Summer Cup R3 - Two Games

First, my game against Nathan Hall. His 16th move Bg6 was scary to meet over the board, but I shouldn't have been such a coward, and should have just taken the bishop on move 17. I sort of thought I should, but he played with such fearsome confidence I was psyched out.
Later on in the game, I was completely lost when I played 34 ... Ra8??, when I should have played Ra4 straight away with some counter-play (although still worse). However, Nathan failed to push forward his huge advantage and let me come back into the game with my superior pawns for the minor piece.
Ross Jackson was watching the last few moves from move 50, and after we shook hands he accused us both of crimes against the chess gods, but actually, the computer analysis doesn't agree with him (not for the moves he watched at any rate).






Here is new boy Max Robinson, on the black side of a French Defence, not taking any nonsense from Bob List, who specialises in offbeat gambit lines. Bob actually did quite well out of the opening, trapping his opponent's king in the middle of the board, but then probably overstretched himself (17. g4??) and ended up getting into tactical difficulties himself. Max's 35. ... Rc2+ was quite a nice finish to the game.