An Update for the CDCL

Thursday evening the Schenectady A team and the Schenectady Geezers played their CDCL match. By luck and perseverance the Geezers won. The board results were:

Board 1; Michael Mockler, White for the Geezers fell to Patrick Chi in a Caro-Kann, 39 moves.

Board 2; In a time pressured game John Phillips held a draw against Philip Sells down a piece, about 40 moves.

Board 3; John Barnes dropped a piece early and lost to Bill Little, 10 moves.

Board 4; This was the last game to finish. In it Richard Chu played Dilip Aaron. Chu hung on through a considerable time with much the worse position. As the move count reached into the seventies his prospects improved. Some errors in the late endgame cost Dilip what seemed to be a safe half-point, 86 moves.

The final score was Geezers - 2 ½, Schenectady A - 1 ½. This result does not do much to clarify the standings. So far this season it has been mostly strong teams playing the not so strong teams. RPI and Uncle Sam have completed their schedules, and Saratoga B has played all but one of their matches. At the other end of the seeding, Albany, Schenectady and Saratoga A teams are just about halfway through their schedules. So there are serious clashes to occur among the top rated teams in the next few weeks, and from these we will see the leader emerge.

With assistance from Bill Townsend, the TD for the League, the current standings are:

Team Played Match Points Game Points

1 Saratoga A 4 3.5 11

2 Uncle Sam 8 3.0 13

3 Albany A 3 3.0 10.5

4 SCC Geezers 3 3.0 9

5 Albany B 4 3.0 9

6 SCC A 4 2.5 11

7 RPI 8 0.5 6.5

8 Saratoga B 7 0.5 5.5

I take full responsibility for any errors in the standings. Updating them with several recent match results could have led to inadvertent mistakes.

Schenectady A will need a lot of help from the other top teams to repeat as champions this year. Albany A and Saratoga A have to be favored for the title. Albany B is strong enough to get a high place and be a spoiler, and the same can be said for the Geezers.

The next match reports will likely see contests between many of the top local players. SCC A may have Deepak Aaron available for some matches. Albany B will try to field both John Morse and Peter Henner as their top two boards. Saratoga A hopes to have Steve Taylor as their first board. If things work out for Albany A they may be able to have both Dean Howard and Jon Leisner as their top boards. With some luck, we will be treated to some rare battles by leading locals, and that is all to the good!

More soon.

Team Mates Meet in Saratoga

Last night, Wednesday saw the AACC B team played Saratoga B team in the CDCL. This Albany B team is certainly pretty strong. It is led by John Morse and Peter Henner on the top two boards. Albany B won the match 3 - 1. Jason Denham scored the lone point for Saratoga B. I will have more details on the match in the future, I think.

Jason Denham helpfully provided me with this game of his from the recent Empire State Open. It was played in the Under 1610 Section of the tournament.

Clough, Matthew - Denham, Jason [C18]

Empire State Open Saratoga Springs, NY, 17.04.2011

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.f4!?,..

Jason wrote this was a surprise to him. Rightly so. More common is 7 Nf3. Another common try is 7 Qg4. The game is in the heart of the venerable Winawer variation; land of my youth. It is a line I played as Black from 1950 to about 1980. White typically is scheming to find useful employment for his Bc1. To that end he often considers a3-a4 without too much concern about the a-pawn falling if he can put the Bishop on the a3-f8 diagonal. If it gets there before the Black King castles short great, if not, there usually is a Black Knight pinned over the Rf8. At the same time as action on the a3-f8 diagonal is undertaken, White may begin piece play frontally on the Black King and won’t shrink at advancing his h-pawn to add fat to the fire.

The whole of Winawer complex is rife with long well analyzed lines reaching as deep as move 20 or more. The text takes the game out of those and makes for something that is a cross between the Advanced and the Winawer variations. Not necessarily bad, but certainly less than usual.

7..., Nbc6!?

When confronted by this position, Black very often plays 7..., Qa5; then 8 Bd2 Qa4; satisfied the White dark squared Bishop will not see activity for sometime. He frequently follows up with .., c5-c4; effectively cutting the board in to two parts. This all leads to a heavy duty positional battle where Black should not castle short early, if at all. White may substitute 8 Qd2, for 8 Bd2, leaving the Bc1 to guard the a-pawn and putting the Rook on b1.

8.Nf3 0–0 9.Bd3 Ng6

A more standard scheme is 9..., h6; to keep the Knight out of g5 and 10..., Qa5; is seen often.

10.0–0 Qc7 11.Be3 c4 12.Be2 Nce7 13.g4 Bd7

Without the Queen going to a5, Black has a less dynamic set-up than is ideal. Still-in-all, he has no problems that can not be handled. White has to make something aggressive happen on the K-side soon.

14.Qe1 f5 15.g5 Kf7?!

Mr. Denham wrote about the game that it was interesting that both players undertook journeys of their Kings to the Q-side. It is interesting, but the Black King made a much longer journey, and that trip was not well advised. In this specific case, the need for running away does not appear to be any immediate threatened sequence, rather just a general feeling of unease because White is advancing pawns. When the opponent undertakes some kind of long-winded maneuver and you have resources at hand to meet the threat, why use time to run away? The move 15..., Ba4; would have given White a great deal to think about. Worrying about the loss of the c2-pawn will require White to use time in defense delaying even further the terribly slow moving offensive he is beginning.

16.h4 Rh8?

More useful is 16..., Nc6; clearing a retreat for the Nf6 and keeping the Rooks connected.

17.Qg3?,..

If you are going to attack time is always important, therefore 17 h5, makes sense to spoil the coordination of the Black pieces.

17..., Rag8 18.Kf2 h5!

So much for the slow motion assault. White will either agree to locking the K-side tight, or he will open up lines where Black is well placed to meet any incursion.

19.gxh6 gxh6 20.Qh3 Ke8?

The King has a role on f7 helping to guard entry squares along the b-file. What he will do on the other side of the board never becomes clear.

21.Rg1?,..

The bold advance 21 h5, makes more sense. Advancing the h-pawn frees h4 for the Knight traveling to g6 in some eventualities, it stuffs the Black minor pieces into a cluster that will take time to unwind.

21..., Kd8 22.Nh2?,..

Again 22 h5, is called for.

22..., Be8?

Allowing White to play 23 a4, reliving some of his cramp on the Q-side.

23.a4 Nc6 24.Nf3 Nge7 25.h5 Kc8 26.Rgb1 Rg7 27.Bc1?,..

Very late White begins to think about making something out of the dark squared Bishop. Seems unlikely this Bishop will come out on a3 because f4 can be brought under some threat with .., Rg4; whenever Black desires.

27..., Rhg8 28.Ba3 b6 29.Qh4 Rg4?!

Neither side has well prepared the battlefield, and both are determined to have the tactical clash right now. A drop of caution with 29..., Qd7; would make 30 Qf6, very dangerous after 30..., Bxa5 31 Qxh6 Ng6 32 Qxh5? (32 Rh1) 32..., Nxf4 33 Qh6 Rg2+ 34 Kf1 Nxe2; recovering the piece and remaining a pawn ahead. The worst of it is Black still has strong attacking possibilities in hand.

30.Qf6 Bxh5 31.Qxe6+ Qd7 32.Qxh6 Be8?

Black gets cautious too late. Having enter wild complications it is not often you can slip into the safety of quiet maneuver. The right move is 32..., Ng6; again with play similar to the previous note. White now has a significant edge.

33.a5,..

Perhaps 33 Nh4, to push back the Rook and cover g2 before advancing the a-pawn would be better.

33..., R8g6 34.Qh8 Rg8 35.Qh6 R8g6 36.Qh1 Nxa5 37.e6?,..

After some back and forth White lashes out. More circumspect is 37 Qh2, willingly giving up the Queen for two Rooks. One condition that helps Rooks battle a Queen is having several minor pieces on the board according to Soltis. In addition, with Black Rooks off the White King is much safer. The text is an error that loses material.

37..., Qc7?!

There is nothing wrong with the simple 37..., Qxe6. The passed pawn is eliminated, and White is much worse.

38.Ne5 Rxf4+ 39.Bf3 Rxe6 40.Kg3 Ng6!

This may be the move White did not foresee. The Rook at f4 is well secured. If 41 Nxg6, even the materialistic 41..., Rxg6+; is winning. If Black wants to combined a little he can play 42..., Rxd4+ 43 Kg2 Rd2+, and it is mate very soon.

41.Bxd5 Rg4+?!

A clean finish come after 41..., Rxe5.

42.Kf2 Rf4+ 43.Ke3 Rxe5+ 44.dxe5 Qxe5+ 45.Kd2 Rf2+ 46.Kc1 Qe2?

Missing the natural stroke 46..., Qe3+ 47 Kb2 Rxc2+ 48 Kxc2 Ba4+ 49 Kb2 Qd2 mate. The game thrashes on for a few more moves, but the exposed King is too much of problem for White to survive.

47.Be6+ Qxe6 48.Qa8+ Kc7 49.Qxa7+ Nb7 50.Bc5 Rf1+ 51.Kd2 Qd5+ 52.Bd4 Qg2+ 0–1

An up and down tussle between two team mates from the Saratoga B team. Neither side quite has a handle on the standard ideas in the French. That is a subject worth their time to study. The French comes up often in games locally, and mastering the theory will pay off in full and half points.

More soon.

Albany A versus Saratoga B Match continued

Another game from the recent CDCL match between the Albany A and Saratoga B teams was the 2d board contest. Here Jonathan Lack, an experienced Class A player faces Cory Northrup a Class C opponent who has made some significant strides in his play the last couple of years. Although mistakes were made by both sides, the game is interesting. It illustrates some ideas in the French Defense that are useful to know.

Northrup, Cory - Lack, Jonathan [C02]

Board 2

Albany A v Sara B CDCL Match Guilderland, NY, 20.04.2011

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5

Mr. Lack defends against 1 e4, with the French almost exclusively.

3.e5 c5 4.Qg4!?,..

Mr. Northrup takes instruction from John Phillips, and this is John’s recent wrinkle when faced with the French. It has an honorable history, Nimzovitch tried ot out in the 1920s. The Queen sortie comes up more frequently among the elite players in the Winawer variation. Here, in the Advanced, it is not so common, not bad by any means, but uncommon.

4..., Nc6 5.Nf3 cxd4 6.Bd3 Nge7 7.0–0 Ng6 8.Re1 Bb4!?

ECO likes 8..., Qc7; and 8..., Qb6. Deep Rybka suggests 8..., Bc5. What is best may be a matter of taste.

9.Bd2 Qb6 10.b3 Bd7 11.Bxb4!?..,

Logical here is 11 h4, threatening to push the Knight off g6. The text enters a risky moment of the game that could have been avoided.

11..., Qxb4 12.a3?,..

This move should cost a pawn. White had to play 12 Qg3, over-protecting e5 to keep the balance.

12..., Qb6?!

Jonathan may not have seen 12..., Ngxe5!; winning a pawn. If 13 Qxg7 Nxf3+; picks up a Rook, and if 13 Qxg7 Nxf3+; wins more material. Therefore, White has to play 13 axb4, then 13..., Nxg4 14 b5 Nb4 15 Nxd4 Nxd3 16 cxd3 0-0 17 Rc1 Ne5; and so forth until something like move twenty-five. Black would then have the upper hand, and if he does not falter tactically, he should win the game - too many pawns. It could be Mr. Lack saw some or most of this line. A long line with several places where alternatives have to be weighed and evaluated. The question is then; do you embark on the complications, or do you play it safe and maneuver for awhile? Mr. Lack opted for safety perhaps.

13.Nbd2 0–0–0 14.Bxg6!?,..

Although on the surface this appears reasonable, I have my doubts. It is true Black is left with a Bishop with poor prospects, and one of the Knights attacking e5 is eliminated. Nevertheless, the White Bishop does good duty clogging up the center, and it could lend support if White ever wants to advance the c-pawn. Without the Bishop the light squares on the Q-side are poorly defended. Capturing the Ng6 could usefully delayed and 14 b4 played. Then if Black goes for the e-pawn; 14..., Qc7 15 b5 Ncxe5 16 Nxe5 Nxe5 17 Qxd4 Nxd3 18 cxd3 Bxb5 19 Rec1 Bc6 20 Qxa7, and for the cost of a lowly pawn White has a pair of open files bearing on the Black King with the White Queen lurking close by. That is compensation for a pawn at least. After the game move, Black can make threats down the h-file gaining enough time to prepare for action on the c-file also.

14..., hxg6 15.b4 Rh5 16.Nb3 Rdh8 17.h3 Qc7 18.Qg3 Kb8!?

A cagy move. It gets the King out of the way so the c-file can become a base of operations.

19.Nbxd4,..

White goes ahead in a straight forward manner. He could have tried the alternative 19 b5 Ne7 20 Nbxd4, and there are plenty of complications, but the game is reasonably balanced.

19..., Nxd4 20.Nxd4 Rc8 21.Rac1?,..

Other than the mistake on move 11, White has played very well. Suddenly Mr. Northrup seems to lose the thread of the game. Necessary here is 21 Re3, keeping the Black Queen out of c3. The follow-up move 22 c2-c3, secures the Knight outpost on d4 and all is well in the White camp, the game is even. Now Black begins to call the tune.

21..., Qc3 22.Qxc3 Rxc3 23.Ra1 Rh4 24.Nf3?,..

Cory must have become discouraged about now. Black is still better after the superior 24 Re3 Rxe3 25 fxe3 f6! Not 25..., Re5 26 Rf1 Be8 27 Nxe6!, and White has chances to hold. After 25..., f6; Black is better but not clearly winning. Subsequent to the text not much resistance can be made.

24..., Rhc4 25.Ng5 Be8 26.Nf3 Rxc2 27.Reb1 Rc7 28.b5 R2c4 29.Nd2 R4c5 30.a4 b6 31.Kh2 Rc2 32.Rd1 f6

This move works but not as cleanly as 32..., Rb2; preparing to double on the second rank. One pair of Rooks will be exchanged, and then the Black Rook will harvest pawns. Playing so tamps down counter-play. The text works as well but seems to require more calculation than the suggested move. The remainder of the game requires no comment.

33.f4 g5 34.fxg5 fxe5 35.Nf3 Bh5 36.Rf1 Bxf3 37.Rxf3 e4 38.Rf8+ Rc8 39.Rf7 R2c7 40.Rxc7 Rxc7 41.Rf1 d4 42.Rf8+ Kb7 43.Kg1 e3 44.Kf1 d3 0–1

The collapse of resistance at move 24 is puzzling. Mr. Northrup usually makes a stubborn fight as a rule. Here he did not.

More soon.

Albany A versus Saratoga B Match

Wednesday evening saw the CDCL match between the Albany A and the Saratoga B teams at the AACC. Albany A was the heavily favored by rating and led by Expert and new club champion; Dean Howard. The final result was as predicted, Albany won 3 ½ - ½. There were moments when it seemed Saratoga B just might keep the final score close or even draw the match. Such an outcome was not to be.

Coverage begins with the board 1 game between Dean Howard and David Finnerman. Mr. Finnerman recently took over as the captain of Saratoga B. Part of his motivation in taking up the job was to find a venue where he could play against good players. Holding down the 1st board in the CDCL guarantees some tough opponents; Deepak Aaron from Schenectady A, Steve Taylor from Saratoga A and Dean Howard of AACC are examples. Dean is having a resurgence in form this year. His decisive 2 - 0 win in the AACC playoff match certainly indicates that.

In today’s game Mr. Finnerman takes an interesting path that almost disconcerted Mr. Howard. Applying his experience and his usual concentration, Dean navigated the transition from the opening to a very favorable middle game. He cashed in the point when David erred in the transition tactics.

Finnerman, David - Howard, Dean [D40]

Albany A v Sara B CDCL Match Guilderland, NY, 20.04.2011

Board 1

1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.e3 Nf6 4.Nf3 Be7 5.d4 0–0 6.Bd3 c5

A known line in the QGD, Semi-Tarrasch variation in which the debate is about who gets the isolated d-pawn.

7.0–0 Nc6

With 7..., cxd4; Black can avoid the isolated d-pawn. Not everyone wants to avoid such. The isolated d-pawn does give its holder some better control in the center, and it can be used a battering ram to open lines.

8.a3 a6 9.cxd5 exd5 10.dxc5 Bxc5 11.Qc2?!,..

Better 11 b4, and White will be able to develop more or less normally. After the text his development lags. White has an operation in mind that is seen often when against playing computers but not frequently in human versus human games.

11..., Bg4 12.Ng5 h6

Possibly White expected 12..., g6; then 13 b4, is worth trying with a complicated middle game in the offing.

13.Nh7 Nxh7 14.Bxh7+ Kh8 15.Bf5 Bxf5 16.Qxf5 Ne7

The operation carried out was something of a surprise to Mr. Howard I think, and it did wring some of the tension out of the game through exchanges. However, the lack of development of the White pieces is a worry.

17.Qh5 Qd6

Black could play 17..., Qc7?!; sacrificing a pawn to sustained a lead in development after 18 Nxd5 Nxd5 19 Qxd5 Rfd8; but eventually White works his way out of his problems with 20 Qc4 b5 21 Qe2 Qe5 22 Ra2 Rac8 23 b4, and the extra pawn is getting to be significant.

18.Rd1 Rad8 19.b4!?,..

Consideration could be given to 19 Ne4 Qc7 20 Nxc5 Qxc5 21 Bd2 Nc6 22 Bc3, and Black has to worry about the pin on the long diagonal.

19..., Ba7 20.Bb2 Qe6 21.Rd2!?,..

The game move looks natural, but it allows Black to dissolve the isolated d-pawn and takes of the initiative. Better 21 Ne2.

21..., d4 22.Rad1?!,..

Missing a chance to stay in the battle with 22 exd4 Rxd4 23 Qe2, and Black has only a small edge.

21..., Nc6 23.Qh4?..,

White must be convinced the pin down the d-file is strong. It is his misfortune that it is not the case.

23...,dxe3 24.Rxd8 exf2+ 25.Kf1 Nxd8!

The move that apparently White evaluated incorrectly. Black now has a winning advantage.

26.Nd5?,..

A more stubborn resistance is possible with 26 Qe4 Qb3 27 Rd2 Nc6 28 Nd1, but the pawn on f2 gives Black a secure advantage that is near winning in the long term. With the text move White sets his hopes on tactics involving the long diagonal, but it is not enough to hold the position together.

26..., Re8

Threatening mate on e2 spelling doom for White.

27.Ne7 Rxe7 28.Bxg7+ Kxg7 29.Qg3+ Qg6 30.Qc3+ Kh7 31.g3 Re1+ 32.Rxe1 fxe1(R)+ 33.Qxe1 Qd3+ 34.Kg2 Be3 35.Kh3 Qf5+ 36.Kg2 Qf2+

Forcing off the Queens and any hope of resistance.

37.Qxf2 Bxf2 1-0

Up to move 21, or thereabouts, the fight looked even. Then things went wrong for Mr. Finnerman. It was a lesson about playing up; good opponents seem to get tougher when you surprise them. Painful though such lessons are, it is maybe the best way to improve one’s chess.

Matt Clough Does Well for Saratoga B

Most Saturday mornings I like to begin writing a post for the blog about recent doings around the local chess scene. Today is no exception. The only difficulty is there are so many games that deserve to be seen, and time is fleeting. If I don’t get more than a single game in this post, it is possible next week’s games will overtake me. I’m going to try for two games today. Wish me luck.

I believe the first game today was played at the Uncle Sam club rooms in Troy. Matt Clough was kind enough to let me copy the game at the SCC Thursday, and I neglected to ask the location. The date on the game is the 12th and that was a Tuesday, the meeting day for the Troy club. My assumption is the match took place at Troy.

Mr. Clough notches a nice win from a strong opponent. Mr. Thomas has been very successful in recent years, especially at fast chess, witness his 5 - 0 sweep at the AACC speed event a few weeks ago. This year he has not had his usual success in slower formats. This a second loss in a row for Phil Thomas in the CDCL.

Clough, Matthew - Thomas, Phil [B90]

Sara B - Uncle Sam CDCL Match, Troy, NY, 12.04.2011

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 Ng4 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Bg3 Bg7

A topical line indeed. Svidler - Grischuk played so in the 14th round of the World Championship tournament in 2007. Svidler won that game in 42 moves.

10.Be2,..

Svidler preferred 10 h3, my guess because that move makes a haven for the Bg3.

10..., Ne5 11.Qd2 Nbc6 12.Nb3,..

Worth giving a thought is the idea from the GM game above; 12 Nf5, or 12 0-0-0, right away. I am not at all sure White will be entirely happy with Q-side castling, but there is no immediate tactical problem with it.

12..., Be6 13.Nd5 Rc8 14.c3 Na5 15.Nd4 Nac4 16.Qc2 Bd7 17.0–0 e6 18.Ne3,..

Although this move looks ugly, it probably is the surest way to hold the balance. If 18 Nb4 a5; and White will have to give up some material for questionable compensation soon.

18..., Nxe3 19.fxe3 0–0

The doubled e-pawns are unsightly, but the half open f-file mitigates the damage, and they do control key central squares.

20.Rf2 b5 21.a3?,..

Seeing a mirage. The move 21..., b4; is no threat for the pawn on a6 is loose. White could continue with 21 Raf1, then 21..., Qb6 22 Bh5 f6 23 Rd1, the house of the Black King is in some disarray. The move played passes the initiative over to Black.

21..., Qb6 22.Rd1 Rfd8 23.Bh5 Be8 24.Qe2 a5 25.Nc2 Qc6

Safer is 25..., Qb7; keeping an eye on f7.

26.Bxe5 Bxe5?

This move allows the initiative to be taken by White. Oddly it seems 26..., dxe5; an unappealing move from a superficial positional viewpoint is better for Black. After 27 Rxd8 Rxd8 28 Qg4 Qc7 29 h4 Qe7 30 hxg5 Qxg5 31 Qxg5 hxg5 32 Kf1 Bf8; and the dark squared Black Bishop emerges. Then Black has very good chances to make something of the two Bishops by restricting White’s options on the Q-side.

27.Qf3 Rc7 28.Nd4,..

White is proceeding logically putting great pressure on f7 and e6.

28..., Qd7

More aggressive is 28..., Qc4; but White clearly is building his initiative.

29.Bg4?,..

This move relaxes the pressure just a little. Better 29 Rdf1

29..., Bg7 30.Qh3

The net result of the last few moves is all of the White pieces are aggressively posted, and the Black pieces are disposed for defense.

30...,Qe7 31.Rdf1 b4?!

Although the “mighty Rybka” suggests this, I wonder why does Black want to open up the game when he is trailing in effective development? Perhaps 31..., Rb8; is a sterner test for White. If then 32 Bh5 b4 33 axb4 axb4 35 Bxf7+ Qxf7 36 Rxf7 Rxf7 37 cxb4 Rc8; and White has two extra pawns, theoretically sufficient for the Queen to win against two Rooks. However, the White King is not entirely safe and the pawns are doubled, so there are certainly chances for Black to hold the game.

32.axb4 axb4 33.cxb4 Rb8 34.b5 Kh7?

Seriously weakening the defense of f7. It is better to try some tricks with 34..., Rxb5!?; then 35 Nxb5 Bxb5 36 Rxf7 Qxf7 37 Rxf7 Rc1+! 38 Kf2 Rf1+ 39 Kg3 Be5+ 40 Rf4 gxf4+ 41 Kh4 Bg5+ 42 Kg3, with a draw by perpetual. If the King goes to h5, Black mates with .., Bb5-e8.

35.Bh5 Rc4?

This is fatal. The issue is by no means clear after 35..., Rbc8. White has a marked advantage, but there are opportunities for Black if White falters. Play might continue; 36 Bxf7 Bxf7 37 Rxf7 Qxf7 38 Rxf7 Rxf7 39 Nf3 Rf6 40 Nxg5+ Kg8 41 Nf3 Rc1+ 42 Kf2 Rc2+ 43 Kf1 Rxb2; and while White is better the win is not yet a trivial exercise.

36.Nc6 Bxc6 37.Rxf7 Qd8 38.bxc6 Rxb2 39.Qxe6 1-0

The Rook on c4 is lost to the mate threat, and Mr. Thomas gave up the battle here. This was a pretty big upset. Combined with a victory by Clough over Barnes in the recent SCC Championship, this win should put local chess players on notice there is another dangerous “giant killer” in the area.

It was the luck of the draw that Matt Clough had to play another strong opponent just two days later when Saratoga B faced Schenectady A team Thursday in Schenectady. This time it was Philip Sells across the board from him. I was recording all four games as they were played and it was not possible to watch even so interesting contest as this move for move. When I circulated back to this game several times it was puzzling; was White doing OK, or was Black just rolling him? What a unprecedented break though it would be for a Class C player to defeat to strong Class A/Expert players back-to-back.

Clough, Matthew - Sells, Philip [B80]

SCC A v Sara B CDCL Match Schenectady, NY, 14.04.2011

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Be3 e6 7.Qd2 Be7 8.0–0–0 0–0 9.f3 d5

Another topical line. There are many games between top flight players from this position in the Sicilian Defense, Scheveningen variation.

10.Qf2?!,..

Inviting Black to expand in the center. My first thought when the move was played was this can’t be good. A second look made me question the first judgment. Back and forth my opinion went over the next several moves. A common continuation for White is 10 exd5, and advancing development with 10 Be2, has been tried.

10..., e5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.exd5 cxd5 13.Bxa7 d4 14.Bxd4 exd4 15.Qxd4 Qa5

The idea of sacrificing a piece for three pawns is well known in the Sicilian. For the scheme to work the Queens have to come off the board. If the Queens are off, White’s three connected passed pawns with the King in close support have chances, especially in an ending with a Rook and pawns versus a Rook and a minor piece. With Queens on, the chances for the pawns are very much reduced.

16.Bc4 Bb7

The text keeps a solid advantage. A different approach is 16..., Bc5!? 17 Qd2 Bb4; planning to devalue the passed pawns right away.

17.Bb3,..

There are too many pieces on the board for White to contemplate any early advance of the passed pawns, however, that idea has to be part of whatever plan White is considering. If it is not, giving up the piece makes no sense. The Bishop b3 is just standing in the way of that notion. An alternative approach is; 17 Rhe1 Bc5 18 Qh4 Bb4 19 Rd3 Rfd8 20 Red1 Rxd3 21 Rxd3 Qb6 22 Qd4, and Black still controls the game. However, if Black trades Queens on d4 and captures the Nc3, breaking up the pawns, White has made some progress towards equality. Of course, Black can just play 22..., Bc5; and keep the advantage he has intact. Apparently White decides to wager that pressure on the a2-g8 diagonal is his best chance for counter-play.

17..., Rad8 18.Qc4 Qg5+ 19.Kb1 Rxd1+ 20.Rxd1 Qxg2

And we now see the flaw in the scheme White is following; Black gets to plunder the White K-side.

21.Qc7 Bxf3 22.Qxe7 Bxd1 23.Nxd1 Ne4 24.a4 Nd2+ 25.Ka2 Nxb3 26.cxb3 f5

White got some reduction of material and a pawn up to a4. Unfortunately, the Queens remain, and the pressure on the a2-g8 diagonal is gone. The upshot is; Black can advance his f-pawn easily, while the queening square for the White a-pawn is well guarded by the Black Queen and Rook. Black is clearly winning.

27.Ne3 Qc6!

A timely repositioning of the Queen eliminates any tricks White might have in mind to try with his Queen and Knight. I have the feeling that Mr. Sells had worked out much, including this move, back when he captured on the pawn on g2. White makes a few more moves, but he sees the f-pawn is becoming a monster.

28.Nc4 f4 29.Nd6 Qd5

There will be no smothered mate or discovered attack tricks. Black is alert taking precautions as required.

30.Nb5 f3 31.Nc3 Qf7 0–1

White resigns. Although this was a losing outing for Mr. Clough. He plays chess with ideas, and that is admirable. If sometimes he falls short, experience against strong opponents provide Matthew the opportunity to refine his understanding of the game. Philip Sells did his usual fine job of grasping the needs of a position and framing his play to those needs. He took what was offered and did not allow counter-play to happen, a mark of a strong player.

More soon.

RPI versus Saratoga B CDCL Match

Last night, Wednesday, saw the RPI team meet Saratoga’s B team at the AACC for their CDCL match. The site was agreed between the teams as a convenient location to minimize travel.

Jason Denham won his game against Yonathan Naamad on board 4 early on giving Saratoga the lead. The fights on the other boards continued for some time. On board 2 Brian Furtado defeated Matt Clough after appearing to be in trouble for some time. This evened up the score. Shortly thereafter Cory Northrup won his game from Max Katz on board 3 and Saratoga took the lead 2 - 1 again.

The decisive game on board 1 between Carlos Varela for RPI and David Finnerman of Saratoga went on for a good while longer. Finnerman entered a risky line. He displayed great energy carrying out a direct attack on Varela’s King. Unfortunately for Mr. Finnerman, too much of his army was unavailable to reinforce the assault. Mr. Varela admirably maintained his calmness is the presence of great tension countering the aggression effectively. When the attack petered out for a lack of reinforcement, Finnerman’s position became critical. In time trouble, David had to resign before move 40. The match ended drawn, 2 - 2.

Today’s game is the Varela - Finnerman on board 1 of the match.

Varela, Carlos - Finnerman, David [E90]

RPI v Saratoga B CDCL Match Guilderland, NY, 13.04.2011

Board 1

1.d4 d6 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bf4 0–0 6.e4,..

To find an example of elite players contesting this position we have to go back to 1923. Then Bogolubov, as White, defeated Tarrasch in the great Karlsbad tournament in 28 moves. Since then very few top players of the White pieces have put their Bishops on f4 in the Classical King’s Indian Defense. They may delay a decision about the Bc1, first getting the Bf1 to e2 and castling, before making a choice of a post for the Bc1. The squares; d2 and e3 are most often where the very best lodge the dark squared Bishop.

6..., c5!? 7.d5!?

Varela closes the center when he could have made some progress with 5 dxc5 dxc5 6 Be2, and White may gain some time if Black ever tries to bother the Bf4 with .., Nh5. The cleric retreats to e3 attacking the unguarded pawn on c5 as well as covering the d4 square where Black wants to post his dark squared Bishop.

7..., Qa5 8.Bd3 Nbd7

An alternative idea is 8..., Bg4. It uses a notion from the Pirc Defense. Because White has made a strong fence of pawns on the light squares, the Bc8 will find small scope for activity along the c8-h3 diagonal. Rather than have it in the way, Black can trade the Bishop for the Nf3. Such an exchange would also increase the influence Black has on d4.

9.0–0 Nh5 10.Bd2 Ne5 11.Nxe5 Bxe5 12.f4 Bd4+

Black has won the lodgment he sought for his dark squared Bishop. Now, what to do with it? The operation has caused Black’s development to lag.

13.Kh1 Qd8 14.Qf3 e6 15.Rae1,..

If White wanted to raise the tension immediately he could try 15 f5. The Nh5 is not well positioned and a pawn push to f5 points that up. Play might continue; 15 f5 Be5 16 g3 Ng7 17 f6 Ne8 18 Bg5, with an uncomfortable bind on the K-side by White. It is true White will have to do a rather long-winded shuffle of pieces to exploit the bind, and Black will have to react violently on the Q-side to have counter-chances - a remarkable reversal of how play usually goes in the Classical KID!

The game move avoids all that complicated play. It brings the last un-deployed unit to the field and the slow development of the Black army is obvious.

15..., exd5 16.cxd5 a6

Possible right now is 16..., Qh4; threatening 17..., Bg4. Then White pretty much has to play 17 Be3 Bg4 18 Qf2 Qxf2 19 Rxf2. Black then has not a very promising position. With this natural sequence not working well, Mr. Finnerman decides to grab some Q-side space.

17.b3 b5 18.f5 Qh4?1

Better is 18..., Be5; anticipating Nc3-e2, and Black has certainly fully equalized the game. The text is energetic, but the well supported pawn on f5 prevents the Bc8 from participating in the attack. Without that added force, the Black Queen, Bishop and Knight just don’t have enough of a superiority over the White defenders to break through.

19.Ne2 Be5 20.g3,..

One characteristic I admire greatly in a chess player is the ability to keep composure when under attack. Carlos Varela has that trait. It is something I always thought was a deficit in my chess, maybe that is why it impresses me in others.

Mr. Finnerman has proceeded with lots of energy to prosecute the risky assault. Carlos has calmly and carefully rallied his troops to meet the onslaught. Now the inevitable reaction to an under strength attack takes place.

20..., Nxg3+?!

Afterwards David said he had watched how the other games had gone and knew if he lost the result was a drawn match. The retreat 20..., Qe7; did not promise much in the way of winning chances for Black after 21 g4 Nf6 22 g5, and he wanted to try for a victory, and so the text.

21.Nxg3 g5!

This the only way to keep the pressure on.

22.Rg1,..

Getting a Rook on the g-file is a good idea. It gives Black something to consider, danger to his own King, as the Black pawns push forward. Deep Rybka prefers 22 Re2, preparing Re2-g2 as well as defending h2.

22..., g4 23.Qe2?!,..

Simpler is 23 Qe3. The threat is Qe3-h6 forcing an exchange of Queens. White may have not have seen clearly enough the line 23 Qe3 Kh8 24 Qh6, when the threat 25 Qxf8 mate, prevents 24..., Bxg6. After the Queens are off, Black has nothing to show for the piece sacrificed. The pawn on g4 cannot be defended leaving White with only some technical problems to solve in a piece up ending.

23..., Kh8 24.Ref1 Rg8 25.Bf4 Bd4 26.Rg2 h5

Adding fuel to the fire, but what else is there to do? If 26..., Qe7 27 Be3 Be5 28 f6! Bxf6 29 Rgf2 Rg6 30 Rxf6! Rxf6 31 Qb2, and the pin backed up by the Knight fork on h5 wins more material.

27.Bxd6 Qh3

Potentially more useful may be 27..., Bb7; trying to discourage White from advancing the e-pawn.

28.Qd2 Kh7 29.e5,..

The threats on the Black King are so strong there is little to suggest as alternatives.

29..., f6 30.exf6 Bxf6 31.Ne4 Bd4

Marginally better is 31..., Qh4; but 32 Bg3 is devastating.

32.f6 Be3 33.Qe2?,..

With only a bit more thought Carlos could have found 33 Ng5++!, and mate the next move. That would have been a pretty finish. The White advantage is so large the miss has no effect on the outcome.

33..., Kh6 34.f7,..

A faster finish I thought was 34 Rg3, but 34..., Qxf1+; probably lets Black hold out longer than the text.

34..., Bb7 35.fxg8Q Rxg8 36.Rf6+ Kg7 37.Be5 Bd4 1–0

Black resigned here. There are just too many ways for White to win. One such is; 38 Rg6+ Kxg6 39 Nd6+ Kg5 40 Nf7+ Kh4 41 Qf2+ g3 42 Qf6+ Kg4 43 Nh6 mate. A good performance by Mr. Varela that got RPI a draw for the match.

One late note to add: Thursday night Saratoga B played Schenectady A at Schenectady in the CDCL. Schenectady A won 3 ½ - ½. The match was a closer run affair than the score suggests. Saratoga had chances for a better score and even a split of the match point late in the contest.

More on that match in the next post.

More on SCC A v RPI CDCL Match

Carlos Varela, the first board for the RPI team in the CDCL, has shown up here so far only in losses. This is not to pick on Mr. Varela, it’s just he plays first board and faces tough guys in every match, and Carlos usually makes a fight worthy of note. This time he is successful in staying in a game against the new and youngest ever Schenectady Champion only through the opening.

Chi, Patrick - Varela, Carlos [E24]

SCC A v RPI CDCL Match Schenectady, NY, 31.03.2011

Board 1

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.f3,..

Back in the 1950s Lilenthal, A and Chistiakov, Soviet GMs, and Szabo the Hungarian GM used this slightly offbeat line frequently. In the recent past about its only adherent at the top level has been GM Sagalchik, G. This year the line has made a couple of appearances in top flight events and has been mentioned in some chess magazines. The old adage: Everything old can be new again, may apply once more.

4..., d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.e3 0–0 8.Bd3,..

The alternative 8 cxd5, can be tried here also.

8..., b6

More active is 8..., Qc7; making the small threat 9..., cxd5; and 10..., dxc4; picking up a pawn. This is easily met true enough, but Black gets to dictate the course of events for awhile.

9.cxd5 exd5 10.Ne2 c4?!

This move may indicate Black is on unfamiliar ground. No surprise since the 4 f3, line is not terribly popular. White is planning e3-e4 sometime soon. If Black then captures on e4 with the d-pawn, White is left with a supported passed pawn in the center. If Black does not capture so, the White e-pawn very likely will go to e5 at some point pushing the Nf6 off a good square for the defense of the Black King. Probably best is 10..., Ba6; working to get rid of one White support for pushing the e-pawn to e4.

11.Bc2 Nc6 12.0–0 Re8 13.Ng3 Ne7?

After this move saving the game for Black is difficult. The plan for White is obvious; e3-e4, and he has been working towards it right along. I can not understand just what Black has in mind here. The simplest explanation is Mr. Varela is outside of his opening preparation, and he is seeking answers over the board.

Logical is 13..., h5; intending if 14 e4 h4; and if 15 Nf5 Bxf5; with plenty of complications. White should try 15 Nh1, then the game gets very complicated after 15..., dxe4 16 fxe4 Bg4 17 Qe1 h3 18 Bg5 Qd7 19 Bxf6 hxg2 20 Kxg2 Bh3+. White seems to come out on top, but the position is full of difficult tactical shots and mistakes happen even for young Experts. Things now go bad for Black and then get worse in short order after the game move.

14.e4 dxe4 15.fxe4 Bb7 16.Bg5 Ng6?

A little better is 16..., Nd7; but Black’s chances are vanishingly small to say the least. He would have to give up some material to avoid mate after 17 Qg4.

17.e5 Qd5 18.Qd2 Rxe5?!

Black can not play 18..., Nd7; because the Bb7 is lost to 19 Be4. The other try 18..., Ng4; is met with 19 Be4 Qd7 20 Bf5, winning the Ng4. The move played has the right motivation but it is too expensive. Better is 18..., Nxe5; then 19 dxe5 Rxe5; and Black has collected two pawns for the piece with chances to make a fight of it. White may improve in this line. Instead of 19 dxe5, he can play 19 Bxf6! After 19..., gxf6 20 Be4 Qd7 21 Bb7 Qxb7 22 dxe5, and Black can not play 22..., fxe5; because 23 Qg5!, begins a devastating attack that wins several pawns and can lead to a quick mate. So, Black has to play 22..., Rxe5; when 23 Rxf6, leaves Black with only a single pawn for the piece and an all but lost game.

Black may have miscalculated thinking there was a chance to clip the c-pawn. He finds out that is not going to happen in the next few moves.

19.dxe5 Nxe5 20.Qxd5 Nxd5 21.Rae1 Nd3 22.Bxd3 cxd3 23.Rd1 Ba6 24.Bd2,..

Efficiently guarding the c-pawn and putting an end to what dreams Black had of getting three pawns for the piece. The game winds up quickly.

24..., Re8 25.Rde1 Rc8 26.Nf5 Kf8 27.Nd6 Rd8 28.Nxf7 1-0

The coming discovered check is too hard to live with and Black resigned shortly. More soon.

Saratoga A versus Saratoga B

Help from Jason Denham and Bill Townsend made the following report of the Saratoga A - Saratoga B CDCL match possible. Saratoga A won the match 3 -1. That is no surprise. The Saratoga A team has a couple of 2100+ players to lead their side; Steve Taylor and Jonathan Fineberg and Class A players for most boards. Saratoga B is led by David Finnermen who is in the1700s with lower rated players in support on the lower boards. In that situation, a victory for the higher rated side is expected. Ratings are good predictor for the results of many games but not so good in foretelling the outcome of any single game. Today’s game illustrates the truth of that observation.

Le Cours, Alan - Denham, Jason [A31]

CDCL Sara A v Sara B Saratoga Springs, NY, 03.04.2011

1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Qb6

This is a very topical variation in the Symmetrical English Opening. Most of examples found in my databases are games between the 2500+ Grandmasters.

5.Nb3 e6 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.a3 Be7 8.Be3?!,..

Taking the game away from positions argued over by the Grandmasters. The scheme undertaken by White develops his pieces more slowly than is ideal and neglects the center.

8..., Qd8 9.Qd2 0–0 10.h3,..

White wants to secure the oddly placed Be3 in its post I guess. That is a problematic desire. If White leaves out the text and plays 10 g3, right away, there is opportunity for Black with 10..., Ne5!? 11 Qd4 Nfg4 12 c5 Bf6; with advantage to Black.

10..., b6 11.g3?!,..

A better try to keep the game under some control is 11 Bf4, making provision to defend c4 with e2-e3. The game move allows Black to take a solid edge in the game.

11..., Ba6 12.c5 Bc4 13.Qc2 Bxb3

A bit sharper is 13..., Nd5. The game move wins the pawn right away.

14.Qxb3 Bxc5 15.Bxc5 bxc5 16.Bg2 d5

The advantage Black has is very nearly a winning one. The Black pawns control the center and his King is safely away in a proper home. White on the other hand still needs to castle before he can consider the only break available, e2-e4. Black can also harass the White Queen standing exposed on b3 building up major piece pressure on the b-file.

17.0–0 Qb6 18.Qa2,..

The position after 18 Qxb6, may be marginally better than what comes about in the game, but it is none too appealing for White. The trade on b6 repairs the Black pawns structure and grants Black the half-open a-file which brings the White Q-side under great pressure.

18..., c4

Black does not look for complications with 18..., Rfb8; although it is a move worth consideration. The move played locks down the bind on the Q-side and with it a significant positional advantage.

19.e3!?,..

This move announces White idea for the next phase of the game; a stubborn holding action waiting for the lower rated player to self-destruct. More active is 19 e4, then play will likely go 19..., d4 20 Nb1 Na5 21 e5 Nd5 22 Nd2 Rfc8 23 Ne4. The resulting position favors Black heavily, but there are some complicated moments Black will have to calculate. Black now correctly sees the way to victory is to mass his heavy pieces on the b-file. Mr. Denham carries out the build-up efficiently.

19..., Rab8 20.Rab1 Na5 21.Rfd1 Rfd8 22.Ne2 Nb3 23.Nd4 Nxd4 24.exd4 Qb3 25.Qa1 Rd6 26.Kf1 Rdb6 27.Ke2?,..

In a grim situation Mr. Le Cours overlooks a killing shot to come. Marginally better is 27 Rbc1, but after 27..., Qxb2; White is lost.

27..., Ne8?

And Black returns the favor. With 27..., c3!; Black wins immediately; 28 bxc3, and either 28..., Qc2+; or 28..., Qxb1; allows him to emerge a full Rook up. Fortunately for Jason his advantage is so great even passing on the very best move does not change the result.

28.Ke1 Nd6?

Once more 28..., c3; wins now.

29.Bf1 Qa4?

The move .., c4-c3; falls outside of the view of Denham. A curious phenomenon this continuous overlooking a pretty powerful shot. I don’t know if Mr. Le Cours was aware of the specific danger and ran a poker-like bluff, or he just didn’t see it either. It is possible Jason had his mind’s eye on another path to victory, was satisfied with it and did not search further.

30.Rdc1 Qa5+ 31.Ke2?!,..

Not saving the day, but making things somewhat more difficult for Black, is; 31 b4 cxb3 e.p.+ 32 Qc3. Black is still winning, however White might hope Black would not find a winning path.

31..., Rb3 32.Bg2 Qb6 33.Rd1 Nf5

Also winning is 33..., c3; once more.

34.Kf1 Nxd4 35.Rd2 Nf5?

Could it be Black is just toying with his opponent? Again, 35..., c3; is the coup de just.

36.Bxd5,..

After about twenty moves in a really bad position White lashes out. There is nothing, not 36 Rbd1, or 36 Re1, that offers any better result.

36..., exd5 37.Rxd5 g6

Cautious, this move does conform with the principles of good technique, specifically don’t rush things when you have a win in hand. After the text there are no back rank tricks.

38.Rbd1 Nxg3+

After missing the .., c4-c3; crusher repeatedly, Black apparently sees this less easy to find finish clearly.

39.Kg2 Ne4 40.R1d4 Rxb2 41.Rd8+ Rxd8 42.Rxd8+ Kg7 43.Kf3 Qf6+ 0–1

If 44 Kxe4 Re7; is mate, and if 44 Ke3 Rb3+ 45 Qxa1, wins the Queen. Excluding the odd failure to correctly utilize the massive pin on the b-file repeatedly, Mr. Denham conducted the Black pieces very well in this defeat of a strong player. It does not happen often that Mr. Le Cours finds himself so lacking in counter chances as he did here. Kudos to Jason Denham for an important step forward in his chess career.

More soon.

The Geezers versus Uncle Sam

One more game from the recent Schenectady Geezers versus Uncle Sam CDCL match. The Uncle Sam Club had to forfeit on the first board because their player, Odunayo Ogundipe was not available. This led to attention to focus on the second board match up; John Phillips and Phil Thomas. Mr. Thomas has been quite successful of late. You may remember last month he went undefeated in the AACC speed tournament cleanly winning the event. On this occasion, Phil had to call on his prowess at faster chess again. He was delayed in arriving for the 7:45pm start and lost about 30 minutes of his allotted time before making his first move. That turned out to be significant.

Thomas, Phillip - Phillips, John [B38]

SCC A v Uncle Sam Schenectady, NY, 31.03.2011

Board 2

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6

Mr. Phillips has adopted the Hyper-Accelerated Dragon Sicilian as a primary weapon versus 1 e4, in this year‘s campaign. Accelerated Dragons come in several flavors; the Accelerated line with 4..., g6; the Semi-Accelerated with 5..., g6; and the Hyper-Accelerated with 2..., g6. In all there are chances to both sides go into unique positions and to transpose into other Dragon lines. The primary reason for taking up one or another form of Accelerated Dragon is to avoid the Maroczy Bind according to the chess writers.

To make things more complicated, Black sometimes agrees to the Bind, and the game can arrive at normal Maroczy positions by way transposition. Such is the case in this game.

3.c4 Bg7 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nc6 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Nc3 d6

The game has reverted to a normal position from mainstream theory of the Maroczy Bind. White has to begin to give thought to what he will do with his f-pawn. The disposition of forces will be as usual in the Maroczy; a Rook to c1, the b-pawn on b3 to support c4, maybe the Queen and the other Rook on the d-file. The open question is; does the f-pawn step forward one box to f3 reinforcing e4, or is something more active contemplated with f2-f4?

8.Be2 0–0 9.0–0 Bd7 10.Rc1 Ne5 11.h3 Rc8 12.b3 a5?

I dislike this move. It gives up control of b5 permitting White to take the initiative with threats on the Q-side.

13.f4 Nc6 14.Ndb5 Nb4 15.a3 Na6 16.Bf3,..

Here White could have tried for a material plus with16 e5!?, then 16..., Nea8 17 Nd5 dxe5 18 fxe5 Bxe5 19 Nb6, when the threat on the Bd7 picks up the Exchange. Black does get a pawn as compensation but that hardly looks to be sufficient. White wants to increase the tension apparently.

6..., Bc6 17.Na7?!,..

A change of heart so soon? Continuing development with 17 Qd2, is more in tune with the intention of move 16.

17..., Rb8 18.Nxc6 bxc6 19.Qc2 Qc7

Most of the tension in the position there at move 16 is now gone, and Black approaches equality.

20.Rfd1 Nd7 21.Rb1 Ndc5 22.Bxc5 dxc5?

This anti-positional move hands White the advantage. Possibly Mr. Phillips thought 23 b4 axb4 24 axb4 Na6 25 b5, was not favorable. However, he may not have looked far enough. With 25..., cxb5 26 Nxb5 Qc5+ 27 Kh2 Rfc8; Black has a favorable position; his pawn structure is better than is White’s. John may have shunned this line because the Bishops of opposite color does increase the likelihood of a drawn outcome. The pathway taken leaves him with the weaker pawns. It could be the decision was influenced by the time trouble that Mr. Thomas was now entering.

23.e5 Rfd8 24.Rxd8+ Rxd8 25.Rd1 Rd7 26.Bg4 Rd4 27.Ne2 Rxd1+ 28.Qxd1 f5 29.exf6?!,..

As time dwindles White must believe open lines will help him. Here it is better to play 29 Bf3, returning his focus to the very weak pawn on c6 and keeping the Black Bishop under wraps. The upshot of the text move is Black’s Bishop can run free.

29..., Bxf6 30.Be6+ Kg7 31.Qd7 Qxd7 32.Bxd7 Bb2 33.a4?!,..

Missing the finesse; 33 Bc8, then 33..., Nb8 34 a4, keeps the Knight from the useful post on b4.

33..., Nb4 34.Kf2 e5 35.fxe5 Bxe5 36.Ke3 Kf6 37.Ke4 Bb2 38.Bxc6??,..

Giving up a whole piece for almost nothing. My guess is; short of time Phil Thomas miscalculated. Simply 38 Nf4, maintains equality.

38..., Nxc6 39.Kd5 Nd4

This is the move Mr. Thomas just didn’t see, or he undervalued it. Maybe he thought 40 Nxd4 had to be answered by 40..., Bxd4; when 41 b4, springs the a-pawn for a run to the 8th rank making a Queen with some chance of a perpetual check. Unfortunately for Thomas, Black can play the superior 40..., cxd4; and the White c-pawn can’t get through because Black has after 41 c5 d3 42 c6, the stopper 42..., Be5.

40.Nf4 Nxb3 41.Kc6 Bd4 42.Kb5 Ke5 43.Nd5 Ke4

White now will lose something more because he is running out of moves with which to defend his K-side pawns. If 44 Ne7, Kf4; and the butchery of the White K-side spells the end. Alternatively, 44 Kc6 Kd3; leads to similar ends by a longer road.

0–1

This was the board on which the Uncle Sam had to win, they were down 0-1 due to the forfeit on board 1. For sometime I thought Mr. Thomas had an advantage, but against a worthy opponent giving up more than thirty minutes on the clock is a big burden to undertake, and the win went by the boards in time trouble.

More soon.

Schenectady CDCL Matches

Schenectady on Thursday was as busy as AACC was Wednesday. The two Schenectady teams played CDCL matches. Schenectady A faced the very busy RPI team, and Schenectady’s second team - the Geezers - met the Uncle Sam Club from Troy. As predicted by the ratings, both Schenectady teams won; the A Team 4 - 0 over RPI and the Geezers 3 - 1 over the Uncle Sam team. There were also a couple of drop-ins and some skittles took place while the serious contests went on. Carl Adamec was one of the visitors. He and I got to skittle for a game or two. It was good to see the many-times Schenectady Club Champion in the club rooms again.

Both Troy teams, RPI and the Uncle Sam Club, have been the most ambitious in the League this year. RPI has played six of their seven scheduled matches. The Uncle Sam Club has played five of the scheduled seven. The other teams in the League have only gotten in one or two matches so far, except the Saratoga B team - they have yet to play a match. There was some organizational confusion and a change of team captains for Saratoga B due to work conflicts. With their new captain, David Finnerman, Saratoga B will soon getting their matches done I am sure.

The League standings, including the two most recent matches from Schenectady, are:

Team Match Points Game Points

1 Uncle Sam 2.0 9.0

2 Schenectady Geezers 2.0 6.5

3 Albany B 2.0 5.5

4 Schenectady A 1.5 6.0

5 Saratoga A 1.5 4.5

6 Albany A 1.0 4.0

7 RPI 0.0 4.5

8 Saratoga B 0.0 0.0

Notwithstanding the rating differences on most boards, there were several interesting games. One that caught my eye was the contest between Brian Furtado and Philip Sells in the RPI - Schenectady A match.

Brian began his chess career in 2002 playing in scholastic events in New England. After a couple of years he fell out of competition retuning in 2010 as a member of the RPI team. Since then his rating has increased about 500 points in about one year to 1563, a pretty spectacular rise. In this game he is faced by one of the Capital District’s most successful players, Philip Sells. Sells has won both the Saratoga and Schenectady club titles, Schenectady more than once, and for the last several years, Philip has been a definite contender for first in any local event in which he participates. A talented younger player meeting an established strong competitor is always a good story!

Furtado, Brian - Sells, Philip [E30]

RPI v SCC A CDCL Match Schenectady, NY, 31.03.2011

Board 2

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4

Mr. Sells’ standard defense to 1 d4, openings. It is one of the more positional of the so-called Hyper-Modern debuts. Black is willing to give up his dark squared Bishop to double the White c-pawns in hopes of working against them, and often there is a battle about the control of e4.

4.Bg5,..

The Leningrad Variation. In earlier days this was quite popular with the top flight players. Boris Spassky used it as a main weapon against the Nimzo-Indian all through the 1960s along with such lights as Keres, Korchnoi, Portisch and Donner. Some time in the 1980s it became less seen at the very top. During the 1990s Bareev played it frequently, but not too many of the other elite players took the Leningrad up. They favored the 4 e3, 4 Nf3, and 4 f3, lines. That is not to say the line disappeared altogether, Ivanchuk rolled it out versus Topalov at Wijk ann Zee, 2001 for example, and Spassky used it against Short in a rapid event in Zurich the same year. Since 2000 this line seems to be played by the 2500 and down crowd against lesser players a lot but seldom, if at all, against better opponents.

So what does that all mean? The few examples we have of the best playing both sides in recent years most often are drawn. It is likely they have worked out the paths to equality and that knowledge is widely known to the 2500/2600+ players. Until some GM works out a new set of ideas to revitalize the line we will not see 4 Bg5, much at the Super-GM events. It is entirely playable at the club level however offering White chances to get away from Black’s preparation perhaps.

4..., h6 5.Bh4 d5

Possibly 5..., c5; is more potent for Black. The text essentially renounces playing against the doubled pawns because it is easy for White to dissolve them.

6.e3 0–0 7.a3,..

Getting on with development with 7 Nf3, is somewhat better. When a Knight is pinned by a Bishop, the pinned side needs to weight desire to break the pin by a pawn push against the time used to do so. Unless there is some firm tactical justification, time is better spent in developing your pieces. If Black has his heart set on capturing on c3, he will do so soon or late, there is no need to force it right away.

7..., Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 b6 9.cxd5 exd5 10.Bd3 c5 11.Qf3?!,..

One has to admire the creative flair Mr. Furtado brings to the game. Both 11 Nf3, and 11 Ne2, are better moves. They are reasonable steps in completing development. Even 11 h3, is logical. It puts prevents 11..., Bg4; when Black is looking to trade that less than sterling light squared Bishop, and the move makes a place at h2 for his Bh4 if it is chased by .., g5.

Brian has visions of direct attack on the Black King, and creates considerable tension quickly. Long ago Paul Morphy taught the chess world attacks without all your forces mustered and working together fail most often. Jeremy Silman has written a great deal of good advice about judging when you should undertake an attack on the enemy King. The most pertinent piece of Silman’s wisdom is; making an attack without a clear superiority in the critical zone will fail far more often than succeed. He also comments about the amateur’s general penchant for going in for such attacks regardless of objective justification. This is the case here. White does not have a large enough superiority on the K-side for a direct attack to work. Lacking the power to drive home the attack, White’s game becomes worse.

11..., g5 12.Qg3 Ne4 13.Bxe4 dxe4 14.f4 f6 15.Nh3,..

White has massed all available forces to press on g5 and the Black King sheltering behind it. This must be the position Furtado foresaw when bringing his Queen to f3.

15..., Rf7!?

Black keeps a decent advantage after this move. He could have tried for more with 15..., Bxh3; and then 16 Qxh3 gxh4; takes the piece for two pawns. However, 16 gxh3, is not at all clear after, 16..., cxd4 17 cxd4 Qc7 18 0-0, or 17..., Nc6 18 Qg2 Qd5; or even 17..., Kh7 18 fxg5 hxg5 19 Qg4 Qd5 20 Bg3 Qa5+; and so forth. Thus in the face of uncertainty, Mr. Sells picks a move that threatens most directly; 16..., Rg7; winning the Bishop.

16.fxg5 fxg5 17.Nxg5?1,..

White decides to keep the Bishop on the board disregarding the well-known wisdom about Queens and Knights working well together. If he had played 17 Bxg5 hxg5 18 Nxg5 Rg7 19 h4, White would have the Queen and Knight close to the bare Black King and would not be too much worse than Black because he has the initiative. There are good chances for a perpetual check if Black plays well and more if he errs.

17..., hxg5 18.Bxg5 Qd7 19.Bf6+?,..

Choosing the wrong minor piece to trade on the 17th turn let go of the initiative. This move allows the game to get out of hand. Black is somewhat better; an extra piece counts for something. When you are down material, every effort has to made to get the absolute most out of the pieces left to you. In that light, why not 19 0-0-0? Black could go wrong with 19..., Qa4?! 20 Bf6+, leaving White with many threats indeed. Or he might try his game move here, 19..., Qg4; then 20 dxc5 Qxg3 21 hxg3 bxc5? 22 Rd8+ Rf8 23 Rxf8+ Kxf8 24 Rh8+, recovering the piece.

19..., Qg4 20.Qd6 Ba6

I have an impression this was a move Mr. Furtado had not considered. He took some while thinking about his reply. The mate threat on e2 has to be met, but 20 Qd8+ Rf8 21 Qd5+, before playing 22 Ra2, is somewhat more active than the game move. After the move in the game Black has the tempo he needs to bring up the reserves waiting on the Q-side. That makes a successful defense a forlorn hope.

21.Ra2 Nd7 22.Be5?,..

Missing one last chance to muddy the waters with 22 h3. If then 22..., Qg6 23 Be7 Qxd6 23 Bxd6, and Black is certainly winning, however the connected passed pawns could take awhile to neutralize. After the text, Philip Sells gets the full point without much difficulty.

22..., Nxe5 23.Qxe5 Raf8 24.Qd5 Kh7 25.Rc2? Rf1+ 0–1

Furtatdo made excellent progress over the past year. This game shows he has the proper fighting attitude. A bit more experience and Brian could hold his own with the Class A players and Experts around here. Mr. Sells once again demonstrated the calm self-control he brings to the chess board. That certainly is one of the important aspects of his success.

There were other games of interest in these matches. They will be featured on this blog in the next few days.

Schenectady CDCL Matches

Schenectady on Thursday was as busy as AACC was Wednesday. The two Schenectady teams played CDCL matches. Schenectady A faced the very busy RPI team, and Schenectady’s second team - the Geezers - met the Uncle Sam Club from Troy. As predicted by the ratings, both Schenectady teams won; the A Team 4 - 0 over RPI and the Geezers 3 - 1 over the Uncle Sam team. There were also a couple of drop-ins and some skittles took place while the serious contests went on. Carl Adamec was one of the visitors. He and I got to skittle for a game or two. It was good to see the many-times Schenectady Club Champion in the club rooms again.

Both Troy teams, RPI and the Uncle Sam Club, have been the most ambitious in the League this year. RPI has played six of their seven scheduled matches. The Uncle Sam Club has played five of the scheduled seven. The other teams in the League have only gotten in one or two matches so far, except the Saratoga B team - they have yet to play a match. There was some organizational confusion and a change of team captains for Saratoga B due to work conflicts. With their new captain, David Finnerman, Saratoga B will soon getting their matches done I am sure.

The League standings, including the two most recent matches from Schenectady, are:

Team Match Points Game Points

1 Uncle Sam 2.0 9.0

2 Schenectady Geezers 2.0 6.5

3 Albany B 2.0 5.5

4 Schenectady A 1.5 6.0

5 Saratoga A 1.5 4.5

6 Albany A 1.0 4.0

7 RPI 0.0 4.5

8 Saratoga B 0.0 0.0

Notwithstanding the rating differences on most boards, there were several interesting games. One that caught my eye was the contest between Brian Furtado and Philip Sells in the RPI - Schenectady A match.

Brian began his chess career in 2002 playing in scholastic events in New England. After a couple of years he fell out of competition retuning in 2010 as a member of the RPI team. Since then his rating has increased about 500 points in about one year to 1563, a pretty spectacular rise. In this game he is faced by one of the Capital District’s most successful players, Philip Sells. Sells has won both the Saratoga and Schenectady club titles, Schenectady more than once, and for the last several years, Philip has been a definite contender for first in any local event in which he participates. A talented younger player meeting an established strong competitor is always a good story!

Furtado, Brian - Sells, Philip [E30]

RPI v SCC A CDCL Match Schenectady, NY, 31.03.2011

Board 2

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4

Mr. Sells’ standard defense to 1 d4, openings. It is one of the more positional of the so-called Hyper-Modern debuts. Black is willing to give up his dark squared Bishop to double the White c-pawns in hopes of working against them, and often there is a battle about the control of e4.

4.Bg5,..

The Leningrad Variation. In earlier days this was quite popular with the top flight players. Boris Spassky used it as a main weapon against the Nimzo-Indian all through the 1960s along with such lights as Keres, Korchnoi, Portisch and Donner. Some time in the 1980s it became less seen at the very top. During the 1990s Bareev played it frequently, but not too many of the other elite players took the Leningrad up. They favored the 4 e3, 4 Nf3, and 4 f3, lines. That is not to say the line disappeared altogether, Ivanchuk rolled it out versus Topalov at Wijk ann Zee, 2001 for example, and Spassky used it against Short in a rapid event in Zurich the same year. Since 2000 this line seems to be played by the 2500 and down crowd against lesser players a lot but seldom, if at all, against better opponents.

So what does that all mean? The few examples we have of the best playing both sides in recent years most often are drawn. It is likely they have worked out the paths to equality and that knowledge is widely known to the 2500/2600+ players. Until some GM works out a new set of ideas to revitalize the line we will not see 4 Bg5, much at the Super-GM events. It is entirely playable at the club level however offering White chances to get away from Black’s preparation perhaps.

4..., h6 5.Bh4 d5

Possibly 5..., c5; is more potent for Black. The text essentially renounces playing against the doubled pawns because it is easy for White to dissolve them.

6.e3 0–0 7.a3,..

Getting on with development with 7 Nf3, is somewhat better. When a Knight is pinned by a Bishop, the pinned side needs to weight desire to break the pin by a pawn push against the time used to do so. Unless there is some firm tactical justification, time is better spent in developing your pieces. If Black has his heart set on capturing on c3, he will do so soon or late, there is no need to force it right away.

7..., Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 b6 9.cxd5 exd5 10.Bd3 c5 11.Qf3?!,..

One has to admire the creative flair Mr. Furtado brings to the game. Both 11 Nf3, and 11 Ne2, are better moves. They are reasonable steps in completing development. Even 11 h3, is logical. It puts prevents 11..., Bg4; when Black is looking to trade that less than sterling light squared Bishop, and the move makes a place at h2 for his Bh4 if it is chased by .., g5.

Brian has visions of direct attack on the Black King, and creates considerable tension quickly. Long ago Paul Morphy taught the chess world attacks without all your forces mustered and working together fail most often. Jeremy Silman has written a great deal of good advice about judging when you should undertake an attack on the enemy King. The most pertinent piece of Silman’s wisdom is; making an attack without a clear superiority in the critical zone will fail far more often than succeed. He also comments about the amateur’s general penchant for going in for such attacks regardless of objective justification. This is the case here. White does not have a large enough superiority on the K-side for a direct attack to work. Lacking the power to drive home the attack, White’s game becomes worse.

11..., g5 12.Qg3 Ne4 13.Bxe4 dxe4 14.f4 f6 15.Nh3,..

White has massed all available forces to press on g5 and the Black King sheltering behind it. This must be the position Furtado foresaw when bringing his Queen to f3.

15..., Rf7!?

Black keeps a decent advantage after this move. He could have tried for more with 15..., Bxh3; and then 16 Qxh3 gxh4; takes the piece for two pawns. However, 16 gxh3, is not at all clear after, 16..., cxd4 17 cxd4 Qc7 18 0-0, or 17..., Nc6 18 Qg2 Qd5; or even 17..., Kh7 18 fxg5 hxg5 19 Qg4 Qd5 20 Bg3 Qa5+; and so forth. Thus in the face of uncertainty, Mr. Sells picks a move that threatens most directly; 16..., Rg7; winning the Bishop.

16.fxg5 fxg5 17.Nxg5?1,..

White decides to keep the Bishop on the board disregarding the well-known wisdom about Queens and Knights working well together. If he had played 17 Bxg5 hxg5 18 Nxg5 Rg7 19 h4, White would have the Queen and Knight close to the bare Black King and would not be too much worse than Black because he has the initiative. There are good chances for a perpetual check if Black plays well and more if he errs.

17..., hxg5 18.Bxg5 Qd7 19.Bf6+?,..

Choosing the wrong minor piece to trade on the 17th turn let go of the initiative. This move allows the game to get out of hand. Black is somewhat better; an extra piece counts for something. When you are down material, every effort has to made to get the absolute most out of the pieces left to you. In that light, why not 19 0-0-0? Black could go wrong with 19..., Qa4?! 20 Bf6+, leaving White with many threats indeed. Or he might try his game move here, 19..., Qg4; then 20 dxc5 Qxg3 21 hxg3 bxc5? 22 Rd8+ Rf8 23 Rxf8+ Kxf8 24 Rh8+, recovering the piece.

19..., Qg4 20.Qd6 Ba6

I have an impression this was a move Mr. Furtado had not considered. He took some while thinking about his reply. The mate threat on e2 has to be met, but 20 Qd8+ Rf8 21 Qd5+, before playing 22 Ra2, is somewhat more active than the game move. After the move in the game Black has the tempo he needs to bring up the reserves waiting on the Q-side. That makes a successful defense a forlorn hope.

21.Ra2 Nd7 22.Be5?,..

Missing one last chance to muddy the waters with 22 h3. If then 22..., Qg6 23 Be7 Qxd6 23 Bxd6, and Black is certainly winning, however the connected passed pawns could take awhile to neutralize. After the text, Philip Sells gets the full point without much difficulty.

22..., Nxe5 23.Qxe5 Raf8 24.Qd5 Kh7 25.Rc2? Rf1+ 0–1

Furtatdo made excellent progress over the past year. This game shows he has the proper fighting attitude. A bit more experience and Brian could hold his own with the Class A players and Experts around here. Mr. Sells once again demonstrated the calm self-control he brings to the chess board. That certainly is one of the important aspects of his success.

There were other games of interest in these matches. They will be featured on this blog in the next few days.

The AACC B Team- RPI CDCL Match

Wednesday evening was busy at the Albany Area Chess Club. The team from RPI visited again, this time to play a CDCL match versus the AACC B team. That turned out well for the AACC. The B team won narrowly 2 ½ - 1 ½.

While the match was going on the scheduled lecture was held in another room. We have been calling this series of talks “Beginners’ Lectures”. That is a bit of a misnomer. Attendance has been evenly divided between inexperienced players and others such as Jonathan Lack, Glen Perry and Tim Wright with years of serious tournament play under their belts. This mix has worked well bringing insights to the discussions from these strong players. April’s talk will be about openings; strategy, tactics and positional play. It will not be focused on specific variations, but present some guidelines and useful insights.

The RPI - AACC B Team match lineup and results were:

Board 1 Carlos Varela Peter Henner 0 - 1

Board 2 Brian Furtado Arthur Alowitz 0 - 1

Board 3 Max Katz Jared Gonzales ½ - ½

Board 4 Naamad, Y Ken Rossman 1 - 0

The first named in the above is the RPI team.

The match began inauspiciously for RPI when their first board, Carlos Varela, dropped a piece just out of the opening to Peter Henner and resigned shortly thereafter. The other three games went on for some hours. On board two Art Alowitz found a hole in Brian Furtado’s knowledge of endgame theory and won a K+P versus K ending. This was after a game marred with errors by both sides that the participants suggested should not be published. Gonzales and Katz played to a draw it what looked like an even affair throughout. That brings us to the featured game for today. It is a win for Naamad for RPI. Played on the bottom board, It had some interesting moments when the players found inspired moves that were followed up by serious mistakes, a very up and down game for sure.

Naamad, Y. (RPI)- Rossman, Ken (AACC B) B40]

CDCL Match RPI v Albany B Guilderland, NY, 30.03.2011

1.e4 c5 [2.Nf3 e6 3.d3 d5 4.Nbd2 Nc6

A Closed Sicilian from the “unusual lines” chapter.

5.g3 Bd6 6.Qe2!?,..

Normal is 6 Bg2. It is not a good idea to delay in filling the fianchetto square g2 immediately with the Bishop. Bad things can happen if the Bishop is not where it belongs.

5..., Nge7 7.e5!?,..

Very committal. Again 7 Bg2, is standard play.

7..., Bc7 8.Nb3 b6 9.d4 cxd4?!

Better 9..., a5; threatening 10..., Ba6; raising questions about how White has disposed his forces. If the Bishop goes to g2, 10..., Ba6; puts an obstacle in the way of White castling on the K-side. After 9..., a5; castling long for White is not particularly appealing either; the Black pawns are poised to advance opening lines bearing on the White King’s home. The move played is clearly second best. It passes on the logical opportunity to take advantage of the slow fianchetto.

10.Nbxd4 Bb7 11.Bg5?,..

There is no justification for continuing to delay moving the Bishop to g2. If White was worried about 11 Bg2 a5; then 12 a4, securing b5 for his Knight is adequate.

11..., h6 12.Nxc6 Bxc6 13.Bf4 g5 14.Be3!?,..

Simpler is 14 Bd2. On e3 the Bishop is awkwardly placed.

14..., Ng6!?

Black has his intentions focused on the far advanced e-pawn. A solid edge can be tried for with the imaginative 14..., d4!?; then 15 Rd1 Qd5; attempts to continue to punish White for his slowness in developing the K-side.

15.Bd4 0–0 16.Bg2 f6!?

A nice idea but unclear.

17.exf6 Rxf6!?

It seems here Mr. Rossman may have seen the natural 17..., e5; does not lead to clear sailing after 18 h4!? exd4 19 Qe6+. It was probably best to continue in this way even though things are murky. The sacrifice of the Exchange does have some attractive aspects. Black has pawns with which to control the center and White does not.

GM Andy Soltis sets out conditions in his book Rethinking the Chess Pieces for justifying the sacrifice of the Exchange. They are; a) when it changes substantially changes the impact of the minor pieces; b) when it prevents the Rooks behaving like Rooks; c) when there are several minor pieces on the board; and d) when the sacrifice inflicts significant pawn damage. In the present case, there is a mixed result when measured against the conditions set out by Soltis. Potentially the Black Bishops can become more active. The White Rooks are not prevented from acting like Rooks, in fact there are two open central files where the Rooks can be very much Rooks. There certainly enough minor pieces on the board. Arguably the disappearance of a White center pawn is damage, but overall, the remaining White pawns are sound. So, the sacrifice is questionable, but the attempt makes this game interesting.

18.Bxf6 Qxf6 19.c3 a6?!

After making a significant material investment, Black must display accuracy in the follow up. Here thematic is; 19...e5. A possible line is; 20.0–0–0 Rd8 21.h4 g4 22.Ne1 h5 23.Nc2 e4 24.Qe3 Rf8 25.Nb4 Qxf2 26.Qg5 Be8 27.Nxd5 Bxg3 28.Bxe4 Bf4+ 29.Nxf4 Qxf4+ 30.Qxf4 Rxf4 31.Bxg6 Bxg6 32.Rhf1 Rxf1 33.Rxf1, and White is very close to winning. It is a long variation and there may well be improvements to be found that could change the evaluation.

A factor not mentioned specifically about Exchange sacrifices by Soltis that operates for any material sacrifice is; the initiative has to be held on to. The text is part of a scheme by Black to but a Bishop on b5. Once there the Bishop might skewer the White Queen and Rook if White castles short, or at least it will make a Rook defending f2 from f1 unlikely. Then the Black Queen and Rook may be able to do something down the f-file. Unfortunately for Black, White can defeat that idea by fairly simple means. That being so, the initiative slips from Black, and once gone the material deficit looms large.

20.Nd4 Bd7 21.0–0 Qf7 22.Qf3 Ne5 23.Qxf7+ Kxf7 24.Rad1 Rd8

Better 24..., Re8; shoring up e6.

25.Nf3 Ng6 26.Nd4 Ne7 27.Rd3?,..

The alternative here is 27 Bh3, followed by f2-f4. This is a better path than the one followed in the game. In this alternative there are chances for Black to sacrifice a pawn on the Q-side (.., b6-b5; and ..,b5-b4;) to open lines for the Bishops, and the White Rooks do not have quite enough space along the 1st rank to avoid having to return the Exchange. In the alternative cited White gets a pawn for his troubles.

27..., e5 28.Rf3+?,..

Rooks cut sorry figures in front of pawns when the board is congested. This is another example of that bit of chess wisdom. Better is 28 Nc2.

28..., Kg6 29.Ne2 e4 30.Re3 Nf5

White now had to return material. It is the sorrowful result of getting a Rook tangled up in front of his own pawns.

31.Bxe4?,..

Incorrect. Why not just give up the Exchange with 31 Nd4, Nxe3 32 fxe3, getting the Knight to a strong post leaving Black with only some slight advantage? Again, time trouble perhaps, or a miscalculation after a couple of hours of play. Or, White had been winning for some moves, the game slipped out of his control, and he could not readjust to the changed circumstances. All are possibilities. The question can only be answered Mr. Naamad.

31..., dxe4 32.Rxe4 Nd6 33.Re3 Nc4 34.Re7 Bd6 35.Re4 Nd2 36.Rd4 Nxf1 37.Rxd6+ Kg7 38.Kxf1 h5?

Sadly, after some very creative play, Black misses his chance. With 38..., Bh3+!; he could have collected a Rook and won the game going away. I did not note the clock time situation in this game. It is possible time pressure played a role. After this slip a number of Black pawns fall deciding the outcome.

39.Kg1,..

White spots his error and corrects it immediately. Marginally better is 39 Ke1.

39..., Kf7 40.Rxb6 Be6 41.Rxa6 Bc4 42.Ra7+ Ke6 43.Nd4+ Kf6 44.a4 Re8 45.f4 1–0

The game went on for some more moves, but the three connected “passers” on the Q-side never allowed any doubt about the eventual outcome.

Mr. Rossman can be proud of his creative effort; the Exchange sacrifice was no routine shot such as the Rook capturing on c3 in some variations of the Sicilian. But for the momentary lapse on move 38, he might well have taken the full point. Mr. Naamad can be satisfied with his effort also. In the end he did take the point, and facing a rather inspired sacrifice he maintained his sangfroid obtaining a near winning edge. The opponents traded mistakes. Black’s came last and it decided the game.

A worthwhile note; the winner, Yonathan Naamad is rated under 1000, and Ken Rossman is rated about 1300. Rossman plays rated chess very infrequently. It is my opinion these fellows put on a show in this game worthy of much higher rated players. They had ideas and were willing to take risks to try them out. Congratulations to both for providing entertaining chess.

More soon.