I finished the Tonopah Warm-Up Tournament with a score of 3-1 finishing 2nd behind Jerry Weikel who finished with a score of 3 1/2. Daniil Fedunov also had a score of 3.
Mohammad Soltani used a Petrov Defense move-order tonight, thereby inviting that very solid defense, but I declined it and instead transposed to the Four Knight's Game and subsequently, the Belgrade Gambit.
I don't particularly trust White's line of play, but the Belgrade Gambit can be dangerous if one isn't familiar with the theory on it.
White: Eric Shoemaker 1903 Four Knight's Game/Belgrade Gambit
Black: Mohammad Soltani 1664
1. e4, e5 2. Nf3, Nf6 3. Nc3, Nc6 4. d4, exd4 5. Nd5!? (the speculative 'Belgrade Gambit'), Nxd5 6. exd5, Nb4 7. Nxd4, Qe7+? (Black can get a good game with 7...Qf6 supposedly and the authorities give 8. c3, but in my opinion the move 8. Nf3!? is much stronger and it is likely that Black will have to move both of his developed pieces again. The text move by Soltani only helps White further his development) 8. Be2, Nxd5 9. 0-0, d6 10. Bf3, c6 11. Re1, Be6 12. c4, Nb6 13. Nxc6!, bxc6 14. Bxc6+, Kd8 15. Bxa8, Nxa8 16. Qf3 (materially, it is even, but positionally it is not as Black has serious problems with his Kingside development, lack of initiative and the weaknesses at 'd6' and 'a7'), Nb6 17. Bf4, Qc7? (17...Qf6 should have been considered) 18. b3, Be7 19. Rac1, Ke8? (19...Nd7 was necessary) 20. c5! (a move that I calculated to win in all variations), Qd8 21. cxb6, axb6 22. Qh5, Kf8 (White was threatening to play 23. Rxe6) 23. Qf3, d5? (forgetting about White's threat to take on 'e6' with the Rook) 24. Rxe6!, Bc5 (taking the Rook drops the Queen) 25. Rxc5! (there's no reason to let Black set up road blocks, the three remaining pieces in the field can easily deal with the Black Queen and the Black Rook is hopelessly out of play), bxc5 26. Bd6+, Kg8 27. Qxd5, h6 (27...fxe6?? loses immediately to 28. Qxe6+ Mate) 28. Re7, Qa5 (desperation) 29. Qxf7+, Kh7 30. Qxg7+ Mate. 1-0, Reno, NV 2009.
One should always remember that a trapped King in the center is often worth the material sacrificed to keep it there.
3 comments:
Interesting game. I don't know the Four Knights variation vert well but it seems you made it into a tactical battle where initiative played a big role in the outcome!
Hi Chris, you're right, the Belgrade Gambit does get tactical. White sac's a pawn early for complications, but there are good lines against it.
I think also that there were many, especially at the club who thought I was mainly positional, but before those days, I often won like this.
If you look at my recent games, few opponents have made it past move 40, most in 30 moves or less in fact.
I'm enjoying my switch from 1. d4 to 1. e4 immensely!
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