[Event "TCC 94"] [Site "Temecula"] [Date "2021.07.27"] [Round "7"] [White "Lucan, Marius Gabriel"] [Black "Andrade, Luis"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D66"] [Annotator "Lucan"] [PlyCount "125"] [EventDate "2021.07.??"] [EventType "swiss (rapid)"] [EventRounds "8"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 c6 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 Nbd7 7. Bd3 h6 8. Bh4 O-O 9. O-O {Luis is a very aggressive player so I was thinking that castleing is a safe choice.} Re8 10. Rc1 dxc4 11. Bxc4 b6 12. Be2 Bb7 13. Qc2 c5 14. Rfd1 {I was trying to understand why dxc5 is better than Rfd1 according to Rybka, but while I was thinking about it for more than a minute, Rybka changed its "mind" suggesting Rfd1 as the best move! I am happy to see my understanding of the position was pretty decent.} Qc7 15. Bg3 {[#]} Bd6 {To be sincere, I was expecting this reaction from my oponent lol. I knew that he will not agree to give up that diagonal without a fight, and I was silently anticipated and waited for Bd6?} 16. Nb5 Bxg3 {The game is definitely looking better for white here, but it is not so easy as it looks. Luis made the right choice giving up his queen for two pieces and trying to create some counterplay. Otherwise, after NxBd6, black is forced to give up his light squares Bishop, probably the best positioned piece of his army.} 17. Nxc7 Bxc7 18. b4 Rac8 19. dxc5 bxc5 20. bxc5 Bd8 ({If you are wondering why not} 20... Nxc5 21. Qxc5 Bxh2+ 22. Kxh2 Rxc5 23. Rxc5 {with decisive advantage for white. 20...Nc5 looks appealing but as a result of this variation, white will end up with an extra Rook.}) 21. c6 { is a decent move, still winning for white, but 21.Bb5 was THE MOVE!} (21. Bb5 { is better for many reasons: 1) It is psychologically more disturbing than 21. c6; 2) It forces the simplification of the position which is in White's advantage; and, 3) It prepares a Queen sacrifice with decisive advantage for White - basically it doesn't gives black any conterplay chances.}) 21... Bxc6 22. Qxc6 {I have decided to sacrifice my Queen in order to stop any Black's counterplay and also diminish its power in the center. Two Rooks and 4 pieces are creating a strong force in the game, and I have decided to not let it happen.} Rxc6 23. Rxc6 Bb6 24. Bb5 Rb8 25. Rdc1 {Intuitively I knew that this endgame is favoring White, and I am surely glad I was right with my assumption. } Kh7 26. Rc8 Rxc8 27. Rxc8 g6 28. Bxd7 Nxd7 29. a4 {is an ok move, but I should have really activated my passive sleepy Knight!} (29. Nd2 {would have helped me to win the game earlier and more easily than I did.}) 29... Kg7 30. Rc6 Kf6 31. e4 g5 32. h3 Ke7 33. g4 Nf6 34. e5 Nd5 35. h4 gxh4 36. Nxh4 Nb4 37. Rc3 Nd5 38. Rb3 Nf4 39. Kf1 Kf8 40. Ng2 Nd5 41. Ne3 Nxe3+ 42. fxe3 Kg7 43. Ke2 Kg6 44. Kf3 Kg5 45. Rb5 Bc7 46. Rb7 Bxe5 47. Rxf7 a5 48. Rb7 Bc3 49. Rb5+ Kg6 50. Ke4 Kf6 51. Rb3 Bd2 52. Kd3 Bb4 53. Rxb4 axb4 54. a5 Kg5 55. a6 Kxg4 56. a7 h5 57. a8=Q h4 58. Qe4+ Kg3 59. Qxe6 h3 60. Qg6+ Kh2 61. Ke2 b3 62. Kf2 { Everyone was expecting a brutal checkmate with Qg1# but I was thinking to something more elegant, Qg3+ and only after Kh1 take on h3 with checkmate. My opponent didn't agree with my manouvre and resigned before I got the chance to deliver my chosen checkmate. This is the beauty of the endgame, when I or my opponent is in a losing position, we always have the opportunity to resign. If that doesn't happen, our opponent will also have the option to checkmate us as he or she desires, while we are still playing... If you decide to play to the end hoping for an ugly stalemate or a miracle that will save your lost position, please don't judge me, when I am selecting the way your King dies. ;) } b2 63. Qg3+ 1-0