Interclub Highlights - Hard Fought Draws

Alexei Kulashko "AK_NZ", Auckland Chess Centre vs Francois-xavier Podvin "saganista", New Plymouth Chess Club  1.e4 c5 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bc4 Nb6 6.Bb3 d5 7.exd6 e6 8.O-O Bxd6 9.d4 cxd4 10.cxd4 O-O 11.Nc3 Nb4 12.Bg5 Be7 13.Bxe7 Qxe7 14.Re1 Qd6 15.Ne4 Qd8 16.Rc1 Bd7 17.Ne5 Nc6 18.Qh5 Nxe5 19.dxe5 Bc6 20.Ng5 h6

21.Nxf7!? Why not it's Blitz?  21...Rxf7 22.Bxe6 Qe7 23.Qxf7+ Qxf7 24.Bxf7+ Kxf7 25.f4 Ke6 26.g4 g6 27.Kf2 Rf8 28.Kg3 Nd5 29.Rc4 h5 30.h3 h4+ 31.Kxh4 Nxf4 32.Kg5 Nxh3+ 33.Kxg6 Nf4+ 34.Kg7 Rf7+ 35.Kg8 Ng6 36.Rd4 Ne7+ 37.Kh8 Bd5 38.g5 Ng6+ 39.Kg8 Ne7+ 40.Kh8 Rf5 41.Rg4

41...Ng6+ (41...Rf8+ 42.Kh7 Rf7+ 43.Kh8 Kf5 and Black is closing in for the kill ) 42.Kh7 Nxe5 43.g6 Kd6 44.Rd4 Rh5+ 45.Kg7 Nf3 46.Rxd5+ Rxd5 47.Rf1 Nh4 48.Rf7 Kc6 49.Rf6+ Rd6 50.Kf7 Nxg6 51.Rxg6 Rxg6 52.Kxg6 Kd5 53.Kf7 Kd4 54.Ke7 Kd3 55.Kd6 Kc2 56.Kc7 b5 57.Kc6 b4 58.Kc5 Kxb2 59.Kxb4 Kxa2 60.Ka5 Kb3 61.Ka6 Kb4 62.Kxa7 1/2-1/2

Ben Hague "wtfai", Auckland Chess Centre vs Edward Tanoi "Voodoo_Daddy", Wellington Chess Club  1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 e6 4.cxd4 d5 5.e5 Nc6 6.Nc3 Nge7 7.Nf3 Ng6 8.Bd3 Be7 9.O-O Bd7 10.Be3 O-O 11.Re1 Nb4 12.Bb1 Rc8 13.a3 Nc6 14.Qd3 a6 15.g3 Na5 16.h4 Nb3

17.h5?! Nxa1 18.hxg6 fxg6! 19.Nd2 Bb5 20.Nxb5 axb5 21.Bf4 b4 22.axb4 Bxb4 23.Rd1 Rxf4 24.gxf4 Qh4 25.Nf1 Qg4+ 26.Ng3 h5 27.Qe2 Qxf4 28.Bxg6 h4 29.Qh5 hxg3

30.Qh7+? (30.fxg3 Qxg3+ 31.Kh1 Black has no checks and has only one way to draw actually  31...Qf4! preventing Rf1 mates ) 30...Kf8 31.Qh8+ Ke7 32.Qxg7+ Kd8 33.Qf6+ Qxf6 34.exf6 gxf2+ 35.Kxf2 Nc2 36.f7 Black is actually just a piece up, but his pieces are a little disconnected and winning this without time is difficult  36...Ke7? Loses the knight (36...Bf8! securely blocks the scary pawn and makes room for the knight to get back into the game ) 37.Rc1 Rc6 38.Rxc2 Rxc2+ 39.Bxc2 Kxf7 40.Ke3 Kf6 41.Kd3 e5 42.dxe5+ Kxe5 43.Ba4 b6 44.Bc6 Bc5 45.Bb5 1/2-1/2