10.h4
This was easily the critical game of the tournament for me. I found myself in a very sharp line which I did not know and had to spend a lot of time working out how to play the position correctly just to survive the opening. Part of me was thinking I could be doomed here as it seems like there were so few options available, but on the other hand I just reasoned that I had done nothing wrong to deserve to be in trouble so early.
What developed was me finding my way out of the opening into an ending which, unknown to me at the time, had been played before as far as move 20 and is supposed to be better for White. While I dont doubt this may indeed be true, I think that from a practical point of view Black should be fine. In this game I was able to harrass White enough, and even gain an advantage that then became a winning position, only to make several blunders in my opponent`s time trouble just when I was sure that I was going to put him away. The game then went through a crazy phase in which we both made mistakes under mutual severe time pressure and then I threw it all away and even managed to lose.
It was a very very frustrating and painful loss and one I never really recovered from. I believe in momemtum and just knew that had I won here [as I clearly should have] then with with White in the next round and 3.5 out of 4 combined with my confidence riding high, anything might have been possible from the tournament. In this case, alas it was not to be and this game tormented me for long after it was over.
As if to underscore this view about timing and momentum, my opponent actually subsequently went on to make an IM norm with the same score as myself, additionaly underlining why people should never judge a performance just on points scored in an event, as it is often misleading. Here my 6 out of 9 being a real disappointment and not a good performance overall, whereas my opponents same score reflecting a far better result .
Though in the last round I was amused and somewhat puzzled to notice [along with many others] that a game close to me on a high board involving my opponent from round four was already over! At the time it had seemed very odd indeed as both players had plenty of reason to play for wins considering their standings and chance of winning a prize. I sort of knew there must be some explanation for this "Grandmaster Draw" but I only learned of what it was after the event.
I have to confess I am not, and never have been impressed with such cynical last round quickies. Here the result was known in a matter of minutes. I say this because by the time I had even arrived to play my own last round game, the game from a few boards away was already over. My disdain for such a practise in international chess as these short draws can perhaps be better understood by considering that my own game from the last round was the last of the event and was over 90 moves. It was a very satisfying win for me as it happens and well worth the effort. My fondness for long games is well known and evidence of this can be seen in that I also had the longest game at the 1998 Olympiad when I struggled on in vain to try win with a bishop and rook against a queen [with some pawns and no other pieces on the board] for 128 moves!
10...a6
[10...Bc2
Has been played 4 times and Black lost every time; 10...h6
Seems to be the main move but I felt it was passive and conformed too much to Whites whole plan. I figured it was better to be provocative and aggressive and cause White to have some doubts about the correct way the position should be played.; 10...Bd6
Perhaps the best move? Defense by development. ; 10...b5
I did consider this but just didnt believe it. I still dont!; 10...h5
Just looks bad too; 10...Qc7
Has actually been played, but only once and White won easily enough so I doubt it is any good.]
11.Nxd7
Qxd7
12.Qxd7+
Kxd7
13.h5
Be4
[13...Bc2
14.b3
(14.d3
d4
15.Kd2
dxc3+
16.Kxc2
cxb2
17.Bxb2
Rc8+
18.Kb3
Nxg4
19.Bf3
Nh6
20.Rac1
f6
21.Ka4
Rc7
22.Rhg1
Nf5
23.Rxc7+
Kxc7
24.e4
Ne7
25.e5
f5
26.Ba3
g6
27.Bd6+
Kc8
28.Rc1+
Nc6
29.Bxf8
Rxf8
30.Bxc6
bxc6
31.Rxc6+
Kb7
32.Rxe6
Rd8
33.Re7+
Kc6
34.Rxh7
gxh5
35.Rxh5
Rd4+
36.Ka5
Rf4
37.d4
Kd5
38.Rh8
Rxd4
39.Rd8+
Kxe5
40.Rxd4
Kxd4
41.Kxa6
f4
42.a4
f3
43.a5
Kd3
44.Kb6
Ke2
45.a6
Kxf2
46.a7
Kg1
47.a8Q
f2
48.Qg8+
Kh1
1/2-1/2 Mah,K-Middelburg,T/Millfield School 2002/CBM 089 ext) 14...Nxg4
15.d3
Rc8
16.Bd2
Ba3
17.Na4
Rc6
18.Ba5
b5
19.Nb6+
Ke7
20.Kd2
Rb8
21.f4
Bb2
22.Nxd5+
exd5
23.Bxd5
Rcc8
24.Bb4+
Kd7
25.Bxf7
Bxa1
26.Rxa1
Rb6
27.Rg1
Rf6
28.Bd5
Rxf4
29.Bf3
Rxb4
30.Bxg4+
Rxg4
31.Rxg4
Bb1
32.Rxg7+
Ke6
33.Rxh7
Bxa2
34.Rh6+
Kf5
35.b4
Ra8
36.Rb6
Bg8
37.e4+
Kg5
38.h6
Bh7
39.Ke3
Bg6
40.d4
Kxh6
41.e5
Kg5
42.d5
Rc8
43.Rxa6
Rc3+
44.Ke2
Rc4
45.e6
Rxb4
46.d6
Kf4
47.d7
Rd4
48.Ra7
Bh5+
49.Kf2
Rd2+
50.Kg1
b4
51.e7
Rd1+
52.Kf2
Rd2+
53.Kg1
Rd1+
54.Kf2
1/2-1/2 Chasovnikova,E-Savitskaya,E/Moscow 1997/EXT 2000]
14.f3
Bc2
15.g5!
Ne8
16.d3
d4
17.Kd2
dxc3+
18.Kxc2
cxb2
19.Bxb2
After the game I discovered that all this had been played before and it was only now that I deviated from previous play. I think my move is more accurate as it keeps the rook check in reserve and probes Whites position straight away and forces White to make some commitments.
19...h6
[19...Rc8+
20.Kd1
h6
21.g6
f6
22.f4
Be7
23.e4
Nc7
24.a4
a5
25.Kd2
Bb4+
26.Ke3
Na6
27.Rhc1
Nc5
28.Rc4
Nb3
29.Rd1
b6
30.Bf1
Rxc4
31.dxc4+
Ke7
32.c5
Bxc5+
33.Kf3
Bd6
34.Bc4
Nc5
35.e5
fxe5
36.Rxd6
Kxd6
37.Bxe5+
Ke7
38.Bxg7
Rd8
39.Bxh6
Rd4
40.Bg5+
Kf8
41.h6
Rxc4
42.Bf6
Nd7
43.h7
Nxf6
44.h8Q+
Ng8
45.Qh7
Rc3+
46.Ke2
1-0 Jobava,B-Wang Hao/Taiyuan CHN 2006/The Week in Chess 611]
20.f4
Now that the diagonal has been opened and the b7 pawn vulnerable I thought a check with the rook was appropiate.
20...Rc8+
21.Kb3
Be7
22.g6
fxg6
23.hxg6
Rf8
24.Rhf1
Rf5!?
Active play seemed like the best way to prevent White from getting a cosy sort of position in which the two bishops could be put to good use.
25.a4
Bf6
26.d4
b5
27.a5
Rc4
28.Be4
Rh5
29.Bd3
Rh3
30.Rad1?
Nd6
31.d5
Bxb2
32.dxe6+
Kxe6
33.Kxb2
Rb4+
34.Kc3
Ra4
35.Ra1
Ne4+
36.Kb2
The first critical moment in which Black can wrap things up with a winning sequence.
36...Rd4?!
[36...Rxa1!
37.Rxa1
Nc5
And Black is well on the way to a win.]
37.Rac1
Kd5
[37...Rh2!
]
38.Rc8
Nd6
39.Rg8
Nc4+
40.Ka2
Rh2
41.Ka1
Kc5
42.Rd1
I cant be sure of the exact sequence of moves that followed as the pen I was using was faulty and I was in a big time scramble so the moves are hard to piece together. I was actually furious and instead of trying to write on the sheet provided just tried to write on the carbon copy directly but ended up with the moves barely ledigble half the time from the time scramble. Suffice to say that from here on in, things went quite crazy and after more ups and downs and blunders from both sides I ended up with a losing position and duly lost.
42...Nxa5
43.Kb2
Rxf4
[43...Ra4
44.Rxg7
Rb4+
45.Kc3
Rxf4
Was maybe played ?; 43...Rd7!
Was just winning for Black]
44.Rxg7
Rb4+
45.Kc3
Ra4
46.Rg1
Rhh4
47.Kd2
And as I said earlier many more silly moves later and White duly won. 1-0