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(1) Gopal,GN (2480) - Torre,E (2536) [B07] 6th Asian Individuals Cebu (2), 20.09.2007 [Gopal Geetha Narayanan] Eugenio Torre, the first Grand Master of Asia is undoubteldly a chess legend by all means, and was one of the world's top players during 70s-80s, playing in many top tournaments with Karpov, Spassky, Korchnoi and others. 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be3 c6 5.Qd2 b5 6.Bd3 Nbd7 7.Nf3 e5 8.dxe5 dxe5 9.h3 Bg7 10.0–0 0–0 11.Ne2 Qe7 12.Ng3 Nc5?! [12...Bb7 is the normal move 13.c4 a6 14.a4 b4 15.c5 a5] 13.b4!
Diagram[13.Qc3 Nfd7 (13...Nxd3 14.cxd3) 14.b4 Nxd3 15.cxd3 Bb7]
13...Nxd3 [13...Ne6 14.a4 bxa4 15.Rxa4; 13...Na4 14.c4 bxc4 (14...Rd8 15.c5) 15.Bxc4] 14.cxd3 Nd7 15.a4 bxa4?! [¹15...a6 16.d4 (16.Bh6 Bxh6 (16...Bb7 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.d4 exd4 19.Nxd4) 17.Qxh6 Bb7 18.d4 f6 (18...exd4 19.Nxd4 f6 20.Ngf5 gxf5 21.Nxf5 Qf7 22.Ra3) 19.h4 Qg7 20.Qe3 exd4 21.Nxd4 Rae8 (21...Qe7 22.Ngf5 (22.h5 c5 23.bxc5 Nxc5 24.axb5 axb5 25.Rab1) ) 22.axb5 cxb5 23.h5 Ne5) 16...Bb7 (16...exd4 17.Bxd4 Bxd4 18.Nxd4 Bb7 19.Ndf5 gxf5 20.Nxf5) 17.Rfc1 exd4 18.Bxd4 f6] 16.Rxa4 a6 17.Rc1 Bb7 18.Qa2 Rfe8 19.Nd2 [19.d4] 19...Rac8 20.Nb3 Bf8 21.Nf1 [21.Na5 Ba8 22.Qc4 Qe6 23.Qxa6 f5 was possible] 21...Qd6 22.Rc3 Qc7 23.Nc5 Nxc5 24.Bxc5 Bh6 25.Ne3 the white knight is heading towards c4. 25...Bxe3 26.Bxe3 Rcd8 27.Ra5 Qd6 28.Rac5 Rd7 29.Qd2 [29.Qe2 with the idea of Qg4 and a further f4 was a strong idea. 29...f6 30.Qg4 Qe6 31.Qg3 Red8 32.f4 Rxd3 33.Rxd3 Rxd3 34.fxe5 f5 35.Qf4] 29...Re6 30.f3 Qe7 31.Qe2 g5?! [31...f5! 32.Qf2 f4 (32...Qf6) 33.Bc1] 32.Qf2 Qd8 33.Qg3 f6 34.f4 exf4 [34...Rxd3 35.fxg5 fxg5 36.Rxe5 Rxc3 (36...Rxe5 37.Qxe5 Rxc3 38.Qxc3) 37.Rxe6] 35.Bxf4 Kf7 36.Bc1 Red6 37.Rf5 Rxd3 [37...h6! was better but black's position is difficult 38.Bb2 (38.e5 Re6 39.Bb2 Kg6 40.Rxf6+ Rxf6 41.exf6 Qxf6) 38...Rxd3 39.Rxd3 Rxd3 40.Qg4] 38.Rxd3 Rxd3 39.Qxg5 Qd4+ 40.Kh2 Bc8 41.Qh5+ Ke7 42.Qxh7+ Kd8 43.Rg5
(Diagram)There were many roads leading to Rome! but i was very much fascinated by this idea. 43...Be6 [43...Qd6+ 44.e5] 44.Qh8+ Ke7 45.e5!
(Diagram) [45.e5 fxg5 (45...fxe5 46.Rg7+ Bf7 47.Bg5+ Ke6 (47...Kd6 48.Rxf7) 48.Qh6+) 46.Bxg5+ Kf7 47.Qf6+ Kg8 48.Qxe6+ Kg7 49.Bf6+ Kg6 50.Be7+ Kh5 51.Qf5+ (51.g4+) ] 1–0 (2) Gopal,GN (2480) - Antonio,Rogelio Jr (2539) [B07] 6th Asian Individuals Cebu (3), 21.09.2007 [Gopal Geetha Narayanan] This game was played in the 3rd round and I was playing against Grand Master Antonio Rogelio of Philippines. 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be3 c6 5.Qd2 b5 6.Bd3 Nbd7 7.Nf3 e5 8.dxe5 dxe5 9.h3 Bb7 10.0–0 a6 11.a4 [11.Ne2 c5] 11...Bg7 12.Ne2 c5?(Diagram)
This is a serious mistake.Black should simply have castled [12...0–0 13.Ng3 Qe7 14.c4 is the normal follow up] 13.axb5 Nxe4 [13...axb5 14.Bxb5 Nxe4 15.Qd3] 14.Bxe4 Bxe4 15.Ng5 Bb7 16.Rfd1 [16.bxa6 was also equally good 16...Rxa6 17.Rxa6 Bxa6 18.Rd1 0–0 19.Nc3 (19.Qxd7 Qxd7 20.Rxd7 Bxe2 21.Bxc5 Rc8 22.b4) 19...Bc8 20.Bxc5] 16...Qe7 [16...axb5 17.Nxf7! Kxf7 18.Qxd7+ Qxd7 19.Rxd7+ Kg8 (19...Ke6 20.Rad1) 20.Rxa8+ Bxa8 21.Bxc5 Be4 (21...h5 22.Nc3 Bc6 23.Rc7) 22.c3] 17.bxa6 Rxa6 18.Rxa6 Bxa6 19.Nc3 Bc8 20.Nd5 Qd8 21.Ne4(Diagram)
0–0 22.Nxc5 Nf6 23.c4 Nxd5 24.cxd5 Qd6 [24...f5 25.d6 f4 26.Qd5+ Kh8 27.Bd2] 25.Ne4 Qb8 26.d6 Bf5 27.Nc5 Rd8 28.g4 Bd7 29.Qd5 Qc8 [29...h6 30.Nxd7 Rxd7 31.b3 Bf8 32.Bc5] 30.Nxd7 Qxd7 31.Rc1 Bf8 32.Rc7 Qe6 33.Qxe6 fxe6 34.d7 Kf7 35.Rb7 1–0