[Event "Japan Chess Classic 2022"] [Site "Japan"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "3"] [White "Wakamori, Tsuyoshi"] [Black "Donaldson, Sheldon"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "1884"] [BlackElo "1624"] [PlyCount "71"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 e6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Qc7 6. a3 a6 7. Be3 b5 8. Be2 Bb7 9. f4 d6 10. O-O Nxd4 11. Qxd4 e5 12. Qd3 Nf6 13. Rad1 Be7 14. g4 Qc4 15. Qxc4 bxc4 16. fxe5 dxe5 17. Bxc4 O-O 18. g5 Nxe4 19. Rd7 $1 {Forking the Bishops} Bc5 $6 {trying to complicate things...} 20. Bxc5 Nxc5 21. Rdxf7 Rxf7 22. Rxf7 {I would fight on for the love of the game, but I knew it was over.} Kh8 23. b4 Ne4 24. Rxb7 Nxc3 25. Re7 e4 26. Bxa6 g6 27. Bc4 Rc8 28. Bb3 Rf8 29. Kg2 Nb5 30. a4 Nd6 31. a5 e3 32. Rxe3 Nf5 33. Re4 h6 34. gxh6 g5 35. a6 Nh4+ 36. Rxh4 1-0 [Event "Japan Chess Classic 2022"] [Site "Tokyo, Japan."] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "4"] [White "Donaldson, Sheldon"] [Black "Nakamura, Junko"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E60"] [WhiteElo "1624"] [PlyCount "57"] {[%evp 0,57,30,-17,-11,-7,15,-2,-1,-35,-15,-23,-11,-6,17,9,43,30,39,30,53,63,66,50,42,22,37,24,132,156,204,242,242,251,242,252,294,271,275,273,276,267,445,442,515,429,646,647,773,729,878,848,1384,1425,1455,1830,1930,2032,29999,-30000]} 1. b3 Nf6 2. Bb2 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 d6 5. d4 O-O 6. Bg2 c6 7. O-O Nbd7 8. c4 d5 9. Nc3 Re8 10. cxd5 Nxd5 11. Nxd5 cxd5 12. Ne1 Nb6 13. Nd3 e5 14. dxe5 d4 15. f4 Rb8 16. Nc5 d3 17. Qxd3 Qc7 18. Ne4 Bf5 19. Rac1 Qe7 20. Qf3 Nd5 21. Nd6 Red8 22. Qxd5 Be6 23. Qa5 a6 24. Nxb7 $1 {That's right, always go for tactics} Rxb7 25. Bxb7 Rd2 $5 {chess.com engine thinks this is an interesting move, but...Bf8 is considered better.} 26. Qxd2 Qxb7 27. Qd8+ Bf8 28. Ba3 Kg7 $4 {...h5 is better but is still mate in a dozen moves or so.} 29. Qxf8# 1-0 [Event "Japan Chess Classic"] [Site "Tokyo, Japan"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "5"] [White "Kanda, Daigo"] [Black "Donaldson, Sheldon"] [Result "*"] [ECO "E92"] [WhiteElo "1815"] [BlackElo "1624"] [PlyCount "32"] {[%evp 0,32,18,25,38,-11,35,39,42,36,37,44,37,39,38,32,31,30,30,-12,49,45,58,58,73,5,74,39,-32,-51,17,-60,-87,-80,-94]} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. Be3 exd4 8. Nxd4 Re8 9. Qc2 c6 10. Rd1 d5 $4 11. cxd5 cxd5 12. Ndb5 a6 13. Nxd5 axb5 14. Nc7 Bd7 {in the actual game I played ....Qe7 and went on to lose in 39 moves} 15. Nxa8 (15. e5 Rxa2 16. exf6 Rxe3 17. fxe3 Qxf6 18. Nd5 Qxb2 19. Qxb2 Rxb2 {a disgusting engine line that no one is playing.}) 15... Qa5+ 16. b4 Qxa8 $17 * [Event "Japan Chess Classic"] [Site "Tokyo, Japan"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "7"] [White "Endrina, Julius"] [Black "Donaldson, Sheldon"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "A45"] [WhiteElo "1607"] [BlackElo "1624"] [PlyCount "17"] {[%evp 0,17,25,25,38,27,24,6,0,0,36,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]} 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 c5 3. e3 Qb6 4. Nc3 Qxb2 5. Nb5 Nd5 6. Rb1 {Wait...} Qxa2 7. Ra1 {Oh no $1} Qb2 8. Rb1 {I Gawd No $3 $1} Qa2 9. Ra1 {NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO $3 $3 $3} 1/2-1/2 [Event "FantasyLand"] [Site "FantasyLand"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "8"] [White "NN"] [Black "SheldonOfOsaka"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "3003"] [PlyCount "42"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 c5 3. e3 Qb6 4. Nc3 Qxb2 5. Nb5 Nd5 6. a3 {So why didn't my opponent play this instead of going for the draw $2 Here is one possible variation. All are winning to one extent or another, but this is the prettiest.} a6 $1 7. Rb1 Qa2 8. Qc1 axb5 9. Ra1 {the Queen is trapped, and we don't care.} Qxa1 10. Qxa1 e5 $3 {a pawn break to open up the diagonal for the dark Bishop.} 11. Bxe5 c4 12. Bxb8 Bb4+ $1 {Using the pin to maximum effect.} 13. Ke2 Rxa3 $1 {Who cares about recapturing on b8...attack $3} 14. Qc1 b6 $1 {Lets invite the Light Bishop to the party} 15. Nh3 Nc3+ {Forcing the King to its eventual demise.} 16. Kf3 Bb7+ 17. Kg3 O-O 18. Bf4 Ne4+ 19. Kg4 f5+ {Down the board he goes} 20. Kh5 g6+ 21. Kh6 Rf7 $1 {Mate is Nigh.} 0-1