Ann Arbor Winter Open, Day 2

Final Score: 3/5
Rounds & Results: 1D 2W 3W 4D 5L
USCF Rating Change: 1461-->1462

All in all a good tournament which reminded me that my number one problem is still time management. I've always taken too long to move, but I took even longer this weekend because I hadn't played in eight months. It really requires a lot of practice on my part to get most of my moves within the three minute range. Poor time management cost me one half point in each of two games this tournament, and almost cost me another half in round three. Oddly enough, round five's problem was moving too fast on a critical move, one which turned my draw into a loss.

Critical Position, Round 5

Scott Faust(1575)-Troy(1461)
Position after 38.Bd5



According to Rybka, there are fully twelve moves here that hold a draw evaulated at 0.00 after 26 ply. I didn't pick any of them. Instead, I chose 38...Bxd5, which leaves white scoring the full point. Drawing moves included: Ke7, Bh3, g6, Bc8, Bd7, Bg4, a6, Kf7, Bf7, h5, b5, and g5. The game had been boring and drawish up to this point, and I had already offered the draw. I may have been too uninterested, which explains my quick play at the end.

Round 4
Troy(1461)-Jack Glantz(1536)




After 29...Kd7, Jack offered me a draw. I had only a few seconds left to make the first time control, but I wanted to explore the position more, so I kept playing. Unfortunately, I played the move I knew would lose a pawn. It isn't necessarily a decisive victory for black even after he makes the capture with the his bishop, but it makes me have to work a lot harder. Jack instead used his knight, which also gives him some advantage. 34.Bf3+ took control of the long diagonal again and set up a cheap trap. One of the four squares black's king can move to leads to mate in one. Jack said later that he didn't even notice and only happened to avoid it by chance. Lucky man :) I accepted Jack's second draw offer after 37.e4; it's probably drawn, though black retains a slight advantage.