Recent Game and Another Update

I just finished a game at FICS that was pretty interesting. Granted, it was a situation of opposite side castling, but the advantage swings from my side to my opponent's fairly regularly. We both made pretty boneheaded moves on a pretty regular basis. I eventually won, but I could have finished him off much earlier, and he could have said the same. Here is:

Generalkaia - NN, 1/15/07, FICS

1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 d6
3. d4 exd4
4. Nxd4 g6
5. Nc3 Bg7
6. Be3 Ne7
7. Qd2 O-O
8. O-O-O













This is an interesting position.
Clearly, both sides will be vying
for the attack, as the kings are
castled on opposite sides.








8. ... Nbc6
9. h4 a6
10. h5 b5
11. Nxc6 Nxc6

















I personally like my position here, and
I think most of the Knights would agree
that white is winning. However, I found
it difficult to convert at this stage,
I had lots of good ideas but I had a hard
time calculating everything to satisfaction.

12. Bh6 Bg4
13. Bxg7 Bxd1
14. Nxd1 Kxg7
15. hxg6 fxg6

















Here, I am still winning but I show in the
next few moves that I have no idea what I'm
doing. I try to continue with the pawn
rush idea, but 16. Qh6+ Kf6 17. Qh4+ is
much more promising.

16. f4 Ne7
17. f5 Rh8
18. Qg5 Ng8
19. Qg4

















I've blown my attack, and here is where he
takes the initiative and starts stretching
my forces thin.

19. ... Qf6
20. Ne3 Ne7
21. Bd3 Raf8
22. Rf1

















I'm barely holding on, just making moves
that vaguely make sense. At this point I
felt trapped by my own position and very
much on the defense. Luckily for me he made
a few slight mistakes in the next few moves
that tipped the game in my favor.

22. ... Qd4
23. Rf3 d5
24. fxg6 Rxf3
25. gxh7+

















This was his fatal mistake. I am now back
at material equilibrium and am on the
attack. Hasta la vista, baby!

25. ... Kf8
26. Qxf3+ Ke8
27. Nxd5 Nxd5
28. exd5 Qe5
29. Qe4 Qxe4
30. Bxe4















After this, the game is basically over, my
bishop is much more powerful than his rook,
and once I advance my pawns the game is
just technique.

30. ... Ke7
31. Kd2 Kf6
32. Ke3 a5
33. a3 b4
34. axb4 axb4
35. c3 bxc3
36. bxc3 Kg7
37. c4 Rf8
38. Kd4 Rd8
39. c5 Kf6
40. g4 Kg5
41. Bf5 Kf6
42. c6 Kg5
43. Kc5 Kf6
44. d6 cxd6+
45. Kd5 Kg7
46. c7 Rf8
47. c8=Q Rxc8
48. Bxc8 Kxh7
49. Kxd6 Kh6
50. Ke5 Kg5
51. Bf5 Kh6
52. Kf4 Kg7
53. Kg5 Kf8
54. Kf6 Kg8
55. g5 Kh8
56. Be6
{Black resigns} 1-0

Well...

I won't say I'm officially back, since I tend to say that and then disappear again the next week, but I have played about 10 chess games in the last 4 days at FICS. I logged on the other night just to test the waters, and I immediately felt that satisfying feeling that chess gives me. Especially when I'm winning. Which I have been doing fairly often. My rating has risen from about 1590 to 1650, but that's mainly because of the high RD. I find it really refreshing to come back to chess after a long hiatus, because I can see moves more clearly and enjoy myself more. SO.... I am considering jumping back into the 7-Circles program. I think I'm going to modify it, like so many knights have before. I think I'm going to go with the Repeat-Until-Perfection modificiation. I have a book of 365 mates, which is divided into 5 sections of increasing difficulty and 3 test sections, so I plan on doing a Until-Perfection Circle with each of the 5 sections and finishing it off with the 3 tests to see how I've come along.

And the reason I've taken such a long break from chess is RUNNING and COLLEGES, two big parts of my life that are only now starting to slack off. If you want to read about my successful Cross Country season, I have a blog recapping the season at Carrillo Cross Country. College-wise, I've applied to four colleges and, at this point, really want to go to Santa Clara University. I've also applied to Cal and UC Davis and wasn't accepted by Stanford. So, that's a review of my life for the past four months or so, and I'm just finishing up my SCU app right now. Wish me luck!!!