ICCF WS/O/109 game: Barzaghi - Owens

[Event "WS/O/109"]
[Site "ICCF"]
[Date "2007.3.3"]
[Round "-"]
[White "Barzaghi, Andy"]
[Black "Owens, Steve"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Opening "Nimzovich-Larsen attack: classical variation"]
[WhiteElo "1800P"]
[BlackElo "1800P"]


1. b3 d5

Since White came out with a Nimzovich-Larsen, I thought he must be well versed in the opening.

2. Bb2 Nf6 3. Bxf6 exf6

White's third move is a mystery to me.

4. e4 dxe4

I respect a good Gambit! But...


5. Nc3 f5 6. f3 exf3 7. Nxf3 Be6

For his efforts White is down a pawn and has erased his dark Bishop from the board. I don't see any compensation.

8.Bb5+ Nd7 9. O-O Qe7 10. Nd4 g6 11. Qf3 c6 12. Ba4 Bg7

White's twelfth move, Ba4 seems dubious to me. Black can't collect the light Bishop without incurring some pawn problems on the Queen side, but it seems to me that the light Bishop is out of the game now.

13. h3 Bxd4+

There is no explanation here. White simply drops the Knight and leaves his light Bishop en prise with no compensation.

14. Kh2 Qd6+
15. g3 O-O-O 16. Rad1 h5 17. Qf4 Qxf4 0-1

White abandoned the game at this point. The cross table indicates he defaulted the other games in this event as well. I think we may conclude that White's efforts display how not to play Correspondence Chess, during the game and otherwise.