SIMULTANEOUS GAME AGAINST GM ZIAUR RAHMAN

Preparation
After I discovered that GM Ziaur played nearly all openings against e4. (he even once played 1...b6 and get away with it) I stop studying chess and continued reading Wayne Rooney:My story so far.

Before
Arrive at DATCC at about 7.40 pm. There are usual face all around, Siraj, Hamid, Samsudin Sabri, Aziz, Saprin, Farouqi and ofcourse GM Rahman together with his wife and son. Haq and Roslina are also here, busy playing chess with GM's son. Razali Ng6 came about five minute late due to office meeting that he attended earlier on.


Table order

1. Ilham
2. Samsudin
3. Saprin
4. Aziz
5. Farouqi

I refused to be at table one since in my humble opinion Saprin is the one who should manning table 1 but Siraj insist that i sit on table one. Well, we all know how persuasive Siraj is ! :)

The Game

W: Nor Ilhamuddin

B:GM Ziaur Rahman

1. e4 g6

Modern Defence. I expect Sicilian 2...e6, Nc6 or perhaps French. 2 things that immediately cross my mind is Mok Tze Meng (white) once beat GM Rahman in this defence and Andrew (black) once thrashed me in this setup.

2. d4 Bg7

3.Nc3 c6

4.f4 Qb6

5.Nf3 d5

A sharp line in which black sacrifice a pawn for active play.

6.ed5

6. e5 is better (GM Rahman said after the game)

6. ... Bg4

7.Be2 Nf6

8.0-0 cd5

9.Ne5 Be2

10.Qe2

Sacrificing a pawn that black could be taken with a check. Anyway, the d4 pawn is taboo 10. ...Qd4 11. Be3 Qb4 12. Nb5 with lots of initiative for white.

10. ... 0-0

11.Qd3 Nc6

12.Nc6 Qc6

13.f5 Rac8

14.fg6 hg6

15.Bg5 Rfe8

16.Rae1 Qd7

17.Re2 Nh7

18.Bf4 a6

19.Be5 Nf6

20.Ref2

Here Aqie whispered that the team rely on me to deliver the point.

20. ... b5

21.a3 Rc4

22.Nd1 Rf8

23.Re2 Nh5

24.Bg7 Ng7

25.Ne3 Rc6

Around here it is one to one match for us and GM duly take a seat in front of me.

26.Rf4 Nh5

27.Rh4 Nf6

28.c3 Re6

29.Nf5?

Mamak trick. Hoping for 29. ... gf5? 30.Qf5! with force mate in 14. The 'reverse gear' 29.Nf1 is necessary here. I am now got about 30 seconds left.

29. ... Re2

30.Nh6 Kg7

31.Qe2 Rh8

32.Qe3 Qf6

33.Qd2 Ne4

34.Qe3 Qf6 ??

35.g3 ??

Returning the favour. 35.Rf4! is winning for white which i saw only when i have already touch my g pawn.

35. ... Ng5

36.Kg2 Rh6

37.Rh6 Kh6

38. h4

I no longer recording the move. The game entered a queen ending with a plus pawn for black. I tried to open up the game (and hoping for perpetual check) but to no avail. later i lost on time in a losing position though black still needs to play very carefully to avoid the perpetual check.

After
We lost 0-5

Last but not least, thanks to Siraj for the invitation, GM Rahman for kind analysis after the game, to my team mate plus Mr Razali ofcourse.