protect the pawn and even though I have an extra pawn, the position would be likely even since I can't really make use of that pawn. In the game continuation my rook went from c2 to c7 to block the check and had my opponent now gone for the move Ra6, I could protect the pawn by placing my rook to b7. It would have been a better way to protect the pawn, at least according to Stockfish 8 64 POPCNT at depth 32.

I was able to increase my advantage to a winning one, but like so many times before, with one horrible decision, 50...Ra2, my chances of winning the game became nonexistent and equality was restored to the position. I thought that two extra pawns would be enough to win the game, so I wanted to trade rooks, but KellyJay did have an easy way to get back material. It can be seen in the game continuation 51.Rxa2 Bxa2 52.gxf6 gxf6 and next the move 53.Ne4, which attacked both the undefended bishop on a2 and the undefended pawn at f6.

While messing up the winning advantage, so that draw is the most likely outcome can annoy a player, it does not compare to the realization that within few moves I went from a winning position to first an even position and then to a lost position. With two consecutive bad moves 55...Ke7 and 56...Kf8, I could have lost the game. The first move was bad because of the reply f6+, and the second because of the move 57.Rc2, which my opponent did not play. KellyJay decided to threaten my pawn on e5 with the move 57.Rf5, but I could easily defend that position by moving my rook to b5. My other option would have been to counterattack the pawn on d3 by placing my rook to b3.

Other bad moves were seen during the remainder of this game, but the game deciding blunder was my opponent's 64th move Kh4. It was too slow of a move, because I could just advance my c-pawn and force my opponent to defend against it.

KellyJay had no time to try and push the f-pawn when my c-pawn had reached the third rank because my opponent needed to make preparations for it. I, on the other hand, could have just pushed the pawn forward. Therefore after 64...b3, KellyJay had to play 65.Rf2, but the outcome of the game was already clear, I was going to win.

[Event "Banded Threesomes"] [Site "http://www.redhotpawn.com"] [Date "2014.08.22"] [Round "1"] [White "KellyJay"] [Black "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C24"] [WhiteElo "1685"] [BlackElo "1814"] [Annotator "Stockfish 8 64 POPCNT (30s)"] [PlyCount "142"] [EventDate "2014.??.??"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O Nf6 5. d3 d5 6. exd5 Nxd5 {C24 Bishop's Opening: 2...Nf6} 7. Bxd5 Qxd5 8. Nc3 Qd8 {White has a cramped position} (8... Qd6 9. Nb5 Qd7 10. Bg5 f6 11. Be3 Be7 12. Qd2 a6 13. Nc3 Nd4 14. Bxd4 exd4 15. Nxd4 Qxd4 16. Qe3 Qd6 17. Rfe1 Bf5 18. Nd5 Qe5 19. Nf4 Qxe3 20. Rxe3 Kf7 21. Rae1 Bc5 22. Nd5 Bxe3 23. Rxe3 {Fejzic,D-Peshevski,M Budva 2013 0-1 (32)}) 9. a4 $146 {Black has an active position} (9. h3 O-O 10. Ne4 Be7 11. c3 Bf5 12. Qe2 h6 13. Nh2 Qd7 14. Be3 Rad8 15. Rad1 Qe6 16. f4 exf4 17. Bxf4 Ne5 18. d4 Nc4 19. Rde1 Bg6 20. b3 Nd6 21. Nxd6 Qxe2 22. Rxe2 Bxd6 23. Bxd6 Rxd6 {Viken, I-Zwart,G Ca'n Picafort 1992 1-0 (44)}) (9. Be3 Bxe3 10. fxe3 Bg4 11. Qe1 Bxf3 12. Rxf3 Qd7 13. Qg3 f6 14. Ne4 O-O-O 15. a3 f5 16. Nc5 Qe7 17. b4 Rdf8 18. Rff1 g5 19. Qf3 g4 20. Qd5 Qf7 21. c4 Qxd5 22. cxd5 Ne7 23. Ne6 Nxd5 {Izso,D (2046)-Kalyinka,R Hungary 2003 1-0 (48)}) (9. Re1 f6 (9... Bg4 10. h3 Bxf3 11. Qxf3 O-O 12. Be3 Bxe3 13. fxe3 Nb4 14. Re2 Nc6 15. Rf1 Qd7 16. Ne4 Qd5 17. Nc3 Qxf3 18. Rxf3 Rad8 19. a4 Ne7 20. Nb5 c6 21. Na3 Nd5 22. Nc4 Rfe8 23. e4 Nf4 24. Ref2 {Izgi,B-Ozten,B Denizli 2003 1-0 (79)}) 10. Ne4 Bb6 11. Be3 Bg4 12. c3 Bxf3 13. gxf3 Qe7 14. Bxb6 axb6 15. d4 Rd8 16. d5 f5 17. Ng3 Qg5 18. Kh1 O-O 19. Rg1 Qh4 20. Qc2 Ne7 21. c4 Rf6 22. Rae1 Rh6 23. Rg2 Qf4 {Jongerius,M (1547) -Morris,C (1528) Guernsey 2002 0-1 (35)}) (9. Qe2 Bg4 $11) 9... O-O $15 10. Ne4 {White threatens to win material: Ne4xc5} Be7 11. b3 Bf5 {Black has an active position} 12. Re1 f6 {Prevents intrusion on g5} 13. Ba3 Bxa3 14. Rxa3 b6 { Controls c5} 15. Nh4 (15. Ng3 Be6 $15) 15... Be6 16. Nf3 Bg4 17. h3 Bh5 18. Ng3 Bf7 19. Ra1 Nd4 (19... Qd7 $5 $15) 20. Nxd4 $11 Qxd4 21. Re4 {White threatens to win material: Re4xd4} Qd7 22. Rc1 Rad8 23. Qe1 Bg6 24. Re3 c5 25. Qc3 Rde8 26. a5 Qd6 27. Ne4 Qd4 28. Qxd4 (28. Qc4+ Kh8 $11) 28... cxd4 $15 29. Ree1 Rc8 30. axb6 axb6 31. f3 {Consolidates e4} Rc6 32. Kf2 (32. b4 $5 $17) 32... Rfc8 33. Re2 Kf7 (33... Bxe4 34. dxe4 Rc3 35. Rd2 $19) 34. g4 $2 (34. Ke1 Bxe4 35. fxe4 Kg6 $15) 34... Ke7 (34... Bxe4 $5 35. fxe4 Rc3 36. Rd2 $19) 35. h4 (35. Ke1 Bxe4 36. fxe4 Kf7 $17) 35... Bf7 (35... Bxe4 $142 $5 36. fxe4 Rc3 $19) 36. b4 $15 Bb3 {Exerts pressure on the backward pawn. Black threatens to win material: Bb3xc2. Deflection: c2} 37. Ra1 (37. cxb3 Rxc1 {Deflection Pinning}) 37... Rxc2 (37... Bxc2 $142 38. Ra3 g6 $15) 38. Ra7+ $2 (38. Ra6 $142 $11 { and White hangs on}) 38... R2c7 $17 39. Ra3 Bd5 40. Ra6 Rb7 41. Kg3 (41. h5 $5 $17) 41... Rc1 $19 42. Nd2 $2 (42. Ra8 $19) 42... Rc2 (42... Rc3 {makes it even easier for Black} 43. g5 $19) 43. Ra1 (43. f4 {cannot change destiny} Rc3 44. fxe5 Rxd3+ 45. Kf4 fxe5+ 46. Kxe5 Re3+ 47. Rxe3 dxe3 $19) 43... Kd7 (43... Rc3 $142 {keeps an even firmer grip} 44. Kf2 $19) 44. Rb1 (44. g5 {is the last straw} Rc3 45. Ne4 Bxe4 46. dxe4 $19) 44... Ra7 45. Rf2 Raa2 (45... Rc3 { seems even better} 46. Ne4 Rxd3 47. Re1 $19) 46. Rd1 Rab2 (46... Kc6 $5 { might be the shorter path} 47. f4 exf4+ 48. Kxf4 $19) 47. f4 Ke6 48. f5+ (48. fxe5 {is no salvation} fxe5 49. g5 Rxb4 $19) 48... Kd7 49. g5 Rxb4 50. Ra1 (50. Ne4 {doesn't get the cat off the tree} Rxf2 51. Nxf2 $19) 50... Ra2 (50... Rc3 $142 {nails it down} 51. Nf1 Rxd3+ 52. Kh2 Rbb3 $19) 51. Rxa2 $11 Bxa2 52. gxf6 gxf6 53. Ne4 {White threatens to win material: Ne4xf6} Bf7 54. Nxf6+ {White forks: h7} Kd6 (54... Ke7 55. Nxh7 Rb3 56. f6+ Ke8 57. Rf5 Rxd3+ 58. Kf2 $11) 55. Ne4+ {A valuable piece} (55. Nxh7 Rb3 56. Kg4 Rxd3 57. Ng5 $14) 55... Ke7 $2 (55... Kc6 $142 $5 {and Black can hope to live} 56. Ng5 Bh5 $11) 56. f6+ $16 Kf8 $4 {Black crumbles in face of a dire situation} (56... Kd7 $142 57. Ng5 Ke8 $16) 57. Rf5 {White threatens to win material: Rf5xe5} (57. Rc2 $142 {and White takes home the point} Bb3 58. Rc7 $18) 57... Rb5 58. h5 (58. Ng5 h6 59. Nf3 Bg6 60. Rxe5 Bxd3 61. Rxb5 Bxb5 62. Nxd4 Bd7 $11) 58... Rd5 (58... h6 59. Nd6 Rc5 60. Ne4 $11) 59. Ng5 h6 60. Nf3 $4 {Attacking the backward pawn on e5} (60. Nxf7 Kxf7 61. Kf3 b5 $11) 60... b5 $4 {gives the opponent new chances.} ( 60... Be6 $142 {the advantage is on the side of Black} 61. Rxe5 Rxe5 62. Nxe5 b5 $19) 61. Nxe5 $11 (61. Rxe5 Rxe5 62. Nxe5 b4 63. Nd7+ Ke8 $19) 61... Be6 { Black threatens to win material: Be6xf5} 62. Ng6+ Ke8 63. Rf4 (63. Rxd5 Bxd5 64. Kf4 b4 $11) 63... b4 (63... Rxh5 $142 64. Re4 Rg5+ 65. Kf2 Kf7 $15) 64. Kh4 $4 (64. Nh8 $142 {would save the game} Rg5+ 65. Kh4 $11) 64... b3 $19 65. Rf2 ( 65. f7+ {hardly improves anything} Bxf7 66. Re4+ Kd8 $19) 65... Rb5 66. Rb2 ( 66. Nf4 {doesn't do any good} Bf5 67. Rb2 Kf7 $19) 66... Kf7 67. Ne7 (67. Kg3 { does not solve anything} Kxf6 68. Kf4 Rxh5 $19) 67... Rb6 (67... Rc5 68. Ng6 Rc2 69. Ne5+ Kxf6 70. Ng4+ Kg7 71. Rb1 Rg2 72. Ne5 Kf6 73. Nd7+ Bxd7 74. Rxb3 Ke5 75. Rb4 Bf5 76. Rb5+ Kf4 77. Rb2 Rg4+ 78. Kh3 Kf3 79. Ra2 Re4+ 80. Kh2 Re2+ 81. Rxe2 Kxe2 82. Kg1 Bxd3 83. Kg2 Be4+ 84. Kg3 Ke3 85. Kg4 d3 86. Kg3 d2 87. Kg4 d1=Q+ 88. Kg3 Qg1+ 89. Kh4 Qf2+ 90. Kh3 Bf5#) 68. Ng6 Kxf6 69. Nf4 (69. Kg3 {no good, but what else?} Rc6 70. Rf2+ Kg5 71. Re2 $19) 69... Bf7 70. Ne2 (70. Ng6 {cannot change what is in store for White} Rb5 $19) 70... Ke5 71. Kg4 (71. Kg3 {there is nothing better in the position} Bxh5 72. Nc1 $19) 71... Rc6 ( 71... Rc6 72. Ng1 Rc2 73. Nf3+ Kd6 $19) 0-1