I will add games, diagrams, and notes as time permits.
It is hard to say when I played my last two games in a tournament as hard as I played these last two games. I had played my opponent before and I knew he was a worthy adversary and thought I might fight for hours only to get 2 points.
There were several of us trying to get second place to earn the right to challenge the world champion to a match for the title. I came close but I am proud to say that my son beat me out of the honor of taking second place and earning his first bid to play for the Men's World Championship. He is, simply put, better than me
Remove 9 and 24
[Event "2021 11-Man Ballot National. Rd 8 gm 1"]
[Date ""]
[Black "Patrick Parker"]
[White "Michael Holmes"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Setup "1"]
[FEN "B:W32,31,30,29,28,27,26,25,23,22,21:B12,11,10,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1"]
1. 12-16 21-17 {A} 2. 16-19 23x16 3. 11x20 22-18 4. 8-11 25-22 {B} 5. 4-8 27-23 {C} 6. 8-12 29-25 7. 10-15 32-27 8. 6-10 25-21 9. 1-6 30-25 10. 12-16 17-14 11. 10x17 21x14 12. 6-9 25-21 13. 7-10 14x7 14. 3x10 28-24 15. 9-14 18x9 16. 5x14 {D} 0-1
A. I considered this an even opening where I could win or lose both sides!
B. This move was made to discourage 6-9 but if I make 27-23 here it discourages 10-14. I chose this as 10-14 is not a natural move.
C. I made this move to discourage the 10-14 trade.
D. This is as far as my score sheet records. I think the moves after this are 22-17 2-7 26-22 and red pitches the wrong way with 14-18 instead of
pitching 16-19.
[Event "2021 11-Man Ballot National. Rd 8 gm 2"]
[Date ""]
[Black "Michael Holmes"]
[White "Patrick Parker"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Setup "1"]
[FEN "B:W32,31,30,29,28,27,26,25,23,22,21:B12,11,10,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1"]
1. 12-16 21-17 2. 8-12 17-14 3. 10x17 22x13 4. 16-19 {A} 23x16 5. 12x19 25-22 6. 4-8 22-18 {B} 7. 7-10 27-23 8. 11-16 {C} 29-25 9. 2-7 18-15 {D} 10. 16-20 {E} 23x16 11. 10x19 25-22 12. 6-10 22-18 {F} 13. 8-11 26-23 {G} 14. 19x26 31x22 15. 10-14 {H} 18x9 16. 5x14 13-9 17. 11-15 28-24 18. 20x27 32x23 19. 15-19 16-12 20. 19x26 30x23 21. 7-11 22-18 {I} 22. 14-17 1-0
A, This is a bid for control of the center. If white plays aggressive red will have to defend.
B. A good move by my opponent. 29-25 would lose the momentum and red can attack.
C. Obviously trading here is safer but I need a win to have a good chance at taking second place in the tournament.
D. This is a complicated position. The computer rates 32-27 and 25-22 a little better at a plus 14 and plus 10 respectively.
E. 10-14 here is a little better but again I am trying for endings with hopes of having white hide his piece from 16 to 12.
F. But white will not cooperate. This is another good move by my opponent. 32-27 would had been another good choice but both can be drawn.
G. This is an unnecessary trade taking out the apex (pyramid) piece. It still draws though.
H. Here I calculated white as having best if I traded 20-24 instead.
I. Loses since white has to sink the piece on 9 to avoid a two for one if the piece is moved on 23 to 19 to 15 in an attempt to crown two white pieces. Instead 23-19 draws since red does not have enough time to attack the piece on 22.