[Event "Richard Morris Memorial"]
[Site "Arcadia, CA"]
[Date "2012.12.17"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Michael Cooper"]
[Black "Wendell Salveron"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2089"]
[BlackElo "1935"]
[Opening "Owen defense"]
[ECO "B00"]
[NIC "VO.01"]
{A win in this last round game brought two things a draw would not: My rating inched past 2100 for the first time, and I won the Arcadia tournament outright. Huzzah!}
1. e4 b6 2. d4 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. Bd3 Bb4 5. Ne2 Ne7 {This move scores very well for Black in the database, although I have no idea why. I guess the best thing it has going is that it is neither 5... Nf6 nor 5... c5.} 6. O-O O-O 7. Ng3 {Trying to fight for f5.} c5 8. a3 Bxc3 {8... Ba5? 9. Na2! threatens to trap the bishop with b2-b4. 9... Na6 10. c3 and Black must play 10... b5, shedding a pawn, to avoid losing a piece.} 9. bxc3 d6 {I think Black's best chance to equalize may be to change tack with 9... d5!? as 10. e5?! Ba6! is fully satisfactory for him.} 10. f4 f6 {No good reason for this weakening. 10... Nd7 develops naturally and prepares to defend. Now White gets a persistent initiative. The d-pawn push is no longer on the table, however, because 10... d5?! 11. e5 and now 11... Ba6 12. f5! charges forward, while 11... c4? 12. Bxh7+! leads to a crushing attack.} 11. Qg4 Qd7 12. Nh5 g6 {After this further unnecessary weakening, Black is already lost! 12... Rf7 was required. Now Stockfish highly approves of the rest of White's moves.} 13. f5 exf5 14. exf5 Kh8 15. Bh6 Rf7 16. Nxf6 {I was kind of proud of this sacrifice. The point is that White's f-pawn is currently pinned to his queen, hampering his progress. After Black captures the knight, White's queen gains time on Black's rook, which will then be tied to defense of f6 due to the mate threat, while White will be free to play fxg6, opening the f-file and allowing all of White's pieces to participate in the attack.} Rxf6 17. Qg5 Rxf5 {Leading to an early mate, but there was no good defense, e.g. 17... Rf7 18. fxg6 Nxg6 19. Rxf7 Qxf7 20. Rf1 Qe7 21. Rf8+! Qxf8 22. Bxg6!.} 18. Bxf5 Nxf5 {Missing the mate on f8, but Black has to give up his queen to prolong the game, and mate would still follow shortly.} 19. Qf6+ 1-0
