The various chess club championship tourneys have ended, and the Capital District League matches have been underway for a few weeks now. The team of which I am a member, the Schenectady Geezers, is made up of players of many years experience. As the saying goes; "Sometimes age and dupilcity win out over youth and talent", but, that is not always the case.
The Schenectady Geezers came to the match against Saratoga A with hopes to improve their record (0-1). It was not to be, we went down 1-3 to the strong Saratoga team. Today’s game is one where there were chances for the Schenectady side to do better.
CDCL Match Saratoga A - Schenectady Geezers
Site: Saratoga Springs, NY
Date: 4.25.2010
White: Magat, G
Black: Phillips, J
1. c4 d6
2. d4 Nf6
3. Nc3 g6
4. e4 Bg7
5. f3 O-O
6. Be3 Nbd7
Perfectly OK according to theory. At this point Black could also try Bronstein’s suggestions; 6..., c5; sacrificing a pawn planning to obtain significant play exploiting the awkward lack of coordination of the White pieces after the Queens come off, or 6..., e5; 7 d5, Nh5; contemplating the sacrifice of the Black Queen for two minor pieces and a pawn, again making use of the chances poor coordination of the White forces present. The game move passes on those opportunities opting for more usual KID play. The statistics shown in my databases indicate White does very well here winning 3 to 1 with about 40% drawn.
7. Bd3 c5
8. d5 ….
In the very top level, 2500+, the much preferred move is 8 Nge2.
8.…. Ne5
9. Nge2 e6
10. dxe6 fxe6
11. O-O Qe7!?
The game has proceeded to the very outer edge of the fringes of theory. There are no examples from the top players to guide us now. Some FM’s and Candidate Masters have arrived here. One idea seen in those games is 11..., b6; thinking of putting the Bishop on a6, capturing the Bd3 bringing the White Queen into a square where the c-pawn is pinned and playing against the c-pawn. The logic of Black's disposition of forces is to break with …, d6-d5. The failure to make this thematic break can be said to lead to the downfall of Black.
12. Qd2 Bd7
13. Bg5 Nf7
14. Bh4 Bh6
15. f4 Ne5
16. Rad1 Qg7
Dicing with danger, Black offers White time to expand on the K-side by socking-in the Bh6. The method chosen does not have to lead to problems, but Black has to find the correct, active moves.
17. h3 Ne8
18. g4 Nxd3
19. Qxd3 g5?!
Black misses the right idea. With 19..., Bc6; Black meets 20 g5, with 20..., Qe7; and if 21 gxh6, Qxh4; drops the pawn on h6. If White tries some other move, Black retires the Bh6 to g7 when any opening up of the position favors the Bishops. Also, Black can eventually play …, Rad8; and …, Nc7; preparing the …, d6-d5; break giving Black good chances.
In place of improving the position of the Bd7, Black opens the f-file when his pieces are not well placed to fight for that line.
20. fxg5 Rxf1+
21. Rxf1 Bxg5
22. Bxg5 Qxg5
23. Qf3 ….
Is it possible that John under-valued this mate threat? Black has lost the fight for the initiative. White will dictate the future course of the game.
23.… Qg7?
An interesting mistake. Better 23..., Qe7; saving a tempo.
24. Ng3 ….
Threatening 25 Nh5, making the Black Queen move again.
24.… Rd8
25. Nh5 Qe7
26. Qf4 e5?
Giving up too many vital squares and renouncing the …., d6-d5; break. Without being able to force open lines, Black is nearly lost now.
27. Qh6?! ….
Superior is 27 Nd5, taking immediate advantage of the weak d5-square. After 27..., exf4; 28 Nxe7+, Kh8; 29 Rxf4, bagging a pawn while the danger to the Black King is not much lessened.
27.… Be6
28. b3 Bf7?
After this error Black is in a bad way.
29. Rxf7! ….
Nicely done. My loss to Jon Feinberg had ended not long before this position occurred. As I watched the last few moves the thought was John Phillips had a plan in mind. Looking at the game in total in the quiet of my study it became clear the weaknesses; d5, f5 and f6 are too numerous and too close to the Black King for much resistance to be made. There was no reason for Gordon to expect Phillips cooperate by putting the Bishop on f7, but when it appeared there, Gordon thought for some minutes and played the sacrifice confidently.
29.… Kxf7
30. Nd5 Qf8
31. Qxh7+ Ke6
32. Qf5+ ….
A quick end is possible with 32 Nhf6!, and if 32..., Nxf6??; 33 Nc7#. Otherwise, if 32..., Rc8; 33 Qf5+, Kf7; 34 Nd7+, wins decisive material, or, what maybe the best chance is 32..., Qxf6; 33 Nxf6, Nxf6; 34 Qf5+, and 35 g5, when the connected passed pawns with the Queen to support will get more material soon enough. This is probably the line that caused Gordon to take a slower approach to finishing the game. No need to calculate tricky lines when the Queens are forced off and the three passed pawns roll.
32.… Qxf5
33. exf5+ Kf7
34. g5 Ng7
35. g6+ Kf8
36. Ng3 a6
This move could be labeled a mistake, but there is nothing really to be done now. Slightly better is 36..., Ne8; but the Rook cuts a sorry picture not able to get into the game. While watching I hoped there was something I missed and one of the center pawns could dash forward to distract White. That was not to be.
37. h4 Re8
38. h5 Rb8
However, 38..., e4; just does not work well enough after 39 h6, and material will be lost without doing enough damage to the charging pawns. The battle is over. White just has to maintain the steady nerves he has shown to this point.
39. h6 Ne8
40. Nh5 Kg8
41. f6 Nxf6
Throwing in material does not change matters at all.
42. Nhxf6+ Kf8
43. Nd7+ Resigns.
John Phillips erred in the middle of the game missing the positional break, …, d3-d5; and by allowing the f-file to be opened. Gordon Magat took full advantage the opportunites offered and was rewarded with a chance to make a neat sacrifice of the Exchange to wind up the game.
Some late news. The Schenectady Geezers won their match against Troy 3-1 last evening. Troy was handicapped by their second board's absence. They began down a point with that forfeit and quickly were trouble on the third board when Hill fell into a trap set by Phillips. Chu and Canty on board four were playing quickly. Canty got a Rook into an awkward situation and it looked as if Chu would make something out of that.
The struggle on board one was a dour, convoluted, closed battle between Phil Thomas and Michael Mockler. Mockler has taken up the French Defense lately. He enjoys taking the game away from the mainstream theory. Sometimes this works by getting his opponent into deep murky waters. In this game his opponent was Phil Thomas, a player of obvious talent who began playing just five years ago. Thomas has made steady progress to a solid rating in the high end of the B Class. Phil has taken full and half points from higher rated players in the last year or two. In this game Thomas obtained an advantage in Space, held it and squeezed until Mockler had to make a concessions eventually losing the game.
As described so far not much drama, right? Boards three and four for the Geezers; Phillips and Chu, both had clear advantages slip away. The games went from near wins to even, then to lost and back to wins. For this partisan observer the roller coaster ride was almost too much to take. I sure the Troy team who stayed until the last pawn fell felt much the same, of course with a far different final result.
Games from the match tomorrow.
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