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14... e6
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Forced to defend f7 by opening the row. 14. ...Ke8? 15. Ba6 is lost for black. |
 
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15. Be2
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The second-best move. 15. Ba6, the best, did run through my mind as an alternative. However I doubted my ability to win the c-pawn after 15. Ba6 Bxa6 16. Rxa6 c5. If I'd looked a little deeper I should have seen that 17. Ke2 followed by Rd1ch would give me significant initiative while black's lines of development were still crossed up. |
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15... Bd6
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15. ...f5 16. Nc4 c5 was to be considered. Junior apparently found a cute tactic in 17. O-O?! Bxg2! 18. Rd1ch Bd5! and there is plenty of play left in the position. |
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16. Nc4 Ke7 17. Bf3
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The point of 15. Be2, and ideally trying to coordinate my pieces with a future Na5 to win the *other* c-pawn, if given the chance. |
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17... Ra8
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...Bc5 has been available to black in the last couple of moves, but I didn't think jstevens would move the bishop twice (and if she did, I would have been fine with redeveloping my rook) while busy activating the rest of her pieces. Now she aims to permanently oust the bothersome tenant on a7. |
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18. Rxa8
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A series of simplifying exchanges commence which ultimately favor white. |
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18... Bxa8 19. Nxd6 Kxd6 20. Ke2
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Finally my king moves forward to free my KR and eventually hone in on c3. |
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20... Ra7 21. a4 c5
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If black moved 21. ...Kc5 I intended 22. Rd1ch and Rd8 to stir up havoc beyond the enemy pawn lines. |
1 comment
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22. Rd1+ Ke7 23. Bxa8
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One more piece of wood for the block. Black's LSB had little to do this game anyway. |
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23... Rxa8 24. Rd3 c4 25. Rxc3 cxb3 26. cxb3
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I had my dream goal of connected passers. I'm not much for endgames and I don't consider them my forte, however I can play them with the need arises. Of course, this one isn't too challenging, thankfully, though one should never relax even with a "won" game. |
1 comment
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26... e5 27. Rc7+ Kf6 28. Kd3 Rd8+ 29. Ke4
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Of course 29. Kc3 occured to me, but I was trying to tempt black into 29. ...Rd2 30. Rc5ch Kg5 31. Kxe5 Rxf2 32. Rc3, when 32. ...Rxg2 would run into a forced rook trade via 33. Rg3ch, and the win. |
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29... Rd4+
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Black doesn't opt for it. Alas. |
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30. Ke3 Rb4 31. Rc3 Ke6 32. Kd3 Rd4+
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I expected something like 32. ...f5 here, and figured I'd have to play Kc2 and Rc4. Black makes it a tad easier for me. |
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33. Kc2 Re4 34. Re3 Rxe3
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I didn't think black should have exchanged his last piece in such a position, but I had no complaints, naturally. |
2 comments
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35. fxe3 f5 36. Kd3 g5
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An impressive pawn phalanx. Now, how to get over there? |
1 comment
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37. a5
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Displace the enemy king with one of my passers, is the solution. |
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37... Kd6 38. a6 Kc6 39. a7 Kb7 40. Kc4 f4 41. Kd3 Kxa7 42. exf4 exf4 43. Ke4 h6
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White has one major pitfall to avoid, which is 44. Kf5 Kb6 45. Kg6?? g4, followed by ...f3 and promotion, if I play thoughtlessly. In the above line, 45. h3 also wins, however. |
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44. h4
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! The final blow. After either 44. ...gxh4 45. Kxf4 or 44. ...Kb6 45. hg hg 46. Kf5 I mop up the remaining enemy kingside pawns and will promote one of my remaining passers. An auspicious start in the tournament for the unglamorous vampire clashing with more comely competitors. Thanks to Joanne for the game and annotation privileges. |
1 comment
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