MCJ - Volume 48 Number 2 - News - Minnesota State Chess ...

Polgar Invitation when I was in such bad
shape. Still, I prepared to do the best I
could—I could at least help out my
school, Cooper High.
The tournament was spread out
over two days, with four rounds the first
day and two the second. My first two
games went smoothly. While my
primary talent is in attacking, I didn’t
feel confident of my ability to attack,
and so I dragged my opponents into the
endgame and beat them there. The third
round had me sitting at one of the top ten
boards thanks to my 2.0 score! There, I
faced a player who ended up in the top
20. Fourth round, unfortunately, I
completely flubbed and lost in less than
an hour. The remaining rounds were the
next day, and I spent most of the time in
between sleeping. In my fifth round
game, it was my opponent who made a
one-move fatal mistake.
223) Morgan,M (1141) − Andrew,S
(1016) [B57]
MSCA Scholastic (5), 28.03.2009
1. e4 c5 8. Nf3 Bg4
2. Bc4 d6 9. 0–0 0–0
3. Nf3 Nc6 10. h3 Bxf3
4. d4 cxd4 11. Qxf3 Qb6
5. Nxd4 Nf6 12. Bb3 Rfe8
6. Nc3 g6 13. Be3 Nd4
7. Bg5 Bg7
14.Bxd4 [14.Qd1 would have avoided
trading off a happy piece]
14...Qxd4
15.Nb5 Qc5
16.Ba4 a6
17.Nc3 Red8
18.Rad1 Nd7
19.Bb3 [19.Nd5 would have been
preferable to moving my bishop back
and forth]
19...e6
20.Na4 Qc6
21.Qe3 b5
22.Nc3 Nb6
23.a3 Nc4
24.Qc1 [24.Bxc4 would have saved me]
+ ++
+ + +
+++
++ + +
+++ +
+ +
+ +
+ Q+
24. ... Nxb2 34. Rf3 Qe4
25. Qxb2 Bxc3 35. Rde3 Qd4
26. Qc1 Qxe4 36. Rd3 Qc5
27. Rd3 Rac8 37. Qf4 Ra7
28. Rfd1 d5 38. Qg5 f6
29. Re3 Qf4 39. Qe3 Qxe3
30. g3 Qf5 40. Rdxe3 Be5
31. Kg2 a5 41. axb4 axb4
32. Rdd3 b4 42. Bb3
33. Ba4 Ra8
+ ++
+ + +
+ ++
+ + +
+ + +
++
++ +
+ + + +
42. ... Kf7
43.Rxe5 Ke7 [This was my lucky break]