H.O.P.E Hold on, pain ends

Annotated versions of my two recent games versus Hope Mkhamba.  We ended up losing both matches - Tuesday was particularly close when we crashed out of the cup!  Previous to these two games my record against Hope was played 3, won 2 drew 1. 

The first game here was quite painful as I was better for most of the game but then overpressed at the end.  However these things occasionally happen and one of the things I want to get better at is playing positions out - even at the risk of losing.  The second game was sweet revenge!

Mkhumba,Hope (185) - Longson,A (227) [B12]

Summer League, 21.07.2014

 

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.dxc5 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.Bb5 Qa5+ 7.Nc3 e6 8.Be3 a6 9.Bxc6+ bxc6 10.Qd4 Bxf3 11.b4 Qc7 12.gxf3 Ne7 13.f4 Nf5 14.Qd3 g5!? 15.Ne2 gxf4 16.Bxf4 Bg7 17.Qc3 Nh4 18.Bg3 [18.0–0–0 Ng6 19.Rde1 Bxe5] 18...Bxe5 19.Bxe5 Qxe5 20.0–0–0 Qxc3 21.Nxc3 Black is clearly better due to the central pawn masse and whites broken structure 21...a5? allows some counterplay [21...Ke7³] 22.b5! cxb5 23.Nxb5 Ke7 24.Rhe1 Kf6 Chances are equal - black has the better structure but all of whites pieces are actively placed 25.c6 [25.Nd6 Nf5] 25...Nf5?! [25...Ra6 is more accurate 26.c7 Nf5] 26.a4 [26.c4] 26...Ra6 27.c7 Nd6 28.Re3 Nxb5 29.axb5 Rb6 30.Rc3?! [30.Rf3+ Ke7 31.Rg1 Rxb5 32.Rg7 is a clever drawing mechanism we both missed 32...Kd6 (32...Rf8?? 33.Rgxf7++-) 33.Rfxf7 Rc8 34.Rxh7=] 30...Rc8 31.Rc5 Ke5 [31...Rb7 32.Rd4 Rcxc7 33.Rxc7 Rxc7 34.Ra4 Rb7 35.Rxa5 I saw here that the white king could support the b-pawn but should have looked a bit further 35...Ke5 36.Kb2 Kd6 37.Kb3 Kc5 38.Ka4 Kc4 39.Ra8 Rxb5 40.Ra7 Rb4+ 41.Ka3 Kc3 42.Rxf7 Rc4–+ after black captures on c2 the d-pawn will be too strong] 32.Rd3 Inexplicably I missed this - just thinking that ...Ke5 prevented Rd4 32...Kd6 33.Rdc3 Kd7 [33...Rb7 34.Rc6+ Kd7 35.b6] 34.Rf3 Kd6 [34...Ke7 35.Kb2 black is in trouble once the white king gets to join the party(35.Ra3 Rb7 36.Rxa5 Rbxc7 37.Rxc7+ Rxc7 38.Kb2 Kd6 39.Kb3 Kc5 40.Ka4 Kb6 41.Ra6+ Kb7 42.Kb3 Rc5) ; 34...f5! it seems that this is the only way to play for the win 35.Rh3 h5 36.Rxh5 Kd6 37.Rc3 Rxc7µ is a very clever solution pointed out by the computer] 35.Rfc3 d4 Desperate to win I avoid the repetition but this is overpressing and my position becomes dangerous.  I was tired (blowing a good position can do that) and in time trouble and the rest is agony! 36.R3c4 e5 37.c3 [37.Kb2] 37...d3? [37...dxc3 38.Rxc3 f6 39.Kb2± (39.Rc6+ Rxc6 40.Rxc6+ Kd7 41.Rxf6 Rxc7+ 42.Kb2) ; 37...a4! 38.cxd4 exd4 39.Kb2 (39.Rc6+ Rxc6 40.Rxc6+ Kd7; 39.Kd2 a3 40.Rh5 Rxc7 41.Rh6+ f6 42.Rxf6+ Ke7 43.Rxc7+ Kxf6 44.Rxh7 Rxb5 45.Ra7 Rb2+ 46.Kd3 Rxf2 47.Kxd4 a2 48.Kc3 Rxh2 49.Kb3; 39.Rh5 Rxc7 40.Rh6+ Kd7 41.Rxc7+ Kxc7 42.Rxh7 Rxb5 and whites position is dangerous) 39...d3 40.Rh5 d2 41.Rd4+ Kxc7 42.Rxd2²] 38.Kd2 e4 39.Rc6+ Rxc6 40.Rxc6+ Kd7 [40...Kd5 41.c4+ Kd4 42.b6] 41.Rc4 White plays well in the time scramble 41...Rxc7 42.Rxe4 Rc5 [42...Ra7 43.Kxd3 a4 44.Re2 a3 45.Ra2 Kd6 46.Kc4; 42...Kd6 43.Kxd3 Kc5 44.Rc4+] 43.c4 a4? [43...Rf5 44.Kxd3 Rxf2 is a much better try] 44.Kxd3 a3 45.Re2 Rf5 [45...Rh5] 46.Ke4 Rc5 47.Kd4 Rf5 and white won (the exact moves I can't remember as we were desperately bashing moves out - however by now white has a very serious, possibly decisive, initiative due to the connected passed pawns) 1–0

Longson,Alex (225) - Mkhamba,Hope (190) [B78]

Summer League, 19.08.2014

 

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 0–0 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.0–0–0 Ne5 11.Bb3 Rc8 12.Kb1 Nc4 13.Bxc4 Rxc4 14.Nde2 I forgot my theory here and played quite weakly [14.g4 b5 15.b3 Is the main line 15...b4!? (15...Rc8 16.Ndxb5 Qa5 17.a4 a6 18.Nd5 Qxd2 19.Nxe7+ Kh8 20.Rxd2 Rce8 21.Nxg6+ fxg6 22.Nxd6 Re6 23.Bc5±) 16.bxc4 bxc3 17.Qxc3 Qc7 Gives interesting compensation for the exchange] 14...b5 15.b3 Rc8 16.g4 b4 17.Nd5 Nxd5 18.exd5 Qa5 Here I noticed the ...Rxc2 tactic and sunk into thought - I didn't like my position  [18...a5 19.h4] 19.Rhe1 [19.h4 Qa3 20.Bd4 Bxd4 21.Qxd4 Was my original intention but here I saw 21...Rxc2 22.Kxc2 Qxa2+ 23.Qb2 (23.Kd3 I couldn't refute this but I didn't really want to contemplate it much either 23...Bb5+ 24.Ke3 Qxe2+ 25.Kf4 e5+ 26.dxe6 fxe6+ 27.Kg5 e5 28.Qd5+ Kg7–+) 23...Rc8+–+] 19...Rc5!? Totally unexpected [19...Qa3 20.Qc1 (20.Bd4 Is possible now as the knight on e2 is defended) 20...Qxc1+ I thought black might have some edge in this endgame - I wasn't sure what the best recapture was here (20...Qa5) 21.Bxc1 a5 22.Bb2 Bxb2 23.Kxb2 Rc5 24.c4 bxc3+ 25.Nxc3] 20.Bxc5 dxc5 21.Ng3! Qa3 [21...Bc3 22.Qc1 Bxe1 (22...Rb8) 23.Rxe1±; 21...Rb8 22.Rxe7 Rb6 23.a4 (23.Rxd7 Qxa2+ 24.Kxa2 Ra6+ 25.Kb1 Ra1#) 23...Bxa4 24.Rde1 (24.bxa4 Qxa4; 24.Qf4 Was the intention 24...Bf6! I missed ...Bf6 25.Rde1! Bxb3 26.Re8+ Kg7) 24...Bxb3 (24...Bc3 25.Qf4 Bf6 26.g5 Bxb3 27.Re8+ Kg7 28.gxf6+ Rxf6 29.Nh5+ gxh5 30.Rg1+ Rg6 31.Qe5+ Kh6 32.Rxg6+ fxg6 33.Qf4+ Kg7 34.Qf8#) 25.Re8+ Bf8 26.Rxf8+ Kxf8 (26...Kg7 27.cxb3+-) 27.Qh6+ Kg8 28.Re8#] 22.Qc1 Qa6 23.d6! exd6 24.Ne4± Be6 [24...Bd4 25.Rxd4 cxd4 26.Nf6+ Kg7 27.Nxd7 Rd8 28.Re7] 25.Rxd6 Qa5 26.g5 [26.Qf4!] 26...c4 [26...Bd4 27.Qd2] 27.Nf6+ Kh8 28.Qf4 cxb3 29.cxb3 Bf5+ 30.Ka1 Rc8 31.Red1 [31.Rc6] 31...h6 32.h4 [32.R1d5 Qc7 33.Rd8+ Qxd8 34.Rxd8+ Rxd8 35.Qxb4] 32...Qc5 [32...Bxf6+ 33.gxf6 Kh7] 33.Qd2 [33.Qd4 Qc1+ 34.Rxc1 Rxc1+ 35.Kb2 Rb1#; 33.Rd8+ Bf8 (33...Rxd8 34.Rxd8+ Bf8 35.Qe3!+-) 34.Rxc8 Qxc8 35.Qd4+-] 33...Qe5+ 34.Qd4 Bxf6 35.gxf6 [35.Rxf6 Qxd4+ 36.Rxd4 Rc1+ 37.Kb2 Rb1#] 35...Qxd4+ 36.R6xd4 Rc6 37.Rxb4+- Rxf6 The remaining moves were played in a time scramble and may not be entirely accurate  38.Rbd4 Be6 39.R1d3 Rf5 40.Kb2 Kg7 41.Kc3 Rc5+ 42.Kd2 Ra5 43.a4 Rc5 44.Rc3 Re5 45.b4 g5 46.hxg5 hxg5 47.Rc5 Kf6 48.Rd6 Black resigned just before he ran out of time 1–0