I just played in a tourney tonight, and thought I could use some analysis from people. I am looking for ways to push a bit harder in the draws, although I will take a draw against a master and a near master any day!
[Event "House of Chess Action Swiss, G/30"]
[Site "North Olmsted"]
[Date "2005.09.16"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sarsam, Osama"]
[Black "Rotella, Tony"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2176"]
[BlackElo "1800"]
[PlyCount "52"]
[TimeControl "960"]
1. e4 c5 2. c3 g6 3. d4 cxd4 4. cxd4 d5 5. exd5 Nf6 6. Nf3 Nxd5 7. Be2 Bg7 8. O-O O-O 9. Nc3 Nc6 10. h3 e5 11. Nxd5 Qxd5 12. dxe5
Qxd1 13. Rxd1 Nxe5 14. Bf4 Nc6 15. Rd2 Be6 16. Ng5 Nd4 17. Bf1 Rfd8 18. Nxe6 Nxe6 19. Rxd8+ Rxd8 20. Be3 Bd4 21. Rd1 Bxe3 22. Rxd8+ Nxd8 23. fxe3 Nc6 24.Bb5 Kg7 25. Kf2 Kf6 26. Bxc6 bxc6 1/2-1/2
I think 10..e5, while I am obviously equal, might be second or third best. I think it might be better to find a move that doesn't rid him of his isolani. Moving on!
[Event "House of Chess Action Swiss, G/30"]
[Site "North Olmsted"]
[Date "2005.09.16"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Rotella, Tony"]
[Black "Clos, Tim"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "1800"]
[BlackElo "1817"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[TimeControl "960"]
1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 d5 4. exd5 dxc3 5. Nxc3 Nf6 6. Nf3 g6 7. Bc4 Bg7 8. O-O O-O 9. Bf4 a6 10. Re1 Nbd7 11. Qd2 b5 12. Bb3 Bb7 13. d6 exd6 14. Bxd6 Re8 15. Ng5 Rxe1+ 16. Rxe1 h6 17. Nxf7 Qb6 18. Nxh6+ Kh7 19. Re7 Re8 20. Rxe8 Nxe8 21. Nf7 Nxd6 22. Qxd6 Bc6 23. Qg3 Nf6 24. Qh4+ Nh5 25. g4 Bf6 26. Qh3 Bd7 27. Nd5 Qe6 28. Nxf6+ Qxf6 29. g5 Qc6 30. Qc3 Qxc3 31. bxc3 1-0
As far as this game goes, I think I played d6 too early, and that after e6 he would have been ok. 25. g4 gave up some advantage for sure, but I eventually won the endgame. Moving on.
[Event "House of Chess Action Swiss, G/30"]
[Site "North Olmsted"]
[Date "2005.09.16"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Wright, Bill"]
[Black "Rotella, Tony"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2200"]
[BlackElo "1800"]
[PlyCount "87"]
[TimeControl "960"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 Nc6 5. Nf3 d6 6. Bd2 O-O 7. a3 Bxc3 8. Bxc3 Qe7 9. e4 e5 10. d5 Nb8 11. Be2 Nh5 12. Bd2 f5 13. Bd3 f4 14. h3 a5 15. Be2 a4 16. O-O-O Bd7 17. Nh2 Nf6 18. Kb1 Na6 19. Ng4 Nc5 20. Nxf6+ Qxf6 21. Bb4 Nxe4 22. Bd3 Ng5 23. h4 e4 24. hxg5 exd3 25. Qxd3 Qf5 26. Ka1 Qxd3 27. Rxd3 Bf5 28. Rd4 Bg6 29. Bd2 f3 30. g3 Rae8 31. Be3 Re4 32. Rxe4 Bxe4 33. Rd1 b6 34. Rd4 Bc2 35. Rd2 Be4 36. Ka2 Rb8 37. b3 b5 38. c5 dxc5 39. Bxc5 Rd8 40. d6 cxd6 41. Bxd6 Kf7 42. bxa4 bxa4 43. Bb4 Rxd2+ 44. Bxd2 1/2-1/2
This game is funny, because I have always had black against Bill, and I have always played the Modern Benoni, and he has beaten me up quite badly every time. So this time I faked grabbing the c-pawn and played 2..e6 and got a little chuckle. I prepared the Nimzo before I came especially for Bill, just in case, and it worked perfectly. It thought I was better because of his passive play out of the opening and then I think it just peetered out to an opposite colored bishop ending. After this game, I think the Nimzo is for me! 🙂
The amount of half moves. The thing I basically realized when posting in this forum is that no one wants to analyze anything. It's like, the better players probably don't want to make an effort, which is ok. They may be busy or something. Maybe some people don't want to copy and paste into their computer to look at it, etc...Kinda sucks though. The only thing they want to talk about is openings, which don't really improve your chess all that much.
EDIT: Sorry for the rant, I just had to get that off my chest.