Telford Congress (live OTB tournament)

[Event "Telford Congress 2018"] [Site "?"] [Date "2018.7.13"] [Round "1"] [White "Zak Tomlinson"] [Black "Paul Furniss"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteELO "u/g"] [BlackELO "121"] {Round 1} 1. e4 d6 2. d4 e6? {I had never seen this before, let alone played against it. My opponent afterwards said he just wanted something defensive.} 3. Nf3 Be7 4. c4 b6 5. Nc3 Nd7 6. Bd3 a6 7. O-O Bb7 8. Re1 c5 {The first committal move, now White has a decision to make} 9. b3 {? Perhaps slightly offhand, idea was to eventually use this opened diagonal but Black now has some initiative.} 9... cxd4 10. Nxd4 Nc5 {Bf6 immediately would have been better} 11. Bc2 Bf6 12. Bb2 Ne7 13. b4 {I want to push his Knight back to an unfavourable square} 13... Bxd4 {But Black finds moves to create a better retreat square} 14. Qxd4 e5 15. Qd2 Ne6 {Now I should play Ra1-d1 to target the backward d-pawn} 16. Nd5? {? Possibly the worst choice here, allowing Black to capture and close up the d-file} 16... O-O 17. Rad1 {Ne3 instead would have revisited the d-pawn threat} 17... Nxd5 18. cxd5? {? This move also deserves a question mark, as exd5 instead would have at least opened the light-squared diagonal} 18... Nf4 {Now both of White's Bishops are staring at brick walls} 19. g3 Nh3+ 20. Kg2 Bc8 21. f4 {Desperate to make any progress I lash at the centre to try open diagonals up} 21... exf4 {This, of course, weakens the King considerably} 22. gxf4 Qh4 23. Rf1 Bg4 {Black is definitely the one throwing punches now} 24. Rde1 g5?! {?! Aggressive move, looking for fxg5 Nxg5 freeing up h3 for the Queen with mate ideas, however Bf6 stops it all} 25. Qc3? {? I throw in a mate threat, forcing f6 and also providing some lateral defense, but Bf6 was better} 25... f6 26. fxg5? {? This is just bad, Qg3 was the move} 26... Rac8 {The Queen is tied to defending the useless c2 Bishop} 27. Qd2 Nxg5 28. Bxf6 {3 moves too late!} 28... Qh3+? {? Rxf6 more or less won on the spot, as if White captured back then Rxc2! leads to mate or heavy material gain} 29. Kg1 Rxf6 30. Rxf6 {Now there is no Rxc2 as the King is not on g2} 30... Nf3+ {Black simply gives back the exchange} 31. Rxf3 Bxf3 {And with the Black Queen misplaced on h3, White could now play Qg5+ and offer a draw.} 32. Bd1?? {?? No...... no, no and another NO!} 32... Qg4+ 33. Kf2 Rf8 {White is simply lost} 34. Bxf3 Rxf3+ 35. Ke2 Rg3+ 36. Kf1 Rg1+ {White resigns} 0-1

[Event "Telford Congress 2018"] [Site "?"] [Date "2018.7.14"] [Round "2"] [White "John Harris"] [Black "Zak Tomlinson"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteELO "114"] [BlackELO "u/g"] {Round 2} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 {I don't often play the Grunfeld defense, this is certainly my first attempt at it OTB.} 4. Bf4 c6 {Considering my lack of Grunfeld experience, many of my moves may be.... sub-optimal, shall we say.} 5. e3 Bg7 6. Bd3 O-O 7. Nge2 Nbd7 {Not sure what my light Bishop is going to do} 8. Qb3 e6 9. O-O Re8 10. Rac1 dxc4 11. Bxc4 Nb6 12. Bd3 Nbd5 {And that is how you promote a pawn into a Knight} 13. Bg5 h6 14. Bh4 g5 {Such over-extension is considered risky, but I often play like this online so why change now?} 15. Bg3 Nh5 16. Ne4 {Potentially eyeing d6 or c5, but also saying "Go ahead, take my Bishop and improve my Knight"} 16... f5 {I smiled as I played this, telling myself that I really shouldn't be playing this.} 17. Nc5 f4 {? This allows Bg6, which I missed} 18. Bg6 Nxg3 {? fxg3 was better, keeping material balance} 19. hxg3 Rf8 {Now White can win a pawn due to the weak e6 pawn} 20. gxf4 {Note, if ever Nxb7 there's Qf6 followed by Rb8... both players saw this} 20... gxf4 21. e4 {? Just taking on f4 was better, now this is a dangerous pawn and can in fact be pushed} 21... Nc7 {? Black only sees the defensive and doesn't consider f3, now Bh5 is best for White} 22. Rfd1 {? This was not yet necessary, f3 is the threat that needs attention} 22... Kh8 {? I thought this was good OTB, my King is unpinned and now I'm threatening to win the Bishop, but again f3} 23. e5 {? This defends the Bishop in the wrong way, also allowing Nd5... Qf3 or Bh5 was better} 23... Qg5 {? It's a good thing for White that I am still blind to f3} 24. Be4 Nd5 {Now Qh3 is an option, adding pressure to e6 and freeing up the b-pawn} 25. Rd3 {?? This may have been played with good intention but misses the quick tempo that Black now gains} 25... b6 26. Na4 Ba6 {The Bishop finally makes a strike and with good impact.} 27. Rd2 {? White had to give the exchange, Bf3 was considered better} 27... Bxe2 {f3 could have been played immediately but I thought this looked better (if Rxe2 then f3 hits both Rooks and threatens mate)} 28. Rcc2 f3 {The move is finally played!} 29. g3 Qh5 30. Bxf3 Bxf3 {White resigns, 0-1} 0-1

[Event "Telford Congress"] [Site "?"] [Date "2018.7.14"] [Round "3"] [White "Zak Tomlinson"] [Black "Ian Blencowe"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteELO "u/g"] [BlackELO "126"] {Round 3} 1. e4 {I press the clock and wait for my opponent to arrive, occasionally standing up to walk around.} 1... e6 {With 26 minutes passed, he finally arrives and plays the French...} 2. Nf3 {...before disappearing for another 5 minutes. I just glared at the board shaking my head, someone next to me chuckled.} 2... d5 {Having already being over half an hour behind me, he finally settles in and we play a game.} 3. exd5 exd5 4. d4 {This is my chosen line against the French, as it pretty much stops the game from being a French.} 4... Bf5 5. Bd3 Bxd3 {I don't mind this, I'm a move ahead.} 6. Qxd3 Nf6 7. Bg5 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Nbd2 Nc6 10. c3 h6 11. Bh4 {Thoughts of last game enter my mind here... surely he won't play g5} 11... Nh5 {OK he wants the Bishops off, but now he has a poorly placed Knight} 12. Bxe7 Nxe7 13. g3 Qd6 14. Rfe1 {My plan is simple: load up on the opened e-file} 14... Nc6 15. Re2 Rfe8 16. Rae1 Rxe2 17. Rxe2 Qf8 {? He said he wanted to get Re8 in, which if that's so, the Queen needed to be on d7 and not d6} 18. Qf5 {? Right idea to hit two undefended bits, but Qb5 does it better} 18... Nf6 19. Ne5 Ne7 {I had a think here, unsure which diagonal to stay on} 20. Qh3 {This maintains the threat of Nd7 winning a pawn, but this is easily stopped... perhaps Qd3 was more flexible} 20... Rd8 21. f4 {f-pawn pushes have been a theme of the tournament so far, so why not?} 21... Qe8 {I saw this and thought maybe he's prepping Nc6, in that case I'll prep something of my own...} 22. Qg2 {If Nc6, I have Ng4! hitting the Queen and damaging his King-side pawn structure by force} 22... Qb5 {Ah... now Black can attack Zak back} 23. Ndf3 Nf5 {I want to play Rc2, but Ne3 would be a fork, so...} 24. g4 Nd6 25. Rc2 {With the plan of b3 and c4} 25... Nfe4 26. b3 f6 27. c4 {I can still do this, which saves me from having to play Ng6, but my pawns get broken up as a result} 27... dxc4 28. Nxc4 Nxc4 {If now bxc4 here, Qb1+ wins on the spot} 29. Rxc4 c6 {Though material is even, Black's better pawn structure perhaps gives him a slight edge.} 30. Qc2 Qd5 {Eyes the loose Knight} 31. Qd3 Nd6 32. Rc2 Qe4 {? Takes the wind from the sails, Re8 was better} 33. Qxe4 Nxe4 34. Re2 {If Re8, there's Nd2} 34... Nc3 35. Re7 Rb8 36. a4 Nd5 37. Re4 Nc3 38. Re1 {Important move to avoid repetition, although the game is practically drawn} 38... Nd5 39. f5 Kf7 40. Kg2 Re8 41. Rxe8 {Figured I can push his King away so that my King could be faster at centralising.} 41... Kxe8 42. Nd2 Ne3+ {No matter how you look at it though, the game is drawn.} 43. Kf3 Nc2 44. Ke4 Nb4 45. h4 Kd7 46. Nc4 b5 {Draw offered... after a moments contemplation, I agreed. My opponent still had 17 minutes on the clock, which is plenty with increment.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Telford Congress"] [Site "?"] [Date "2018.7.15"] [Round "4"] [White "Nigel Morris"] [Black "Zak Tomlinson"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteELO "123"] [BlackELO "u/g"] {Round 4} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 {With the knowledge that we played a Nimzo before, I was keen to have another go.} 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 {Nigel played Qc2 last time, so already this is going to be a different game.} 4... b6 5. Nge2 Bb7 6. a3 Bxc3+ {I contemplated Be7 but figured I'd just be wasting tempo (the old 'moving a piece twice in the opening' rot)} 7. Nxc3 Nc6 8. Bd3 Ne7 9. O-O d5 {Pretty standard, although I'm often unsure on how to deal with c5 should White play it...} 10. f3 O-O 11. b3 c5 {And there we have it, the classic 4 pawn tension in the centre.} 12. Bc2 {Perhaps looking to exchange Queens, but I'm not sure... computer suggested dxc5 was best.} 12... Rc8 {There's a Knight potentially en prise, let's aim at it.} 13. dxc5 Rxc5 {Threatens to win a pawn and there is no cxd5 or b4 push} 14. Na4 {So White kicks the Rook, but in turn places the Knight on a bad square.} 14... Rc7 {Keeping c8 open for the Queen.} 15. cxd5 Nexd5 16. Bd2 Qc8 17. Rc1 Rd8 {Black's position is good and Nxe3 is threatened... best move here is Bd3} 18. Re1 {? This drops at least a pawn} 18... b5 {And this is why... Black takes advantage of the misplaced Knight, which if moved to b2, Black then has Nc3.} 19. e4 {Looking for an even exchange, but Black always has Nc3 which needs dealing with.} 19... bxa4 20. exd5 Nxd5 21. Ba5 {Now here I saw a ghost. I somehow convinced myself that I couldn't play Nc3 because of some sacrificial nonsense, so...} 21... Nb6 {...I played this, which is still pretty solid and helps force a favourable endgame.} 22. Bd2 {Now the computer is giving an evaluation of -4.13 after a waiting move like Rd6, suggesting White is in zugzwang.} 22... axb3 {But I don't think like a computer so play this perfectly fine human move, taking me to an endgame where I'm a pawn up.} 23. Bxb3 Rxc1 24. Qxc1 Qxc1 25. Bxc1 Bd5 26. Rd1 Rc8 27. Bxd5 Nxd5 28. h3 Nc3 29. Rd2 Ne2+ 30. Rxe2 Rxc1+ 31. Kf2 Ra1 {Now my thoughts were to slowly improve whilst his Rook is tied to defend the a-pawn.} 32. Rb2 g6 33. Rb3 Kg7 34. Kg3 h5 35. h4 Ra2 {Stopping Kf4} 36. f4 Kf6 37. Kf3 a6 {Half waiting move, but it also stops Rb5 coming with check.} 38. g3 Kf5 39. Rc3 Rd2 {I figured by this point that watching a3 is a waste of a Rook.} 40. Ke3 Rd5 41. Kf3 f6 {To push e5 and create a passed pawn.} 42. a4 e5 43. fxe5 fxe5 44. Rb3 {?? Amazingly, I had Rd3+ here, which after Rxd3 there's e4+ with a fork and I will easily win the pawn race.} 44... e4+ {?? Both of us missed this, however this should still be winning for Black.} 45. Kf2 Rd2+ 46. Kg1 Rd3 {In fact, White resigned here, which means a third win for Black out of 4 games so far (plus I got revenge!)} 0-1

[Event "Telford Congress"] [Site "?"] [Date "2018.7.15"] [Round "5"] [White "Zak Tomlinson"] [Black "Neal Fisher"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteELO "u/g"] [BlackELO "132"] {Round 5} 1. e4 d6 2. d4 {Now I'm thinking "If you play e6 here then something is definitely wrong with the minor section!"} 2... Nf6 {Thankfully (I guess) we see a proper Pirc.} 3. Nc3 Nbd7 4. Bc4 c6 5. Nf3 h6 6. O-O Qc7 7. a3 {Purely to tuck my Bishop away properly if provoked.} 7... e5 {White doesn't necessarily need to respond to this directly, how about h3 or develop the Bishop?} 8. dxe5 dxe5 {OK, maybe h3 now then?} 9. Re1 Nb6 10. Ba2 Bg4 {This could have been avoided, now things become awkward for White.} 11. h3 Bh5 12. Qe2 O-O-O {Somewhat unexpected, but it matches his playing style perfectly.} 13. Be3 g5 {My instincts were telling me "g4!" but this time I held back...} 14. g3 {... by one square, the idea that after Black pushes g4 I take and then the King can sit on g2, allowing Rh1 if needed.} 14... g4 {This is what happens.} 15. hxg4 Bxg4 {Nxg4 may have been an option, but I guess Black wants to maintain the pin.} 16. Kg2 Bg7 {This is Black's worst piece, simply move it out of the way for the Rook.} 17. b4 {He returns to the table after my think: "what have you.... oh a pawn? OK" He says before blitzing his next move in seconds.} 17... Nh7 {With the obvious intent of f5.} 18. Bxb6 {Initially with the idea that he must take with pawn, otherwise f7 falls, but if Bxf7 he simply has Rf8, and f3 is weak.} 18... axb6 19. Qe3 {At least now my Queen can use the vacated e3 square, breaking the pin.} 19... Bxf3+ {He seeks to improve the Knight with tempo.} 20. Qxf3 Ng5 21. Qe3 Qd7 22. Rh1 {Stops any h-file activity.} 22... f5 {? Here's the move I expected... but with the Queen on d7, I can play Ra1-d1 and simply pick up f5, as the Queen cannot defend it.} 23. Na4 {? I instead spied a different threat, a family fork no less, but unfortunately I can't hold on to e4.} 23... Qd4 24. Nxb6+ Kc7 25. Nc4 Qxe4+ 26. Qxe4 Nxe4 27. Rhe1 Rhe8 28. Ne3 {Throws a hit at f5, but allows Rd2} 28... Rd2 29. Rf1 {Nxf5 immediately was also playable, chopping the Knights and a pawn each.} 29... f4 {Now Nf5 is the only move.} 30. Nf5 {Not just hitting the Bishop, but defending the threat on g3 (note, the f2 pawn is pinned)} 30... Bf8 {? Good for me, the Rook's mobility is reduced.} 31. Rae1 {? Bad for me, Black can take on g3 and after exchanges c2 falls... Bb3 was better.} 31... Ng5 {? The first real costly mistake, White wins a pawn now} 32. gxf4 Nh7 {? The Knight wobbled as he slammed the clock... surely Ne6 was better.} 33. fxe5 Rxc2 34. Bb1 {Not just the Rook, but the Knight on h7 is targeted also.} 34... Rc3 35. Nd6 {? The move looked good to me, hitting two undefended pieces, but simply pushing the e-pawn was better.} 35... Re7 36. f4 {We've seen f-pawn pushes all tournament, why stop now?} 36... Rg7+ {Ah, that's why not... I overlooked this check and now Black wins back the pawn.} 37. Kf2 Bxd6 38. exd6+ Kxd6 39. Rd1+ Kc7 40. Rd3 {Look to trade and maybe start thinking about the draw... I'm nearly 50 minutes behind on the clock by this point.} 40... Rxd3 41. Bxd3 Nf6 42. Kf3 h5 43. Rh1 Kd6 44. Bc4 {I don't want to allow his King in the centre.} 44... b5 45. Bb3 Rg4 {Strange move at first, but he wants to enable h4 then Rg3+ winning the Bishop.} 46. Rxh5 {I had thought about playing Rd1+ with a draw offer, but opted for this instead... now Rxf4+ is a dead draw.} 46... Nxh5 {?? Unbelievably, he shook his head and quickly played Nxh5... an absolute howler, he realised later during the game where he went wrong and pointed his finger on f4 to tell me so.} 47. Kxg4 {However, this endgame is not to be taken for granted, so I carried on with caution although was shaking with excitement (seriously!)} 47... Nf6+ 48. Kg5 Ke7 49. Kg6 Ne4 50. f5 Kf8 51. f6 c5 52. bxc5 Nxc5 53. Bd5 Na6 {Threatens b4... the important thing with this endgame is to keep pawns alive...} 54. Bb7 {! So play this first} 54... Nc7 55. Bc6 {Before hitting the pawn.} 55... Kg8 56. Bd7 Kf8 57. f7 {A possible swindle Black has now is 57... Ke7 58. Kg7 Kxd7 59.P=Qf8 Ne6+ and Black survives, but I saw this and figured I'd play Bxb5 after Ke7, then at least I'd be promoting with check!} 57... b4 {Black had different ideas though, so we don't see all that.} 58. axb4 Nd5 59. b5 Ne7+ 60. Kf6 {Kg5 was also playable here, as Black doesn't have time for Kxf7 (b-pawn can't be stopped)} 60... Nd5+ 61. Ke5 Nb6 62. Be6 Ke7 63. Bb3 Nd7+ 64. Kd4 Kd6 65. Kc4 Ke7 {Or Ne5+, either way Kb4 renews the protection of f7.} 66. Kb4 Kd6 67. Ka5 Kc7 68. Be6 Nf8 69. Bf5 {I have only 14 minutes left on the clock (compared to his 72 minutes!) but it is surely enough to see this through.} 69... Kb8 {To the bitter, bitter end.} 70. Kb6 Ka8 71. Kc7 Ka7 72. b6+ {Black resigns begrudgingly, exclaiming he should have offered a draw much earlier, as he was in a hurry to catch a train... I humbly and sincerely apologised.} 1-0