The second stage of this double round robin tournament is underway and we begin with a couple of shockers! To begin with, the Atlanta held up its own and defeated the Mephisto Lyon as Black (after drawing in their first game). The Novag Emerald was paired against the Star Diamond, and the Star Diamond wasted little time in taking the point there. But then were two of the more predictable games - the Sapphire, playing Black against the Mephisto Polgar, got blown off the board early! Holding on until move 48, the game was over after just 15 moves! The Polgar's performance here might be worthy of a best game prize.

Finally, came the last game. As Black the Mephisto Berlin Pro faced the GK 2000, pretty much an ideal start to the second stage for the Berlin Pro. Leading the tournament by one full point with 7 rounds to go, who would consider playing a Petrov against the last place entrant, 400 or so points weaker? Well, the Berlin Pro decided it was time for a Petrov. Another Latvian would have served much better. Every move that went by more pieces came off the board. The pawn structure remained balanced, and by move 41, both sides had 4 pawns only on the Queenside and a light Bishop. After 101 moves, the game came to an end by the 50-move rule: Draw! OK, the BP didn't lose, but it only drew the backmarker. Meanwhile, with the Atlanta and SD winning, the lead closed up a bit. In Round 9, the Atlanta and Berlin Pro will square off and the SD will face the upstart Polgar. After 8 rounds, no one is eliminated from 1st place yet, and the Atlanta and the Berlin Pro have yet to lose. Here's the standings and Round 8 games:

Wilson Winter blitz 2005

1	Mephisto Berlin Pro	2264	+50	&;	½	1	½	1	1	1	1½	6.5 / 8
2	Mephisto Atlanta	2232	-9	½	&;	1	½1	½	½	½	1	5.5 / 8	21.75
3	Novag Star Diamond	2154	+71	0	0	&;	1	½	1	11	1	5.5 / 8	14.25
4	Mephisto Lyon	2085	+125	½	½0	0	&;	1	1	1	1	5.0 / 8
5	Novag Sapphire	2176	-144	0	½	½	0	&;	10	½	1	3.5 / 8
6	Mephisto Polgar	1982	+52	0	½	0	0	01	&;	½	1	3.0 / 8
7	Novag Emerald CP	2026	-170	0	½	00	0	½	½	&;	0	1.5 / 8	6.00
8	Saitek GK2000	1887	0	0½	0	0	0	0	0	1	&;	1.5 / 8	4.75

[Event "Wilson Winter"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "2.1"]
[White "Saitek GK2000"]
[Black "Mephisto Berlin Pro"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C42"]
[WhiteElo "1887"]
[BlackElo "2264"]
[PlyCount "201"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Qe2 Qe7 6. d3 Nf6 7. Bg5 {GK2000 last book move} Nbd7 8. Nc3 Qxe2+ 9. Bxe2 h6 10. Be3 Nb6 {Berlin Pro last book move} 11. Bd4 Nbd5 12. O-O Nxc3 13. Bxc3 Be7 14. Rfe1 O-O 15. Nd4 Bd8 16. Bf3 c6 17. a3 Bd7 18. Rad1 Bb6 19. Re7 Rae8 20. Rde1 Rxe7 21.Rxe7 Re8 22. Rxe8+ Nxe8 23. h3 Kf8 24. Kf1 d5 25. Nb3 Ke7 26. Ke2 g5 27. Be5 f5 28. g3 Nd6 29. Bg7 g4 30. hxg4 fxg4 31. Bg2 h5 32. Bd4 Bxd4 33. Nxd4 b6 34. Kd2 Nf5 35. Nxf5+ Bxf5 36. f4 gxf3 37. Bxf3 Bg6 38. Ke3 Ke6 39. Kf4 Kf6 40. g4 hxg4 41. Bxg4 c5 42. Bh3 d4 43. Bf1 c4 44. dxc4 Bxc2 45. b4 Ke6 46. Bh3+ Kd6 47. Bc8 a5 48. Bb7 Bd3 49. Ba6 Bh7 50. Bb7 axb4 51. axb4 Bd3 52. Ba6 Bc2 53. Bb7 Bg6 54. Be4 Be8 55. Bc2 Bc6 56. Kf5 Bg2 57. Bd3 Bf3 58. Bb1 Bb7 59. Be4 Bc8+ 60. Kf4 Bh3 61. Bc2 Bg2 62. Kf5 Bc6 63. Kf6 Bd7 64. Be4 Bg4 65. Bd3 Bh3 66. Be2 Bd7 67. Bf1 Bc8 68. Be2 Bh3 69. Bd3 Bg4 70. Kg5 Bc8 71. Kf4 Bb7 72. Be4 Bc8 73. Bg6 Bb7 74. Bh7 Bc6 75. Bb1 Bb7 76. Kf5 Bf3 77. Bd3 Bc6 78. Bc2 Bf3 79. Bd3 Bb7 80. Be4 Ba6 81. Bc2 Bb7 82. Kf6 Bf3 83. Kf5 Bh5 84. Bd3 Bf3 85. Bb1 Bc6 86. Kf6 Bg2 87. Kf5 Bb7 88. Kf4 Bc6 89. Be4 Ba4 90. Bd3 Bc6 91. Bc2 Bb7 92. Bg6 Bg2 93. Bc2 Ke6 94. Bf5+ Kd6 95. Bc2 Bc6 96. Bd3 Bg2 97. Bg6 Bc6 98. Bb1 Ke6 99. Be4 Ba4 100. Bd5+ Kd6 101. Ke4 {Draw 50-moves} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Wilson Winter"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "2.1"]
[White "Mephisto Lyon"]
[Black "Mephisto Atlanta"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C28"]
[WhiteElo "2085"]
[BlackElo "2232"]
[PlyCount "172"]

1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d3 Bb4 {Atlanta last book move} 5. Bg5 Na5 6. Nge2 Nxc4 7. dxc4 {Lyon last book move} d6 8. O-O c6 9. Qd3 h6 10. Bh4 O-O 11. Rad1 Bg4 12. f3 Be6 13. Kh1 Qb6 14. Bxf6 gxf6 15. f4 Rfd8 16. f5 Bc8 17. b3 Kh7 18. Na4 Qa5 19. Ng3 Qc7 20. Nh5 Qe7 21. Qe3 b6 22. c3 Ba3 23. Qd2 Bb7 24. Ng3 d5 25. cxd5 cxd5 26. exd5 Rxd5 27. Qe2 Re8 28. c4 Rxd1 29. Rxd1 e4 30. Nc3 Bd6 31. Qe3 Bc5 32. Qe2 Bd6 33. Qe3 Bxg3 34. hxg3 Kg7 35. g4 Qa3 36. Rd7 Bc6 37. Rc7 Ba8 38. Nb5 Qxa2 39. Rxa7 Qb1+ 40. Kh2 Qd1 41. Nc7 Re7 42. Ne6+ Kh7 43. Nf8+ Kg7 44. Rxa8 Qxg4 45. Rd8 Qh4+ 46. Kg1 Ra7 47. Qh3 Qf4 48. Qc3 e3 49. Nd7 Qf2+ 50. Kh1 Qh4+ 51. Kg1 e2 52. Qxf6+ Qxf6 53. Rg8+ Kxg8 54. Nxf6+ Kg7 55. Nh5+ Kh8 56. Kf2 Ra3 57. Kxe2 Rxb3 58. Nf6 Rc3 59. Nd5 Rxc4 60. Nxb6 Rf4 61. Ke3 Rxf5 62. Nc4 Kg7 63. g4 Rf1 64. Nd2 Ra1 65. Ne4 Kg6 66. Kf4 Ra4 67. Ke5 f6+ 68. Kf4 h5 69. gxh5+ Kxh5 70. Kf5 Rxe4 71. Kxe4 Kg4 72. Ke3 f5 73. Kf2 Kf4 74. Ke2 Kg3 75. Kf1 f4 76. Kg1 Kf3 77. Kf1 Ke3 78. Kg2 f3+ 79. Kg1 Ke2 80. Kh2 f2
81. Kg2 f1=Q+ 82. Kg3 Qf3+ 83. Kh4 Qf5 84. Kg3 Qg5+ 85. Kh3 Kf3 86. Kh2 Qg2#
0-1

[Event "Wilson Winter"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "2.1"]
[White "Mephisto Polgar"]
[Black "Novag Sapphire"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D33"]
[WhiteElo "1982"]
[BlackElo "2176"]
[PlyCount "96"]

1. c4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 {Polgar last book move} e6 5. d4 d5 6.
cxd5 exd5 {Sapphire last book move} 7. Bg5 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Bc5 9. Bxf6 Qxf6 10. e3 Nxd4 11. exd4 Bxd4 12. Bb5+ Kf8 13. O-O Bh3 14. Nxd5 Qe5 15. Qb3 Bxf1 16. Qb4+ Kg8 17. Ne7+ Qxe7 18. Qxe7 Bxb5 19. Qxb7 Rd8 20. Qxb5 a6 21. Qa5 Bf6 22. Rc1 h5 23. Qxa6 Bxb2 24. Rc8 Bf6 25. Rxd8+ Bxd8 26. Qc8 Kh7 27. Qf5+ Kg8 28. Qd7 Bf6 29. Qe8+ Kh7 30. Qxf7 Kh6 31. Qe6 Rd8 32. f4 Rd4 33. h4 Rd1+ 34. Kg2 Rd2+ 35. Kh3 Rd1 36. f5 Kh7 37. Qf7 Rh1+ 38. Kg2 Ra1 39. Qxh5+ Kg8 40. Qe8+ Kh7 41. Qe2 Kg8 42. g4 Kf8 43. g5 Be7 44. Qb2 Rd1 45. f6 gxf6 46. gxf6 Bd6 47. a4 Rd5 48. Qb7 Rd2+ 1-0

[Event "Wilson Winter"]
[Date "2005.??.??"]
[Round "2.1"]
[White "Novag Emerald CP"]
[Black "Novag Star Diamond"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E12"]
[WhiteElo "2026"]
[BlackElo "2154"]
[PlyCount "83"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. d4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Qc2 Nxc3 8.
bxc3 {Emerald last book move} c5 9. e4 Nc6 {Star Diamond last book move} 10. Qa4 a6 11. Bg5 Be7 12. Bxe7 Qxe7 13. Qb3 cxd4 14. cxd4 b5 15. Bd3 Rd8 16. Qc3 O-O 17. Rd1 Rc8 18. Qb2 Rfd8 19. O-O Qf6 20. Be2 Na5 21. Qb4 Nc4 22. Bd3 Qf4 23. Rfe1 Qd6 24. Qxd6 Nxd6 25. Ra1 Rc3 26. Bb1 Rdc8 27. a4 b4 28. Ng5 h6 29. Nf3 a5 30. Ra2 f5 31. e5 Nc4 32. Rc2 Rxc2 33. Bxc2 Bxf3 34. gxf3 Nd2 35. Bd3 Nxf3+ 36. Kf1 Nxe1 37. Kxe1 b3 38. d5 exd5 39. Bxf5 Rc1+ 40. Ke2 b2 41. Ke3 b1=Q 42. Bxb1 0-1

All games from Rounds 1-8 are available here:
http://sentinelusa.tripod.com/Chess/...rBlitz2005.pgn

Cheers,

Chuck