Chess Room Newsletter #860

Newsletter #860

February 15, 2019

It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old, they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez

There was a recent article released by World Chess titled "State of Chess: How Much Money is in the Sport", which details the challenges of professional chess. Among its findings was that the average amount of money earned from prize winnings on average for a top 50 in the world player (both men and women) is $29,323 Euro. Also striking was the fact that only 8 players made more than $100,000 in winnings. To those of us familiar with the chess business, this is not surprising, and it has been an example of why the chess culture in the United States has not grown the same way in other countries. Making a living strictly through playing chess is a difficult endeavor, often requiring the need to supplement income through other means, either through providing instruction or attracting sponsors. The need to do this also affects ones ability to concentrate full time on their craft, and to elevate it as something attractive for young aspiring players, who often face a difficult decision in committing to chess versus pursuing other, more lucrative long term interests.

The rise in sponsorship, in particular through Rex Sinquefield at the St. Louis Chess Club, has caused a meteoric rise in the strength in U.S. Chess, as it has attracted players like Fabiano Caruana and Leinier Dominguez to switch federations and has provided a structure for organizing high level events on a regular basis, as well as providing a continual educational and promotional structure to encourage participation in elite level chess. This has helped cause an elevation of the earning power of our top chess players, as their success has created higher value in the individual brands of the players and thus, commands more earning potential. This is evidence of the rise of professionalism in chess, and a positive step in where we want to see chess go to make it more popular, and create a sense of professionalism within the athletes and organizations that support chess.

What this also risks causing, is inaccessibility of our top chess players for clubs and communities. As their star power rises, so does the demand for their time, and the value of their services. Where once reaching out to an elite GM to play a simul or give a lecture at a club would be an email or phone call away for a reasonable rate, they now can command a cost that would out price the ability of the local club to secure their services. Most star players I have encountered are very generous with their rates and time, but as professionalism grows and sponsorships come in, there is the risk of creating inaccessibility of these players for the local regular club.

I have always been a supporter of the professionalization of chess, of working to elevate chess in our culture as an art and recognized as a sport. I believe the players and those that support chess in communities should be compensated as athletes, artists and business managers, and we are slowly but surely headed in that direction. The rise of the PRO Chess League has proven that chess can evolve with technology to create an amazing fan experience, make chess exciting and watchable, and has provided an innovative way in how we watch, play and experience chess as a sport.

I also think it is important that our top athletes and chess personalities remain accessible to the general chess community. It will increase their popularity and star power and provide a current of support and engagement for new players and fans. I write this as a cautionary tale to not forget about the club regular, who loves chess for its own sake, who wants nothing more than for chess to be lifted up in popularity. Perhaps there needs to be some creativity in how we can keep chess professionals accessible, and I do believe one does not need to be mutually exclusive of the other in terms of professionalism and accessibility. Something to think about as we live through this revolutionary and exciting phase in the growth of chess...

You can see the full report by World Chess here: https://worldchess.com/news/898

A Long Look Back...

I wrote last week about the great news in the preservation of our chess history in the digitizing of some of our chess periodicals, which included the California Chess Journal. When I was a scholastic player in the 1980’s the California Chess Journal was made available at many events I participated in, including Jim Hurt’s LERA events in Sunnyvale, Francisco Sierra’s events at San Jose State and around that area and many more. I enjoyed reading the chess journal and I especially liked that there just could be the opportunity for a regular club player to have a game published. As I was reflecting on this, I decided to go to the archive and try to find one particular issue, which for me was my most memorable issue, July, 1988.

This was a tournament held at Burnett Middle School in San Jose, and I was 15 years old at the time. What was interesting in this event, not only was it my first victory against a master, but I was both the recipient and victim of a brilliancy prize and both games were published. They are here for your enjoyment...or amusement, depending on the perspective. My brilliancy was merely a huge blunder by my opponent, and my loss was a series of blunders. All the ingredients for an interesting and fun weekend more than 30 years ago, and I am able to reflect on this moment, because of the preservation of history.

Winter TNM Headed to Championship Rounds After Long Round 6 Battles

The battles were long and drawn out for round 6 of the TNM, as we had 10 games still active past 10:30pm! With the installation of 10 DGT boards, it made for quite a spectacle, though a momentary power outage cause the boards to pause late in the broadcast.

On Board 1, Conrado Diaz pulled out a late win against Michael Walder as it got into a time scramble and Diaz was able to use that to gain an endgame advantage and take the game. On Board 2, Aleksandr Ivanov, down a pawn in the endgame, liquidated material to arrive at an endgame where he had the lone king against WFM Natalia Tsodikova and her lone 2 knights and king. On Board 4, James Wonsever (1916) gave a very brave and long fight to Kyron Griffith (2458), but was slowly outplayed in the end.

Conrado is the sole leader with 5.5, with two players, Aleksandr Ivanov and Steve Gaffagan at 5.0. there are many players at 4.5, including Griffith and Tsodikova, so the last two championship rounds will tell the tale of this epic finale.

Join in next week and follow the action! To view the games, go to our club home page and click live chess.

SF Mechanics Pull out Draw Against Seattle

The San Francisco Mechanics drew in their match against the San Diego Surfers, pulling an even 8-8 score. This brings the Mechanics total score to 74.5, which puts them in 7th place out of 8 in the Pacific, with their one match victory coming against the first place Chengdu Pandas. You can read a full detailed write up of the match by following Dana Mackenzie’s write up on chess.com here: https://www.chess.com/blog/SFMechanics/mission-half-accomplished.

Their next match is Battle Royale #2 and will take place Tuesday February 19th at 7:30pm. It will be an opportunity to make up some points, Go Mechanics! You can follow the broadcast and see replay of last weeks match by following this link: https://www.twitch.tv/dpruess,

Wednesday Night Blitz Update

Expert Carlos Davila won the February 13th edition of the Wednesday Night Blitz with 10.5 from 12 games. He was closely followed by Expert Jules Jelinek who had 10. Third was unrated Branav Jindal with 8 points. 10 players braved the rain to show up for this popular event. Jules Jelinek directed.

Tony Lama's Teasers

The solution to last week's problem (mate in 2):

1. Rd6!! Qxa6
2. Qd7#

This week’s problem by Otto Wurzburg, 1939 (mate in 3):

Friendly Rivalries, Part 2

By FM Paul Whitehead

How wonderful to have this soapbox, and crow over my victories against the Bay Area’s top players! I will include some painful losses soon enough, but for now...

GM Peter Biyiasas was active in the Bay Area in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Originally from Athens, Greece, he grew up in Canada where he eventually won the Canadian Closed Championship in 1972 and 1975. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1979, working for I.B.M. in San Jose.

Biyiasas played 4 times for the Canadian Olympiad Team, winning 2 Bronze Medals and 1 Silver. He played in 2 Interzonal tournaments, and had competed internationally against the World’s best. He played in the U.S. Championship in 1980, and won numerous tournaments in the Bay Area. He was a personal friend of Bobby Fischer, and it’s well known that he played Fischer during Bobby’s stay here in San Francisco in 1981. Apparently Peter, after losing game after game, asked Bobby: “What am I doing wrong?” to which Fischer replied, “There’s only three things wrong with your game: your opening, your middle-game, and your endgame!”

Biyiasas should have been a very scary opponent, but I found his style kind of passive, and easy to play against. Like me, he had a limited opening repertoire, and it was fascinating to see him play Steinitz Defenses to the Ruy Lopez against “B” players, and grind out 50+ move wins: now THAT was patience and professionalism!

Peter and I played four times: two draws, and two wins for me. CAW, CAW!

(1) Whitehead,Paul A (2370) - Biyiasas,Peter (2460) [C79]
San Francisco Bagby San Francisco (5), 1985

White sacrifices a pawn as though everything is fine, then continues to simplify as Black slides into passivity. Before you know it: game over.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6 5.0-0 Bd7 6.d4 Nf6 7.Re1 b5 8.Bb3 Nxd4 9.Nxd4 exd4 10.c3 dxc3 11.Nxc3 Be7 12.Bf4 0-0 13.Rc1 Bc6 14.Nd5 Nxd5 15.Bxd5 Bxd5 16.exd5 Qd7 17.Qc2 Rfc8 18.Qc6 Qxc6 19.Rxc6 Bf6 20.b3 g5 21.Be3 Bd8 22.Bd4 f6 23.f4 gxf4 24.Kf2 Rcb8 25.a3 a5 26.Kf3 Rb7 27.Kxf4 a4 28.b4 Kf7 29.Kf5 Be7 30.g4 Rg8 31.h4 h5 32.gxh5 Rg3 33.Rc3 Rxc3 34.Bxc3 Rb8 35.h6 Bf8 36.Bxf6 Bxh6 37.Re7+ Kg8 38.Kg6 Rf8 39.Rxc7 Bg5 40.Rg7+

1-0

(2) Whitehead,Paul (2332) - Biyiasas,Peter (2450) [A05]
Berkeley, 1977

Black played too passively, but white played too carefully! 42.Re8! would have won immediately, and in the game Black might have held with 43...Rxa8 44.Rxa8 Rg8. It was not to be.

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.0-0 0-0 5.d3 d6 6.e4 c5 7.Nbd2 Nc6 8.a4 Bg4 9.h3 Be6 10.Ng5 Bd7 11.Nc4 h6 12.Nf3 d5 13.exd5 Nxd5 14.Re1 Qc7 15.Nfd2 Be6 16.Ne4 b6 17.a5 Rad8 18.axb6 axb6 19.Bd2 Bc8 20.Nc3 Nxc3 21.bxc3 b5 22.Ne3 e6 23.Rb1 Ba6 24.Ng4 Kh7 25.Qf3 Ne7 26.Nf6+ Kh8 27.Bf4 Qc8 28.Be5 Nd5 29.h4 Nxf6 30.Bxf6 Rd7 31.Qf4 Kh7 32.h5 g5 33.Be4+ Kh8 34.Qe5 Rg8 35.Bxg7+ Rxg7 36.Ra1 Bb7 37.Bxb7 Rxb7 38.Ra5 g4 39.Rea1 Kh7 40.Ra8 Qc6 41.Qf6 Qc7 42.Rf8 Rb8 43.Ra8 Rxf8 44.Rxf8 Qd7 45.Rd8 Qb7 46.Qe5 c4 47.Qd6 Rg8 48.Rd7 Qf3 49.Qxe6 Rg7 50.Qd5 Qxd5 51.Rxd5 Rg8 52.Rxb5 Ra8 53.Rc5

1-0

(3) Biyiasas,Peter (2450) - Whitehead,Paul A (2332) [A26]
No. Cal. Ch. Bagby, San Francisco, 1984

A swindle! 23...g5? is atrocious (23...f5) and White is soon on his way to the bank. But 43.Rxd5? is actually a mistake: 43.hxg5 won. Black escaped with a miracle draw.

1.c4 g6 2.e4 Bg7 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nge2 Nc6 5.g3 d6 6.Bg2 Be6 7.d3 Qd7 8.h4 h5 9.Bg5 f6 10.Be3 Nh6 11.f3 Ne7 12.b3 c5 13.Nd5 Nc6 14.Qd2 Nf7 15.Rb1 Nd4 16.b4 0-0 17.0-0 Bh3 18.bxc5 Bxg2 19.Kxg2 dxc5 20.Qb2 b6 21.Nxd4 exd4 22.Bd2 Ne5 23.Qc2 g5 24.f4 gxf4 25.Rxf4 f5 26.Rxf5 Rxf5 27.exf5 Ng4 28.Rf1 Re8 29.Qd1 Re5 30.f6 Rxd5 31.cxd5 Qxd5+ 32.Qf3 Nxf6 33.Qxd5+ Nxd5 34.Kf3 Kf7 35.g4 Kg6 36.gxh5+ Kxh5 37.Rg1 Bf6 38.Bg5 Bg7 39.Ke4 Nc3+ 40.Kf5 Nd5 41.Re1 Bh6 42.Re5 Bxg5 43.Rxd5 Kxh4 44.Rd7 Bd2 45.Rxa7 Kg3 46.Ke4 Kf2 47.Rb7 Ba5 48.Rf7+ Ke1 49.Kd5 Kd1 50.Kc4 Kc1 51.a4 Kd1 52.Rf2 Kc1 53.Kb3 Kd1 54.Kc4 Kc1 55.Rh2 Kd1 56.Kb3 Kc1 57.Rc2+ Kd1 58.Kb2 Bb4 59.Kb3 Ba5 60.Rb2 Kc1 61.Rf2 Kd1 62.Kc4 Kc1 63.Kb5 Kd1 64.Kc6 Kc1 65.Kd5 Kd1 66.Ke4 Kc1 67.Kf3 Kd1 68.Rg2 Kc1

1/2-1/2

GM Nick de Firmian's Endgame Lab

Petrosian-Botvinnik: Endgame squeeze

The late World Champion, Tigan Petrosian, was known as a careful player who would rarely lose a game. It seemed as if he were much less dangerous than players such as Tal and Kasparov. However the style disguises the great energy Petrosian would use to slowly destroy the opponent’s position. He was likened to a boa constrictor that would gradually squeeze his opponent to a pulp. One of the best examples of this came in the 5th game of the 1963 World Championship match with Botvinnik. Petrosian gained just a small advantage from the opening, which quickly transformed to an endgame by move ten.

(1) Petrosian,Tigran L - Botvinnik,Mikhail [D94]
World Championship, 1963

1.c4 g6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.e3 0-0 6.Be2 dxc4 7.Bxc4 c5 8.d5 e6 9.dxe6 Qxd1+ 10.Kxd1 Bxe6 11.Bxe6 fxe6

We have reached the endgame where Black has a slight weakness in his pawn structure. It is instructive to see how Petrosian makes use of his small advantage, effecting the most desirable exchanges and limiting Black's counterplay. 12.Ke2 Nc6 13.Rd1 Rad8 14.Rxd8 Rxd8 15.Ng5! White gains a tempo by attacking e6 and prepares Ne4 which will attack the c5 pawn. 15...Re8 16.Nge4 Nxe4 17.Nxe4 b6

White has a structural advantage, but it looks like very little. Yet there is hardly any counterplay for Black. Petrosian has his knight on the excellent e4 square, while the black knight has not found a really effective role. 18.Rb1 Nb4 19.Bd2 Nd5 If 19...Nxa2 20.Ra1 Nb4 21.Bxb4 cxb4 22.Rxa7 Bxb2 23.Rb7 the white pieces become very powerful.20.a4! Rc8 21.b3

Note how safe the white position is. Black would like to play 21...c4 but that move fails tactically to 22.Nd6. 21...Bf8 22.Rc1 Be7 23.b4! Petrosian ultimately needs to make progress and must allow Black some counterplay to progress. Botvinnik takes the chance to advance the c-pawn as otherwise White simply exchanges on c5 with all the chances. 23...c4 24.b5 Kf7?! Here Botvinnik misses a chance for a activity with the very tactical line 24... Ba3! 25. Rc2 c3! 26. Bxc3 27. Kd2 Rc4 28. Bxb4 Rxe4 29. Bd6 Rxa4 which keeps Black/^s disadvantage to a minimum. 25.Bc3! Ba3 26.Rc2 Nxc3+ Black did not have to make this exchange, which leaves him with a long-term positional disadvantage, but White was ultimately going to be able to attack the c-pawn more times than it could be defended by Nd2 and Bd4. 27.Rxc3 Bb4 28.Rc2 Ke7 29.Nd2 c3 29... Bxd2 30. Kxd2 followed by Kc3, Rd2-d4 would win the c-pawn with little counterplay for Black in the rook ending. 30.Ne4 Ba5 31.Kd3 Rd8+ 32.Kc4 Rd1 33.Nxc3 Rh1 34.Ne4!

An interesting moment. Petrosian could play 34.h3 to keep the extra pawn, but he preferred to give it back and use the tempi to place his pieces in dominating positions. 34...Rxh2 35.Kd4 Kd7 36.g3 Bb4 37.Ke5!

Threatening to invade by 38.Nf6+ Ke7 39.Rc7+. 37...Rh5+ 38.Kf6 Be7+ 39.Kg7 e5 40.Rc6 Rh1 41.Kf7 The game had been adjourned here. 41...Ra1 42.Re6 Bd8 43.Rd6+ Kc8 44.Ke8 Bc7 45.Rc6 Rd1 Capturing the a-pawn would lose a piece after 45...Rxa4 46.Nc3 followed by Nd5. 46.Ng5

The position is a picture of domination. The knight simultaneously strikes at the kingside and queenside. 46...Rd8+ 47.Kf7 Rd7+ 48.Kg8 White will mop up the kingside pawns with an easy win. 1-0

TNM Games Round 6

Annotations by IM Elliott Winslow

(18495) Walder,Michael (1970) - Diaz,Conrado (2343) [B42]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.1), 12.02.2019
[Winslow,Elliott]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.0-0 d5 8.c4 Nf6 9.cxd5 cxd5 10.Nc3 Be7 11.exd5 exd5 12.Re1 0-0 13.Be3 Be6 14.Na4 Bb4 15.Re2 d4 16.Bxd4 Bg4 17.Bxf6 Bxe2 18.Qxe2 Qxf6 19.Qe4 Rfd8 20.a3 Ba5 21.Qxh7+ Kf8 22.Rd1 g6 23.h4 Qg7 24.Qxg7+ Kxg7 25.b4 Rd4 26.Be2 Rxd1+ 27.Bxd1 Bd8 28.g3 Rc8 29.Be2 Rc1+ 30.Kg2 Ra1 31.Nc5 a5 32.Nb7 Rxa3 33.bxa5 Bxa5 34.Nxa5 Rxa5 35.Bc4 Rc5 36.Ba2 Kf6 37.Bb3 Rc7 38.g4 Ke5 39.h5 gxh5 40.gxh5 Kf5 41.Bd1 Kg5 42.Kg3 Rc3+ 43.Kg2 Rd3 44.Be2 Rd2 45.Bc4 Rd7 46.Be2 Kf4 47.Bc4 Rc7 48.Bb3 Kg5 49.Bd1 f5 50.Be2 Rc6 51.Bf3 Rc7 52.Be2 Re7 53.Bf3 Rg7 54.Be2 Kf4+ 55.Kf1 Re7 56.Bd1 Rd7 57.Ba4 Rd6 White ran out of time and lost the h-pawn, when it's still a tablebase draw. 0-1

(18496) Ivanov,Aleksandr (2171) - Tsodikova,Natalya (2185) [E92]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.2), 12.02.2019
[Winslow,Elliott]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.Be3 Boards 2, 3 and 4! 7...Nc6?! Very popular, but it is a sort of trap. Certainly a fraction of the Gligoric variation's popularity is because of this move! 8.d5 Ne7 9.Nd2 Nd7 10.b4 [10.f3 f5 11.b4] 10...a5 [10...f5 11.f3 f4 (11...fxe4!?) 12.Bf2 White doesn't "waste" a move on 0-0] 11.a3 [11.bxa5!? c5!? (11...Rxa5 12.Nb3 Ra8 13.c5) 12.Nb3 f5 13.f3 Kh8 14.Qd2 f4 15.Bf2 Ng8 16.Nb5 Ndf6 17.Qb2 Nh6 18.Rc1 Nf7 0-1 (73) Iasman,I (1949)-Msellek,I (1953) Gif sur Yvette 2010] 11...f5 12.f3 f4 13.Bf2 g5 14.c5 Nf6 15.Nc4 axb4 16.axb4 Rxa1 17.Qxa1 dxc5N

18.bxc5 Ng6 19.Qa5 g4 20.Nb5 c6N [20...Nh5 21.Qxc7 Qg5 22.Nbd6 Nh4 23.Rg1 g3 24.hxg3 fxg3 25.Be3 Nf4 26.Kd2 Qf6 27.Bxf4 Qxf4+ 28.Kc2 Nxg2 29.Nxc8 Ne3+ 30.Nxe3 Qxe3 31.Ne7+ Kh8 32.Rg2 Bh6 33.Nf5 Qc1+ 34.Kb3 Qb1+ 35.Kc3 Qc1+ 36.Kd3 Qb1+ 37.Kc3 Qc1+ ½-½ (37) Neuman,P (2365)-Svatos,J (2355) Czechia 1998] 21.dxc6 bxc6 22.Qxd8 Rxd8 23.Nbd6 Be6 24.0-0 gxf3 25.gxf3 Ne8 26.Rd1 Bf8 27.Kf1 Be7 28.Ke1 Kf8 29.Nb7 Rxd1+ 30.Kxd1 Bf6 31.Nca5 Bd7 32.Nc4 Nc7 33.Nb6 Ke7 34.Nxd7 Kxd7 35.Nd6 Ne6 36.Bf1 Be7 37.Nc4 Bxc5 38.Bxc5 Nxc5 39.Bh3+ Kc7 40.Bf5 Nd7 41.Ke2 Ndf8 42.Bg4 Kd8 43.h4 Nxh4 44.Nxe5 Kc7 45.Nd3 Nhg6 46.Bf5 Kd6 47.Kd2 Ne6 48.Kc3 Ne5 49.Bxh7 Nxf3 50.Bf5 Nfd4 51.Bg4 f3 52.Kd2 1/2-1/2

(18497) Yanofsky,Kevin (1915) - Gaffagan,Steven (2054) [E94]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.3), 12.02.2019
[Winslow,Elliott]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.Be3 Na6 8.0-0 Ng4 9.Bg5 f6 10.Bh4 Nh6 11.dxe5 dxe5 12.Qd5+ Nf7 13.Rfd1 Qe7 14.Qd2 c6 15.a3 Nc5 16.Qc2 Bg4 17.Nd2 Bxe2 18.Nxe2 Ne6 19.Nf1 a5 20.a4 Rfd8 21.Qc3 c5 22.Ne3 Nd4 23.Kf1 h5 24.f3 Rd6 25.Nd5 Qd7 26.Qd3 Rf8 27.Bg3 g5

28.Nxd4 [28.h3+/-; 28.Bf2] 28...exd4?? [28...cxd4 29.Be1! with b2-b4 coming 29...Ra6 30.b4+/=] 29.Bxd6 Qxd6 30.Qb3? [30.Kg1 is blunt and best; White can always, after 30...Ne5 31.Qb3; 30.h3] 30...Qxh2 31.Qb6? [31.Kf2= g4 32.fxg4 Ng5 33.Ne7+ Kf7 34.Re1 Kxe7 35.Qxb7+=] 31...Ne5 32.Qxc5? [32.Qe6+ Kh7 33.Qh3-/+] 32...Qh1+? [32...f5!-/+ 33.exf5 g4 34.f4 Qh1+ 35.Kf2 g3+ 36.Kxg3 h4+ 37.Kf2 Ng4+ 38.Kf3 Qh2-+] 33.Kf2 Nd3+?! [33...Qh2+/-] 34.Rxd3 Qxa1 35.Qxd4 f5 36.e5 Re8 37.Re3 Qxa4

38.Nf6+?? [38.Nc7+- Rc8 39.Qd5+ Kh7 40.Qf7] 38...Bxf6 39.exf6?? [39.b3!=/+ at best] 39...Qc2+ 40.Kg3 The K+P ending is lost, by the way 40...f4+ 41.Kh2 fxe3 42.Qd5+ Kf8 43.Qxg5 Qh7 44.Qc5+ Kg8 45.Qxa5 e2 White's flag 0-1

(18498) Wonsever,James (1916) - Griffith,Kyron Wa (2458) [E91]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.4), 12.02.2019
[Winslow,Elliott]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Nf3 0-0 5.e4 d6 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Invitation to the Mar Del Plata 7...Na6 Glek 8.Be3 Back to the Gligoric [8.Re1 has been played by every world champion since Fischer 8...c6 (8...Qe8) ; 8.Qc2!? Nb4!?] 8...Qe7!? Interestingly a way less popular move, but the only one achieving a plus score in the Mega database... [8...Ng4; 8...c6; 8...Qe8; 8...h6; 8...exd4] 9.dxe5 [9.Bg5!? exd4 10.Nd5 (10.Nxd4 Qe5 11.Nf3 Qe8 12.Bd3 Nc5 13.Re1 h6 14.Bh4 g5 15.Bg3 Nh5 16.Bc2 Qd8 17.Nd4 Nxg3 18.hxg3 c6 19.Qd2 Qf6 20.Rad1 Rd8 21.Qe3 a5 22.f4 Bg4 23.Rd2 Re8 24.Bd1 Bd7 25.Nf3 g4 26.Nh4 Rad8 27.Bc2 Bc8 28.e5 Qe7 29.Ne4 Nxe4 30.Qxe4 dxe5 31.Rf2 f5 32.Nxf5 Bxf5 33.Qxf5 e4 34.Rxe4 Qf6 35.Qh7+ Kf8 36.Re5 1-0 (36) Kempinski,R (2520)-Markowski,T (2505) Pula 1998) 10...Qd8 11.Nxd4 c6 (11...Nc5 12.f3 a5 13.Qd2 c6 14.Nxf6+ Bxf6 15.Bxf6 Qxf6 16.Rad1 a4 17.Rfe1 Bd7 18.Bf1 Rad8 19.Ne2 Bc8 20.Nc3 Qe5 21.f4 Qf6 22.Qe3 Rfe8 23.e5 Qe7 24.Qf2 Qf8 25.exd6 Rxe1 26.Rxe1 b6 27.b4 axb3 28.axb3 Qxd6 29.b4 Nd7 30.c5 bxc5 31.Ne4 Qd4 32.bxc5 Nf8 33.g3 Ne6 34.Qxd4 Rxd4 35.Bg2 Ba6 36.Bh3 Bc4 37.f5 gxf5 38.Bxf5 Kg7 39.g4 Bd5 40.Ng3 Nf4 41.Kf2 Rc4 42.Re8 Rxc5 43.Ke3 Rc4 44.g5 h6 45.gxh6+ Kxh6 46.Rg8 Be6 47.Kf3 Ng6 48.Rxg6+ fxg6 49.Bxe6 Rc2 50.h3 Kg5 51.Ne4+ Kh4 52.Kf4 g5+ 53.Nxg5 Rf2+ 54.Nf3+ Rxf3+ 55.Kxf3 Kg5 56.Ke4 Kf6 57.Bc4 c5 58.h4 ½-½ (58) Ragger,M (2695)-Bekker Jensen,S (2438) Germany 2016) 12.Nxf6+ Bxf6 13.Bxf6 Qxf6 14.Qd2 Nc5 15.f3+/=] 9...dxe5 10.h3?! [10.Nd5 Qd8 11.Qc2!? 1-0 33, M.Gurevic-Markowski, Polanica Zdroj 1999] 10...c6 11.a3 Nc5 [11...Nh5!? Pavlidou-Jobava,] 12.Nd2?!N [12.Qc2 is over a dozen games, with it around 50%] 12...Rd8 13.Qc2 Ne6 14.Rad1 Nd4 15.Qb1 Be6 16.b4 a5 17.Qb2 Rd7 18.c5 axb4 19.axb4 Nxe2+ 20.Nxe2 Ra2 21.Qb1 Qd8 22.Qc1 Nh5 23.Nc3 Ra8 24.Nf3 Nf4 25.Rxd7 Qxd7 26.Rd1 Qe7 27.Bxf4 exf4 28.e5 g5 29.Ne4 h6 30.Nd6 Bd5 31.Nf5 Qe6 32.Nxg7 Kxg7 33.Qc3 Re8 34.Re1 Bxf3 35.Qxf3 Qf5 36.b5 Re6 37.bxc6 bxc6 38.Qc3 (Black has some little pull, but White should be able to hold 38...Kg6 39.Kf1 h5 40.f3 Re8 41.Qd4 Re6 42.Kf2 Qc2+ 43.Re2 Qb1 44.Qd8 Qf5 45.Qd4 Re8 46.Qd6+ Qe6 47.Kf1 Ra8 48.Kf2 Kg7 49.Qd4 h4 50.Qd6 Ra7 51.Qd8 Re7

52.Qd6?? [52.Re4=] 52...Rd7-+ 53.Qb8 Qc4 54.Qb6 Qd4+ [54...Rd1 #7] 55.Kf1 Qc4 56.Kf2 [56.Qb1 Rd2 57.Qe1 Rc2] 56...Rd1 0-1

(18499) Winslow,Elliott (2318) - Anderson,Michael (1903) [B40]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.5), 12.02.2019
[Winslow,Elliott]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bb4 The "Pin" Variation 6.e5 General consensus is that it's either this or no advantage 6...Nd5 7.Qg4 [7.Bd2 Nxc3 (7...Bxc3 8.bxc3 Qc7 9.f4 (9.Qh5; 9.Qe2) ) 8.bxc3 Be7 9.Qg4 0-0 (9...g6; 9...Kf8) ] 7...g6 [7...0-0 "The critical reply, challenging White to prove an advantage, rather than just handing it to him." (Negi) 8.Bh6 g6 9.a3] 8.Ndb5?! Doubtful, but now he thought for over an hour! [8.Qg3 Qa5 9.Bd2 Nxc3 10.bxc3 Be7 Seirawan; 8.Bd2! "the weakening of the kingside helps White." (Negi) 8...0-0 (8...Nc6!? (very few games, none strong) 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.a3 Be7 (10...f5 11.Qg3) 11.h4 h5 12.Qg3+/- SF10) ] 8...Qa5 [8...Nc6 9.Qg3 (9.Bd2 0-0 10.Qg3 (10.f4 a6 11.Nd6 Bxd6 12.exd6 Qb6 13.0-0-0 Ncb4 14.Kb1 Qxd6 15.h4 Nxc3+ 16.Bxc3 Nd5 17.Be5 Qe7 18.Qf3 d6 19.Bd4 h5 20.f5 Nf6 21.fxg6 fxg6 22.Qg3 Ng4 23.Bd3 e5 24.Bc3 Bf5 25.Bb4 Rad8 26.Rhf1 Kf7 27.Bxf5 gxf5 28.Qd3 Qe6 29.c4 e4 30.Qg3 Qxc4 31.Bxd6 e3 32.Rf4 e2 33.Re1 Qd5 0-1 (33) Dubograev,D (2192)-Khodeev,M (1928) Dagomys 2004) 10...f6 (10...a6 11.Nd6 Qa5 12.Nc4 Qc7 13.Bd3 b5 14.Nd6 f5 15.h4 Nxe5 16.Nxd5 Bxd2+ 17.Kxd2 Qxd6 18.Nf4 Nxd3 19.cxd3 e5 20.Nh3 Qb4+ 21.Kc2 Qc5+ 22.Kd2 f4 23.Qg5 Qb4+ 24.Kc2 Bb7 25.h5 Rac8+ 26.Kb1 Qd2 27.a4 Qc2+ 0-1 (27) Sramek,O (1659)-Maroszczyk,W (1945) Orlova 2013) 11.0-0-0 Bxc3 12.Bxc3 Nxc3 13.Qxc3 fxe5 14.Nd6 Rxf2 15.Bd3 Qb6 16.Kb1 Qb4 17.Qxb4 Nxb4 18.Be4 Na6 19.Rhe1 Nc5 20.b4 Nxe4 21.Rxe4 Rxg2 22.Rc4 ½-½ (22) Matsenko,S (2429)-Chuprov,D (2571) Khanty-Mansiysk 2009) 9...0-0 a) 9...Nxc3 10.bxc3 Be7 11.Bh6 (11.Nd6+ Bxd6 12.exd6 Qf6 13.Be2 e5 14.Qd3 0-0 15.0-0 Qe6 16.Bf3 b6 17.Bd5 Qf5 18.Be4 Qe6 19.f4 exf4 20.Bd5 Qf6 21.Bxf4 Qg7 22.Qd2 Ba6 23.Bh6 Qe5 24.Rfe1 Qf6 25.Bxf8 Rxf8 26.Bxc6 dxc6 27.d7 Rd8 28.Re8+ Kg7 29.Rxd8 Qxd8 30.Qd4+ 1-0 (30) Alboredo,J (2072)-Bonfim,R (1764) Icara 2017) 11...Qa5 12.Qe3 (12.Bg7 Rg8 13.Bf6 a6 14.Bxe7 Kxe7 15.Qh4+ g5 16.Qxh7 axb5 17.0-0-0 Rf8 18.Qg7 Qxc3 0-1 (18) Tenk,Z (2021)-Lorincz,S (2159) Hungary 2012) 12...f5 13.Be2 Kf7 14.0-0 b6 15.Rfd1 a6 16.Nd6+ Bxd6 17.exd6 Rb8 18.Bf4 Bb7 19.Bf3 Nd8 20.Be5 Rf8 21.Re1 Bxf3 22.Qh6 Nc6 23.Qxh7+ Ke8 24.Bg7 Bh5 25.Bxf8 Kxf8 26.Qxd7 Qd5 27.Rxe6 Rd8 28.Rf6+ Kg8 29.Qc7 Qe5 30.Rf7 g5 31.Rd7 Re8 32.Rf1 Qxc3 33.Rh7 Bg6 34.Rh6 Qg7 35.Rxg6 Qxg6 36.Qxc6 Qe6 37.Qxb6 1-0 (37) Dadello,A (2068)-Gazikova,V (2263) Ustron 2015; b) 9...a6 10.Nd6+ Bxd6 11.exd6 Qa5 12.Bd2 Ndb4 13.Bd3 Qe5+ 14.Qxe5 Nxe5 15.Ke2 Nbxd3 16.cxd3 b5 17.Ne4 f5 18.Bc3 fxe4 19.Bxe5 exd3+ 20.Kxd3 Rf8 21.f3 Bb7 22.Rac1 Rf5 23.Kd4 Bc6 24.Rhe1 0-0-0 25.Kc5 Kb7 26.Kb4 g5 27.h3 h5 28.b3 a5+ 29.Kc5 g4 30.hxg4 hxg4 31.fxg4 Rg5 32.Re2 Rc8 33.Kd4 Rxg4+ 34.Kd3 b4 35.Kd2 Rxg2 36.Rxg2 Bxg2 37.Rc7+ Rxc7 38.dxc7 Be4 39.Ke3 Bb1 40.Kd4 Bxa2 41.Kc5 Bxb3 42.Kd6 Kc8 43.Kc5 Bc2 44.Kb5 b3 45.Kxa5 b2 46.Bxb2 Kxc7 47.Kb5 Bd3+ 48.Kc5 d6+ 49.Kd4 Bf5 50.Ba3 Kc6 51.Bb2 e5+ 52.Ke3 Kd5 53.Ba3 Ke6 54.Bb2 d5 55.Bc3 Bg6 56.Bb2 Kf5 57.Bc3 ½-½ (57) Hansen,H (1645)-Daubenfeld,G (1745) Luxembourg 1998; 10.a3 Qa5 11.Bd2 a6 12.Rc1 Bxc3 13.Nxc3 Qc7 14.Bh6 Rd8 15.Bg5 Rf8 16.f4 f6 17.Nxd5 Qa5+ 18.b4 Qxd5 19.Bxf6 Qe4+ 20.Kd1 d6 21.Bd3 Qd4 22.h4 dxe5 23.fxe5 Rxf6 24.exf6 e5 25.h5 Bg4+ 26.Ke1 e4 27.f7+ Kf8 28.Be2 e3 29.Rd1 Qc3+ 30.Kf1 Bxe2+ 31.Kxe2 Nd4+ 32.Rxd4 Qxd4 33.Rd1 Qe4 34.Rd3 Rc8 35.Qd6+ Kg7 36.h6+ Kxf7 37.Qd7+ Kf6 38.Qxc8 Qxg2+ 39.Kxe3 Qh3+ 40.Qxh3 1-0 (40) Sukandar,I (2396)-Lee,Q (2339) Singapore 2018; 8...a6!? 9.Nd6+ Bxd6 10.exd6 Nxc3 11.Qd4 f6 12.Qxc3 Nc6 (12...b5 13.h4 Nc6 14.h5 Kf7 15.Bd2 Bb7 16.0-0-0 Rc8 17.Qg3 Nd4 18.Bc3 Nf5 19.Qf4 g5 20.Qd2 Bd5 21.f4 Nxd6 22.Bd3 g4 23.Qe2 Qe7 24.h6 Rxc3 25.bxc3 f5 26.Qe5 Rg8 27.Rh5 Be4 28.g3 Bxd3 29.Rxd3 Nc4 30.Qd4 d5 31.Rg5 Rxg5 32.fxg5 Qxg5+ 33.Qf4 Qxf4+ 34.gxf4 Kg6 35.Rd1 Kxh6 36.Re1 Kh5 37.Rxe6 g3 38.Kd1 g2 39.Re1 Ne3+ 40.Ke2 Nxc2 41.Rg1 Kg4 42.Rxg2+ Kxf4 43.Rh2 Na3 44.Rxh7 Nc4 45.Kd3 Ke5 46.Re7+ Kd6 47.Ra7 a5 48.Kd4 Ne5 49.Ke3 a4 50.Ra6+ Kc5 51.Re6 Nc4+ 52.Kf4 Nd6 53.Ke3 Ne4 54.Kd3 f4 55.Re8 f3 56.Rf8 f2 57.a3 Kd6 58.Kd4 Ke6 59.Rf3 Kd6 60.Rf4 Nc5 61.Rf6+ Ne6+ 62.Ke3 Kc5 63.Kd3 Nd8 64.Rxf2 Nc6 65.Rf5 Na5 66.Rf1 Nc4 67.Ra1 Ne5+ 68.Kc2 Kc4 69.Rh1 Kc5 70.Rb1 Nc4 71.Ra1 Na5 72.Kd3 Nc6 73.Rh1 Ne5+ 74.Kc2 Nc4 ½-½ (74) Rutka,Z-Hurt,M Zlin 1958) 13.a4 (13.Bh6 Kf7 14.0-0-0 Qa5 15.Qb3 b5 16.Be2 Bb7 17.Bf3 Rhc8 18.Kb1 Qd8 19.h4 Na5 20.Qd3 Bxf3 21.gxf3 Rc5 22.h5 Rd5 23.hxg6+ hxg6 24.Qe2 Rxd1+ 25.Qxd1 Nc4 26.Bc1 Kg7 27.b3 Ne5 28.Bb2 Nf7 29.f4 Qb6 30.Qf3 Rc8 31.Qg3 Qc6 32.Qh4 Qxc2+ 33.Ka1 Qf5 34.Qh7+ Kf8 35.Rg1 Qh5 36.Qxg6 Qxg6 37.Rxg6 Nxd6 38.Rxf6+ Ke7 39.Rh6 Nf7 40.Ba3+ d6 41.Rh7 Rc6 42.Bb4 Kf6 43.Kb2 Kg6 44.Rh1 Kf5 45.Rh7 Kg6 46.Rh1 Nh6 47.Bd2 Nf5 48.Rg1+ Kf6 49.Bc3+ Kf7 50.Rh1 d5 51.Be5 Kg6 52.Rg1+ Kf7 53.Rh1 Kg6 54.Rg1+ ½-½ (54) Illijin,N (2187)-Machin Arbelo,P (2019) Las Palmas 2011) 13...Rb8 14.Be3 b6 15.h4 Kf7 16.h5 a5 17.0-0-0 Bb7 18.hxg6+ hxg6 19.Rxh8 Qxh8 20.Bxb6 Ba8 21.Qe3 Qh4 22.Bb5 Kg7 23.g3 Qh2 24.Bc7 Rh8 25.Bxa5 Nxa5 26.Qa7 Nb7 27.Bxd7 Qg2 28.Bxe6 Rh1 29.Bg4 Rh8 30.Qe3 Rh1 31.Qe7+ Kh6 32.Qxf6 Rxd1+ 33.Bxd1 1-0 (33) Portela Peleteiro,A (2340)-Gonzalez Gonzalez,A (2157) Sanxenxo 2016] 9.Bd2 0-0

[9...Nxc3 10.Nd6+ (10.Bxc3 Bxc3+ 11.Nxc3 Qxe5+ 12.Be2 0-0 13.0-0 d5 14.Rfe1 Qd6 15.Rad1 Nc6 16.Qg5 Kg7 17.Bb5 Qb4 18.Bxc6 bxc6 19.Rd3 Qxb2 20.Rh3 Rh8 21.Rf3 Rf8 22.Rh3 Rh8 23.Rf3 Rf8 24.Qf6+ Kg8 25.Nxd5 Qxf6 26.Nxf6+ Kg7 27.Rd1 Rb8 28.h3 Rb2 29.Ne4 Rxa2 30.Rc3 Bb7 31.Nc5 Ba8 32.Rd7 a5 33.Nxe6+ Kg8 34.Nxf8 a4 35.Ra7 Kxf8 36.Rxa8+ Kg7 37.Kf1 a3 1-0 (37) Geczi,M-Gaevaia,N Herculane 1994) 10...Bxd6 11.Bxc3 Bb4 12.Qxb4 Qxb4 13.Bxb4 Nc6 14.Bd6 Nd4 15.0-0-0 Nf5 16.Bb4 a6 17.g4 Nh4 18.Bd3 b5 19.Be4 Ra7 20.Bc5 Rc7 21.Bd6 Rc4 22.Rhe1 g5 23.Re3 Ra4 24.b3 Rxe4 25.Rxe4 Bb7 26.Re3 Ng2 27.Rc3 Bc6 28.a4 Nf4 29.Kb2 Nd5 30.Rh3 f6 31.axb5 axb5 32.c4 bxc4 33.bxc4 Nf4 34.Rh6 Ng6 35.exf6 Kf7 36.Re1 Kxf6 37.Be5+ 1-0 (37) Valldeoriola Puigdoller,A-Nicomedes Carmona,J (1904) Santa Eulalia de Roncana 2008; 9...a6 10.Nd6+ Bxd6 11.exd6 Nc6 12.Bc4 Ndb4 13.0-0-0 Ne5 14.Qh4 Qd8 15.Bg5 Qb6 16.Be3 Qd8 17.Qxd8+ Kxd8 18.Bg5+ Ke8 19.Bf6 Nxc4 20.Bxh8 Nb6 21.a3 N4d5 22.Ne4 f5 23.Nc5 Nc4 24.b3 Na5 25.c4 b6 26.Nd3 Bb7 27.cxd5 Bxd5 28.Nb4 Rc8+ 29.Kb2 1-0 (29) Suter,C-Roelli,S Leukerbad 2001] 10.Rd1N [10.Bc4 Nxc3 11.bxc3 Be7 12.Qe2 Nc6 13.f4 a6 14.Nd6 Bxd6 15.exd6 Qc5 16.Qd3 b5 17.Bb3 Na5 18.Be3 Qc6 19.0-0 Bb7 20.Rf3 Rac8 21.Bf2 Nc4 22.Bh4 Qxd6 23.Bxc4 Qc6 24.Rf2 Qxc4 25.Qxd7 Qxc3 26.Rd1 Be4 27.Qe7 Rfe8 28.Qg5 Bxc2 29.Rd7 Be4 30.h3 Qa1+ 31.Kh2 Rc1 32.Rfd2 Rh1+ 33.Kg3 Qe1+ 34.Rf2 Qe3+ 35.Rf3 Bxf3 36.Rxf7 Be2# 0-1 (36) Fialka,M-Hlavacek,J (2130) Czechia 1997] 10...Nc6?! [10...Nxc3 11.bxc3 Be7 12.c4 Bb4 13.Bxb4 Qxb4+ 14.c3] 11.a3+- (SF10) 11...Bxc3 12.bxc3 [12.Nxc3+/-] 12...f5?! 13.Qh4?! Nxe5 [13...Qd8 14.Qxd8 Rxd8 15.Bg5 Rf8 16.c4 Nb6 17.f4] 14.c4 I thought I had blundered; [14.f4 Qa4 and I can't play c4 either] 14...Qa4 15.f4?? [15.Bh6! Nf7 16.Bxf8 Kxf8 17.Be2+-; 15.Qd4 Nc6 16.Qb2 Nf6 17.Be2+/-] 15...Nxc4-+ except for his time running out... 16.Nc3 Nxc3 17.Bxc3 Qxc2 [17...Qxa3!] 18.Bd4-/+ Qe4+ 19.Kf2 d5?? [19...Na5; 19...b5-/+] 20.Bxc4= e5?? [20...dxc4 21.Rhe1 (21.Be5; 21.Qe7; 21.Bc5 all 0.00) ] 21.Rhe1

Black's flag [21.Bb3! exd4 22.Rhe1 simple; 21.Rhe1 He intended 21...Qc2+ to which I was going to play 22.Kg1 , which SF10 gives as +- +6] 1-0

(18500) Corper,Adam (2193) - McKellar,Daniel (1872) [B27]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.6), 12.02.2019
[Winslow,Elliott]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Qa4 d6 7.Bg5 Bg7 8.0-0-0 Bd7 9.Nd5 Nxd5 10.exd5 Nd4 11.Qa3 Nxf3 12.gxf3 h6 13.Be3 Qc7 14.h4 Rc8 15.Bd3 0-0 16.h5 g5 17.f4 gxf4 18.Bxf4 Qc5 19.Qb3 Qxf2 20.Rdf1 Qb6 21.Qxb6 axb6 22.Be3 b5 23.Rhg1 Kh8 24.Rf4 Ra8 25.a3 Ra4 26.Rgf1 f5 27.c3 b4??+- [27...Rxf4 28.Rxf4 Be5 29.Rb4 f4=/+] 28.cxb4 Rc8+ 29.Kb1 Rf8 30.Bxf5 Bb5 31.R1f2 Be5 32.R4f3 Rxf5 33.Rxf5 Bd3+ 34.Kc1 Bxf5 35.Rxf5 Kg7 36.Kc2 Ra8 37.Kb3 Re8 38.a4 e6 39.dxe6 Rxe6 40.Bd2 Kh7 41.Rf7+ Kg8 42.Rxb7 Bf4 43.Bc3 Re3 44.a5 Rh3 45.a6 1-0

(18501) Askin,David Benjamin (2019) - Pane,Gianluca (1863) [D19]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.7), 12.02.2019

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 c6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.e3 e6 7.Bxc4 Bb4 8.0-0 Nbd7 9.Qe2 0-0 10.e4 Bg6 11.Bd3 Qc7 12.e5 Nd5 13.Bxg6 hxg6 14.Ne4 c5 15.Bd2 cxd4 16.Bxb4 Nxb4 17.Rfc1 Nc6 18.Nd6 Rad8 19.Nc4 Nb6 20.Qe4 Nxc4 21.Rxc4 Rd5 22.b4 Qb8 23.Re1 d3 24.Rc5 Rfd8 25.Rd1 Rxc5 26.bxc5 Rd5 27.Rxd3 Rxd3 28.Qxd3 Nxe5 29.Nxe5 Qxe5 30.Qd8+ Kh7 31.Qh4+ Qh5 32.Qd4 Qg5 33.g3 Qe7 34.Qd6 Qe8 35.Qc7 Qc6 36.Qxf7 Qxc5 37.Qxb7 a5 38.h4 Qb4 39.Qc6 e5 40.Kg2 e4 41.Qe8 Qd4 42.Kg1 Qd1+ 43.Kg2 Qf3+ 44.Kg1 Qd1+ 45.Kh2 Qf3 46.Kg1 1/2-1/2

(18502) Kuczek,Kevin W (2003) - Jensen,Christian (1857) [B23]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.8), 12.02.2019

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bb5 e6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.d3 Ne7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Qe1 b6 10.b3 Bb7 11.Bb2 Qc7 12.Qh4 Rad8 13.Nd1 Bxb2 14.Nxb2 f6 15.Nc4 b5 16.Ne3 Kg7 17.e5 Nf5 18.Nxf5+ exf5 19.Rfe1 Bc8 20.Re2 h6 21.Rae1 Rd7 22.exf6+ Rxf6 23.Ne5 Rd4 24.Ng4 1-0

(18503) Clemens,Kristian (2002) - Harris,John (1854) [D24]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.9), 12.02.2019
[Winslow,Elliott]

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.d4 d5 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 a6 5.Bg5 dxc4 6.a4 h6!? [6...Nc6 7.e3 Na5 appears to be no advantage.] 7.Bh4 [7.Bxf6 Qxf6 8.e4 g5!?] 7...c5 8.e3 Bd7?! [8...Nc6 9.Bxc4 cxd4 10.exd4 Be7 is a typical position, recently being given the microscope analysis.] 9.Bxc4 cxd4 10.Nxd4 Nc6 11.0-0 Rc8 12.Qe2 Qc7 13.Ba2 Bd6 14.Bg3 Bxg3 15.hxg3 0-0 16.Rfd1 Rfd8 17.Nf3 Nb4 18.Bb3 Be8 19.Nd4 Nc6 20.Nxe6 Rxd1+ 21.Rxd1 Qb6 22.Nd5 Qxb3 23.Nxf6+ Kh8 24.Nc5 Qb4 25.Nxe8 Rxe8 26.Qc2 Re5 27.Nd3 Qe4 28.Qb3 Rd5 29.Nf4 Rxd1+ 30.Qxd1 Qb4 31.Qc2 Qa5 32.Kh2 Qd8 33.Qb3 Qd7 34.Qd5 Qe7 35.Nd3 1-0

(18504) Hakobyan,Sos (1829) - Askin,Michael (1993) [B18]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.10), 12.02.2019
[Winslow,Elliott]

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.Nf3 Nd7 7.Bd3 e6 8.0-0 Ngf6 9.Re1 Be7 10.Ne5 Bxd3 11.Qxd3 0-0 12.Bg5 c5 13.Rad1 cxd4 14.Nxd7 Qxd7 15.Qxd4 Qxd4 16.Rxd4 Rfd8 17.Red1 h6 18.Rxd8+ Rxd8 19.Rxd8+ Bxd8 20.Be3 b6 21.c4 Kf8 22.Kf1 Ke8 23.Ke2 Kd7 24.h3 Kc6 25.Kd3 Nd7 26.b4 b5!= 27.cxb5+ Kxb5 28.Kc3 [28.Bxa7; 28.Bd4; 28.Ne4] 28...Be7 [28...a5 29.bxa5 Bxa5+=] 29.Bxa7 Bxb4+ 30.Kd3 Ka4 31.Bd4 g6 32.Bb2 Kb5 33.Ne4 f5 34.Nf6 Nb6 35.Ng8 Bf8 36.Bd4 Nd5 37.g3?! Nb4+ 38.Ke3 Nxa2 39.Kf4 Nb4?! [39...Bd6+ 40.Kf3 h5-/+] 40.Ke5= Nc6+ 41.Kxe6 Nxd4+ 42.Kf7 Bd6 43.Kxg6 f4 44.gxf4 Bxf4 45.Nxh6 Kc5 46.Nf5 Ne6 47.Kf6 Ng5 48.h4 Ne4+ 49.Kg6 Nxf2 50.h5 Kd5 51.Nh4 Ke6 52.Nf3 Ng4 53.Ng5+ Ke7 1/2-1/2

(18505) Busch,Jonah (1799) - Melville,Cailen (1954) [C10]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.11), 12.02.2019
[Winslow,Elliott]

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Bd3 Qd5 6.Nxf6+ gxf6 7.Qf3 [7.Nf3] 7...Qxd4?! [7...Qxf3 8.Nxf3 Bd7] 8.Ne2 Qb4+?! 9.Bd2 [9.c3] 9...Qe7 [9...Qxb2 10.0-0 Nd7 11.Rab1 Qxa2? 12.Nc3 Qa5 13.Bb5 c6 14.Bxc6 Qf5 15.Qxf5 exf5 16.Rfe1++/- Kd8 17.Bd5 Bc5 18.Red1 Ke7 19.Bf4 Ne5 20.Ba2 Kf8 21.Bh6+ Ke8 22.Nd5] 10.Be4 [10.Ng3; 10.Nf4; 10.Bc3] 10...c6 [10...Nd7 11.Bxb7 Bxb7 12.Qxb7 Qd8 13.Qc6 (13.0-0-0) ] 11.Bc3 [11.Ng3; 11.0-0-0!] 11...Nd7 [11...e5!] 12.0-0-0 Bh6+ [12...Bg7 13.Rhe1 f5 14.Bxf5!] 13.Kb1 e5 14.Ng3 Nb8? 15.Nf5 [15.Bf5!; 15.Ba5; 15.Rd3] 15...Bxf5 16.Bxf5 a5 17.a4 [17.Rd3!] 17...Ra7 18.Rhe1 [18.Rd3!] 18...b5 19.axb5 cxb5 20.Bd4 exd4 21.Rxe7+ Rxe7 22.Rxd4 Re1+ 23.Ka2 0-0? 24.Qh3 1-0

(18506) Lum,Michael K (1941) - Persidsky,Andre (1814) [E07]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.12), 12.02.2019
[Winslow,Elliott]

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.0-0 0-0 6.d4 Nbd7 7.Nc3 b6 8.cxd5 exd5 9.Bf4 c6 10.Qc2 Bb7 11.Qf5 Re8 12.Ne5 Nf8 13.Rad1 Ng6 14.Nxg6 hxg6 15.Qd3 Bd6 16.Bg5 Be7 17.Bf4 a5 18.Rc1 Qd7 19.Rfd1 Ba6 20.Qc2 Bd6 21.Bxd6 Qxd6 22.e3 Rac8 23.Qb3 Rb8 24.Qa4 Bc8 25.Ne2 Bd7 26.Qc2 Rbc8 27.Nc3 Rb8 28.e4 dxe4 29.Nxe4 Nxe4 30.Bxe4 Rbc8 31.Bg2 Bf5 32.Qd2 Be4 33.d5? [33.a3] 33...Bxg2? [33...Qxd5-/+] 34.Kxg2 c5 35.Qd3 [35.Re1=] 35...Rcd8=/+ 36.Qb5?! [36.Rc3] 36...Re5 37.Kg1 Re4 [37...Qf6] 38.Re1?! Rb4 39.Re8+ Kh7 40.Rxd8 Qxd8 41.Qc6 Rxb2 [41...Rd4] 42.Rc4 Rd2 0-1

(18507) Ansari,Jahaan (1390) - Maser,Thomas F (1907) [D51]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.13), 12.02.2019
[Winslow,Elliott]

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5 Be7 4.c4 0-0 5.Nc3 d5 6.e3 c6 7.Bd3 Nbd7 8.0-0 b6 9.Rc1 Bb7 10.cxd5 cxd5 11.Qb3 a6 12.a4 h6 13.Bh4 Rc8 14.Na2 Bd6 15.Rxc8 Qxc8 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Nh4 f5+/= 18.Bxf5?? Qd8 19.g3 exf5 20.Nxf5 Qf6 21.g4 Kh8 22.Nc3 Rg8 23.h3 Qxf5 24.Kh1 Qf3+ 25.Kg1 Qxh3 26.f4 Rxg4+ 27.Kf2 Rg2+ 28.Ke1 Qxe3+ 29.Kd1 Qd2# 0-1

(18508) Krasnov,Steven (1876) - Tamondong,Cesar B (1608) [A48]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.14), 12.02.2019
[Winslow,Elliott]

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.d4 g6 3.Bf4 d6 4.Nbd2 d5 5.e3 Bg7 6.h3 0-0 7.Be2 Nbd7 8.0-0 c5 9.c3 Nh5 10.Bh2 Nhf6 11.Qc2 Qb6 12.a4 a5 13.Rfb1 h6 14.Ra3 c4 15.b4 Qe6 16.e4 axb4 17.Rxb4 Nxe4 18.Nxe4 Qxe4 19.Qxe4 dxe4 20.Nd2 e5 21.dxe5 Nxe5 22.Bxe5 Bxe5 23.Nxc4 Bf6 24.Nb6 Ra7 25.Rxe4 Bf5 26.Re3 Rd8 27.g4 Be6 28.Rd3 Re8 29.Bf3 Rd8 30.c4 Rd4 31.Rxd4 Bxd4 32.Nd5 b6 33.Kf1 Ra5 34.Ke2 Rc5 35.Nxb6? Re5+ 36.Kf1 Bxb6 37.Be2 Ra5 38.Bd3 Bd4 39.Ke2 Kf8 40.f4 Ke7 41.Kf3 Bd7 42.Be2 Kd6 43.Ke4 Kc5 44.Kd3 f5 45.Bd1 Be6 46.gxf5 Bxf5+ 47.Kd2 Kxc4 48.Ra2 Kb4 49.h4 Bb1 0-1

(18509) Harris,Clarence (1469) - Marcus,Joel (1833) [A05]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.15), 12.02.2019

1.e4 d6 2.d3 Nf6 3.Nf3 e5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0-0 6.0-0 Nbd7 7.Nbd2 b5 8.Re1 a5 9.Nf1 Nc5 10.Ne3 Bb7 11.Nf5 Rb8 12.Bg5 Ne6 13.Nxe7+ Qxe7 14.Bd2 b4 15.Nh4 g6 16.Bh3 Nh5 17.Bh6 Nhg7 18.Qg4 f6 19.Re3 Rf7 20.Rf3 Nd4 21.Rxf6 Qxf6 0-1

(18510) Chambers,Don (1127) - Drane,Robert (1800) [B02]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.16), 12.02.2019

1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.Bc4 Nb6 4.Bb3 c5 5.d3 Nc6 6.Nf3 g6 7.0-0 Bg7 8.Bf4 d6 9.Re1 0-0 10.c3 Bg4 11.exd6 e5 12.h3 Bxf3 13.Qxf3 exf4 14.Qxf4 Qf6 15.Qg3 Bh6 16.Na3 Rad8 17.Nb5 a6 18.Nc7 Qxd6 19.Qxd6 Rxd6 20.Re8 Rd7 21.Rxf8+ Kxf8 22.Ne6+ fxe6 23.Bxe6 Rxd3 24.Re1 Rd2 25.Rb1 Rc2 26.g3 Rc1+ 27.Rxc1 Bxc1 28.b3 Bb2 29.c4 Nd4 30.Bd5 Nxd5 31.cxd5 Ke7 32.f4 Kd6 33.Kg2 b5 34.g4 c4 35.Kf2 c3 36.Ke3 c2 0-1

(18511) Robeal,Rafik (1716) - Casares Jr,Nick (1600) [D11]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.17), 12.02.2019

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 c6 4.Bg2 Bf5 5.0-0 h6 6.Nbd2 e6 7.c4 Nbd7 8.cxd5 cxd5 9.Re1 Rc8 10.Qa4 a6 11.Ne5 Bc2 12.b3 Bd6 13.e4 0-0 14.exd5 Nb6 15.Qa5 Nfxd5 16.Ba3 Bc7 17.Qc5 Bb8 18.Qxf8+ Qxf8 19.Bxf8 Kxf8 20.Nec4 Ba7 21.Rac1 Nb4 22.Bf1 N6d5 23.a3 Nd3 24.Bxd3 Bxd3 25.Nf3 Rd8 26.Na5 Rb8 27.Ne5 Bb5 28.a4 Be8 29.Nf3 Bb6 30.Nc4 Bc7 31.Ne3 Bc6 32.Ne5 Bxe5 33.dxe5 Ne7 34.Red1 g5 35.Rd4 h5 36.h3 Ng6 37.Rc5 Ke7 38.Nc4 h4 39.Nb6 hxg3 40.fxg3 Rh8 41.Kh2 f5 42.exf6+ Kxf6 43.Nd7+ Ke7 44.Rxg5 Bxd7 45.Rxg6 Rxh3+ 46.Kxh3 e5+ 47.Rdg4 1-0

(18512) Cendejas,Juan (1686) - Kim,Andy (1604) [B18]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.18), 12.02.2019
[Winslow,Elliott]

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.Nf3 [6.h4 h6 7.Nf3 Nd7 8.h5 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 e6 11.Bd2 Ngf6 12.0-0-0 Be7 (White's move, already castled...)] 6...Nd7 7.Bd3 Ngf6 8.h4 e6 9.Bg5 Be7 10.h5 Bxd3 11.Qxd3 h6 12.Bd2 (Black's move, White hasn't castled) 12...0-0 13.0-0-0 c5 14.Ne4 Rc8 15.Kb1 c4 16.Qe2 b5 17.Ne5 Nxe4 18.Qxe4 Nf6 19.Qe2 Nd5 20.g4 c3 21.Bc1 cxb2 22.Bxb2 Ba3 23.Qf3 Bxb2 24.Kxb2 Rc3?! [24...Qd6 and double rooks] 25.Rd3 b4 26.Rxc3 bxc3+ 27.Kc1 Qg5+ 28.Kb1 Rb8+ 29.Ka1 f6?! [29...Qe7] 30.Nd7? Rb2 [30...Nb4! 31.Qxc3 Qd5] 31.Rb1 Nb4?? [31...Rxb1+ 32.Kxb1 Qd2] 32.Qa8+ Kh7 33.Nf8+ 1-0

(18513) Cortinas,Martin A (1666) - Latourette,Nicholas (1347) [C47]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.19), 12.02.2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Qe7 6.Nf5 Qd8 7.Bd3 g6 8.Ne3 Bg7 9.Bd2 0-0 10.0-0 a6 11.a4 d6 12.Re1 Nh5 13.Ned5 Bd4 14.Be3 Bxe3 15.Rxe3 Ne5 16.Bf1 c6 17.Nb4 Be6 18.f3 Qb6 0-1

(18514) Rudyak,Felix (1892) - Francis,Daniel E (1607) [A84]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.21), 12.02.2019
[Winslow,Elliott]

1.d4 e6 2.c4 f5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 b6 5.g3 Bb7 6.Bg2 Nf6 7.0-0 Bxc3 8.bxc3 0-0 9.a4 Ne4 10.Bb2 c5 11.d5 Qe8 12.a5 e5 13.axb6 a6? 14.Nd2 Nxd2 15.Qxd2 d6 16.Ba3 Nd7 17.Rab1 Rf6 18.e4 f4 19.f3 Qd8 20.Rb3 Rb8 21.Rfb1 h5 22.Qf2 g5 23.Bh3 Kg7 24.Bf5 Qe7 25.h4 Rbf8 26.g4

26...Rh6 27.hxg5 Qxg5 28.Bxd7 hxg4 29.Bxg4 Rfh8 30.Qg2 Rh4 31.Bh3 Qg3 32.Qxg3+ fxg3 33.Bg4 1-0

(18515) Agdamag,Samuel Za (1506) - Babayan,Gagik (1806) [A10]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.22), 12.02.2019
[Winslow,Elliott]

1.Nf3 e6 2.c4 f5 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 c6 5.d3 d6 6.0-0 Be7 7.Bg5 Nbd7 8.Nc3 d5 9.cxd5 Nxd5 10.Bxe7 Nxe7 11.d4 Nf6 12.e3 0-0 13.Qb3 Qb6 14.Qa3 Ned5 15.Na4 Qb4 16.Qxb4 Nxb4 17.a3 Nbd5 18.Nc5 b6 19.Nd3 Bb7 20.Ng5 Rfe8 21.Rac1 h6 22.Nf3 Rac8 23.Nfe5 Red8 24.Rc2 Rd6 25.b4 Ba6 26.Rfc1 Bxd3 27.Nxd3 Ne7 28.Ne5 Nfd5 29.Bxd5 exd5 30.Kf1 b5 31.Ke2 Kf8 32.Rc5 a6 33.Rf1 g5 34.Rh1 Kg7 35.h4 g4 36.Rhc1 Kf8 37.f3 h5 38.fxg4 hxg4 39.Nd3 Ra8 40.Ne5 Rc8 41.Rf1 Kg7 42.Nd3 Ra8 43.Rfc1 Rc8 44.Ra1 Rb8 45.a4 Rdd8 46.axb5 axb5 47.Ra7 Kf8 48.Nf4 Ke8 49.Ne6 Rdc8 50.Rc1 Kf7 51.Ng5+ Kf6 52.Rca1 Re8 53.R1a6 Rbc8 54.Nh7+ Kg7 55.Ng5 Kf6 56.Rd7 Ra8 57.Raa7 Rxa7 58.Rxa7

58...f4! 59.gxf4 Nf5?? [59...Rh8=] 60.Rf7+ Kg6 61.Rc7?? [61.h5+ Kxh5 62.Rxf5+-] 61...Nxh4?? [61...Rxe3+-+] 62.Rxc6++/- Kh5? [62...Kg7] 63.Nf7? [63.Nh7+-] 63...g3?? [63...Nf5=] 64.Rh6+ Kg4 65.Ne5+ Kh3 66.Nf3 Ra8 67.Rxh4+ Kg2 68.Ne1+ [68.f5] 68...Kg1 69.Kf3 Ra1 70.Nd3 [70.Kxg3] 70...g2 71.Ke2 Re1+!? 72.Kf3[] Rf1+ 73.Kg3 Rd1 74.Ne5 [74.Nf2] 74...Kf1 75.Nf3 Rd3 76.Nh2+ [76.Kh2; 76.Rh2] 76...Kg1 77.Nf3+ Kf1 78.Kh2 Kf2 79.Ng1 Rd1 80.Nh3+ Kf3 0-1? What, on time? Did White think ...Rh1# was unavoidable? [80...Kf3 81.Ng1+ Kf2 82.f5 (82.Rh3 Totally won for White.) ] 0-1

(18516) Lesquillier,Walter (1750) - Newey,Richard (1600) [B85]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.23), 12.02.2019

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Be2 e6 7.0-0 a6 8.Be3 Be7 9.Qd2 0-0 10.f4 Qc7 11.Nb3 b5 12.a3 Bb7 13.Bf3 Rac8 14.Rfd1 Na5 15.Nxa5 Qxa5 16.Nd5 Qd8 17.Nxe7+ Qxe7 18.Qd3 d5 19.e5 Ne4 20.c3 Rfd8 21.Bb6 Re8 22.Qe3 Nc5 23.Bxc5 Qxc5 24.Qxc5 Rxc5 25.Rd4 Rec8 26.a4 Bc6 27.Be2 g6 28.Ra3 a5 29.axb5 Bxb5 30.Kf2 Bxe2 31.Kxe2 Rb8 32.Ra2 Rcb5 33.Rd2 h5 34.Kd1 Rc8 35.Rd4 Rbc5 36.Kd2 Rb8 1/2-1/2

(18517) Perlov,Alexander (1720) - Starr,Albert Mart (1500) [D78]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.24), 12.02.2019

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.0-0 c6 7.Nc3 d5 8.Nd2 Nbd7 9.e4 dxe4 10.Ndxe4 Nxe4 11.Nxe4 Nf6 12.Bg5 h6 13.Nxf6+ Bxf6 14.Bxh6 Re8 15.Be3 c5 16.dxc5 Bxb2 17.Rb1 Qf6 18.Qd2 Bc3 19.Qc2 Rb8 20.c6 Ba5 21.cxb7 Bxb7 22.Rxb7 Rbc8 23.Rxa7 Bc3 24.c5 Bd4 25.Bxd4 Qxd4 26.Rc1 Red8 27.Ra4 Qe5 28.c6 Rc7 29.Rd1 Rb8 30.Rad4 Kg7 31.Rd7 Rb2 32.Qe4 Qa5 33.Rxc7 Qxa2 34.Qf4 1-0

(18518) Carron,Joel (1491) - Quang,Danny (1719) [B01]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.25), 12.02.2019

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bf5 6.Bc4 e6 7.0-0 Be7 8.h3 c6 9.Nh4 Bg6 10.Nxg6 hxg6 11.Bf4 Nbd7 12.a3 Nb6 13.Ba2 a5 14.Qd3 Nfd5 15.Bg3 Bd6 16.Ne4 Bxg3 17.Qxg3 0-0 18.Ng5 Qd7 19.Qh4 Nf6 20.Rfe1 Nbd5 21.Bxd5 exd5 22.Re3 Rfe8 23.Rae1 Rxe3 24.Rxe3 Re8 25.c3 Rxe3 26.fxe3 Qe7 27.Qf4 Nd7 28.Nf3 f6 29.Kf2 Nf8 30.Nd2 1/2-1/2

(18519) Mercado,Adam (1714) - Morgan,Jerry (1491) [B03]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.26), 12.02.2019
[Winslow,Elliott]

1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.Nf3 dxe5 6.Nxe5 N8d7 7.Nf3 Nf6 8.Nc3 Bg4 9.Be2 e6 10.h3 Bf5 11.Nh4 Be4 12.Bg5 Bc6 13.d5? [13.Nf3; 13.0-0; 13.a4; 13.Rc1; 13.Be3] 13...exd5 14.cxd5?! [14.0-0] 14...Bd7?! [14...Nbxd5=/+] 15.Ne4? [15.Nf3] 15...Bb4+ 16.Kf1 Qe7 [16...Nbxd5-/+] 17.Nxf6+?! [17.Bf3] 17...gxf6=/+ 18.Qd4 Qe5? [18...Nxd5! 19.Qxd5 fxg5] 19.Qxb4 Qxd5?? [19...fxg5=; 19...a5=] 20.Bxf6 Rg8 21.Qe7# 1-0

(18520) Lamstein,Joshua D (1655) - Cunningham,Charles (1414) [D10]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.28), 12.02.2019
[Winslow,Elliott]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nc3 c6 4.e4 b5 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.Be2 e6 7.Be3 Bb4 8.0-0 Nf6 9.Ne5 Bxe2 10.Qxe2 Bxc3 11.bxc3 Nxe4 12.Qg4 Nxc3 13.Qxg7 Rf8 14.Bh6 Qe7 15.Qxh7 Qh4

16.Nxf7 Rxf7 17.Qg8+ Ke7 18.Bg5+ Qxg5 19.Qxg5+ Kd7 20.Rfe1 Na6 21.Qe3 Raf8 22.Qxc3 Rxf2 23.Rf1 Rxf1+ 24.Rxf1 Re8 25.Rf7+ Re7 26.Qf3 Nb4 27.Rxe7+ Kxe7 28.Qa3 a5 29.Qxa5 Nxa2 30.Qxa2 Kd6 31.Qa3+ Kd5 32.Qc5+ Ke4 33.Kf2 Kd3 34.Ke1 c3 35.Kd1 c2+ 36.Qxc2+ Kxd4 37.h4 1-0

(18521) Abraham,Michael (1609) - Malykin,Erika (1628) [A52]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.29), 12.02.2019
[Winslow,Elliott]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Bf4 Bb4+ 5.Nd2 Qe7 6.Ngf3 Nc6 7.e3 Ngxe5 8.Be2 d6 9.0-0 Bxd2 10.Qxd2 Be6 11.Rac1 Rd8 12.Qc3 f6 13.Nd4 0-0 14.Nxe6 Qxe6 15.b3 Ng6 16.Bg3 Nce5 17.f4 Ng4 18.e4 Qd7 19.Qf3 Nh6 20.f5 Ne5 21.Qh5 Qe8 22.Qh3 Rd7 23.Bf4 Nef7 24.Bd3 Qd8 25.c5 Ng5 26.Bxg5 fxg5 27.Bc4+ Nf7 28.Be6 Re7 29.cxd6 Qxd6 30.Rfd1 Qf4 31.Rc4 h6 32.e5?? Qxe5 33.Rcd4 Kh7 34.Qd3 Qf6 35.Rd7?? Rxd7 36.Bxd7 Ne5 37.Qb5 0-1

(18522) Xu,Jayden (1619) - Lintz,Michael [D55]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.30), 12.02.2019
[Winslow,Elliott]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.e3 h6 7.Bxf6 Bxf6 8.Rc1 b6 9.h4 Bb7 10.g4 dxc4 11.g5 hxg5 12.hxg5 Bxg5 13.Nxg5 Qxg5 14.e4 Nd7 15.Bxc4 Rad8 16.Qc2 Nf6 17.d5 exd5 18.Nxd5 Nxd5 19.exd5 Rfe8+ 20.Kf1 g6 21.Qc3 Qe5-/+ 22.Rh3 Bxd5? 23.Bxd5 Rxd5?!

[23...Qxc3 24.Bxf7+ Kxf7 25.Rcxc3= (25.Rhxc3 c5=/+) ] 24.Re3! Qxc3? [24...Rc5!! 25.Rxe5 Rexe5!! 26.Qd2 Red5 27.Qf4 Rf5 28.Qh6 Rh5=] 25.Rxe8+ Kg7 26.Rxc3+- c5 27.Re7 a6 28.Ke2 Rd4 29.Rf3 Rd5 30.Rfxf7+ Kh6 31.Rd7 Re5+ 32.Kd3 1-0

(18523) Sadowsky,Jacob (1703) - Thibault,William (1052) [B17]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.31), 12.02.2019
[Winslow,Elliott]

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Nf3 Ngf6 6.Bd3 e6 7.0-0 Be7 8.c4 c5 9.Bf4!? cxd4 10.Nxd4?? [10.Nd6+! Bxd6 (10...Kf8 11.Nb5+-) 11.Bxd6 Qb6 12.Ba3+/-] 10...e5-+ 11.Nf5 exf4 12.Nxg7+ [12.Ned6+ Bxd6 13.Nxd6+ Kf8-+] 12...Kf8 13.Nf5 Ne5 14.Nxe7 Qxe7 15.Nc3 Rg8 16.Kh1 Nfg4 17.g3 Nxf2+?! [17...Nxh2! 18.Kxh2 Ng4+] 18.Rxf2 fxg3 19.Nd5 Qh4 20.Rg2 Bg4 21.Be2 Bf5 22.Qd2 a5 [22...Be4] 23.Nc3 Rd8 24.Qe3 Rd4 25.Qxe5 Be4 26.Nxe4 Rxe4 27.Qb8+ Re8 28.Qd6+ Re7 29.Bf3 Rg6 30.Qd8+ Kg7 31.Qd3 Rge6 32.Rxg3+ Kf8 33.Qd8+ Re8 34.Qxh4 Re1+ 1-0

(18524) Reyes,Victor Hugo - Chan,John (1560) [A45]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.32), 12.02.2019

1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 h6 3.Bh4 c6 4.f4 d5 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 a6 7.Nd2 c5 8.c3 c4 9.Bc2 Nb6 10.h3 Bd7 11.Ngf3 e6 12.Ne5 Be7 13.0-0 Ng8 14.Bxe7 Qxe7 15.b4 Nc8 16.Nxd7 Qxd7 17.a4 Nd6 18.Qg4 g6 19.Nf3 Nf6 20.Qh4 Qe7 21.Ne5 Nfe4 22.Qe1 h5 23.Nf3 h4 24.Ra3 Ng3 25.Rf2 Nde4 26.Bxe4 Nxe4 27.Rfa2 Kf8 28.a5 Nd6 29.Rc2 Kg7 30.Ng5 Qf6 31.Nf3 Rh5 32.Ne5 Rd8 33.Ng4 Qf5 34.Raa2 Rh7 35.Nf2 Rh5 36.Re2 g5 37.fxg5 Rxg5 38.Ng4 Ne4 39.Qxh4 Rh8 40.Qe1 Rgh5 41.Rf2 Nxf2 42.Rxf2 Qg5 43.Qf1 f5 44.Kh1 Qxg4 45.Rf4 Rxh3+ 0-1

(18525) Simpkins,Jerry (1508) - Otterbach,Renate (1281) [C57]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.33), 12.02.2019
[Winslow,Elliott]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nd4!? [5...Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6; 5...Nxd5!? 6.Nxf7!? Kxf7 7.Qf3+ Ke6 8.Nc3 Ncb4] 6.c3 b5! 7.cxd4 [7.Bf1 Nxd5 8.Ne4 (8.cxd4 Qxg5 9.Bxb5+ Kd8) 8...Ne6!?] 7...bxc4 8.dxe5 Nxd5 [8...Qxd5!?] 9.Qf3 [Relevant: 9.Qa4+ Qd7 10.Qxc4 Nb4 11.0-0 Ba6 12.Qe4 Qc6 13.Qxc6+ Nxc6 14.d3 h6 15.Nf3 Nb4 16.Nc3 Nc2 17.Rb1 Bxd3 18.Rd1 Nb4 19.Ra1 Bc2 20.Rd2 Bg6 21.Nb5 Rc8 22.Nxa7 Rb8 23.a3 1-0 38, Kovalev,V (2539)-Djuric,S (2402) Wroclaw 2014] 9...Qxg5 10.Qxd5 Rb8 11.f4N [11.0-0; 11.Nc3 Bb7 (11...Be7!? 12.d4 Qg6) 12.d4!] 11...Qg6 12.Rg1 Bb7 13.Qxc4 Ra8 14.Nc3 Qb6 15.d4 Be7 16.Qb5+ Bc6 17.Qxb6 cxb6 18.d5 Bb7 19.d6 Bd8 20.Be3 Kd7 21.0-0-0 f6 22.Nb5 Rc8+ 23.Kb1 Rc5?? 24.Bxc5 bxc5 25.Na3 Be4+ 26.Kc1 fxe5 27.fxe5 Bb6 [27...Bg5+] 28.Nc4 Bd8 29.Rdf1 Bg5+ 30.Nd2 Ke6 31.b3 Kxe5 32.Re1 Rd8 33.Rxe4+ 1-0

(18526) Baer,Michael A (1488) - Dubensky,Walter [C65]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.34), 12.02.2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.Qe2 Bc5 5.d3 0-0 6.0-0 d6 7.Bg5 Bg4 8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 h6 10.Bc1 Nd4 11.Qg3 Ne2+ 0-1

(18527) Tabatabai,Hadi (1149) - Frank,Robert H (1426) [C48]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.35), 12.02.2019
[Winslow,Elliott]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bb5 Bc5 5.h3 0-0 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.d3 h6 8.Nxe5 Bxf2+ 9.Kxf2 Qd4+ 10.Be3 Qxe5 11.Qf3 Re8 12.Bf4 Qd4+ 13.Ke2 Nd5 14.Nxd5 cxd5 15.c3 Qb6 16.Rab1 dxe4 17.dxe4 Bf5 18.Be3 Qa6+ 19.Kf2 Bxe4 20.Qg3 Bxb1 21.Rxb1 Qf6+ 22.Kg1 Qg6 23.Qe1 Rxe3 24.Qxe3 Qxb1+ 25.Kh2 Qxb2 26.Qf3 c6 27.a4 Qa3 28.Qd1 Qxc3 29.Qd7 Qe5+ 30.Kh1 Rb8 31.a5 Qxa5 32.Qd6 Rd8 33.Qe7 b5 34.Qc5 Qc7 35.Qh5 a5 36.Qf3 a4 37.g3 Qd6 38.h4 Qd1+ 39.Qxd1 Rxd1+ 40.Kg2 a3 0-1

(18528) Roberts,Joseph - Hilliard,Michael (1404) [C10]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.36), 12.02.2019
[Winslow,Elliott]

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 e6 5.Nf3 Nd7 6.Bd3 Ngf6 7.0-0 Nxe4 8.Bxe4 Nf6 9.Bd3 c5 10.c3 cxd4 11.Qa4+ Bd7 12.Qxd4 Be7 13.Ne5 0-0 14.Rd1 Qe8?

15.Qh4 [15.Nxd7 Nxd7 (15...Qxd7 16.Bxh7+ Kxh7 17.Qh4+) 16.Bb5] 15...Ba4 16.b3 [16.Re1!] 16...Bc6 17.Bg5 h6 18.Bd2? [18.Bxh6! gxh6 19.Qxh6 Rd8 20.f3+/-] 18...Rd8 19.Bxh6!? [19.Qh3=] 19...Rxd3?? [19...gxh6 20.Qxh6 Ne4= (20...Rd5=) 21.h4!?] 20.Rxd3 Nd7 21.Qg3 Bf6 22.Nxc6 bxc6 23.Rad1 Ne5 24.R3d2 Ng6 25.Bg5 Qe7 26.Rd7 Qc5 27.Bxf6 gxf6 28.h4 [28.h3!] 28...a5 29.Rd8 Qh5 30.Rxf8+ Kxf8 31.Qd6+ [31.Qd6+ Kg7 32.g3? Ne5 almost gets interesting, but no.] 1-0

(18529) Yun,Andrew (1780) - Cendejas,Jon (952) [C50]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.37), 12.02.2019
[Winslow,Elliott]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Be7 [4...Nf6; 4...Bc5; 4...Bb4+] 5.Nxd4 Nxd4? 6.Qxd4 d6?? 7.Qxg7 Bf6 8.Qxf7# 1-0

(18530) Matz,James I (1601) - Robertson,Wade (957) [D02]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.39), 12.02.2019

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 Nc6 3.d4 d5 4.Bg2 e6 5.0-0 Bd6 6.Nbd2 0-0 7.c4 Re8 8.Re1 b6 9.a3 a5 10.Qc2 Bb7 11.e4 dxe4 12.Nxe4 Nxe4 13.Qxe4 f5 14.Qc2 Qd7 15.Be3 Be7 16.Rad1 Bf6 17.d5 Ne5 18.Nxe5 Bxe5 19.dxe6 Qc8 20.Bxb7 Qxb7 21.Qxf5 Bxb2 22.Qf7+ Kh8 23.Bd4 Bxd4 24.Rxd4 Rad8 25.Rxd8 Rxd8 26.e7 Rg8 27.Qxg8+ Kxg8 28.e8Q# 1-0

(18531) Birdsall,Erik - Cole,Tony (1520) [D02]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.40), 12.02.2019
[Winslow,Elliott]

1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bf4 c5 4.e3 Nc6 5.c3 Nf6 6.Nbd2 Be7 7.Be2 Bd7 8.Qc2 c4 9.e4 Nh5 10.Bg3 Nxg3 11.hxg3 Qb6 12.exd5 exd5 13.Rb1 g6 14.Nh4 Bxh4 15.Rxh4 Bf5 16.Qc1 Bxb1 17.Qxb1 0-0-0 18.Bg4+ f5 19.Bf3 Rde8+ 20.Kf1 Qd8 21.b3 Qg5 22.Rf4 Qh6 23.Bxd5 Qh1# 0-1

(18532) Buchner,Karl - Bradley,Christopher (1427) [B35]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.41), 12.02.2019

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Bg7 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 0-0 8.f4 Qb6 9.Bb3 Nxe4 10.Nd5 Qd8 11.c3 e6 12.Nb4 Nxb4 13.cxb4 Qh4+ 0-1

(18533) Soffer,Aaron (1260) - Mayer,Carson [B53]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.42), 12.02.2019

1.e4 c5 2.d4 d6 3.Nf3 Bg4 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Be2 Nc6 6.d5 Ne5 7.Nxe5 Bxe2 8.Qxe2 dxe5 9.0-0 g6 10.Be3 Bg7 11.Bxc5 0-0 12.Rad1 Qc7 13.Ba3 Qd7 14.d6 Qe6 15.Nb5 a6 16.Nc7 Qd7 17.Nxa8 Qc6 18.Nc7 Nxe4 19.Nd5 Nxd6 20.Nxe7+ Kh8 21.Nxc6 bxc6 22.Rxd6 Re8 23.Rxc6 a5 24.Qa6 h6 25.Rc8 Rxc8 26.Qxc8+ Kh7 27.Bf8 Bh8 28.Rd1 g5 29.Rd7 Kg6 30.Rd6+ Kh5 31.Rxh6# 1-0

(18534) Soffer,Josiah (799) - Reed,Nicholas (1271) [C00]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.43), 12.02.2019

1.e4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nc3 Nc6 5.Bb5 Nf6 6.Nd4 Bd7 7.d3 Nxd4 8.Bxd7+ Qxd7 9.Be3 Nf5 10.Bf4 0-0-0 11.g4 Nd4 12.g5 Re8+ 13.Be3 Ng4 14.Rg1 Nxe3 15.fxe3 Rxe3+ 16.Kd2 Rh3 17.Rg4 Nf3+ 18.Ke2 Qxg4 19.Nxd5 Qe6+ 20.Kf2 Qxd5 21.c4 Qc5+ 22.Kf1 Qd4 23.Kg2 Qg4+ 24.Kf1 0-1

(18535) Capdeville,Barry (1219) - Ahrens,Richard [C41]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.44), 12.02.2019
[Winslow,Elliott]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 Bg4 5.dxe5 Bxf3 6.Qxf3 dxe5 7.Bg5 Be7 8.Rd1 Qc8 9.Bc4 0-0 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.Nd5 Bg5 12.Qg3 Qd8 13.Ne3 Qf6 14.Ng4 Qf4 15.Nxe5 Qxe4+ 16.Be2 Bf6 17.Ng4 Re8 18.Nxf6+ Kh8 19.Nxe4 Rxe4 20.Rd8+ 1-0

(18536) Tabatabai,Ashkon (1138) - Bayaraa,Timothy (1175) [C47]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.45), 12.02.2019

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nxe5 Nxe5 5.d4 Bd6 6.Bf4 Qe7 7.dxe5 Bxe5 8.Bg5 h6 9.Bh4 g5 10.Bg3 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 d6 12.Qd4 Bd7 13.e5 b6 14.Be2 Nh7 15.e6 Qxe6 16.Qxh8+ Ke7 17.Qxa8 Bb5 18.Qf3 f5 19.0-0 Bc4 20.Bxc4 Qxc4 21.Qxf5 Nf6 22.Rfe1+ Kf7 23.Re3 Kg7 24.Re7+ Kf8 25.Rae1 Kg8 26.Qg6+ Kf8 27.Re8+ Nxe8 28.Rxe8# 0-1

(18537) Yamamoto,Craig (1500) - Abdi,Mehron Edwar (1069) [B00]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.46), 12.02.2019
[Winslow,Elliott]

1.e4 e5 2.d4 Nc6 3.d5 Na5 4.a3 b6 5.b4 Nb7 6.Bb2 Qg5 7.Qd2 Qg6 8.Bxe5 Qxe4+ 9.Qe2 Qxd5 10.Bxc7+ Be7 11.Be5 f6 12.Bb2 Nh6 13.Nd2 Nd6 14.Ngf3 a5 15.h3 Ba6 16.Qe3 Bxf1 17.Rxf1 Rb8 18.Qd4 Qe6+ 19.Kd1 0-0 20.Re1 Qf7 21.Ke2 Qg6 22.Kf1 Rfe8 23.Rxe7 Rxe7 24.Qxd6 Rbe8 25.Qxb6 Qxc2 26.Qd4 Nf5 27.Qc4+ Qxc4+ 28.Nxc4 axb4 29.axb4 d5 30.Nb6 Rd8 31.Rd1 d4 32.g4 Ne3+ 33.fxe3 dxe3 34.Rxd8+ Kf7 35.Rd7 h5 36.Rxe7+ Kxe7 37.Nd5+ Ke6 38.Nf4+ Kd6 39.Nxh5 Kd5 40.Nd4 Ke4 41.Ke2 Ke5 42.Nxg7 Ke4 43.Nge6 Ke5 44.Kxe3 Kd5 45.h4 f5 46.gxf5 Flag 1-0

(18538) Rushton,Peter (1186) - Golledge,Aiza [B11]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.47), 12.02.2019

1.e4 c6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Nf3 d4 4.Ne2 c5 5.e5 Bg4 6.d3 e6 7.h3 Bh5 8.Nf4 Bg6 9.Nxg6 hxg6 10.g4 Nc6 11.Bf4 Nh6 12.Bg2 Be7 13.Qd2 Qc7 14.0-0 Rc8 15.c3 dxc3 16.bxc3 Rd8 17.Qc2 0-0 18.Rad1 Rd7 19.Rfe1 Rfd8 20.Re3 c4 21.d4 b5 22.Re2 Kh7 23.Ng5+ Kg8 24.Red2 b4 25.Bxc6 Qxc6 26.Rf1 a5 27.Qe4 Qxe4 28.Nxe4 bxc3 29.Nxc3 Rxd4 30.Be3 Rxd2 31.Bxd2 Rxd2 32.a4 Rd3 33.Rc1 Bb4 34.Na2 c3 35.Nxb4 axb4 36.a5 c2 37.Kg2 b3 38.a6 Rd7 39.Kg3 Ra7 40.Kg2 Rxa6 41.Kf1 b2 42.Re1 c1Q 1-0

(18539) Dunlap,Steven (1057) - Bryan,Robert R (429) [D11]
Mechanics' Winter TNM; G/2 d5 San Francisco (6.49), 12.02.2019

1.d4 c6 2.c4 d5 3.Nf3 b5 4.cxb5 cxb5 5.Nc3 e6 6.e4 Nf6 7.Bg5 Be7 8.e5 0-0 9.exf6 gxf6 10.Bh6 Re8 11.Bxb5 Bd7 12.Bxd7 Qxd7 13.Nh4 Nc6 14.Qf3 Nxd4 15.Qg3+ Kh8 16.Qg7# 1-0