First tournament in 7 years! Playing against a much higher rated opponent with the Black pieces was not how I expected to start. I had nothing to lose so I went for it.
G 55 D/51e4c52d4cxd43c3dxc34Nxc3...I just learned the lines when accepting the day before after working with Eric Rosen for the first time. I spent 5 minutes here trying to recall the moves.4...Nc65Nf3Qc7?The computer says this position is still equal, but White becomes really annoying with the next few moves. Should have played e6 first to prevent Nd5.5...e66.Bc4Qc77.O-ONf68.Qe2Ng49.Nd5Qb89...exd510.Bf4Bd6!6.e5Nge77.Nb5Ng68.Nd6+Bxd69.Qxd69.exd6O-O6Nd5Qb87Bf4e58Be3Nge79Bc4Nxd510Qxd5...I calculated pawn takes, and bishop takes, but missed Queen takes. In the game, I legit thought I lost already. But then I found a tactic to save my butt.10...Bb4+11Ke2O-O12Ng5...So much pressure from White. My pieces are misplaced. Bishop is not developed. Queen is stuck on b8. Oh god.
But actually, Computer likes Black -0.9 after Ne7. Interesting.12...Ne713Qd3...Compute likes d5 here.13...d613...d514.Bxd5Nxd515.exd5f5I don't think I would have found f5 here. Looks too scary and gives the Knight an outpost on e6. Why is this a good move?
Update: Oh, Checkmate on h7 lol.15...Qd614Qb3...Bxf7 immediately would have won a pawn.14.Bxf7+Rxf714...Kh815.Bc415.Qc4Rook cannot take.14...Bc515Bxc5dxc5Computer thinks it is dead even here. Wow! It felt so much scarier.16Bxf7+...16.Nxf7I thought this would be scarier than Bishop takes but after b5, computer thinks this is dead equal surprisingly. Phew!b517.Bxb517.Nh6+Kh818.Nf7+Kg819.Nh6+Kh8This could be a draw.17...Rxf718.Bc4Qxb319.Bxb3Ba6+20.Kd2Kf821.Bxf7Kxf7Still unclear.17...Be6I didn't see this move after b5. Wow! The discovered checks look so scary when in reality, it's harmless.18.Nh6+Kh819.Qxe6Qxb5+20.Ke3Qxb221.Qxe7Mate in 3 if White gets greedy.Qd4+22.Ke2Rxf2+23.Ke1Qd2#16...Kh817Be6...I think this was a mistake.17...Nc618Rhd1Nd4+19Rxd4exd4I'm so glad I found exd4 instead of cxd4 because now my Queen can get active.20Bxc8Qf421Qg3...He got pissed off at himself for now having to trade Queens. ha!21...Raxc821...d3+Apparently, the computer says this is better. But I still don't understand why?22.Kxd322.Ke1Qxg323.hxg3Raxc8This is also a great position if the King does not accept the d-pawn.Qf623.e523.Bf5Qxb2Even though I didn't recapture the bishop, the White King is NOT safe which is why they like d6+ so much more.
I notice a pattern where I simply want to gain material and simplify instead of looking at the bigger picture. Most likely because of tournament pressure.Qa6+24.Kd2Raxc822Qxf4Rxf423f3...Now we enter the endgame. I would love to learn what I should be thinking about in this position. So far, I think about the potential of my d or c pawns promoting. I also think about the weak pawns, h2, g2, and b2.
Computer likes Rf6 here.23...h623...Rf624.g3h625.Nh3c4This transposes to my actual game.24Nh3...24.Ne6Rf624...Rf625Nf2c426Rc1...Computer really likes Ra6 here.
NTS: Don't worry about your King right now. I know you're supposed to get your King into the end-game. But first, place your pieces on great squares. Create threats. Gain momentum. Then bring your King into the game.26...Kg826...Ra627.a3Rb628.Rb128.b4g5g5 to stop counterplay. Wow. I don't think I would have considered that. My attention would simply be on the queen side.28...Rb327Kd2Kf728Ng4Rb628...Re6Rook 2 sq diagonally to knights.29b3⊕...He had less than 2 minutes left on his clock while I had a healthy 8 minutes.
Better was Kc2 although every move looked pretty ugly.29.Kc2Ke630.f4Ra631.Kb1d332.f5+Ke733.Ne3Kf634.Ng4+Kg535.Ne3Kf436.Re1Ke537.Nd5Rd838.a3d239.Rd139.Rf1Kxe440.Nc3+Ke541.Kc2Kxe429.Ne5+29.Rxc429...cxb330Rxc8bxa231Ne5+Ke732Rc7+Kd6Won because of time. 1-0