Update on the Schenectady Prelimns

The formal schedule for the Preliminaries of the Schenectady Championship ended on December 16. Delayed games yet to be played will take at least two more weeks to finish.

This past Thursday, Christmas Eve Eve you might say, two of those delayed games from the Prelim Section A were contested. John Phillips and Brij Saran fought to a draw in a French Defense in 30 moves. John tried out his favorite early 4 Qg4 variation, Brij countered well. A drawn position was reached early. At least that is how it looked to this observer. After Rybka chews on the game for awhile maybe we see a different conclusion.

In the other game Richard Chu lost to Bill Little in after missing a couple of tactics in the Exchange Slav. The game was over in 29 moves.

With the games above included the standings are:

Section A

Leading and with a lock on first place is Patrick Chi, the local scholastic star. His score is 7 ½ - ½ with one game to play versus Little.

In second is John Phillips. He has played all of his games and scored 7 - 2 winning all except draws with Saran and Mockler and a loss to Chi.

Third place is held for the moment by Richard Chu. He has completed his schedule. Losses to Phillips, Chi, Saran and Little gives him a 5 - 4 score.

Now tied for third is Brij Saran with the same score as Richard. He lost to Chi, Little and Northrup while drawing with Mockler and Phillips.

Trailing these two is Bill Little with a 4 ½ - 2 ½ score and two games to play, Chi and Stanley. These two games yet to be played are a big part of the drama left in the Section. Winning one and drawing the other will vault Little into the third qualifying spot from the section.

Behind Little is Michael Mockler. He has 3 ½ - 3 ½ score with two games to play, Yogi Kanakamedala and Mike Stanley. Based on rating Michael is likely to win both games. There is a ‘but’ in this. Mr. Mockler’s results this season have been unusual; one win, one loss (to Chu in the last regularly scheduled round) and no less than five draws. If one more draw slips into Michael’s results he will be unlikely to reach the third qualifying spot. More drama for Section A would be a playoff game between Little and Mockler for the third spot.

After Mockler the scores drop off with Zachery Calderon 4 -5, Northrup at 3 ½ - 5 ½, Kanakamedala at 1 - 7 and Stanley at 0 - 7 rounding out the field. Both Calderon and Northrup racked up good results this year and promise problems for the leaders next year.

Section B

The winner in this Section is clear. Philip Sells has won seven games with one left to play and no one can challenge mathematically for first place.

In second at the moment is Ricahrd Moody. His score is 4 ½ - 2 ½ with games to play; the redoubtable Mr. Sells. If this were a wagering situation, the odds favor Sells to win that game on rating and performance in this event. However, Moody has a “puncher’s chance”. He did defeat Alan Le Cours. On the other side of the ledger, a distracted loss to Dilip Aaron and a draw with David Connors show Richard is not always consistently strong yet. Should Mr. Moody bring his best game to the table and win there could well be a three way tie for the last two qualifying spots.

Barring an upset John Barnes (4 - 2 with two games to play; Connors and Le Cours) and Alan Le Cours (4 - 2 with two games to play; Barnes and Capitummino) may be expected to finish at 5 ½ points each - a draw with each other and winning their other game. A defeat for either Barnes or Le Cours in their head-to-head clash lets the winner through to the Finals pretty certainly. So, in sum, much remains to be resolved in Section B.

Trailing those in contention for a qualifying spot are; Dilip Aaron with 3 ½ - 3 ½ , and a game to play versus David Connors; Herman Calderon with 2 ½ - 5 ½, David Connors with 2 - 4 and two games to play, Barnes and Dilip Aaron, Jeff Capitummino on 1 ½ - 4 ½ still to play Clough and Le Cours, and in last place Matthew Clough with 1 - 6 and a game to play against Capitummino.

Overall in the Section it must be said that Philip Sells has again demonstrated a high level of chess skill. Other noteworthy results were Moody’s win over Le Cours, Matt Clough’s sound defeat of Barnes and Jeff Capitummino’s strong fight in a losing effort versus Sells. These successes signaled the lower rated participants that they have the ability to do more at chess, and are a warning to the higher rated players that next year may not be as easy as in the past.

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a happy holiday. More soon.

A Recent Game from the Schenectady Prelims

An addition to the Schenectady Chess Club’s roster this year are the Calderon’s father and son. Zack, the son took my scalp a few weeks ago. His dad, Herman, has done well also. In today’s game, Herman had chances to upset John Barnes, one of the contenders for a spot in the finals.

Barnes, John - Calderon, Herman [B40]

SCC Ch Prelim B Schenectady, NY, 08.12.2010

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bd3!?,..

A quirky line that is not as bad as first impressions might lead us to believe.

3..., g6!?

Baffled by the White setup, Herman makes a move that weakens his K-side formation. If he wants to play there, more pointed is 3..., g5; threatening to dislocated the Nf3 and provoking White to make a defensive move such as 4 h3. If White plays something like 4 Nc3, ignoring the aggression, Black then can probably safely chase the White pieces with pawn advances.

4.c3 Bg7 5.Bc2 Nc6 6.d3 Nge7 7.Be3 b6 8.Nbd2 0–0 9.g4?!,..

If White really wants to get in his own aggressive actions on the K-side, it may well be better to begin with 9 h4. Putting the pawn on g4 carries with it the obligation for a follow-on move if Black reacts correctly by advancing his d-pawn.

9..., d5

The correct answer. We can see now that 10 exd5, is less than tempting because 10..., exd5; and the g-pawn is hit by the Bc8 with play continuing 11 h3 f5; threatening 12..., f4; and suddenly things are sticky for White. He has his King in the center with a couple moves to be made before the King can castle long, or he can castle short into a very airy fortress because of the early advance of the pawns. If opening the center is not a good idea, what then? Not much apparently, we see the Nd2 soon sent to b3, dismal post for a gallant horseman and the c-file open making any notion of the Q-side as a refuge for the White King doubtful, and Black has the initiative in hand.

10.Nb3 e5 11.Rg1 Be6

This move can not be labeled an error, it is however, not quite the best either. 11..., Ba6; is more active. Black should not be angling for a locking up of the center while the safety of the White King is open to question.

12.h4 d4 13.cxd4 cxd4 14.Bd2 a5?!

Move order matters more often than not. An approach that pays attention to defensive needs whilst preparing for further aggression is 14..., Qc8; threatening the pawn on g4, then 15 Nh2, a posting that is less dangerous for Black than at f3, and following with 15..., a5; planning to put the Queen on a6 and the Knight on b4 to pressure d3. Playing this way Black would have given White much to think about. Black threatens to occupy the c-file and wants to use c2 for a Knight or a Rook.

15.h5,..

Black is somewhat better and White thinks to create some counter-play with direct threats on the Black King.

15..., h6?!

This move has long term consequences. It leads to some weaknesses around the King. Better is 15..., Nb4; giving White something to be concerned about on the Q-side and retaining an advantage. Jeremy Silman, the IM and noted chess teacher, on John Watson’s ICC show “Chess Talk” recently commented more or less as follows: One of the differences between better players and more ordinary players is their attitude towards threats made by the opponent. The better players seem to react by saying to themselves “BS - that can’t be a serious threat” and set about proving the opponent wrong. More ordinary players take the threats seriously and react to them. Here Mr. Calderon reacts when he could have made his own threats. After the game move the edge goes to White.

16.g5 hxg5 17.Nxg5 Qd7 18.Nxe6?!..,

Mr. Barnes could have tried a more imaginative approach. Here the sacrificial line; 18 hxg6 fxg6? 19 Nc5! Bxc5 20 Nxe6, and if 20..., Qxe6 21 Bb3 wins. If Black can not recapture on g6 with the f-pawn, he must take with the Knight, so; 18..., Nxf6 19 Qh5, and White is making progress in building his attack.

18..., Qxe6 19.Qf3 Qf6!?

Black does not see that he needs an escape route for his King. Better 19..., Rfc8; or 19..., a4; driving the Knight followed by 20..., Rfc8.

20.Qh3,..

White is thinking about a sequence where the h-pawn is pushed to h6, then to h7 with check leading to mate on h6 by the Queen . Herman sees the same thing but he does not think about other ways to counter other than playing minor pieces to obstruct the g-file.

20..., Nb4?

This the resource Calderon has been counting on, but it is not quite right.

21.Bb1?

Much better is 21 Bxb4, then the required 21..., axb4 22 h6 Bh8 23 h7+ Kg7 24 Nd2, leads to a marked advantage for White. The problem with the text is Black can play 24..., Qc6; and if 25 h6 Bf6; removes much of the sting from the charging h-pawn. Had Herman taken advantage of this chance, John would have had to return to maneuvering and searching for an opportunity.

21..., gxh5?

One more time missing the idea of an escape square for the King. Necessary is 21..., Rfc8.

22.a3 Nbc6 23.Qxh5 Nd8

It is an unnecessary quibble to be critical of this move. Some better is 23..., Ng6 right away. In either case White has an strong attack.

24.Ba2 Rc8 25.Nxd4!,..

After a bit of uncertainty in the beginning, John Barnes got his pieces into very active play, he then took advantage of the errors his opponent made.

25..., exd4 26.Bh6 Ng6?

The better alternative is 26..., Rc5; then 27 Bxg7 Qxg7 (If 27..., Rxh5 28 Bxf6+ and 29 Bxe7 leaves White up a minor piece and a pawn.) 28 Rxg7+ Kxg7 29 Qg4+ when the Queen is more than a match for the R&N compensation, but there are certainly some technical difficulties for White to deal with. GM Har-Zvi pointed out frequently to us in his Saturday group that, when there is no choice, accepting a disadvantage that sets technical problems is the correct way to proceed.

27.Rxg6 Black resigns 1-0.

\

If now 27..., Rc5 28 Qg4 Rg5 29 Qxg5 Qxg5 30 Rxg5, and Black will be at a great material disadvantage, too great for the game to long continue.

More tomorrow.

8th Williams College Open

8th Williams College Open
Saturday, JANUARY 8th, 2011
WILLIAMS COLLEGE
Griffin Hall, Rooms 3 and 4
Williamstown, MA 01267

Here is a printable Microsoft Word flier of this event.
Here are driving directions to get to Williams College.
PARKING: Park behind Griffin in the lower lot. Access the parking lot by taking Rt. 2/main street to Southworth and taking the first left. The parking area will be on the left with Griffin Hall being at the top of the hill.
Here is the Williams College Museum of Art map. Griffin Hall is on Route 2, it has a small gold dome on top and a statue of a soldier in front. It is next to Thompson Memorial Chapel, which has a large stone tower that is easy to see from the road.

FORMAT: Three-round Swiss system, Game/90 minutes, USCF Rated (Must be a USCF member or join at the tournament).
REGISTRATION: 9:00am to 9:45am
ROUND TIMES: 10:00am, 1:30pm, and 5:00pm

$$340 based on 17 paid entries. (Yes, the prizes equal the entry fees collected.)

SECTIONS//PRIZES: OPEN// First $100, Second $80.
U1600// First $80, Second $60.
Top Williams College Student $20.

ENTRY FEE: $20. Free for Williams College students.
U.S.C.F. MEMBERSHIP REQUIRED: USCF membership can be purchased on site.

Last week in Schenectady

In a mild upset Jeff Capitummino won an interesting game from Saratoga’s David Connors. Mr. Connors made the long commute from Saratoga Springs to play in the Schenectady tournament the past two or three years. He is a player with a curious record. Versus strong opponents David is very dangerous. For example, 2010 he won games from Ed Frumkin (2000), Lee Battes (2000) and Alan LeCours (1940) and drew with Philip Sells (2000) as well as knocking off more than one player around 1700. When facing folks further down the rating list, his performance has not been consistent. Connors” rating, therefore has stayed right about 1550. Authoring no less than four upsets of more than four hundred rating points surely indicates the skill is there. One or two such results could be called luck, four is a trend that the Class A crowd should note when David is in an event.

Connors, David - Capitummino, Jeff [A07]

SCC Ch Prelim B Schenectady. NY, 08.12.2010

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.0–0 d5 5.d3 0–0 6.Nbd2 Nbd7

Although the World Champions have not used the approach White is using, nor have they had to defend the Black side, many 2500+ players are willing to take either side in this argument. Long ago this sort of setup for White was called the Reti Opening (Barcza System). It was all the rage in the middle 1950’s. The recently departed and lamented Larry Evans wrote a tournament book for the Lessing Rosenwald Tournament, NYC, 1954-55. It was called “Trophy Chess” published by Charles Scribner’s Sons, NYC, 1956. The book was one of my early purchases of chess literature. Surreptitiously going over that book in my room when I was supposed to be doing homework was when I first learned of this variation of the Reti. No less than Reshevsky used it to win his first round game against Sherwin and Evans played it twice scoring a win and a draw. Fascinated by the odd early moves so different from what the chess writers I had so far encountered recommended, the Barcza became my favorite, but only for a brief while. My chess understanding was not up to the demands the typical middle games presented, and I returned to 1 e4, after several losses. It faded from prominence in the 1960s but never disappeared entirely.

Incidentally, 6..., Nbd7; is not quite correct. Probably 6..., Nc6; 6..., c5; or 6..., b6; are better choices. The Knight on d7 slows down the development of the Black pieces.

7.e4 dxe4 8.dxe4 Nb6?!

It is unclear where this piece is going, perhaps to a4 to hit b2? That is easily countered in the game.

9.a4 a5

Now the Nb6 will have to be rerouted somewhere, or he will stand a lonely vigil without purpose.

10.Ra3 Bg4 11.Rd3!? Qc8 12.b3,..

The White Rook is a trifle exposed on d3, but Connors has the use of an extra piece down the d-file. This is not such a bad trade off. The Rook on d3 forced the Black Queen to c8 delaying the connection of the Black Rooks.

12..., Nfd7

Oddly, nothing looks better than this move. The position is about level, but finding a plan for Black that offers activity is no easy task. For White it is a somewhat different story. He is going to pile up on the d-file, the dark squared Bishop goes to a3, with the only remaining question being what to do with the Nd2.

13.Ba3 Re8!?

Jeff passes on the opportunity to play sharply. After 13..., Ne5; White must be careful. If right away 14 Bxe7, Nxd3 15 Bxf8?! Nb3 16 Qc1 Qxf8 17 e5 N2xa4; leaving Black with an extra pawn and a very nearly winning game. If White tries a more thoughtful line with 14 Re3, Black can offer the e-pawn in the following way; 14..., Bh6 15 Rc3 Rd8; when 16 Bxe7, is immediately refuted by 16..., Rxd2! White has to play 16 Qe1, then Black retires the Ne5 to c6 with a small advantage.

14.h3 Bxf3

Jeff answers the question about the future of the Nd2 unnecessarily. This trade grants the two Bishops to White and relieves the congestion on the d-file. Better for Black is 14..., Be6; and the Black pieces are a little awkwardly placed, but White has not yet resolved the issue of the exposed Rd3. After 14..., Be6; should White try 15 Ng5, Black coolly plays 15..., Ne5; then 16 Nxe6 Qxe6; maintaining a balanced position. Rather than going after the Be6 White can play 15 c4, then 15..., c5 16 Qc2 Nb8; opening the battery of the Black Queen and Bishop and contemplating putting the Nb8 on a6 where it eyes b4 and overprotects the c5-pawn.

15.Nxf3 e6 16.Qe2 Bf8

Another ill advised trade. Absent his dark squared Bishop, Black now has weak squares all around his King.

17.Bxf8 Rxf8 18.Rfd1

Somewhat better is 18 Qe3, keeping the Knight out of c5 for the moment.

18...Nc5 19.R3d2 Qe8 20.Qe3 Qe7 21.Nh4?,..

This move fails to take advantage of the weakened dark squares. Better is 21 e5, then 21..., Nd5 22 Qh6 f6 23 exf6, leaving Black with weak pawns to go along with the dark square holes. Black has the resources to defend the position, but it is a grim task that leaves little chance for a counter-attack.

21..., Ncd7

Rybka suggests 21..., Nxa4; but this line seems to peter out after 22 bxa4 Nc4 23 Qb3, to equality.

22.f4,..

Straight away 22 e5, promises more for White.

22..., Qc5 23.Qxc5 Nxc5 24.Bf3,..

Again 24 e5, is better. White for whatever reason does not want to push the e-pawn to the fifth rank. The game now simplifies by mutual agreement to a B+N versus 2Ns ending. Theoretically this imbalance favors White with pawns on both sides of the board. The computer sees the game as about even here.

24..., Rfe8 25.Ng2 Kf8 26.Ne3 h5 27.g4 hxg4 28.hxg4 Ke7 29.g5 Red8 30.f5 exf5 31.exf5 Rxd2 32.f6+ Ke8 33.Rxd2 Rd8 34.Rxd8+ Kxd8 35.Kf2 c6 36.Ng4?

A slip that hands Black a significant advantage. David misses the need to immediately guard the pawn on g5. Required is 36 Kg3, and while there is tension in the position, a draw is the likely outcome.

36..., Ne6 37.Ke3 Nxg5 38.Be2 Nh7 39.Ke4?,..

Either 39 Ke4, or even 39 Kf4, are better options. On e4 the King is exposed to a check that steals a vital tempo. If, for example, White plays 39 Kf4, and Black proceeds more or less as in the game, after 39..., Nd7 40 Bc4 Ke8 41 Nh6, and White gets the pawn on c7 when Black captures on f6. Compare this line to the game continuation and the difference is clear.

39..., Nd7 40.Bc4 Nhxf6+ 41.Nxf6 Nxf6+ 42.Ke5 Ke7 0–1

A serious disappointment for Mr. Connors and a good result for Mr. Capitummino. Both players missed chances, but they fought hard throughout.

More soon.

An Endgame Fight from AACC

Somewhere along the line in all I have written in recent months on this site I said something about a renaissance in the local chess scene in the Capital District. Here is one more indicator of how things are moving forward for chess. Peter Henner has been for some time one of the better local players. He recently began writing a chess column in The Altamont Enterprise & Albany County Post, a weekly newspaper focused on the doings in Guilderland and the Hill Towns of Albany County. In the columns I have seen so far, Peter has been exploring chess history and presenting some classic chess problems. In a brief conversation at the Albany Area Chess Club (AACC) a week or two ago, Henner said he was thinking about putting some local games in the column. That is a good idea I think.

How many medium sized metro areas such as the Capital District have two chess columns; Townsend’s in the Gazette and Henner’s in the Enterprise? Additionally, there are six active chess clubs or groups; Schenectady, AACC, Saratoga, Troy, RPI and the Friday night Guilderland Library group. Two things really have driven this resurgence: Brother John’s ongoing “Make the Right Move” scholastic program teaches kids chess and introduces them to competition, and the recent few years when we had out own local GM, Ronen Har-Zvi in residence. The “Make the Right Move” program has provided youthful new club members for the established clubs, and Har-Zvi inspired the return to more active participation a number of older players. Together these have generated more widespread chess activity than I can remember in the sixty years I have been playing the game locally, except for that brief period 1970-72, the “Fischer Boom”.

We have an interesting game today from the AACC Preliminaries. In it Jason Denham, a player new to USCF chess who has a provisional rating in the upper 1600s, battles Glen Perry, a strong Class B player poised to go over 1800 into Class A. A rating such as Denham’s is unusual. Provisional ratings, based on a few games - I think Jason has played in only one or two events - does not tell much about a player’s true strength. In this case we have an adult coming to rated chess a bit later in life, and adults typically don’t obtain this sort of rating right away. His success here against Mr. Perry hints we have new player who can make a mark for himself locally.

Denham, Jason - Perry, Glen [A20]

AACC Ch Prelim 2 Guilderland, NY, 08.12.2010

1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5

I don’t know what this line may be called. English/Catalan/ KIA/Reversed Sicilian are all terms that come to mind.

5.Nf3 Nc6

Of course, 5.., e4 6 Qa4+, collects the e-pawn.

6.0–0 Be7

We have under consideration another game where the locals are sticking with the practice of the best players. This position has been contested by Topalov and Korchnoi as White against Karpos and Timman.

7.d4 e4 8.Ne5 Nxe5

Up to here we have been following Topalov - Timman, Wijk ann Zee, 1999, a win for White in 36 moves. That game continued 8..., f5 9 Nxc6 bxc6 10 Qa4 Qd7. Perry’s move is an error. It permits White to pocket a pawn without compensation. Timman’s 8..., f5; is superior.

9.dxe5 Bf5 10.Bxe4 Bxe4 11.Qa4+ c6 12.Qxe4,..

White has the pawn but it is not all that secure. Black sets to work to recover the material. A reasonable plan for White is; Nb1-c3, and Bc1-e3, getting his forces into play and tempting Black to trade off his well place Nd5. White has a measurable advantage, not quite winning but significant.

12..., Qc7 13.Bd2 0–0 14.Nc3 Rad8 15.Nxd5?,..

This trade helps Black even though the well placed Nd5 is no more.

15..., Rxd5 16.Bf4?

Better is 16 Bc3. The move played allows Black to recover the material for only a slight compromise on the K-side. After 16 Bc3, the extra pawn is secured, but Black has all the say on the d-file as solace for that. Deep Rybka sees the position as slightly in favor of White. This probably because an extra pawn has to mean something in its electronic brain. I see Black as having the initiative. He gets to make threats while White is on his “back foot” for a long time. Still-in-all, the onus is on Black to find moves to recover the material or improve his compensation.

15..., g5 17.Rac1 Rfd8 18.Be3 Qxe5 19.Qxe5 Rxe5 20.Rfd1 Red5 21.Rxd5 Rxd5

Material recovered and the Black pieces are somewhat more active than are their White counterparts letting Black continue to hold on to the initiative. The game now favors Black by just a little bit. Normal play would go; 22 Bxa7 Ra5 23 Bd4 Rxa2 24 Kg2 f6 25 g4 Ra4; when Black’s advantage is minimal.

22.Rc2,..

White decides to remain passive until he sees what Black has in mind. Glen has ambitions in this game to snag the full point, and he strives to achieve that end.

22..., c5?!

But this move is too optimistic. Better 22..., f4.

23.Bd2?!,..

Missing a chance to devalue the Black Q-side with 23 b4!? Of course, White would have to know a great deal of endgame theory, have a refined positional judgment and calculate very accurately to make such a move. The primary line of play is; 23 b4 cxb4 24 Bxa7 and a) 24..., Rb5 with the following possibilities: a1) 25 Rc8+ Kg7 26 Bd4, counting on piece activity to offset the weak a-pawn. a2) 25 Rc7 Bf6 26 Be3 b3 27 axb3 Rxb3 h4 h6 trying to make an attack using the time required for Black to make his remaining b-pawn dangerous. a3) 25 Bd4 f5 26 h3, a “waiting” kind of approach with underlying ideas similar to a1) above. And b) 24..., f5!? when White has to make a difficult choice among; b1) Be3, b2) Rc7, b3) h3, b4) Bb6, and b5) e3. Without pasting on a bunch of lines Rybka generated to further clutter this document, we can easily grasp the position is devilishly complex. Jason’s decision in such a situation understandable; he wants not to drastically change the position and selects a move to wait for Black to make a direct threat.

23..., f5

Black has some kind of edge now and the initiative as well.

24.e3?,..

Not fatal but this move is just too passive. Active is 24 f4, or 24 Be3, contemplating b2-b4

24..., g4

Locking down a space advantage on the K-side at a cost of losing some flexibility in the pawn formation there. Also possible is 24..., b6; securing the c-pawn before centralizing the King and shifting the Bishop to the a1-h8 diagonal.

25.Bc3,..

A sensible alternative is 25 h3, to safely eliminate the potentially weak h-pawn. If Black does not capture on h3, White takes on g4 and then moves his King towards the center.

25..., b5 26.a3 c4,..

A reasonable try is; 26...Rd1+ 27.Kg2 Kf7 28.h3 h5 29.hxg4 hxg4 30.e4, when a rather technical Rook and pawn ending that with perfect play is likely drawn. The “fly in the ointment” is the need for very accurate play. The game would resolve itself into a race by passed pawns on the opposite sides of the board where there is a premium on getting the pawns down the board most efficiently.

Black has in mind trying to win the game based on the space advantage his advanced pawn formation gives him. To win in that way he will need to find an entry point for his King in the long run. Activating the King requires that the Rooks to be exchanged.

Rd2?,..

An error that should have cost White the game. By volunteering the Rook trade, White aids Black in the realization of his plan. Better 27 e4, taking the opportunity to break up the aggressive placement of the Black K-side pawns. The text gives Black a chance obtain a near winning edge.

27..., Rd3?

But not this way. Necessary is 27..., Rxd2; then 28 Bxd2 Bf6 29 Bc1 Kf7 30 Kf1 Ke6 31 f3 Kd5 32 Ke1 Kd5 33 Ke2 a5. Black is close to winning and I do not see a viable scheme for White to oppose the creation of an outside passed pawn and the eventual penetration of the Black King via e4.

28.Kf1?,..

Failing to take advantage of Glen’s mistake. With 28 Rxd3, White will easily win the race of the Kings to the center and pick up the pawn on d3. The game is then not clearly won for White, but he would have the extra pawn and most of the winning chances. Black immediately recognizes his error and acts to size the advantage.

28..., Rxd2 29.Bxd2 Bf6 30.Bc3 Kf7 31.Ke2 Bxc3 32.bxc3 Ke6 33.f3 h5?

An unnecessary move that throws away some of Black’s advantage. The best move is 33..., Ke5; closing in on the vital entry point, e4. A second more educational point is the text move wastes a “reserve move” in a pawn ending. The second World Champion, Lasker articulated long ago that in all endings, and in particular pawn endings, preserving “reserve moves” is crucial to winning many positions. Here Black has four reserve moves: two possibilities for the h-pawn, h7-h6 & h7-h5 and two similar moves for the a-pawn, while White but one: the f-pawn captures on g4 or advances to f4. Both of the White f-pawn moves gives up control of e4. Take the simplest line; 33..., Ke5 34 fxg4 fxg4 35 Ke1 Ke5 36 Ke2, and after 36..., a6; White must give way allowing the Black King entry on d3 or f3 winning.

34.e4!?,..

This move shows excellent fighting spirit and it is the best try for White in a difficult position

34..., fxe4 35.f4 Kf5?

This move gives White the advantage. The only path to the win for Black is 35..., a5; setting the stage for pushing the Q-side pawn majority. Then, 36 Ke3 Kd5 37 f5 Ke5 36 f6 Kxf6 37 Kxe4 Ke6 38 Kd4 Kd6 39 Ke4 Kc5; and Black will win

36.Ke3 a6 37.Kd4h4 38.Ke3 hxg3 39.hxg3 a5 40.Kd4 Kf6?

The best move to keep the fight going is 40..., a4; setting up the tactic .., b5-b4 to leash the White King. After the text, the best Black can hope for is Queen ending where White has a pawn extra. Such endgames very difficult. Victory for the side with the pawn depends on great patience, good calculation and the position of the defending King. Here the c-pawn is not far advanced. I don’t know enough about such endings to judge how good or bad the Black King stands.

41.Kxe4 Ke6 42.Kd4 Kd6 43.f5 Ke7 44.Kc5 Kf6 45.Kxb5 Kxf5 46.Kxa5 Ke4 47.Kb4 Kf3 48.a4 Kxg3 49.a5 Kf2?

A final fatal slip. Necessary is 49..., Kf4; to avoid a check that forces off the Queens.

50.a6 g3 51.a7 g2 52.a8Q g1Q 53.Qa7+ 0–1

The ending was interesting and illustrated how difficult it is to play that sometimes neglected part of chess well. I am certain Glen was disappointed at not getting the win when it seemed so near at hand. Credit must be given Jason for maintaining his composure and for finding testing ideas in a difficult position. More soon.

Another Upset From Schenectady

There was a noteworthy upset last Thursday night in Schenectady. Matthew Clough (1374) won a game from John Barnes (1842). The not quite 500 point rating difference qualifies this win as one of the bigger upsets for this year, almost equaling my loss to Zack Calderon two weeks ago. The most interesting feature of this upending of a favorite is how Matt conducted the White pieces. Many times upsets result from a momentary lapse and the stronger player hangs a piece or overlooks a tactic. In this game although there is a lapse by Barnes, it occurs more because White creates a difficult position by dangling material temptation while he has his pieces more actively placed.

Clough, Matthew - Barnes, John [B33]

SCC Ch Prelim B Schenectady, NY, 02.12.2010

Clough, Matthew - Barnes, John [B33]

SCC Ch Prelim B Schenectady, NY, 02.12.2010

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6

A very much mainline of theory opening in the Pelikan Variation, B33 in ECO. This line of play for Black has been a favorite of the former World Champion V. Krmnick. He, oddly enough, used it as a reliable drawing line. I say oddly, because to this club level player the position seems to be very complex with many places to go wrong and comfortable drawing lines are not at all evident.

8.Na3 b5

Both players are staying with how the very best players handle this position. Kasparov, Anand, Svidler, Leko and Shirov as White against Kramnik more than once reached this position. All these games ended drawn except one, Leko - Kramnik, Frankfort, 2000, 1-0 in 48 moves. Kramink dropped a couple of pawns while trying an attack on the White King, and then lost after Queens and a pair of Rooks came off in the general liquidation.

9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Nd5 f5

Still in the mainstream, but here the database shows some variations. In the loss to Leko, Kramnik tried 10..., Bg7; leading to complicated play with both sides having attacks on the opposing King. White was attacking with pieces; the Queen, Knight and light squared Bishop, and Black tried to strike back with his pawns in the center and his heavy pieces down the g-file. With both Kings on the K-side, it was an intricate melee that worked out better for White.

11.Bd3 Be6

The game is now away from GM Kramnik’s practice, but the game continues to follow current theory. There are many games by Shirov, Sax, Krasenkov and Nunn with Black and doing well from against the likes of Short, Leko and Beliavsky.

12.c3 f4

Now we are away from the Super-grandmasters ideas. There are, nevertheless, many games by 2400 - 2500 players in the databases.

13.Nc2 Rb8!?

This move may be questionable. The strong players preferred 13..., Bg7; for the most part, with one or two trying 13..., Rg8. Deep Rybka sees nothing wrong with the text; it is the machine’s second choice after 13..., Bg7. There are no games in my databases with this position.

14.0–0 Rg8 15.f3,..

The ambitious try 15 Qh5 leads to problems for White after 15.., Bg4; the White Queen will be embarrassed and maybe lost for inadequate compensation. The text move closes out any later adventures by the Queen going to h5. White may have been worried about an eventual push of the f-pawn to f3 after Black brings his Queen to g5. White however has sufficient resources to defend the King’s house with moves such as Rf1-e1, g2-g3 and Bd3-f1. The board is now effectively divided into two parts. Black has control of the K-side. White must find activity for his pieces on the Q-side.

15...h5 16.Kh1 Be7

The most direct path for Black is to continue his play on the K-side with 16..., h4. The move will make White worry more about an assault on his King. The moves 15 f3, and 16 Kh1, indicate Matt was concerned about King safety. Giving him more to worry about is not a bad thing for Black as chess psychology, further, it is technically correct to be active where you are strongest. The game move is thinking about shifting the Bishop around to the g1-a7 diagonal, quite a long winded maneuver. Since, by the rules, White gets his turn, there is much that go wrong with that idea.

7.Ncb4 Nxb4 18.Nxb4 Qc8 19.a4,..

In a timely fashion Clough begins counter-play on the Q-side.

19..., h4 20.axb5 axb5 21.Rg1 Bd8 22.Ra7,..

It is possible 22 Ra6, attacking the pawn on d6 might be better. Black could then reply with the scary looking 22..., Qc5; but after 23 Rc6 Qf2; White has some choices: a) 24 Qe2, safe and sane keeping a very slight edge, b) 24 Rxd6, fishing the tactical waters where; b1) 24..., Bb6 25 Bxb5+ Kf8 and now; b1-1) 26 Rxb6 Rxb6 27 Nd3 Qe3 28 Nxe5 Rxb5 29 Qd8+ Kg7 30 Qg5+ is drawn. The alternative, b1-2) 26 Rxe6 fxe6 27 Qd6+ Kf7 28 Qd7+ Kf6 29 Nd5+!! exd5, (Note; other tries here lead to a loss for Black.) 30 Qf5+ Ke7 31 Qxe5+, and the game is drawn again by perpetual check. These are hard lines to calculate, but they have one virtue for White, just about all the moves are forced. As GM Har-Zvi said: “It is easier to calculate forced lines where most of the moves have a direct threat, than to work your way through positional maneuvering of similar length.” For us at the club level, lines such as those cited are daunting even with the guideposts of direct threats.

22..., Rb7

My game had ended quickly, a win from Cory Northrup, and I was watching this game and the Chu - Saran game nearby looking for news for the blog. My first thought after White played 22 Ra7, was Mr. Barnes would strike with 22..., Bb6; hitting both White Rooks. It’s possible John thought that also. When the position arose after 22 Ra7, he wisely recognized 22..., Bb6; is met by 23 Bxb5+, then the next few moves are without options for Black, 23..., Kf8 24 Qxd6+ Kg7 25 Qxe5+, when White can muster so many threats that Black will not be able to take either Rook before the Black King is mated or other sufficient compensation is accumulated by White. That is not to say things are easy for White. He will have to find powerful attacking moves, four or five at least, but they are all direct tactical threats.

Black can defend the position with 22..., Qc5; making 23..., Bb6; a threat. The game would then be in a very difficult phase with long lines of murky tactical tricks the points of which are trading down to a won ending for either side. Other schemes of defense are first 22..., Kf8; with a later .., Qc5; or secondly, 22..., Rg6; preparing to guard d6 from the flank, or thirdly, 22..., Bd7?!; which after 23 Nd5, leads to exchanges that let some of the tension out of the position.

Both participants had used about one-half of their allotted time by this point in the game. Given the complications it is a surprise they did not use more time.

23.Ra6 Rb6?

A mistake that turns a defendable position into a difficult one. Either 23.., Ke7; or 23..., Qd7; would have been better tries. White would still have a solid edge, but Black could hold on. The game move meets an immediate tactical refutation.

24.Rxb6 Bxb6 25.Bxb5+ Ke7 26.Nc6+ Kf6 27.Qxd6 and Black resigned.

It is true 27..., Bxg1; is brutally refuted by 28 Qxe5+ Kg6 29 Ne7+, a true “family check”. However, Black could have made an attempt to defend with 27..., Qc7. After 28 Qxc7 Bxc7 29 h3 Ra8 30 c4 Ra2 31 Rb1 Bb6 (keeping the White King from entering the fray) 32 b4 Bf2 33 Nb8, (heading towards d5, the best possible place for the Knight) 33..., Ra8 34 Na6 Ra7; and so on. The connected passed pawns are certainly an advantage that presents Black an unenviable defensive task for the long term, but he does have resources to make White play many moves to get the pawns rolling. There is the possibility of transitioning into an ending with Bishops of opposite color and Rooks on the board that is technically difficult. All these make a good argument for continuing the game. I believe Barnes, disappointed by his own misreading of the position at move 23, had no appetite for long, dour defense that is probably hopeless, and so resigned in the interest of getting a good night’s sleep.

Mr. Clough played the game with a verve and energy not commonly seen in players of his experience level. His performance thus far in the Preliminaries, one win and several losses, did not predict this kind of result. He is a competitor who will bear careful handling in the future lest he becomes another “giant killer” in the style of Richard Chu.

Speaking of Mr. Chu, our long serving Club President; he lost his game with Brij Saran. In position with equal pawns, Bishops of opposite color and all the heavy pieces on the board and virtually no measurable imbalances, Richard tried to win what was clearly a drawn position. He met the fate that all of us have experienced when we go against chess logic, defeat. Richard uncompromising fighting spirit is admirable but it depresses his results sometimes.

Sunday evening Gary Farrell and I played our delayed game in the Saratoga Championship. I was White and the opening was the 3 Bb5, Sicilian variation he and I have discussed before over the board. On the long ride home after the game I was feeling pretty good about a win over a strong opponent where we both seemed to have avoided any outright, glaring mistakes. Alas, going over the game Monday morning Rybka point out how both of us missed opportunities. It was an interesting battle and maybe the subject of my next blog.

More soon.

Updates for Schenectady and AACC

Two important games were drawn last Wednesday evening in the second round of the AACC Preliminaries. Jonathan Lack and Glen Perry had a very even struggle in an offbeat Sicilian that ended with a split point after 42 moves. Tim Wright and Gordon Magat stayed more in the mainstream in a long fight drawing on move 63. Time was short in the end, and although Mr. Wright had the extra pawn in a Bishops of opposite color ending with chances to win, he did not find the path to victory. The last few moves were played very quickly and perhaps something was missed. Unfortunately, the game score I copied is incorrect after move 14 or 15, just when the play became really interesting. I will post what I have in hopes that one of the participants will send me a correct score and we can have the whole game for consideration.

The game Lack - Perry had two of the contenders for first place with the potential for one or the other to break to the front early in the tournament. Such was not to be; the opponents were too evenly matched.

Jonathan, Lack - Glen, Perry [B23]

AACC Prelim 2 Guilderland, NY, 01.12.2010

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3,..

Jonathan abhors the open Sicilian lines. Why give up a center pawn with 2 d4 for a wing pawn? The recently departed chess hero, Bent Larsen, was the most famous practitioner of that philosophy at a high level.

2..., a6

Taking the game into some kind of O’Kelly Variation. Database searches identify not many Grandmasters playing this way.

3.a4,..

And fewer still making this move. There some games between IM’s in this line with results about evenly split.

3..., Nc6 4.Nge2 Nf6 5.g3 d5!?

Lack, as is his habit, avoided opening the center against the Sicilian. I guess, Perry has a contrarian notion here; if White wants a closed center forcing an opening there will make him less comfortable. Either a) preparing the move .., d6-d5; with 5.., e6; or trying to force some weakening around the White King by playing 5..., h5; and even the usual theme when White rushes a pawn to a4, 5.., Nb4; occupying a not so well guarded square and maintaining some say over d5, all are alternatives that are less committal.

6.exd5 Nxd5 7.Bg2 Be6?!

Black is lagging in development. Strangely enough, another move with the Nd5 would work out better for Black: 7.., Nb4; and either 8 0-0, or 8 d3, can be answered by 8..., e5. Black then has set the stage for a fairly normal development with a minimum of tactical drama.

8.d4?!..,

An attempt to be active that is misses a chance to make something out of the momentary lack of coordination in the Black camp. The pawn on c5 is not defended and the Be6 is awkward there. To get at these small, niggling problems White should play 8 Ne4, hitting the c-pawn. If Black casually defends c5 with 8..., Qb6?! 9 Ng5, and game is entering a tactical maelstrom. White has a strong initiative that Black can only meet with very accurate play. Black probably would defend c5 with 8.., b6; then 9 0-0, and if Black continues 9..., g6? White obtains the advantage after 10 d4. Black, of course has options, but picking through the choices would require hard work; 9..., Bg4; 9..., Rc8; 9..., c4; and 9..., Bf5; none of which have clear tactical guideposts and need careful positional evaluation before choosing. The text passes by the opportunity to test Black’s positional judgment and enters a forcing sequence.

8..., Nxc3 9.bxc3 Bd5 10.0–0 e6 11.Be3 b6?

A small but telling mistake by Mr. Perry. Better is 11..., Bxg2 12 Kxg2 cxd4 13 cxd4 Qd5+ 14 f3 Qc4; when the game is equal. White has a bit more say in the center - the pawn on d4, while Black has pressure on the light squares on the Q-side - if ever the natural c2-c3, .., Nc6-a5.

12.Nf4!?..,

A normal way to continue is 12 Bxd5 Qxd5 13 Rb1, to be followed by 14 Nf4, leaving White with a lead in development and the makings of a strong initiative.

12...,Bxg2 13.Kxg2 g5?

This a more significant error by Glen. White now can have a marked advantage with the sacrificial line; 14 Nxe6! fxe6 15 Qh5+ Kd7 16 cxd5 Qe8 17 Rfd1+ Kc7 18 cxb6+ Kb7 19 Qxg5, netting four pawns for the piece and keeping the initiative.

14.Qf3!?,..

Not an altogether bad move. It is however, not as forcing as 14 Nxe6.

14..., Nxd4 15.Bxd4 cxd4 16.Qc6+?..,

Impatience. The calm and dangerous move is 16 Nh5 It just about forces 16..., Rc8; then 17 Rfe1!, and Black is in serious trouble. For example one possible continuation is: 17..., Be7 18 Ng7+ Kd7 19 Rad1, and White is better. Black can maybe defend this position, but it will require great accuracy. After the text, if Black is clear sighted enough, and brave, he can hold and maybe his own winning chances.

16..., Ke7 17.Qb7+ Kf6 18.Nh5+ Kg6

The White attack has run out of steam. The reward for the brave march of the Black King from e8 to g6 is the balance begins to swing his way.

19.g4 Qd5+ 20.Qxd5 exd5 21.cxd4 Bd6 22.Rab1 Rab8 23.f4?!..,

Maybe Lack still has faith in his attacking chances, but this way does not do the trick. Better 23 Rb3, apparently increasing pressure on the b-pawn, but really the Rook is to go to f3 - threat Rf6#. One line in this idea is 23..., Rhc8 24 Rf3 Be7 25 Re1 Bd8 28 Re8, pointing up the vulnerability of the Black King. A way Black can deal with 23 Rb3, is 23..., Rhc8 24 Rf3 Bf4; then 25 Nxf4+ gxf4 26 Rxf4 Rxc2; with equality.

23..., gxf4 24.Nxf4+ Bxf4 25.Rxf4 Rhc8 26.Rbf1 Rxc2+ 27.Kg3,..

The scheme White has hit upon illustrates the key feature of endings where all the Rooks are on the board: A pair of Rooks working together on a rank or a file can offset the loss of a pawn or two. This is especially true when the line of the cooperating Rooks is in close proximity to the opponent’s King.

27..., Rb7 28.Rf6+ Kg7 29.R6f5 Rd7

More urgent is 29..., b5; but White can defend by making the most of his Rooks cooperation. The balance of the game shows how even a supported past pawn is not quite enough to prevail over the drawn nature of double Rook endings.

30.Rg5+ Kf8 31.Rf6 Rc4 32.Rxb6 Rxa4 33.Rh5 Rxd4 34.Rxa6 Re4 35.Rxh7 d4 36.Kf3 Re5 37.Ra2 Re1 38.Kf2 Rd1 39.Ke2 Rg1 40.Kf3 Re1 41.Rd2 Re3+ 42.Kf2 ½–½

The other game I have is Wright - Magat.

Tim , Wright - Gordon, Magat [E94]

AACC Prelim 1 Guilderland, NY, 01.12.2010

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d6 4.e4 Bg7 5.Nf3 0–0 6.Be2,..

One of the very common positions of modern chess. Everyone who is anyone in the elite of chess has played this position from either or both sides.

6..., Nbd7

This is not quite so popular with all of the elite players. The guys who have used this move are no slouches. John Nunn seemed quite convinced that the text was the best move for a long time, and such stars as Svidler, Movesian, Ehlvest, Tal and Hort found it to be very useful many times. World Champions Fischer and Kasparov preferred a line that has become standard beginning, 6..., e5. This move is possible because of the tactic 7 dxe5 dxe5 8 Qxd8 Rxd8 9 Nxe5 Nxe4; and 10 Nxf7? Bxc3+ wins a piece, or 10 Nxe4 Bxe5 11 Bg5 Bxb2 12 Rb1 Re8. Black may eventually have to return the pawn to get a satisfactory development. Overall, GM practice favors Black chances. For this reason White at the top level does not capture on e5 and plays instead d4-d5, then Black has the choice of piece play and a tactical defense of d6 a la Averbakh in the Zurich Inter Zonal, 1953 after .., exd4; or ..Nbd7; transposing to the game.

7.0–0 e5 8.Bg5,..

Now the game is moving away from how the elite treat this position. The aforementioned 8 d5, is the most common move used by the best players. When they don’t advance the d-pawn; 8 Qc2, 8 Re1, and sometimes 8 Be3, are tried more often than the text.

8..., h6 9.Be3 exd4 10.Nxd4 Re8 11.f3 c6 12.Qd2 Kh7

While this position looks very normal, it is uncommon in my databases. Only two examples were found in 2.5 million games. The most recent game is Foigel - Lokasto, Moscow, 1991. White won in 54 moves. The other game is Casas - Cruz, Argentine Ch, 1963. There Black won in 45 moves.

13.Rac1,..

In both games White put this Rook on d1. Either way Deep Rybka favors White by about one-half pawn. In other words, White has the expected edge that goes with the first move.

13..., Nb6 14.Rfd1 ½–½ in 63 moves.

At this point my record of the game becomes confusing. Somehow moves were transposed and I did not catch the error at the time. Help! Tim or Gordon if you see this, send me the corrected game score if possible. The ending is most interesting. After the game, Tim and I had a brief discussion. He thought the Bishops of opposite color was won at some point. I was not so certain. Putting the moves of the ending through Ryka and perhaps the endgame table bases may give a definitive answer.

Thursday evening another round of the Schenectady Championship Preliminary tourneys was played. Three games of note were; a short draw between John Phillips and Michael Mockler, a French Defense in about 15 or 16 moves, and an upset loss by John Barnes to Matt Clough. Barnes was rated about five hundred points above Matt, and Matt has not had much success in this event until the game with Barnes. Richard Chu, who was among the leaders, lost to Brij Saran after trying too hard to win what was a drawn position.

More soon.