1.e4
e5
It is impossible to predict what Joel will play. Last year, if memory serves, he played 1...g6 but transposed to some kind of Gurgenidze Caro-Kann. He really seems to play everything under the sun now, except for main lines! Needless to say, the opening caught me off-guard and, despite the fact that I had something up my sleeve for this variation, I totally forgot it in the heat of the moment and fumbled the opening advantage in a mildly embarrassingly stereotyped manner.
2.Nf3
d6
3.d4
exd4
Did I say that Joel avoids main lines? Perhaps I spoke too soon! Take Dan Shapiro's time machine back to the 19th Century, and I'm sure we'd be squarely in the mainstream now! All joking aside, opening selection is a key psychological ingredient in modern chess; after Joel defeated FM Pressman (a monster speed player who defeated GM Rohde and, in an act of tremendous sportsmanship agreed to a draw against GM Kekelidze when Kekelidze may have flagged), I heard Leif remark on the wisdom of Joel's opening choice in their game as well. Needless to say, Joel is not only a phenomenal chess player objectively, but a shrewd psychological chess player subjectively as well.
4.Nxd4
Nf6
5.Nc3
Be7
6.Be2
More challenging, or at least more interesting, is 6.Bf4, with the idea of castling on opposite flanks. This is what I forgot in the heat of the moment. My "obvious" choice is actually probably more consequential than it seems. As someone who often chooses off-beat openings myself when confronting lower-rated players, I know that the purpose of many of these openings, especially in speed chess, is not so much to obtain the objectively best position, but to obtain something original where after the opponent has played some stereotypical developing moves, his middle game plan does not present itself clearly at a glance. Despite knowing this intellectually, I fell face forward into the trap:
6...0-0
7.0-0
Re8
8.Re1
Bf8
9.Bf1
c5
10.Nb3
Nc6
11.Bg5
h6
12.Bh4
Be6
13.Qd2
a5
Here we go. Black plays a concept familiar to him from experience with this type of position, while White flails around for a clear path forward. Unlike in some variations of the Sicilian, d6 is well protected here, and I'm faced with the kind of strategic decision that's nearly impossible to make without time or experience with this kind of position. Objectively the position is equal, but the comfort level of the players is not equal. If I may put it this way, Black has succeeded in taking the psychological initiative.
14.Rad1
a4
15.Nc1
a3
16.b3
Nd4
17.Nb5?!
[17.N1e2
is more natural and logical, using the misplaced knight to challenge d4.]
17...Bg4
18.Nxd4
[18.Bxf6
gxf6
19.Nxd4
Bxd1
20.Bb5
is more intresting and complicated.]
18...Bxd1
19.Qxd1
cxd4
20.Qxd4
Qa5
21.f3?!
weakening the diagonal to the king. After Nd3, White's two bishops and Black's damaged pawn structure cause the computer to assess the position as equal.
21...d5
Now Black rids himself of a weakness with tempo.
22.Nd3
dxe4
23.fxe4
Rad8
24.Qc4??
[24.Qf2
]
24...Rc8
25.Qd4
Ng4
[25...Rxc2
was simpler, with an easily winning position.]
26.e5
h5
27.h3
Now matters are slightly more complex again, and Joel took a long think here (roughly 2 minutes).
27...Nh6
28.e6
Here I offered a draw, which turned out to be a controversial move, as Joel registered a friendly objection to this after the game. In fact, the propriety (we're speaking as a matter of etiquette not of legality) of a draw offer turns on at least a couple of distinct issues: 1) both players holistic assessment of the game prospects, including both the position's merits and the time situation; 2) the motivation/intention behind the draw offer. As far as the position's evaluation, no doubt Joel accurately perceived that his position was substantially better, and perhaps the basis of his objection was the rather straightforward and uncontroversial view that a lower-rated player shouldn't offer a higher-rated player a draw in a losing position. With this, I whole-heartedly agree; in fact, it was taught to me categorically by my childhood chess mentors, among them our 3rd place finisher FM Dan Shapiro. In my experience (and I'm usually the higher-rated player receiving the offer from a lower-rated), the primary motivation for such an offer is nerves and an irrational attempt to avoid inevitable loss, neither of which are sufficient grounds, I feel, for disrupting the silent intensity of a chess game's atmosphere with verbiage. But that was not the case here. While I realized that White was worse (how much I wasn't sure), I also realized that we were entering a time scramble and that there was plenty of complex play left. Black's knight was offside, and his king shelter substantially compromised. If I were in Joel's position, as I often am, I would not only consider a draw offer here, I would appreciate it: first, as a matter of etiquette, I feel it's more fitting for the lower-rated player to request amnesty from the higher, rather than the other way around; second, given the tournament situation, I might rather take a safe half-point and build my tournament lead later, than risk a loss in a tactically charged melee. As far as my motivation for offering, I was both trying to escape a worse position against a better player, and trying to give my opponent something real and additional to think about in his shortage of time, at least the latter of which I think is a legitimate chess reason. In any event, it is an interesting topic of discussion!
28...Rxe6
29.Rxe6
fxe6
30.Qd7
Qb6+
A nice in-between move, which I had missed. Now Black will protect everything.
31.Bf2
Qc6
32.Qxc6
Rxc6
33.c4
Nf5
34.Be2
h4
35.Bf3
Rd6
36.Be4
Ng3
37.Bxg3
hxg3
38.Kf1
Rd4
39.Bg6
Be7
40.Ke2
b6
41.Ke3
Rd8
42.Kf3
Bd6
43.Ke3
Kf8
44.Be4
Ke7
45.b4
Rc8
46.Kd4
Kf6
47.c5
bxc5+
48.bxc5
Although objectively White is lost, he has obtained legitimate chances with his passed pawn and active pieces. Only Joel's confidently accurate and speedy play kept everything in check for black; a lesser player might certainly have faltered here.
48...Bc7
49.Kc4
Rd8!
Very alert, tying down the knight so that aiding the pawn involves a major compromise: allowing Black's rook to penetrate.
50.c6
g5
51.Nc5
Rd2
52.Na6
Bd6
53.c7
Bxc7
54.Nxc7
Ke5
Despite being under a minute, Joel plays assertively and directedly, not allowing the White minor pieces to find coordination. Although he had to give his bishop for just my pawn, he possesses the same clear advantage as before and converts nearly flawlessly.
55.Kc3
Rxa2
56.Bc2
Rb2
57.Na6
Kf4
58.Nc5
Ke3
59.Nxe6
Rb5
60.Bb3
Kf2
61.Bc4
Ra5
62.Ba2
Kxg2
63.Kb4
Re5
64.Nd4
Kxh3
65.Kxa3
g2
66.Nf3
Kg3
67.Nxe5
g1Q
68.Nc4
Qd4
69.Kb4
g4
70.Bb3
Kf4
71.Bd1
g3
72.Be2
g2
73.Kb5
0-1