Scary Scandinavian Game

Rulix Batistil vs Yury Cheryachukin

2015 GTCL Team Competition, 2nd Round. I'm paired with a Russian player but he's below my rating so I'm confident he is not a threat. He played the Scandinavian Qd6 variation and I just reply solidly. On move 8, I offered the b4 pawn sac - he declined. Move 19 c4 pawn sac again - accepted by no choice. My position was already favorable with a c6 passed pawn backed up by my Queen, Rook and white colored Bishop.

For some reasons I stop calculating precisely and missed some quick wins. Yuri has 2 minutes left on his clock and I'm enjoying a comfortable 30 minutes on my clock. I committed 3 serious mistakes in succession in move 37. Qe7, 38.c7 and 39.Qd8 where Yuri got me spending 26 minutes to find the only correct defense to thwart a mating attack. Luckily, I found 43. Rc3 and he runs out of accurate moves and fizzled out. He resigned when I promoted the c pawn on move 47. c8=Q

It was an intense struggle almost throwing up the game brought by mistakes towards the end. Nevertheless, I came out victorious!

[Event "2015 GTCL Team Competitions"] [Site "Willowdale Community Centre, Toronto, ON Canada"] [Date "Jan 27 2014"] [Round "-2"] [White "Rulix Batistil"] [Black "Yury Cheryachukin"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "1951"] [BlackElo "1721"] [TimeControl "60 min"] 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. Be2 Nf6 6. O-O c6 7. a4 e6 8. b4 Nbd7 9. Re1 Be7 10. Ba3 Qc7 11. h3 Bxf3 12. Bxf3 O-O 13. d4 Nb6 14. Qd3 Nbd5 15. Nxd5 cxd5 16. b5 Bxa3 17. Rxa3 Rac8 18. Rc1 b6 19. c4 dxc4 20. Rac3 Rfd8 21. Rxc4 Qd7 22. Rc6 g6 23. Qc4 Rxc6 24. bxc6 Qc7 25. Qa6 Nd5 26. a5 bxa5 27. Rc5 Rc8 28. Bxd5 exd5 29. Rxd5 Kg7 30. Rc5 Rb8 31. g3 h5 32. Qd3 h4 33. d5 hxg3 34. Qxg3 Rb1+ 35. Kg2 Qb6 36. Qe5+ Kh7 37. Qe7 Kg7 38. c7 Re1 39. Qd8 Qb1 40. Rc3 Rg1+ 41. Kf3 Qd1+ 42. Ke4 Re1+ 43. Re3 Qc2+ 44. Ke5 Qf5+ 45. Kd6 Rd1 46. Re5 Qxf2 47. c8=Q *

Rulix Batistil - Yury Cheryachukin 1951 - 1721 2015 GTCL Team Competitions, Jan 27 2014 60 min

Rulix Batistil - Yury Cheryachukin (PGN) 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. Be2 Nf6 6. O-O c6 7. a4 e6 8. b4 Nbd7 9. Re1 Be7 10. Ba3 Qc7 11. h3 Bxf3 12. Bxf3 O-O 13. d4 Nb6 14. Qd3 Nbd5 15. Nxd5 cxd5 16. b5 Bxa3 17. Rxa3 Rac8 18. Rc1 b6 19. c4 dxc4 20. Rac3 Rfd8 21. Rxc4 Qd7 22. Rc6 g6 23. Qc4 Rxc6 24. bxc6 Qc7 25. Qa6 Nd5 26. a5 bxa5 27. Rc5 Rc8 28. Bxd5 exd5 29. Rxd5 Kg7 30. Rc5 Rb8 31. g3 h5 32. Qd3 h4 33. d5 hxg3 34. Qxg3 Rb1+ 35. Kg2 Qb6 36. Qe5+ Kh7 37. Qe7 Kg7 38. c7 Re1 39. Qd8 Qb1 40. Rc3 Rg1+ 41. Kf3 Qd1+ 42. Ke4 Re1+ 43. Re3 Qc2+ 44. Ke5 Qf5+ 45. Kd6 Rd1 46. Re5 Qxf2 47. c8=Q 1-0

Winning with Winnawer

Rulix Batistil vs Kevin Yi-Xiao Yie

Third round encounter - my opponent a youngster Kevin Yi-Xiao Yie. He played the French Defense and I responded with the Winnawer variation as white. The last time we played, I blundered a winning position and lose the game. This time I make sure I'll get even with him by playing solid positional chess. Kevin is a player who will wait and see until his opponent make a mistake.

French Winnawer is kinda sweet and sour chess, the position can swing quickly if you are not alert because of its open and dynamic positional structure. I was able to castled kingside and Kevin's black King was stuck in the middle of the board. He forego castling and hope to counter attack somewhere down in the middle game. I played cautiously and methodically breaking down his defenses by playing c4 on move 20. He accepted and in the process opening the b file where I was able to grab the initiative and play the rook exchange sacrifice with a strong attack on the uncastled black King. By this time he is in defensive mode all night long - I continue to pressed and squeezed his position until he succumb to a zugzwang twenty moves later. Nothing sweeter in chess than a winning smile as we handshake.

Replay and enjoy the game below!

[Event "Scarborough Chess Club - Jack Frost Swiss Tournament 2015"] [Site "Birkdale Community Centre, Toronto, ON Canada"] [Date "Jan 23 2014"] [Round "-2"] [White "Rulix Batistil"] [Black "Kevin Yi-Xiao Yie"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "1951"] [BlackElo "1963"] [TimeControl "60 min"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. a3 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 dxe4 6. Qg4 Nf6 7. Qxg7 Rg8 8. Qh6 c5 9. Ne2 Nbd7 10. Nf4 a6 11. Be2 b6 12. O-O Bb7 13. Be3 Qe7 14. Rab1 Rc8 15. Nh5 Rg6 16. Nxf6+ Nxf6 17. Qh3 Nd5 18. Bh5 Rg8 19. dxc5 b5 20. c4 bxc4 21. Rxb7 Qxb7 22. Qxe6+ Kf8 23. Bh6+ Rg7 24. Bxf7 Rd8 25. Bh5 Qe7 26. Qf5+ Nf6 27. Rb1 Kg8 28. Be2 Rg6 29. Bxc4+ Kh8 30. Bf4 Ng4 31. Bd6 Qg7 32. g3 Qd4 33. Be2 Rgxd6 34. cxd6 Nh6 35. Qg5 Nf7 36. Qe7 Qg7 37. Rb7 Rf8 38. Bc4 e3 39. Qxe3 Qa1+ 40. Kg2 Nxd6 41. c3 *

Rulix Batistil - Kevin Yi-Xiao Yie 1951 - 1963 Scarborough Chess Club - Jack Frost Swiss Tournament 2015, Jan 23 2014 60 min

Rulix Batistil - Kevin Yi-Xiao Yie (PGN) 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. a3 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 dxe4 6. Qg4 Nf6 7. Qxg7 Rg8 8. Qh6 c5 9. Ne2 Nbd7 10. Nf4 a6 11. Be2 b6 12. O-O Bb7 13. Be3 Qe7 14. Rab1 Rc8 15. Nh5 Rg6 16. Nxf6+ Nxf6 17. Qh3 Nd5 18. Bh5 Rg8 19. dxc5 b5 20. c4 bxc4 21. Rxb7 Qxb7 22. Qxe6+ Kf8 23. Bh6+ Rg7 24. Bxf7 Rd8 25. Bh5 Qe7 26. Qf5+ Nf6 27. Rb1 Kg8 28. Be2 Rg6 29. Bxc4+ Kh8 30. Bf4 Ng4 31. Bd6 Qg7 32. g3 Qd4 33. Be2 Rgxd6 34. cxd6 Nh6 35. Qg5 Nf7 36. Qe7 Qg7 37. Rb7 Rf8 38. Bc4 e3 39. Qxe3 Qa1+ 40. Kg2 Nxd6 41. c3 0-1

Grunfeld To The Rescue

Stepanovic Miroslav vs Rulix Batistil

I struggled lately in my chess games since hitting the 2k plus rating. My last five games has been a nosedived but as a chess player, I take all lows in stride and fight every opportunity at the chess board to bounce back and win games again. In round 2, I faced Stepanovic Miroslav - above 2k plus rated veteran club player. He opened the game with d4 and I replied Nf6 hoping to lured him into playing my untested Grunfeld Defense that I've been practicing for quite a while already. Well, be always careful what you wish for - surprisingly enough, he played the main line of the Grunfeld.

It was a tight battle in the Queenside entering the middle game. Almost at equal position then I sacrificed my pawn on move 12 to open up the D file. He toke the bait but then gave the pawn back three moves later. For I gained more space with promising attack on his broken pawn structure.

Then came a series of missed opportunities and slight inaccuracies. But the position is very sharp, wide open ready to break lose. I can smell fireworks on the board ready to explode in a moment. I'm treading a tight rope so as he - the first to blink will be in great trouble. Thankfully he was in time trouble and did blinked with some tactical blunders toward the end game playing under two minutes remaining on his clock.

The crowning moment was my all or nothing sacrifice on move 40 - a gambled trick that leads to a beautiful combination winning the white Queen. Miroslav is the second 2000+ player that I conquered so far in my chess career.

Replay and enjoy the game below!

[Event "Scarborough Chess Club - Jack Frost Swiss Tournament 2015"] [Site "Birkdale Community Centre, Toronto, ON Canada"] [Date "Jan 16 2014"] [Round "-2"] [White "Stepanovic Miroslav"] [Black "Rulix Batistil"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2002"] [BlackElo "1951"] [TimeControl "60 min"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Be3 c5 8. Qd2 Qa5 9. Rb1 a6 10. Nf3 O-O 11. Rc1 Nd7 12. Bd3 b5 13. dxc5 Bb7 14. O-O Rad8 15. c4 b4 16. c6 Bxc6 17. Nd4 Ba8 18. Nb3 Qa3 19. Qe2 Ne5 20. Bb1 Rd7 21. Rc2 Rc8 22. f4 Nc6 23. Bc1 Qa4 24. e5 Nd4 25. Nxd4 Rxd4 26. Be3 Rd7 27. Rd1 Rcd8 28. Rcd2 f6 29. Bd4 Qc6 30. Bb2 Kf7 31. f5 gxf5 32. Bxf5 Rxd2 33. e6+ Kg8 34. Rxd2 Rxd2 35. Qxd2 Qc5+ 36. Qf2 Qxc4 37. h3 Qd5 38. Bg4 Qd3 39. Qa7 Qb1+ 40. Kh2 Bxg2 41. Qxe7 Bc6 42. Qd8+ Bf8 43. Qxf6 Bd6+ 44. Be5 Qb2+ *

Stepanovic Miroslav - Rulix Batistil 2002 - 1951 Scarborough Chess Club - Jack Frost Swiss Tournament 2015, Jan 16 2014 60 min

Stepanovic Miroslav - Rulix Batistil (PGN) 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Be3 c5 8. Qd2 Qa5 9. Rb1 a6 10. Nf3 O-O 11. Rc1 Nd7 12. Bd3 b5 13. dxc5 Bb7 14. O-O Rad8 15. c4 b4 16. c6 Bxc6 17. Nd4 Ba8 18. Nb3 Qa3 19. Qe2 Ne5 20. Bb1 Rd7 21. Rc2 Rc8 22. f4 Nc6 23. Bc1 Qa4 24. e5 Nd4 25. Nxd4 Rxd4 26. Be3 Rd7 27. Rd1 Rcd8 28. Rcd2 f6 29. Bd4 Qc6 30. Bb2 Kf7 31. f5 gxf5 32. Bxf5 Rxd2 33. e6+ Kg8 34. Rxd2 Rxd2 35. Qxd2 Qc5+ 36. Qf2 Qxc4 37. h3 Qd5 38. Bg4 Qd3 39. Qa7 Qb1+ 40. Kh2 Bxg2 41. Qxe7 Bc6 42. Qd8+ Bf8 43. Qxf6 Bd6+ 44. Be5 Qb2+ 0-1