DATCC 1 week

DATCC Week 1
I read with great interest about this team event’s details ... every Wednesday evening , FIDE rated,all play all team event...wow! decided there and then i have to take part. I ‘advertise’ myself on several shoutboxs and one fine day i received SMS from Hairulov asking me whether i am interested to be in his team (Nusa Mahkota). Ofcourse Hairul.
There are 6 players in our team. Myself, Aziz, Hairul, Shamsol, Rusdi and Irwan.
Before the beginning of the first round, Mr Hamid informed all players that he expects a bigger turnout for this event and since there are only 10 teams (and the prize is big) he propose either double round robins or a round robin follow up with an individual 9 rounds tourney. I favoured the latter but since most of the players prefer double round robins, double round robin it is!
Below is my first round game against IM Mas.
(2) Ilham - Mas [D00]
DATCC, 22.04.2009

1.d4 Nf6
2.Nc3 d5
3.e4 Introducing Blackmar Counter Gambit 3...dxe4
4.f3 exf3
5.Nxf3 Bg4
Not the most feared move. 5...Bf5 followed by 6.c6 is perhaps more accurate
6.Bd3 Theory recommend 6.h3 immediately putting a question mark to this bishop but i prefer 6.Bd3 since from my experience, black bishop is a liability to be here 6...e6
7.Be3 Bb4 7...Be7 perhaps is better since black bishop is doing nothing at b4
8.0–0 Nbd7 Nc6 is better
9.Qe1 Bh5
10.Qh4 Bxf3
11.Rxf3 Even though white is a pawn down, Fritz prefer white position due to active position of white pieces (+/= 0.35) 11...Qe7 What to do now? I rejected Raf1 since it is obvious black is not going to castle king side. I played 12.a3 (Fritz = 0.21) with the idea of maintaining two bishops and opening the b file, just in case black castle queenside. Fritz suggested the complicate 12. Nb5 (+/- 0.75)
12.a3 Bxc3
13.bxc3 h6
14.Qg3 0–0–0 Wow! he really castle queenside!
15.a4 Attack! 15...Kb8
16.a5 Nd5
17.Bd2 f5
18.c4 Mas suggest 18.Qe1 before playing c4 with the idea of preventing black's Nb4 18...Nb4
19.c5 Nxd3
20.Rxd3 Nf6
21.a6 My team mate Rusdi suggest immediate 21. Rb1 which is not bad as per below variations show [21.Rb1 Ne4 22.Qe1 e5 23.Rdb3 Rxd4 24.Rxb7+ Ka8 Kc8 25.c6 is force mate in 16 moves 25.Be3 Qxc5 slight advantage for white] 21...Ne4
22.Qe1 b6
23.Bf4 Ka8
24.cxb6 cxb6
25.Be5 Rc8
26.Re3 threatening 27.Rxe4 fxe4 28.Qe4 mate! 26...Rhd8
27.Rc1 Rc4
28.Rb3?? [28.Rxe4! fxe4 29.Qxe4+ Rd5 30.Rf1 Rc8 31.Qg6 Rd7 32.Qe4+ Rd5
Black, eventhough material up is almost paralysed to prevent white play on F file and h1a8 diagonal, the position is dead equal.] 28...Rdc8
29.c3 after this move the game is all black Qd7
30.Ra3 Qb5
31.Rb1 Qc6
32.Rc1 Nxc3
33.Rca1 Ne4
34.h3 g5
35.Kh2 h5
36.Rd3 Qd5
37.Rda3 Rc2
38.Rd3 g4 White resigned a few moves later 0–1


Aziz draw his game against Abdullah Che Hassan, a pity since he is in total control of the game after some timid back rank manouevre by Dollah.
Not sure exactly what is going on in Sam’s game against Nik Farouqi but glancing from my place, it is a tough fight and a very interesting game.
Rusdi lost to Udani when his strategy of steering the game away from Main line –Giucco Piano misfired.