My Game # 01; Goldsby

A.J. Goldsby I (2239) - Brent Inman (2146)
[C02]
   A.S.M.S. Summer Chess Open
    J.C. Davis Auditorium
    Chickasaw, AL / USA (Rd. # 05), July 16th, 2000.

[A.J.G.]

An interesting game, that is cut short by a blunder. (Brent was probably a little tired from several long games. His game in Round Four vs. Richardson went the full four hours! {And over 70 moves.}

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The original version of this game contained a very in-depth repertoire of ALL the book lines of the Advance
Variation of the French. (Plus about 30-50 games - and game fragments ... plus game analysis.) All this was removed for this version of the game. (NO-WAY!!! - - - I try to make a web page out of that!!)

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The ratings are the correct ones, and those assigned on the tournament's wall chart and also the cross-tables as well.

1.e4 e6; 2.d4 d5; 3.e5!?, {See the diagram, just below here.}
The Advance Variation.

I wanted to get Brent out of his preparation.

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     [ I almost always play: 3.Nd2, which is the Tarrasch Variation.
         (I am sure Brent counted on this, he looked terribly disappointed
          when I played 3.e5, here.) ]

3...c5; (Pawn-lever)
Attacking the base of the pawn structure. (The d4-square.)

[ Possible was: 3...b6!?; ]

4.c3,
The most sensible move, protecting a pawn with a pawn.

[ MCO gives: 4.Nf3!?, ... {See that Book.} ]

4...Nc6;
The most normal move here, and the Main Line, according to book.

[ An interesting try is: 4...Qb6; with good play for Black. ]

5.Nf3 Bd7;
Developing the Queen-side before the King-side is common by many
French Defense advocates.

[ Some players like: 5...Nh6?!; {now} MCO gives: 6.Bd3, ...
but White should be OK. {In these lines.};

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       The most normal continuation is:   5...Qb6; {Diagram?}
       The main line of ... the Advance Variation.
       [ See any good reference work. ] ]

6.Be2,
Simple, sane development. (This can never be bad!)

[ A simple trap was: 6.Bb5? Nxe5!; "/+" {D?}
and Black wins a pawn.

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MCO gives: (>/=) 6.a3!?, "~" {Diagram?}
here for White. (The main line.) ]

6...f6!?;
I do not know if this is good or bad.
I am not sure, at this point anyway, if this move is even in the book.
(Maybe a dubious idea?)

     [ Another idea for Black was:
         6...Nh6!?; 7.Bxh6, {Diagram?}
         White takes up the challenge.

( Or 7.b3 Nf5; 8.Bb2 Qb6; 9.0-0, "+/=" {Diag?}
and White is (also) slightly better. )

         7...gxh6;   8.0-0 Qb6; 9.Qd2 Bg7; 10.Na3 0-0;
         11.Nc2, "+/=" {Diagram?}
         GM V. Topalov - GM A. Bareev; Novgorod, 1997.

[ See MCO-14; pg.'s # 200-202, column # 4, and note # (p.), part (B.).]

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Another idea here for Black is to play the Knight to e7 first; then head for f5.

         For example: 6...Nge7!?; 7.Na3 cxd4;   8.cxd4 Nf5;
         9.Nc2 Qb6; 10.0-0 Rc8; "~" {Diagram}
         Many books rate this position as being better for White, (I.e. - "+/=");
         I choose the more sober assessment that Black is probably OK here.

         GM Evgeny Sveshnikov (2557) - GM Goran Dizdar (2530);
         National Championship Tournament / (Rd. # 8) / Celje, SLO; 2003.
         {The game was eventually drawn.} ]

I do not know if my next move is good or bad. But I decided I was happier
in a more open-type position, than a closed one.
7.exf6!?,   {Diagram?}
Opening the game up.
{And also creating some slightly weak squares in Black's camp.}

(But this was not White's only option.)

     [ I spent a lot of time looking at: 7.Bf4!?, "+/="   ... {Diag?}
       (I go on to give a very long line that takes several pages. Of
        course I did not see all of this over the board!!);

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MCO gives: 7.0-0, ('!') {Diagram?}
and White should come out of the opening with a solid edge. ]

7...Nxf6; 8.0-0 Bd6; 9.Na3! a6;
Twice in one tournament! (A search of my database reveals that I have again,
in less than ten moves, gone outside the scope of known theory.)

[ During the game, I thought that I was clearly better after Black exchanges
on the d4-square here. (After the game, Brent agreed with me.)

        But the following analysis would seem to indicate that after the moves:
        9...cxd4; 10.Nb5 Bb8; 11.cxd4 0-0; 12.Re1 e5; 13.dxe5 Nxe5;
        14.Nc3, "~"   {D?}    Black might be OK. ]

10.dxc5! Bxc5; 11.b4!?, ('!') {See the diagram - just below.}
Not the only move that I looked at.

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(This is a good place for a diagram.)

[ Also possible was: 11.Nc2 0-0; 12.Be3 Bd6; 13.c4, "~" ]

11...Bd6; 12.b5 Bxa3?; ('??')
A horrible blunder.

[ Best was: >/= 12...Ne5; ('!') 13.bxa6 bxa6; 14.c4, "~" {D?}
when White plans to give Black an isolated pawn. ]

My next move is a very alert ... "in-between" move.
13.bxc6!, Black Resigns, 1-0.
(Black will lose a piece when White captures on d7 with check.)

Not as short of a game as it seemed. I used 47 minutes on my clock. Black used 39-40 minutes.

NOTE: Brent is a former Master.

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Copyright (c) A.J. Goldsby I

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My Game, (on 50 megs); Number One. (# 01)

A.J. Goldsby I (2239) - Brent Inman (2146) [C02] A.S.M.S. Summer Chess Open J.C. Davis Auditorium Chickasaw, AL / USA (Rd. # 05), July 16th, 2000.

[A.J.G.]

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A.J. Goldsby I (2239) - Brent Inman (2146)
[C02]
A.S.M.S. Summer Chess Open
J.C. Davis Auditorium
Chickasaw, AL / USA (Rd. # 05), July 16th, 2000.