CC Tandem Chess
Teams:
Grayling Hill (2346) and Jason Bokar (2509) Ave. Rating = 2428
vs.
Dave Taylor (2528) and Ken Reinhart (2458) Ave. Rating = 2493
Referee: Steve Ryan.
Rules: Alternating moves from each player on the team. No consultation on the opening and no consultation during the game. Time limit is 10/30.
1.d4
Here, Dave secretly wished that Grayling had played 1.e4 because he was itching to play 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 and fall back on well researched openings. However, Ken admits he would have gone for 3. ... Qd6, busting Dave's main line!
Grayling eliminates all questions with a timely 1.d4!
1...Nf6
What??? Dave doesn't play 1. ... d5 - with hopes of playing a Albin... after all that work on TCCMB??
2.c4
Jason plays it "safe" with 2. c4 instead of going into the murky lines of the Colle :-)
2...e6
Ken's Comment on this move:
"This was already a hard situation for Tandem play. If I play 2..g6 I make Dave choose Grunfeld or KID (presumably). I realized today that Dave and I can't really look at each others games; Dave's published games are old and my are too new to find! Actually, Jason has access to 5 of my recent games, but probably won't do any good for the opening.
So I guess Grayling and Jason have the advantage in that they can see what their partner plays as White (although Jason has only a few 1.d4 games), but Dave and I have the advantage in that we don't have many recent games available for study by the opponents? I hadn't considered that aspect of Tandem earlier."
3.Nf3
d5
4.Nc3
Nbd7
The so-called anti-Bf4 variation... but does it really stop Bf4?
5.cxd5
[5.Bg5!?
]
5...exd5
6.Bf4
The main alternatives are [6.Bg5
; 6.Qc2
]
6...c6
7.e3
Be7
8.Bd3
Nh5
9.Be5
Nxe5
10.Nxe5
g6
11.0-0
0-0
12.h3
Bd6
13.a3
[13.Nf3
Qe7
]
13...Qe7
Due to Dave Taylor's illness, John Knudsen replaces Dave.
Thanks John, and get well quick Dave!
14.Nf3
Nf6
15.b4
a5
16.b5
Bxa3
17.Qb3
Bb4
18.Rfc1
Ne4
19.Na4
Rb8
20.bxc6
bxc6
21.Qa2
Ng5
22.Qe2
Nxf3+
23.Qxf3
Qd6
24.Ra2
f5
25.Rac2
Bd7
26.g3
Rb7
27.h4
Rc7
28.Nb6
Be6
29.Na4
Ba3
30.Ra1
*