Honorable Mention: U1500 

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 e6 4. Bd3 Bd6 5. 0-0 0-0 6. Nbd2 Nc6 7. e4 e5?! 

The advance is premature and should lead to the loss of a pawn after the ensuing captures, due to a check on h7.

8. dxe5 Nxe5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Bxe5 11. Re1? 

A missed opportunity. 11. Bxh7+ Kxh7 12. Qh5+ Kg8 13. Qxe5± and White is comfortably better.

11. Qh5 f5 11... Re8 

And suddenly Black has threats, with ideas of Qh4, Bg4, and Bxh2+. The development edge is also a factor.

Still there is a pawn to be won for White with 12. Bxh7 Kxh7 13. Qh5+ Kg8 14. Rxe5, but again White fails to find the line.

12. Nf3 Bg4  

13. c3?

A quiet move when none can be afforded. The tactical threats are very serious now. 13. h3 Bxf3 14. Qxf3 Bh2+ 15. Kf1

13... Bxf3 14. gxf3 

14. Qxf3 Bxh2+ 15. Kf1 (15. Kxh2 Qh4+ 16. Kg1) 15... Rxe1+ 16. Kxe1 Be5 17. Qf5 Nf6 18. Bg5∞ is probably the best continuation for White, but hard to find.

14... Qh4 15. Re4 Qxh2+ 16. Kf1 Qh3+ 17. Ke2 Bf4 18. Bc4  

Very little to be found here. White's sanctuary is crumbling.

18. Qf1 Qh5 19. Bd2 f5 20. Rxe8+ Rxe8+ 21. Kd1 Qxf3+

18... Nf6 19. Bxf4 Nxe4 20. fxe4 Rxe4+ 21. Be3 Rxc4 22. Qd5 Rc6 23. Rd1 Rf8 24. Bc5 Re8+ 25. Kd2 Qh4 26. Kc2 h6 27. Rh1 Qe4+ 28. Qxe4 Rxe4 29. Bd4??  

A basic tactical error, and with it White loses his last hope of holding the game.

29... Rxd4 

0 – 1

Honorable Mention: U2100

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Be2 c5 6. dxc5 Qa5 7. 0-0 Qxc5 8. Be3 Qb4?! 

 Losing sight of c7, and asking for trouble. The threat of taking on b2 is miniscule compared to the massive damage White can deal to an underdeveloped queenside.

9. Nb5! Na6 10. Bd3 10. e5! Ng4 11. Bd2 Qc5 12. exd6 exd6 13. Bf4± 10... 0-0 11. c3 

Passive play by White here fails to seize the moment.

11... Qa5 12. b4 Qd8 13. Qd2 Bg4 14. Bh6? 

The reasoning here is unclear. There's nothing to be gained for White, and the fall of the knight on f3 leads to weakness on the dark squares and kingside, yielding all the positional initiative.

14... Bxf3 15. gxf3 Qd7 16. Bxg7 Kxg7 17. Qe3 Qh3 18. Rfd1 Nh5?! 19. Bf1 

19. e5! and the tables would have turned again: 19... dxe5 20. Qxe5+ Kg8 21. Bf1 Qc8 22. Qxe7

19... Qh4 20. Nxa7?!  

This was the last chance for a powerful e5 riposte. The pawn gained here is superficial.

20... Nc7 21. Nb5 Ne6 22. e5  

By this point, given the useful knight standing on e6, the advance has lost its luster.

22... d5 23. Rxd5 Nhf4 24. Rd7? 

A significant error. White is unable to line rooks up on the d-file, and an influx of threats there will more than make up for any 7th-rank presence.

24... Rfd8 25. Rxd8 

25. Rad1?? Rxd7 26. Rxd7 Rxa2 27. Rd1 Ng5-+

25... Rxd8 26. Nd4  

Avoiding the threat of Rd3.

26... Nxd4 27. cxd4 Rxd4 28. b5  

28. Qxd4 Ne2+ 29. Bxe2 Qxd4-+ and White would be hopelessly lost due to weak pawns, discombobulated pieces, and an exposed king.

28... Rd5 29. a4 Qg5+ 30. Kh1 Rxe5 31. Qb6?

31. Qc3 is a stronger alternative, slowing down the rook by way of a momentary pin.

31... Qh4? 

Close, but not quite accurate. Black should first get the queen off of its important diagonal. 31... Qh5 32. Qxb7 (32. Bg2 Rg5 33. Rg1 Qxh2+ 34. Kxh2 Rh5+ 35. Kg3 Ne2+ 36. Kg4 f5#) 32... Qh4 33. Qa7 (33. Qc7 Rh5) 33... Rh5 34. h3 Nxh3 and mate is coming in a few moves.

32. Qd4 f6 33. Rd1 Rh5 34. h3 Rd5 35. Qa1 Qxf2 36. Rxd5 Qxf3+ 37. Kh2 Qf2+ 38. Kh1 Nxd5 39. Bg2 Nf4 40. Bxb7 Qg3 41. Qf1 Nxh3 42. Qg2 Qe1+ 43. Kh2 Nf4 44. Qg3 Qd2+ 45. Bg2 

The carnage ends with Black up several pawns, and careful play in the second time control shuts the door.

45... h5 46. b6 Nxg2 47. b7 

47. Qxg2 Qd6+ is also ery much winning for Black, but perhaps the best practical chance for White. The a-pawn is a menace, and queen endgames have a tendency to be chaotic.

47... Ne3+ 48. Kg1 Qc1+ 49. Kf2 Qb2+ 50. Kxe3 Qxb7

0-1

Honorable Mention: Championship

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. d4 d6 5. Bg2 0-0 6. 0-0 Nc6 

The Panno variation. A hypermodern approach which I'm personally privy to. Named for Oscar Panno, it seeks to give Black flexibility and create chaos and confusion in the trenches.

7. Nc3 a6 8. b3 Rb8 9. Nd5 Bg4

9... Nh5 is more common, disallowing an exchange after 10. Bb2 e6, and maintaining the non-committal lucidity that the opening intends.

10. Bb2 b5 11. cxb5 axb5 12. Ne3 Bd7 13. Rb1 b4 14. d5 Na7? 

14... Na5 offers the possibility of a b7-c5 maneuver. Flexibility is key!

15. Nd4 Nb5 16. Nxb5 Bxb5?

Better would be to take with the rook, as the game line sees White gaining a tempo through the threat upon an unguarded pawn on b4.

17. Nc2 Bd7 18. Nd4? 

18. Qd2! and the pawn falls, albeit with some complication

18... Rb6 19. Qd2 e6 20. e4 Qb8 21. Rfc1 e5

An important advance to make, and now Black seems rather comfortable.

22. Nc2 Nh5 

22... c5!? 23. dxc6 (23. Ne3 Bh6) 23... Bxc6 24. f3 

23. Ne3 Bh6 24. Rc4 f5?

Premature. The pieces on the h-file end up looking very loose after the ensuing exchanges, leading to a variety of tactical problems. 

25. exf5 gxf5

25... Bxf5 26. Rbc1 Bxe3 27. Qxe3 Nf6 (27... Rf7 28. g4) 28. Rxc7

26. Rh4 Be8  

26... Bxe3 27. Qxe3 f4

27. Bf3 Bxe3 28. Qxe3 f4 29. Qd3 Bg6 30. Be4 Qe8 31. Rg4 Kg7

32. Rg5?

32. Rc1! Qc8 (32... Rb7 33. Qa6) 33. Bxg6 (33. Rg5) 33... Qxg4 34. Rxc7+ Kg8 35. Bxh7+ Kh8

32... Qf7 33. g4 Nf6 34. Bf5 Kh6 35. h4

35... Rg8?? 

35... Nxd5! 36. Be4 c6 and White lacks a breakthrough. Black can hold onto the pawn and defend the weakness. One is not enough!

36. Rxg6+ hxg6 37. Be6 Qf8 38. g5+ Kh7 39. gxf6 Rh8 40. Rc1 

White is firing from all angles. There is no way to defend everything. Black's forces will crumble.

40... Rb7 41. Qa6 Qa8 42. Qc6 Rd8 43. Bf7 

43. h5 Ra7 (43... Kh6 44. hxg6) 44. hxg6+ Kh6

43... Qc8 44. Be6 Qa8 45. Qc2 Rf8 46. h5 Rxf6 47. Bf7 Qc8 48. hxg6+ Kg7 49. f3 Rf5 50. Qh2 Rg5+ 51. Kf2 Qa8  

51... Qh8 52. Qxf4 Qh6 53. Rc4 Would certainly stand to slow White down, though Black lacks real counterplay. The ineffective rook on b7 is of no help.

52. Rh1 Qd8 53. Qh6+ Kf6 54. Qxg5+ Kxg5 55. g7  

1-0

Bonus Game: U2100

Though not an official Honorable Mention, I thought the following game was aesthetically pleasing enough that it should be included in this issue. I present it without further commentary – ed.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Nge7 7. Bc4 Ne5 8. Bb3 O-O 9. f4 Qg6 10. fxe5 Qxg2 

11. Rf1 Qxb2 12. Rf2 Qxa1 13. Nc2 Bxe3 14. Rxf7 Qxb1 15. Rxf8+ Kxf8 16. Qxb1 Bg5 17. Qd1 Ng6 18. Qd5 Ke7 19. Qf7+ Kd8 20. Qg8+ Ke7 21. Qxg7+ Kd8 22. Qg8+

1-0