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Match BALTIJOS LYGA club - GANDALF

Board 1

White: Marijus Kulvietis (LTU)
Black: Gandalf 5.0

Download game in pgn-format.

Comments of Marijus Kulvietis concerning the game
I fix a draw repeating the moves from a position where my situation is ok and I dont want to experiment making my position weaker. Also our aim is to show interesting to watch chess. Not playing for a result at any cost.
All our team and observes agree -this is not a case when computer -opponent makes some terrible mistakes.
Gandalf plays very solid game and it is a blunder to risk experimenting on some cheap tricks.
I had played a rather drawish catalan where I knew what is waiting for me.
In most of my catalan games -my correspondence opponents often try to play some not usual lines and I often get profit from it.
Gandalf was playing only strict classic chess and when the game went to an endgame where I also feel better in those theory lines-Gandalf didnt risk and principally "Started standing and waiting for a draw, escaping any risk."
What can I do-my heart doesnt allow me to make my position worse only to run from a draw. Also it would be a risk to catch a lost result... By no means Gandalf is playing much stronger then all of us have expected at the begining of this match.
Many people were predicting 4-0 for us. But I clearly see that the best we can do:
1. Not to loose any game.
2. Maybe somebody will be happy to win.
Of course before making a draw I had looked at the games of my teammates.
I predict a draw at the game Oleg Krivonosov -Gandalf. Even the fact that Oleg has an extra pawn-it will be very difficult to overplay the program, which seems to know how to stand endgame/difficult to believe, but this weak side of a programs doesnt work on Gandalf/.
I cant see any storm at the game Gandalf-Kenneth Frey. Everything is possible-,but I think it will end as a draw.
Gandalf is tough enough, no clearly loosing threats. And Kenneth is experienced enough master not to give the game or miss something.
Real thriller is going in a game GANDALF-Vaidas Sakalauskas.
This is a key game in this match. I strongly recommend to all interested persons to observe this exiting game.
Sharp,tactical game with tricks counted from both sides. Everything to make interesting chess.
Vaidas was the first player from our club who had won vs REBEL CENTURY in a live match. This is his game number 2 in a common REBEL company-Baltijos Lyga club event. I hope he will continue his killing mission:)

Wishing interesting chess,

Marijus Kulvietis
President of a Lithuanian chess club "Baltijos Lyga"

Marijus Kulvietis

Operator of Gandalf on Board 1: Kim Burcham (USA) Personal information: Trade: Industrial maintenance Married, three children and three stepchildren. Almost 50, but no grey hair yet. Lifetime chess fan. PC's used for this match: 2 separate 1500 Mhz, 512 Mb RAM, 200 Mb Hash, 2.6 Gig Nalimov endgame tablebases. Has a computer account at chess.net, ICC and playchess.com as xracer.