| The reserve section drew a total of 88 players including
the re-entries. This was definitely an improvement over last year’s turn-out,
helped by the fact that the tournament was held much closer to the state’s
largest chess playing population. |
| The reserve had the same 2, 3, and 4 day splits,
with the same time controls that the open section had. |
|
4-Day Section Round 1
|
| As with the open section, the 4-day schedule was
the most popular with 48 players starting out. The cut for this group came
in a little above 1400. There is usually a 1400 or two in the running at
the end of the tournament, so it wasn’t going to be easy for the top players
from the start. |
| The first two games here show just how tough this
section is. They involve the top two seeds from this group: |
Michael Neshewat (1775) - Norman Haygood (1416)
[B18] Caro-Kann: Classical
Michigan Open Reserve, Round 1
|
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Bd3? Bxe4
6.Bxe4 Nf6 7.Bf3 e6 8.Ne2 Bd6 9.O-O O-O 10.c4 Nbd7 11.Qb3 Rb8 12.Rd1
Qc7 13.h3 c5 14.Be3 cxd4 15.Nxd4 Nc5 16.Qc2 a6 17.b4 Ncd7 18.c5 Bh2+ 19.Kh1
Bf4 20.Ne2?!
| 20.Bxf4 keeps the king-side pawn structure intact,
White's advanced queenside majority gives him the advantage. |
| Black now has control of the d-file. The white knight
is poorly posted and his king is more exposed. |
| It's probably already too late, but 43. Ne4 might
give the queen the opportunity to get back to help. |
43...Ne3! 44.Qe7 Qe1+ 0-1. |
|
Anthony Holden (1414) - Tony West (1731)
[A45] Indian
Michigan Open Reserve, Round 1
|
1.d4 Nf6 2.e3 d5 3.Bd3 Nc6 4.f4 Nb4 5.Be2 Bf5 6.Na3 e6 7.c3 Nc6
8.Nc2 Bd6 9.Nf3 Nb8 10.Ne5 Nbd7 11.b4?
| Creating a huge weakness on the queen-side. White
really needed to castle here. |
| Keeping the ...Qh4+ threat intact. White now feels
that it is worth jettisoning the piece to get castled. |
| 29...Ba5 takes the pressure off of the bishop, but
keeps the heat on the c-pawn. |
| Not that the alternatives are much more aesthetically
pleasing, but this seem to be stepping into the fire, especially with that
pawn clump ready to rumble. |
| How about 38...Qd2 forcing the queens off, and simplifying
the game. |
| 42...Rhe8 seems to be the best defense. After 43.Rxc4
dxc4 44.Qe5+ Kf7 Black will eventually run out of checks. |
43.Bg5+! Kxg5 44.Qe7+ Kh6 45.Rg2 Qxe1+ 46.Qxe1 Rc6?!
| Allows White to perpetual. 46...g6 gives Black the
best opportunity to win. |
|
|
| This game was more typical: |
Hassan Sobh (1681) - Felix Serwatowski (1315)
[B21] Sicilian: Macdonnell
Michigan Open Reserve, Round 1
|
1.e4 c5 2.f4 d6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Be2 Be7 6.O-O O-O 7.d3 Nc6
8.Be3 a6 9.d4 Ng4 10.Bf2 Nxf2 11.Rxf2 cxd4 12.Nxd4 Qc7 13.a4 Rd8 14.Nf3?
b6?
| Missing 14...d5! threatening both 15...Bc5 and 15...dxe4. |
| Creating a big hole in his position, which is promptly
filled. |
21.Nf6+ 1-0. |
|
| Another quick one: |
Danny Schey (1600) - Roman Krivochenitser (1189)
[A25] English: Closed Sicilian (Carls)
Michigan Open Reserve, Round 1
|
| 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Bc5 5.e3 O-O 6.Nge2 Re8 7.O-O e4
8.a3 d6 9.b4 Bb6 10.Bb2 Bf5 11.Nf4 Be6 12.Nxe6 fxe6 13.Nxe4 Nxe4 14.Bxe4
e5 15.Qh5 Ne7 16.Qxh7+ Kf8 17.f4 Kf7 18.fxe5+ Ke6 19.Qh3+ Nf5 20.Qxf5+
Ke7 21.Qf7# 1-0. |
|
|
4-Day Section Round 2
|
| Most of the higher rated players cruised into the
next round unscathed. |
| Black took the advantage right off the bat and then
continued to win one pawn after another: |
Allan Foord (1500) - Willis James III (1701)
[C17] French: Advance Winawer
Michigan Open Reserve, Round 2
|
| 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 cxd4 6.axb4 dxc3 7.bxc3 Qc7
8.Qd4 Nc6 9.Bb5 Bd7 10.Bxc6 Qxc6 11.Ne2 a6 12.O-O Ne7 13.Bg5 Nc8 14.f4
Qb6 15.Kh1 Qxd4 16.cxd4 Nb6 17.g4 Rc8 18.Rac1 h6 19.Bh4 Nc4 20.f5 Ne3 21.Rf4
Rxc2 22.Rxc2 Nxc2 23.Rf3 O-O 24.Be7 Rc8 25.Bc5 Ne1 26.Rf1 Nd3 27.f6 Bb5
28.Nc3 Nxc5 29.Nxb5 Ne4 30.Nd6 Nxd6 31.exd6 gxf6 32.Rxf6 Kg7 33.Rf2 Rd8
34.Rc2 Rxd6 35.Rc7 Rb6 0-1. |
|
| In this game, Black puts his queen out of play trying
to set up an attack. But, it is white who really has the better attack: |
Robert McCarter (1649) - Alex Sobh (1146)
[A46] Indian: Knight (London)
Michigan Open Reserve, Round 2
|
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bf4 Nc6
| Black seems to be making this up as he goes along.
The knight is blocking the c-pawn break and biting on the strength of white's
position. Better is 3...d5 making his case for the center and transposing
into more familiar lines. |
| On the surface, the h-file does seem inviting, but
white's follow-up quickly dispels that notion. Better is 22... Re8 working
on the some-what backward e-pawn. |
| The queen is needed on defense. I wonder if Black
had delusions of attacking down the h-file with 30...Rh7 |
| This just creates more weaknesses around the king.
Better is giving up a pawn to bring the knight into the game with 30...
f4 31. exf4 gxf4 32. Bxf4 Ne6. |
|
|
| Michael Neshewat won the reserve section in 1995.
This was not going to be his weekend: |
Eric Choate (1242) - Michael Neshewat (1775)
[B30] Sicilian: Rossolimo
Michigan Open Reserve, Round 2
|
| 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 bxc6 5.d3 g6 6.Nbd2 Bg7 7.c3 d5
8.O-O e6 9.Re1 Ne7 10.Nb3 d4 11.cxd4 cxd4 12.Bg5 e5 13.Rc1 f6 14.Bh4 Bd7
15.Qd2 O-O 16.Qb4 g5 17.Bg3 h5 18.h4 g4 19.Nh2 Ng6 20.f3 f5 21.exf5 Bxf5
22.Nc5 Bh6 23.Rc2 Be3+ 24.Kh1 Qf6 25.Ne4 Bxe4 26.fxe4 Nxh4 27.Qc4+ Kh8
28.Qxc6 Qxc6 29.Rxc6 Bf2 30.Bxe5+ Kh7 31.Rf1 g3 32.Rc7+ Kh6 33.Bg7+ Kg5
34.Bxf8 Rxf8 35.Rc5+ Kg6 36.Rc6+ Kg5 37.Rc2 Kf4 38.Rcxf2+ 1-0. |
|
| In all, nine players with two points and six more
right behind with one and a half await the coming three-day group. |
|
3-Day Section Rounds 1-2
|
| We find 19 players battling it out for two rounds
before merging. Four players made it out of this group perfect with two
more at one and a half. |
| This game is a good example of opposite-color bishops
creating good winning chances. White gets a good attack and Black’s bishop
can’t help defend, because it can’t counter White’s bishop: |
Bill Avery (1594) - Rene Cooper (1106)
[D03] Queen's Pawn: Torre
Michigan Open Reserve, Round 1
|
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bg5 h6 4.Bf4 e6 5.e3 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Bd3 Qb6 8.Qc2
Be7 9.Nbd2 c4
It is definitely too early to be fixing the pawn
structure like this. White can eventually play b2-b3, undermining the
c-pawn. |
| After the piece exchanges, we have a fixed pawn
structure and opposite-color bishops. Draw, right? Well, maybe if the queen
and rooks come off, but there is still a lot of fight left in the position. |
| White is right to keep the queens on the board.
Two reasons why he has the advantage. One: Black's bishop is stuck behind
his pawns, and Two: Black's king is very exposed. |
| White has shown great patience. He will bring his
rook into the game and his bishop prevents the black king's escape to the
queenside. |
|
|
| Here, we have the battle of the e-file: |
Richard Shellenberger (1716) - Jesus Zuniga (1571)
[C01] French: Exchange
Michigan Open Reserve, Round 2
|
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Bf4 Nf6
| Both players have developed their queen-bishop first.
You would think that with the open e-file they would be looking to castle
A.S.A.P. Actually, each player had the opportunity to create a little havoc
with the queen check. |
| This game will come down to the battle of the e-file.
Black has gotten there first. |
| Now white is making his case for the e-file. |
| Black doesn't need to be in such hurry to open the
file. The knight securely clamps it off while Black is building his counter. |
| Much better is 25.f5 Qf7 26.Re6. |
| Black gives up the exchange expecting to get it
back plus a pawn. He is sorely disappointed. |
|
|
|
3&4-Day Sections Round 3
|
| Things have already whittled down enough where the
games in the top point groups were fairly even. Any game could go either
way. |
| In this game, White manages to get a couple of pawns
rolling: |
Hassan Sobh (1681) - Jeffrey Solski (1486)
[B21] Sicilian: Macdonnell
Michigan Open Reserve, Round 3
|
1.e4 c5 2.f4 Nc6 3.Nf3 d6 4.Be2 e5 5.fxe5 dxe5 6.O-O Nd4?
| He probably saw all of the following combination,
but missed the significance of White's ninth move. |
| Sending the pawn on a suicide mission across enemy
lines. |
| Why not play 33...Rc8 again. If White plays 34.Kf2,
then Black could claim three-fold repetition. |
| Forcing the rooks off. The bishop is no match for
the connected passers. |
|
|
| White had a passed pawn going, when he blundered
away a piece and exposed his king: |
Danny Schey (1600) - Norman Haygood (1416)
[B12] Caro-Kann: Advance (Short)
Michigan Open Reserve, Round 3
|
| 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nf3 e6 5.Be2 c5 6.O-O Nc6 7.c3 cxd4 8.cxd4
Bb4 9.a3 Ba5 10.b4 Bb6 11.Nc3 a6 12.Bb2 Nge7 13.b5 axb5 14.Nxb5 O-O 15.Rc1
h6 16.Nd6 Qb8 17.a4 Bh7 18.Ba3 Rd8 19.Bb5 Qa7 20.Bc5 Nf5 21.Bxb6 Qxb6 22.Nxb7
Rdc8 23.Bxc6 Rxc6 24.Rxc6 Qxc6 25.Nc5 Rc8 26.Nd3 Ra8 27.g4 Ne7 28.Nc5 Nc8
29.Qb3 Nb6 30.Ra1 Be4 31.Nd2 Bg6 32.a5 Nd7 33.Qa3 Qb5 34.Nxd7 Qxd7 35.Nb3
Qb5 36.Nc1 Qc4 37.Qc5 Qa6 38.Ra3? Rc8 39.Qb6 Rxc1+ 40.Kg2 Qf1+ 41.Kg3 Qg1+
42.Kf4 Qxf2+ 43.Rf3 Qxh2+ 44.Ke3 Re1# 0-1. |
|
| Unfamiliar with the opening, White makes some poor
choices: |
Paul Kane (1643) - Anthony Holden (1414)
[D08] Queen's Gambit: Albin
Michigan Open Reserve, Round 3
|
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Nc6
| The main line of the Albin Counter Gambit is 3...d4. |
| Defending ...Qh4+. Simpler is 9.Qb3 Qh4+ 10.Kd1
or 9.g3. |
|
|
|
3&4-Day Sections Round 4
|
| Early leaders at the top: |
| 1. |
Haygood |
0
|
James |
| 2. |
Perkins |
0
|
H. Sobh |
|
| So, that leaves two perfect scores waiting for the
two-day group. Of course, anyone a half point behind is far from being
out of it. |
| This game is a good example why a lack of space
is bad. It is very important to fight for the center: |
Justin Aldrich (1584) - Tony West (1731)
[B30] Sicilian
Michigan Open Reserve, Round 4
|
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 d5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.d3?!
| 5.d4 seems like the proper move here. White needs
to challenge the center. With the text move, Black gets a huge space advantage. |
| White's position seems solid enough, but his lack
of space makes it difficult to formulate a plan. |
| Ouch! This is a major concession from which White
never recovers. |
| White was pretty much paralyzed, but this gives
up the exchange and black slowly grinds him down. |
|
|
| Black wants to attack at all costs, but his pieces
just are never prepared. It is better to put pieces on good squares and
let an attack happen. The fastest why to lose a game is to force something
that is not there: |
Joe Corbeill (1736) - Rene Cooper (1106)
[D04] Queen's Pawn: Closed (Semi-Colle)
Michigan Open Reserve, Round 4
|
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.d4 d5 3.e3 c5 4.c3 Bf5 5.Nbd2 Nc6 6.Be2 Qc7 7.O-O e6
8.Nh4 Bg6 9.Re1 Bd6 10.Nf1 Ne4 11.Nf3 h5?!
| This is completely premature. White has no weakness
on his king-side to attack. Black would be better off getting castled and
bringing his rooks to the center where he has a space advantage. |
| I don't think he has to be too worried about white
exchanging, what with all those open white squares on the kingside. |
| With the two extra tempi, white has been able to
bring in reinforcements. |
| Black has been trying to force an attack that just
isn't there. In the meantime, his position has been slowly degrading and
things are only going to get worse. |
| In contrast, White waits until his pieces are in
prime attacking position before starting his pawn-storm. |
|
|
|
2-Day Section Round 1-4
|
| This group added 21 players to the totals. But,
no one was able to make it out the four rounds perfect. With the short
time control, most of the games were either lopsided or had incomplete
score-sheets. We will show a few select games from this group. |
| Gary Jones, who won the reserve section in 1998,
was the highest-rated player in this group and also the entire reserve
section. He actually played in the three and four day schedules of the
open section before going back to the reserve. Here, his opponent makes
things easy: |
Gary Jones (1777) - Tarek Sobh (1196)
[C30] King's Gambit Declined
Michigan Open Reserve, Round 1
|
1.e4 e5 2.f4 f6??
| Obviously, Black is unfamiliar with the King's Gambit.
He manages to find about the worst move possible. |
|
|
| Black won a piece, but it left a few holes in his
kingside that White was more than happy to fill: |
Mark Buckles (1020) - Mark Ryan (1502)
[A84] Dutch
Michigan Open Reserve, Round 1
|
1.d4 f5 2.c4 g6 3.Bg5 Bg7 4.e3 Nf6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Nc3 d6 7.g3
| This move doesn't fit well with Bg5. He will soon
run out of room to move. |
| White probably has a little compensation for the
bishop. |
| Preferable would be 21...Qe5 trying to harass the
white king. |
| Not the best as Black has a fighting chance after 23...Bd4.
More forceful is 23.Qh7+ Kf8 24.Nxf7. |
|
|
| Black starts off slow, but after a couple of big
mistakes by white, she takes care of business in an efficient manner: |
Zoran Stojanovski (1424) - Erin Gurski (576)
[C45] Scotch
Michigan Open Reserve, Round 1
|
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nxd4 5.Qxd4 Nf6?
| When exchanging the knights, Black has to play 5...d6
first. |
| Just trying to find a way to get developed. |
| 8.Qd5 threatens both mate and the rook. |
|
