4th Round of Reno Chess Club Championship: Opposite Color Bishop

After my super busy schedule and being sick for at least 6 days last week I am back to post some instructive game for my lovely viewers through the best of my knowledge that I can share.

This is my 3rd round at the RCC Championship technically because I had a BYE at the first round, at this game I wasn't really satisfied at my performance, I felt that I am not fully grown enough as a Chess Player. George played the Bayonet Variation of King's Indian Defense the line that I haven't played for a long time, it was so interesting because I didn't expect that he is going to play such a super sharp line like KID. The game started as 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 0-0 6. Be2 e5 7. 0-0 Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 9. b4 Nh5 10. Qc2!? this line is so interesting because I never come across with this variation, although I know that Black scores well after 10. ... a5, but instead I chose to play the line that is not that much popular.

Anyhow, I think he played well and less mistakes for his rating, but at my side I wasn't that satisfied on my game because there are flaws that shouldn't appear on my game as a mature player. My mistakes here is not that quite obvious and probably won't be recognize by those players weaker than Class A but don't worry I will try to explain it in the instructive way that I know and I even put some games with same ideas so that you will get the the point on it.

Smith, George - Garingo, Nathaniel



After 17. Ne2

So this is probably the position that I would consider the critical position at the game, 17. Ne2 is quite tricky because I was so tempted to take it by 17. ... Bxe2 followed by 18. Qxe2 f3 19. Bxf3 with the idea of 19. ...Qf4 so that white won't be able to play g3 after 20. ... Be5 due to the bishop is hanging.

This is black to play, obviously you can see that white is two pawns up and they have opposite color bishops plus two rooks each side but the only winning key of the game is the two knights!

So black decided to play 1. ... Nf3+ forcing white to capture it by knight 2. Nxf3 Bxf3 3. Rxe8 Rxe8, now black accomplished his aim to exchange the pair of knights and a couple of rooks. Theoretically rooks and opposite color bishops endings are notoriously drawish, because of the long distance checks and also those bishops are sitting in the different channel, now, can white win this position with two extra pawns? let's see... 4. b4 Bd1 5. Ra2 Rc8...

After 5. ...Rc8

I would say this position should be drawn if white doesn't have an excellent resources that makes this position exceptional, so I come up with the idea that before entering a "drawish" materials you should think about your resources!

Here white plays an excellent 6. b5! temporarily sacrificing the Bishop on c3 but in return white will be able to achieve his dream to promote his poor pawn at b4, black losses after taking the bishop by 6. ... Rxc3 7. b6 Rc8 8. b7 Rb8 9. Ra8 and black resigned, I know that taking the Bishop on c3 is losing but what else black can do besides that? is any other reviving move left? what basically this mean is once a position becomes drawish you should squeeze your mind and try to find the "resources" that you have left on the board otherwise shake your opponents hand and accept the draw.

Here is the whole game [Click here to play] Enjoy!