More From Schenectady Last Week

Section B of the Schenectady Preliminaries is almost decided. Today’s game. Chi - Phillips, won by Patrick Chi settles the mater to some degree. Phil Sells and Patrick Chi will take the two top spots, no one can catch them. Chi’s victory over Phillips gives him a finishing score of 8-1. Sells has two games to play; Lack and Barnes. If Phil can win both games he could edge out Patrick with 8 ½ - ½. Winning both games will be a tall order. Barnes needs to win all his remaining games to get to a play-off for the third qualifying spot. That kind of motivation for Barnes makes me believe the game with Sells will be extremely interesting. Phillips will very probably win his game from Mike Stanley and finish at 6-3. Although Jon Lack had a very bad year for form, he still has a glimmer of a chance to qualify. Of course it will take a couple of surprising results. Lack is at 3 ½ points. If Phillips somehow implodes against Stanley and Lack is able to win his last two games, including one versus that hard man to beat - Phil Sells, Lack could slip in to the third spot. It’s a remote possibility true enough, however stranger things have happened.

Section A is not at all clear because of postponed games primarily. Mockler has the best score do far with 7-1 and two games to play; Howard and Little. Alan Le Cours is next best with 5 ½ - 1 ½ with three games to play; Howard, Connors and Yogi K. Dean Howard has the same score and Mockler and Little to play - fewer games but tougher opponents. Little at 5 - 2 has Mockler and Howard to play. Bobby Rotter stands at 5 ½ - 2 ½ with two games to play; David Connors and Yogi Kanakamedala. Bobby in all likelihood will win both games and finish at 7 ½ - 2 ½. To ensure a chance at qualification to the finals I have to win both of my games, unlikely. A win and a draw gives me 6 ½ - 2 ½ and a chance to qualify, possible. Splitting the points in my two games is too probable for my taste; anything less than 1-1 and a spot in the Consolation event is all there is for me. The next few weeks will see the situation to a conclusion. It will be no surprise to see one or more playoff games in this Section.

Today’s game is quickly decided. John Phillips takes the dynamic route and plays the Benko Gambit. This was a mainstay for me in the 1980’s, winning and drawing against good opponents, masters and Experts. In recent NYS Championship tournaments, I have used it against a couple of master level players and got my head handed to me in both games. Maybe the Benko doesn’t have the shock value it had twenty five years ago, or the good players have figured out the best lines for White, or most probably, the Benko now requires a very high level of alertness, something that time takes from us all. In this game, Phillips gets into trouble early and Chi never gives him a chance to recover.

SCC Ch Prelim B
SCC
1/14/2010
White Chi, P
Black Phillips, J

1. d4 Nf6
2. c4 c5
3. d5 b5
4. cxb5 a6
5. bxa6 g6
In recent years Kasparov, Topalov, Gelfand and others of the elite have played so. Not too many wins for Black but many, many draws. In the 80’s wins were more frequent for Black.

6. Nc3 Bxa6
7. e4 d6?!
This is not so good. Black needs compensation for the pawn invested. 7..., Bxf1; dislocates the White King just a bit - he will have to make a couple of moves to clear the way for the Rh1 into the game; g2-g3 and Kg2. That extra time Black can use to mass his heavy pieces on the a and b-files.

8. Bxa6 Rxa6?
This capture was tried three times in international play in the 1990's, and it led to three losses. Better is 8..., Nxa6. The Black Rook as a6 is just in the wrong place. After the game move White has an appreciable advantage.

9. Nf3 Nbd7
10. O-O Bg7
11. Qe2 Qa8?!
Better is 11.…, Qb6; if Black does not want his game compromised.

12. Nb5 Qb7?
Fatal. John had to try 12..., Kd8; after which it hard to see any real chance for him to do more than hold on desperately. He will have no chance to get the Rh8 to the a and b-files. White’s extra pawn over there will most certainly advance. The Bg7 alone can not hold it back forever. The text drops more material. If the game was not so important for qualifying I am sure John would have thrown in the towel here.

13. Nc7+ Qxc7
14. Qxa6 O-O
With things going so badly why not 14..., Nxe4? Black probably did not fancy a White Rook operating down the e-file. Phillips must have decided on a stubborn defense in a hopeless position wagering that young Patrick would get impatient. That was not to be.

15. Qc4 ….
Good technique for one so youthful. Chi rushes nothing, now he just wants to get Queen back on-side and complete the development of his forces.

15.… Rb8
16. Qc2 Ng4
Moving pieces around is not too promising for Black. Here he could try the standard 16..., e6; looking to get his center pawns rolling.

17. Rb1 Nge5
18. Nxe5 Nxe5
19. b4 …..
In a workman like fashion Patrick begins the advance of the Q-side pawns. He has shown no sign of haste.

19.… Qb6?
If Black wanted to have some sort of counter-play, here is where something must be tried. Either 19..., c4; or 19..., e6; could have set some problems for White. As played, Black runs out of reasonable moves soon.

20. b5 ….
The first sign of a small stumble. Why not 20 Be3? That move completes development, pressures c5 and connects the Rooks. There is not much more you can ask of a move than that.

20.… Qa5
Again, the standard thematic 20..., e6; suggests itself. The text does nothing to distract White from his winning idea; push the b-pawn.

21. a4 Ra8
22. Bd2 Qxa4
23. Qxa4 Rxa4
Winning the a-pawn is a gesture without significance. The cost of the b-pawn will be a full Rook. The balance needs no comment.

24. b6 Nd7
25. b7 Nb8
26. Rb6 Ra2
27. Be3 Bc3
28. Rc6 Kg7
29. Rc8 Na6
30 b8 (Q) Nxb8 and Resigns.
John Phillips did not seem to have a good grasp of the Benko, or this was just an off night for him. I don’t know if John has tried out the opening in other games. The suspicion is he used it as a surprise weapon seeing this as a game that he must win. I’ve done the same once or twice in my career with results similar to John’s in this game. As my frequent opponent and good chess friend Mr. Mockler says to me: “We should play what we know, it is better chess win lose or draw.”

Patrick Chi is clearly established as a serious contenter for the title with his performance in the B Preliminary event. The Finals this year will be a very strong tourney. Sells and Chi could be the favorites going in. How strong the qualifiers from the A Section will be can't be said until the several key games detailed above are played. Lots of interesting chess will happen in the next few weeks - that's good for bloggers and for our local columnist, Bill Townsend.

More later, maybe a game or two from Saratoga and any other odds and ends that coem my way.