GP Finale: Performance Review
PCA Grand Prix Open Final was concluded on Sunday with Tan Khai Boon finishing first. Overall my performance was not the best. I started as the third seed (according to the best of 2 GP points) but only managed to finish at sixth.
I hadn’t had time to analyse those games but let’s look at some overview of my round by round review.
Round 1: Tan Eu Hong vs Lee Chan Tung, 1-0
My oppnent, U18 player from Kulim, Kedah defended well and I didn’t conducted the game too well and the game looked to be a draw but luckily he didn’t play too well under time pressure.
Round 2: Thong Yung Chen vs Tan Eu Hong, 1-0
White played 1.Nf3 but I didn’t really equalised and later conceded an exchange and finally get checkmated with few seconds left. 
Round 3: Tan Eu Hong vs Sanjeevwa, 1-0
Black did not play the opening too well, got heavy pressure over the queenside and was seriously behind in development. I sacrified a pawn and a knight to get myself a passed pawn at c6 and attack on my opponent’s king. After some inaccuracies from Sanjeevwa, he resigned while having to choose between heavy material deficits or checkmate. 
Round 4: Anthony Liong vs Tan Eu Hong, 1/2-1/2
I cannot remember when was the last I took White against Anthony. This time, White missed play the opening and miscalculate that my …Qa5 will actually create threats to his posistion. I got 2 pawns up later but cannot find the right way to continue with less than 3 minutes and blundered away a pawn. The game ended in draw when Anthony sacrified his knight for my last pawn.
Round 5: Tan Eu Hong vs Evan Timothy Capel, 1/2-1/2
Before this round, my personal score with him was 1:4 in favor of him. This time round I played more carefully or may be too careful?! After a series of exchanges, we left ourselves with a same colored (light square) bishop and 7 pawns. White got some chances if Black didn’t defend accurately but he played correctly and we ended the game in a draw.
Round 6: Wong Hao vs Tan Eu Hong, 0-1
Black was better straight out of the opening with White having isolated double pawns on the semi open c-file. White was able to create some threats as Black was behind in development but after some tactical exchanges, Black won a pawn and later the game.
Round 7: Tan Eu Hong vs Tan Khai Boon, 1/2-1/2
The final round! I got the chance to defeat the tournament leader and stand the chance to finished top 3. The game opened with Modern Benoni Defence and Black blundered a pawn but compensated with the bishops pair. I didn’t choose the best continuation and was later facing a choice of sacrifising an exchange or try to defend against Black’s very strong dark square bishop when I tried to force issue by returning the extra pawn. Khai Boon however offered a draw to secure first place so draw! Again another missed opportunity…
Posted in Chess Tournament |
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.