| Ward, coming off a period of inactivity, had a poor
showing in the 1999 Michigan Open and temporarily lost his masters rating.
His 4-0 result in this tournament got it back and served notice that he
is ready to reclaim his place as one of Michigan's leading players in the
new millennium. |
|
Tom Ward (2160) - Bob Ciaffone (2215)
[B87/02] Sicilian: Scheveningen (Sozin)
Michigan Masters/Experts Tournament
USA Grand Rapids, MI, Rd.2, January 9, 2000
|
1.e4 c5
| I am a confirmed Sicilian Defense adherent. |
| This is the Scheveningen Variation. |
| Combining Bc4 with Be3 can lead into the Velimirovic Attack, a walk
on the wild side. |
| The most effective way to bring the Bb3 into the game is to play f4,
which involves sacrificing the e-pawn. According to theory, Black
is okay, but he is in dire need of a good map to get through the deep complications
that arise. |
| We now have the same position from which I beat Tony Palmer in the
1999 Michigan Open. |
| After the game I thought that 11...b4 was a star move that put Black
on top. This was based on 12.Nb1 d5, leading to a clear advantage
for Black. I had believed that 12.Na4 was unplayable, as it loses
a piece to 12...Qa5, as after 13.Nxc5 dxc5 the attacked Nd4 has no squares.
But a few days later, after looking over this line with Ward and Dave Hahn,
they showed me that the White piece sacrifice 14.Nxe6 fxe6 15.Bxe6 presented
Black with extremely serious problems. I later analyzed the sac with
IM Jack Peters, and the conclusion we reached was that Black cannot survive
in this line. |
| Clearly superior to Palmer's 14.Bd5, as my notes in Michigan Chess
to that game showed. The position seems about even now. |
| Unsound; best looks 16...Nc5. |
| My opponent fails to punish me with the exchange sacrifice 18.Nf5!
Bxb3 19.Rxd7!, which is very strong for White. |
| Maybe 19.Rh3 is a little better - (Ward). |
| Too committal; 19...g6 is better. |
| Correct is 21...Rfd8! to support the minors on the d-file, after which
the position is unclear. The previous play has been a bit spotty
by both players, but from here on all White's moves are exemplary. |
| Highlighting Black's failure to shore up the d-file, white is able
to achieve the devastating f5 break. |
| Here or after trades on g6, I thought the knight would have to go back
to e2, and maybe I could hold. But at the end of the game, the stubborn
beast was still sitting on d4. Ward gave me a chance to take it on
each of the next ten moves, but to do so would have lead to an even faster
demise for Black than occurred in the game. |
| Giving up the queen with 27...Bxh1 28.Rxh1 Qxh1 29.Qxh1 exd4 30.Bxd4
would have avoided the forced loss for Black that actually occurred, but
even so, his survival chances would have been dismal. |
| I resigned here, as the Nd4 that held its position all this time is
about to jump in with Nc6+ winning the house. A nicely played finale
by Tom Ward. Nobody likes to lose, but if you do get beaten, it might
as well be by a good friend who benefits from the victory by going on to
win the event. |
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