These are my games from Corus, with very brief notes.

I would definitely go back next year, and having won (equal first with the guy I lost to) my section, I would get to move up to Group 2 next time. Assuming I had a FIDE rating by that time. I don't think I quite get one from this tournament, but if I play 3 or 4 more games sometime, I should get one (they apparently go down to 1600 now; my perfomance in this tournament was something like 2150).

One person in my group didn't show up, so everyone had a bye one round. Mine was the first day.

[Event "Corus, Group 3A"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands"]
[Date "2005.01.22"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Kenney, JD"]
[Black "Plug, AJ"]
[Result "1-0"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 Nc6 3. g3 e5
I wasn't in the mood to try to remember a sharper line. The idea of Nc6 is to play e5, and after d5, the knight reroutes itself to g6 through e7. So g3 makes sense as a prophylactic move, since it removes the squares f4 and h4 as potential hopping points for the knight.
4. d5 Ne7 5. Nf3 Ng6 6. Bg2 Bc5 7. Nc3 a6 8. h4 h6
After the game my opponent said: "I'm not sure why I gave you a pawn. I think this was pretty stupid." I agree 100%.
9. h5 Nf8 10. Nxe5 d6 11. Nd3 Ba7 12. Bf3 Qe7
Bf3 is directed against Bg4 to recapture the pawn. Having taken it, I may as well keep it.
13. Kf1 Bf5 14. Kg2 N8h7 15. e4 Bd7 16. Re1 Bd4 17. e5 Bxe5 18. Nxe5 dxe5 19. Bf4 O-O 20. Bxe5 Qc5 21. b3 Rfe8 22. Qd4 Qxd4 23. Bxd4 Bg4 24. Bxg4 Nxg4 25. Ne4 Rad8 26. Nc5 1-0
Rad8? is losing another pawn by force almost, but black was clearly tied up, and had no way to really get his pieces in the game without destroying his kingside pawn structure as well.

[Event "Corus, Group 3A"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands"]
[Date "2005.01.23"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Möller, WHM"]
[Black "Kenney, JD"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 d6

5. ... Nf6 and 6. ...d6 is supposed to be the most precise move order if black intends to play Nxd4, since now on Be3, Ng4 is possible. Hence, either Be2 or f3 must be played to prevent it, both of which have drawbacks (namely white wants to play both Bd3 and f4)

7. Be2 Nxd4 8. Qxd4 Bg7 9. Be3 O-O 10. Qd2 Bd7 11. O-O Bc6 12. f3 Nd7 13. Rac1 a5 14. Rfd1 Nc5 15. b3 Qb6 16. Nd5 Bxd5 17. cxd5 Rfc8 18. Rc4 Qd8 19. Rdc1 b5 20. R4c2 b4 21. Bc4 Qb6 22. Qf2 Qb7 23. g3
1/2-1/2

Not much to play for. Black had some tricks with a Bc3 or Bd4 intermezzo (aka zwishenzug) if white tried to grab a pawn on c5.

[Event "Corus, Group 3A"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands"]
[Date "2005.01.24"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Kenney, JD"]
[Black "Oliemanns, C"]
[Result "1-0"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 c6 6. e3 Be7 7. Bd3 O-O 8. Qc2 Nbd7 9. Nge2 h6 10. Bh4 Re8 11. f3 Nf8 12. O-O Bd7

Bd7?? is horrible. I'm not sure what he was thinking about for 30 minutes before playing it. It removes the pressure on the d4-pawn, and just generally screwed up black's co-ordination.

13. Rad1 N6h7

Again, black insists on making his pieces as passive as possible...

14. Bxe7 Qxe7 15. e4 Be6 16. e5 g6 17. f4 Bg4 18. f5 gxf5 19. Bxf5 Bxf5

Brilliant bishop maneouvering on black's part.

20. Rxf5 Qe6 21. Nf4 Qd7 22. Nh5 Re6 23. Rdf1 Rg6 24. Qf2 f6

Now, the question is: how best to take the pawn? I didn't know at the time, and still don't now (I haven't checked the game with Fritz, to see what he thinks).

25. Nxf6+ Nxf6 26. Rxf6 Rxf6 27. exf6 Qf7 28. Qf4 Kh7 29. Rf3 Ng6 30. Qf5 Rf8 31. h4 Kg8 32. Qh5 Kh7 33. Ne2 Nh8 34. Qe5 Re8 35. Qf5+ Qg6 36. Rg3 1-0

[Event "Corus, Group 3A"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands"]
[Date "2005.01.25"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Hensbergen, W"]
[Black "Kenney, JD"]
[Result "0-1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. cxb5 a6 5. f3 e6

After 5. f3 some heavy theory follows. I've played two other games in this line, both against Steve Saunders.

6. e4 exd5 7. e5 Qe7 8. Qe2 Ng8 9. Nc3 Bb7 10. Nh3 c4 11. Be3 Qb4

At this point, I wasn't sure whether I played Qb4 or axb first. I figured that after 0-0-0, axb it will transpose, and I didn't really see any white moves that really changed the nature of the position a whole lot. My opponent started thinking at this point as well, trying to find some way to take advantage of my "error". "Normal", if you want to call it that is: axb 0-0-0 Qb4 Nf4 Ne7 Bb6! h5 (so can black can play Rh6-xb6 to get rid of the bishop, of course ;) ) Nxd5 Nxd5 Rxd5! Qxc3+!! bxc Bxd5, followed by Be6, Nc6, b4, Rxa2, etc. with a very complicated game (which has probably been analyzed out by somebody to its conclusion, whatever that may be).

12. Qf2 axb5 13. O-O-O Na6 14. Nf4 Ne7 15. a3 Qb3

a3 is a clear mistake. Now I have a target on a3 after Qb3, for both Bxa3 and b4-bxa opening the a-file for my rook. The only problem is that he might try to trap my queen...
16. Nfe2 Nf5!

Not fearing g4 because either b4 or Bxa3 are both overwhelming for black against white's naked king.

I find it amazing that black's pieces, namely the Ra8 and Bf8 are already on their best squares, even though they haven't moved! He's farted around with his queen, and played the knight maneouver Nf6-g8-e7-f5 (ie 1/4 of all black's moves...), and Na6. I suspect all this means hat white's opening is suspect.

17. Nd4 Nxd4 18. Bxd4 b4 19. axb4 Nxb4 20. Nb1 Be7

This was played too fast. I thought that white was forced into playing f4, which he also did very quickly, but he might have some other way to prevent Bb4+. In any case, there was a forced win which black plays the next move.
21. f4 Na2+ 22. Kd2 Bb4+ 23. Ke2 Nc1+ 24. Rxc1 Qd3# 0-1

[Event "Corus, Group 3A"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands"]
[Date "2005.01.26"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Kenney, JD"]
[Black "Verholt, G"]
[Result "0-1"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 e6 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. g4 h6

h6 seems like it should be too passive, but it was very hard to decide how to take advantage of it. In the game I decided to clarify the situation, if black takes back with cxd, we almost transpose to an exchange slav where the move h6 seems more out of place than Qc2 does.

On the next several moves, white has lots of decent looking options, and I'm not good enough to say whether any of them is particularly better than another.

8. cxd5 exd5 9. Rg1 Qe7 10. Bd3 Nf8 11. h3 Ne6 12. Ne5 Ng5

Fritz tells me Nc5! is good here. It looks good and I sure didn't think of it during the game. Silly computer tactics.

13. h4 Nge4 14. g5 hxg5 15. hxg5 Bxe5 16. dxe5 Nd7 17. Nxe4 dxe4 18. Bxe4 Nxe5

The situation has clarified, and I have to claim a white advantage. He is a little ahead in development, and will have a killer B on the long diagonal. Black attempts to simplify at the cost of a pawn.

19. Bd2 Be6 20. Bc3 Bd5 21. Bxd5 cxd5 22. Qf5! f6

Domination. White's pieces are all clearly superior to their black counterparts.

23. O-O-O Qd7 24. Qxd7+ Nxd7 25. gxf6 gxf6 26. Rxd5 Rc8

White should be winning without too much trouble from here, but I seem to lose the plot, as Jonathan Rowson likes to say. Rg7 is probably the best move from an analytical view, however Kb1 was much simpler. Get out of the pin, play a3 to remove back rank threats, play f4 and Bd4 if necessary, maneouver and likely win the f-pawn. Simple.

27. Rg7 Nc5 28. Kd1 Kf8 29. Rg1?? Kf7

Strike 1.

Somehow I got scared, and completely forgot Bxf6 was possible when he attacked my rook. Even though I had completely anticipated this! This is what I get for leaving myself only 12 or so minutes for 10 moves...

30. Ke2 Ne4 31. Bb4?? Rh2

Strike 2.

Instead, Rd7+ immediately, with something like Ke6 Rxb7 Rh2 Kf3 Ng5+ Rxg5! fxg Rxa7 and white is completely winning.

32. Rd7+ Ke6 33. Rxb7 Rxf2+ 34. Kd3 Rd8+ 35. Kxe4?? f5#

Strike 3. You're out!

White still has very good winning chances after Kc4 Rxb2 Rd7+ Kf5 Rf1+ as I demostrated in disgust after I realized that I had been mated in one move. Gah! As usual, after losing a game, my game goes all to crap...

0-1

[Event "Corus, Group 3A"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands"]
[Date "2005.01.28"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Koelemij, SH"]
[Black "Kenney, JD"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. e3 g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Nc3 O-O 6. Be2 cxd4 7. exd4 d5 8. O-O b6

Here, I said these exact words to myself in my head: "I wonder if it's better to play Nc6 or b6. Maybe I'll want to play Nd7 for some reason, if I play b6, I can decide later. Of course, he can play Ne5 then, and Nc6 would prevent that. But Ne5 doesn't seem so bad. I guess I'll worry about it if he plays it." Stupid, stupid, stupid.

As soon as he did he play Ne5, I realized what a mess I was in. Ugh. I also forgot that his queen was defending his rook on a1 later, and Nb3?? just gave him a free piece. Which he didn't take. What a horrible game.

9. Ne5 Bb7 10. Bf3 Nbd7 11. Bf4 Rc8 12. cxd5 Nb8 13. Qb3 Na6 14. Rfe1 Nc7 15. Nc6 Bxc6 16. dxc6 Ne6 17. Be5 Ng5 18. Nb5 Ra8 19. Be2 Nfe4 20. Bxg7 Kxg7 21. h4 a6 22. d5 Nc5 23. Qe3 axb5 24. hxg5 Qxd5 25. Bf3 Qc4 26. b3 Qc2 27. Qe5+ Kg8 28. Re2 Qd3 29. b4 Nb3 30. Re3 Qd4 31. Qxd4 Nxd4 32. Rxe7 Nxf3+ 33. gxf3 Rfc8 34. c7 Ra7 35. Rc1 Kf8 36. Re5 Rcxc7 37. Rxc7 Rxc7 38. Rxb5 Rc2 39. Rxb6 Rxa2 40. Rb7 Rb2 41. Kg2 Kg7 42. Kg3 h6 43. gxh6+ Kxh6 44. b5 f6 45. b6 Kg5 46. Rb8 Kf5 47. Rb7
1/2-1/2

Just a quick note on the final position. Obviously the only way for white to try to win is to bring his king up, however, he will immediately lose one of his kingside pawns in doing so, and black will create passed pawn by taking the other one with his king, sac his rook against the pawn, and draw because white's king is too far away to stop the pawn in time. The same scenario happens with 3v3 on the kingside, and white having a passed a-pawn. The same idea, either grab a pawn with the rook, or just with the king, create a passed pawn, is the easiest way to (try to, it might not always be one...) draw as far as I know.

If white pushes the pawn to b7, it's an immediate draw, since white has no way to hide his king when it gets up around the pawn, black just checks him away with the rook.

[Event "Corus, Group 3A"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands"]
[Date "2005.01.29"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Kenney, JD"]
[Black "Bermon, HW"]
[Result "1-0"]
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 O-O 7. Bd3 c6 8. Qc2 h6 9. Bh4 Be6 10. Nge2 Nh5?

Wasting time. I decided to go queenside with my king, and all out kingside attack this time. The bishop on e6 is also probably misplaced in this position, by the way. It is more prudent to play Re8, and Nd7, since it's clear where those pieces are going. It's not clear where the Bc8 belongs.

11. Bxe7 Qxe7 12. h3 Nd7 13. g4 Nhf6 14. O-O-O c5 15. Rdg1 c4? 16. Bf5 Rfd8 17. Bxe6 Qxe6 18. Nf4 Qd6 19. g5 hxg5 20. Rxg5 Nf8

White has played so many moves with tempo, he's light years ahead of black in the race. If you want to call it one. At this point black can't even think about attacking, he just has to find some way to avoid immediate disaster. White was going to play Bf5 anyway, so why force him with c4, while simultaneously blocking the queenside?!

21. Rhg1 g6 22. h4 N8h7

White actually could have played a line I saw during the game: Nxg6 fxg Rxg6 Nxg6 Qxg6 Kf8 Nb5! And black is toast, as white follows up with Rg5 (the idea I missed, I only saw Qc6?? Qg7+ Ke8 Nc7+ winning the queen). I wasn't brave enough to play it even though I was pretty sure white was winning from the lines I had seen, eg. Qe7 Qh6+ Ke8 Rg7 is game over as well. I felt it would be easier to play without investing so much material. This was wrong though, as black can try to defend, if he doesn't blunder on the next move.

23. Re5 Qc6 24. Nxg6

The point of Re5 was to cut off the king, so I was threatening Nxg6 again, especially since the Nf8 has been decoyed away. Kh8 wasa better defensive try, but after h5, white is still crushing. Too bad I wasn't brave enough to sac the rook!

1-0

[Event "Corus, Group 3A"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands"]
[Date "2005.01.30"]
[Round "9"]
[White "van Massen, B"]
[Black "Kenney, JD"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 g6 3. e3 Bg7 4. Bd3 d6 5. Nd2 O-O 6. h3 Nc6 7. c3 e5 8. Bg5 d5

Black must have equalized completely, if he's not a touch better with this move, since white has played a lot of pointless moves. The problem now though, is how to continue? I'm fairly sure the plan I chose was wrong.

9. Ne2 e4 10. Bc2 Ne7 11. c4 c6 12. O-O Ne8?

Black was ok, to this point, but this is definitely wrong. Of course black will have a couple problems with this center, since white is ideally placed to attack it. His dark B is already outside his pawn chain, his light squared bishop is already ready to attack d5, and he can play f3 letting his queen in on it too. Warning bells were going off in my head, and I should have listened to them. The problem is you start to think, "well, he's played a bunch of strange moves so far... this looks like I will get a decent attack, I'll go for it", which is not how to play at all. You know what they say about assumptions...

13. cxd5 cxd5 14. Bb3 f6 15. Bf4 Kh8 16. Nc3 g5

Ugh. The idea was to continue with f5 and then f4, but of course white simply plays f3. Having missed/underestimated this, I lost confidence again, and did something stupid. I somehow decided that after f5 f3 my problems could only be solved by tactical continuations, and I continued to look for things like f4, only to find f4 fxe fxe Rxf8+ Bxf8 Qf3! and white has a huge advantage. In fact, the simple f4 f3 Nf6 contains most of white's advantage, and he'll have to start finding some really good moves to win the game.

17. Bh2 b6 18. Qe2 Bb7 19. f3 exf3

Again, f5 is the sane option, keeping the dangerous b1-h7 diagonal closed. But having decided f5 wasn't playable several moves earlier, it can't possibly be playable in this entirely new and different position...

20. Nxf3 Nd6 21. Rac1 a6

Of course, when you're worse, making weaknesses (b6 and more importantly c5 after I'll be forced to play b5 at some point), and making your bishops worse is the way to fight back to equality.

22. Nd2 Re8 23. Bc2 Kg8 24. Qh5 Ng6?!

With a draw offer. I was sure he thought this was impossible, so I thought it would be a good time to offer a draw, while he was disorientated. The obvious Bxg6 Qxg6 allows Rxe3, with approximately the same evaluation: white has an edge, but isn't winning yet. A non-forcing move however would have left black in a lot of trouble, Fritz likes Rce1 for good reason. It's true black can play Nf8 (my intention, with the pyschological shock value that it now kills any attack on h7), however white has the simple move Bb3, attacking d5, and threatening e4 with the pin, which greatly increases white's advantage, since black is forced into playing something like Nb5 (Fritz), after which Nxb5 axb Qf3 Kh8 Rc1 and white will start to penetrate with the rooks. Again, black isn't lost yet, but he's getting closer and closer...

1/2-1/2