Below is a game and a couple of game snippets presented by NM Ron Luther from the 2017 Mid-America Open in Saint Louis

 

Round 1: NM Ron Luther vs GM Elshan Moradiabadi

[ctpgn layout=”left” id=”LutherMoradiabadi032417″]
[Event “Mid America Open”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “2017.03.24”]
[Round “1”]
[White “LM Ron Luther”]
[Black “GM Elshan Moradiabadi”]
[Result “1-0”]
[WhiteElo “2205”]
[BlackElo “2633”]
[ECO “B26”]
[Annotator “Ron Luther”]
[PlyCount “79”]

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 e6 3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2 g6 5. d3 Bg7 6. Be3 d6 7. Qd2 Nd4 8. Nge2 Ne7 9. O-O Rb8 10. Nd1 Nxe2+ 11. Qxe2 O-O 12. Qd2 Re8?! {This plan to save the dark-squared Bishop, wastes several moves, and as will be seen later, he has to exchange it anyway later.} ( 12. … Nc6 ) 13. Bh6 Bh8 14. c3 b6 ( 14. … b5 ) 15. Ne3 Bb7 16. f4 d5 17. f5?! { [#]Fortune favors the Bold!} ( 17. Rad1 ) 17. … dxe4? ( 17. … exf5 18. Bf4 dxe4 19. Bxb8 Qxb8 20. dxe4 fxe4 {=+} ) 18. fxe6 {With mate threatened on f7, Black has no time to do other things.} 18. … fxe6 19. g4! ( 19. Ng4 {is the computers move, I like mine better.} ) 19. … Bg7 {Back again?} 20. Bxg7 Kxg7 21. Qf2 Rf8 22. Qg3 { +/-[#] Dark Squares!} 22. … Qd7 23. dxe4 ( 23. g5! {Looks even stronger} ) 23. … Nc6 24. g5! {This further controls the dark squares and sets up some mating nets in the future.} 24. … Rbd8 25. Qh4?! ( 25. Ng4! ) 25. … Ne5 26. Qg3 Nd3? {[#] Was shocked by this move, feeling it was bad.} 27. Rxf8 Rxf8?! ( 27. … Kxf8 {Was the best try.} ) 28. Rd1 {Now Black is in serious trouble.} 28. … Ba6 29. c4 Kg8 {The threat was Rxd3 and Nf5+} 30. Bf1 Bxc4 31. Nxc4 Qd4+ 32. Qe3 Qxc4 33. Qxd3 Qxa2 34. Qc3? {A mistake I correct in 2 moves. I am down to about 20 mins at this point to get to move 40} 34. … Qa4! 35. Qd3 Qa2 36. Qc2! Qa5 37. Bc4 {Having had several GMs in the past on the ropes I was determined not to let this one slip away!} 37. … Re8 38. Qb3 Kf8 39. Bxe6 {While this wins….Qf3+ is faster.} 39. … c4 40. Qf3+ 1-0
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Round 2: FM Tansel Turgut vs NM Ron Luther

[ctpgn layout=”left” id=”TurgutVsLuther032517″ fen=”1r3nk1/5pb1/p6p/p1BP2p1/2b5/2N2N1P/1P1R1PP1/6K1 b – – 0 25″]

[Event “Mid America Open”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “2017.03.25”]
[Round “2”]
[White “FM Tansel Turgut”]
[Black “LM Ron Luther”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]
[WhiteElo “2344”]
[BlackElo “2204”]
[Annotator “Ron Luther”]
[SetUp “1”]
[PlyCount “25”]
[FEN “1r3nk1/5pb1/p6p/p1BP2p1/2b5/2N2N1P/1P1R1PP1/6K1 b – – 0 25”]

{[#] In my 2nd rd game vs FM Turgut after some rather poor opening play we
reached this position and I played…}
25. … Nd7?! {Missing the following…}
( 25. … Bxc3! 26. bxc3 Rb5 {Giving Black good winning chances. But
after…} )
26. Bd4 f6 27. Nh2 h5 28. Nf1 Bxf1 29. Kxf1 f5 30. Ne2 Rb5 31. Bxg7 Kxg7
32. h4 Kf6 33. hxg5+ Kxg5 34. Nd4 Rb6 35. g3 Kf6 36. f4 Rd6 37. Nc2 Nc5 {A
draw was agreed.} 1/2-1/2
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Round 4: NM Ron Luther vs Gopal Menon

[ctpgn layout=”left” id=”LutherVsMenon032617″ fen=”8/2rk4/p7/1pR4p/8/1PPN3P/4K3/1n6 w – – 0 36″]

[Event “Mid America Open”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “2017.03.26”]
[Round “4”]
[White “LM Ron Luther”]
[Black “Gopal Menon”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]
[WhiteElo “2204”]
[BlackElo “2346”]
[Annotator “Ron Luther”]
[SetUp “1”]
[PlyCount “5”]
[FEN “8/2rk4/p7/1pR4p/8/1PPN3P/4K3/1n6 w – – 0 36”]

{[#] Here in the 4th rd with White vs G Menon, we reached this position.
He had only seconds to find 5 more moves before the 1st time control. My
plan was to play…}
36. Ne5+! Kd6 37. Rxc7 Kxc7 38. Kd3 {However I allowed myself to be
“enertia-ed”, and swapped rooks instead, only to draw after a few more
moves.} 1/2-1/2
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