|
|
1. e4
|
Welcome to day two of the Space City Open. After a night of tequila, a lumpy hotel mattress, and a roomate whose snores can be heard from space, I am sufficiently hung over, sore, and tired enough for some more chess. I enter the tourney room, and immediately check out the wall chart. I'm struck by two interesting facts - one, I have the black pieces yet again (I had figured on playing white in round 4), and two, my opponent is yet another kid of about 12. Believe me when I say I really want to win this game - for two reasons. The obvious - I need the full point to have any chance to cash; the other reason is that this kid yesterday exhibited some of the worse sportsmanship I've ever seen at a chess tournament. Some of the things that came out of this kids mouth were just shameful - especially comments directed towards opponents he had beaten (he was 2/3 entering round 4). I won't go into specifics, but suffice it to say that every player in the Reserve section was rooting for me. This kid needed to be put down hard, and I was just ornery enough on this morning to do it. He drops a rook early, and I tell myself that if given the opportunity I will give him a taste of his own medicine. Call me insensitive - or a bad guy - if you like, but circumstances dictated that I crush him to teach him a lesson. While I take no real pride in the quality of the game, it was satisfying to put him in his place. White opens with 1. e4. |

|
|
|
1... d5
|
Once again, I play the Scandi. |

|
|
|
2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5
|
My favorite Scandi variation, which I have seen 1000's of times. |

|
|
|
4. d4
|
This is now REALLY my favorite line. Black's d pawn may very well end up being a target. |

|
|
|
4... c6
|
Creating an escape route for my queen, which may give me the chance to pick up his d pawn. |

|
|
|
5. Nf3 Bg4 6. Bd2 Qd8
|
I couldn't have scripted this any better. Little does my opponent know that of all of the opening variations possible in chess, this is the one that I am most familiar with. |

|
|
|
7. Bf4
|
Moving a piece twice in the opening....another good omen for me. |

|
|
|
7... Bxf3
|
A simple tactical victory. |

|
|
|
8. Qxf3 Qxd4 9. Rd1
|
Ahead in development, white gains tempo with an attack on my queen. One of the intersting things about the Scandinavian is that white usually can gain a developmental edge, but black can neutralize it quite easily with correct play and just sit back and wait him out. |

|
|
|
9... Qb6
|
Protecting my queen and keeping his DSB out of c7. |

|
|
|
10. Qd3
|
White is apparently seeking a quick knockout down the d file, but he will come up short, as blacks developmental catch up protects his vulnerable squares. |

|
|
|
10... Nf6 11. Na4
|
Trying to somehow trap or otherwise harrass my queen. However..... |

|
|
|
11... Qa5+
|
Slows him down. |

|
|
|
12. c3 Nbd7
|
Circles the wagons and introduces the idea of 0-0-0 that white must consider. |

|
|
|
13. b3
|
Protects the hanging piece while giving it a new square to jump to. |

|
|
|
13... e6 14. g3
|
I felt that his 10th was a little premature, and this move (in his mind IMHO) goes to answer the question of his LSB. However, it does open a line towards his Rh1. |

|
|
|
14... Qd5
|
d5 is such a sexy square in the Scandinavian Defense. Blacks queen and both knights have access to it rather quickly, and here I utilize it to force an exchange of queens. |

|
|
|
15. Qc2
|
?? Thinking this discovered attack on my queen is powerful, my opponent totally misses his hanging rook. |

|
|
|
15... Qxh1
|
Being given the gift of such an enormous early advantage, I tell myself to refocus, get pieces off of the board, and put him away. |

|
|
|
16. Qd3
|
? Is he focused on d7 for some reason? My opponent now gives me yet another gift as I can remove the queens. |

|
|
|