2022 Colorado Class Championship

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Round 1

I gave up a pawn to trade queens in time-pressure, which backfired when he played ...f5! which I hadn't seen.  Then I simply made a visual error in a long calculation, since the bishop was controlling g8 at the time, but not once the knight take it, since I had planned Rd2 pin, but then comes ...Rg8+!.

Round 2

I got impatient and adventurous.  After the game, I thought that I should have kept blocking his rook with ...Rd8, and keeping my rook battery together, instead of wandering off with my king, in search of adventure in time-pressure.

Round 3

The clock said one second after I played h4 and pushed it.  Expecting the clock to say 31, it instead went to zero.  I lost about 2 or 3 seconds as my fingers kept dancing between g4 and h4, playing the odd h4; it's like I couldn't stop them from doing it, while I was flustered.

Round 4

My nerves were under control for this game, but it meant a more devil-may-care attitude at the board.  I spent seven minutes on the game losing Nf5??, while spending most of my time for that move on f4!  After not being able to decide on which move to play, I finally took my knight off the long diagonal, and said to myself "Let's see what he does.", and he showed me exactly what he had meant to do.

Comments

  1. Rolling PawnsJune 12, 2022 at 6:40 PM

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  2. Rolling PawnsJune 12, 2022 at 6:41 PM

    Round 1. I think you had had a very good chance to win after getting exchange and 2 pawns.
    31. Kh2 would keep the pawn and your king is safe there after Bg2.
    I would play 41. Kg2 to pick up the pawn right away, that would allow you to avoid the light pieces trade, leading to a rook endgame.
    I see why you made that visual error. I am sure being in a better shape you would win this game.

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  3. Rolling PawnsJune 13, 2022 at 5:53 PM

    Round 2. It looks like a tough game. His knight sacrifice on e5 is not correct, but you definitely face some problems after it. Your king's position is not safe and his pawn center is strong.
    10... Kd8 with the following Bd7 and Kc8 would let your king to escape to a safer position.

    I don't like 16... c5 and 17... c4 while your king is in the center. After you sacrifice the piece back it is still difficult to keep the balance on the board. You had a chance for a draw in the rook endgame, but it wasn't an easy one due to an active position of his king.

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  4. LinuxGuyJune 15, 2022 at 6:51 PM

    Thank you for your comments! I just didn't have the grit in this tournament, that one needs especially against peers. It seemed every time that things began to go my way, I just wasn't able to keep my cool, got nervous, panicky. Funny, because I am getting faster and better at blitz.

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  5. Rolling PawnsJune 17, 2022 at 6:17 PM

    Round 3. I think his 18... Nc4 was a bad idea and then he made that horrible 20... Ne7 move.
    You were winning on the spot after 22. Bxc7 since he can't take your bishop.
    Then your advantage evaporated and 28. Rxc4 was a mistake.
    You had some chances in the end.

    Round 4. Yeah, you were better unless you missed that thunderbolt strike on c4.
    I can only say that I would probably try to exchange the dark colored bishops earlier.

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