Round 1: Glickman-Slive 1-0

Alex mentioned before the game that he didn't need to play in the championship to play me. Indeed, this is a game "worthy" of the two lowest rated players in the tournament -- exciting, back and forth, horribly flawed on both sides. Interestingly, we were both pushing very hard to win, figuring this game might be our best opportunity of the tournament to score a full point.

In the game, I achieved a slight advantage out of the opening (but missed a chance for more). Then Alex completely outplayed me in the middle game as I lost the thread for about 10 moves. However, as we transitioned to the endgame Alex returned the favor and in an effort to win he pursued a highly flawed plan to capture my h-pawn. This allowed me to turn the tables and at adjournment I believe the position is won for white.

[Event "BCC Championship"]

[Site "Somerville, MA USA"]

[Date "2004.09.08"]

[Round "1"]

[White "Glickman, David"]

[Black "Slive, Alex"]

[Result "1-0"]

[WhiteUSCF "1937"]

[BlackUSCF "2039"]

[ECO "C02"]

[Opening "French"]

[Variation "Advance"]

[Sub-Variation "Euwe Variation"]

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bd7 6.Be2 Nge7 7.Na3 f6

[This move is not in the books]

8.Bd3

[I considered but rejected the direct attack with 8.exf6 gxf6 9.Nh4 which in fact led nowhere for white in Arguello-Carrascosa, 1989 0-1 (33). However, 9.dxc5 Ng6 10.b4 worked out well in Cherniaev-Nordahl, Gausdal 1993 1-0 (47)]

8...f5 9.Nc2 Qc7 10.h4

[Perhaps 10.0-0 makes more sense]

10...c4

[Black could have maintained the tension and begun regrouping immediately with 10...Nd8]

11.Be2 Nd8 12.Ne3 Nf7 13.Bd2 Nc6 14.b3 b5 15.g3

[I had planned to respond to b5 with 15.a4 but then I decided that 15...Na5 was a strong response]

15...Be7 16.Ng2 0-0 17.h5

[From here until move 27 I completely lost the thread of the game. Fortunately for me Alex missed some chances to put the game away]

17...b4 18.Rc1?!

[Fritz says white is fine after 18.bxc4 regardless of which c-pawn black captures next]

18...bxc3 19.Rxc3 Qb6 20.bxc4 Nxd4 21.0-0?!

[And here Fritz thinks 21.cxd5 maintains a roughly equal position]

[Alex was hoping for 21.Be3 when he had the following queen sac planned 21...Nxe2 22.Bxb6 Nxc3 23.Qc2 axb6 24.Qxc3 Ra3 25.Qb2 Rxf3 -+]

21...Nxe2+

[21...Nxf3+ 22.Bxf3 Nxe5 may be even better]

22.Qxe2 dxc4 23.Be3?!

[There are no particularly good moves here, but this just sends the queen to where it wants to go]

23...Qa5 24.Rfc1

24...Nxe5?!

[This seems to be the critical position. I thought during the game that 24...Ba3 was just winning. Fritz agrees, but thinks that 24...Bc6 is even stronger]

25.Nxe5 Qxe5 26.Qxc4 Rfc8 27.Qd4 Qxd4 28.Bxd4 Bb4?!

[28...a6 leaves black a pawn up with the two bishops in the endgame]

29.Rxc8+ Rxc8 30.Rxc8+ Bxc8 31.Bxa7

[Having won back the pawn and approaching time trouble (~5 minutes for the next 9 moves) I offered a draw here. Alex chose to play on; the computer also thinks that black retains a slight advantage not withstanding white's outside passer. However, it was now Alex's turn to lose the thread]

31...e5 32.Ne3 Kf7 33.a4 Ke6 34.Bb6 Bd7 35.a5 Be8

[This plan of going after the h-pawn is seriously flawed]

36.a6 Bxh5?? 37.g4

[I was trying to figure out how best to keep Black off the h1-a8 diagonal when I came up with this "cool" move. However, while it does turn the advantage to White, amazingly 37.Nd5!! probably wins on the spot. Kudos to Fritz; neither Alex or I saw this during the game or in the postmortem]

37...Be8 38.Nxf5 Kd5

[38...Bf8 may be better]

39.a7 Bc6 40.Nxg7

[At the last moment, I noticed my planned move 40.Ne7+?? was not the winner I thought it was]

40...Bc5 41.Bxc5

[The sealed move - my subsequent analysis suggests that this position is a win for white. Alex follows the main line of my analysis; I will outline the first couple of moves of a few alternative ideas along the way]

41...Kxc5 42.Ne8 Kb6 43.Nf6 Kxa7

[43...h6 44.Ng8 Kxa7 45.Nxh6 Be8 (45...Kb6 46.Nf7 +-) 46.Kg2 +-]

44.Nxh7 Kb6

[44...Ba4 45.g5 Bc2 46.Nf8 +-;]

[44...Be8 45.Nf6 Bg6 (45...Ba4 46.g5 Bc2 47.Nd7 +-; 45...Bf7 46.Nd7 +-) 46.Nd7 e4 47.Ne5+-]

45.Nf6 Ba4 46.g5 Bc2 47.Ng4

[47.Nd7+ comes to the same thing as the game. But my move gives black a chance to make things easier for white]

47...Kc5

[Retaining the pawn makes white's life easier, e.g. 47...e4 48.Ne5 Bb3 49.g6 Kc5 50.g7 Kd4 51.Ng4 Kd3 52.Kg2 Ke2 53.Kg3 Be6 54.Kf4 +-]

48.Nxe5 Kd5 49.Ng4 Ke6 50.Kh2 Bg6 51.Nh6 Ke5 52.Kg3 Be8 53.f4+ Ke6 54.Kg4 Ke7 55.Kf5 1-0