From: carabalo@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (David G. Caraballo)
Newsgroups: rec.games.chess
Subject: One of my games
Date: 29 Sep 92 19:10:06 GMT
Article-I.D.: Princeto.1992Sep29.191006.27850
Organization: Princeton University
Originator: news@nimaster

I have seen a few people post personal games, so here is one of mine.  It is
not one of my better ones, nor is it my worst.  It is more or less average, 
and I made several mistakes.  The opponent, Chessmaster 3000, is rated at
just below Master (around 2150 or so) on tournament mode on my machine.  In
that mode, my record is 2+ 5= 3-.  After those ten games, I decided to halve
the time.  I suppose that means it is playing just over 2000 (40 moves in
60 minutes, etc.)

It surprised me on the third move with what I consider a fluke, if not a 
blunder.  It played cxd5 every other time in that position.  Is its third move
sound?  I would appreciate commentary, especially on my own comments!  Except
when I specify otherwise, the comments reflect what I was thinking at the
time.  I hope that by finding out what I should have been thinking instead I
can fix some of these "thinkos" and improve.  I started studying chess only
very recently.  Thank you.

David G. Caraballo
Department of Mathematics, Princeton University


WHITE: Caraballo 
BLACK: Chessmaster

Caro-Kann Defense - Panov-Botvinnik attack

  1. e4             c6             
  2. d4             d5             
  3. exd5           c5             I was expecting cxd5.
  4. c4             cxd4           
  5. Nf3            ...            Qxd4 may be better.
     ...            e6             
  6. dxe6           ...            Again, perhaps Qxd4 is better.  This
                                  ;gives Black an edge in development.

     ...            Bxe6           
  7. Qxd4           ...            At this point, I wished to exchange
                                  ;queens to try to force an early endgame,
                                  ;which I thought I could win because of
                                  ;the pawn advantage.

NOTE:  My two wins against CM3000 at 2150+ were because of a pawn advantage.

     ...            Nc6            
  8. Qxd8+          Rxd8  


--  --  --  BR  BK  BB  BN  BR  
BP  BP  --  --  --  BP  BP  BP  
--  --  BN  --  BB  --  --  --     Position after 8...Rxd8
--  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  
--  --  WP  --  --  --  --  --  
--  --  --  --  --  WN  --  --  
WP  WP  --  --  --  WP  WP  WP  
WR  WN  WB  --  WK  WB  --  WR  


         
  9. Be3            ...            Paralyzing Black's knight (in
                                  ;particular, preventing Nd4), and
                                  ;threatening to win a7 later.

     ...            Nf6            
 10. h3             ...            I also considered Be2 and Nc3.  Both of
                                  ;those moves let Black respond with Ng4,
                                  ;and I did not want the bishop chased
                                  ;away.

     ...            Be7            
 11. Be2            O-O            
 12. O-O            ...            If 12 Nc3 then 12...Bb4 (to be followed
                                  ;by Ne4) would be bad for White.

     ...            Ne4            
 13. Nbd2           ...            I also considered b3, since this attack
                                  ;seems aimed at winning back the pawn (at
                                  ;c4), but Nbd2 seems much better for
                                  ;piece development. I still have not
                                  ;regained the initiative I lost by making
                                  ;imprecise opening moves.

     ...            Nxd2           


--  --  --  BR  --  BR  BK  --  
BP  BP  --  --  BB  BP  BP  BP     
--  --  BN  --  BB  --  --  --     Position after 13...Nxd2
--  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  
--  --  WP  --  --  --  --  --  
--  --  --  --  WB  WN  --  WP  
WP  WP  --  BN  WB  WP  WP  --  
WR  --  --  --  --  WR  WK  --  




 14. Nxd2           ...            The bishop seems well-placed already,
                                  ;and this move frees f2 for advancement.

     ...            Rfe8           Aimed at the unprotected bishop at e2,
 15. Rad1           ...            The rook (or b2) had to move to prevent
                                  ;...Bf6 from winning the pawn (If I then
                                  ;move a rook to b1, Black can play Bf5.

     ...            Bf6            
 16. b3             Nd4            
 17. Bf3            Rd7            
 18. Bxd4           Bxd4           
 19. Ne4            ...            If ...f5 then 20 Ng5.
     ...            h6             Black is preparing to play f5 next.
 20. g4             Red8           


--  --  --  BR  --  --  BK  --  
BP  BP  --  BR  --  BP  BP  --  
--  --  --  --  BB  --  --  BP     Position after 20...Red8
--  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  
--  --  WP  BB  WN  --  WP  --  
--  WP  --  --  --  WB  --  WP  
WP  --  --  --  --  WP  --  --  
--  --  --  WR  --  WR  WK  --  


NOTE:  I believe this is where I made a key blunder.


 21. Rfe1           ...            I want rooks on d1 and d2.  Had I played
                                  ;Rd2, though, Black would respond with
                                  ;Bxf2+, which wins material:  22 Kxf2
                                  ;Rxd2+  23 Nxd2 Rxd2+          24 K moves
                                  ;Rxa2, and Black wins.

     ...            a5             Whoops!  I had not seen this coming. 
                                  ;Perhaps I should have played 21 Rdc1
                                  ;with plans to advance my c-pawn, with
                                  ;the hopes of placing my rook on c6 after
                                  ;the pawn exchange.

 22. a4             ...            I believe this is the key positional
                                  ;flaw that keeps me from winning.  After
                                  ;...b6, Black's two pawns will hold my
                                  ;three pawns, nullifying any advantage I
                                  ;had.

     ...            b6             
 23. Kf1            ...            This is all part of a plan to advance
                                  ;the f pawn and to get rooks on d1 and d2
                                  ;to try to force an exchange later.  The
                                  ;king is headed toward the queenside,
                                  ;which it hopes to penetrate after the
                                  ;rook exchanges.

     ...            Kf8            
 24. Bg2            f5             
 25. gxf5           Bxf5           
 26. Rd3            ...            I had planned to play f4 at this point
                                  ;but decided to keep the f pawn back to
                                  ;distract Black's king in the endgame.  

     ...            g5             
 27. Red1           Ke7            
 28. R3d2           ...            
     ...            Be6            
 29. Ng3            Bg7            
 30. Rxd7+          ...           
     ...            Rxd7           
 31. Rxd7+          Bxd7           Earlier, I had thought I could win this
                                  ;endgame, but it looks like a draw. 
                                  ;My bishop at g2 is paralyzed, as is my
                                  ;pawn at h3.



--  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  
--  --  --  BB  BK  --  BB  --  
--  BP  --  --  --  --  --  BP     Position after 31...Bxd7
BP  --  --  --  --  --  BP  --  
WP  --  WP  --  --  --  --  --  
--  WP  --  --  --  --  WN  WP  
--  --  --  --  --  WP  WB  --  
--  --  --  --  --  WK  --  --  


 32. Ke2            Bd4            
 33. Nf1            ...            Planning Ne3 next followed by Ng4 soon
                                  ;thereafter.

     ...            Kd6            
 34. Ne3            Kc5            
 35. Kd3            Bc8 


--  --  BB  --  --  --  --  --  
--  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  
--  BP  --  --  --  --  --  BP     After 35...Bc8
BP  --  BK  --  --  --  BP  --  
WP  --  WP  BB  --  --  --  --  
--  WP  --  WK  WN  --  --  WP  
--  --  --  --  --  WP  WB  --  
--  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  


           
 36. Be4            ...            I decided that I could not win this game
                                  ;and realized that my bishop could easily
                                  ;stop Black's kingside pawns, forcing
                                  ;a draw.   36 Ng4 leads to a draw if
                                  ;Black plays ...Bxg4, but I decided this
                                  ;was safer because of 36... h5.

     ...            Bxh3           
 37. Nf5            Bxf5           
 38. Bxf5           Bxf2           
 39. Bg4            Kb4            
 40. Kc2            ...            A drawn position.
     ...            Bd4


--  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  
--  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  
--  BP  --  --  --  --  --  BP     Position after 40...Bd4
BP  --  --  --  --  --  BP  --  
WP  BK  WP  BB  --  --  WB  --  
--  WP  --  --  --  --  --  --  
--  --  WK  --  --  --  --  --  
--  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  
            
 41. Bf3            Be5            
 42. Bg4            Bf4            
 43. Bf3            Kc5            
 44. Kd3            Kd6            
 45. Ke4            Ke6            
 46. Bg4+           Kf6            
 47. Bh5            Ke6            
 48. draw           ...            CM finally admitted a draw because of
                                  ;repetition, but this is already drawn,
                                  ;so I chopped the game off here.


Final position:

--  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  
--  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  
--  BP  --  --  BK  --  --  BP  
BP  --  --  --  --  --  BP  WB  
WP  --  WP  --  WK  BB  --  --  
--  WP  --  --  --  --  --  --  
--  --  --  --  --  --  --  --  
--  --  --  --  --  --  --  --