This year’s AACC Championship event featured a prize for the highest scoring finisher in the lower half of the seeding. Glen Perry and Arthur Alowitz tied for that place and a two game playoff was scheduled. The first game of the match was an up and down affair with first Mr. Perry having the advantage and then it swinging over to Mr. Alowitz. In the end the palm went to Arthur Alowitz in something of an upset; Perry is about 150 rating points higher than is Alowitz.
Perry, Glen - Alowitz, Arthur [D60]
AACC Playoff Match Lower Half Guilderland, NY, 09.03.2011
1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 e6 3.c4 c6 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bg5 Be7 6.e3 0–0
As mentioned before, the GM types in recent years prefer to arrive at this kind of QDG position not having the Knight on f3 so early in the game. That sort of detail always escaped me until several months of work with GM Har-Zvi finally made clear that there are implications to move order. Hans Berliner, the 5th Correspondence World Champion pointed out it is useful for White to have the possibility of f2-f3, and e3-e4, available. It gives Black one more thing to worry about. Maybe the Knight will be more useful on e2. A lot of this is fashion and fashions change. Some super-GM will win important games ignoring the current trend, and we’ll hear how the Knight should “always” be on f3 as soon as possible.
Rybka sees this position as slightly in White’s favor. That is natural early in the game where no one has created any significant imbalance.
7.Bd3 Nbd7 8.0–0 Nb6?!
This move is doubtful. Doubtful because the intention behind it is not clear, and doubly so because of Black subsequent play.
9.b3 Re8 10.Qc2 Nbd7
Black in effect gave White a tempo, the result of which is White has a clear advantage now; Black’s development is lagging and there is an excellent chance White will break in the center before Black figures out a way to get all his pieces out.
11.Rfe1 Nf8 12.h3 Ng6 13.e4 dxe4 14.Nxe4 Nxe4 15.Bxe7 Qxe7 16.Bxe4 Bd7
White has eliminated Black’s better Bishop and has more space in the center. His advantage is becoming significant.
17.Rac1!?,..
Not so trenchant as 17 Re3, preparing to double on the e-file, or 17 Rad1, reinforcing the center.
17..., Rab8
I am uncertain of the point of this move. Maybe Black wants to play .., b7-b5.
18.Qd2,..
Just so. If now 18..., b5 19 Qa5, puts a finger on the bruise in the Black position; he will end up with a weakened Q-side pawn formation.
18..., Rbd8
The net result is one more tempo given to White. Handing out time most often results in lost points.
19.Qa5 a6 20.d5 cxd5 21.Bxd5?,..
White slips just as he was about to nail down the advantage. Better is 21 cxd5, and if 21..., exd5?? 22 Bxg6, wins. That being the case, Black has to try something else. The alternatives give White good chances; a) 21..., Bc8 22 Rc7; and the coming tactics favor White; b) 21..., Nf4 22
Qc7 Qf6 23 dxe6 Bxe6 24 Qxb7, with a healthy pawn in the bag; c) 21..., Qf6 22 Rc7 Nf4 23 d6 e5 24 Rxb7 Bc8 25 Rb6 Rxd6 26 Rxd6 Qxd6 27 Nxe5! Rxd5 28 Qxd5 Qxd5 29 Bxh7+, when White has two pawns and a Rook against two minor pieces. Theory favors White, but Black is not without hope in this technical ending
21..., Bc8!?
Also worthwhile considering is 21..., Nf4!?.
22.Be4 Qd6?!
More reasonable are 22..., f6; or 22..., Nf4. The text gives White the chance to take the advantage with 23 c5, then 23..., Qe7; is about the only move for Black, and White has the advantage.
23.Rcd1?,..
Mr. Perry had just completed a trip to and from Texas, and fatigue perhaps played a role in this questionable offer to trade his Rooks for the Black Queen.
23..., Qxd1 24.Rxd1 Rxd1+ 25.Kh2 Red8
The struggle between two Rooks and a Queen really is influenced by the safety of the Rook’s King. Here the Black King is quite adequately guarded making the Queen’s natural ability to carry out double attacks with checks not so useful. In such situations the Rooks can hold positions even a pawn down.
White now has to look for ways to loosen up the Black position, and that is not easy to do as the course of the game demonstrates.
26.Qc7 R1d7 27.Qb6 Rd6 28.Qe3 R6d7 29.g4?!,..
White probably has the right ideas in mind. He’d like to provoke a weakening move by Black on the K-side, and advance the c-pawn to loosen things up on the Q-side also. If he can create targets on both sides of the board, the Queen can come into her own. The problem with advancing the g-pawn is it opens the f4 square for the Ng6. That suggests trading the Be4 for the Ng6 may be the right way to proceed. The question is; when should the trade take place?
29..., Rd6 30.c5 R6d7 31.b4 f6?
An error that should cost a pawn. Better for Black is 31..., Ne7; heading to d5.
32.Kg3?,..
Now is the moment to eliminate the Ng6. White does not do so and his game takes a turn for the worse. With 32 Bxg6 hxg6 33 Qxe6+, White collects a pawn, and targets begin to appear in the Black position.
32..., e5 33.h4?,..
After 33 Bf5 Rc7 34 Bxc8 Rcxc8; the game is leveling out. Glen must have believed that the chance to create a weakness near the Black King compensated for giving the Black Knight the advanced post on f4.
33..., Nf4 34.Qb3+ Kh8 35.Qc4?,..
This move was made to cover e2 I guess. It is an unfortunate waste of time. Black now obtains dangerous attacking chances. Much better is 35 h5, entering into a very sharp position with both sides conjuring up mating attacks. After 35 h5, for example 35..., Rd1!? 36 Qf7 Ne2+?; 37 Kh2 R1d7 38 Nxe5! fxe5 39 Qf5, strongly favors White. Black has to play 36..., R1d7; to be safe.
35..., Rd1!
36.a4?,..
Better 36 Qf7, entering a line similar to the above note.
36..., Rh1 37.Nh2 Rc1?!
Black misses a more forceful line: 37..., Rg1+ 38 Kf3 h5! (hitting the tender spot in the White position) 39 Ke3 hxg4 40 Nf1 f5 41 Bb1 Be6; and the Nf1 can not be protected. The game move has trickery writ large on it. If 38 Qxc1 Ne2+ forks the King and Queen. That is something Glen is sure to see.
38.Qa2 Rc3+ 39.Nf3 Be6 40.Qa1 Rc4?!
Black again does not find the most forceful move. It is 40..., Bd5; based on the same Knight forking K&Q from e2 idea that just was played. The Queen can’t take the Rc3 lest the fork wins the Queen for a Rook. After 40..., Bd5; White must trade Bishop on d5. Black then captures on d5 with the Rook and shortly the Nf3 will be taken one way or another. It is odd but common enough for a player to lose sight of a tactical idea after it pays off for him once. Mr. Alowitz is fortunate that his position is so strong even less than the best is good enough to win.
41.Bxb7 Rxb4 42.Bxa6 Ra8 43.Bb5,..
No point in being critical of this move. The try 43 Qf1, works no better after 43..., Bd5 44 Be2 Nxe2 45 Qxe2 Rb3; winning.
43..., Rxb5 44.Qd1 Rxc5 45.Qd6 Rca5 46.g5 Rxa4 47.g6 hxg6 48.Nh2 R4a6?!
For the third time Arthur chooses less than the best. A clean finish is available with 48..., Ra3+; and if 49 f3 Ra2; and mate soon. The alternative 49 Nf3 is likewise hopeless after 49..., Bd5. The game now continues for a few more moves. Two Rooks well coordinated and supported by aggressively posted minor pieces near the White King are too much to be defended against.
49.Qc7 R6a7 50.Qb6 Bf5 51.f3 Nh5+ 0–1
Something of an upset this. Glen is knocking on the door of an 1800 rating and Arthur has not made it back past 1700 in recent times. Their next game will be most interesting to see. Glen will have to try for a win from the Black side, never an easy task. I expect fireworks.
More soon.
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