An Upset

David Finnerman is the first board and captain of the Capital Region team in the CDCL.  He has been the moving force behind this team.  Last year, while they were just getting organized, their results were not outstanding.  This year improvement was seen.  In every match this year the Capital Region guys were in the fight, and they held last year’s League Champion to a draw!  While they may finish League play ahead of only the Uncle Sam Club, it would not surprise to see them improve on that finish next year.  There is talent there.

Contributing much to achieving the draw with Albany A was Finnerman’s win from the Albany Champion, Dean Howard.  The Queens came off early.  The Queen-less middle game was quite complex, and Mr. Howard fell into time trouble, not for the last time this season.  After allowing the Queen trade a pawn was lost, and Dean used many vital minutes seeking to find a way to hold the position.  Mr. Finnerman played the resulting R+N with pawns ending very well taking the full point and halving the match.
   
Finnerman, David - Howard, Dean [A14]
CDCL Match Capital Region v Albany A,  Guilderland, NY, 04.04.2012

1.c4 e6 2.g3 d5

While this looks very much like a Hyper-modern opening, don’t be misled.  Way back in the early days of the 20th Century Blackburn as White played so against; Marco, Showalter, Leonhardt and Teichmann, all strong masters of the day.  In more recent times elite players such as; Korchnoi, Vanganian and Salov have taken the White side against; Petrosian, Spassky and Short in Candidates and World Championship contests.    

3.Bg2 Nf6 4.Nf3 Be7 5.0–0 0–0 6.b3 c5

The game is in the mainstream of theory here.  The choices for White are:
a) 7 Bb2, and b) 7 cxd5, with a very slight pull for White.  Miles wins with excellent endgame play in the 7 Bb2, line against Geller in this game:

(108308) Miles, Anthony J (2555) - Geller Efim P (2590) [A14]
Hoogovens, Wijk aan Zee (4), 01.1977

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.0–0 0–0 6.b3 c5 7.Bb2 d4 8.b4 a5 9.bxc5 Nc6 10.d3 e5 11.Nbd2 Bxc5 12.Qa4 Bd7 13.Rfb1 Qe7 14.Ng5 Bb4 15.Qd1 h6 16.Nge4 Nxe4 17.Bxe4 a4 18.a3 Bc5 19.Bc1 Ra7 20.Bd5 Na5 21.Ra2 Kh7 22.Ne4 b6 23.Bd2 Nb3 24.Bb4 f5 25.Bxc5 bxc5 26.Nd2 Nxd2 27.Rxd2 e4 28.Rdb2 exd3 29.exd3 f4 30.Rb7 Rxb7 31.Rxb7 fxg3 32.hxg3 Qf6 33.Be4+ Bf5 34.Qg4 Bxe4 35.Qxe4+ Qf5 36.Qxf5+ Rxf5 37.Kf1 h5 38.Ra7 Kh6 39.Rxa4 g5 40.Ra6+ Kg7 41.Rc6 h4 42.Kg2 hxg3 43.Kxg3 g4 44.Kxg4 Rxf2 45.Rxc5 Rd2 46.Rg5+ Kf6 47.Rf5+ Ke6 48.Rf3 Ke5 49.Rh3 Rd1 50.a4 Kd6 51.Kf4 Kc5 52.a5 Rf1+ 53.Rf3 Ra1 54.Rf2 Kb4 55.Ke4 Kc3 56.Rf5 Re1+ 57.Kd5 Re8 58.Rf3 Re3 59.Rf1 Re8 60.a6 Kxd3 61.a7 Ra8 62.Ra1 Kc3 63.c5 Kb2 64.Ra4 d3 65.Kc6 d2 1–0

Here is a game where Black exploits his chances if White captures on d5 first:

(569595) Krasenkow, Michal (2661) - Beliavsky, Alexander G (2640) [A14]
Leonid Stein Memorial, Lvov (5), 16.05.2000
1.c4 e6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 Nf6 4.Nf3 Be7 5.0–0 0–0 6.b3 c5 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.Bb2 b6 9.Nc3 Bb7 10.Nxd5 Bxd5 11.Qb1 Nd7 12.Bc3 Re8 13.Rd1 Rc8 14.Qb2 Bf8 15.d4 Qc7 16.Rac1 Qb7 17.Ne1 Bxg2 18.Nxg2 c4 19.Ne3 cxb3 20.Qxb3 Qa6 21.Rc2 Rc6 22.Rdc1 Rec8 23.Be1 Rxc2 24.Rxc2 Rxc2 25.Qxc2 Nf6 26.Nc4 Qc8 27.Qd3 b5 28.Ne5 a6 29.f3 h6 30.Qb3 Qc1 31.Kf2 Nd5 32.e4 Qa1 33.Nc6 Nb6 34.Ke2 h5 35.Nb8 Qxd4 36.Nxa6 Nc4 37.Nc7 Qg1 38.Bf2 Qg2 39.Qxb5 Nd2 40.Qxh5 Bb4 41.Nxe6 Qf1+ 42.Ke3 Nc4+ 43.Kf4 Qxf2 44.Qb5 Bd6+ 45.Kg5 Qxf3 0–1

Even this limited sampling shows why the “big guys” like these lines; tense positions and complicated play lets them show off their talent on either side of the board.

7.d4!?,..

In top level play this move is thought to be not the best.  Finding examples of this move from top level players was nearly impossible.  Here is the one game found:

(18842) Bogoljubow, Efim - Saemisch, Fritz [E06]
Bad Harzburg (8), 1938
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.0–0 0–0 6.d4 c5 7.b3 Nc6 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.e4 Nf6 10.e5 Nd7 11.Bb2 cxd4 12.Bxd4 Nxd4 13.Qxd4 Nxe5 14.Qe4 Nxf3+ 15.Qxf3 Bf6 16.Nc3 Qa5 17.Rac1 Bd4 18.Rfd1 e5 19.Rc2 Be6 20.Ne2 Rad8 21.Nxd4 Rxd4 22.Rxd4 exd4 23.Qf4 b5 24.Rd2 Rd8 25.Rxd4 Rxd4 26.Qxd4 h6 27.Be4 g6 28.a4 bxa4 29.bxa4 Bb3 30.Bc6 Be6 31.h4 h5 32.Kg2 Qc7 33.Be4 a5 34.Bf3 Qd7 35.Qe4 Qc7 36.Qc6 Qxc6 37.Bxc6 Kf8 38.Kf3 Ke7 39.Kf4 Kd6 40.Be8 Bb3 41.f3 Kc5 42.g4 Kb4 43.Kg5 Bxa4 44.Bxf7 Bc2 45.gxh5 gxh5 46.f4 a4 47.f5 Bb3 48.Bxb3 Kxb3 49.f6 a3 50.f7 a2 51.f8Q a1Q 52.Qf7+ Kb4 53.Kxh5 Qh1 54.Qe7+ Kb3 55.Kh6 Ka4 56.Qd7+ Ka3 57.Qd6+ Kb2 58.h5 Kc1 59.Qf4+ Kd1 60.Qd4+ Kc2 61.Qf2+ Kd1 62.Kg5 Qd5+ 63.Qf5 Qg8+ 64.Kf4 Kc1 65.h6 Qg2 66.Qg5 Qf2+ 67.Ke5+ Kd1 68.Qg4+ 1–0

Even though Bogoljubov picked up the full point in the end, Black obtained a more than decent game out of the opening.  White had to take great risks to keep from being squeezed to death.  The game illustrates why White avoids the text.

7..., Nc6!?

Normal for Black is 7..., cxd4; creating a vulnerability for the Ra1, and the possibility of the Black e-pawn advancing getting a greater say in the center than Black enjoys in most openings.

8.Bb2?!,..

 The correct positional response is 8 cxd5, pretty much ensuring an isolated QP for Black because the alternative recaptures are less good for Black.

8..., dxc4 9.bxc4 Qb6 10.Qb3 Rd8

According to Rybka Black is equal now.  The initial skirmish has worked out well for Black.  Getting to equality by move ten is a good thing.

11.e3 Qa6!?

Experts like Dean Howard expect to defeat high Class B/low Class A players such as Dave Finnerman.  An equal game with the Queens off would not be a venue in which that can be done easily.  He avoids the possible trade and crafts a simple tactic; 12..., Na5; trying to win a pawn.  I doubt Dean really thought the trick would net a pawn, rather he was looking to raise the tension in the position; the more tension the greater the chances are for the opponent to go wrong

12.Nbd2 Rb8

Preparing to play against the White center with a push of the pawn to b5.  Black might be better served if he inserts ..,cxd4; before hand.

13.Rfd1 b5 14.Rab1!?,..

This move seems less good than 14 dxc5 bxc4 15 Qc2 Bxc5 16 Nxc4.  If Black then greedily snags a pawn with; 16..., Rxd1+ 17 Rxd1 Qxa2; and superficially Black looks to be threatening to win.  There is a but however.  With 18 Nfe5 Nxe5 19 Rd8+! Bf8 20 Nxe5 Qxb2 21 Qc7, White is winning.  A sample line; 21..., Qb1+ 22 Bf1 Ba6 23 Qxf7+, with mate soon.  Black can play better but White has a sizable advantage.  This dancing along the cliff’s edge explains a big part of the coming time trouble for Mr. Howard.  He starts early and, willy-nilly, has to keep the dance up for many moves.  Checking and rechecking the tactics is a time consuming process.

14..., Na5 15.cxb5 Nxb3 16.bxa6 Nxd2 17.Nxd2 Bxa6 18.Ba3 Rxb1 19.Rxb1 Kf8 20.Nb3,..

The clash of tactics grows quieter.  Mr. Finnerman has steered his game through to an endgame battle where he has a small edge.  This is just the kind of situation Mr. Howard did not want to see; no Queens on and balanced material.  The only tension remaining revolves around the Black c-pawn.  Howard is loath to clear that problem up by trading on d5, then the draw is looming.    

20..., Bd3 21.Rc1 c4 22.Bxe7+ Kxe7 23.Na5,..

Black managed to keep the c-pawn on, but defending it is less than easy.  The White pieces are well placed to threaten its existence.

23..., Rc8 24.Nc6+ Kd6 25.Nxa7,..

Retaining the c-pawn led to the loss of the a-pawn.  The Knight now gallops in and out around the uncomfortably placed Black pieces.  Fork tricks are the essence of Knights.  David uses them to make Deans defense in growing time trouble difficult.

There is a strong general feeling among chess players that Bishops are better than Knights.  Such is true in general but not always true in a specific case.  Today’s game is an example of a case where a single Knight with some decent outposts can defeat a single Bishop.  The key is having outposts that are difficult or impossible for the opponent to attack.

25..., Rb8 26.a4 Nd5 27.Nb5+ Kd7 28.Bf1,..

Renewing threats to the c-pawn.

28..., Nb4 29.Bxd3,..

A bit better is 29 Na3.  The game move is pretty good also.

29..., cxd3 30.Kf1 Ra8

Mr. Howard had only a minute and a half left on his clock now.  The game was played with a five second delay per move.  When you have much time on the clock five seconds delay per move seems like a lot.  When your are down to less than two minutes it is often just not enough of a cushion, especially if your opponent does not make things easy for you.

31.Nc3 d2 32.Rd1 Rc8 33.Ne4 Ra8 34.Rxd2 f5

I suspect Mr. Howard let go the c-pawn hoping to get the a-pawn.  The fork on c5 protects the White a-pawn.  The two pawn advantage makes the time pressure even more intolerable than it was already.

35.Nc5+,..

Securing the a-pawn, and now all has become clear.  White has twenty minuets plus on the clock.  Holding off two pawns in a Rook and Knight ending with just seconds left is an impossible task.  White plays simply soon winning a minor piece and then the game with a final fork of the Black Rook and King.

35...,  Kd6 36.Rb2 Nc6 37.Rb7 Kd5 38.Ke2 Kc4 39.Rxg7 e5 40.Rc7 Kd5 41.e4+ Kxd4 42.Rxc6 fxe4 43.Ne6+ Kd5 44.Nc7+ 1–0

A very nicely played game by Daivd Finnerman.  I looked recently at his rating information on the USCF site.  He is just over 1800 and continuing a steady climb begun back in the early 1990s when he was still in grade school.  Beginning with a rating of 1100 or 1200, a steady, but not heavy schedule of tournaments and events brought Finnermann progress.  The eight to ten years it took to get to a Class A rating is probably typical for someone starting out to learn the game.  His next intermediate goal is reaching an Expert rating I’d guess.  In an email conversation with me, David said he wants to play in one of the club championship events next season.  That is a sound first step towards Expert. It is in those events he’ll get to face most of the leading local players.  You have to play the best opposition you can find to improve your skill level and your rating.

Dean Howard, in this game, had to face one of the difficulties of having a high rating; there are games you are expected to win.  Sometimes the game develops in such a way that the opportunity for complications isn’t there.  The higher rated player has then to make a choice; take risks or let the game take its natural course to a balanced endgame where a win may not be possible.  The downside to opting for risks is your opponent just may see his way through the “smoke and mirrors” and the game is lost.  As team captain for Albany A, I can not fault Dean for trying to win.  We needed a victory as a team, and Dean, correctly put aside any personal rating considerations to go for what the team needed.  He paid a price in some rating points, and the Albany A team dropped a vital one-half match point in the League.  The saving grace is; In chess there is always the next match or the next season where results can be reversed and disappointment turned into success.

An added note:  While the bulk of the League matches have been played, we are in a hiatus.  Scheduling problems and playing site availability have worked together to delay the final few matches.  A key contest; Schenectady A versus the Geezers will not be played until sometime in June, and Albany A versus Uncle Sam will be at least two weeks into the future.  This circumstance gives me opportunity to catch up with several annotations of League games I have delayed while trying to keep up with the overall progress.  From my prospective the break in the action is not all bad.
   
More soon.