Second round of the uChess tournament over at uChess.com.
Ratings:
nickybutt = 1466
T1000 = 1476
Time
15 minute game
No increment
[Event uChess rated]
[Site www.uchess.com]
[Date 2004.9.15]
[Round ?]
[White
ickybutt]
[Black T1000]
[Result 1-0]
1. e4 e6 2. Bc4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Bb3 a5 5. a3 c6 6. Nf3 Nf6 7. O-O Bg4 8. d4 Be7 9. Nbd2 O-O 10. Ba2 Bd6 11. c3 Qc7 12. h3 Bxf3 13. Qxf3 Nbd7 14. b4 axb4 15. axb4 Rfe8 16. Bb2 Nb6 17. c4 Bxb4 18. Bc3 Ra3 19. Rfc1 Na4 20. Nb1 Bxc3 21. Nxa3 Bxa1 22. Rxa1 Nb6 23. cxd5 Nbxd5 24. Nc2 b5 25. Rc1 b4 26. Ne3 Qd6 27. Nc4 Qb8 28. Ne5 Rc8 29. Nxc6 Qd6 30. Bxd5 Nxd5 31. Qxd5 Qxd5 32. Ne7 1-0
So yes, heeeeeeere we go:
White's 17th move (17. c4?) was not his best, allowing as it did Black to win a pawn and crank up some pressure down the queenside. Black doesn't do too good a job (first glance after the game and 19...Ra8 seems altogether better than the played move). After the shenanigans in the corner Black is a pawn up, a blockade on d5 (which is looking useful even if it is under pressure from White's queen and bish), and a wee nagging feeling that he could have made more out of the action just gone (plus half an eye on f7 being a bit of a weakness). Still feeling that nagging feeling of not having pressed the game home just then, Black played 25...Rc8?, which was a bit of a shocker ... but got away with it (and then some) after White played 26. Nxc6? instead of the much stronger Rxc6. That said, although Nxc6 was weaker, I remember feeling at the time that this next move was very important and in this position that there were a lot of very bad moves out there (didn't Tartakower or some such luminary once say that all the bad moves are out there, just waiting to be played?!) for Black to play. 29...Qd6 is really the only (maybe?) move for Black here (at the time it felt like a move that put black in front (I now realise it doesn't)). The played 30. Bxd5 was probably the best move for white (I can't see anything better?) but after 30...Nxd5 I think it is vital for White to play Rc5. Time was running down though for both players and White's move was 31. Qxd5?? After 31...Qxd5 32. Ne7+ though, Black resigned!
Resigned!! It's hard enough to get into a winning posish but then to resign when having got one, is there even a word for that? Is there a word for that feeling, the empty stomach, the chill as the realisation comes that actually, ooh look, I'm winning. But hang on, I've just resigned.
😳
PS: It would be totally remiss of me not to say that nickybutt is a genuinely top, top bloke, just sincerely kind, and I really hope he goes on to win the tournament.