Prelim B is Settled at Schenectady

Thursday night at Schenectady saw two critical and decisive games, one in each of the Preliminary Sections.

In Section A Dean Howard conducted the Black pieces successfully against Alan Le Cours defending in the Queen’s Gambit.

In Section B Phil Sells won his contest with John Barnes in an opposite castled position. Barnes needed a win to have any remote chance of qualifying. He went all out throwing forward his pawns. Sells did not shrink from the fight, and his own foot troops rushed headlong at his opponent’s King. Oddly enough the crisis came in the center. Neither side crashed through with pawn sacrifices. This victory made clear the qualifiers in Section B. Sells came clear first giving up but a single draw, Patrick Chi finished second with two games drawn and John Phillips out lasted Barnes and Lack to take the final qualifying spot. A tough battle no doubt but finished without resort to extended playoffs. For that, I’m sure our TD Bill Townsend, is grateful. It will take a couple of weeks until the qualifiers are known in the other section. I don’t expect to see the Consolation Swiss to get underway until a week or two after that.

Event SCC Ch Prelim B
Site SCC
Date 1-29-2010
White Sells, P
Black Barnes,

1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 d6
3. Bc4 f5
The Philidor/Latvian Gambit hybrid. This comes up in Blitz, High School events and Lincoln Park in Chicago. Not sound but it can be dangerous. In the Netherlands Championship Hommeles. T (2295) rolled Zagema, W (2395) at Eschede, 1995 in 34 moves. The game was over after twelve or so moves really: 1e4, e5; 2 Nf3, d3; 3 Bc4, f5; 4 Nc3, fxe4; 5 Nxe5, Nh6; 6 Qh5+, g6; 7 Nxg6, Bg4; 8 Qb5+, c6; 9 Qxb7, hxg6; 10 Qza8, Rh7; 11 Nxe4, d5; 12 Bxd5, cxd5; 13 Qxd5, and shortly Black had to throw in a second Exchange. Down two Exchanges and an army of pawns, Black hung around hoping for earthquake or heart attack before calling off the slaughter on move 34. John Barnes must have decided to go for a win recognizing a draw would be meaningless and picked out an opening that sets that ball rolling.

4. d3 ….
As he has done consistently this year, Phil does not get carried away. Here he takes a conservative line keeping his foothold in the center.

4.… Nc6
5. a4 …..
Possible is 5 Ng5, Nh6; 6 Nd6, eliminating the better of Black’s Bishops and securing the Bishop pair. Sells likely made a judgment that John means to castle long and decided to begin readying a warn reception for him.

5... f4!?
This move seems to not to be exactly what is required by the position. It takes some of the tension out of the position. My computer likes 5..., h6; preparing a full blooded pawn rush. Given the need for a win, keeping and increasing tension in the game is a path to that goal.

6. O-O Bg4?
Superficially, this looks ambitious, but if Black wants to close with his opponent this Bishop is in the way.

7. c3 Qd7
8. b4 Nf6
9. Nbd2 O-O-O
10. Bb2 g5
11. Qb3 Kb8?
Both sides have proceeded per their own prescriptions. This move however uses a vital tempo the begs for a better investment. There are times in opposite castling situations where you must take time out to secure your own King’s safety. The problem is always to pick that moment correctly. With mutual attacks on the Kings going on, every move has a great value. The smallest hesitation can have dangerous consequences. Here it seems that 11..., Qg7; 12 a5, h5; 13 b5, favors White, but Black has surely framed the question sharply; Who’s assault will be driven home first? After the text White gets the lead in the race for mate.

12. a5 Bh6?
Another move that is doubtful at least. On h6 the Bishop stands in the way of the h-pawn being brought up to reinforce the assault. It seemed to me during the game, given all the circumstances, Black should have been thinking in terms of sacrificing whatever is needful to open lines on the White King. Now, there is no requirement in chess to capture material offered, and certainly Phil would have been very choosey about taking things willy-nilly, but making him consider such could have had an effect on the game. As it was, Sells appeared very comfortable with how the game was unfolding. Phil was about fifteen minutes ahead on the clock here.

13. b5 Ne7
14. Rfb1 ….
As is usual with Phil, he does not get carried away with tactics. Tempting but too wild is 14 h3, when Black just may find the open lines he needs to make a fight of the game after 14..., Bxh3!

14.… Nc8?
Once more John opts for defense when all out wild aggression is called for. Much more promising is 14..., Ng6; bringing one more piece closer to the White King. The redoubtable Bobby Fischer said long ago that one of the reasons he got such dynamic positions was his habit of moving his Knights towards his opponent’s King. I do not hold that the suggested move would change the evaluation of this position - it favors White significantly. However, one more unit working its way near to the White King just may have given some pause to Phil in his direct and obvious frontal assault.

15. Ne1 …..
The try 15 a6, is not really good and careful calculation is necessary to see the way through after 15..., b6; 16 h3, Bxh3; 17 gxh3, Qxh3; 18 Be6, g4; 19 Qc4, Ne7; 20 Ne1, when Black, though down a piece, has chances because of the drafty house of the White monarch.

15.… Rdf8?
Slowness has hampered Barnes’ attacking plan right along. This time he misses the chance to blockade the center with the game move. A reasonable try is 15..., d5!?; 16 exd5, Nd6; letting go of a pawn to clog up lines. John has hopes of making something out of the f-file, but the dangers are rapidly gathering around his King.

16. Bc1!? ….
During the game I was sure that 16 a6, is the correct way to go. Play might be 16 a6, b6; 17 f3, Bh5; 18 Be6, Qe7; 19 d4, Bf7; 20 Bxf7, Qxf7; 21 dxe5, dxe5; 22 Nd3, and so on. White retains a solid edge, but it is not clearly winning. Phil wanted more from his efforts deciding to maneuver a bit.

16.…. b6?
Barnes passes again on the pawn sacrifice that wrings a lot of the danger out of the position and makes a classic mistake in opposite side castled positions; an unnecessary pawn move at the point being attacked. With 16..., d5; 17 exd5, Nd6; 18 a6, b6; 19 Ba3, Re8; 20 Nef3, Bxf3; 21 Nxf3, g4; 22 Ne1, Black has obstructed the lines near his King and made some progress towards getting real threats on the White King.

The way in which the final moves play out leads me to believe that John had calculated a good deal of what takes place. He didn’t get the sequence quite right and pays the penalty.

17. d4 f3?
The only realistic try is 17..., d5. Again the attempt to clog thing up holds some hope although White has much the better game. The text counts on counter-play down the f-file that just does not work.

18. dxe5 dxe5
19. Nexf3 Nxe4
20. Nxe5 …..
Not quite as precise as 20 Nxe4, but sufficient to the task. After 20 Nxe4, Bxf3; 21 gxf3, Rxf3; 22 Be6, Qd3; 23 Qd5, the Queens come off, all danger is passed and the extra piece is in White’s bag.

20.… Qf5
21. Nc6+ Ka8
22. Nxe4 Qxe4
23. Be3 Resigns.
The threat of 24 Bd5, is too strong, more material will be lost. John Barnes had the right idea going in to this game; set the board on fire going all out for the victory. After getting a position that promised swashbuckling, he made a couple of slow moves that passed the initiative to Sells. Barnes then missed the positional idea of tossing a pawn in to obstruct his opponent’s attack. At the end, and under great pressure, John found a nicely creative counter-blow along the f-file that fell short. Phil demonstrated once more his greatest strength; calmness in the face complex positions. Short but full of interest, a game that is worth a look.