A Heavyweight Battle in the CDCL

Of the several interesting and locally important games from last Thursday’s CDCL matches at Schenectady the contest between Michael Mockler and Matt Katrein was, to me, fascinating. Matt has been at the top, or one of the very few at the top of the local rating list since the 1960’s! Later, in the 1970’s Michael Mockler began his rise as a chess player to the Expert ranks. Their games from those days were a clash of the old guard with the new. Decades pass and the competitors still meet over the board. They have been caught up with by teenage Masters and sub-teen Experts, but are not quite ready to step aside to the newest guard. Here Michael and Matt make a stern fight.

CDCL Match Sch'dy Geezers v Albany
Site: SCC
Date; 05.27.2010
White: Mockler, M
Black: Katrein, M

1. b3 c5
2. Bb2 Nc6
3. e3 e5
4. Bb5 d6
5. d4 Qa5+
6. Nc3 …..
Mr. Mockler has taken a page from Bent Larson’s book. The databases have dozens of games where the Great Dane began with 1.b3. Mr. Katrien has treated the opening with enough creativity that the game position is not found in my databases. We are on our own now with nothing more than our intuition and a trusty silicone sidekick to help us understand the game.

6.… cxd4
7. exd4 exd4
8. Qxd4 ….
Things are far from clear, but the players have built some tension in the position.

8.… Bd7
9. Qe3+ Be7
10. O-O-O O-O-O
11. Rd5 …..
Development is nearing completion, just one more piece each side must find employment for. However, all is not easy for Black; the Be7 is only apparently protected by the Nc6. Rather than stirring the pot with the text, Mockler could have proceeded normally with 11 Nf3, after which Matt would have had to search for and find the unlikely move 11..., Re8. If Katrein tries alternatives such as 11..., Nf6; 12 Bxc6, is an immediate problem. Mr. Katrein, in my experience, almost always sees things as they are on the chessboard, not what he wishes them to be. Doubtless he would have made the 11..., Re1; move, but he would not have been happy about it; White has many choices open for him then: 12 h3, 12 Rhe1, and maybe best of all 12 Bc4. Putting the Knight on f6 would have given White the initiative.
The game move makes an attempt to add one more layer of tension to the position. The move forces Black to better coordinate his pieces.

11.… Qc7
12. Nf3 Nf6
13. Rhd1 …..
More careful is 13 Rd2. The text offers an Exchange that can not be taken. If 13..., Nxd5; 14 Nxd5, Qa5; 15 Bxc6, and the Be7 is loose.

13.… Rhe8
My computer suggests 13.., Be6; as preferred, but as the line plays out it likes the resulting positions less and less for Black. The text seems to be the best Black has.

14. R5d2 Bf8
15. Qf4 a6
16. Bc4 Ne5
Both sides have finished deploying troops and begun to think about active operations. Black has a positional flaw, the isolated QP on the sixth. He’d like to advance the pawn to the fifth. White has just enough force in and around the center to make the advance impossible at the moment.
Since advancing the d-pawn is out of the question, Black looks for other ways to generate activity. I did not quite get Katrein’s idea until the position played out over the board; attack down the c-file. Another possibility is using the e-file after 16..., Be6; then 17 Nd5, Nxd5; 18 Bxd5, Bxd5; 19 Rxd5, Re2; with a pair of Rooks probably coming off soon as well. This way takes much of the sting is out of the position, but Black has not much scope for dynamic play. That is the likely reason Matt chose the c-file as his road.

17. Nd5 Nxd5
18. Bxd5 f6
19. Nd4 Kb8
20. Kb1 Rc8
21. Nf5!? ….
By going to f5 Michael gives Black a chance to advance the pawns on the K-side. Steadier is 21 c4, and c4 can be supported, if need be, by Nd4/c2/e3. Black now gains some space in which he may be able to mount counter-play.

21.… g5
22. Qe4 Ng6
23. Qf3 Nf4
Black could alternatively try for an material imbalance with 23..., g4; 24 Qxg4, Ne7; 25 Be4, Qc5; 26 Bc4, Bxf5; 27 Bxc5, Bxg4; 28 Bxd6+, Ka7; 29 f3, and then can choose among 29..., f4; 29.…, Bh5; or 29..., Be6; depending on mood. True enough another pawn will fall, however a piece for three pawns is not so bad a deal when you have a Bishop pair on the board and the opponent is beginning to have time worries. The computer sees the game nearing level in this line. Matt was no doubt aware Albany had two points in the bag at this point of the game. Likely he did see a need to take chances with the three pawns for a piece imbalance. The problem is the text permits White to obtain a clear and measurable advantage. It could be Black really had to fish those troubled waters.

24. Ne3 h5?!
Better 24..., f5. The game move leaves the K-side pawns weaker than they have to be.

25. g3? ….
By playing 25 c4, Mockler would have sidestepped the tactical connection between c2 attacked by two heavy pieces and the guardian Knight on e3 making the Exchange sacrifice on e3 ineffective. Attempting to "bum’s rush" the Nf4 away steps into a forcing sequence Black must have been considering for sometime. The result of the sequence is not so bad for White, except Black had the idea and White had to react to it. Mr. Mockler’s clock was starting to tick down, Katrein was making his moves relatively quickly. Michael thought he was better I believe. That set of circumstances create an environment in which it is tough to make accurate decisions. The simple 25 h3, would have kept the pressure on Black if White did not feel advancing the c-pawn was trustworthy.

25.… Rxe3
26. fxe3 Bg4
27. Qf2 Nxd5
28. Rxd5 Bxd1
29. Rxd1 Be7
30. Rd4 Qc6
31. e4 Qc5
32. Qe2 ….
White is comfortably on top but his clock is racing towards five minutes left. Mr. Katrein has something more than twenty-five minutes remaining.

32.… g4
33. c4 f5?
This move makes possible serious winning chances for White based on a plan Mockler’s Rybka machine found; pushing the e-pawn if Black does nothing. Better for Black is something like 33..., Qa5; 34 Rd5, Rc5; then trading Rooks and going over to a passive defense for awhile.

34. Rd5 Qg1+
35. Rd1 …..
If White wanted to continue he had to try 35 Bc1, then 35..., fxe4; 36 Qxe4, Re8; 37 Rxh5; is clearly won for White. By this time Richard Chu and I had lost, Phillips was fighting off a protected passed pawn and his draw on board three was by no means secure. Michael was down to a bare five minutes and Katrien still had just about twenty-five minutes. To ensure the Geezers were not whitewashed, Mr. Mockler offered the draw and Mr. Katrein accepted. At about the same time the Phillips - Howard game also ended drawn. This time I can’t say the Geezers might have done better. The losses on board two and four were pretty comprehensive and Albany won the match handsomely.

More tomorrow.