After dropping our first game in the tourney to Blake, I chose to play the English Opening because I've played it a lot recently with good results and needed something familiar against a higher level opponent.

Not so much to secure a piece of the "from" anything, so much as to secure a forward start-line for a K-side counterattack. Maybe.

I had decided before hand to play these first four moves no matter what black played with the possible exception of an early ...d5.

Looking for a kind of Reversed Maroczy Bind after 5.e4.

Presumably also to keep the bishop's line open as far as possible, and the f8-rook's, after castling short. Possibly ...Nf6 is slightly preferable, but the move chosen seems OK.

Up until now, there has been little to comment about. Neither side made any errors so far. However, 9. ... fxe4 does open the position a bit and actually relieves a tiny amount of pressure on White's side. I wouldn't call it a mistake or anything like that. I'm just characterizing it. **** Notice the hole in white's position at d4. The exchange allows white to subdue it; but Clint decided to keep the light squared bishop's diagonal open instead by retaking with the knight.

The up-side of Black's eccentric development of this knight: it gets to a fine square like this. All the same, White's game is nice and sound. The situation looks about even.

The second pawn exchange is better for White. It only made sense for Black if White retook with the knight. But Clint made the proper move with Bishop takes f4. I don't think the position is even. I believe White has a tiny edge now. **** I haven't review the whole game yet. I'm assuming that Clint made some sort of tactical error later in the game. So far he was doing a very good job. I would rather have the white pieces in this game at this point.

I really agonized here between 10.Nxe4 v. 10.dxe4. On one hand, I thought that dxe4 might allow for me to set my rooks up on either side of the isolated e-pawn with support from my Queen on either file or even the possibility of setting up Alekhines gun on the f-file. It was the isolated e-pawn and blacks Queen-side pawn majority that tipped the scales for 10.Nxe4.

And there it is! Clint missed his chance at a solid edge on move 13. He played a thematic Rab1 without noticing that 13. Bg5 would have given Black some big problems to solve. Instead, the d4 hole became a problem for White. Also 14. a3 does little for him either because of the hole at d4. This wasn't a blunder, just a missed opportunity. **** Black quickly closed that opportunity down with h6.

14.Kh1 may have been more timely here.

Black suddenly seizes the initiative. At what point did White relinquish it??

White lost the initiative by 15. Nxd4. This was a mistake; but not necessarily fatal. 15. b4 instead and everything is pretty equal.

I like the way White has stood up to the challenge. This has become one of them there centre-of-the-ring slugfests that could go either way.

18. Bd5+ seems to be just a spite check. I think he was communicating with you Blake. It was unnecessary, but it didn't hurt White's position either. So, why not? **** There maybe a slight edge for Black at this point, but that connected pair of white passed pawns will likely give Black some major problems. Black should be thankful that they are not advanced and on the King-side.

No. Both sides are doing pretty well it seems to me. I think there were possible changes of move order, but thay don't seem to make a whole lot of difference (unusual, that).

I agree. The rest of this game should be very interesting indeed!

I felt that 22.g4 failed to 22...Nxg3+!

22. g4 might have been a good alternative, but dangerous. Such a move would start the pawn roll that is necessary to overwhelm Black. Yet with Queens and all Rooks on board, it is sort of like playing Russian Roulette. **** I can understand that perception, but it would not have failed with Nxg3+ because the pawn would be on g4 instead. If 22. g4 Ng3+, then simply 23. hxg3 and White has a commanding lead and can win easily by force. More likely would be 22. g4 Qh6 23. Qxh6+ Nxh6 24. h3. It would be a near endgame with White still having connected passed pawns that are more advanced than before.

Very good analysis. Though I think your position is a little bit better than you thought.

Had Blake offered the draw here, the game would have been drawn.

A whole bunch of intricate manouevring over the last several moves that I can't make head or tail of. This is not a criticism. For all I know, they might have been the best moves available for both sides. It does seem difficult for either side to make progress right now...

White probably needed pressure on both sides of the board at the same time to make progress. Clint appears to have attempted some tactical pressure on the King-side - hoping for some advantage somewhere. **** Instead, perhaps 26. b4 **** White needed a pawn roll on both sides along with an exchange at the proper time. It was a very tall order to fill. A draw could fairly be considered because of the danger to both players.

H'mmm... splitting up one's few remaining pawns seems counter-intuitive to me...

Black will have to play really actively, I think, in order to hold this one together.

An alternative for White was to play 32. Re1 instead...going after another pawn. It could have provided enough wiggle room to make an attack work. Regardless, it is still a difficult position. Perhaps 32. b4. I'm not sure.

I agree. I needed to actively attack blacks isolated pawns, and the one on the half open e-file might have allowed me to activate a pawn push on both sides of the board with blacks e-pawn sufficiently hassled.

Not bad. An I were White, I think I would be looking to probing on both sides of the board, hoping that Black's pieces, switching from one flank to the other, will run out of puff. The rook on the 6th has assured himself plenty of energy for such a task.

I didn't read this before I wrote my previous comments. Honest!

Natch! White's rook has to conform. White won't like that.

34. Re1 instead might have caused Black's forces to stumble. It was definitely an alternative to look at...hoping for Nc6. There is no guarantee the alternative would work much better. 34. Re1 Bg4 could be handled with 35. b4 Kf7 36. b5.

Heading for the central square d4, where the knight will be within sufficiently easy reach of both wings. White dare not exchange on f5, neither.

I think I described my opponents knight at this point. Superstar was not the adjective I chose. I needed to exchange, and as stated above; dared not.

I'm not sure how you described the superstar, but I think his horsie ears were burning...