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The day before this game I rang up to get the draw and found out that I was playing Stephen so I decided to prepare with the aid of my database. Somehow when I was quickly looking through the games of my opponent I thought he played 1... e6. In actual fact he nearly always plays 1... e5 here. So I prepared for 1... e6 and not 1... e5. Later after the game Stephen said he had played this to avoid my preparation! 2. Nf3 d5 3. b3 Nf6 4. Bb2 Be7 5. g3 a5 6. Bg2 a4 7. Qc1 O-O 8. O-O Nc6 9. d4 Bd7 10. Rd1 axb3 11. axb3 Rxa1 12. Bxa1 Qa8 13. Bb2 Qa7 14. Nbd2 Ra8 15. Bc3 Be8 16. Qc2 Nb4 17. Qb2 b5 18. c5 Nc6 19. b4 Qa3 20. Rb1 Nd7 21. Ne1 f5 22. Nc2 Qxb2 23. Rxb2 g5 24. e3 Nf6 25. Bf1 Nd8 26. f3 c6 27. Bd3 Bg6 28. Kf2 f4 29. Bxg6 fxe3+ 30. Kxe3 hxg6 31. Ne1 g4 32. f4 Nf7 33. Rb1 Nh6 34. Ra1 Nf5+ 35. Ke2 Rxa1 36. Bxa1 g5 37. Nd3 gxf4 38. Nxf4 Kf7 39. Nb3 Bd8 40. Nc1 Bc7 41. Ncd3 Ne4 42. Ng2 Kf6 43. Ne3 Nxe3 44. Kxe3 Kf5 45. Nc1 Kf6 46. Nb3 Ke7 47. Bb2 Ng5 48. Nd2 Nf7 49. Nb3 Nh6 50. Bc3 Nf5+ 51. Kd3 Kd7 52. Nd2 Bd8 53. Nb3 Bf6 54. Ke2 Ne7 55. Nc1 Nf5 56. Nb3 Bg7 57. Kd3 Ne7 58. Ke2 Ng6 59. Kf2 Bh6 60. Kg2 Ne7 61. h3 gxh3+ 62. Kxh3 Bg7 63. Nd2 Nf5 64. Nf3 Ne3 65. g4 Nd1 66. Bd2 Nf2+ 67. Kh4 Ke7 68. Kh5 Here Stephen made what in actual fact turned out to be a blunder. It accompanied a draw offer and in the sixth hour of play I didn't look at the position too closely. Obviously the lesson to be learned from this is to take your time. 68... Nd3? (After 68... Nd3) White could have won by 69. Kg6! Bf8 (69... Kf8 70. Ng5 Bh8 71. Nxe6+ Ke7 72. Kf5 Nf2 73. g5 Ne4 74. Be1 Ke8 75. Bh4 [RR 68... Kf7=.] 1/2-1/2 Annotator(s): Michael Dooley, Irish Chess Journal, vol. 11, no. 4, September-October 1999, p. 18 (excerpted here). Reference(s): Tournament report. |
