Many thanks first to everybody who's sent games into the drop box in recent weeks. Two requests though: Please include an email address so that I can contact you. And please use either PGN or a compressed ChessBase database CBV. (In ChessBase, click Menu→Database→Backup database, or hit Ctrl+Z.)
A Happy New Year to all readers and please do keep on sending your games for me to dissect.
This week's pair of games are by Ayhan Anil, a Turkish sociologist who writes:
“I am 34 years old an amateur chess enthusiast from İstanbul Turkey.
I am a sociologist as well as a chess trainer of 3 kids who are in between 8 to 10 years old. (I sent already the photo of my students!)
Although I admire Alekhine's exciting attacking playing style, I can say that I am a positional player. I Learned a lot from Capablanca and Botvinnik's games. I like to study and improve endgame technics which is vital for every chess players I think. So I am trying to teach 20 years chess experience to my students who are already so successful in the age group tournaments in Turkey.
My highest rating so far was 1896 FIDE Elo and I hope to improve on this in the near future.
In both games, Ayhan is Black in the Queen's Gambit Declined and both are very complicated.
In the Agony game, Ayhan gained the advantage against a stronger opponent but then blundered decisively at the last. In the Ecstasy that follows, he lost a pawn in complications but kept on fighting well and got his reward when his opponent went wrong.
Ayhan sent introductions to both games but the annotations themselves are all mine.
Click or tap the second game in the list below the board to switch
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