hardcore pawnography

i don’t think i will be playing in the las vegas chess festival.  i want to, it would be super fun and cool and, well, it’s VEGAS, but it would be a bit of a time crunch, i honestly don’t think i am up to that caliber of chess (not that it matters, if i could win one game there, it would kick ass, and besides, i cant win unless i play the game) and, of all things, i can’t seem to register for it.  i am taking the illogical inability to register as a sign from god that i shouldn’t go to vegas this year.  and who am i to argue with god? it’s not like i can fight against him, he’s omnipotent.

played only a few games of chess this weekend, didn’t study as much as i should have (does anyone ever study as much as they should?) played through a few master games out of a new book i got, which is pretty cool. 

i did play one game that made me kind of happy.  it’s not a particularly interesting or exciting game, and i “won” because the guy ran out of time.  what makes me happy about the game is :  the guy was rated in the 1900’s (online rating.  i’m sure it isn’t accurate, but it might be close…) and although i wasn’t “winning,” at the time the game stopped, i was poised to take some material, and i think i had a decent attack, or at least decent chances, and while he was better off, i don’t think he had a solid threat.   

one of the things that made me happy about my performance is on move 13.   i saw that if i moved my bishop to f4, he could move his knight to e5 to set up for a check that would leave him up on material.  i *saw* it, and actually had a plan for it.  i moved my bishop, and he moved his knight, just like i expected.   this might be routine for most players, but to me, it shows me that i am thinking, and gives me hope that i just might be getting better.  i nullified his attack with my king move and then started attacking.  i figured i would try to put pressure on him and keep him moving, just so he couldn’t organinze anything.  kind of a “Defensive attack.”   i saced my bishop on move 16, and i didn’t really have a reason, other than i wanted to open up the castle and expose the king.  i was hoping i could catch him shirtless and drunk on the floor trying to eat a hamburger.   no dice.  by move 20 i am down on material, but i still have the lana turner rose filtered glasses on, and think i have a chance.   it ends on move 30, i’m forking his rook and bishop, and i don’t see anyway he can save both.

not a great game, but i’m happy with it.  if you care, i’m playing white, here is the game:

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Nbd7 5. e4 dxe4
6. Nxe4 Bb4+ 7. Nd2 O-O 8. Nf3 c5 9. Bd3 Qa5 10. O-O Bxd2
11. Bxd2 Qc7 12. Ne5 cxd4 13. Bf4 Nxe5 14. Kh1 Nfd7 15. Qh5 g6
16. Bxg6 fxg6 17. Qg5 Rxf4 18. Qxf4 Qd8 19. Rae1 Qf8 20. Qxd4 Nc6
21. Qe3 e5 22. f4 Qh6 23. c5 Nf6 24. Qb3+ Kh8 25. Rxe5 Nxe5
26. fxe5 Ng4 27. h3 Bf5 28. Qc3 Be6 29. c6 bxc6 30. Qxc6
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