It has been a while since I have posted. It seems like I have more time during the holiday season then the rest of the year. I guess this is why so few players become Masters after they reach the age of 30, life just gets in the way.
Well, even though life gets in the way, I have been able to play few games and work my way up to a Class B player. Given, a low Class B player but a Class B none the less. I have had a few very good tournaments that have allowed me to reach this step on my way to becoming an expert including two wins to a 2100 but I still find it very very hard to defeat or draw a 1950 - 2050 player. My weakness seems to have been shifting from my poor opening selection (which is still weak but decent for now) to tactics and miscalculations in the middle game.
Give those flaws I was able to find a few really good move combinations in a game this past week. Here I am playing Kevin Geiss. He is a newer player who has come a long way in the past few months of playing. In the three games that we have played (each with me having the black pieces) we have fought to the end game and in two cases, I was able to control the final piece trade only when my pawns were in a much stronger position.
Here is the game that I would like to show. Now I have not hit this game with a computer so this is just some personal review so feel free to comment on what you think.
| | (white to move) | 1. | Nf3 | d5 |
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| 2. | d4 | e6 |
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| 3. | b3 | c5 |
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| 4. | Ba3 | Nc6 |
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| 5. | e3 | b6 |
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| 6. | Bb2 | Nf6 |
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| 7. | Nbd2 | Qc7 |
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| 8. | Bd3 | Bd6 |
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| 9. | dxc5 | bxc5 |
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| 10. | Bxf6 | gxf6 |
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| 11. | e4 | d4 |
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| 12. | Nc4 | Bf4 |
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| 13. | O-O | Ne5 |
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| 14. | Nfxe5 | fxe5 |
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| 15. | Qh5 | h6 |
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| 16. | Kh1 | Ba6 |
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| 17. | h4 | Bxc4 |
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| 18. | Bxc4 | Qd7 |
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| 19. | Rad1 | O-O-O |
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| 20. | g3 | Bg5 |
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| 21. | hxg5 | hxg5 |
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| 22. | Qxh8 | Rxh8+ |
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| 23. | Kg2 | Qc6 |
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| 24. | f3 | f5 |
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| 25. | Rde1 | f4 |
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| 26. | g4 | Qb6 |
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| 27. | Re2 | Kd7 |
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| 28. | Rb1 | Qa5 |
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| 29. | a4 | Qc3 |
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| 30. | Rd1 | a5 |
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| 31. | Rf2 | Qe3 |
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| 32. | Re2 | Qc3 |
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| 33. | Rf2 | Rh4 |
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| 34. | Re2 | Rxg4+ |
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| 35. | fxg4 | f3+ |
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| 36. | Kf2 | fxe2 |
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| 37. | Bxe2 | Qxc2 |
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| 38. | Ke1 | Qxb3 |
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| 39. | Bb5+ | Ke7 |
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| 40. | Kd2 | Qe3+ |
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