This is my 3rd encounter with "Rocket" Rob in my lifetime and I have to say that I never felt in control in this game. I don't think I played badly. I simply got outplayed.
1.e4
g6
2.d4
Bg7
3.Nf3
d6
4.Nc3
a6
5.Be3
b5
6.Bd3
Nd7
7.Qd2
Not knowing too much about this opening, I decided I would simply develop my pieces and see what he had up his sleeve. From this position, I am pretty sure that I am going to have to castle Kingside.
7...c5
8.0-0
Bb7
9.dxc5
Nxc5
10.Bxc5
I thought I was forced to play this because of my weak pawn on e4.
10...dxc5
11.Qf4
I had visions of getting some kind of Kingside attack going here as he still didn't have his Knight developed yet. However, Rob came up with a very nice plan in this game.
11...c4
12.Be2
Qb8!
I have to say that I never saw this move coming. I didn't look at it because it didn't seem logical. However, it keeps me from getting anything going because I have to retreat the Queen and he will be able to get his Knight out followed by castling Kingside.
13.Qxb8+
Rxb8
14.Nd2
Bxc3
Actually, I didn't think he would play this move. I thought he was going to push his pawn to b4 threatening my Knight on c3.
15.bxc3
Nf6
16.f3
0-0
17.a4
My idea here was to try and break up this side of the board. If I can eliminate these pawns, then I could focus on the other side of the board better.
17...Nd7
18.axb5
axb5
19.Rfb1
Bc6
20.Rb2
I was thinking that I needed to get my Rooks lined up on the a-file so that he didn't try to trade off the Rooks and get control of the file himself.
20...Nc5!
This move here completely ties up my position. I didn't realize it at the time that my position would get so cramped.
21.Nb1
Na4
22.Rb4
e5
23.Kf2
f5
24.exf5
gxf5
25.g3
Kg7
26.Ra3
Rbd8
27.Ke1
Rf6
28.Nd2
Rfd6
29.Nf1
f4
As you can see, Rob was able to slowly build up some pressure on the center of the board. His Knight is kind of holding my Rooks at bay and his Rooks are both lined up on the d-file waiting to infiltrate. Rob begins a slow methodical squeeze of my position from this point forward.
30.Kf2
Kf6
31.g4
Kg5
32.Rb1
R6d7
33.Re1
I am trying to regroup here. I thought that if I could get some pieces over near the King that I might somehow be able to hold the position.
33...Kf6
34.h4
h6
35.Kg1
Nc5
Rob decides to bring his Knight to a more active square where he can put pressure on the e4 square.
36.Raa1
e4
37.Nh2
Not the best move, better would have been fxe4. This move just speeds up the process for Rob.
37...Rd2
38.Rad1?
Actually this move was a bad move because Rob could simply play Rxe2! The computer shows me being down 6 points after Rxe2. Somehow, I thought that I could play it. I will blame this move on time pressure but I think that my position is pretty bad at this point anyways.
38...e3
Rob decides to go for the safe sure way. It was not as crushing as Rxe2! but it is still good enough in this position.
39.Rxd2
Rxd2
40.Bd1
Na4!
Now the Knight is able to get into the action in a big way. I was ready to resign at this point but I decided to play for a couple of more moves just to make sure I was lost.
41.Nf1
Rd8
42.Nxe3
My pieces are so badly placed that I simply played this move as my way of resigning. I knew it was bad but I had enough at this point and knew it was over. Good game Rob!
42...fxe3
0-1