I'm very disappointed in this one but will be looking to do some analysis at some point - but seriously - to blow a game I worked this hard to win - I coulda used a sledgehammer to win it - don't know why I didn't - crap

[Event "ICC 15 0"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2009.11.11"]
[Round "-"]
[White "Vallo"]
[Black "whiskeytown"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ICCResult "Black checkmated"]
[WhiteElo "1953"]
[BlackElo "1606"]
[Opening "Pirc: Holmov system"]
[ECO "B07"]
[NIC "PU.07"]
[Time "07:35:08"]
[TimeControl "900+0"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Bc4 Nxe4 5. Bxf7+ Kxf7 6. Nxe4 Bg7 7. Ng5+
Kg8 8. Be3 Nc6 9. Qd2 e5 10. d5 Nd4 11. N1f3 Nxf3+ 12. Nxf3 h6 13. h4 Kh7
14. O-O-O Rf8 15. h5 g5 16. Bxg5 hxg5 17. Nxg5+ Kh8 18. h6 Bf6 19. Ne4 Be7
20. f3 Bf5 21. Kb1 Bxe4 22. fxe4 Bg5 23. Qe2 Qe8 24. Qg4 Qe7 25. Rh5 Rg8 26.
Rf1 Bf4 27. Qh3 Rg3 28. Qh2 Rf3 29. Qh1 Rxf1+ 30. Qxf1 Rg8 31. a3 Rg4 32.
Qh1 Qf7 33. Qh3 Qg6 34. Rf5 Rxg2 35. h7 Rh2 36. Rf8+ Kg7 37. h8=Q#
{Black checkmated}
1-0

I was pulling for you all the way to the end, you gave him a run for his money 300 plus points and all!!! I think you are right in that the pairing system seems to be "rigged." lol. I just have one question if you don't mind answering as I'm always looking for ideas as Black. After Nxe4 you talked about setting up the "wicked fork" had he not played the ideal move, which he unfortunatly did. I've been looking for it and I can't find it. Would you mind explaining the sequence of moves that would have set that fork up? Wish you better luck in future pairings, H.G.

95% of the time (of course, they're generally lower rated players) - I'll see 4...Nxe4 recaptured with 5. Nxe4 - black then plays e5! - a pawn fork between bishop and knight which if backed up with Bg7 beforehand piles the pressure on d4 which a lot of times can be taken with aggressive development but I fired the move off WAY too early this game in retrospect

this may be a better example - (it's my win vs. my highest rated player with it) - that ended with a cheap tactic/bank rank mate - but the first few moves illustrate my point

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "whiskeytown"]
[Result "*"]
[PlyCount "40"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Bc4 O-O 6. O-O Nxe4 7. Nxe4 d5 8.
Bxd5 Qxd5 9. Re1 Nc6 10. Nc3 Qd7 11. Bf4 Nxd4 12. Ne5 Bxe5 13. Bxe5 Nc6 14. Bf4
Qxd1 15. Raxd1 Bf5 16. Ne4 Rad8 17. Rxd8 Rxd8 18. c3 Bxe4 19. Rxe4 Rd1+ 20. Re1
Rxe1# *

In the game from the video, after he plays 17.Nxg5 (around 08:35) you could have taken with the queen: 17...Qxg5 because after 18.Qxg5 you have 18...Bh6! Black is a piece up.

yah - a screwup on my part - I have noticed there is a weakness in my games where if we haven't transitioned to the endgame I tend to miss what the King can do -

It may console you to know that Greg Shahade (rated 2430) lost in the same way that you did: an undefended K in the corner that was mated by a promoted P. (See "B vs MegaZZ" of Nov. 14). And his opponent wasn't rated 300 points higher.

A very enjoyable battle. I'd say you played very well (above your rating for sure) during the middlegame, for example the manoeuvre ..Be7, ..Bf5, ..Bxe4 and Bg5 was excellent. And Rg3, Rf3, Rxf1 was good too.

But you psyched yourself out big time. You were definitely winning right up until the few moves. My advice would be not to worry too much by either your opponent's rating or your feeling that your opponent's attack is powerful, but just look for the best moves anyway. The thing is all of us, maybe with the exception of master level and above, don't assess positions very well in any case, so we should just look for the best move whether we think we're winning or losing.

Heck of a game. I loved every minute of it!!!

Way to give that 1900 player a good run for his money.

Thanks for posting this video.


Wayne77