[Event "Autumn Cup 2016"]
[Site "Wellington Chess Club"]
[Date "2016.05.05"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Wastney, Scott"]
[Black "Timergazi, Layla"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2448"]
[BlackElo "2152"]
[ECO "B18"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nh3 Nf6 8. Bc4
e6 9. Nf4 Bh7 10. O-O Bd6 11. Ngh5 O-O 12. Re1 Nxh5 13. Nxh5 Qxh4 14. g3 Qe7
{#Diagram This has all been played before, and White has scored well from here
in a small number of games that all started with 15.Qg4} 15. Kg2 {This is a
novelty but interestingly the computer prefers it to Qg4, although only after
thinking for quite a while. It this all part of Scott's preparation? It's a
definite possibility!} 15... Bg6 16. Qg4 Nd7 17. Bxh6 $1 {Fireworks begin} 
17... gxh6 18. Rxe6 $1 {An essential link in the chain} 18... fxe6 19. Qxg6+
Kh8 20. Qxh6+ Qh7 21. Qe3 $2 { }  (21. Qxe6 $1 Rae8 22. Qxd6 Qxh5 23. Qxd7 Qf3+
{and a perpetual is a computer line} ) 21... Nb6 $5 (21... Qxh5 22. Rh1 {and
now the Queen on e3 prevents Rxf2+ (presumably the idea of Qe3) but} 22...
Qxh1+ 23. Kxh1 Rf6 {and Black is doing well} ) 22. Bd3 Nd5 {#Diagram} 23. Qd2
$2 {Allowing a winning combo}  (23. Qe2 Qh6 24. Rh1 Bxg3 $1 {is good for Black
too} )  (23. Qxe6 $1 {Looks crazy but is best apparently} ) 23... Qxh5 24. Rh1
Nf4+ $3 {The star move} 25. Kg1 Nh3+ 26. Kf1 Bxg3 27. Bg6 Qh4 {Completing an
impressively absolute defence to attack turnaround} 0-1

[Event "2016 Autumn Cup"]
[Site "Wellington"]
[Date "2016.05.12"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Philip Rossiter"]
[Black "Yogesh Kulkarni"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A06"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. b3 { How to explain this move? Well, I had spent the previous
weekend celebrating my 50th birthday, and on the day of this game I got a
present from family in Denmark, namely a Doctor Who chess set! Maybe this was
on my mind as I play an opening named after chess's great Dane, Bent Larsen. } 
2... c5 3. e3 { 3.Bb2 was played in the famous 6th game of the
Petrosian-Fischer Candidates Final 1971. Fischer, as Black, won this game
through sheer will power. I play the move recommended by commentators on that
game. [Ed: Ewen Green explained to me how I had repeating one of the classic
opening mistakes in the postmortem to Forster-Green NZ Champs 2013 - I had played
3.Bb2, and Ewen followed Fischer with 3...f6! after which White cannot contest
square e5. 3.e3 is a much better move for that reason] } 3... Nc6 4. Bb2 Bg4 { Now I had a bit of a think. I could play 4.Be2
and go in to a slow, hedgehog type of game. But instead I made the more
ambitious decision to treat this opening like a reversed Nimzo-Indian. } 5. Bb5
a6 6. Bxc6+ bxc6 7. h3 Bh5 8. g4 Bg6 9. d3 { 9.Nh4 ans 9.h4 were possible, but
with Black still needing to make important decsions about development, I felt I
could take some time for mine. } 9... f6 10. Nbd2 e5 11. Nh4 Bf7 12. Qf3 Nh6 {
The software thinks this move is good, but it's an unhappy place for the
knight. } 13. c4 { The aforementined software doesn't like this and now thinks
Black is slightly better, but I was still following my reversed Nimzo strategy,
as well as wanting to force a decision in the centre. } 13... Bd6 14. e4 d4 {
This can't be good. I was expecting Black to either castle or play ...Bc7. Now
White has a clear way ahead...as for Black's Bishops... } 15. Nf5 Nxf5 16. exf5
Kd7 { I understood this move, as Black doesn't want to defend c6 with a major
piece. The software thinks Black should just castle and sacrifice the pawn.
Either way, I was really starting to like my position. } 17. Ne4 { #Diagram At
some point later in the game, I remembered the ending of the famous Humphrey
Bogart film, The Maltese Falcon. Someone asks Bogey what the statue is. He
famously replies 'the stuff that dreams are made of.' I thought that about this
Knight, which comes to dominate the position.} 17... Qa5+ {This move is
ineffectual. Black really had to create some play with plans around either
...a5 or ...g6. } 18. Ke2 Be7 19. h4 h6 20. Bc1 Qd8 { I could sense that Yogesh
wasn't happy. White is on top now and Black cannot initiate anything. White is
threatening g5 but I don't have to hurry this, but can just improve my
position. } 21. Bd2 { Here I was expecting ...a5. } 21... g5 { But instead
Black makes a bad mistake after which he is lost. } 22. hxg5 hxg5 23. Rxh8 Qxh8
24. Rh1 Qg7 25. Qh3 { I did consider playing 25.Bxg5 here, but I felt the move
played was good as well, and there was no need to change the character of the
position. } 25... Rf8 26. Qh6 Qxh6 27. Rxh6 Be8 28. Ba5 { Of course, White is
going to win material here, but just look at that Knight...even Petrosian or
Nimzowitch might be proud of it.} 28... Rf7 29. Bb6 {#Diagram} 29... Bf8 { This
might be considered a mistake, but the c5 and f6 pawns are dropping no matter
what Black does. } 30. Rxf6 Rxf6 31. Nxf6+ Ke7 32. Ne4 Bh6 33. Bxc5+ Kd8 34. f6
{ 34.Bd6 was a little better, but it makes no difference. } 34... Bg6 35. Be7+
Ke8 36. Kf3 { Here Yogesh resigned. How fitting that White offers his Maltese
Falcon, but like in the film, the price would be too high. } 1-0

