Round 4: Chase-Mac Intyre 1-0

An interesting game to determine the leader as the tournament crosses the halfway point. Black hands the advantage to White with his last move before the time control. While Chris begins the adjournment well, an imprecise move allows Paul to reach an equal (drawn?) ending. However, Paul decides to try for a win and loses instead.

[Event "BCC Championship"]
[Site "Somerville, MA USA"]
[Date "2004.09.29"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Chase, Chris"]
[Black "Mac Intyre, Paul"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteUSCF "2289"]
[BlackUSCF "2303"]
[ECO "A05"]
[Opening "Reti"]
[Variation "Double Fianchetto"]

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.b3 g6 3.Bb2 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.g3 0-0 6.Qe2 c5 7.Bg2 Bg4

[7...Nc6 8.h3 (8.c3 e5 9.0-0 Re8 10.d3 d5 Berkovich-Suetin, Alushta 1993 1/2 (54); 8.0-0 1/2 Stefanova-Hamdouchi, Dubai 1999) 8...Bd7 9.0-0 Rc8 10.a4 e6 11.Na3 d5 12.e5 Ne8 13.Rfe1 a6 14.d3 Nc7 15.Kh2 b5 1/2 Ermenkov-Vogt, Kecskemet 1977]

8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 Nc6 10.c3 d5 11.exd5 Ne5 12.Qe2 Nxd5 13.0-0 Qd7 14.Na3 Nb6 15.d4 cxd4 16.cxd4 Nc6 17.Rad1 e6 18.Nc2 Rfd8 19.a4 Rac8 20.h4

[Fritz prefers 20.Ne3 ]

20...Nd5 21.Ne3 Nxe3

[21...Ncb4!?]

22.fxe3 Nb4 23.Rc1 Bh6 24.g4 Rxc1 25.Rxc1 Rc8

[Here Fritz thinks 25...f5!? equalizes]

26.g5 Rxc1+ 27.Bxc1 Bf8 28.Bd2 a5 29.Qc4 Bd6 30.Kf2 b6 31.Bh3 Qb7 32.Bg2 Qb8 33.Kf3 Bg3 34.e4 Bxh4 35.Bf4 Qd8 36.Kg4 Bf2 37.Be5 h5+ 38.Kf3 Bg1 39.Bf6 Qd7 40.Bh3 Qc6?

[40...Bh2 is better]

41.Qxc6

[sealed move]

41...Nxc6 42.d5 Nb8 43.dxe6 Kf8 44.Bf1 Nc6 45.Kg2 Bc5 46.exf7?!

[Fritz likes the sequence 46.Bb5 Na7 47.Bd7 fxe6 48.Bxe6 +/-]

46...Bd4

[Now the computer rates the position as equal; though endgame evaluations like this can be notoriously unreliable]

47.Bc4 Bxf6 48.gxf6 Ne5 49.Be6 g5 50.Kg3 Nxf7 51.Kf3 Ne5+ 52.Ke3

52...h4??

[Black makes an unjustified attempt to win and loses instead. 52...Ng6 should draw]

53.Kd4 Ng6 54.e5 Nf4 55.Bc4 Nh5 56.Ke4 h3 57.Kf5 Nf4 58.e6 1-0