CDCL Match Geezers v Saratoga B

Thursday night saw the Schenectady Geezers face the Saratoga B team at the Schenectady club room in a CDCL match. With some luck the Geezers won 3 -1. The victory was similar to our recent win over Guilderland; the score could have been just the reverse had our opponents taken full advantage of opportunities offered.

Bill Townsend, the man who keeps the records for the League, provided me with the standings updated as of Thursday to include our win from Saratoga B:

Schenectady A 4-0 Match Points 14.5 Game Points
Albany 4-0 Match Points 13.5 Game Points
Guilderland 3-2 Match Points 12.0 Game Points
Sch’dy Geezers 3.5-2.5 Match Points 14.0 Game Points
RPI 2-5 Match Points 9.5 Game Points
Uncle Sam, Troy 2-4 Match Points 7.5 Game Points
Saratoga A 1.5-0.5 Match Pts 5.0 Game Points
Saratoga B 0-6 Match Points 3.5 Game Points

RPI pushed hard to complete their schedule before the end of the school year madness interfered as it did last year. They did well with a team that did not have any highly rated players. Their draws with the strong Saratoga A team and the Geezers were very good results.

Speaking of Saratoga A; they are the "tail enders" in this year’s League with five matches yet to be played. Typically Saratoga A is in the thick of the battle for first with Schenectady A and Albany. I expect it will be so this year once the Saratoga team catches up with the schedule.

The Geezers have one match yet to be played. The Albany team is in a neck-to-neck race with Schenectady A for first place. Helping our comrades on the A team and for our own honor are two reasons the Geezers need to play up to our full potential in next week’s match against Albany. We were narrowly defeated by Schenectady A and Saratoga A and a good portion of those losses has to be laid to my play. Losses to Patrick Chi and Jon Feinberg were not examples of good play by me. The question comes down to; can I restrain my wild streak and come up with a good effort against Peter Michelman? We will see next week!

Although I won my game Thursday with David Connors, the victory was more due to fortune than skill. My play was marred by a serious oversight. David, up to a point played a very nice game. Only when it came to the rough and tumble of hand-to-hand fighting did he slip. A most costly slip it was; from a completely won game in a move or two to being mated.

CDCL Match Sch'dy Geezers v Saratoga B
Site: SCC
Date: 5.20.2010
White: Connors, D
Black: Little, B

1. Nf3 d5
2. g3 Nf6
3. Bg2 c6
4. O-O Bf5
5. d3 e6
Very much mainstream theory into the 1980’s and 90’s. Example are Korchnoi - Karpov, Tilburg, 1986, 0-1 in 40 moves and Benjamin - Van der Sterren, Donner Memorial, 1994, ½ - ½ in 44 moves.

6. Nbd2 Nbd7
7. b3 Bc5
8. Bb2 h6
9. c4 O-O
We are still in the "Book" but with not so many 2600+ examples with which to compare, it is hard to say if we have played past any critical lines. The position was new and not well explored back in the 1950’s. Larry Evans wrote much about what was then known as the Reti Opening, Barcza System, especially in his book on the Lessing Rosenwald tournament 1954/55, "Trophy Chess".

10. Qc1 …..
Putting the Queen on c2 looks more natural.

10.… Re8
11. d4 Bd6
12. Ne5 Ng4!?
More calm is 12..., Qc7.
13. Nxg4 Bxg4
14. f3 Bh5
15. e4!? ….
Maybe 15 c5, first will push the Bishop off the diagonal. I was not at all sure where to keep the cleric; on the b8-h2 diagonal because my attack on the King was going to work, or retire it to f8 because there was a need to defend long term. After mulling that choice I decided to clear out the center and go for open play.

15.… e5
This offers a pawn, at least temporarily.

16. Kh1 …..
David is wary of tactics beginning with …, Qb6+; so he grants me some play in the center.
16.… exd4

17. Bxd4 …..
White elects to give me a protected passed pawn on d4. This is not an unreasonable choice. As I worked through the lines beginning with 17 cxd5, with the computer it became clear Black obtains a decent game and maybe a little bit more if White is not careful. I wonder if Connors saw it? I did not see it at all clearly but hoped the open nature of the position would be promising. My first thought when the center passer became possible was; well that pretty well finishes the fight. A few minuets of thought destroyed that illusion. The d-pawn is not very mobile with this much material on the board, and means there is a long struggle ahead.

17.…. c5
18. Bb2 d4
19. Re1 Ne5
20. Qc2 Nc6
21. a3 g5!?
Quite committal is this move. Retreating the Bishop to c7 and thinking of redeployment at a5 leaves the initiative firmly in White’s hands. I could not find any other move that promised active play and did not want to go over a passive defense.

22. b4! ….
A very strong offer of a pawn for piece freedom. By accepting it Black would have given White many open lines for the Queenside pieces. After the inevitable f3-f4, and …, gxf4; the White Rook goes from a1 through a3 to g3 showing up the problem with advancing the g-pawn to g5; the loosened pawns in front of the Black King offer no protection.

22.… b6
After noting the possibility of the Rook at a1 getting into the game I rejected accepting the pawn. It seems the pawn might be taken, but Black would have to be very, very accurate thereafter, at least that’s what computer analysis says. The game move offers the Exchange for active piece play. This is a real sacrifice; there is no clear route to substantial compensation, just good lines for my pieces, the chance of getting a Rook on the g-file first and planting my Knight on e3. Incidentally, the computer thinks White best counter is to return the Exchange for the eventual Knight on e3.

23. b5 Ne5
24. f4 gxf4
25. gxf4 Ng4
26. e5 Qh4
Right after the game finished I thought this move was just too adventurous. A calmer evaluation is it is probably the best move in a tense situation.

27. Nf3?! ….
It is possible 27 Nf1, is a bit stronger.

27.… Nf2+
28. Kg1 Nh3+
29. Kf1! …..
David goes for the win. He refuses to "wimp out" with 29 Kh1, when Black has nothing better than to repeat moves.

29.… Qxf4?
Black had to try 29..., Bxf3!?; then my guess is play would continue; 30 Bxf3, Qxf4; 31 Qe4!, Bxe5; 32 Qxf4, Bxf4; 33 Bxa8, Rxa8; 34 Kg2, Ng5; 35 Re7, Kf8; when Black has two pawns for the Exchange, but he will have to be accurate to prevent the White Rooks from becoming "two pigs on the seventh" and overwhelming the Black position. The text is a losing move. I missed a very simple shot that White has.

30. Bc1 ….
Right after the game David thought this move was incorrect. Even then with the tension of competition gone, neither of us saw the idea that it wins the position for White

30.… Qg4
31. exd6 Rxe1+
32. Nxe1 Re8
33. Qd3?? ….
As one of my early chess teachers said often; "If you don’t see it, it is not there, for you."
Winning is 33 Bxh3, Qxh3; 34 Qg2+!, Qxg2; 35 Kxg2, and 35..., Rxe1; is not good for the pawn on d6 reaches the 8th after 36 d2, making a Queen. White does not see the threat of mate on e2. This is another example of the great danger of enemy Knights on the third/sixth ranks near the your King.

33.… Qe2+
34. Qxe2 Bxe2 checkmate.
A disappointing loss for David and another lucky win for me. Had Connors won this game, that point along with the well won point Mark Brody scored in the next game would have drawn the match.

CDCL Match Sch’dy Geezers v Saratoga B
Site: SCC
Date: 5-20-2010
White: Brody, M
Black: Chu, R

1. e4 d5
2. e5 d4
3. d3 Nc6
4. Nf3 Bg4
5. Bf4 e6
6. Be2 Qd5
7. h3 Bh5
8. g4 Bg6
9. Nbd2 f6?!
A sacrifice maybe, or is it a casual move made without really looking? We have gotten to an odd position by non-standard paths. Sensible is 9..., 0-0-0; and after 10 Nc4, 10..., f6; looks good for Black. Before the games began, I mentioned to Richard his winning streak; he won every one of his games in the League matches. As with baseball pitchers throwing a no-hitter, speaking of the event may have jinxed the string.

10. exf6 Nxf6
11. Bxc7 e5
12. c4! ….
Brody may be a fourth board playing for a team that has yet to win or draw a match this year, however his play is a good example of simple good chess. Chu may have had an idea of trapping the Bc7 with his last move. Mark Brody must have seen the position more clearly than his opponent.

12.… dxc3
13. bxc3 Bxd3
14. c4 Qd7
15. Bxe5 Bxe2
Intuition has been Richard’s strong suit during this year’s matches. Here it betrays him. The try 15.…, 0-0-0; is an attempt to make something of the small lead in development purchased for the pawn minus. Black will get both of his Rooks to the open central files with dynamic possibilities. True enough the Black King is not comfortably placed with the Bf4’s diagonal cutting through his house. The text and the follow-up start down the path to a difficult ending for Black.

16. Qxe2 Nxe5
17. Nxe5 Qe6
18. g5 Nd7
19. Nxd7 Qxe2+
20. Kxe2 Kxd7
21. Ne4 Re8
The double Rook with minor pieces endgame favors White but is not clearly won. The Black Bishop with pawns on both sides of the board offers chances to hold. The greater range of the Bishop versus the Knight is a classic imbalance with lots of theory recorded about it. White’s Knight enjoys a strong position from which the Black forces on the board are ill suited to drive it away. Black’s best target is the pawn on c5. He should organize his counter-play around pressure against that point. Black very probably wants his King to go to the K-side at some point to balance to some degree the extra White pawn there.

22. f3 Be7
23. Rhd1+ Kc7
24. Rd5 Rd8
25. Rad1 Rxd5
26. Rxd5 b6
Without pressure on the c-file and with his King far from the White pawn majority, Black has a dismal, passive defensive task to face. The text puts a pawn on a dark colored square for no great need. Better 26..., Rd8; looking to get rid the last pair of Rooks. Without these Rooks on The Black would have some access to the weak White pawns on the Q-side and maybe can create some distraction for White over there.

27. a4 Rf8
28. Ke3 ….
White could played 28 a5, getting rid of weak pawn structure on the Q-side by eliminating the connected pawn pair that provides Black with chances to make a balancing passer if given the chance.

28.… Rd8
29. Kd4 Rf8
30. Ke3 Kc6
31. f4 g6
32. Kf3 a6
33. Kg4 ….
White has calmly brought his King to the critical sector pointing up how much Black could use his King there to shore the defense there.

33.… h6?
Better 33..., Bc5; 34 Nf5, Rf7; to be followed by 35..., Re7; getting the Black Rook behind the on-rushing White K-side majority. By having both the Rook and the Bishop actively deployed there are chances to make White work to take the full point. The text does no more than make the g-pawn a weakling.

34. gxh6 Rh8
35. Ng5 Rxh6
36. Nf7 Rh4+
37. Kg3 Rh7
38. Ne5+ Kb7
39. Nxg6 Bc5
White has two passers, and although they are disconnected, the Black Rook and Bishop will have a hard time holding them back.

40. f5 Rg7
41. Kg4 Kc6
42. Re5 b5
Desperation. There is not much to suggest for Black, but throwing another pawn overboard has to be the worst of the bad choices available. Worth a try is 42..., Bd4; 43 Re7, Kc5; aiming to make a distant passer of his own. The game is still lost for Black, but why not make White worry a little?

43. Re6+ Kd7
44. cxb5 axb5
45. axb5 Kd8
Now down three pawns Black's only hope is for earthquake or a power failure. The games goes on for awhile longer, but Mr. Brody demonstrates decent technique never letting things get out of control and brings home the point nicely. A fine performance by the lower rated player.

46. Kf4 Rb7
47. h4 Rxb5
48. h5 Ba3
49. Kg4 Kd7
50. Ne5+ Kc7
51. f6 Rb4+
52. Kf5 Bc1
53. Rc6+ Kd8
54. Rxc1 Rb2
55. Rc6 Re2
56. Rd6+ Ke8
57. Nc6 Resigns.

John Phillips won quite quickly on board three against Peter Sparagna. Peter fell into the classic trap of grabbing the b-pawn with his Queen, after which the well prepared Phillips chased the Queen gaining tempos on every turn until the game ended in less than twenty moves.

On board one Michael Mockler played a complex game against Jeff Hrebenach, a rising scholastic star. At one point Jeff had the game won with Mockler dropping a piece. Hrebenach did have his King is an awkward place. Michael found a nice tactic that turned the tables. He made use of a series of Knight forks coordinated with clever use of his Rooks to take the game to an ending where he had a Knight for a couple of weak pawns. Jeff was running short of time and Mockler had the technique to demonstrate the win. Both players were in some trouble with the clock at the end and the score sheets were not exactly clear. Bill Townsend volunteered to take them and make some sense of the record. I won’t be surprised to see the game in his column in the near future.