1.c4   e5   2.Nc3   c6   3.g3 I'm out-of-book. 3... Nf6   4.Bg2   d6   5.e3   Be6   6.b3   g6   7.Nge2   Bg7   8.O-O   O-O   9.d4 I may be out-of-book, but I'm still playing according to the themes of the English opening. I think that is the right way to study openings! 9... exd4   10.Nxd4   Ne8   11.Nxe6   fxe6   12.Bb2 I'm excited. I have the bishop pair, my bishops rake along the long diagonals, and my king is safe. 12... Qe7   13.Qd2   Na6   14.f4   Rd8   15.e4 I annex more space. I have a healthy advantage--space, the bishop pair, developed pieces, king safety--but how do I convert it?? 15... Nac7   16.Ne2 Swapping the bishops is... something? It feels wrong. 16... Bxb2   17.Qxb2   d5   18.cxd5   exd5   19.exd5   Nxd5   20.Rfe1 I still have a bishop, on an open board now, but I want to swap my knight for his well-posted knight. 20... Qc5+   21.Kh1   Nef6   22.Rac1   Qb6   23.Nc3   Nxc3   24.Qxc3 I eliminated his first knight, but the second is on its way. 24... Ng4 Argh!! How do I stop Nf2+ Kg1 Ne4+ Kh1 Nxc3 -/+. I can't defend f2... I don't have any minor pieces to cover that square. 25.Qc5 Aha! Swap queens to avoid the tactic. A few seconds after making the move I realize the rooks will end up in a forkable pattern... losing the exchange. Rats! 25... Qxc5   26.Rxc5   Nf2+   27.Kg1   Nd3   28.Rcc1   Nxc1   29.Rxc1   Rd2   30.a3 I'm down the exchange, but I often draw such positions, so play on! 30... Rfd8   31.Bf1   Rd1   32.Rxd1   Rxd1   33.Kg2   b6   34.Bc4+   Kg7   35.a4   Kf6   36.Bg8   h6   37.Bc4   Rc1   38.Ba6   Rc2+   39.Kg1   Rb2   40.Bc4   c5   41.Bg8   g5   42.fxg5+   hxg5   43.Bc4   Ke5   44.Bg8   Ke4   45.Bc4 This position is defensible... unless Black sacrifices his rook for my bishop, then I'm lost. :: crossing fingers ::. I should have played h4, getting the kingside pawns rolling. It's better than random bishop moves. 45... Kd4   46.Bg8   Kc3   47.Bc4   Rxb3   48.Bxb3   Kxb3 The game is hopeless. 49.a5   c4   50.axb6   axb6   51.h4   gxh4   52.gxh4   c3   53.h5   c2   54.h6   c1=Q+   55.Kf2   Qxh6 0-1

  1.d4   Nf6   2.c4   e6   3.a3   d5   4.Nc3   g6   5.Nf3   Bg7   6.Bd2   O-O   7.Qc1   Re8   8.Bh6   Nbd7   9.Bxg7   Kxg7   10.e3   b6   11.cxd5   Nxd5   12.Nxd5   exd5   13.Be2   Bb7   14.O-O   Nf6   15.Ne5   Nd7   16.Nxd7   Qxd7   17.Bb5 Rybka (score -1.93 at depth 11) thinks this is not a good move. Rybka suggests 17.Qc2 17... Qxb5   18.Qxc7   Qc6   19.Qf4   Ba6   20.Rfc1   Qe6   21.Rc7   Rec8   22.Rac1   Rxc7   23.Rxc7   Rc8   24.h3   Qf6   25.Qxf6+   Kxf6   26.Rxa7   Rc1+   27.Kh2   Bc4   28.Rb7   b5   29.Rb6+   Kg7   30.b3   Bxb3   31.Rxb5   Bc4   32.Ra5   Rf1   33.Kg3   h5   34.h4   Ra1   35.Kf3   Ra2   36.Kg3   Kf8   37.Ra7   Ke8   38.Kf3   Kf8   39.Kg3   Bb5   40.Ra5   Bc6   41.Rc5   Be8   42.Ra5   Bd7   43.Rxd5   Be8   44.Ra5   Kg7   45.Ra7   Kf6   46.e4   Kg7   47.e5   Rd2   48.a4   Rxd4   49.a5   Rg4+   50.Kf3   Rxh4   51.g3   Rb4   52.Re7   Bc6+   53.Ke3   Bd5   54.f4   Rb3+   55.Kd4   Be6   56.Kc5   Rxg3   57.a6   Ra3   58.a7   Bh3 Rybka (score -1.72 at depth 13) thinks this is not a good move. Rybka suggests 58...h4. 59.Kb4   Ra1   60.Kc5   Kf8 Rybka (score -1.69 at depth 13) thinks a good move has been missed. Rybka suggests 60...h4 61.Rb7   h4 Rybka (score -0.26 at depth 12) thinks this is not a good move. Rybka suggests 61...Kg7. 62.Rb8+   Kg7   63.a8=Q   Rxa8   64.Rxa8   Bf5 Rybka (score 0.22 at depth 12) thinks this is not a good move. Rybka suggests 64...Bg2. 65.Kd6   h3   66.Ra2   Be6   67.Rf2   Bf5   68.Kd5   Be6+   69.Ke4   Bf5+   70.Kf3   Be6   71.Kg3   Bf5   72.Kh4   Be6   73.Kg5   Bf5   74.Rh2   Be6   75.Kh4   Bf5   76.Rxh3   Bxh3   77.Kxh3   f6   78.e6   f5   79.Kh4   Kf6   80.e7   Kxe7   81.Kg5   Kf7   82.Kh6 Rybka (score -9.29 at depth 19) thinks this is a blunder. Rybka suggests 82.Kh4. 82... Kf6   83.Kh7   g5   84.fxg5+   Kxg5 coolaa resigns 0-1

  1.e4   d5   2.exd5   Qxd5   3.Nc3   Qa5   4.Bb5+   c6   5.Bc4   Nf6   6.Nf3   Bf5   7.d3   e6   8.Bd2   Bb4   9.O-O   Nbd7   10.a3   Bxc3   11.Bxc3   Qc7   12.Be5??   Nxe5   13.Nxe5   Qxe5   14.Re1   Qd6   15.b4   O-O   16.Qf3   Ng4   17.g3   Ne5   18.Qf4   f6?   19.Bb3   Rad8??   20.d4??   Nf7   21.Qxd6   Rxd6   22.c3   Ng5   23.Re3   Kh8   24.Rae1   Re8   25.f4   Nf7   26.a4   Nh6   27.Kf2   Ng4+   28.Kf3   Nxe3   29.Rxe3   h6   30.g4   Bh7   31.h3   Bg8   32.h4   Rd7   33.a5   Rde7   34.Ba4   e5   35.dxe5   fxe5   36.f5   Bd5+   37.Kg3   e4   38.Kf4   a6   39.Kg3   Rc8   40.Kf4   c5   41.Kg3   cxb4   42.cxb4   Rc4   43.Bb3   Rd4   44.Bxd5   Rxd5   45.Kf4   Rd4   46.Rb3??   e3+!!   47.Kf3   e2   48.Re3   Rxe3+   49.Kxe3   e1=Q+   50.Kxd4   Qxh4 Forhe resigns 0-1

  1.e4   d5   2.exd5   Qxd5   3.Nc3   Qa5   4.d3   Nf6   5.Bd2   e6   6.Nd5??   Qxd5   7.Nf3   Be7   8.c4   Qd8   9.g3   b6   10.Bg2   Bb7   11.O-O   O-O   12.a3   a5   13.Qe1   Ra7   14.d4   Nc6   15.Bc3   Ba6   16.Nd2   Nxd4   17.Rd1   c5   18.b3   Bb7   19.f3   Qa8   20.Bxd4   cxd4   21.a4   Bb4   22.Qe2   Bxd2   23.Rxd2   Rd8   24.Rfd1   Ba6   25.f4   Qb8   26.h3   Rad7   27.Bc6   Rd6   28.Bg2   Bb7   29.Bf1   Ne4   30.Rd3   Nc3   31.Rxc3   dxc3   32.Rxd6??   Qxd6   33.Qc2   Qc5+ Bellnboz resigns 0-1