Trading Blunders

Black to play after 12.Nb5??

White to play after 22....Qf3??

Last night's Theme Tournament drew eight players at the Kenilworth Chess Club. All games had to begin with 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5. It was a well-chosen opening for a theme event, with lots of positional and tactical ideas and relatively equal chances for both sides. The sole winner of this two-game, Game-30 mini-tourney was expert Mauricio Camejo, whose two wins were over NM Mark Kernighan and myself.

Camejo and I were the only players to win in the first round and so were paired in the second. One of us was guaranteed first prize ($40) if our game was decisive. The unfamiliar opening, the time pressure of Game-30, and perhaps a bit of the desire to win led us to trade blunders (see diagrams above). Unfortunately for me, my blunder was the more decisive. I will likely post all of the games eventually, perhaps once I get some master commentary at the club next week (which, if we can persuade FM Steve Stoyko to come, might turn into a mini-lecture on this interesting line). For now, here is the PGN for those who want the solutions.