Here are more games from last Thursday.

Patrick Chi demonstrates a mature understanding of chess in a theoretical battle from the Benko Gambit.

SCC Ch Finals 09-10
Date: 3/25/2010
White; Chi, P
Black: Phillips, J

1. d4 Nf6
2. c4 c5
3. d5 b5
4. cxb5 a6
5. bxa6 g6
6. Nc3 Bxa6
7. e4 Bxf1
8. Kxf1 d6
9. Nf3 Bg7
10. g3 O-O
11. Kg2 Nbd7
12. Re1 Ng4
13. Qc2 ….
All theory up to here. The game Chemin, A - Weind, A, Brocco. 1994 is followed to this point. Chemin, A is a 2600 IGM from Bulgaria, and Weind a strong German FM. Chemin had ideas different from Chi about the placement of his King’s Rook and Queen, but Chemin achieved the same Q-side formation; pawns a4 & b3. Knight on b5 and victory followed. Chemin put his Rook an e2 in place of the Queen on c2. I think it is a matter of taste as to which is the better choice.

13.… Qb6
14. a4 ….
A number of the international players kicked the Ng4 back with 14 h3. Patrick instead grabs the favorable Q-side disposition first.

14 ….. Rfb8
15. Nb5 Ngf6
More often than not, Black puts this Knight on e5 offering the exchange of a pair of minor pieces there. If Black could keep a Knight on e5, it would support …, c5-c4; a move useful in weakening the White Q-side. Supporting this push also underlies the other thematic break for Black; …, e7-e6; trying for the exchange of pawns on e6 and the expansion …, d6-d5. In the game, Black gets to this idea too late for it to have an important effect After the game move White has a measurable advantage.

16. Bf4 h6
17. Rab1 Rc8
18. Nd2 g5
19. Be3 Ng4
20. Nc4 Nxe3+
21. Rxe3 Qa6
22. b3 Ne5
23. Nxe5 Bxe5
24. Qc4 Qa5
White is jockeying for the right formation before staging a break. Black sacrificed a pawn and got only the Bishop versus Knight imbalance as compensation. This is not sufficient, nor what Black hopes for in the Benko. Black needs some piece besides the Bishop to guard d6 if he wants to play …, e7-e6; at some point. Usually this is a Rook or the Queen standing on b6, and he is not maneuvering his pieces in that direction yet.

25. Re2 Rf8
26. Rh1 Kg7
27. Rc2 ….
Mr. Chi can’t quite make up his mind to play the natural 27 h4, starting the ball rolling.

27.… Rac8
28. Qd3 Qb6
29. Qf3 e6?
Patience wears thin for John Phillips. It is too late for this now. Better 29..., Bf6; to make the advance to h4 less appealing.

30. h4 exd5
31. hxg5 hxg5?
While it would not repair all damage, Black had to try 31..., dxe4; to have a chance at finding some kind of defense. After the text the end is swift.

32. Qf5 Rh8
33. Qxg5+ Resigns
The last two moves seemed to surprise Mr. Phillips, or least the implications in the resulting position surprised him. I think he saw 33..., Kf8; 34 Rxh8+, Bxh8; 35 Qxd5, and now down two pawns Black faces a long struggle without hope except for earthquake or heart attack. I am not certain either player thought about 33..., Kf6; 34 Qxe5!!, killing all counter-play after 34..., dxe5; 35 Rxh8+, and 36 Rxc8, leaving White a huge material advantage. Or, alternatively 34..., Rxh1; 35 Qf6, Rh7; 36 Qf5, picking off a whole Rook. The Queen does love to make double attacks!

Two veteran Saratoga players played a short sharp game in the Queen’s Gambit Accepted opening in the Consolation Swiss. The QGA does not show up too often in local games. We around here appear to prefer QGD, Benoni or KID formations. I know of no good reason for this preference.

Consolation Swiss 09-10
Date: 3/25/2010
White: Le Cours, A
Black: Battes, L

1. Nf3 d5
2. d4 Nf6
3. c4 dxc4
4. e3 Bg4
Mainstream theory. The top flight players also like 4..., a6; 4..., c5; and 4..., e6; all leading to small but significantly differences in the resulting positions.

5. Bxc4 e6
There are many games by Timman, Miles and Nikolic in this line.

6. h3 Bh5
7. O-O Bd6
Most of the international players choose 7..., Nbd7; some go for 7..., a6; the text was only tried by FM Husek of Slovakia against Jedlicka of the Czech Republic in Litomysi, 1995. In an up and down battle that didn’t have much to do with this move, the game was drawn. Not much wisdom to be gathered from master practice except none of the famous “names” have used the text. That may be a hint the move has some doubts attached. A possible reason for the doubt is the line; 8 e4!?, Nxe4; 9 Qb3, Nd7; 10 Re1, Nef6; 11 Qxb7, which looks to favor Black somewhat - a lead in development - to me.

8. Nc3 O-O
9. e4 Bxf3?!
This is a mistake I think. Probably better is 9..., Bb4; and if 10 Qb3, Bxf3; 11 gxf3, c5; 12 dxc5, Bxc5; 13 Qxb7, Nbd7; 14 Rd1, Rb8; 15 Qa6, and Black has bought himself a small lead in development, some dark square weaknesses around the White King, and a bit of pressure on b2 for a pawn. In a word, the initiative. There are middle game chances for Black. The endgame favors White. The two to one pawn majority on the Q-side for White will be a worry forever. There are a goodly number of QGA positions that require one side or the other to give up a pawn to not fall into a disadvantage, so such a circumstance is no surprise.

10. Qxf3 e5
11. Be3 ….
A smoother development could be had by White with 11 d5, then 11..., Nbd7; 12 Bg5, a6; 13 Rad1, and White has the initiative. The game move gives Black a chance to try some tactics.

11.… Qe7
The tactical try is 11..., exd4; 12 Bxe4, Bh2+; recovering the piece and simplifying the game. In this active line White ends up with extra space while the Black Knights don’t have ready posts. It doesn’t appeal to me and neither did it to Lee. One alternative is 11...,Nbd7. Play will be similar to the game, but Black could get in the useful move …, c7-c6. I’m not sure it would help. It is worth consideration however.

12. Rad1 Nbd7
13. Rfe1 a6
14. Bb3 Rac8?
A mistake in that it does nothing to guard squares that are always a concern in the QGA, one of which is g5. There are variations where …, h7-h6; is standard. The tempo used to put this Rook on the c-file that is unlikely to become critical for some time yet, could have been used to play 14..., h6; then my computer continues 15 Qf5, c6; 16 a3, b5; 17 dxe5, Bxe5; and White has the choice between a) the sacrificial try; 18 Bxh6, gxh6; 19 Qg6+, Kh8; 20 Qxh6+, Nh7; 21 Qxc6, giving White three pawns for the piece with lots of fight left in the position. Not many of the local club players would risk such a line. We don’t calculate that confidently. Lee might be the exception. When he is on form that calculation is well within his capacity. The b) line is; 18 Rc1, b4; 19 Na4, (the “sac” at h6 is still possible, but it does not lead to even as promising position as in a) above.) 19..., bza3; 20 bxa3, Rfb8; and so forth with the issue very much in doubt. The flaw in the text is that it misuses a tempo evidently needed to guard a key square.

15. Qf5 c5
The natural follow up to the previous move. It is possible that Black had to think about giving up a pawn with 15..., Rfd1!?; 16 Nd5, Nxd5; 17 exd5, g6; 18 Qc2, e4; to avoid worse.

16. dxc5 Nxc5
17. Bg5 Nxb3
18. axb3 Bb4
19. Nd5 ….
The last sequence seems quite normal at first glance, the kind of moves that a player would look at early on when judging a position. If you found nothing wrong in the succeeding positions, it is likely you would play such moves. A guess is Mr. Battes overlooked that the Nc3 was not pinned as it appears, or another possibility is he made an estimate the “trade everything line” beginning 19..., Nxd5; 20 Bxe7, Nxe7; 21 Qxd7, that was incorrect. After arriving at this point in the “trading line”, Lee recognized all was not well and tried a bold move hoping for some error from Alan.

19... Qc5
20. Nxf6+ gxf6
21. Bxf6 Resigns.
White will mate or win decisive material. The finish is; 21.…, Rfd8; 22 Qg5+, Kf8; 23 Rxd8+, Rxd8; 24 Rc1, when the Rd8 falls to say nothing of very strong mating threats that White can create if he foregoes taking the Rook and plays, after say 24..., Qd4; 25 Qg7+, and 28 Rc7. The move 24 Rc1, is one more candidate for what Lee missed. There was not opportunity to sit down with Lee to discover just where the error occurred. Maybe someday he and I will find occasion to discuss the matter and my curiosity will be satisfied.

Another game in the next couple of days; Connors - Capitummino, I think.