North Country Chess - A report on the most recent round in the Saratoga Championship.

A number of schedule conflicts gave us a smaller than usual turnout this Sunday. Sells- Alguire, Hrebenach - Magat and Little - Connors were played as scheduled. Peter Sparagna and Lee Battes played off their postponed game to round out the evening’s roster because their opponents were not available. With no clashes among the leaders, any excitement would be in the form of a good sized upset. Such was not to be.

It looks like the higher rated players made a clean sweep. Sparagna and Battes had not finished when I left the club rooms, but Battes had an Exchange to the good along with the Bishop pair and was pushing back Peter’s pieces. It must be said Sparagna had made the Expert work hard even after the Exchange was lost. The game had passed move forty-four when I headed South. Peter had two strong pawns on e5 and d5 in the middle game that appeared well supported. This pawn bulwark kept the Bishops from running wild. Peter could not find the moves to cement his center. Lee came up with some threats and Peter began retreating. Once Peter’s pieces fell back, the Expert’s winning chances went up big time.
Boris Spassky once said chess is a terribly negative game. He further explained that losses and errors stay with us for a very long time, while victories tend to be forgotten quickly. The game Sells - Alguire was a negative experience for Ray Alguire. After keeping the game fairly even against Sells, who is more than 300 points above him in rating, Ray had a momentary lapse, saw a mirage and made a hasty decision all in a single move, resigning while there was a chance to keep playing. Similar things have happened to all of us in chess, but there is no denying it is about as negative event as can be imagined, at least for a little while. I hung my Queen against Glen Gausewitz two or three years ago in the Saratoga Championship. That took a day or two to get over. It is hoped Ray can recover from the disappointment quickly.

[Event "Saratoga Championship"]
[Site "Saratoga Springs, NY"]
[Date "2009"]
[White "Sell, P"]
[Black "Alguire, R"]

1. e4 c5
2. Nf3 d6
3. d4 cxd4
4. Nxd4 Nf6
5. Nc3 a6
6. Be2 e6
7. O-O Be7
The game has traversed the Sozin to the Najdorf to the Scheveningin Variation. A quick look in my databases shows the majority of the very top 2700+ players and World Champions happy to play these moves from either side.

8. Be3 ….
Now we are getting away from the really big guns preferences and into the moves used by more ordinary GM types.

8... Bd7
And this move is played by non-masters according to the database. Black usually has the aim of putting this cleric on b7 and debates internally where to place the b8N, c6 or d7.

9. Qe1 …
An early decision about where to use the Queen. More normal is to push the f-pawn to the fourth rank. We will see Phil has a more restrained plan in mind. I am not sure his plan has a lot of "bite" in it.

9.… e5
Using a two-step process to put this pawn on e5 can’t be the best here when the Nb8 lingers at home. It is worthwhile going to the TWIC web site and playing over the games from the recently completed World Blitz event. I did and was impressed how these 2600-2800 players always made certain ALL their pieces got out early on. Better is 9..., 0-0; and 10..., Nc6; when we are in a position that looks typical of the Sicilian. I am not enough of an openings maven to point out just where this position differs from theory and standard GM practice but does I am sure.

10. Nb3 ….
The principled move is 10 Nf5. Black then pretty much has to give up the Bishop pair, and we have a debate about whether the two central Black pawns are sufficient compensation.

10.… Be6
Again, castling and putting the Knight on c6 are much more in the spirit of the position.

11. f3 ….
Could it be that Ray’s slow playing the position has convinced Phil that anything goes? The push of the f-pawn to f4 is best. There is no need to fear 11 f4, Ng4? For then 12 Bxg4, Bxg4; 13 Qg3, and White is getting close to winning. The justification for Queen going to e1 is for it to go on to g3 and to attack the Black K-side. If 11 f4, Black probably has to try 11..., exf4; leaving White with the preferable position, after 12 Bxf4. True enough the d-pawn is weak on an open file, but White’s e-pawn is a target also and counter-play can be found for Black.

11.… O-O
12. a4 Nbd7
Black passes on the chance to secure theoretical equality with 12..., d5. The game enters a brief period of tactical equilibrium.

13. Rd1 b6
14. Kh1 ….
White is rearranging furniture and thinking about pawn advances on the K-side.

14... Qc7
15. g4 Nc5
16. Nxc5 dxc5
17. Bd3 ….

My game with Connors was finished and I was watching this contest fairly closely. My suspicion was Phil had decided to test Ray’s tactical alertness. Phil has just gotten his Bishops into Lasker’s formation for crashing through with sacrifices. My thought was he planned something involving shoving the g-pawn forward and then the f-pawn and finally the e-pawn would go forward one "box’ heedless of the Be3 hanging. All he really requires to make this sort of an attack is to put the Queen on h4, then those aggressive pawn moves become dangerous to Black.

17.… Bd6
Possibly best is 17..., c4; disturbing White’s plan.

18. Qh4 ….
The Queen appears stage right! Now I was sure my guess about Phil’s intentions was correct.

18.… g6?
And Black resigns?! The last move gives White the edge is an accurate statement, but the candle shouldn’t be snuffed right away. Ray made the move, saw the Knight hanging and called it quits in the space of maybe ten seconds. Had he taken a moment he would have found 19 Qxf6??, Be7; wins the Queen for two minor pieces. I am certain Phil, who maintains his sangfroid always at the board, would not have snatched off the Nf6. Probably he would have played the very correct 19 Bh6!, and if Black saves the Exchange he loses the piece because defending both g6 and g7 is not possible: 19 Bh6, Rd8; 20 Qxf6, Be7; 21 Qg7Mate. Or, 19 Bh6, Be7; 20 Bxf8, fearlessly and so on.

Black could have tried 19..., Ne8; then 20 Bxf8, Bxf8; 21 Nd5, Bxd5; 22 exd5, c4, to be followed by 23..., Nd6. White is better, but the win is not clear. The Black Knight has a great blockading post at d6, and the White Bishop, posted either at e2 or e4, is not particularly strong.

Superior to 18..., g6; is 18..., c4; forceing the Bishop back to e2 because sacrificial tries such as 19 g5, fail. After 19 Be2, Black can try 19..., Bc5; and the struggle is unresolved.

A great deal of drama in a single move!

Gordon Magat played the Dutch against Jeff Hrebenach and took advantage of an oversight to carry off a piece and then the full point.. Jeff had some ideas but just did not calculated accurately enough to hold one of the very strong players in the area.

Facing David Connors my play was not particularly sparkling. In kind of an odd Closed Sicilian arising from the Alapin Variation, David was holding his own and even may have had the better long term chances. A moment’s inattention and a fork by my Knight picked off the Exchange. Such mistakes have a bad effect on some players. David lost heart a bit. Had he worked hard after the loss of material there were certainly chances to hold and perhaps win this game. I debated long with myself about taking the Exchange. My Knight was well posted on c4 and in no danger of being pushed off the strong point. Trading it for a Rook not doing much at a8 except guarding a pawn on a5 was at least doubtful. My internal debate was about whether David was tempting y me with the Exchange offer, or did he just overlook something. David apparently did not realize his strong Bg7 and its domination of the a1-h8 diagonal, if used ambitiously, could balance the material minus. A couple less than good moves by David following the Exchange loss allowed me to break open the K-side. The extra material then permitted a brutal frontal attack on his King that won the game.

Next week Feinberg with the White pieces faces Taylor. This battle between the highest rated players will have a good deal to say about who wins the championship. Another interesting match up is Ray Alguire versus Lee Battes, his coach. Games between coaches and students are interesting because they know each other very well. The game will test Ray to see if he has recovered his spirits from this week’s disappointment. Lee likely will win, three hundred and fifty rating points have meaning if the system is at all accurate. If Ray can play some sound chess and avoid any big errors, it will restore his confidence and taste for the game.
The Schenectady Club is dark for the holiday Thursday. I have in hand a couple of local games to analyze and will post them to fill-in during this week.

The party for Norma took place as planned Sunday. There was a good crowd in attendance, speeches of apprciation for her tireless work and refreshments. I think Phil Ferguson will have something posted with greater detail soon.