Wednesday evening saw most of the last round of the AACC Preliminaries played. One game, Henner - Perry was not played and is rescheduled to a later date.
Things went as rating predicted mostly, except Arthur Alowitz took a half point from Bill Little, an upset certaqinly. The results were:
Lack 1-0 Eson
Kemp 0-1 Wright
Magat 1-0 McCarthy
Howard 1-0 Denham
Alowitz ½ - ½ Little
It seems there is an accurate barometer of how well I am playing; my handwriting. When I play well my score sheet is readable, not great because age has had its effect on small motor skills but readable. When the score sheet is almost undecipherable, I dread examining the game under the unblinking eye of Rybka. Too, too often the electronic wizard points out glaring oversights. Such was the case in my game with Arthur Alowitz. It took an hour of work to reconstruct the score of this game played less than twelve hours before.
Alowitz, Arthur - Little, Bill [B07]
AACC Ch Prelim 1 Guilderland, NY, 05.01.2011
1.e4 d6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d3 g6 4.Nc3 Bg7 5.g3 0–0 6.Bg2 Nbd7 7.0–0 c6 8.Rb1,..
Up to this move the position is not unknown to theory. It does not show up in the practice of the top flight elite. There are a few examples from the 2400 - 2500 players in my databases. White has a small edge in the results. The text is an innovation and not at all bad. More typical is 8 h3, to preserve the dark squared Bishop in some lines.
8..., Qc7 9.Bg5 h6 10.Bf4 Nh5 11.Be3 b5 12.Qd2 Kh7 13.Ne2 Nhf6 14.c3,..
Probably 14 h3, preventing any threat on the Be3 is more logical.
14..., Bb7?!
This is also doubtful. Right away 14..., Ng4; is more sensible.
15.b3 Qa5?
I knew when making the this move there was a good chance a pawn would have to be tossed in the pot. My thought was to complicate the game creating tactical chances.
16.Ned4 c5?!
The pawn is offered.
17.b4!,..
The only way to go. All the alternatives let Black get some advantage. So much for impressing the lower rated opponent. Arthur sees the situation clearly and plays correctly.
17..., Qb6 18.bxc5 dxc5 19.Nxb5 Ng4 20.Na3?!,..
Missing the chance to nail down an advantage with 20 Nd6! I did not see this possibility during the game, and I guess neither did Alowitz. After 20 Nd6 Qxd6 21 Rxb7 Rfb8 22 Rfb1 Nxe3 23 fxe3 Nb6 24 Rxb8+ Rxb8 25 Qc2, White has consolidated his advantage. The White central pawn mass leaves Black an unappetizing prospect of fighting a pawn down without many opportunities to obtain activity for his pieces. The only idea behind letting the pawn go was to make use of tactical chances brought about by active pieces. The move 20 Nd6, would have neatly demonstrated my poor judgment about that possibility.
20..., Qa6
The other choice here is 20..., Nxe3; then if White takes the Queen 21 Rxb6, Nxf1 22 Qb2 axb6 23 Bxf1 Bc6; and Black has two Rooks for the Queen with possible pressure down the a-file. The computer sees Black with a very slight edge in this line. At the board, my evaluation was not so sanguine. It seemed to me that the a-pawn could not be won easily if at all, and keeping the Queen on offered more chances for complications. As we will see that was not a great decision.
21.Nc4 Rfd8 22.h3 Nxe3 23.Nxe3,..
White could play 23 Qxe3, since the a2-pawn can’t be taken, the Bb7 is loose.
23..., Nf6?
Fixated on making threats I blunder. Necessary is 23..., Nb3; to avoid worse. I had visions of recovering the pawn because of the potential pin on the d-file.
24.Qc2?,..
Much better is 24 e5!, opening the long diagonal for the long dormant Bg2. Black will lose material one way or another soon. One simple example is; 24..., Rxd3 25 Qe2 Ne8 26 Rxb7. Good luck is the only thing that allows me to play on.
24..., Bc6 25.Ne5 Ba4 26.Qb2 Be8 27.Qb7 Qxb7
It was now clear to me I was fighting for a draw. To that end, it is reasonable to try for that most drawn of endings; Bishops of opposite color. That sort of endgame with both pairs of Rooks on the board does not work out terribly well for the defending side most times, so one pair of Rooks has to come off even should it cost another pawn.
28.Rxb7 Rab8 29.Rfb1 Rxb7 30.Rxb7 Nxe4 31.Bxe4 Bxe5 32.Rxa7 Bxc3 33.Rxe7 Bg7 34.Nd5 Bb5 35.Rxf7 Bxd3 36.Bxd3 Rxd5
Black has reached the Bishops of opposite color position, but White is still better, nevertheless the outlines of a defensive plan are evident; if the a-pawn advances the Bb3 can be attack by my Rook and the advanced c-pawn will certainly worry White.
37.Be4,..
White could make Black sweat with 37 Bb5, preparing the push of the a-pawn.
37..., Rd4
Better 27..., Rd2; right away.
38.Bc2,..
More faulty endgame play. Neither side did good work in this technical ending.
38..., Rc4 39.Bb3 Rc1+ 40.Kg2 c4 41.Rc7?
This could have lost the game.
41..., c3??
Handing back the full point. There are good chances of winning after 41..., cxb3 42 Rxc1 bxa2; and although the Bishop is the wrong color for the h-pawn, White would have to find the drawing idea; pawn liquidation. White could play to trade off his f&g-pawns for the Black g-pawn, retire his King to h1 where Black can never squeeze him out. Black has to avoid that outcome, keep the pawns on, then run White out of moves until he can get his King in behind the White pawn chain. It would be a long winded process in which White has defensive ideas. One such is sacrificing the h-pawn, and if Black foolishly captures with his g-pawn, the White King runs to h1 and the safety of a draw. I would have played this line if I had seen it. By this point in the game discouragement had worn me down and it was missed.
42.Rd7 Re1 43.Rd1 Re7 44.Rd6 Re2 45.Kf1,..
White has one idea only in the forefront of his thoughts; attack g6. Certainly it is a dangerous threat, but he should be using it not so much to win directly but to improve the placement of the rest of his pieces also. Better here is 45 Kf3, making my Rook on the second rank less effective.
45..., Rb2 46.Rc6 Bd4 47.Rc7+ Kh8 48.f4 Rf2+ 49.Ke1 Rd2 50.g4,..
More pressing is 50 a4.
50..., Bf2+ 51.Kf1 Bd4 52.Ke1 Bf2+ 53.Kf1 Bd4
Arthur offered the draw and I accepted. There is no way I can see for Black to do much more than hold on. A nice result for Mr. Alowitz. He played confidently, and all my machinations did not cause him much trouble.
½–½
More soon.
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