Opening Preparation

My win in Round 4 of the Phoenix Open was due to opening preparation. Here is the story. Back in September 2001, I played in the Universal Swiss in Warren, Michigan. In Round 2, I was paired against a master and this is how the game went

Aleksandar Stamnov (2244) - Randy Ho (1874)
1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. d4 Nc6 5. Nf3 cxd4 6. cxd4 e5 7. Nc3 Bb4 8. Be2 e4 9. O-O Bxc3 10. bxc3 exf3 11. Bxf3

11...Qd6 12. Qa4 Bd7 13. Ba3 Qc7 14. Rfe1+ Kd8 15. Qc4 Nh6 16. Qd5 Qa5 17. Bc5 Rc8 18. Be7+ 1-0

During the game, I thought that my high-rated opponent had blundered a piece. After the game, he told me that it is theory. This game made a strong impression on me and I kept it in my memory. Fast-forward eleven years.

Phoenix Open, Scottsdale, AZ

Nov 24, 2012
Round 4
R. Ho (2061) - S. Pennock (1924)

1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. d4 cxd4 5. cxd4 Nc6 6. Nf3 e5 7. Nc3 Bb4

I had a choice. Do I play the usual 8. Bd2 or the risky 8. Be2? After thinking for a few minutes, I chose Be2. Why? Because I remember the tremendous pressure I was under when I was playing Black eleven years earlier.

8. Be2 e4 9. O-O Bxc3 10. bxc3 exf3 11. Bxf3 Qd6

I did not remember exactly how the previous game went, but I did remember the moves Re1, Qa4, and Ba3.

12. Re1+ Nge7 13. Qa4 O-O 14. Ba3 Qd8

After this move, White wins the piece back and has the better position.

15. d5 Nxd5

I intended to play 16. Rad1, but when we got to this position, I noticed that 16. Bxd5 was stronger. The reason is because of the line 16...Qxd5 17. Bxf8 Kxf8? 18. Qa3+ mates.

16. Bxd5 Qxd5 17. Bxf8 b5 18. Qa3 Bb7 19. Qc5 Qxc5 20. Bxc5 Rc8 21. Rad1 1-0

Allowed a Queen Sac

Carls Jr G/20, Mesa, AZ, Nov 14, 2012
Round 4
Matthew (1914) - Randy (2037)

This game was in the last round and was for 1st place. I had 3/3 and my opponent had 2.5/3.

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Bd3 e5 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. c3 g6 6. Bg5 Bg7 7. O-O O-O 8. h3 Qe8 9. Re1 h6 10. Bd2 Nh5 11. Qc1 Kh7 12. Na3 f5 13. exf5 gxf5 14. Nb5 

14...Qf7 is a sensible move, defending the c7 pawn. Unfortunately, I went crazy here. I thought that I would get enough compensation for the rook.

14...Qg6? 15. Nxc7 e4 16. Nh4 Qf6 17. Nxa8 Qxh4 18. Be2 e3?! 19. Bxe3 f4 20. Bxh5 fxe3 21. Qxe3 Qxh5 22. Nc7 Rf7 23. Ne8 

In this difficult position, I made a blunder.

23...Re7? 24. Qxe7 Nxe7 25. Rxe7 1-0

Lessons from the Game:

• I need to have better board vision. 
• I need to stop going crazy.

A Faulty Pin

Carls Jr. G/20, Mesa, AZ, Sept 5, 2012
Round 3
Miguel (2137) - Randy (2008)

I decided to play the Najdorf and I actually got a decent position. However, when the position got complicated, I cracked under the pressure.

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 Ng4 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Bg3 Bg7 10. Be2 h5 11. h4 Nc6 12. Nf5 Bxf5 13. exf5 Qa5 14. Qd2 Qxf5 15. hxg5 Be5 16. Bh4 Bd4 17. O-O-O O-O-O 18. Kb1 Qa5 19. Ne4 Qe5 20. f3 Ne3 21. c3 

This move came as a surprise and for some reason, I only considered Bc5 and not Bb6 or Ba7. My game went downhill in the next few moves.

21...Bc5 22. Bg3 Qf5 23. Bd3 Qe6 24. Rde1 Bb6 25. Rxe3 Bxe3 26. Qxe3 d5 

I thought that by playing d6-d5, I would win back material since the Knight is pinned, but I was in for a nasty surprise.

27. Qb6! 

Not only saving the Knight due to the threat of Qc7#, but I saw that after Rd7 or Qd7 comes Nc5!

27...Ne5 28. Qxe6+ fxe6 29. Bxe5 dxe4 30. Bxh8 exd3 31. Bd4 1-0

Lessons from the Game:

• I need to handle complicated positions better. 
• Stop cracking under pressure

Crushed in 13 moves

Carl's Jr. G/20, Mesa, AZ, Sept. 5, 2012
Round 2
Randy (2008) - Lance (1984)

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. d4 Bb4 5. Nxe5 O-O 6. Qd3 d5 7. Bd2?

I wanted to prepare to castle queenside, but I suppose I needed to resolve the situation in the center first.

7...dxe4 8. Nxe4 Nxe4 9. Qxe4

9. Bxb4 was better, but I didn't even consider it. After the game, we were looking at 9...Nxb4 10. Qxe4 Nxc2+!? 11. Qxc2 Qxd4. Black sacs a piece for pressure. I think the sac is dubious, but Lance likes it.

9...Bxd2+ 10. Kxd2 Nxd4 11. Bd3 Bf5 12. Qf4 Qd6

White to Play

Here, I calculated 13. Bxf5 Nxf5+ 14. Nd3 blocking the check and protecting my Queen. I was so excited to see this line that I missed 13...Ne6 winning the Queen.

13. Bxf5?? Ne6+ 0-1

Lessons from the Game:

• I need to have better board vision