Alok Singh (1840) Mike Splane (2258)
Kolti Chess Club
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. 0-0 0-0 5. h3?
Wastes time. In the opening your goal is to develop with an eye to controlling center squares.
5. … c5 6. c4 Nc6 7. Nc3 d5 8. cd Nd5
Thanks to White’s wasted tempo, Black is the first to open the d-file for his queen. This gives him a persistent space advantage.
9. Ng5 e6 10. Ne4 b6 11. d3 h6
12. Bg5 was a bit awkward to meet, so I prevented it.
12. Rb1 Bb7 13. a3 Nc3 (?)
I was worried about Nc3-b5-d6. I thought he had to recapture with the knight. Instead he strengthens his center.
14. bc! Qe7
If 14. … f5 15 Nd2 Bc3 Qb3 regains the pawn, but 15. Nc5 is even better.
15. Bb2 Rad8 16. Qc2 f5 17. Nd2 Ne5
Possibly a mistake. 17. … e5 keeps a clamp on the center.
18. c4 Bg2 19. Kg2 g5
I wanted to play 19. … f4 here, but after 20 Be5 Be5 he can post his knight on e4 with a big advantage.
20. f3
Alok liked this move, claiming that it stops all the kingside threats. I didn’t appreciate the move during the game, but now I think he is right.
20. … h5 21. Bc3 g4
This may be premature. I can build before I break. Maybe a buildup with Rf7, Kh7, Rh8, and Kg8 makes sense. White has no obvious counter-play.
22. Qb2 Qc7 23. hg hg 24. f4 Nc6 25. Bg7 Qg7 26. Qg7+
Kg7
I thought this position was probably winning for me, because of his terrible knight, but I wasn’t able to come up with a good plan. Alok finds a nice defensive setup, Nf1, e2-e3, and trading both sets of rooks along the h-file. As he correctly pointed out, Black can not penetrate the kingside, so White can bring his king to the queenside and hold the game.
27. Rh1 Nd4
28. Kf2 Rh8
29. a4 Kf6
30. Rh8 Rh8 31. Nf1 e5?
I wanted to force e3 to weaken the d4 square, but I’ve given myself weaknesses on e5 and f5. A better plan is to move the king to a5, leaving everything else where it is.
32. e3 Nc6 33. Rb2 Ke6
Now I get the right idea, but it is too late.
34. Rd2 Kd6 35. Ke1
Rh2 is on its way, when I can’t win. Shocked, I lost my composure and played a series of inferior moves.
35. … Nb4 36. Rd1 Nc6 37. Rd2 ef ?
Definitely a blunder. His knight comes alive and my center falls apart. I thought I would get a protected passed pawn on g4, but it plays no role in the game.
38. gf Kc7 ? .
After the threatened trade of rooks on h2, I thought I could bring my king to a5 with advantage. Decentralizing my king almost loses.
39. Ng3 Ne7 40. e4 Rh3
This only helps him bring his king forward and puts my rook in a useless spot.
41. Kf2 fe 42. de Ng6 43. f5 Ne5 44 Rd5 Nc4 45. f6
If 45 e5 Rh2+ 46. Kg1 Rg2+
45. … Rh7!
This saves the game. I was tempted to play 45. … Rh2+ but after 46. Ke1 I’ve only succeeded in driving his king to a better square. I need his king on the f-file for checks.
46. Rg5?
After the game Alok suggested he should play 46. e5, keeping my king cut off. We looked at 46. … Rf7?? 47. Ne4 when I am losing. The best reply is 46 … Kc6! 47. e6 Kd5 48. f7 Ke6 49. f8/Q Rf7+. I actually saw this variation during the game but had forgotten it when we did the post-mortem. Two days after the game it dawned on me that he could win my rook with 49. f8/N+ Ke5 50. Nh7. Luckily I’m still winning after Nb2, with 4 pawns for the knight, and a dominating king position.
I’m safe after 46. Nh5 Rd7 . After 46. Nf5! Rf7 37. e5 Ne5 48. Re5 Rf6 49. Kg3 Rg6 I’m safe in the R+N vs R ending. Without pawns, this is a draw for the stronger side, except for a few problem positions.
46….. Rf7 47. Nh5 Kd6 48. Kg3 Ne6 49. Kf4 Nd3+ 50. Kg4 c4
Now I have sufficient counter-play and may even be winning. His pawns are stopped, unconnected, and vulnerable, mine are connected and unblocked.
51. Kf3 Ne5+ 52. Ke3
If 52 Kf4 c3 53. Re5 c2
52. … c3 53. Ke2 c2
54. Rg1 Rc7
55. Kd2??
If 55. Rc1 Nc6! 56. Kd3 Nb4 57. Kd2 Rc4 with a bind.
55. … Nf3+ 56. Kc1
Ng1
0-1