A Belated Report From Last Thursday

Last Thursday the SCC Ch Prelim A moved a step closer to reaching a conclusion. Mockler drew with Little. The half point means Mike Mockler has first place in hand and leaves the fight for second and third places still pretty open. The simplest description of the situation is; Little faces Dean Howard next Thursday when the result determines a good deal about who finishes where. A win for Little puts in the playoffs, a loss and he is out. If the game is drawn (shudder) there will be a playoff between two or three players; Howard, Rotter and Little.

There is another game next Thursday with a bearing on the qualifications; Connors versus Rotter. On rating Bobby is a heavy favorite. The contest is made interesting by the players’ performances this year. Rotter has conceded five draws, one each to Little, Mockler, Howard and Le Cours. The extra draw was with Richard Chu. But for this upset draw Bobby would be home and dry regards qualification. David Connors is out of the hunt for a qualifying spot, but his results against those fighting for a place is remarkable; draw with Little, win from Le Cours, loss to Mockler and a draw with Howard, for 2/4 versus Class A players/Experts so far. The intriguing question is which David Connors will show up for the game Thursday? Anything less than a win may well put Bobby out of the running for a place in the Finals.

Handicapping the Little - Howard game has the usual difficulties. Howard has held his Expert rating for a long time. His form this year has been up and down. I certainly haven’t show a consistent form either. An occasional good game interspersed with errors and blunders. The best guess about the coming game, a toss-up.

With regards to the Rotter - Connors game; Rotter is fierce in the opening and inventive in the middle game. If he has a weakness it is letting down as the ending approaches. David, when he is playing strongly, has an excellent sense of danger. He has been able to avoid the usual tricks and traps that A Players typically drop in the path of lower rated foes. So we have Rotter who likes to play the sharpest of openings versus Connors who has done well by being alert to danger.

Schenectady Championship, Preliminary Section A
SCC
Date 2-4-2010
White Mockler, M
Black Little, B

1. b3 ….
Mike enjoys the provocative, much as did Bent Larsen.

1.… Nf6
2. Bb2 d5
3. e3 Bf5
Rublevsky played in this fashion in the 1990’s so it may not be without danger for White.

4. Nf3 ….
Mike and I take lessons from GM Ronen Har-Zvi on weekends. The GM asked the pointed question here; “Why not 4 f4?” It is the most principled approach for White. After the text we have reached a position known in theory that usually comes about because White puts his Knight on f3 earlier.

4.… e6
5. Na3!? …..
More provocation. Normal is 5 Be2, when White typically tracks down the Bf5 with the Nf3-h4 following on with c2-c4 and Nb1-c3 as in Najdorf - Cabone, Buenos Aries, 1972.

5.… Nbd7
6. Be2 h6
7. c4 c6
8. Nc2 Bd6
9. Ncd4 Bh7
10. Nh4 ….
After using three moves to send my Bf5 back to its prepared lair on h7, White really can’t claim any advantage. If my computer is to be believed, Black is on top here. Why? It seems based on the principle that White has not been strictly logical in his development Black has on offer the opportunity to get the ball rolling with 10.…, g5; then, if White plays routinely; 11 Nhf3, e5; 12 Nc2, g4; 13 Nh4, dxc5; 14 Bxc4, Ne5; leaving Black with a solid plus. White has several places to make other choices in the line cited. The point is playing so for Black would put a load of hard work on White. Rather than do so I elected for routine myself and castled.

10.… O-O
11. f4 c5?
An interesting error. I did not see that c5 free of obstruction was a nice way station for my Nd7 if it heads towards d3. Better than the text move is 11..., dxc4; than if 12 bxc4, Qb6; with a messy fight on the board where Black is threatening to grab a significant edge. If 12 Bxc4, the game is unclear making Black work hard to find a path forward. I looked only casually at the capture on c4, noted 12 Bxc4 and had no good idea of how to proceed from there. The move I did not consider was 11..., g5; then 12 fxg5, hxg5; 13 Nf3, e5; 14 Nc2, g4; 15 Ng5, Bg6; with an interesting struggle where Black is not worse.

12. Nb5 Ne4
13. g3 Be7
14. Ng2 a6
15. Nc3 Bf6
There are many different moves that could have been tried in the last sequence for both sides. Some favored White and some Black. During the game neither player caught on to the alternatives.

16. Na4 d4?
Again I only gave 16..., dxc4; a passing glance and played the move that first came to mind. After 16..., cxd4; White must be careful. If 17 bxc5, Qa5; 18 0-0, Nxd2 collects a pawn, or, 17 Bxc4??, b5; is fatal. Had I captured on c4, White would be in some trouble. Maybe there is a way through the difficulties, but I haven’t found it yet. I missed the specific tactic and I did see the underlying positional concept; the Black Queen can jump into the fray effectively on the Q-side. At several points in our conversation about the game with GM Har-Zvi, he suggested moves by the Queen to active squares b6 and a5. Even while going over the game it did not sink in how important getting the Queen into play really was. The game move gives White the edge the first player normally enjoys.

17. O-O ….
Here White could have played 17 exd4, keeping a comfortable plus. Castling offers me another opportunity to bring the Queen to a5. If play goes 17..., Qa5; 18 d3, Nc3; 19 Nxc3, dxc3; 20 Bc1, Black wins the Exchange for a pawn. Notwithstanding the material edge Black has, White’s game has substantial resources particularly because the Black Knight has no strong outpost. Black can forego greed and play to fortify the pawn on c3 with 20..., Nb8; heading for b4 via c6. That is a hard plan for White to meet successfully.

I gave insufficient thought to doing something with the Queen wanting to make a profit out of the awkward position of the Na4.

17.… Rb8?!
This move gives away the potential advantage. Ronen still thought Black was for choice. The computer sees the game as slightly favoring White.

18. d3 b5
19. dxe4 Bxe4
20. exd4?! …..
Superior is 20 Nxc5. It is hard to find any great compensation Black has for the pawn invested.

20.… bxa4
21. Bf3 Bh7!?
One idea the GM suggested here was 21..., Bxf3; 22 Rxf3, Qb6; 23 Rd3, axb3; 24 axb3, Bxd4+; 25 Bxd4, cxd4; 26 Rxd4, e5; 27 fxe5, Nxe5; 28 Kh1, Qxb3; when the threats on the back rank give Black more than enough counter play by making the a-pawn very risky to capture for White.

After the text the game is even according to the computer. Black has pins on the file and the diagonal along with the potential of opening the g1-a7 diagonal making the safety of the White King an issue. These were the features of the position that GM Har-Zvi pointed out that are still there even after the retreat to h7. He believes Black should have the edge here.

22. Rf2 Qc7
More active is 22..., Qb6. Playing out this line on the computer turn up interesting variations that lead to a draw. At this point in the game I had a nagging feeling something had been missed. There was nothing on which I could think of specifically, but the suspicion remained. My focus now was how to get to the safe haven of a the draw.

23. d5 exd5
24. Bxd5 Bxb2
25. Rxb2 Nf6
26. Rd2 Ne4
27. Bxe4 Bxe4
28. Ne3 Rfd8
29. Nd5 Qa5
Even so late the Queen move is what gives life to Black’s chances. Leading more directly to the point split is 29..., Bxd5.

30. bxa4 ….
After this capture, the draw is easy to obtain for Black.

30.… Bxd5
31. Rxd5? …..
An instructive mistake. With 31 cxd5, the game remains level. Trading Rooks creates a serious weakness on the second rank that could well cost the full point,

31.… Rxd5
32. cxd5? …..
And this move could actually lose. White had to play 32 Qxd5, to hold the game comfortably.

32.…. c4?
With my mind fixed on reaching a drawn position, tactical alertness failed for me and I missed the strong move 32..., Qc3. The threat is …., Rb8-b2. Play goes 32..., Qc3; 33 Rc1, (note 33 Rb1, fails to 33..., Qe3+; and, at the very least, Black emerges a strong central pawn to the good because the doubled a-pawns really only count as a single pawn.) 33..., Qe3+; and any way White plays, 34 Kh3, or 34 Kh1, mate is not too far away.

33. Qd4 Rd8
34. Qxc4 …..
In effect agreeing the draw because after the trades on d5, the Black Rook is favorably placed to clip one of the a-pawns and keep the White Rook from becoming very active.

34.… Qxd5
35 Drawn by agreement.
　
This result leaves all my chances to qualify to the Finals resting on the game with Howard. More when that game is over.