Thanks to all my friends at RHP!!!

I just finished the Central Florida Class Championship, and I tied for first in the B player section with a 4.5/5 score. I have been using this site to work on certain aspects of my game, and the results have been very sucessful for me, as this is one of my best tournament results in a long time, and I won $391, which means my cable bill will be paid for months, and that I will become a subscriber here as soon as the check clears!

Below is the round 5 "money game", played against the first seed in the section, and who was undefeated going into this round. I was a half point behind, and I HAD to win in order to win anything.

I haven't analyzed the game yet, or run it through a computer or anything, but I am very proud that I found 33. Be6 at the board. I may have missed something in the attack, but I took the material and went into the "pseudo-ending" knowing that my technique was sufficient to win.

I directly attribute my success in the tournament to my playing here the last four months, and I want to thank everyone here who has played me or corresponded in the forum, because I think it directly contributed to my success.




[Event "Central Florida Class Championship"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2010.01.17"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Paul Leggett"]
[Black "Dereck Laureano"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A00"]
[WhiteElo "1712"]
[BlackElo "1762"]
[PlyCount "99"]
[EventDate "2010.01.16"]
[SourceDate "2010.01.16"]

'Grats. Bit of an odd opening choice for a must-win game, though.

Originally posted by randolph
'Grats. Bit of an odd opening choice for a must-win game, though.

It's what I know best, and I score very well with it. Kasparov chose the Reti in game 24 of the Seville match for the same reason when he had to win- it's strategic and hard to simplify, and it's more aggressive than people give it credit.

So that's the Reti. I was thinking it was just the KID with reversed colors. After the fifth move, I was thinking KID reversed all the way.

Originally posted by Eladar
So that's the Reti. I was thinking it was just the KID with reversed colors. After the fifth move, I was thinking KID reversed all the way.

You are right, it is a KID in reverse ( a KIA). A true Reti would involve c4, not e4. My move order allows me to play a KIA, a Reti, a Closed Sicilian, or in some cases an English or even a Leningrad Bird depending on what Black plays.

With colors reversed, Tiger Hillarp Persson plays this way when White plays c3 against the Modern (although he plays the knight to c6, not d7). With ...c6 instead of ...c5, I think I get an additional tempo in classical after black plays ...d4. Black should have maintained the tension instead of pushing to d4 immediately, as it is inconsistent with the idea of ...c6.

Honestly, your opening looks hard to play against, very unorthodox and hypermodern. It really puts the game in your home court!

Congratulations man

Great Game Paul,

I'm curious, how do you fair/feel against the dutch in this opening? d6 f5 seems like
a pawn structure more capable against your Reti/KIA... Have you ran into this much?

Everything else looked great, just an understanding of what you were trying to
accomplish seemed to guide your moves, while your opponent seemed as though he
was trying to make the siv stop leaking. Really once d4 was played (as you said)
it started to wind down... He blockaded himself away from his king, and against your
developed king side energy, all he could do was back peddle.

-GIN

Originally posted by Nowakowski
Great Game Paul,

I'm curious, how do you fair/feel against the dutch in this opening? d6 f5 seems like
a pawn structure more capable against your Reti/KIA... Have you ran into this much?

Everything else looked great, just an understanding of what you were trying to
accomplish seemed to guide your moves, while your opponent seemed as though he
w ...[text shortened]... is king, and against your
developed king side energy, all he could do was back peddle.

-GIN

I don't see the Dutch very much at all, although I play it as black! The few times I have, I have either just played into the main line (d4, c4, g3), or I mentally trick myself into thinking I am playing a Pirc Austrian Attack with colors reversed, and if Black does not follow up f5 with e5 and d5 a la the Austrian, so much the better. I hate to say it, but sometimes it just depends on my mood.

Originally posted by Maxacre42
Honestly, your opening looks hard to play against, very unorthodox and hypermodern. It really puts the game in your home court!

Congratulations man

It transposed into a KIA/Caro Kann position. Leonid Stein was a master of the white side, and played several theoretically important games in the 1960s.

Good last round round game by both players.

Middle game bristles with attacking ideas and cute shots. Thinks I seen one
but it most likely just as good as move you played.

(Had cold over weekend - thinks turning to flu - head feels like it's full of cement.)

Just went through the game.I think neither of you will be 1700's much longer.Well played game!

And I do believe I responded at least once to a post of yours so.....you're welcome and 1/3 of that money you won will do 😛

Agreed, very nice game considering it was played over the board.

28. Nf3 looks like a faster way to win though.

Originally posted by clandarkfire
Agreed, very nice game considering it was played over the board.

28. Nf3 looks like a faster way to win though.

Yeah, during the game I saw 28. ... Qf8, and missed that after 29. Ng5 Qxh6, that 30. Nxf7 is a mate. I think this is a fine example of why it takes a player like me 50 moves to win a game a master wins in 30.

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Good last round round game by both players.

Middle game bristles with attacking ideas and cute shots. Thinks I seen one
but it most likely just as good as move you played.

(Had cold over weekend - thinks turning to flu - head feels like it's full of cement.)

Was the move you saw the 28. Nf3!, or did you see another one?

Today it looks like a new game to me.
Cannot even remember posting.

It was 18.Nxd5 hoping to stop the g4 Knight
getting back to f6. and then out number the Kingside.

Could not see if it was any good or not, I still can't.

Went onto auto pilot from there.
Never saw 28.Nf3! but suspected there was a snorter in there somewhere.
There just had to be.

Backward Knight moves are the most difficult to see.