Another busy week of chess. Wednesday evening the AACC held a King’s Gambit Accepted thematic event, a four round Game in 15 with a five second delay tourney. Fourteen (!) players entered. That is quite a good turnout. Playing were; Peter Henner, Gordon Magat, Bill Little, Jonathan Lack, Bob Kemp, Art Alowitz, Charles Eson, Tim Wright, Glen Perry, Jason Denham, Dean Howard, and the TD Jon Leisner. To this group were added the visitors from the Troy Chess Club; Phil Thomas and E. Hill. Phil Thomas won the event cleanly with a perfect 4-0 score. The tournament was unrated. I hope to have a complete cross table for the next post. Mr. Leisner has plans for a couple of more thematic events this season. The encouraging attendance shows there is support for such. One of the founding notions underlying the reconstituted Albany Club was to have great variety of activities. Thematic tournaments are a step in that direction.
A personally sad note for today’s post. After about sixty years of playing chess seriously, I have come to the end of that activity. Yesterday Bill Townsend and I talked about some difficulties I have experienced in games over the last few months. It was my conclusion that trying to compete was more than could be done. Therefore, I have withdrawn from the Schenectady Finals. The root cause is a medical problem that prevents extended periods sitting at the board and maintaining concentration.
I intend to continue writing this Blog and to attend the clubs regularly. A complete withdrawal from the game is not the plan. Skittles and maybe some quick-play games can slake my addiction for the Royal Game, so I can hope to cross swords with all my usual opponents, and maybe some new ones in the future.
Over these months I have lost games to Wright, Magat, Phillips and others that were not too surprising for I had lost to these fellows before. There were other losses to Zack Calderone, Dilip Aaron, and they were surprising. In many of these games the loss came about after I had played reasonably well, and then seemed to lose the thread of the game, make a blunder and then lose the game. Here are a couple of examples to illustrate:
Little, Bill - Magat, Gordon [B22]
AACC Prelim 1 Guilderland, NY, 10.12.2010
Prior to this game I had lost to Tim Wright by just leaving a piece adrift and walking into a Knight fork. The game with Gordon was very nearly a “must win” situation for me if there was to be any hope of fighting for a place in the final match.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c3 Nf6 4.e5 Nd5 5.d4 Nc6 6.Bc4 d6 7.0–0 dxe5 8.dxe5 Be7 9.Nbd2 0–0 10.Qe2 Qc7 11.Qe4 Rd8 12.Bd3 f5!?
Natural is 12..., g6. The move played loosens up the Black K-side giving White some advantage and gains Black only control over the d-file. That does not appear to be a critical line immediately.
13.exf6 Nxf6 14.Qe2 Qd6 15.Bc2 Na5 16.Ne4 Qb6 17.Bg5!?,..
More to the point is 17 Re1, planning to move the Ne4 to g5 and building pressure on the e-pawn. The text offers a very poisoned b-pawn; if 17..., Qxb2 18 Nxf6+, and 19 Bxh7+, wins material.
17..., Nd5 18.Bxe7 Nxe7 19.Neg5?!,..
Here I miss the correct move 19 Nfg5, to a strong attack on the Black King. Truthfully, moving the Nf3 just did not come into consideration. Had this better move been played the position could have developed so; 19 Nfg5 h6? 20 Qh5 hxg5 21 Nxg5 Nf5 22 Bxf5 exf5 23 Rfe1 Be6 24 Qh7+ Kf8 25 Rxe6, wins. The alternative try 19..., e5; does somewhat better but is pretty close to lost after 20 Qh5 Bf5 21 Qf7+ Kh8 22 Qxe7 Re8 23 Qd6 Qxb2 24 Qd5, and the threat of the classic smothered mate beginning 25 Nf7+, leaves White in great shape.
The game move gives White a marked advantage but nearly as much as could have been obtained.
17..., h6 20.Qe4?!,..
Misfiring again. This move is too routine. Crashing through with 20 Bh7+! and after a) 20..., Kh8 21 Ne5 Rf8 22 Qd3 g6 23 Bxg6 Nxg6 24 Nxg6+ Kg7 25 Nxf8 hxg5 26 Nd7, winning, and b) 20..., Kf8 21 Ne5 hxg5 22 Qh5, and White’s attack is very strong. The text move does keep an edge for White, just not a winning one. I was being overly cautious not having enough confidence in my calculations.
20...Nf5 21.b4 cxb4 22.cxb4 hxg5 23.bxa5 Qc6 24.Qxc6?!,..
Another second best move. More forceful is 24 Nxg5. Again the move played retains some advantage, but it gives Black chances to keep the fight going.
24..., bxc6 25.Rfd1 Bd7
Black might have tried 25..., Rxd1+; but I am not as certain as Rybka is that it is a better choice.
26.Ne5 Be8 27.Be4 Ne7
Rybka suggests 27..., Nd4 28 f3 Rab8 as better for Black. I agree. Odd how some of the Rybka suggestions are easier to see and understand than are others.
28.Rdc1?!,..
Once again not the best choice. A more useful alternative is 28 h3, making a luft and preventing the front most Black g-pawn from advancing.
28...Rac8?
I have focused my attention on c6, and Black is reacting to that. Here Mr. Magat could have equalized the game, or nearly so with 28..., Rab8; then if White wins his target c-pawn whatever advantage White could have claimed is gone after 29 Nxc6 Bxc6 30 Bxc6 Nxc6 31 Rxc6 Rb2 32 a4 Ra2!; when the Black Rooks have gained the second rank. Then there are a few tricks left but none that should win for either side if attention is paid. The next several moves I had to reconstruct. One aspect of my medical problem is hand tremors that make my handwriting illegible.
29.Rc5 Rd4 30.f3 Rcd8 31.Nxc6 Bxc6 32.Bxc6 Rd1+ 33.Rxd1 Rxd1+ 34.Kf2 Rd2+ 35.Kg3 Nf5+ 36.Kh3 Kh7 37.Be4 g6 38.Rc7+ Kh6 39.Rxa7 Rxa2 40.a6 Ne3 41.f4 gxf4 42.Ra8,..
Up to this point I am reasonably certain these are the moves played. The balance of the game was unreadable, and I have reconstructed the remaining moves as best as possible. The fork that caused me to resign is clear in my memory, and so, I an fairly sure the game ended as follows.
42..., g5 43.Rh8+ Kg7 44.Rh7+ Kf6 45.a7 Nd5?
Gordon misses a chance to fight back effectively with 45..., Nd1!; after which White must be very careful. The threat is 46..., Nf2 mate. Play could have gone; 46 Kg4 Nf2+ 47 Kf3 Ke5 48 Bc2! Rxc2 49 Rh5 Ra2 50 Rg8 Rxa7 51 Kxf2, when White has weathered the worst. Black has some small advantage with the more aggressive position for his King, but should be able to hold by quickly advancing his K-side pawns.
46.Rd7 Ke5 47.Bf3 Ra3 48 Kg4 Nf6+ 49 Resigns??
The last several moves were played with Gordon in some time pressure. I did not have bunches of time on my clock but more than did Magat. Through the game I had been seeing a great deal. The occasions where less than the best move was selected were nothing out of the ordinary for me, but the alternatives, except where noted - chiefly move 19, were considered. At this point I just did not see the fork and resigned thinking the Rook was lost without compensation . Had I my wits about me the correct finish is; 49 Kxg5 Nxd7 50 a8 (Q) Rxa8 51 Bxa8 Nf6 52 h4, and the h-pawn will cost Black the Knight and the game. The shock of the unseen fork combined with a growing lack of confidence in my ability to withstand tension led to my foolish early surrender.
The next game is from the SCC Finals played last Thursday
Little, Bill - Le Cours, Alan [D87]
SCC Ch Finals Schenectady, NY, 10.02.2011
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 c5 8.Ne2 0–0 9.Be3 Nc6 10.Rc1 Qa5!?
Alan and I have battled over the Grunfeld Defense, Exchange Variation a number of times. As he noted just before the game began, I have reached the better position often in this line but seldom been able to convert the advantage into a win. True, too true.
The text move is not favored by the GMs and IMs. Those guys most often play 10..., Qc7; followed shortly by .., b7-b6. It has to be thought of as a side line, but that is its attraction. The move is just enough off the beaten track to force the opponent into independent thinking while it continues the logical plan for Black; pressure on White’s big center.
11.0–0 Qa3?!
This maybe too much of a good thing. Rybka likes 11..., b6.
12.dxc5,..
Natural is 12 Qb3, but then 12..., Qxb3 13 Bxb3, and the game is headed towards equality. Without the Queens on there isn’t much hope for an advantage for either side. The game move aims to make things as difficult as possible for both sides.
Ne5 13.Bb3 a5!?
Normal is 13..., Ng4 14 Qd3 Nxe3 15 Qxe3 a5; when Black has more than enough counter-play to balance the pawn minus. The game move offers White a chance to make things dicey for the Black Queen.
14.Nd4!?,..
And I promptly go for it.
14..., Ng4 15.Nb5?
Here the thread of the game begins to slip away from me. The only pathway to some advantage for White is 15 Nb2, then 15..., Nxe3 16 fxe3 Qxc5 17 Rxc7!, and if 17..., Rxc7? 18 Qd8+ wins. Better for Black is 17..., e6 18 Rxf8+ Qxf8 19 Bc4, and White answers 19..., Bxc3; with 20 Nd4, giving White some advantage. If Black tries 19..., Qe7 20 Nd4 Bh6 21 Qd3 Kh8 22 Rb1, and White has pieces very well placed, again with some advantage. After the game move White must be very careful not to fall into a worse position.
15...Nxe3 16.Nxa3 Nxd1 17.Rfxd1 a4 18.Bc4 Ra5 19.Bb5,..
The game now slips away from me completely. The only way for White to keep the fight going is to play 19 Nb5, then 19..., Bh6 20 Rb1 Bg4 21 Rd3 Be2?1 22 Rd4 Bg7? 23 Bxe2 Bxd4 24 exd4, seems to be won for White. Black can avoid the questionable 21..., Be2; and 22..., Bg7; and try such as 21..., Rc8 22 h3 Rxc5 23 hxg4 Rxc4 24 Rd4 Rc5 25 Rd5 b6; and either 26 Kf1, or 26 Rxc5, leaving the game about even. After the game move Black is better.
19..., Be6 20.Rc2 Rc8 21 c4 Raa1 22 Kf1 Rxc5 23 Ke2 f5 24 exf5 Bxf5 25 Rcd2 Re5+ 26 Kf1 Kf7
Possibly better is 26..., Bh6; making the coordination of the White Rooks as difficult.
27 f3 Bh6 28 Re2 Re3 29 Rxe3 Bxe3 30 g4?,..
Offering better chances are a) 30 Ke2 Bf4 31 g3, or b) 30 Bd7, when best for Black is 30..., Rd8 31 Be6+ Kxe6 32 Rxd8 Bc5 33 Rd3 Bf5 34 Rc3 Bd4 35 Rc2 Bxc2; with the game just about equal. Of course Black does have the Bishop versus Knight imbalance and White will have to prove he can hold the ending with pawns on both sides of the board.
30..., Be6 31 Ke2 Bf4 32 h3 Rc8 33 Bxa4??,..
Once more just a goofy mistake dropping a piece. After doing these things repeatedly, it is clear that serious chess is not possible for me. Over a year ago, Grandmaster Har-Zvi, in the nicest way, tried to tell me playing chess in rated tournaments may not be a happy pursuit for me any more. Stubbornly I struggled on. Now, the series of really bad moves in tense positions drove home the correctness of Ronen’s judgment.
33..., Ra8 34 Resigns.
And so, Goodbye to serious chess in rated tournaments. It has been fun, and a good long run with few regrets. As said above, the posting will continue and I hope to see my chess friends at the board for skittles often.
More soon on the latest round from Schenectady with some upsets mild and otherwise.
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