Another game from the recent CDCL match between the Albany A and Saratoga B teams was the 2d board contest. Here Jonathan Lack, an experienced Class A player faces Cory Northrup a Class C opponent who has made some significant strides in his play the last couple of years. Although mistakes were made by both sides, the game is interesting. It illustrates some ideas in the French Defense that are useful to know.
Northrup, Cory - Lack, Jonathan [C02]
Board 2
Albany A v Sara B CDCL Match Guilderland, NY, 20.04.2011
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5
Mr. Lack defends against 1 e4, with the French almost exclusively.
3.e5 c5 4.Qg4!?,..
Mr. Northrup takes instruction from John Phillips, and this is John’s recent wrinkle when faced with the French. It has an honorable history, Nimzovitch tried ot out in the 1920s. The Queen sortie comes up more frequently among the elite players in the Winawer variation. Here, in the Advanced, it is not so common, not bad by any means, but uncommon.
4..., Nc6 5.Nf3 cxd4 6.Bd3 Nge7 7.0–0 Ng6 8.Re1 Bb4!?
ECO likes 8..., Qc7; and 8..., Qb6. Deep Rybka suggests 8..., Bc5. What is best may be a matter of taste.
9.Bd2 Qb6 10.b3 Bd7 11.Bxb4!?..,
Logical here is 11 h4, threatening to push the Knight off g6. The text enters a risky moment of the game that could have been avoided.
11..., Qxb4 12.a3?,..
This move should cost a pawn. White had to play 12 Qg3, over-protecting e5 to keep the balance.
12..., Qb6?!
Jonathan may not have seen 12..., Ngxe5!; winning a pawn. If 13 Qxg7 Nxf3+; picks up a Rook, and if 13 Qxg7 Nxf3+; wins more material. Therefore, White has to play 13 axb4, then 13..., Nxg4 14 b5 Nb4 15 Nxd4 Nxd3 16 cxd3 0-0 17 Rc1 Ne5; and so forth until something like move twenty-five. Black would then have the upper hand, and if he does not falter tactically, he should win the game - too many pawns. It could be Mr. Lack saw some or most of this line. A long line with several places where alternatives have to be weighed and evaluated. The question is then; do you embark on the complications, or do you play it safe and maneuver for awhile? Mr. Lack opted for safety perhaps.
13.Nbd2 0–0–0 14.Bxg6!?,..
Although on the surface this appears reasonable, I have my doubts. It is true Black is left with a Bishop with poor prospects, and one of the Knights attacking e5 is eliminated. Nevertheless, the White Bishop does good duty clogging up the center, and it could lend support if White ever wants to advance the c-pawn. Without the Bishop the light squares on the Q-side are poorly defended. Capturing the Ng6 could usefully delayed and 14 b4 played. Then if Black goes for the e-pawn; 14..., Qc7 15 b5 Ncxe5 16 Nxe5 Nxe5 17 Qxd4 Nxd3 18 cxd3 Bxb5 19 Rec1 Bc6 20 Qxa7, and for the cost of a lowly pawn White has a pair of open files bearing on the Black King with the White Queen lurking close by. That is compensation for a pawn at least. After the game move, Black can make threats down the h-file gaining enough time to prepare for action on the c-file also.
14..., hxg6 15.b4 Rh5 16.Nb3 Rdh8 17.h3 Qc7 18.Qg3 Kb8!?
A cagy move. It gets the King out of the way so the c-file can become a base of operations.
19.Nbxd4,..
White goes ahead in a straight forward manner. He could have tried the alternative 19 b5 Ne7 20 Nbxd4, and there are plenty of complications, but the game is reasonably balanced.
19..., Nxd4 20.Nxd4 Rc8 21.Rac1?,..
Other than the mistake on move 11, White has played very well. Suddenly Mr. Northrup seems to lose the thread of the game. Necessary here is 21 Re3, keeping the Black Queen out of c3. The follow-up move 22 c2-c3, secures the Knight outpost on d4 and all is well in the White camp, the game is even. Now Black begins to call the tune.
21..., Qc3 22.Qxc3 Rxc3 23.Ra1 Rh4 24.Nf3?,..
Cory must have become discouraged about now. Black is still better after the superior 24 Re3 Rxe3 25 fxe3 f6! Not 25..., Re5 26 Rf1 Be8 27 Nxe6!, and White has chances to hold. After 25..., f6; Black is better but not clearly winning. Subsequent to the text not much resistance can be made.
24..., Rhc4 25.Ng5 Be8 26.Nf3 Rxc2 27.Reb1 Rc7 28.b5 R2c4 29.Nd2 R4c5 30.a4 b6 31.Kh2 Rc2 32.Rd1 f6
This move works but not as cleanly as 32..., Rb2; preparing to double on the second rank. One pair of Rooks will be exchanged, and then the Black Rook will harvest pawns. Playing so tamps down counter-play. The text works as well but seems to require more calculation than the suggested move. The remainder of the game requires no comment.
33.f4 g5 34.fxg5 fxe5 35.Nf3 Bh5 36.Rf1 Bxf3 37.Rxf3 e4 38.Rf8+ Rc8 39.Rf7 R2c7 40.Rxc7 Rxc7 41.Rf1 d4 42.Rf8+ Kb7 43.Kg1 e3 44.Kf1 d3 0–1
The collapse of resistance at move 24 is puzzling. Mr. Northrup usually makes a stubborn fight as a rule. Here he did not.
More soon.
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