Author: Peter Skinner
Date: 08:41:07 04/17/05
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Well here is the full game and the comments afterwards. [Event "HomeLand Obscurity"] [Site "Home"] [Date "2005.04.17"] [White "Skinner, Peter"] [Black "Gandalf 6.0"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Opening "QGD: Semi-Tarrasch, 5.e3 Nc6 6.a3 a6"] [ECO "D40"] [TimeControl "90+30"] 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. e3 Nc6 5. a3 d5 6. d4 a6 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Be2 cxd4 9. exd4 Be7 10. O-O Ne4 11. Bd3 Nxc3 12. bxc3 O-O 13. h3 Be6 14. Re1 Qd7 15. Qc2 h6 16. Bf4 Rfc8 17. Re3 b5 18. Qa2 Bf5 19. Bxf5 Qxf5 20. Bh2 Qd7 21. Rae1 Bf6 22. Bf4 Kh8 23. R3e2 Kg8 24. a4 bxa4 25. Nh2 Bg5 26. Bxg5 hxg5 27. Nf1 Rab8 28. Qxa4 Ne5 29. Qxd7 Nxd7 30. Ra2 Rc6 31. Ra5 Nf6 32. Rea1 Rxc3 33. Rxa6 Rb2 34. Ra8+ Kh7 35. R1a2 Rb4 36. R8a4 Rcc4 37. Rxb4 Rxb4 38. Rd2 Ne4 39. Rd1 Rb2 40. Ne3 Nc3 41. Ra1 Rb4 42. Nc2 Rb2 43. Ne3 Rd2 44. Ra3 Ne2+ 45. Kf1 Nf4 46. Ra7 Kg6 47. Ra4 f5 48. Ra6+ Kf7 49. Ra7+ Kg6 50. Ra6+ Kf7 51. Ra7+ Kg8 52. Ra8+ Kh7 53. Ra7 Rb2 54. f3 Kg6 55. Ra6+ Kh5 56. Nxf5 Rb1+ 57. Kf2 Rb2+ 58. Kf1 Rb1+ 59. Kf2 Rb2+ 60. Kf1 1/2-1/2 The opening I wanted to play was the English but due to error in my theory, I ended up in a QDG system. Up until move 20 I thought I had a reasonable position and had I stuck with my initial thoughts of Bg3 I would have been fine. Instead I went with Bh2 and sure enough black moved it's Queen to the back ranks with Qd7. Move 28. Qxa4 was the beginning of my demise. I wasn't expecting 28...Ne5 and almost didn't see that my Queen was in a QxQ position. Swapping Queens at the time seemed the best decision but I feel was probably wrong. This opened me up to rook attacks on the b and c files after my HUGE blunder of 30. Ra2. Better would have been Rc2 to protect the pawn, and realized it right after I dropped the pawn. As expected the rooks came hammering down and I knew I had virtually no chance at a win now and had to find a drawing position. After an attempt to swap a rook off the board it came 37. Rxb4 which allowed me to defend the d4 pawn. When black moved 47... f5 I saw a chance at a repetition draw, so I went for it. Unfortunately Gandalf avoided it on the third move with 51...Kg8 ^*%&$%^$!! Although when black moved 54... Kg6 I saw another chance. After putting black in check again, I was shocked that it moved away from the f5 pawn. I instantly captured with the knight and prevented black from moving it's King to g4. Here was the incredible part! Instead of moving the expected g6 to remove my knight from it's perch, it put me in check! I took my only move of f2 and _instantly_ black fired back with Rb2+! I thought (and was seriously hoping that I got my draw) this could be the start of a repetition draw, and sure enough it was. Overall I was satisfied with the game, but I am sure once I look it over and have a few engines analyze it, that there are going to me multiple times I could have played better moves. I don't think I would have won in any event and a draw was the best I could have maintained. Gandalf is just to good. It is a strong positional player in addition to the tactical side of programs. I almost feel like it "let me off" with a draw. I chose Gandalf for the game as I have seen it play the English systems many times before online, and I knew I could get it into a English: Three Knights varition atleast. The English along with the Vienna and Scotch are openings that I have been practicing. I am trying to play something more than the usual Ruy Lopez/Sicilian/Reti that I _have_ been playing with, and have been moderately successful. Until next time all my cheeky little monkeys, have a good day! Peter
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