Great Lakes Open

Great Lakes Open, Round 2

Since I beat a master in the 1st round I got paired up against a higher rated master.

Date: 2007.04.28
White: Chris Nienart (2221)
Black: Don Vandivier (1850)



This position came up after my 64th move. I was somewhat distraught because I had a win against this guy but threw it away in a time pressure scramble. The time controls were Game in 90 min, and we were forced to use a clock with a 5 second delay. I didn't mind that and was more interested in the game then the clock. Last time I looked at the clock my opponent was down to only 30 seconds left for the entire game! But with a 5 second time delay he could easily just keep moving quickly or call the tournament director and claim this position to be a draw. So I played 64...Kf5 and offered him a draw.

But he kept moving... 65.Kf3 I thought this was ridiculous. Surely this guy knows this is a dead draw? But the game continued: 65...f6 66. gxf Kxf6 and I told him I was going to get the tournament director to claim a draw. He moved Kg4, punched the clock and said, "YOUR FLAG IS DOWN!"

I left, got the TD and told him that I was claiming a draw based on the rulebook that I could demonstrate this was a draw. To my surprize he told me, "You have to stop the clock in order to make that claim. If you don't stop the clock and your flag falls then you can't make the claim!" 🙁
So I was a little upset. I decided to take a bye in the next round.

Here's the disappointing text for the game:

Site "Great Lakes Open"
Date "2007.04.28"
Round "2"
White "Nienart, Chris" (2221)
Black "Vandivier, Don" (1850)
Result "1-0"
ECO "B92"

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Nc3 a6 4. Be2 Nf6 5. O-O Nc6 6. d4 cxd4 7. Nxd4 g6 8. Be3 Bg7 9. Nd5 O-O 10. f3 Bd7 11. Nxc6 Bxc6 12. Bb6 Qd7 13. Bd4 Bxd5 14. exd5 b5 15. a4 Qb7 16. c4 bxc4 17. Bxc4 Rfc8 18. b3
Nd7 19. Bxg7 Kxg7 20. Qd4+ Kg8 21. Rfe1 Re8 22. Re3 Qb6 23. Qd2 Ne5 24. Be2 Rac8 25. Kh1 Rc7 26. f4 Rec8 27. Bd1 Nd7 28. Rxe7 Nf6 29. Rxc7 Qxc7 30. Bf3 Qc3 31. Qxc3 Rxc3 32. b4 Rb3 33. b5 axb5?! 34. a5 Nd7 35. a6 b4? 36. Be2? Nb6 37. Kg1 Ra3 38. Rb1 Nxd5 39. Bc4 Ne3 40. Be2 b3 41. Kf2 Nc2 42. Bc4 Nb4 43. Bxb3 Nxa6 44. g3 Nc5 45. Bc4 Rc3 46. Be2 Kg7 47. Rd1 h5 48. Bf3 Rd3 49. Rxd3 Nxd3+ 50. Ke3 Nc5 51. Kd4 Kf6 52. Kd5 Ke7 53. Be2 Nd7 54. Bd3 Nf6+ 55. Kd4 Ke6 56. Be2 d5? 57. Bf3 Kd6 58. h3 Ke6 59. g4 hxg4 60. hxg4 Kd6 61. g5 Ne4 62. Bxe4 dxe4 63. Kxe4 Ke6 64. Ke3 Kf5 65. Kf3 f6 66. gxf6 Kxf6 67. Kg4
and Black forfeits on time! 😲 1-0

Edit: I left before the tournament had completed, but I think the only person Nienart lost to was the IM from Italy. I believe he tied for 2nd or 3rd place overall.

Argh. That leaves a sour feeling in my gut. I fell victim to this against a guy that was rated 400 points higher than me OTB. Refused my offer to draw, and then made meaningless moves to run my clock down. I claimed a draw to the TD (after the fact), and he informed me of the clock stop rule. I think I might have left early that day too 😛

Originally posted by AlphaAlekhine
Argh. That leaves a sour feeling in my gut. I fell victim to this against a guy that was rated 400 points higher than me OTB. Refused my offer to draw, and then made meaningless moves to run my clock down. I claimed a draw to the TD (after the fact), and he informed me of the clock stop rule. I think I might have left early that day too 😛

ahh the ol' clock technique. I've fallen victim to that trick as well. I can relate on several occasions. Losing a game like that, especially to a master, would be very disgruntling.

Originally posted by Arrakis
So the next game I'll show will be Round 4 against another master. It was a wild game where he sacs a piece and I have to worry about two connected pawns on my 7th rank! I found a way to draw though. 🙂

Originally posted by Arrakis
You must remove yourself from the RHP environment to appreciate this game. When you are playing in an OTB tournament and there are people cramming in to see your position, standing around your board staring at you, are you going to play on after an 'apparent blunder of dropping your queen'?

I think you were wise to take a bye in the next round as it's going to be difficult to compose yourself with a defeat in that manner in the back of your mind.

Great Lakes Open, Round 4

Event "Great Lakes Open"
Date "2007.04.29"
White: Manis Davidovitch (2102)
Black: Don Vandivier (1850)
Result "1/2-1/2"
ECO "B99"

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qc7 8.Qf3 Be7 9.O-O-O Nbd710.g4 b5 11.Bxf6 gxf6 12.a3 Bb7 13.f5 e5 14.Ne6
I've never seen this knight sac before. Mani (his nickname) likes coming up with these novelty attacks which may not be sound, but can be hard to refute OTB.

14...fxe6 15.fxe6 Nc5 16.g5
Ok, so here I am with a nice material advantage, which White is willing to give me to keep my king in the center for attack. My opponent loves playing tactical positions like this and I reason his sac is unsound, but if I don't find the correct moves I could easily lose this position. I can't allow my king to be caught in the middle of the board with the rooks unable to connect. So I castle long.

16...O-O-O 17.gxf6 Rdf8 18.f7
and at this point I had planned 18...Nxe6 refuting White's sacrifice. But now I see that I can't take the pawn on e6 because White can play his bishop to h3 and win my knight. Drats! I have to move my king off the diagonal before I can take the pawn.

18...Kb8 19.Nd5! Bxd5
I find it difficult not to take the knight.

20.exd5 Rc8
Threatening to play 21...Nxe6! destroying White's pawn formation and remaining a piece up because of the mate threat on c2.

21.Kb1
Now I'm feeling a bit stupid for allowing this pawn structure. I have a piece for two pawns, but his pawns restrict Black's pieces and are a continuous threat while Black has no counterplay. The game is positionally lost so I play the only thing that gives Black counterplay.

21...Nxe6 22.dxe6 Qxc2+ 23.Ka1 e4 24.Qe2 Bf6?!
If 25.Rb1 Qb3 wins, but I should have played 24.Qb3! first to avoid the exchange of queens.

25.Qxc2 Rxc2 26.Rxd6



I look so busted here. Friends were coming up to the board, looking at the position and walking away shaking their heads. If 26....Rxb2? 27.e7! But I find some resources:

26...Rhc8!
Maybe I shouldn't give this move an exclamation mark since it's so obvious. It also happens to be the only move that is playable.
However, what can White do here? If 27.Bh3 Bxb2+ 28.Kb1 Be5 29.Rd5 Rb2+ 30.Ka1 Bh8 31.e7 Rb4+ and White get's mated! I was actually beginning to think I might have winning chances now. How can White get out of this?

27.e7!
Defending Black's attack. Note that if 27...Bxb2+ 28.Kb1 Be5 then after 29.Bc4! even the best play by Black gives White a winning endgame. An example from this line could be: 29...Bxd6 30.Pe8=Q R2xc4 31.Rd1 Bxa3 32.Rd8 Bb4 33.Rxc8+ Rxc8 34.Qxe4 Bf8 35.Qxh7

27...Bxe7 28.Rxa6 Rf8 29.Kb1 Rd2 30.Rb6+ Ka7 31.Rxb5 Rxf7 32.Bc4 Rff2 33.Re1 Bf6 34.Rxe4 Rxb2+ 35.Rxb2 Rxb2+ 36.Kc1 Rxh2 and the game was drawn. 1/2-1/2

well played

Originally posted by artplayer
well played

nice games...what was your average performance for this tournament ? about 2200?

^ Pgn format is also helpful.....


hint hint....

Originally posted by vipiu
nice games...what was your average performance for this tournament ? about 2200?

Originally posted by Shinidoki
^ Pgn format is also helpful.....


hint hint....

Originally posted by Arrakis
I can't copy & paste a pgn file here because the bracket symbols are used as control characters for RHP text.