Progress A AACC

Last Wednesday the Albany Area Chess Club saw the final games of the Preliminaries completed. Arthur Alowitz won a closed Sicilian from Robert Kemp, and Peter Henner defeated Jonathan Lack to force a playoff for the last spot in the final match. Henner and Dean Howard will battle it out for the privilege of facing Gordon Magat for the title.

The Lack - Henner game shows once more all that is old is new again. Gary Kasparov sparked renewed interest in the Scotch in the later years of his reign. After almost a century of languishing as a tool for players of offbeat lines, it has become, a respectable debut for even the top flight players; see the games from this year’s Tata Steel Tournament.

Jon and Peter explored the interesting complications of the Scotch Game in today’s contest not with perfect accuracy. Although their hearts were in the right place, the necessary dash was not always there.

Lack, Jonathan - Henner, Peter [C45]

AACC Ch., Guilderland, NY, 11.02.2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 d5?

Normal here are 4..., Bc5; 4..., Nf6; and 4..., Qh4. The text leads to some advantage for White after 4..., d5 5 Nxc6 bxc6 6 exd5, and if 6..., Qxd5 7 Qe2+ and 8 Nc3. If 6..., cxd5 7 Bb5+, wins a pawn. Another way for White to play is 5 exd5 Qxd5 6 Qe2+ Be7 7 Nb5, with complicated play favoring White. The move played seems to be an improvisation at the board in reaction to a surprise in the opening.

5.Bb5?!,..

Not a particularly strong continuation. In its own way the text is a surprise. After uncorking the Scotch, Lack indicates he may not have “booked up” on his innovation enough and misses the best continuation.

5..., Nge7?!

Better 5...dxe4 6.Nxc6 Qxd1+ 7.Kxd1 a6 8.Ba4 Bd7; and Black is doing well.

6.Qf3 Bd7 7.Nxc6 Bxc6 8.Bxc6+ Nxc6 9.exd5 Nb4 10.0–0 Qxd5 11.Re1+ Be7 12.Qe2?,..

The Scotch and related openings from the romantic era require an adventurous approach to solving problems. Here the spirit of swashbuckling chess calls out for 12 Rxe7+, Kxe7 13 Bd2! Qxf3 14 Bxb4+ Ke6 15 gxf3, when White is for choice in complicated and very tactical position. The move played leaves White with a small advantage and the Queens still on the board. A situation where anything can happen.

12..., 0–0 13.a3,..

Adventurous is 13 Qxe7, but after 13..., Nxc2 14 Nc3 Qd8 15 Qe2 Nxa1 16 Be3 Nb3 17 axb3, Rybka says White is better. I am not so certain this is so. Playing out Rybka’s recommendations move by move leads to a balanced struggle. Maybe in some distant situation the B&N will triumph over the Rook and pawn, but it is not clear to me after fifteen or twenty computer suggested moves. In light of this, the text is no worse than the alternative.

13..., Nc6 14.Nc3 Qf5 15.Nb5?,..

Almost the right idea. Much better is 15 Qb5. Then 15..., Qxb5 16 Nxb5 Rfd8 17 Nxc7 Rac8 18 Nb5 a6 19 Nc3 Nd4 20 Rxe7 Nxc2 21 Rb1 Rxc3 22 Bf4 Rb3; and Black has some initiative while White has the B v N imbalance to ease the pain. The battle appears even to me and to Rybka. There are still plenty of typical open game tactics on the board. For example: the threat of.., Nxa3; would be met with Rb1-e1 and the mate counter-threat wins material. After the game move White is worse.

15...,a6 16.Nxc7?!?,..

As distasteful as it is 16 Nc3, has to be played admitting the jump to b5 was incorrect.

15..., Rac8 17.Nxa6 bxa6 18.Qxa6 Qxc2

I believe Mr. Lack saw the c-pawn was going to be taken, but he just didn’t recognize how hard it is to get the Q-side pawns going.

19.b4?,..

Losing more material right away. The only try is 19 Qe2, but then 19..., Qb3 20 Qd1 Rb8; keeps the pawns from becoming active and nails b2 as a weakness that will be hard to defend.

19..., Bf6 20.Be3 Bxa1 21.Rxa1 Rfd8 22.h3,..

White has to take a moment to eliminate back rank mate possibilities. That is all that is required for Black to grab the initiative to go along with the extra Rook.

22..., Qd3

This is sufficient, but more trenchant is 22..., Nd4; but that is quibbling. The game is won for Black several ways.

23.b5 Nd4 24.a4 Ra8 25.Qb6 Nxb5 26.a5 Rdb8 27.Qc5 Qc3 0–1

The Scotch Game begins with tactics in a position that on the surface seems not too complicated, and somehow the tactics carry on through the game as it did here. If you haven’t tried out the Scotch, and you have a taste for new/old fashion cut-and-thrust, it may be worth the time to add it to your repertoire. Gary Lane has a book, Winning with the Scotch, Henry Holt, NYC, 1993, on it that gives a good overview in less than 150 pages. As popular as the opening has been with the elite players, there are probably other books available. GM Har-Zvi has a seven-part and growing video presentation on ICC on the Scotch also. So, there is much material for study.

More soon.