I've been really busy with school this week, so this update will have to be brief. The Dallas Destiny battled to a 2-2 tie with the San Francisco Mechanics this past Wednesday. We remain undefeated!
Board 1: IM Drasko Boskovic (2532) vs. GM Patrick Wolff (2623) 1/2-1/2
http://www.uschessleague.com/games/boskovicwolff07.htm
Frankly, I thought Drasko was going to win pretty quickly after 20.Nd5. He seemed to have overwhelming compensation for the pawn. However, the wily veteran Patrick Wolff found the amazing continuation 20...Re8 21.Ne7+ Rxe7 22.Qxe7 Re8 23.Qxd6 Qc2!!, which is an extremely hard move to see in advance. Drasko was forced to fight with a rook for two knights, and Wolff later stumbled into a drawn Queen ending.
Board 2: IM Vinay Bhat (2465) vs. IM John Bartholomew (2476) 1-0
http://www.uschessleague.com/games/bhatbartholomew07.htm
What can I say...this game was like having teeth pulled! After the terrible move 33...Re8?? (I completely thought he had to move his bishop; 33...h4 should draw), I fully deserve to lose. Bhat showed very good technique in the opposite color bishop ending and I eventually succumbed to the pressure. These are the sort of endings where the 30-second increment is quite useful - the stronger side can always repeat the position and gain an extra minute or more of time.
Board 3: IM Jacek Stopa (2414) vs. IM David Pruess (2452) 1-0
http://www.uschessleague.com/games/stopapruess07.htm
It really doesn't seem to matter what board Jacek plays on...he always produces! This game looked completely one-sided from beginning to end. It was also the first game to finish, and putting up a quick win really helps out your teammates. Well played, Jacek!
Board 4: Gregory Young (2043) vs. WFM Bayaraa Zorigt (2196) 1/2-1/2
http://www.uschessleague.com/games/gyoungzorigt07.htm
A strange game! Bayaraa caught her young (that's not a pun; he is actually 12 years old!) opponent in a well-known Dragon trap...but messed up the move order! She played 17....Rxd4? first rather than 17...Nxe4 and then 18...Rxd4. She was very upset with herself after this, but just like last week she stuck with her position and even managed to reach an endgame with an extra pawn. Unfortunately, there were bishops of opposite color on the board and Young managed to escape with a draw.
All told, this was a match that we definitely could have won. Still, a tie with the defending USCL champs is a good result. We will try and build on this success next week against Queens!
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