A36 Symmetrical English vs ...g6: 4.Bg2 Bg7 (1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 Nc6 5.e3 d6 6.Nge2 Bg4)

This was played in the first round of an over the board tournament that was held at Turku between December 7th 2001 and December 9th 2001. My rating back then was really low and I did not know all that much about chess. I am not sure how many times I faced this opponent, but he has always been a difficult adversary for me over the board. We both have improved our play over the years and if we were to play 100 game match or something like that I would not be so sure of the result. I think I would have good chances against him, based on mostly of the fact that I think I have spend a lot more time studying the game lately than he is, but he may still have the upper hand. Back in 2001, I did continue the games much longer than I would continue these days. I mean I would have resigned this game much sooner if this were a more recent game.

[Event "TuTS"] [Site "?"] [Date "2001.12.07"] [Round "1"] [White "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Black "Mellin, Pasi"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A36"] [WhiteElo "1280"] [BlackElo "1543"] [Annotator "Tactical Analysis 2.10 (30s)"] [PlyCount "128"] [EventDate "2001.12.09"] 1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 Nc6 5. e3 d6 6. Nge2 Bg4 {0.48/23 A36 Symmetrical English vs ...g6: 4.Bg2 Bg7. LiveBook: 6 Games} (6... h5 $11 { -0.03/23}) 7. O-O {-0.13/25} (7. Rb1 $14 {0.48/23}) (7. h3 Bd7 8. O-O Nf6 9. d4 O-O 10. b3 a6 11. Bb2 Rb8 12. dxc5 dxc5 13. Na4 b6 14. Nf4 Qc8 15. g4 Rd8 16. Qe2 e5 17. Bxc6 Bxc6 18. Bxe5 g5 19. Bxb8 Qxb8 20. Ng2 Ne4 21. Rad1 Re8 { Stryjecki,M (2275)-Okhotnik,V (2405) Krynica 1998 0-1 (40)}) 7... Qd7 {0.31/25} (7... Qc8 $11 {-0.13/25}) 8. Rb1 $146 {-0.59/21} ({Better is} 8. f3 $14 { 0.31/25} Bh3 9. d4) (8. d3 h5 (8... Nf6 9. Rb1 h5 10. f3 Be6 11. Nf4 h4 12. Ncd5 hxg3 13. Nxf6+ Bxf6 14. hxg3 Bf5 15. g4 Be6 16. Kf2 Bh4+ 17. Ke2 g5 18. Nxe6 Qxe6 19. Qa4 O-O 20. Bd2 a6 21. Rfc1 b5 22. Qd1 Rac8 23. Kf1 {Brzezny,P (1618)-Albertovic,L (1923) Ostrava 2014 0-1 (53)}) 9. f3 Bh3 10. Bxh3 Qxh3 11. Rb1 Nf6 12. Nd5 g5 13. Nc7+ Kd8 14. Nxa8 Ng4 15. fxg4 hxg4 16. Kf2 Ne5 17. Rh1 Rh6 18. b4 Rf6+ 19. Nf4 gxf4 20. exf4 Ng6 21. bxc5 Nxf4 22. Bxf4 Rxf4+ { Prahov,V-Orev,P Sofia 1958 0-1 (32)}) (8. b3 h5 9. f3 Bh3 10. Nf4 Bxg2 11. Nxg2 Bf6 12. Rb1 h4 13. Ne4 hxg3 14. hxg3 O-O-O 15. Kf2 Ne5 16. d4 cxd4 17. exd4 Nc6 18. Bb2 d5 19. c5 dxe4 20. fxe4 Bxd4+ 21. Bxd4 Qxd4+ 22. Qxd4 Rxd4 {Haakma,W (1738)-Van der Linden,R (1453) Hengelo 2005 0-1}) 8... Ne5 {0.38/25} (8... h5 $15 {-0.59/21}) 9. d4 {-0.65/26} (9. f3 $14 {0.38/25} Be6 10. d3) 9... cxd4 10. exd4 Nxc4 11. Qd3 {-1.13/24} ({White should try} 11. f3 $15 {-0.36/28} Bf5 12. Ra1) 11... Rc8 $17 12. b3 Nb6 {-0.68/26} (12... Bf5 $17 {-1.25/26} 13. Be4 Nb6) 13. Bd2 {-1.66/25} (13. Ra1 $15 {-0.68/26}) 13... d5 {-0.44/26} (13... Bf5 $1 $19 {-1.66/25} 14. Be4 Bh3) 14. a4 $2 {-2.43/25 [#]} (14. Rbe1 $15 {-0.44/26}) 14... Bf5 $19 15. Qb5 {-3.36/24} (15. Qf3 $142 {-2.12/28} Bxb1 16. Rxb1 e6 {6} 17. Xxe6) 15... Qxb5 16. axb5 Bxb1 17. Rxb1 e6 18. Ra1 Ra8 19. Na4 Nd7 20. Bb4 Ne7 21. Nc5 b6 22. Na6 {[#] Hoping for Nc7+.} Rc8 23. Bd6 $2 {-5.26/27} (23. Bxe7 {-3.04/23} Kxe7 24. Nb4 Ra8 {6}) 23... Nf5 24. Bb4 Nxd4 25. Nxd4 Bxd4 26. Rd1 Bb2 27. Bd2 O-O 28. Nb4 Nc5 29. Nc6 Rc7 30. b4 Nb7 31. Bf4 Rd7 32. Nxa7 e5 33. Rxd5 $2 {-6.69/30} (33. Bh6 {-3.05/29} Ra8 34. Nc6 Ra1 {6}) 33... Rxd5 34. Bxd5 Ra8 35. Bxb7 Rxa7 36. Bxe5 Bxe5 37. Ba6 f5 38. Kg2 Bc3 39. Kf3 Bxb4 40. Ke2 Re7+ 41. Kf3 Kf7 42. h4 Rc7 43. Kg2 Rc2 44. Kf3 Bc5 45. Kf4 Kf6 46. Bb7 Rxf2+ 47. Bf3 Rxf3+ $1 48. Kxf3 {Endgame KB-K3P} Ke5 49. g4 fxg4+ 50. Kxg4 { KB-KPP} Bf2 51. Kg5 Bxh4+ 52. Kxh4 {KP-KP} Kd5 53. Kg5 Kc5 54. Kh6 Kxb5 55. Kxh7 g5 56. Kh6 g4 57. Kh5 g3 58. Kh4 g2 59. Kh3 g1=Q 60. Kh4 (60. Kc6 {1}) 60... Kc5 61. Kh5 Kd5 (61... Kd5 {0}) 62. Kh4 Ke5 63. Kh5 Kf5 64. Kh4 Qh2# { Precision: White = 14%, Black = 52%.} 0-1

The highest rated reference games that I was able to find in my database can be seen below.

[Event "Bundesliga 9192"] [Site "Germany"] [Date "1992.??.??"] [Round "?.4"] [White "Poldauf, Dirk"] [Black "Geveke, Michael"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "A36"] [WhiteElo "2360"] [BlackElo "2330"] [PlyCount "70"] [EventDate "1991.10.12"] [EventType "team-tourn"] [EventRounds "15"] [EventCountry "GER"] [SourceTitle "GER-chT"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceDate "1999.07.01"] [WhiteTeam "Empor Berlin"] [BlackTeam "Bielefeld"] [WhiteTeamCountry "GER"] [BlackTeamCountry "GER"] 1. c4 c5 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. e3 d6 6. Nge2 Bg4 7. h3 Bxe2 8. Qxe2 e6 9. O-O Nge7 10. a3 O-O 11. Rb1 Rc8 12. b4 cxb4 13. axb4 Ne5 14. Bxb7 Rxc4 15. Bg2 d5 16. b5 d4 17. Ne4 d3 18. Qd1 Rc2 19. Bb2 Nd5 20. Bd4 Qa5 21. Ra1 Qxb5 22. Rxa7 Nc4 23. Bxg7 Kxg7 24. Ng5 Kg8 25. Ne4 Qb2 26. Qg4 Nxd2 27. Nxd2 Rxd2 28. Bxd5 exd5 29. Rd7 Qb5 30. Rd6 Qc4 31. Qd7 Rc8 32. Rxd5 Qc2 33. Kg2 Qc6 34. Qxc6 Rxc6 35. Rd4 Rcc2 1/2-1/2 [Event "SCG-chT2"] [Site "Sutomore"] [Date "2004.09.11"] [Round "3.2"] [White "Raicevic, Momcilo"] [Black "Stanojevic, Branko"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A36"] [WhiteElo "2350"] [BlackElo "2332"] [PlyCount "89"] [EventDate "2004.09.10"] [EventType "team"] [EventRounds "9"] [EventCountry "YUG"] [SourceTitle "CBM 102 ext"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceDate "2004.11.03"] [WhiteTeam "03"] [BlackTeam "07"] [WhiteTeamCountry "YUG"] [BlackTeamCountry "YUG"] 1. c4 c5 2. g3 Nc6 3. Bg2 g6 4. Nc3 Bg7 5. e3 d6 6. Nge2 Bg4 7. h3 Bd7 8. O-O Nh6 9. Rb1 Nf5 10. a3 a5 11. b3 O-O 12. Bb2 Rb8 13. d3 e5 14. Nb5 Nce7 15. Nbc3 Bc6 16. Ne4 b5 17. Qd2 bxc4 18. bxc4 Qc7 19. Bc3 a4 20. Kh2 Rxb1 21. Rxb1 Rb8 22. Rxb8+ Qxb8 23. Qb2 Qc7 24. Bd2 Nc8 25. N2c3 Nfe7 26. Nb5 Qd7 27. Ba5 f5 28. Nec3 Bxg2 29. Kxg2 Nc6 30. Bc7 e4 31. Qc2 exd3 32. Qxd3 Bxc3 33. Qxc3 Ne5 34. Qd2 Qc6+ 35. Qd5+ Qxd5+ 36. cxd5 Nc4 37. Kf1 Kf7 38. Ke2 Ke7 39. f3 Kd7 40. Bb8 N4b6 41. e4 Nc4 42. Kd3 Ne5+ 43. Ke3 fxe4 44. Kxe4 Nc4 45. f4 1-0 [Event "BL2-Sued 0809"] [Site "Germany"] [Date "2008.12.14"] [Round "4.3"] [White "Zueger, Beat"] [Black "Kountz, Jochen"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A36"] [WhiteElo "2400"] [BlackElo "2370"] [PlyCount "76"] [EventDate "2008.10.05"] [EventType "team-tourn"] [EventRounds "9"] [EventCountry "GER"] [SourceTitle "CBM 129 Extra"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceDate "2009.05.05"] [WhiteTeam "Schwegenheim"] [BlackTeam "Untergrombach"] [WhiteTeamCountry "GER"] [BlackTeamCountry "GER"] 1. c4 g6 2. g3 Bg7 3. Bg2 c5 4. e3 Nc6 5. Ne2 d6 6. Nbc3 Bg4 7. h3 Bd7 8. b3 Nf6 9. Bb2 O-O 10. d3 a6 11. Qd2 Rb8 12. O-O b5 13. Nd5 e6 14. Nxf6+ Bxf6 15. Bxf6 Qxf6 16. Nc3 Qe7 17. f4 f5 18. Rad1 h6 19. Rfe1 Kh7 20. d4 cxd4 21. exd4 bxc4 22. d5 Nd8 23. bxc4 e5 24. fxe5 dxe5 25. Qe3 Nf7 26. d6 Qg5 27. Qxg5 hxg5 28. c5 e4 29. Nd5 Ne5 30. Nb6 Bc6 31. d7 Rbd8 32. Rd6 Kg7 33. Re6 Nd3 34. Rxc6 Nxe1 35. Rd6 Rb8 36. Nc4 Nd3 37. c6 Ne5 38. Nxe5 Rb1+ 1-0 [Event "Manises 2rd"] [Site "Manises"] [Date "2009.05.03"] [Round "6"] [White "Pallardo Lozoya, Jose Vicente"] [Black "Dolezal, Cristian"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A36"] [WhiteElo "2342"] [BlackElo "2411"] [PlyCount "57"] [EventDate "2009.04.30"] [EventType "tourn"] [EventRounds "9"] [EventCountry "ESP"] [EventCategory "2"] [SourceTitle "EXT 2010"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceDate "2009.11.30"] 1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 Nc6 5. e3 d6 6. Nge2 Bg4 7. h3 Bxe2 8. Nxe2 e6 9. d4 Nge7 10. d5 exd5 11. cxd5 Ne5 12. O-O O-O 13. g4 c4 14. Bd2 Nd3 15. Bc3 Bxc3 16. Nxc3 Qa5 17. Be4 Nc5 18. Qd4 f5 19. Bc2 b5 20. b4 cxb3 21. axb3 Qd8 22. Nxb5 a5 23. Na3 fxg4 24. hxg4 Nc8 25. Nc4 Ra7 26. Kg2 Qh4 27. f3 Raf7 28. Rh1 Qg5 29. Raf1 1-0