Not Close Enough

Rated at 1177, Queenslander Garvin Gray sat down to play local, IM Stephen Solomon (2391). Unlike many who feel "lost" before even the first move, when facing such an opponent, Mr Gray just went about his business. Here, he nearly caused an upset of upsets in all of Australian chess history.

2005 Nell Van Der Graff Classic
White: Gray, Garvin
Black: Solomon, Stephen
B96

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Nc6 8. Nxc6 bxc6 9. e5 h6 10. Bh4 g5 11. fxg5 Nd5 12. Nxd5 exd5 13. Qh5 Bg7? Tony Kosten cites 13...Qb6 14. Be2 (else the immediate 14. g6 loses to 14...Qe3+) Bf5 14. gxh6 Qa5+ 15. c3 Bxh6 16. Bg5 Bg7 17. Qf3 dxe5 18. Bf6 e4 19. Qf4 Bxf6 20. Qxf6 Rh5?? 21. Qxc6+ Ke7 22. Qxa8 Qc5 23. O-O-O Qe3+ 24. Kc2 Be6 25. Bxa6 Rg5 26. Rd2 f5 27. h4 Rg8 28. Qb7+ Kf6

After 28...Kf6

29. Qb4 Here, White should just have pushed on with 29. h5. 29...f4 30. Qd4+ Qxd4 31. cxd4 e3 32. Re2 Bf5+ 33. Bd3?? And all of a sudden White is in trouble. 33...Rc8+ 34. Kd1 Bxd3 35. Rhe1 Rc4 36. g3 Rxd4 37. gxf4 Bg6+ 38. Kc1 Rc4+ 39. Kd1 Bh5 40. a3 d4 41. Rg1 d3 42. Rg5 dxe2+ 0-1