[imagefield_assist|fid=3521|preset=frontpage_200x200|lightbox=true|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=200|height=200]A very tough day at the office. Two long draws, and I struggled in each game.
I was slightly worse with black against IM Gergely Antal. We drifted into time trouble, and I was able to equalize against inexact play.
Gergely probably had a nice advantage somewhere, but after 33.Qe2? I should be equal or better. I played badly in mutual time trouble and was lucky to draw.
I played well against IM Dean Ippolito, then made the terrible move 23.Bb2? missing his reply. After mutual errors in time trouble, I was completely winning, and blew it. I guess I should be happy I drew!
I play IM Irina Krush tomorrow morning at 9AM and then I play IM Davorin Kuljasevic at 3PM. I am black in both games.
It looks likely FM Darwin Yang will get at least an IM, and possibly a GM norm! Dean still has chances for a GM norm. FM Eric Hansen has good chances for his last IM norm, as he was able to win a tough battle against Irina in round 4.
[pgn|pgn=>>|white=Gergely Antal|black=Ben Finegold|white_rating=2511 |black_rating= 2534]
[pgn|pgn=>>|white=Ben Finegold|black=Dean Ippolito|white_rating= 2534|black_rating= 2466]
Standings after Round 4:
1-2.
Yang, Becerra 3.0 (+2)
3. Ippolito 2.5 (+1)
4-5. Antal , Papp 2.0
(=)
6. Finegold 1.5 (with 1 game to play) (=)
7-8. Kuljasevic,
Hansen 1.5 (-1)
9. Krush 1.0 (with 1 game to play) (-1)
10. Kraai,
1.0 (-2)
Until next time..... Honey Bee
