Both Peter Henner and Dean Howard responded to my request for what they have on their game from last Wednesday in the first round of the Albany Area Chess Club preliminary sections. Dean won a game in what began as a Scotch Gambit and transposed into not a very common position.
Howard, Dean - Henner, Peter [C44]
AACC Ch. Prelim B Guilderland, NY, 17.11.2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3,..
The more usual line for the Scotch Gambit is 4 Bc4.
4..., d5 5.exd5 Qxd5 6.cxd4 Bg4
Even one hundred years ago this line was not terribly popular. A quick survey of my databases delivered 34 games between 1897 and 2007, that is not very many games for 110 years. However the actual results were not so bad for Black: White won 16, lost 13 with 5 drawn.
7.Be2 0–0–0 8.Nc3 Qa5 9.Be3 Nf6 10.0–0 Bd6!?
The game has oddly enough transposed into a position quite like something from the Center Counter, or Scandinavian Defense. The move played seems to be wrong, or at least doubtful. Some masters tried 10..., Bb5; ambitious, others attempted 10..., Bc5; willingly entering a complicated sequence that gets off a couple pairs of minor pieces and a pawn or two leaving Black a small advantage in piece activity. The text requires Black to take some chances with the safety of his Queen.
11.h3 Bf5 12.Nd2 Be6 13.Nb3 Qf5?
The last few moves were fraught with complications most of which swirled around “Where does the Black Queen go to find a quiet life?” It turns out that moving forward to b4 is the only way for Black to keep from getting into trouble. Of course, after 13..., Qb4; the obvious 14 d5, fails because 14..., Nxd5 15 Nxd5 Bxd5 16 Qxd5 Bh2+; picks up the Queen for two minor pieces. Since direct tactics don’t work, White might try 14 Bf3, still aiming to push the d-pawn to d5. Black can answer 14..., Ne7 15 Bd2 Kb8 16 Ne4 Bxb3!?; leading to plenty of tactics that seem to favor Black. It is understandable that running the Queen towards the opposite side of the board is tempting in the face of the difficult calculations necessary after 13..., Qb4. Unfortunately for Peter, everything else gives White an advantage. If 13..., Bxb3 14 axb3 Qf5 15 Bd3 Qd7 16 d5!, and the attack White has is very dangerous.
The next couple of moves demonstrate the problem Black is facing; his Queen is exposed letting White force a favorable material imbalance; two Knights and a pawn for a Rook immediately. Typically, collecting a material plus results in a bit of “indigestion” for the side obtaining it. That was not the case in this game. This time the material imbalance translates shortly into further material gain.
14.Bd3 Qh5 15.Qxh5 Nxh5 16.d5 Nb4 17.Be2 Nc2 18.dxe6 Nxa1 19.Rxa1 Nf4 20.Bxf4 Bxf4 21.exf7 c6 22.Nc5,..
Going into this position Black may have thought recovering the pawn at f7 was possible. The game move puts paid to that idea. If 22..., Rdf8 23 Bg4+ Kb8 (any other King move also allows a fork) 24 Nd7+ leaves White up a full piece.
22..., Rd2
This move loses to the same idea.
23.Bg4+ Kb8 24.Nd7+ Rxd7 25.Bxd7 Rd8 26.Be8 Bd6 27.Rd1 1–0
Dean understood the position better that Peter did and exploited that understanding in a most commendable fashion. Mr. Henner thought he made several poor moves. He is too hard on himself. Move 10, .. Bd6 was not the most active option, and it narrowed his path very much, but it was still possible to maintain the balance. The move responsible for all of Black’s troubles was 13..., Qf5?; instead of 13..., Qb4. After that error there was no way to save the game.
More soon.
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