Rapid Game Recap: Cameron Park Classic Round 2

Another dumb endgame decision leading to a loss.

Round 2 of the Cameron Park Classic. I was fresh off of an easy win, and looking forward to the next game. My opponent is one of the younger members of a family, the entirety of which apparently all play chess. I don’t know how this happens, but it’s very cool to see them always at each other’s tournaments, watching games. They’re all genuinely interested in it and that seems like a very cool family bond to have.

Time Control: 15 minutes + 10 second increment

White: 977 USCF

Black: Me (1564 USCF)

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bg5

This is the first time I’ve seen the Richter-Veresov Attack over the board. It’s an odd bird. It looks like a Ruy Lopez in a mirror, but the way it plays is very differently. I remember studying some lines on this perhaps three years ago but since then I haven’t, mostly because I never see these positions. However, like any sideline in the Queen’s Pawn Opening (e.g. where White does not play 2.c4), I know Black equalizes after c5.

3…c5!

For a moment I considered 3…Ne4 which is similar to what I would play against the Trompowsky Attack (1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5!?). However I thought better of it after 4.Nxe4 dxe4, because Black no longer really influences the center, the e4-pawn is a severe inconvenience to the development of my pieces; and White’s c-pawn is now free to advance. There are lots of recommended moves in the resources I own, including 3…Nbd7 (avoiding the doubling of pawns), 3…Bf5, avoiding the bishop being stuck inside the pawn chain, and 3…c6, trying to provoke 4.Bxf6.

c5 is principled in Queen’s Pawn openings, and turns the position into a bit of a Reversed Queen’s Gambit where Black is down a tempo which doesn’t usually represent a problem for White. However, I think owing to the placement of the knight on c3 (blocking the c-pawn), White has a hard time in these lines getting freedom of play on the queenside, which allows Black some initiative.

4.e3

This seems like a reasonable position, but the bishop probably would have been better placed on f4, Jobava London-style, since White can possibly threaten some tactics against c7 with the knight and bishop.

4…cxd4 5.exd4 e6?!

This move is fine for Black, but not critical. I aim for the reverse Carlsbad structure common in the Queen’s Gambit exchange variations. I have a half-open c-file for a queen and/or rook; and the a- and b-pawns might be useful for a minority attack to create weaknesses on the queenside. My c8-bishop isn’t quite as active, stuck behind the pawn chain, and for that reason, perhaps the move 5…Bf5 should have been considered first. Another choice, simply developing and waiting for White to make another commitment, would be the natural 5…Nc6.

6.Nf3 Be7 7.Bd3 O-O 8.O-O h6!?

I want the enemy bishop to commit. My opponent took his time deciding what to do.

9.Bxf6

For a moment, I thought he was perhaps calculating 9.Bxh6?! with a possible attack on the kingside, but Black has enough defenders to outlast the onslaught.

9…Bxf6

10.Ne5?

This kind of idea is often powerful, and is sometimes known as the Pillsbury plan. The Knight is centralized, and if Black captures it, a pawn emerges on e5 which can cramp the defenses around the Black King. In the meantime, White pushes f5 and puts pressure down the f-file with his rooks, often doubling to turn the heat up on Black’s kingside. But here I think White has some issues - namely, the d4 pawn is undefended — another weakness of this opening. Instead, I think my opponent should have played Ne2 or Re1, both of which have the merit of preparing a defense of the d4-pawn. For instance 10.Ne2 Nc6 11.c3, or 10.Re1 Nc6 11.Ne2 (or even 11.Bf1).

10…Nc6!

This prevents the so-called Pillsbury plan. 10…Bxe5 11.dxe5 Nc6 12.f4 was also OK for Black, but the text seems much more clear.

11.Ne2?!

My opponent blunders a pawn in an attempt not to lose it. Both 11.Nxc6 bxc6 and 11.Qh5 Nxd4 were better options.

11…Nxe5 12.dxe5 Bxe5 13.c3

13…Bc7!?

I want to open the position for my bishops and direct my pawns towards the kingside. Another way to play was 13…Bf6, with long-term pressure against the queenside. One last ideaI considered was 13…Qb6.

14.f4 e5!? 15.fxe5 Bxe5

15…Re8 was not bad either! The e-pawn cannot really be held, so this move is a bit more constructive for Black’s position. This is a subtle idea that I would like to become better at — not rushing to regain material, but improving my position more patiently, since in the end I can squeeze just a little bit more out of the position.

16.Nf4

16…Bxf4?

This was the beginning of the change in the trend of this game. I was low on time, but I should have made better sense than this. 16…Qb6+! is the move I considered first and should have played. For instance: 17.Kh1 Bxf4 18.Rxf4 Qxb2. In this two-pawn-up position with same-color bishops, Black’s win is pretty straightforward.

After trading the bishop, all the work I did to build up my advantage and open the board has gone down the drain. Black still has a slight edge, but it’s doubtful with so many pieces on the board that Black wouldn’t make a mistake later under time pressure. This was a very impractical choice and my one major regret in this tournament.

17.Rxf4 Qg5?

Now White has a solid position and my isolani on d5 is weak. 17…Qb6+ 18.Rf2 was better, releasing the pressure off of d5.

18.Qf3 Be6 19.Rf1 Rad8 20.Bf5 Bxf5 21.Rxf5 Qg6 22.Rxd5 Rxd5 23.Qxd5 Qb6+ 24.Rf2

24...Rd8?!

This pawn sacrifice was completely unnecessary and makes the game less practical for me to draw. 24…a6, just waiting, was a better idea with no risks in a position that I cannot afford risks in if I want to draw.

25.Qxf7+ Kh8 26.Qf3 Qc5 27.Kf1 Qc4+ 28.Re2 Kg8 29.b3 1-0

This is where my scoresheet ends. I later lost the game due to allowing a queen trade at which point it was increasingly difficult to hold the position down a pawn low on time. My opponent converted the endgame very cleanly.

The main killer for me in this game was the trading off of the bishop for a knight in an open position — a huge strategic error on my part. This was the only loss I faced in the whole tournament. It sucked, because I definitely shouldn’t have lost this game. But also it reminded me to not just initiate trades because I’m up a bit of material.