This is probably one of the best games of chess I’ve played in a very long time. The opening game effectively wipes most of the major pieces for both sides from the board. It’s the middle game where things really start to get interesting, both sides jockeying, threatening, and maneuvering for best position. The endgame continues to be interesting – until I make one major blunder and then accidentally drop my bishop on the wrong square (the Facebook chess application is not forgiving on this front), at which point Sasha pretty much mops me up. I highly enjoyed the game because I felt like I really played well and anticipated almost every single one of Sasha’s moves before he made them.
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[Event “Online Chess”]
[Site “Chess.com”]
[Date “2008.07.27”]
[Round “1”]
[White “Jim Stitzel”]
[Black “Sasha Koulenovitch”]
[Result “0-1”]
[WhiteElo “1074”]
[BlackElo “1507”]
[TimeControl “1 in 3 days”]
1. Nf3 Nc6 2. e3 d5 3. Bd3 e5 4. e4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bc5 6. exd5 Nxd5 7. Nxd5 Qxd5 8. O-O O-O 9. Qe2 Bg4 10. c4 Qd6 11. Be4 Nd4 12. Qd1 Nxf3+ 13. Bxf3 Bxf3 14. Qxf3 Rae8 15. b3 Qd4 16. Rb1 e4 17. Qg3 Qf6 18. Bb2 Qh6 19. Kh1 Bd6 20. f4 Re6 21. Qe3 Rfe8 22. g3 b6 23. f5 Qxe3 24. dxe3 Rh6 25. Rf2 Bxg3 26. Rg2 Bd6 27. Rbg1 g6 28. a3 Bc5 29. Re1 Rh3 30. Rg3 Rh5 31. Rf1 Bd6 32. Rg2 Rh3 33. Re1 Kf8 34. fxg6 hxg6 35. b4 c5 36. Bc3 Ke7 37. Kg1 Kd7 38. Rf2 f5 39. Rd2 Kc7 40. bxc5 Bxc5 41. Bd4 Bxa3 42. Ra2 Bd6 43. Rxa7+ Kc6 44. Rc1 Bxh2+ 45. Kg2 Bb8 46. Rg7 Rh2+ 47. Kf1 Rh1+ 48. Ke2 Rxc1 49. Rxg6+ Bd6 50. Kd2 Rxc4 51. Rf6 Ra8 52. Rxf5 Bb4+ 53. Kd1 Ra1+ 54. Bxa1 Rc5 55. Rf6+ Kb5 56. Ke2 Rd5 57. Bb2 Rd2+ 58. Kf1 Rxb2 59. Rf2 Rxf2+ 60. Kxf2 Kc5 61. Kg3 Kd5 62. Kf2 Kc4 63. Ke2 Kc3 64. Kf2 Bc5 65. Ke2 Kc2 66. Kf2 b5 67. Ke2 b4 68. Kf2 b3 69. Ke2 b2 70. Kf2 b1=Q 71. Ke2 Qd1+ 72. Kf2 Bxe3+ 73. Kg3 Qf3+ 74. Kh2 Bf4+ 75. Kg1 Qe2 76. Kh1 Qh2# 0-1
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