Grocott, Philip (1288)
Scarpa, Mario (1368)
Result: 1/2-1/2
Scarpa, Mario (1368)
Result: 1/2-1/2
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1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nc6 3. e3 a6 4. Nf3 Bf5 5. c3 Nf6 6. Bd3 Ne4 7. Qc2 Bg4 8. Be2 Bf5 9. Bd3 e5 10. dxe5 Bg4 11. Be2 Bxf3 The original idea behind Bxf3 was disruption through doubling the pawns in the f-file. Taking the Knight now is not as effective, but I feared that too much back and forth was not a great strategy either. 12. Bxf3 Qh4 13. Bxe4 dxe4 14. Qxe4 Be7 15. Qf3 Bg5 16. Qg3 h6 17. Nd2 O-O-O 18. O-O-O Qh5 19. Nf3 Bxf4 The tension in this corner of the chessboard was higher than during the Cuban Missile Crisis.Exchange was necessary for de-escalation. 20. Qxf4 Rhe8 21. g4 Qh3 If White tries to eventually corners the Queen by moving the Rook in g3, the other Rook will be left on its own, easily exchanged and Qf1 will grant a tempo through a check. 22. Rhg1 g5 23. Qf5+ Kb8 24. Rg3 This blunder flips the side of luck. 24... Rxd1+ 25. Kxd1 Qf1+ 26. Kc2 Qe2+ 27. Kb3 Na5+ 28. Ka3 Qb5 29. b4 Nc4+ 30. Kb3 Qd5 31. Kc2 Nxe3+ What a blunder! Thinking of forking King and Queen while still thinking of the potential pin of one move ago... Luck flips side again. 32. fxe3 Qxa2+ 33. Kd3 Rd8+ 34. Nd4 Qb1+ 35. Kc4 Qa2+ 36. Kd3 b5 37. Ke4 Qd5+ 38. Kd3 Draw by agreement.