10.26.2010

Connors v. LeCours Staunton Club 2010














Diagram After 12. Kd1 Diagram After 35...Nf6

This is my game from October 24, 2010 with David Connors at the Saratoga Staunton Club. David usually plays very tough in the opening, and he has beaten me in regular tournament games on a couple of occasions, including last year in the Schenectady Championships, where I had a rook and pawn ending up one pawn and refused to accept the draw, and then proceeded to lose!

(1) Connors,David (1550) - LeCours,Alan (1927)[A45]


SAR St. Club, 24.10.2010

1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 g6 3.h3 Bg7 4.e3 0–0 5.Nd2 d5!?


Black is playing for a Grunfeld type of set up. By playing d5!?, this weakens the e5 square. The GM recommended move is 5…d6 to prepare for an eventual pawn push to e5.

This position eventually transposes to a London System, which was a system developed in the 1920s to combat the King's Indian Defense. Normally the London System move order is 1. Nf3 2. d4 3. Bf4 4. e3. Because of the unusual move order I only have 7 games in my database with this position.

The position is dead even. White in this system does not really even try to obtain an early advantage. The "system" is based upon a slow build up.




6.Bd3 Nbd7

There is only one master level game with this position in my database, Koenig v. Duer, Austria, 2000 see below. But after 8. Ngf3 I have 120 games.

7.c3 c5

Black can consider 7…Nh5 with the idea of 8…e5

8.Ngf3 Qb6

Black is playing to pressure the b2 square to try to take advantage of the absence of the Bishop from c1. This is a similar idea to playing against some lines of the Trompowsky. Of the 120 games in my database however, the stronger player were playing 8…b6 (84) 8…c4 (19) 8…Rfe8 (18). Only 4 games have 8. Qb6

Rybka2 (One of the Computer Brutes) at 16 ply agrees with 8…Qb6 at 19 ply prefers 8…c4. Position about equal +0.08
9.Qb1 (9. Qc1) cxd4 (Nh5) 10.exd4 (cxd4) Nh5 11.Bh2




If 11. Be3 f5 12. g4 Nf4 13. Bxf4 fxg4 14. Be3 gxf3 (Rbk -0.53 17/p)

11…Qe6+ 12.Kd1
See first Diagram

I thought this move looked a little odd. But at least here the e-file can be used by a rook.

12….Qb6?!

My original idea was 12…Qf6 but I thought my pieces would get tangled up on the king-side. I thought that even with the retreat, white had lost some time because of the loss of the castling privilege. But 12…Qf6 was much better.

13.g4 Nhf6 14.Bg3 Re8 15.Re1 Qc6?!

Black should play 15….a5 I did not want to permanently weaken the b5 square to allow Bb5.

16.a4

According to Rybka white has a slight edge +0.27 but just over the equality range (-0.20--+0.20)

16….a6 17.Qa2 b6
18.Kc2
(Maybe white could try 18. c4 and play against the queen on the c-file) e6
19.Re2 Bb7 20.Rae1 b5 21.a5 (Kb1) b4 22.c4 (Qb3) dxc4 23.Bxc4 Rac8



24.b3?! (Kb1=)Nd5!

Now black has taken the advantage according to Rybka -0.91 16/p If 25. Ne4 Nc3 26. Nxc3 Qxf3 27. Re3 Qg2 28. Ne2 Qxh3 and black maintains his advantage.


25.Qb2 Nc3 26.Re3 Nd5 27.R3e2 Nc3 28.Re3

How does black maintain his advantage?

Black was starting to get seriously short of time (under 5 minutes) and white still had about 50 minutes of time). The best way to continue was Nf6 to try to sink a second knight on d5.

A possible continuation is 28….Nf6 29. Ne5 Qg2 30. h4 Nfd5

31. Rd3 Bxe5 32. dxe5 Qh3 Rbk -1.40 Black is winning.

28….Nb5?! 29.Kb1 Na3+ 30.Ka2 Nxc4 31.Nxc4

31… Qd5?!




Missing a fork. 31…Bf8 would have preserved a little advantage for black.

32.Nd6 Qxa5+ 33.Kb1
In spite of only have a pawn for the exchange, Rybka2 "thinks" black has the smallest of advantages, with either 33….Bf8 or 33…Bxf3 -0.28

Now white and black enterred into a blitz match. We were playing with the time delay. Black had 1 and one-half minutes left, but white had over 30 minutes.

33…Bd5?! (The game is equal) 34.Nxe8 Rxe8 35.Rc1 Nf6

See Second Diagram

36.Be5??

This blunder allows black to get the exchange back, and drive the white king out to the open, leading to the monarch's demise. 36 . Nd2 and the game would be about even.

36…... Be4+ 37.Rxe4 Nxe4 38.Bxg7 Kxg7 39.Ne5 Nc3+ 40.Kc2 Rc8

41.Nc4 Qd5 42.Kd3 Qf3+ 43.Ne3 Qe4+ 44.Kd2 Qxd4+ 45.Ke1 Qe4


46.Rxc3?! bxc3 47.Qc2 Qh1+ 48.Ke2 Qxh3 0–1

Game References:

(2063667) Koenig,Dietrich (2327) - Duer,Werner (2325) [D02]

AUT-chT2W 0001 Austria (6), 12.01.2001

1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 g6 4.Nd2 Bg7 5.h3 0–0 6.Bd3 Nbd7 7.Ngf3 c5 8.c3 b6 9.0–0 Bb7 10.Qe2 Ne4 11.Rad1 Qe8 12.Rfe1 Nxd2 13.Rxd2 e5 14.dxe5 Nxe5 15.Nxe5 Bxe5 16.Bh6 Bg7 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.Red1 Qe5 19.Ba6 Bc6 20.Bb5 Bb7 21.Qf3 Qe7 22.Qf4 Rfd8 23.Be2 Rd6 24.Bf3 Rad8 25.c4 g5 26.Qg3 d4 27.Bxb7 Qxb7 28.exd4 cxd4 29.Rxd4 Rxd4 30.Rxd4 Rxd4 31.Qe5+ f6 32.Qxd4 Qa6 33.a3 Qa4 34.Qd3 Qe8 35.Qe3 Qa4 36.b4 Qd1+ 37.Kh2 Qd6+ 38.g3 h5 39.c5 bxc5 40.bxc5 Qc7 41.Kg1 Qd7 42.Kh2 Qc7 43.c6 Qxc6 44.Qxa7+ Kg6 45.Qd4 Qc7 46.Qe4+ Kg7 47.Kg2 Qa7 48.a4 Qa5 49.Qb7+ Kg6 50.Qb1+ Kg7 51.Qb5 Qa8+ 52.Kh2 Qe4 53.a5 Qe1 54.Qb6 h4 55.a6 hxg3+ 56.Kxg3 Qe5+ 57.Kg2 Qe4+ 58.Kf1 Qd3+ 59.Ke1 Qc3+ 60.Kd1 Qd3+ 61.Kc1 Qc3+ 62.Kb1 Qd3+ 63.Kb2 Qd2+ 64.Kb3 Qd3+ 65.Kb4 Qd2+ 66.Kb5 Qd5+ 67.Qc5 Qb3+ 68.Kc6 Qa4+ 69.Kb7 Qe4+ 70.Qc6 Qb4+ 71.Kc8 Qf8+ 72.Kc7 Qa3 73.Kb8 Kg6 74.Qe4+ Kh6 75.Qe6 Qb4+ 76.Kc7 Qc5+ 77.Kd7 Kg6 78.Qe4+ Kh6 79.Qe6 Kg6 80.Ke8 Qb5+ 81.Kd8 Qa5+ 82.Kc8 Qc5+ 83.Kb7 Qb5+ 84.Kc7 Qc5+ 85.Qc6 Qe7+ 86.Kc8 Qf8+ 87.Kd7 1–0

(81207) Bondarevsky,Igor - Liublinsky,Victor Alexandrovic [D02]
URS-ch18 Moscow (14), 03.12.1950
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bf4 Bg7 4.Nbd2 0–0 5.h3 d5 6.e3 c5 7.c3 Nbd7 8.Bd3 b6 9.0–0 Bb7 10.Qe2 Ne4 11.Rfd1 Qc8 12.Rac1 Nxd2 13.Qxd2 f6 14.Bg3 e5 15.dxe5 Nxe5 16.Be2 Qe8 17.Qc2 Kh8 18.b3 Rd8 19.a4 Bc6 20.Ra1 Qe7 21.a5 b5 22.b4 Nxf3+ 23.Bxf3 c4 24.Rd2 f5 25.Rad1 Qf6 26.Rd4 Qe6 27.R4d2 d4 28.cxd4 Bxf3 29.gxf3 f4 30.Bxf4 Qxh3 31.Qe4 Rf5 32.Bg3 Rh5 33.f4 Rf8 34.d5 Bc3 35.Re2 Bxb4 36.d6 Bxa5 37.d7 Bd8 38.Red2 Kg8 39.Rd5 a6 40.Rxh5 gxh5 41.Rd5 h4 42.Rg5+ Bxg5 43.Qd5+ Kg7 44.Qxg5+ Kf7 45.Qh5+ Ke6 46.Qe8+ Rxe8 47.dxe8Q+ Kd5 48.Qh5+ Ke4 49.Bxh4 c3 50.Qxh7+ Kf3 51.Qh5+ Ke4 52.Qh7+ Kf3 53.Qh5+ Ke4 54.Qg6+ Kf3 55.Bf6 b4 56.Be5 a5 57.f5 Ke2 58.f6 Qf1+ 59.Kh2 ½–½

(3633814) Bogosavljevic,Boban (2302) - Stojanovic,Mihajlo (2549) [D00]
Serbia-chT Zlatibor (5), 30.08.2006
1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Nf6 3.e3 c5 4.c3 Nbd7 5.Nd2 g6 6.h3 Bg7 7.Ngf3 0–0 8.Bd3 b6 9.0–0 Bb7 10.Ne5 Ne4 11.Nxe4 dxe4 12.Bb5 Nxe5 13.dxe5 Bd5 14.Qe2 Qc8 15.Rfd1 Rd8 16.c4 Be6 17.Rxd8+ Qxd8 18.Bc6 Rc8 19.Bb7 Rc7 20.Rd1 Rd7 21.Rxd7 Qxd7 22.Bxe4 Qc7 23.b3 Bxe5 24.Bxe5 Qxe5 25.Qc2 Qa1+ 26.Qb1 Qc3 27.Qd1 Kg7 28.Bd3 h6 29.Kf1 g5 30.Qc2 Qa1+ 31.Ke2 Qe5 32.Kd2 Bd7 33.Qc3 Kf6 34.Bf1 Bc6 35.Qxe5+ Kxe5 36.g3 Bf3 37.Bd3 f5 38.Bf1 f4 39.a3 Bh1 40.Bd3 fxg3 41.fxg3 Bg2 42.h4 gxh4 43.gxh4 Be4 44.Bf1 Kf6 45.Bh3 Bf3 46.Bd7 Kg6 47.Be8+ Kf5 48.Bd7+ e6 49.b4 Bh5 50.bxc5 bxc5 51.e4+ Kxe4 52.Bxe6 Kd4 53.Kc2 Be2 54.Kb3 Bd1+ 55.Kb2 a5 56.Bf7 a4 57.Be6 Bb3 58.Bf7 Bxc4 59.Be8 Bb3 60.Bg6 Bc4 61.Be8 Bb3 62.Bg6 c4 63.Be8 Kd3 64.Kc1 Kc3 65.Bb5 Kd4 66.Be8 c3 67.Bg6 Ke3 68.Be8 Kf4 69.h5 Kg5 70.Kb1 Bd1 71.Kc1 Bb3 72.Kb1 Kf4 73.Kc1 Ke5 74.Kb1 Ke6 75.Kc1 Ke7 76.Bb5 Kf7 77.Bc6 Kg8 78.Be8 Kg7 79.Kb1 Kh7 80.Bg6+ Kh8 81.Be8 Kg7 82.Kc1 Kh8 83.Kb1 Kg7 84.Kc1 Kf6 85.Kb1 Ke5 86.Kc1 Kd4 87.Kb1 Bd1 88.Kc1 Be2 89.Kc2 Bf3 90.Bf7 Bc6 91.Kc1 Bd5 92.Be8 Bb3 93.Kb1 Bd1 94.Kc1 Bf3 95.Bf7 Bc6 96.Kc2 Bd7 97.Kc1 Bg4 98.Kc2 Bf3 99.Kc1 Bd5 100.Be8 Bb3 101.Kb1 Ke4 102.Kc1 Kf5 103.Kb1 Kg4 104.Kc1 Kg5 105.Kb1 Bd1 106.Kc1 Bxh5 107.Bxa4 Bg6 108.Bd1 Kf4 109.a4 Ke5 110.Be2 h5 111.a5 h4 112.Bf1 Kd6 113.a6 Kc6 114.Kd1 Kb6 115.Kc1 Ka7 116.Kd1 Kb6 117.Kc1 Be4 118.Kd1 Bf5 119.Kc1 Ka5 120.Kd1 Bc8 121.a7 Bb7 122.Kc2 Kb4 123.Bh3 Be4+ 124.Kc1 Kc5 125.Kd1 Kd4 126.Kc1 Kc5 127.Kd1 Ba8 128.Kc1 Kb6 129.Kd1 Bc6 130.a8Q Bxa8 131.Kc2 Kc7 132.Kxc3 Bb7 133.Kd4 Bc8 134.Bxc8 Kxc8 135.Ke4 ½–½

(1811890) Loktionova,Natalia (2230) - Sofronie,Iulian (2405) [D02]


Techirghiol Techirghiol, 1998


1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bf4 Bg7 4.Nbd2 d5 5.e3 c5 6.c3 Nbd7 7.h3 0–0 8.Bd3 b6 9.0–0 Bb7 10.Ne5 Ne4 11.Qc2 Nxd2 12.Qxd2 Nxe5 13.dxe5 Qc7 14.e6 Qc6 15.exf7+ Rxf7 16.f3 e5 17.Bg5 c4 18.Bc2 Rd7 19.Qf2 Qc5 20.Rad1 a5 21.Qh4 d4 22.b3 Ba6 23.Rfe1 d3 24.bxc4 Bxc4 25.Rd2 Qc6 26.Qe4 Qxe4 27.fxe4 Rc8 28.Bd1 Rcc7 29.Bg4 Rd6 30.Rc1 Ba6 31.Be2 Bf8 32.Bf1 Kg7 33.Kf2 Rdd7 34.Rb1 Bc5 35.Re1 Ba3 36.Rb1 Rxc3 37.Rxb6 Rc2 0–1

(741007) Tolhuizen,Ludo (2275) - Fedorov,Vladislav (2395) [D02]
Vanlose Vanlose, 1991
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bf4 c5 4.c3 Nbd7 5.e3 g6 6.Nbd2 Bg7 7.Bd3 0–0 8.h3 b6 9.0–0 Bb7 10.a4 a6 11.Qb1 Qc8 12.b4 Nh5 13.Bh2 c4 14.Bc2 f5 15.Ne5 Nxe5 16.Bxe5 Bxe5 17.dxe5 f4 18.Nf3 fxe3 19.fxe3 Qe6 20.Qd1 Ng3 21.Re1 d4 22.Nxd4 Qxe5 23.Qg4 Ne4 24.Bxe4 Qxe4 25.Qxe4 Bxe4 26.a5 ½–½

No comments: