A game against a higher rated opponent in which I managed to equalize with black after precise play, won a pawn, but got scared in zeitnot and offered a cowardly draw in a winning position!
Nikic P. (2113) vs Tomic S. (1910)
Gradište Open 2019, Round 9, 06/29/2019, Panov Caro-Kann
Probably the only game from the tournament in which I was never worse and never in any danger. Except for one of my ideas in the opening which the engine didn’t like, I was equal or better throughout the game.
We played the Panov Botvinnik Attack in which he went for Bg5 instead of Nf3, a more complicated line which isn’t as forced as Nf3. He thought I was less likely to know it. I knew it though, and was preparing for it for the game. He had no games against the Caro Kann in the database, so I had to cover all the options and decide what I was going to play.
In the game, my prep happened! I had decided to play e6 instead of Be6, which I usually play, and to continue with the rare dxc4, a move which might seem counter-intuitive, but makes a lot of sense in reality. It gives white an IQP, and develops his bishop, but black is more than ok. No weaknesses, clear development plan for each piece, no problems!
And that’s what happened. I managed to develop all of my pieces according to plan. As soon as we entered the middlegame, I found a tactical move which I though equalizes. I spent more than 30 minutes making sure none of the options lead to a worse position. And played it. Then he went into a long think, surely going over all the variations I calculated before him.
He went for what I thought was his best choice, but it ended up in a position which is completely equal, except for the face that I have a much better minor piece in the end. So I was happy!
He knew that it was equal and he went on to try and win. He complicated matters with h4 and just made his position worse. I was getting a better position already, and soon it led to being a pawn up. And what a pawn it was! An outside passed a pawn!
Surely enough to win, I thought. And it was. But then fear got to me. I lost my big time advantage, let myself get down to 3 minutes on the clock. Started panicking. Offered a draw. I think my loss against the 1700 in round 6 was the reason I couldn’t focus. I just didn’t want to lose another won position.
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