The Saratoga tournament continues to totter along. The game this week that did not get played was Hrebenach - Le Cours. The three contests played and finished were: Little - Taylor with Taylor winning in a short sharp fight, Connors - Fineberg and Fineberg got back to his winning ways in 35 moves, and an interesting battle between Gary Farrell and Lee Battes, two long time stalwarts of the Saratoga Club, where Farrell successfully carried out the main intention of the Bird’s Opening and drove home a mating attack. The standing are now: Taylor 3-0, Fineberg 2-1, Farrell 1-0, Battes and Little 1-1, Connors 1-2, with Alguire, Hrebenach and Le Cours not yet scoring.
Today’s game is between two gentlemen who have represented the Saratoga Club for many years. The Bird’s has been a favorite of Gary Farrell’s for as long as I have known him so I can not believe this is the first time these two have debated over the board the merits of 1. f4. A quick scan of my collection of local games did not turn up any examples however. That is too bad. It would be interesting to see how this game fits with their previous tries.
Farrell, Gary - Battes, Lee [A03]
Saratoga Championship Saratoga Springs, NY, 10.10.2010
1.f4 d5 2.e3 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.Be2 Nf6 5.0–0 0–0
Many of the best players have used the Bird’s on occasion. The very recently deceased Bent Larsen is maybe the most noteworthy of the practitioners. Other “names” have rolled out 1.f4 including Morozevich, Yudasin, Malaniuk, Ehlvest, and my boyhood hero Bronstein. None however, except Larsen, made a habit of it.
While frequently games in the opening take on a positional flavor, lurking at the heart of the scheme for White is an attack on the K-side featuring driving the f-pawn forward to f5 and even f6. This idea gives White real chances to win and requires Black to exercise due care through the middle game.
6.Nc3..,
This is a newer move. More usual is 6.d3. Mr. Farrell puts some effort into the study of opening lines. It is likely he has some homework that recommends this move.
6..., Bg4
Normal is 6..., c5. The only justification for putting the Bishop here is to trade it as in the game for the Nf3. That is not a bad deal in positional terms if Black wants to build a fence of pawns on the light squares
7.h3 Bxf3 8.Bxf3 e6 9.Qe2 c6
The game is just about dead level. Black has his light squared barricade of pawns, White has the Bishop pair with chances to try for a general advance on the K-side. The challenge for Black is to find a way to derail the looming White build-up on the K-side.
10.d3 Na6
Mr. Battes is as attentive as his opponent here to opening preparation. Since this is early days in the game he may have ginned up some tricky idea here at home. Rybka recommends 10..., Ne8 11 Qf2 Qb6; touching the slightly weak b2 and intending to post the Knights on d6 and d7 as a way forward for Black. Just how the Knight at a6 will come in to the game is unclear to me.
11.Bd2 d4!?
A sudden shift in plan, but why? Possibly Lee saw a chance to muddy the waters in the center after 12 exd4 Qxd4 13 Be3 Qd6 and reducing danger on the K-side by eliminating the White e-pawn.
12.Nd1 dxe3 13.Nxe3 Nd5 14.g3 Re8 15.Qf2 h5?!
The natural 15..., Bxb2 seems to give Black some advantage. True enough the line is complicated. Rybka lays it out as follows: 15.., Bxb2 16 Rb1 Bd4 17 Rxb7 Bb6 18 c4 Nc5 19 Rxb6 Nxb6 20 Bxc6 Nxd3 with complications slightly favoring Black, or 19 cxd5?1 Nxb7 20 dxc6 Nc5 and Black is better. In both cases the complex tactics turn out good for Black, but this is a difficult position and a challenge to work out over the board. There are variations in the above lines where pushing the h-pawn to the 5th is useful. Lee may have thought to get it in early. The text intends to make a hand-to-hand fight on the K-side. Now the tide turns in favor of White.
16.Nc4 Qc7 17.Rae1 h4?
Stepping back from the tactics in this position and looking at it from a positional perspective might be useful here. The bulk of the White force has gathered on the K-side and Black has two units, the Ra8 and the Na6 unemployed. Opening up lines on the K-side are not indicated from that point of view. The chances will favor the better developed side.
Better for Black is 17..., Nab4; making some threats on the Q-side to occupy the attention of White. The computer suggests 17.., Nab4 18 Bd1 c5, as a reasonable continuation. The Nb4 returns to useful employment via c6; White has some edge but the issue is still in doubt.
18.gxh4 Nxf4 19.Bg4 Nh5 20.Ne5 Bxe5 21.Rxe5 Ng7
Maybe slightly better is 21..., f5; but Black is in trouble anyway. Of course, 21..., Qxe5? 22 Qxf7+ and 23 Bc3, wins trivially.
22.Qf6 Nf5?
Missing his last chance to make a stubborn defense with 22..., Qe7; then 23 Rg5 Nf5 24 Qxe7 Rxe7; and the pressure continues but immediate mate is not happening. The game move loses.
23.Bc3...,
White coolly increases the pressure. Mate and dropping significant material can not be avoided.
23..., Qe7 24.Rexf5 Qxf6 25.Rxf6 Re7 26.h5 gxh5 27.Bxh5 Rf8 28.Be5 Rd7 29.Rh6 f6 30.Bxf6 Rh7 31.Rg6+ Kf7 32.Rg7# 1–0
A very neat finish by Gary Farrell. He has sat out the last few Saratoga Club Championships with some medical concerns. Feeling better now, his return makes the battle for the title even more interesting than usual.
More games soon.
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