Nigel vs Dane, Game 3 of the Fourth Boris Chessky Cup Head-To-Head

Game 3 was, if I do say so myself, a very good game.

I believe it's been 588 days since I'd won a Chessy Cup game, with only one Chessy Cup draw in that mix.

That's exactly 7 times as long as Santiago, the old fisherman in Hemingway's The Old Man And The Sea, went without catching a fish. He went 84 days without catching a fish. The connection seems relevant.


First to 5 points: 

• Dane: 1.5
• Nigel: 1.5

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. d4 d5 3. c4 c6 4. cxd5 cxd5 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bf4 g6 7. e3 Bg7 8. h3 O-O 9. a3 a6 10. Bd3 Re8 11. O-O b5 12. Rc1 Bb7 13. Qd2 b4(+0.02 → +0.89) Inaccuracy. A better move was 13... e6. (13... e6 14. Ne5 Nxe5 15. Bxe5 Ne4 16. Bxe4 dxe4 17. Bxg7 Kxg7 18. Ne2) 14. Na4 a5 15. Nc5 Bc8(+1.14 → +2.66) Inaccuracy. A better move was 15... Qb6. (15... Qb6 16. Qe2 Ne4 17. Nxe4 dxe4 18. Bxe4 e5 19. dxe5 Nxe5 20. Bxb7) 16. Ne5(+2.52 → +1.27) Inaccuracy. A better move was 16. Bb5. (16. Bb5 Qb6 17. Qe2 Na7 18. Bxe8 Nxe8 19. axb4 Qxb4 20. Ne5 Bf5) 16... Nxe5 17. Bxe5 bxa3 18. bxa3 Nd7(+1.23 → +2.52) Inaccuracy. A better move was 18... Rf8. (18... Rf8 19. Qa2 e6 20. Bb5 Qe7 21. Bg3 Ra7 22. Bh4 e5 23. dxe5) 19. Bxg7(+2.51 → +1.09) Mistake. The best move was 19. Ne6. (19. Ne6 Qb6 (19... fxe6 20. Bc7) 20. Nxg7 Rf8 21. Bc7 Qf6 22. Qa2 Kxg7 23. Qxd5 Ra7) 19... Kxg7 20. Bb5 Nxc5(+1.02 → +2.07) Inaccuracy. A better move was 20... Ra7. (20... Ra7 21. Rfd1 Rh8 22. e4 dxe4 23. Bxd7 Bxd7 24. d5 Qa8 25. Nxe4) 21. Rxc5 Rf8 22. Bc6 Ba6 23. Rxa5 Ra7 24. Rc1 e6 25. Bb5 Bxb5(+1.44 → +3.83) Mistake. The best move was 25... Qa8. (25... Qa8 26. a4 Rb8 27. Bc6 Bb7 28. Rxa7 Qxa7 29. Bb5 Qa8 30. Qd3) 26. Rxa7 Bc4 27. Rb1 Qd6 28. Qa5 Rb8 29. Rxb8(+7.59 → +5.23) Inaccuracy. A better move was 29. Rxf7+. (29. Rxf7+ Kxf7 30. Qa7+ Kf6 31. Rxb8 Be2 32. Rb7 Qf8 33. Rxh7 g5) 29... Qxb8 30. Ra8 Qb1+ 31. Kh2 Qe4 32. Qd8 Bf1 33. Qh8+ Kh6 34. Qf8+ Kh5 35. g4+ Kg5 36. f4+ Kf6 37. Qh8+ Ke7 38. Qd8#