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The 2003 Michigan Class Championships was back at the Holiday
Inn Auburn Hills at the end of April for the second straight
year. There was no Friday night rounds as the tournament went
back to the more traditional two day format. The Class players
played five rounds, while the Masters and Experts went back to
two games a day. The turnout was up to 107 players, led by the
Class D/E section with 29.
Crosstables for All Sections
Masters/Experts
The name of this section could have been changed to the IM and
Experts section, since Ben Finegold was the only player rated
over 2200 in a section that totaled eight. In fact only one other
player, Manis Davidovich, was over 2100. Ben cruised in his first
three rounds. In round four, he sacked a piece against Manis, but
Manis held and was up a rook in the endgame. Unfortunately, time
pressure became a factor and Manis hung his rook at the end,
allowing Ben to draw. This gave Ben Finegold three and a half
points and clear first for the section.
Bradley Rogers scored three points, only losing to Ben to take
2nd place and is the Expert Champion for the second straight
year. Manis Davidovich had to settle for the Top Expert prize
with Faris Gabbara as 1st U2100. On to some selected games.
Maz had a strong attack going when a miscalculation turned the
tables:
Tom Mazuchowski (2000)
Bradley Rogers (2056)
Round 1
French: Chigorin, C00
Notes by Tim McGrew
1.e4 e6 2.Qe2!?
Chigorin's idea has just one virtue: it makes it difficult for
Black to get a normal French position. I have some sympathy for
this way of approaching the opening, but I never use 2.Qe2 -- I
don't like to block in my bishop like that!
2...c5
Black is happy to shift over to a Sicilian now that White's
queen is misplaced. Even though Chigorin's idea is to discourage
2...d5, it doesn't look too bad for Black after 3.exd5 Qxd5. The
position resembles the old main line of the Scandinavian Defense,
where ...e6 is a useful move for Black and Qe2 looks less useful
for White.
3.f4 Nc6 4.Nf3 Be7 5.b3 Nf6 6.Bb2 d5 7.d3
In some respects the position resembles an old-fashioned Dutch
Defense with colors reversed. White is willing to give up central
space in exchange for attacking prospects on the king-side, where
he has more space.
7...Qc7 8.g3 0–0 9.Bg2 d4 10.0–0 e5 11.Bc1
11.f5 comes into consideration, with the idea of a king-side
pawn storm as in the King's Indian.
11...Bg4 12.h3 Bxf3 13.Qxf3 exf4 14.gxf4
“Every Russian schoolboy,” Botvinnik once wrote,
“knows that the proper way to recapture is with the
pawn.” Why? Because otherwise Black can make good use of the
e5 square for his knights. The slight weakening of White's castle
is actually unimportant since White has so much more space there
and the pawns at e4 and f4 prevent Black from working up anything
like an attack.
14...g6?!
This weakening of the castle wall does not seem to be provoked
by any urgent threats of White's.
15.a4 Nh5 16.Na3 a6 17.Bd2 Bh4 18.Qg4 Qe7 19.Be1
19.Nc4 Ng3 20.Rf3?? Ne2+ 21.Kf1 h5 traps the queen.
19...Bxe1 20.Raxe1 Rad8 21.e5
21.f5? is not good here because it gives Black the use of e5
(remember Botvinnik's quotation?): 21...Ne5 22.Qd1 Qg5 and Black
has wrested the initiative from White's grasp.
21...Ng7 22.Nc4 f5 23.Qe2 Ne6 24.a5 Kg7 25.Bxc6 bxc6
26.Qg2 Rc8 27.Qg3 Rc7 28.Rf2 Kh8 29.h4 Qg7 30.Rg2 Rg8 31.Rf1 h6?
White is obviously piling up on g6, so this weakening of the
square makes little sense.
32.Rf3 Kh7 33.Qf2 h5 34.Nd6 Qf8 35.Rfg3 Rcg7?
Black's posture is purely defensive. 35...Qh6 is preferable,
despite the odd looking placement of Her Majesty, because it
keeps pressure on f4. Black needs some counterplay to survive in
this position or White will simply tighten the screws until
Black's position cracks.
36.Qf3 Rc7 37.Kf1 Rgg7 38.Rg1 Kh6 39.Qg2 Qg8 40.Rg5
Kh7 41.Nxf5! Rcf7 42.Qf3
42.Nxg7! wins easily, e.g. 42...Rxf4+ 43.Ke2 Qxg7 44.Rxg6+-
42...Qb8?
Does anyone notice that Black's queen is undefended here?
42...Qd8 is more tenacious, e.g. 43.Qxc6 Nxg5 44.Nxg7 Rxf4+
45.Ke2 Qf8 46.Ne6! Nxe6 47.Qxe6 Qf5 48.Qe7+ Kh6 and although
White has an extra pawn, his exposed king is cause for concern.
43.Rxg6??
A miscalculation, possibly in time pressure. The heroic way to
end the game was 43.Rxh5+! gxh5 44.Qxh5+ Kg8 45.Nh6+ Kf8
46.Qxf7+! Rxf7 47.Rg8+ +-. You see, it really does pay to look
for those undefended pieces!
43...Rxf5 44.Rxg7+ Nxg7 45.Qg3? 45.Qe4 Qf8 46.Ke2 Ne6
47.Kd2 45...Qxe5 46.Qg6+ Kg8 47.Qxc6 Qxf4+ 48.Ke1 Qe3+ 0–1
White finds a good tactical shot:
Manis Davidovich (2117)
Al Hamood (2074)
Round 2
Sicilian: Smith-Morra , B21
Notes by Tim McGrew
1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3
Hmm. Hasn't anyone told Manis about the Finegold Defense
against this?
3...dxc3 4.Nxc3 e6
It doesn't matter: nobody's told Al about it either!
5.Nf3 Bc5 6.Bc4 a6 7.0–0 d6 8.Qe2 b5 9.Bb3 Qb6
10.e5! Bb7 11.exd6 Qxd6 12.Rd1 Qe7 13.Ne5 Nf6 14.Bg5 0–0?
14...h6
15.Ng4!
White fastens on the pinned knight before Black has a chance
to reconsider.
15...Nc6?
This makes it easy for White thanks to a little tactical
detail... 15...Nbd7 would compel White to play forcefully in
order to prove an advantage: 16.Rxd7! Qxd7 17.Nxf6+! gxf6 18.Bxf6
e5 (18...Rfc8 19.Qg4+ Kf8 20.Rd1! is crushing.) 19.Bc2! h6
20.Rf1! (20.Qh5 Bxf2+ 21.Kxf2 Qd2+ spoils White's fun)
16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Rd7!
Oops -- fork incoming on f6.
17...Nd4 18.Qd3 1–0
This was not Stan’s weekend:
Stanley Jarosz (2010)
Tom Mazuchowski (2000)
Round 2
King's Indian: Fianchetto (Simagin), E62
Notes by Tim McGrew
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Nf3 0–0 5.g3 d6
6.Bg2 Nc6 7.0–0 Bg4 8.d5 Na5!?
A double-edged idea. Black puts immediate pressure on White's
queen-side, but the knight itself is rather awkwardly situated on
the edge.
9.Qd3
A bit unusual. A more common way to defend c4 is 9.Nd2 c5
10.Qc2 as in Tkachiev-Krstic, Croatian team ch 2002 (1–0,
36).
9...c5 10.h3 Bd7
So far we've been following McNab-Alvarez from the 2000
Olympiad, where White now tried to shore up the queen-side with
11.Nd2 a6 12.Rb1. It didn't bring him much, and the game was
drawn in 23 moves.
11.e4 e5 12.Nd2 Nh5
This is the sort of position that King's Indian players long
for. Black's attack will unfold very naturally on the king-side
with moves like ...f5. By contrast, White's play on the
queen-side is difficult to find.
13.a3
This is not a lost tempo: Black must secure a retreat for his
knight.
13...b6 14.b4 Nb7 15.Nb3 Rc8
15...f5 looks good right away.
16.b5 f5 17.Bd2 Rf7 18.a4 Qf8 19.Kh2 Bh6 20.a5 f4
21.g4
Apparently plugging things up, but Black has other ideas.
Black to Move
21...f3! 22.Bh1?
The wrong decision in a fairly bewildering position. 22.gxh5
Bxd2 23.Nxd2 fxg2 24.Kxg2 Nxa5 25.hxg6 hxg6 is unclear. Black's
a-pawn won't be of much use in the near future; the more
significant factor is that White's king is a bit exposed.
22...Bxd2 23.Qxd2 Nf4 24.Qe3
Now for shock number two:
Black to Move Again
24...Bxg4!
Very unpleasant for White! A black twister is ripping through
the castle walls.
25.Bxf3
25.hxg4 Qh6+ 26.Kg1 Nh3+ 27.Kh2 Qh4
25...Bxh3!
Opening the h-file fully is the natural way to complete the
demolition.
26.Rg1 Qh6 27.Rg3 Bg2+ 0–1
A fine example of what a King's Indian player can do when he
is in his element.
When an advantage slips away:
Al Hamood (2074)
Bradley Rogers (2056)
Round 3
French: Advance Winawer (Classical), C18
Notes by Tim McGrew
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3
Qc7 7.Nf3 Nc6
7...Ne7 is more common, but the main lines of the French have
dropped somewhat in popularity since it was discovered that White
can clamp the king-side immediately with 8.h4. Like all fashions,
though, this should not be taken too seriously: after 8...b6 9.h5
h6 10.Bb5+ Bd7 11.Bd3 Nbc6. Black looks fine, and in fact Black
has scored very well from this position in recent practice.
8.a4 Nge7 9.Ba3 c4
9...cxd4 10.cxd4 Qa5+ 11.Qd2 Qxd2+ 12.Kxd2 leaves White with a
small edge in the endgame since his dark-square bishop has found
a useful diagonal.
10.Be2 f6 11.Bd6 Qa5 12.Qd2 Bd7 13.0–0
0–0–0 14.exf6 gxf6 15.h3 Nf5 16.Bh2 Rde8 17.Rfb1 Nce7
18.g4
Tarrasch used to call this “the suicide move.” Of
course here it hardly matters, since White's king is not under
any serious pressure. But does that mean that it never will be
...?
18...Rhg8 19.Kh1 Ng7 20.Qf4 e5
This looks good superficially, but actually Black's pieces do
not coordinate well enough to make it work.
21.Qxf6 Ng6 22.Nxe5
There goes the center! Now there are bad things brewing for
Black because of the pressure on the h2-b8 diagonal.
22...Nxe5 23.Bxe5 Ne6 24.Bg3 Rgf8 25.Qe5 Nf4
This would work well if it weren't for the sensitive b8
square.
26.Qd6! Rf6
Black is desperate for counterplay. It is hard to condemn this
move, especially given the outcome of the game. But Black does
get some help from his opponent!
27.Qxf6 Nxe2 28.Qd6
28.Bh2 is even better, e.g. 28...Nxc3 29.Qd6 Bc6 30.Qb8+ Kd7
31.Rxb7+! Bxb7 32.Qxb7+ Kd8 33.Be5 and Black is not long for this
world.
28...Nxg3+ 29.Qxg3 Qa6 30.Qf3 Qh6 31.a5 Rf8 32.Qg3 Qg6
33.a6 b6 34.Re1 h5 35.f3 hxg4 36.hxg4?!
36.fxg4 is probably better, keeping the h-file closed.
36...Qxc2 37.Qd6 Rf7 38.Qxd5 looks very convincing.
36...Qxc2 37.Rac1?!
Move by move, White is letting his advantage slip away. 37.Qd6
Qh7+ 38.Kg2 Qf7 39.Qg3 is safe and White is still winning.
37...Qd2 38.Red1?
Now the advantage is completely gone and Black can force a
draw. 38.Kg1 gets the king off of the h-file before anything can
happen there.
38...Rh8+ 39.Kg1 Qe3+
White to Move
40.Kf1??
White cannot adjust fast enough psychologically to the fact
that he is no longer winning. As a result, he misses his chance
to take a draw. 40.Kg2! Qe2+! 41.Kg1! (41.Qf2?? Rh2+ 42.Kxh2
Qxf2+ –+) 41...Qe3+!=. Neither side can afford to break the
perpetual.
40...Rh1+ 41.Kg2 Rxd1 42.Rxd1 Qe2+
This is the point: the rook is lost.
43.Kh3 Qxd1
The rest is agony for White.
44.Qf4 Qa1 45.Qf8+ Kc7 46.Qf4+ Kc6 47.Qf6+ Kb5 48.Qd6
Qh1+ 49.Kg3 Qe1+ 50.Kf4 Qc1+ 51.Kg3 Bc6 52.Qb4+ Kxa6 53.f4 Qe3+
54.Kh4 Qxf4 0–1
A quick blunder:
Tom Mazuchowski (2000)
Faris Gabbara (2009)
Round 4
Petrov, C42
Notes by Tim McGrew
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.d3
Rather tame. 4.Bc4 or 4.Nxe5 are more common and more
thematic.
4...Nc6 5.Be2 d6
Black is also willing to develop calmly and await events.
6.0–0 Bxc3 7.bxc3 Bg4 8.Nd2 Bxe2 9.Qxe2 0–0
10.Rb1 b6 11.f4
Sensible play: opening the f-file can only benefit White.
11...Qe7 12.Nc4 Rfe8 13.fxe5 Nxe5 14.Nxe5
14.Ne3 is an interesting alternative, heading for f5.
14...Qxe5 15.Rf5??
Oh no...! 15.c4 threatens Bb2 and would have kept a small edge
for White.
15...Qxf5 0–1
Take heart, class players: if it can happen to people at this
level, it can happen to anyone.
Class A
Joseph Gadson is most likely just passing through class A on
his way to expert. With a solid four and a half points here for
the victory and a good U.S. Amateur North performance (see the
report later in this issue), I would expect to see his rating
over 2000 by the Michigan Open. Gerard Jendras won his first four
games before falling to Gadson to take second place. Jennifer
Skidmore won the U1900 prize in spite of the following game:
Jeff Aldrich (1915)
Jennifer Skidmore (1865)
Round 1
Dutch: Queen's Knight, A85
Notes by Tim McGrew
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c6 4.Nf3 f5 5.Bf4 Nf6 6.e3 Be7
7.Qc2 Nbd7 8.Bd3 Ne4 9.cxd5 exd5 10.Nxd5?
A miscalculation. White has seen a queen trap but has missed a
check.
10...cxd5 11.0–0
Probably played with a shake of the head. 11.Bc7
“wins” the queen, but 11...Bb4+! frees squares for her
to run away.
11...Qb6 12.Rac1 0–0 13.Bc7 Qe6 14.Ne1 Ndf6 15.f3
Nd6 16.Qe2 Bd7 17.g3 Rac8 18.Ng2 g5?!
There's the “suicide move” (Tarrasch) again! The
positional motivation is clear (let's keep a knight out of f4),
but the weakness of the king's castle is permanent.
19.Bxd6 Bxd6
19...Rxc1 gets one more piece off the board, reducing the odds
that White can mount a successful king-side assault. Black can
challenge White's control of the c-file later with ...Rc8.
20.Rce1 h6 21.a3 Nh5?!
The knight is undefended on a “hot” diagonal. This
causes some trouble in a few moves.
22.Qd1 Bb8 23.b3 Qd6 24.e4 fxe4 25.fxe4
Now Black wishes that knight were not so exposed!
25...Ng7 26.e5
Of course Black is still winning, but White has some trumps in
this position. Notice that the bishop on b8 is locked out of the
game altogether. This is an indication that White must strike
quickly, for better or worse, before Black brings that buried
piece back into play on a7 or b6.
26...Qxa3 27.Ne3 Qe7?
Black cracks. It was imperative to defend the d-pawn. The
right move is 27...Be6! 28.Rf6! Qb2! 29.Rxh6 Qf2+! 30.Kh1 Qf3+
31.Qxf3 Rxf3 32.Kg2 g4 and Black is winning after all.
28.Nxd5!
Now the tide has turned; suddenly White has a tremendous
attack on the weak light squares.
28...Qd8 29.Rxf8+ Kxf8 30.Rf1+ Kg8 31.Qf3 Be6 32.Nf6+
Kh8 33.Qe4 Nf5 34.d5
34.Rxf5 Bxf5 35.Qxf5 is very convincing, e.g. 35...Rc7 36.Qg6
Qf8 37.d5 and the pawns come rolling down.
34...Qb6+ 35.Kh1 Qe3 36.dxe6 Qxe4+ 37.Bxe4 Ne7 38.Nd7
Bc7 39.Rf7 Nc6 40.Rh7+
40.Nf6 is one move quicker, but if you see a mate, play it!
40...Kg8 41.Nf6+ Kf8 42.Rf7# 1–0
A real roller-coaster ride!
This is more like it for Jennifer:
Edward Laurin (1832)
Jennifer Skidmore (1865)
Round 3
Philidor: Jaenisch, C41
Notes by Edward Laurin (EL) and Tim McGrew (TM)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 exd4 5.Nxd4 Be7 6.Bc4
EL: This gives Black time for the b7-b5 push on move 8.
Probably best would be 6.Bd3 right away.
6...0–0 7.0–0 c6 8.Re1 b5 9.Bd3 a6 10.Bg5 c5
11.Nf5 Bxf5 12.exf5 Nbd7
TM: 12...Nc6 looks sensible, heading for e5.
13.a3?
EL: A complete waste of time. White should just play 13.Be4
immediately. Where 13...Nxe4 14.Bxe7 gives White good play.
13...Ne5 14.Be4?
EL: This drops a pawn and puts White into a crushed position.
TM: Actually, I'm not convinced that 14.Be4 is a bad move. The
problem seems to come a bit later.
14...Nxe4 15.Bxe7 Nxc3
White to Move
16.bxc3??
TM: This is the real turning point of the game, after which
White cannot recover. The right move was 16.Qxd6! since after
16...Qxd6 17.Bxd6 both Black knights are hanging and the rook on
f8 is under fire. White has a definite edge after 17...Rfd8
18.Bxe5 Nd5 19.Rad1 though Black can and should make him work to
prove that he can convert it into a full point.
16...Qxe7 17.f4 Rad8 18.fxe5 dxe5 19.Qe2 Rfe8 20.c4 b4
21.axb4 cxb4 22.Rxa6 Qc5+ 23.Kh1 Rd4 24.h3 Rxc4 25.Ra5 Qxa5
26.Qxc4 b3 27.Rb1 b2!
TM: Little bits of tactical trim like this make chess
interesting even the technical phases. The point is that 28.Rxb2?
leaves the rook undefended and 28...Qa1+ picks it off.
28.Qb3 e4 29.Rxb2 Qxf5 30.Qb8 Qd7 31.Qf4 f5
TM: 31...e3 is also pretty effective: 32.Rb1 e2 33.Re1 Qd1
34.Qb4 Qxc2 etc.
32.c3 e3 33.Qc4+ Kh8 34.Re2 h6
TM: 34...f4 would ring the changes on the idea displayed in
Black's 27th move, e.g. 35.Qxf4?? Qd1+ and once again an
undefended rook falls.
35.Qd4 Qxd4 36.cxd4 f4 37.Kg1 Rd8 38.g3 g5
TM: Of course Black needs to safeguard that pawn, but it is
surprising how often this sort of move that gets missed by
lower-rated players.
39.gxf4 gxf4 40.Kg2 Rxd4 41.Kf3 Rd2!
TM: Accurate counting by Black.
42.Re1
TM: Now 42.Rxd2 exd2 43.Ke2 Kg7 44.Kxd2 Kf6 45.Ke2 Ke5 46.Kf3
Kf5 allows Black to penetrate at e4, winning easily.
42...Rf2+!
TM: Black illustrates a useful technique now whereby two pawns
and a rook roll forward by themselves.
43.Ke4 e2 44.Kf5 f3 45.Rc1 Rg2 0–1
Gadson takes advantage of some inaccurate opening play:
Joseph Gadson (1830)
Jeff Aldrich (1915)
Round 4
Caro-Kann: Steinitz, B17
Notes by Tim McGrew
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Bc4
I confess to having played 5.Qe2 once against a friend (former
friend?) who unthinkingly replied 5...Ngf6?? and got zapped with
6.Nd6#
5...e6 6.Nf3 Ngf6 7.Neg5 Nb6 8.Bd3 Bd6 9.0–0 Qe7
10.c4 Bc7 11.Re1
11.Ne5 looks alarming, e.g. 11...0–0 12.Qc2! g6
(12...h6?? 13.Bh7+! Kh8 14.Ngxf7+ Rxf7 15.Ng6+ Kxh7 16.Nxe7+ and
Black can throw in the towel.) 13.Ngf3 and White's pieces will
come calling on the dark squares shortly.
11...h6 12.Ne4 0–0 13.Kh1 Bd7
Although this connects the rooks, it cuts off the knight at b6
from any hope of reinforcing the king-side.
14.Bd2 Rfe8 15.Qc1
White is telegraphing his intention to sacrifice on h6.
15...Nxe4?
A “Blitz” against h6 is often strengthened if the
attacker can lift a rook up in front of his pawns and over to the
g- or h-files. Black is therefore putting himself in a more
precarious situation by drawing White's rook up to e4.
16.Rxe4 Bd8?
This doesn't do enough to stop the sac.
17.Bxh6! gxh6
Black falls on his sword, but the alternatives are also highly
unpleasant.
18.Rg4+ 1–0
Here is the game that decided the Class A championship:
Joseph Gadson (1830)
Gerard Jendras (1890)
Round 5
Two Knights: Open (Scotch), C56
Notes by Tim McGrew
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6
I do not understand why 3...Be7 is not more popular. As Purdy
pointed out, it is clearly the easiest way for Black to avoid all
of White's dangerous gambit ideas. The Hungarian Defense is
awaiting a hero!
4.d4!?
Officially, this variation has been shorn of its terrors. Or
at least that is the verdict I heard when I was growing up. But
it still appears in master play from time to time, and Black must
know what he is doing or he will get wiped out quickly.
4...exd4 5.0–0 Nxe4
5...Bc5 takes us into the Max Lange Attack, which is also
considered to have been neutralized -- though here again there
are interesting problems that each side can set the other.
6.Re1 d5 7.Bxd5!
This is the tactical point of White's play. Canal's crazy idea
7.Nc3!? is actually playable over the board, though theory frowns
on it. If you scoff at this, close all of your books and
databases, lay out the position for Black, and ask yourself what
you are going to do. Better yet, take Black against Fritz and see
how you fare!
7...Qxd5 8.Nc3
White exploits the dual pins up the central files to regain
his sacrificed piece.
8...Qf5?!
We are still in theory, but this move is off the beaten track
and has not got as good a reputation as the alternatives. 8...Qa5
is the main line and leads to either dead equality or else an
obscure position where Black seems -- seems! -- no worse.
9.Nxe4 Be6 10.Nxd4 Nxd4 11.Qxd4 Rd8
From Jendras, I would have expected 11...Be7!? 12.Qxg7
0–0–0 with play on the g-file to compensate for the
pawn, e.g. 13.Qc3 Rhg8 14.Ng3 Qg4 threatening both ...Bb4 and an
h-pawn rush. But on second thought White has 12.Bg5!? Bxg5
13.Qxg7 0–0–0 14.Qxg5 and after the exchange of queens,
Black's compensation looks inadequate.
12.Qc3
Black is already under some pressure. The c-pawn is hanging at
the moment, and since the g-pawn is under fire Black cannot
develop and castle -- which would solve all of his problems.
12...Rd7 13.Bg5!
Connecting rooks must be good, and this helps to set a nasty
trap.
13...Qg6 14.Rad1! Be7??
This is unrecoverable. 14...Rxd1 15.Rxd1 Bd6 16.Rxd6!
(16.Nxd6+ cxd6 is less incisive.) 16...cxd6 17.Nxd6+ Kd7 18.Bf4
gives White a strong attack.
15.Rxd7! Kxd7 16.Bxe7 Re8
16...Kxe7 17.Qxc7+ is a quick mate.
17.Bh4 b6 18.Rd1+ 1–0
Another quick one:
Jeff Aldrich (1915)
Steve Zubatch (1821)
Round 5
King's Indian: Orthodox, E87
Notes by Tim McGrew
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0–0 6.Be3
One can imagine Tarrasch settling back in his chair, fixing
his opponent with a contemptuous eye, and proclaiming, “I
have NEVER before had such a WON position after six moves!”
Today, of course, we know that this is not true, that the King's
Indian is a very dynamic opening and that White's extra space
means more territory to defend. Even so, I confess that a little
thrill runs down my spine when I see all of those pawns rolling
forward.
6...Nbd7 7.Nh3 e5 8.d5
White scores very well from this position in practice. Black's
king-side attack is really geared for use against a position
where White castles king-side; if White refrains, Black's king
can be the one who finds himself on the hot seat.
8...Ne8 9.Qd2 a5 10.Nf2 f5 11.g3 fxe4 12.fxe4 Nef6
13.Be2
13.Bh3!? has its points, preparing to exchange White's worst
minor piece for a decent one of Black's.
13...Nc5 14.g4!
Surprisingly strong. The knight on f2 enables White to set a
pawn storm in motion right away.
14...Kh8 15.h4
White's attack on the king-side is unfolding nicely, while
Black has not really got his own counterplay off the ground.
15...Qe8 16.h5 Ng8 17.g5!
Threatening, among other things, to bury Black's bishop alive
with 18.h6
17...gxh5 1–0
Black, disgusted, threw in the towel. 18.Bxh5 Qd8 19.Bg6 h6
20.gxh6 Bf6 21.0–0–0 leaves Black with nothing to live
for.
Class B
Repeat. I.C. Matias takes the section for the second year in a
row. The odd bit about this section was that more the forty
percent of the games were draws, including five out seven games
in the final round. So, Matias scored “only” four
points and was still clear first. Tying for second place was
Douglas Fick II, Anthony Biondo, and Kevin Gregory with Fick
taking the second place trophy on tie-breaks and earning the
U1700 money. Jack Wood was the next U1700, so he captured the
trophy.
With so many draws, games of interest were hard to come by.
Here White comes out of the opening when a strategic blunder
gives up the advantage:
Robert Moore (1601)
Anthony Biondo (1786)
Round 2
Sicilian: Accelerated Dragon (Simagin), B34
Notes by Tim McGrew
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6
Black is playing the Accelerated Dragon, dispensing with ...d6
to save a tempo later. We see how this works out on move 8.
5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Qd2 0–0 8.Be2 d5!
This is the theoretically approved counter-blow, equalizing
immediately. But Black needs to know how to handle the position
thereafter!
9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxd5 Qxd5 11.Bf3 Qd7?
11...Qe5 is a much better place for the queen. After 12.Nxc6
bxc6 13.Bxc6 Rb8 Black's active pieces more than compensate for
the missing pawn.
12.Nxc6! bxc6 13.Qxd7! Bxd7 14.0–0–0!
White has emerged from the opening with a pleasant advantage
since Black's pawns are crippled and White's bishops pin them
down.
14...Bf5
Black sets a counter-trap, but it is flawed.
15.g4
This is not objectively bad, but it is not the most
straightforward way to cash in on White's advantage. 15.Bxc6 Rac8
16.Ba4 allows White to get away with the pawn scott free. It also
leaves no pawn weaknesses in its wake.
15...Be6 16.b3
Though White is still better, the game is beginning to spin
out of control. This move creates some more weaknesses in the
name of securing the a2 pawn. 16.Bxc6! is the right way to handle
this situation, despite the loss of the pawn on g4. Now Black
would probably lose his entire queen-side: 16...Bxg4 (16...Rac8
17.Bd7! Bxd7 18.Rxd7+-) 17.Bxa8 Bxd1 18.Bg2 Be2 19.Bxa7+- and
Black's plight is hopeless.
16...a5 17.a4 Rab8 18.Bd2 c5!
Black is making full use of the b-file and his bishops.
19.Bxa5 c4 20.b4 Bc3!
Now the pawn on g4 sticks out like a sore thumb, tying down
White's light-square bishop to defensive duties when it is
desperately needed on the queen-side.
21.Bc7 Rxb4 22.Ba5 Bb2+ 23.Kb1 Rxa4 24.Kxb2 Rxa5
25.h3?
It is far too late to be worried about that pawn.
25...Rb8+! 26.Kc1 c3! 0–1
White is getting mated.
White mishandles the opening and Black never lets him recover:
Bill Hazzard (1622)
Timothy Moroney (1770)
Round 4
Pirc, B07
Notes by Tim McGrew
1.e4 d6 2.Bc4?!
Not the best way to tackle a Pirc, as Black quickly
demonstrates. The bishop tends to be exposed on c4.
2...Nf6 3.Nc3 c6!?
This move carries a threat that White misses.
4.h3?
“Little ears” -- that's what the Russian masters
used to call pawns at h3 and a3 that had no business being moved
that early in the opening.
Black to Move
4...b5!
It may not look very classical, but this pawn thrust is
exactly what the position demands. Now White must choose between
gumming up his development with 5.Bd3 and simply losing a pawn.
5.Bb3 b4 6.Nce2 Nxe4
I'm sure Black was pleased with the outcome of the first six
moves!
7.d3 Nf6 8.Bd2 c5 9.a3 bxa3 10.Rxa3 Bb7 11.Ba5
White is struggling desperately to get some play, but lining
up his pieces on the a-file has its limitations where central
control is concerned.
11...Qc8 12.Ba4+ Nbd7 13.Nf3 Bxf3!
Black aims to demolish White's pawn formation. Where is the
White king going now?
14.gxf3 g6 15.Ng3 Bg7 16.Bc3 0–0 17.f4 Nb6 18.f5
Nxa4 19.Rxa4 Qc6 20.Re4?
White cracks. Retreating the rook to almost any square on the
a-file was preferable.
20...Nxe4 21.dxe4 Bxc3+!
Now the Black a-pawn will be fully passed.
22.bxc3 Kh8 23.Qf3 a5 24.f6 e6
Black can hold the g7 square with ...Rg8.
25.Qf4
25.h4 is a better try, but it too comes up short: 25...a4
26.h5 Qb7 27.Qe3 a3 28.Qh6 Rg8 and Black holds everything.
25...a4 26.Qh6 Rg8 27.Rg1 a3 28.Kd2 Qb7 29.Nh5 a2
30.f3 a1Q 31.Rg3 Qbb1 0–1
Class C
The Class C Champion came from the bottom of the wall chart as
the lowest rated player, Marcus Williams (1401), won the section.
As last year’s Novice champion, he is definitely moving his
way up. He got the bye in round one, drew in round 2, and swept
his final three games. There was a log jam of players tying for
second place. Clint Prong gets the trophy on tie-breaks, followed
by Ronald Grzegorczyk, Randall Brooks, Justin Aldrich, and Eric
Choate. Since all these players were over the 1500 mark, the
U1500 prize went to Roy Almasy with three points.
White’s pressure enables him to trade into a better
endgame:
Justin Aldrich (1558)
James Kelly (1481)
Round 2
Sicilian: Rossolimo, B30
Notes by Tim McGrew
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Qc7 4.0–0 e6 5.c3 a6
6.Bxc6 Qxc6 7.Re1 Ne7 8.d4
At the cost of the bishop pair, which is not very useful to
Black just now anyway, White has established a strong center. But
now what?
8...cxd4 9.cxd4 d5 10.Ne5! Qc7 11.Qh5! Ng6?
An unfortunate decision. Black must defend f7, but the queen
alone does this job well enough and on g6 the knight is not well
placed. 11...Nc6 is a better defense, although 12.exd5 Nxd4
13.Bf4 Bd6 14.Nc3 0–0 15.Rac1! leaves White with the
superior position.
12.Nxg6?!
It is hard to resist the crippling of Black's king-side pawns.
But it is even more important to open the central lines while
Black's king is uncastled. 12.exd5! hits the nail squarely. Now
12...Nxe5 13.dxe5 exd5 permits the devastating thrust 14.e6! when
Black's King is punted out into the open: 14...g6 15.exf7+ Kxf7
16.Qxd5+ Kg7 17.b3 and there is no good answer to the coming
Bb2+.
12...fxg6 13.Qf3 Bb4 14.Bd2
14.Nc3 is even more natural.
14...Rf8 15.Qe2
15.Qh3!? hits the weakling at h7, insignificant in itself but
important because it is the only defender of g6, which Black
cannot allow to fall.
15...Bxd2 16.Qxd2 Kf7 17.exd5 exd5 18.Nc3 Rd8 19.Rac1
Qd6 20.Qg5
20.Re5! is punishing. Black cannot dislodge the rook with a
minor piece, and after the obligatory 20...Be6 White can create
tremendous pressure with 21.Rce1 Re8 22.Qe3 when 23.Nxd5 is
threatened.
20...Be6 21.Re5 Kg8 22.Rce1 Bf7 23.Re7 Rd7! 24.Rxd7
Qxd7 25.Re7 Qc6?!
Up to this point Black has defended sensibly, trying hard to
swap off White's most annoying piece. But here he falters and
leaves White in command of the key squares. 25...Re8! would
relieve some of the pressure thanks to the mate threat at e1.
26.Qf4 Rf8 27.h3
A very useful precaution.
27...b5 28.Qe5 b4 29.Ne2 Re8?
This is a serious strategic error, trading down under the
wrong circumstances. Black's pawns are too weak for him to
survive the ending with an enfeebled bishop against an agile
knight.
30.Rxe8+ Qxe8 31.Qxe8+ Bxe8 32.Nf4 Bc6 33.Nd3 Bb5
33...a5 was forced, though Black's pawns look very difficult
to defend.
34.Nxb4 a5 35.Nxd5 Bc4 36.Nc3 Kf7 37.f3 Ke6 38.Kf2 h6
39.Ke3 Bf1 40.Kf2 Ba6 41.g3 h5 42.Ke3 g5 43.Ne4 Kf5 44.g4+ hxg4
45.hxg4+ 1–0
Black gets caught in the center:
Kent Hershberger (1577)
John Brauker (1465)
Round 4
French: Closed Tarrasch, C05
Notes by Tim McGrew
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.c3!?
The normal move is 4.exd5. White's move is a bit offbeat, but
it is not unknown.
4...Nc6 5.Ngf3 Nf6
Since White has been able to form a pawn chain with c3
supporting d4, it is probably not a wise idea to invite him to
extend it with e5. 5...cxd4 6.cxd4 dxe4 7.Nxe4 Nf6 looks more
reasonable.
6.e5 Nd7 7.Bd3 cxd4 8.cxd4 Qb6 9.Nb3 Be7?!
Here is where many chess games are lost: not with a blunder,
but with a move that does not meet the demands of the position.
With 9...Be7, Black leaves the straight and narrow path of
putting pressure on d4. Odd though it seems, it was better to
target the knight at b3 with 9...a5! White should probably stop
the threatened advance by playing 10.a4 himself, but now Black
has the weak b4 square to work with: 10...Bb4+ and now 11.Bd2?
Bxd2+! is rather embarrassing as White tries to hold onto b3 and
d4. (Deep Fritz 7 actually recommends 12.Kxd2, but Fritz is
unhappy with White's position at this point.) Aside from this
tactical problem, the b4 square is still a long-term asset for
Black; one can easily envision a knight settling in there at some
point. Better is 11.Kf1 as in Tseitlin-Rapoport, Ramat-Aviv 2002.
Tseitlin won, but not because of any defect in Black's position
here.
10.0–0 f6?!
Very risky. Black is opening the diagonal that leads to his
king.
White to Move
11.Nh4!?
A sharp bid to exploit the newly-weakened diagonal.
11...fxe5?
Black misses the point. For better or worse, 11...g6 is
necessary to block the check at h5.
12.Qh5+! Kf8
12...Kd8 is fractionally better, but White is still winning
after 13.Ng6 Re8 14.Nxe5+-
13.Ng6+ 1–0
A move-order mistake in the opening costs White a piece:
Oliver Saylor (1427)
Mark Haney (1514)
Round 5
Giuoco Piano: Pianissimo, C54
Notes by Tim McGrew
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d5?
This is premature, but it requires good tactics from White to
prove it!
6.exd5 Nxd5 7.0–0?
A routine developing move -- not good enough in a position
where a lot is happening in the center! The right way to exploit
Black's play is 7.Qb3! Nf4 Relatively best. (7...Nce7 leaves the
bishop on c5 exposed to 8.Qb5+! +-; 7...Be6 8.Qxb7 picks up a
pawn.; 7...0–0 8.Bxd5 Na5 9.Qd1 Qxd5 10.b4 Bf5 11.0–0
Bxb4 12.cxb4+-) 8.Bxf4 exf4 9.Bxf7+ Kf8 10.0–0 Qxd3 11.Re1±
and although he has maintained material equality Black's position
is very uncomfortable.
7...0–0 8.Nxe5?
Anatomy of a miscalculation: White recognizes that Black's
pieces are in position for the fork trick in the center, but he
fails to look at his own pieces. The bishop on c4 ruins the fork
trick.
8...Nxe5 9.d4?
Misfortunes seldom come singly. White follows up the forking
idea consistently and drops even more material. 9.Bxd5 maintains
material equality, though Black is in a much better position
after 9...Qxd5 10.d4 Bd6 11.dxe5 Qxe5µ
9...Nxc4
Now Black's material advantage is overwhelming.
10.dxc5 Be6 11.b3 Ne5 12.Qe2 Ng6 13.Rd1 Qe8 14.Ba3 c6
15.Bb2 Rd8 16.Rc1 Ndf4 17.Qe3 Nd3 18.Ba3 Nxc1 19.Qxc1 Bg4
0–1
Class D/E
This section was typically the largest and filled with youth.
The only thing to slow down the Class D Champion, Brian Bezrutch,
was a half point bye in round three.
Another log jam at three and a half points was led by Timothy
Speight, taking the second place prize. Out of this group,
Jonathan Budzenski came home with the U1300 prize. Others in jam
were Gary Pratt, David Whatling, Shaun McNair, Albert Biondo.
The Class E Champion came in at three points in the person of
Kevin Crist.
The Class D Champion gets off to a good start when his
opponent tries to force the attack:
Brian Bezrutch (1294)
James Osebold (1391)
Round 1
Spanish: Steinitz, C62
Notes by Tim McGrew
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6
The Old Steinitz Defense, rarely seen in master play these
days because White can obtain a small but clear advantage with an
immediate thrust in the center.
4.c3
This is a rather modest way to react to Black’s passive
setup. Now both players engage in some heavyweight maneuvering,
neither player making much attempt to stir up trouble in the
center. 4.d4! is a bit more to the point: 4…exd4 5.Nxd4 Bd7
6.Bxc6 bxc6 7.0–0˛
4…Bd7
4…f5!? looks like fun to me, in the spirit of the Siesta
Variation.
5.0–0 Nf6 6.d3 Be7 7.Bg5 0–0 8.Bxf6
It is not clear why White makes this exchange unprovoked. If
the point was to prepare d4 by easing pressure on the White
e-pawn, then 8.Re1 looks more natural.
8…Bxf6 9.Nbd2 Ne7 10.Ba4 Ng6 11.Bc2 Bg4 12.Qe1
Bg5
Black’s pieces are coming over to the king-side nicely.
White is not lost, but he is in a certain amount of trouble.
13.Nxg5
Perhaps it’s time to kick back in the center with 13.d4
although Black does retain some attacking chances with
13…Nf4 and 14…Qf6.
13…Qxg5 14.f3 Bh3 15.Rf2 Nh4 16.Qe2 Rae8 17.Nf1
Ng6 18.Ng3 Nf4 19.Qd2 Qh4?
Trying too hard to force things, Black overreaches.
19…Bd7 leaves Black in an enviable position with a
dominating knight at f4.
20.Ne2
20.gxh3! Nxh3+ 21.Kg2 Nxf2 22.Qxf2 leaves White slightly
better off, though it’s still anyone’s game.
20…Bxg2? 21.Nxf4!
White captures the other way and suddenly Black is a piece
down.
21…exf4 22.Rxg2 Re6 23.Rg4 Qh3 24.Qxf4 Qh5
25.Qg5!
Sensible strategy: White exchanges queens before anything
unpleasant can happen on open g-file.
25…Qxg5 26.Rxg5 h6 27.Rg2 f5??
Black is trying desperately to open lines, and he succeeds
– but they are not the lines he wanted to open.
28.Bb3! Rff6 29.Bxe6+?!
This is adequate, but Black misses a little finesse. 29.exf5!
wins a whole rook and not just the exchange.
29…Rxe6 30.Kf2 f4 31.Rg4 g5 32.Rag1 Kh7 33.h4!
Of course: the file must be opened.
33…gxh4 34.Rg7+ Kh8 35.Rg8+ Kh7 36.R1g7# 1–0
Black castles into danger:
David Whatling (1336)
Steve Dumas (1207)
Round 1
Alekhine: Maróczy, B02
Notes by Tim McGrew
1.e4 Nf6 2.d3 d5 3.e5 Ng4?!
This exposes the knight too much. Instead, 3...Nfd7 is best,
intending to set up a French formation with ...e6 and ...c5. Even
3...Ng8!? comes into consideration.
4.d4 Nh6 5.Bxh6 gxh6 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.Be2 e6 8.h3 Bxf3
9.Bxf3 c5 10.c3 Qb6 11.Qd2 cxd4 12.cxd4 Nc6 13.0–0 Nxd4
Having won a pawn, Black should be in good shape. But now he
finds it difficult to come up with the right plan.
14.Bg4 Bc5
This is not bad, but why not pick on White's e-pawn while it
is exposed and hard to defend? 14...Bg7! hits White where he is
weakest. Defending the pawn with 15.f4?? is out of the question,
so White has to bumble around with pieces: 15.Re1 Nc6 16.Qc3 Qb4
17.Qxb4 Nxb4 18.Na3 Nd3
15.Kh1
Sensibly getting off of the hot diagonal so that he can
reinforce his e-pawn with f4.
15...Qc7 16.f4 0–0–0??
Oh no! Castling puts the king on the wrong square at the wrong
time. This is a good example of “geometry” in chess:
the king and queen are on the same file, so bad things are bound
to happen there...
17.Rc1?!
This is the right idea at the wrong time. The right way to win
material is 17.b4! Bb6 18.Rc1 Nc6 19.b5 and Black drops the
piece.
17...Nf5?
Black is blind to the danger on the hot file and ends up
losing a piece after all. 17...Kb8! takes the king off of the
c-file, when play becomes more nearly level. Now 18.b4? does not
work because of 18...Bxb4! 19.Rxc7? Bxd2 and Black picks up more
than his share of material.
18.Bxf5 exf5 19.b4!
Finally! Now 19...Bxb4 fails because 20.Rxc7+ is check.
19...b6 20.bxc5 Kb7 21.Na3
21.cxb6! is even more efficient. When you are ripping into the
enemy king-side, it's not a bad rule of thumb to open lines
whenever possible.
21...d4 22.cxb6
There we go!
22...Qb8 23.Rc7+
Who can complain about this? But 23.bxa7 is also very strong
-- see the note to move 21.
23...Ka8 24.Rxa7+ Qxa7 25.bxa7 Rd7 26.Nc4 Rxa7 27.Qxd4
Rb8 28.Qd5+ Rab7 29.Nb6+!
Forcing mate in an attractive fashion.
29...Ka7 30.Qa5# 1–0
White gets some pressure and Black mis-steps:
Sheldon Mandell (1301)
Scott Thach (1381)
Round 2
Irregular Queen's Pawn: Franco-Indian, A40
Notes by Tim McGrew
1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 b6 3.Bf4 Bb7 4.Nbd2 Ne7 5.e3
There is absolutely nothing wrong with 5.e4, which gives White
a commanding share of the center. I suspect that many players
learn a system like the Colle or the London that involves e3 and
then later e4 without realizing that the two-step advance of the
pawn is only necessary when Black, with moves like ...d5 and
...Nf6, has gripped the e4 square. But here all of this is
unnecessary because Black's unusual development pattern gives him
little control of e4.
5...Ng6 6.Bg3 c5 7.c3 cxd4 8.cxd4
8.exd4 would unbalance the game a little more, which should be
good for White insofar as Black's pieces are not on great
squares.
8...Bb4 9.Be2 Nc6 10.a3 Bxd2+ 11.Qxd2 0–0 12.Bd3
Nce7 13.Qe2 f5 14.h4
This is not very subtle: Black has put a knight on a poor
square and White wants to take advantage of it.
14...Nd5?
Pieces alone will not give Black play against White's
reasonable central pawn formation. It's now or never for
14...f4!? when Black can try to take advantage of White's
leisurely attitude toward getting his king out of the center.
15.h5 Nge7 16.h6 g6 17.e4!?
White does not lack courage! But perhaps 17.Bd6 was more
prudent.
17...Nf6
In hindsight, Black would have done better with 17...fxe4
18.Bxe4 Rc8 19.Bd6 Nf5!? since the exchange looks poisoned:
20.Bxf8 Nf4! 21.Qd2 Nxg2+ 22.Kf1 Nge3+! 23.fxe3 Bxe4 and Black
has seized the initiative.
18.exf5 Nxf5 19.Bxf5 exf5 20.0–0 Ng4 21.Bf4 Re8
22.Ne5 d6 23.Qc4+ Kf8??
23...d5 is forced, after which White's advantage is real but
not yet overwhelming.
24.Qf7# 1–0
White catches Black right out of the opening:
Gary Pratt (1391)
Jonathan Budzenski (1231)
Round 3
Italian, C50
Notes by Tim McGrew
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.0–0 Nf6 5.d4 Bxd4
5...exd4 would lead us into the Max Lange Attack, but Black
believes he is getting away with a pawn for nothing.
6.Nxd4 Nxd4 7.f4!?
This relatively obscure variation was a great favorite of
George Koltanowski, who gives many of his games with it in his
book Adventures of a Chess Master. It is certainly tricky for
Black to meet!
7...Nc6?
This is not one of the successful defenses. White wastes no
time showing us why.
White to Move
8.Bxf7+! Kxf7 9.fxe5 Qe7
After 9...Nxe5 10.Qd5+ White regains the sacrificed piece
anyway.
10.exf6 gxf6 11.Qh5+! Kg8 12.Nc3
A minor bit of imprecision in a won position. 12.Bh6! is best,
setting up the fantastic threat of mate by 13.Rxf6 Qxf6 14.Qe8+
Qf8 15.Qxf8#
12...Qf7 13.Qh4 b6 14.Rxf6 Qg7 15.Bh6 Qe7 16.Qg5+ Qg7
17.Qxg7# 1–0
An almost flawless game from White; for Black, an unhappy
reminder of what it means to be caught in an opening trap.
Black finds a resource in the endgame to salvage a draw:
Tony Gibbs (1277)
Albert Biondo (1332)
Round 3
Sicilian, B30
Notes by Tim McGrew
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 g6 4.c3 Bg7 5.d4 cxd4 6.cxd4
d6 7.0–0 Nf6 8.Nc3 0–0 9.Bg5 Qb6
Both players overlook the trick 9...Nxe4! 10.Nxe4 d5 when
Black has easy equality.
10.b3 Bg4 11.Na4?
This decentralization definitely looks wrong.
11...Qc7
11...Qa5 threatens 12...Bxf3 and 13...Qxg5.
12.Re1 a6 13.Nc3 b5 14.Be2 Qb6 15.Be3
15.Bxf6! Bxf6 16.Nd5! scrambles Black's pawns, giving White a
definite advantage.
15...Qa5 16.Rc1 Rac8 17.h3 Bd7 18.e5 dxe5 19.dxe5 Nxe5
20.Nxe5 Be6 21.Bd2 b4 22.Na4??
White's knight has an unfortunate affinity for this square on
the edge! 22.Bc4 bxc3 23.Bxc3 Qc7 24.Bxe6 fxe6 25.Qe2 leaves
White in a dominating position.
22...Rxc1 23.Qxc1 Qxe5 24.Bxb4 Nd5 25.Bxa6 Qh5 26.Bd2
Be5 27.Be2 Qh4 28.Bg5 Qb4 29.Bc4 Qd6 30.Qd1 f6 31.f4! fxg5
32.Rxe5 Nxf4 33.Qxd6! exd6 34.Bxe6+ Kg7 35.Rxg5?
Walking into a short fork. 35.Re4 keeps the extra piece since
35...Re8 is strongly met by 36.Bd5!+-
35...Kf6 36.Rg4 Kxe6 37.Nc3 h5 38.Rg5 h4 39.a4 Rc8
40.Nb5 Kf6 41.Rg4 g5 42.Nxd6 Rc1+ 43.Kh2 Nd3 44.Ne4+ Kf5 45.Nxg5
Nf2
Threatening mate!
46.Rxh4!
This is the only good way to meet the threat.
46...Kxg5 47.g3 Rc2 48.Kg1 Nxh3+ 49.Rxh3 Kg4 50.Rh2?
Allowing Black a neat resource. 50.Rh4+ keeps winning chances
for White despite his dreadful King position, e.g. 50...Kxg3
51.Rc4! Rb2 52.Rc3+ Kf4 53.a5 etc.
Black to Move
50...Rc1+! 51.Kf2 Rc2+ 52.Kg1 Rc1+ ˝–˝
Neither side can afford to break the perpetual.
John Vasos (1200)
Scott Thach (1381)
Round 4
Irregular King's Pawn: Owen, B00
Notes by Tim McGrew
A perplexing miniature.
1.e4 e6 2.d4 b6!? 3.Nc3 Bb7!?
Black is trying to confuse his opponent.
4.Bc4?!
And it works! Better is 4.Bd3 giving the e-pawn a little more
protection.
4...Bb4
Black consistently plays for pressure against e4.
5.Qd3 Qh4!
Now White realizes what is happening, but f3 is illegal. There
is no good way for White to hang onto his e-pawn.
6.Bd2 Bxc3 7.Nf3?
Mistimed: White assumes that Black must move the queen, but it
isn't so. 7.Qxc3!? might have provoked 7...Qxe4+ 8.Ne2 Qxg2 9.Rg1
when White isn't so badly off, e.g. 9...Qxh2 10.Bf4 Qh4 11.Rxg7
and White's active pieces help to offset Black's extra pawns.
7...Bxd2+ 8.Qxd2 Qxe4+ 9.Be2 Ba6 0–1
A battle between high school teammates:
David Whatling (1336)
Travis Sanders (1367)
Round 5
King's Gambit Accepted: Cunningham, C35
Notes by Tim McGrew
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 Be7 4.Bc4! Bh4+ 5.Kf1
The theoretically approved move and the chief reason that
4.Bc4! is superior to 4.Nc3 or 4.d4, which would otherwise be
sensible developing moves. Still, I've always wanted to see
someone try the old line 5.g3!? fxg3 6.0–0 gxh2+ 7.Kh1. Yes,
it's true that White's entire king-side is gone, but the Black
pawn on h2 provides White (!) with some shelter, and it is
perhaps not so easy as it looks to find good move for Black here.
5...d6 6.d4 Bg4 7.Bxf4 Bf6 8.c3 Nd7 9.h3 Bxf3 10.Qxf3
c6 11.Bxd6?!
White can be pardoned for this bit of gluttony, but it
presents Black with an opportunity which he overlooks.
11...b5?
This weakens c6 and does nothing to address the threat of e5.
Both of White's bishops are undefended and exposed, and the one
on d6 is on a “hot” file. Black can hit them both with
11...Nb6!? when White has to try to mix things up with something
like 12.Bxf7+ Kxf7 13.e5 with a total mess.
12.Bb3
Now the threat of 13.e5 dictates the course of events.
12...Nh6 13.g4
13.e5! Be7 14.Bxe7 Qxe7 15.Qxc6 is crushing.
13...Nb8
Forcing White to play what he ought to play anyway.
14.e5 Bg5
White to Move
15.Na3
Do you see how 15.h4 wins? No? Then consider what happens when
everything comes off in just the right order: 15...Bxh4 16.Bxb8!
Rxb8 17.Qxc6+! Kf8 18.Rxh4! and there is a fork at d6 if Black's
queen leaves her post.
15...a5 16.Nxb5
Oops.
16...cxb5 17.Qxa8 Nd7 18.Qc6 Qb6 19.Qd5 Bh4 20.e6
I like this push, opening more space around the Black king.
20...f6 21.exd7+ Kd8 22.Qa8+ Qb8 23.Qxb8+ Kxd7 24.Qc7+
Ke8 25.Qe7# 1–0
Novice
Kwame McShan and Scott Stapel both finished with four points
and McShan takes the title on tie-breaks. The top U1000 player
was Nathan Love. Robert Rutkowski won the Unrated prize.
Here is an interesting game from the section:
Glenn Litchfield (914)
Fransisco Calleros (Unr)
Round 2
Irregular Queen's Pawn: Franco-Indian, A40
Notes by Tim McGrew
1.d4 e6 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.e4 Nc6 4.Nf3 Bb4 5.Bd2 d5 6.e5 Ne4
7.Bd3 Nxd2 8.Qxd2 0–0 9.0–0 f6 10.Qe2 fxe5 11.dxe5 d4?
Unless this move actually wins material, it is usually a bad
idea in these French setups. Black drives White's knight over to
the king-side where White really would like it to go. The control
of c3 never really makes up for the loss of control of e4 and the
exposure of e6 on the a2-g8 diagonal, and the d-pawn itself can
become a target later.
12.Ne4!
No other square makes sense.
12...Qd5 13.Neg5!
Very consistent play by White!
13...h6 14.Bc4!
Again excellent. How is Black supposed to hold e6?
14...d3
This does not really help Black.
15.cxd3 Nd4 16.Nxd4 Qxd4 17.Bxe6+ Kh8 18.Nf7+ Kg8?
Walking back into that discovered check is suicidal. 18...Kh7
19.Qh5 Be7 20.Bxc8 Raxc8 is still a lot better for White, who has
been collecting a lot of pawns, but Black can at least struggle
on for a bit.
19.Nxh6+ Kh8 20.Nf7+
20.Qh5! is devastating: 20...Bxe6 21.Nf5+ Kg8 22.Nxd4+-
20...Kg8
White to Move
21.Qh5?!
White stumbles at the finish line. 21.Ng5+ Bxe6 22.Nxe6! picks
up the exchange, leaving White lots of material ahead.
21...Rxf7?
Missing a chance to make a game of it. 21...Bxe6! forces White
to sacrifice another piece temporarily with 22.Nh6+ (22.Ng5? now
fails to 22...Bf5! –+) 22...gxh6 23.Qg6+ Kh8 24.Qxh6+ Kg8
and now White can either take the perpetual or grab the bishop
and count on his extra pawns and the exposure of Black's king to
offset Black's bishop.
22.Qxf7+
Now there will be no second chances.
22...Kh8 23.Qg8# 1–0
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