Unfortunately this game was spoiled by time pressure for the last 30 odd moves. This is the last round, which I had to win in order to tie for first. The opening was pretty poor from me (as white). We ended up in a very level position which was really hard to create threats. I'm pleased with the first 36 moves. Move 37.b4 is just a dreadful move!!! My opponent gets so much counter play down the open b-file i almost lost the game (57.e4 as well, as soon as i touched the piece i could see it was dreadful, but I was playing on increment by this point). Such is the stress of the final round i guess (something completely new to me, this is the first congress I have ever played). The game ended when my opponent ran out of time, but it should be winning for white.
Originally posted by @64squaresofpain I just checked the results cross-table from your tournament.
Was the guy you tied 1st with really called Johnny Danger??
If I ever encounter him, I'm asking for his autograph...
Your tournament performance was 169, pretty good indeed.
Would you mind sending me a link to that page please? I've tried finding it on google but no joy.
Yes i tied with Johny Danger! Lovely chap but damn does he need to take a bath, wooow! It's quite annoying actually, as we tied for first they used the results of our opponents to work out the tie break. I smashed my first round opponent in 20 moves and he withdrew, so i won't get my name on the trophy. What's particularly annoying is that even though he missed two games, had he scored just 0.5 from two games, i would have won out right. My only consolation is that that means Johny Danger ia going to get written on it instead, which is actually pretty cool! 😁
Originally posted by @johnnybike What opening was that. Not one in my repertoire
It's hard to say the exact name. The opening couple of moves (1.Nf3 and 2.c4) would probably be called a Reti, but once you have d4 ..cxd4 Nxd4 i guess it is a Catalan opening. In short, i'm not really sure. It turns out a missed a nice idea after ..Ne5 white has 12.c5! which wins a pawn as the black d-pawn is pinned and cannot capture without the losing the Queen. The game deviates from theory after 11.Qd2, this is a novelty according to my very limited database, not that it's one worth repeating, the middle game was so hard to play! The position is such that, once you start exchanging, it's very hard to 1) Gain some sort of advantage from the exchange and 2) avoid a cascade of exchanges that basically remove any winning chances.
Originally posted by @mchill Very well done!! Mid level sections are every bit as competitive as the higher one's. You have reason to be proud.
Thx MC. Yeh, it was tough! The penultimate round i played a 17-year-old guy who was the top seed. I won a pawn early but he sacked a knight for three pawns in the centre and we played a really tense game. It ended in a draw in the end but i think i missed a win, put the pressure was just off the scale! Here's the game (I'm black)..
Originally posted by @marinkatomb It's hard to say the exact name. The opening couple of moves (1.Nf3 and 2.c4) would probably be called a Reti, but once you have d4 ..cxd4 Nxd4 i guess it is a Catalan opening. In short, i'm not really sure. It turns out a missed a nice idea after ..Ne5 white has 12.c5! which wins a pawn as the black d-pawn is pinned and cannot capture without the losin ...[text shortened]... from the exchange and 2) avoid a cascade of exchanges that basically remove any winning chances.
I was thinking "Symmetrical English", but nomenclature is a funny thing. The same game could be in 3 different chess magazines under 3 different names- and all the names would fit!
@paul-leggettsaid I was thinking "Symmetrical English", but nomenclature is a funny thing. The same game could be in 3 different chess magazines under 3 different names- and all the names would fit!
Yes, most computer software will see the first two white moves and call it a Reti, but it's probably more like a symmetrical English.
The opening is often called Symmetrical English, and accordingly ECO lists it as A39. But it is really a Yugoslav Variation KID, and it is included in "The King's Indian Defence" by Barden, Hartston and Keene, published 1969. Ray Keene wrote that chapter.
Woohoo, I won my first tournament
01 Oct '18 10:001 edit
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