In one of my tournaments I played the second round and game against a player of 1500 (at that time). The first game I had won with absolute ease, my opponent blundering away his pieces already in the opening and so, while being more then 700 points better, I felt very confident of winning the second one without a headache from to much thinking.
Here life will proof again, how much we often tend to overestimate our own abilities, while at the same time underrating those of our worthy opponents. Normaly I would think, that a 1500 should make the first blunder down the line, so I choose a tactical and risky style, as we can see following the game (use an empty analysis board in a second window to replay the moves!).
Eventhorizon - Anonymus (I don't give the name of my opponent and also not the tournament!)
1. Knf3 d5 2. g3 Bf5 3. Bg2 Knc6 4. d4 Knf6 5. 0-0 e6 6. Knh4 Bg4 7. h3 Bh5 8. Knc3 Bb4 9. Qd3 0-0 (-0.21 my opponent is doing quite well for his rating, no advantage for me!) 10. g4 (-0.78 I knew, it was risky, yet I thought, that I will outwit a 1500 in any tactical situation) Bxc3 11. bc Kne4 12. gh (-0.80) Qxh4
13. c4 (trying to undermine the knight) Knb4 14. Qb3 a5 15. c3 Kna6 16. cd ed 17. c4 (still undermining and working for the long diagonal -0.77) dc 18. Dxb7 Knc3 19. Re1 (Computer gives a ? -1.24: here we see, that I am the one, who blunders FIRST! My opponent plays up to now clearly STRONGER than ME!) Qxh5 20. Qxa8 (still very confident) Rxa8 21. Bxa8 Knxe2 22. Kf1 Qxh3 + 23. Bg2 Qd3 24. Rxe2 h5 25. Be3 Knb4 26. Rc1 (-0.25) Knxa2 (DIAGRAM) 27. Rc2 ?? (-5.83)
Black wins now! (Find the wining move)
The computer gives 27. Be4 Qxe4 28. Rxa2 with an interesting position, what would be stronger here: rocks and the bishop or the queen and the pawns?
During the game I asked my opponent, if he really played on his own. He stated, that he didn't use an engine, yet had the help of a "mentor", but not for the games, only for training purposes. At the same time and in the same tournament he was beating a player of 1900, so the mentor seemed to be very useful.
The interesting thing is, that the mentor seems now not any more available (or in use): after reaching a rating of 1800 for a short while my worthy opponent is now playing at a rating of 1027 (!!!), loosing one game after the next.
This was by the way the only game I lost until now in that tournament! So, why yet do I call this blog "Miracles Of Online Chess"? For me it is interesting to watch the almost faultless performance of a 1027 player against a 2200. In the game I would have given him a clear rating of 2400!
I have seen such "miracles" meanwhile quite often: in the first round or game I get an easy win, only to stumble into a stiff resistance in the second round or game. The opponents suddenly improve their rating from one game to the next by several hundred points!
If that is not a miracle, then what else is??? 