Cyber Chess brings Grand Master Gopal's Best Wins in Asian Chess Championship

(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! [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?! [>=15...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 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! [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? 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 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