1. Nf3 Nf6 2. d4 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. O-O d5 6. c4 c6 7. Nc3 Nbd7?!
I had decided before the game to play 1. Nf3 instead of my usual 1. e4. I felt that Chou would be less prepared for a positional battle vs what could be a more tactical fight with 1. e4. Sure enough, my opponent makes an inferior move with 7. ... Nbd7. It looks natural enough but 7. ... dxc4 is the only way for black to test white's mettle here. The text move, though hardly an outright blunder, signaled to me that Chou was in unfamiliar territory.
8. b3 Nb6 9. c5 Nbd7 10. b4?!
This is a poor move. Like Chou's 7. ... Nbd7, it's hardly a blunder but it was not a necessary move for me to play. I ignored two of Jesse Kraai's rules here, namely not making unnecessary pawn moves and forgetting to first play the moves that have to be played. Therefore, I should have played 10. Qc2 or 10. Bb2 which are both moves white wants to play anyway, whereas it's not clear yet if white will need to play b4. Perhaps I was afraid of black playing e5 at some point and, if I capture on e5, my c5 pawn would be undefended. However, that's a lot of "ifs and buts" and, if that does happen, white would always have the option of playing b4 after exchanging on e5 anyway.
10. ... Re8 11. Bf4 Nh5 12. Qd2?
I have to put this down as an outright blunder but I didn't realize how serious it was at the time. My opponent correctly takes on f4 and then plays several decent moves in a row, leading to a position where black has a definite edge. Correct and necessary was 12. Bg5.
12. ... Nxf4 13. gxf4 Nf6 14. Ne5 Bf5 15. a4 Ng4 16. f3 Nxe5 17. fxe5 Qd7 18. b5 Bh3?
Up to now, my opponent has played well and taken full advantage of my sloppy play but he now makes a serious slip that swings the computer's evaluation from -0.7 to about equal. The problem black will have is that white is going to neutralize black's kingside play and will then start to make serious threats on the queenside, which black will be ill equipped to deal with.
19. Bxh3 Qxh3 20. e3 Bh6 21. a5 Kh8? 22. a6!
Black needed to play 21. ... Qd7 to help shore up the queenside pawns and reduce white's threats. The text move is a blunder that should have led to a virtually lost position for black.
22. ... cxb5 23. Nxb5 Qd7 24. Rfb1?!
This is the start of me playing the wrong move order. Of course, I had looked at 24. axb7 (which Fritz says is correct) and then figured the game would go something like 24. ... Qxb7 25. Rfb1 with a clear edge to white. Unfortunately, I played 24. Rfb1 first by moving too automatically and, while the text move is actually not a blunder (Fritz still gives white a very slight advantage), I realized at once that I had played the wrong move and became frazzled.
24. ... bxa6 25. Rxa6 Reb8 26. Nc3??
There it is! Having played the wrong move order starting on move 24, I now become completely unglued and play a horrible move that, even if it didn't allow black his tactical shot on move 27, would have still put me on the back foot.
26. ... Rxb1+ 27. Nxb1 Qf5!
I simply missed this. 27. ... Qf5 is the best move and now my position falls apart. Black is threatening both the knight on b1 and the pawn on f3. I can defend both with 28. Qd1 but that hangs my e3 pawn (and with check too).
28. e4 dxe4 29. Qxh6 exf3 30. Kf2 Qxb1 31. Qe3??
The final blunder. The only saving try is 31. Qd2 followed by 32 Ra2 but black still has a winning position. However, at least white shouldn't be mated any time soon. The text move allows black to swoop in with the rook and crush me.
31. ... Rb8 32. Ra3 Rb2+ 33. Kxf3 Qh1+ 34. Kf4 Qf1+ 35. Kg3 Rg2+ 36. Kh4 Qf5 0-1
This was obviously a disappointing defeat, especially as I had recovered from my suspicious 12th move and had reached a position that was close to winning for me. I then played the wrong move order and, even though my position was still more than tenable, I had a total meltdown and played two or three horrific blunders. Credit must go to Jeffrey who took full advantage of my carelessness and his 27. ... Qf5! shot was very nice and a move I had completely overlooked.
Here is the game PGN:
(596) Hayes,Matthew (2133) - Chou,Jeffrey (1852) [D78]
Richard Morris Open Arcadia (2), 08.12.2014
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.d4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 0–0 5.0–0 d5 6.c4 c6 7.Nc3 Nbd7 8.b3 Nb6 9.c5 Nbd7 10.b4 Re8 11.Bf4 Nh5 12.Qd2 Nxf4 13.gxf4 Nf6 14.Ne5 Bf5 15.a4 Ng4 16.f3 Nxe5 17.fxe5 Qd7 18.b5 Bh3 19.Bxh3 Qxh3 20.e3 Bh6 21.a5 Kh8 22.a6 cxb5 23.Nxb5 Qd7 24.Rfb1 bxa6 25.Rxa6 Reb8 26.Nc3 Rxb1+ 27.Nxb1 Qf5 28.e4 dxe4 29.Qxh6 exf3 30.Kf2 Qxb1 31.Qe3 Rb8 32.Ra3 Rb2+ 33.Kxf3 Qh1+ 34.Kf4 Qf1+ 35.Kg3 Rg2+ 36.Kh4 Qf5 0–1
