Most Saturday mornings I like to begin writing a post for the blog about recent doings around the local chess scene. Today is no exception. The only difficulty is there are so many games that deserve to be seen, and time is fleeting. If I don’t get more than a single game in this post, it is possible next week’s games will overtake me. I’m going to try for two games today. Wish me luck.
I believe the first game today was played at the Uncle Sam club rooms in Troy. Matt Clough was kind enough to let me copy the game at the SCC Thursday, and I neglected to ask the location. The date on the game is the 12th and that was a Tuesday, the meeting day for the Troy club. My assumption is the match took place at Troy.
Mr. Clough notches a nice win from a strong opponent. Mr. Thomas has been very successful in recent years, especially at fast chess, witness his 5 - 0 sweep at the AACC speed event a few weeks ago. This year he has not had his usual success in slower formats. This a second loss in a row for Phil Thomas in the CDCL.
Clough, Matthew - Thomas, Phil [B90]
Sara B - Uncle Sam CDCL Match, Troy, NY, 12.04.2011
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 Ng4 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Bg3 Bg7
A topical line indeed. Svidler - Grischuk played so in the 14th round of the World Championship tournament in 2007. Svidler won that game in 42 moves.
10.Be2,..
Svidler preferred 10 h3, my guess because that move makes a haven for the Bg3.
10..., Ne5 11.Qd2 Nbc6 12.Nb3,..
Worth giving a thought is the idea from the GM game above; 12 Nf5, or 12 0-0-0, right away. I am not at all sure White will be entirely happy with Q-side castling, but there is no immediate tactical problem with it.
12..., Be6 13.Nd5 Rc8 14.c3 Na5 15.Nd4 Nac4 16.Qc2 Bd7 17.0–0 e6 18.Ne3,..
Although this move looks ugly, it probably is the surest way to hold the balance. If 18 Nb4 a5; and White will have to give up some material for questionable compensation soon.
18..., Nxe3 19.fxe3 0–0
The doubled e-pawns are unsightly, but the half open f-file mitigates the damage, and they do control key central squares.
20.Rf2 b5 21.a3?,..
Seeing a mirage. The move 21..., b4; is no threat for the pawn on a6 is loose. White could continue with 21 Raf1, then 21..., Qb6 22 Bh5 f6 23 Rd1, the house of the Black King is in some disarray. The move played passes the initiative over to Black.
21..., Qb6 22.Rd1 Rfd8 23.Bh5 Be8 24.Qe2 a5 25.Nc2 Qc6
Safer is 25..., Qb7; keeping an eye on f7.
26.Bxe5 Bxe5?
This move allows the initiative to be taken by White. Oddly it seems 26..., dxe5; an unappealing move from a superficial positional viewpoint is better for Black. After 27 Rxd8 Rxd8 28 Qg4 Qc7 29 h4 Qe7 30 hxg5 Qxg5 31 Qxg5 hxg5 32 Kf1 Bf8; and the dark squared Black Bishop emerges. Then Black has very good chances to make something of the two Bishops by restricting White’s options on the Q-side.
27.Qf3 Rc7 28.Nd4,..
White is proceeding logically putting great pressure on f7 and e6.
28..., Qd7
More aggressive is 28..., Qc4; but White clearly is building his initiative.
29.Bg4?,..
This move relaxes the pressure just a little. Better 29 Rdf1
29..., Bg7 30.Qh3
The net result of the last few moves is all of the White pieces are aggressively posted, and the Black pieces are disposed for defense.
30...,Qe7 31.Rdf1 b4?!
Although the “mighty Rybka” suggests this, I wonder why does Black want to open up the game when he is trailing in effective development? Perhaps 31..., Rb8; is a sterner test for White. If then 32 Bh5 b4 33 axb4 axb4 35 Bxf7+ Qxf7 36 Rxf7 Rxf7 37 cxb4 Rc8; and White has two extra pawns, theoretically sufficient for the Queen to win against two Rooks. However, the White King is not entirely safe and the pawns are doubled, so there are certainly chances for Black to hold the game.
32.axb4 axb4 33.cxb4 Rb8 34.b5 Kh7?
Seriously weakening the defense of f7. It is better to try some tricks with 34..., Rxb5!?; then 35 Nxb5 Bxb5 36 Rxf7 Qxf7 37 Rxf7 Rc1+! 38 Kf2 Rf1+ 39 Kg3 Be5+ 40 Rf4 gxf4+ 41 Kh4 Bg5+ 42 Kg3, with a draw by perpetual. If the King goes to h5, Black mates with .., Bb5-e8.
35.Bh5 Rc4?
This is fatal. The issue is by no means clear after 35..., Rbc8. White has a marked advantage, but there are opportunities for Black if White falters. Play might continue; 36 Bxf7 Bxf7 37 Rxf7 Qxf7 38 Rxf7 Rxf7 39 Nf3 Rf6 40 Nxg5+ Kg8 41 Nf3 Rc1+ 42 Kf2 Rc2+ 43 Kf1 Rxb2; and while White is better the win is not yet a trivial exercise.
36.Nc6 Bxc6 37.Rxf7 Qd8 38.bxc6 Rxb2 39.Qxe6 1-0
The Rook on c4 is lost to the mate threat, and Mr. Thomas gave up the battle here. This was a pretty big upset. Combined with a victory by Clough over Barnes in the recent SCC Championship, this win should put local chess players on notice there is another dangerous “giant killer” in the area.
It was the luck of the draw that Matt Clough had to play another strong opponent just two days later when Saratoga B faced Schenectady A team Thursday in Schenectady. This time it was Philip Sells across the board from him. I was recording all four games as they were played and it was not possible to watch even so interesting contest as this move for move. When I circulated back to this game several times it was puzzling; was White doing OK, or was Black just rolling him? What a unprecedented break though it would be for a Class C player to defeat to strong Class A/Expert players back-to-back.
Clough, Matthew - Sells, Philip [B80]
SCC A v Sara B CDCL Match Schenectady, NY, 14.04.2011
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Be3 e6 7.Qd2 Be7 8.0–0–0 0–0 9.f3 d5
Another topical line. There are many games between top flight players from this position in the Sicilian Defense, Scheveningen variation.
10.Qf2?!,..
Inviting Black to expand in the center. My first thought when the move was played was this can’t be good. A second look made me question the first judgment. Back and forth my opinion went over the next several moves. A common continuation for White is 10 exd5, and advancing development with 10 Be2, has been tried.
10..., e5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.exd5 cxd5 13.Bxa7 d4 14.Bxd4 exd4 15.Qxd4 Qa5
The idea of sacrificing a piece for three pawns is well known in the Sicilian. For the scheme to work the Queens have to come off the board. If the Queens are off, White’s three connected passed pawns with the King in close support have chances, especially in an ending with a Rook and pawns versus a Rook and a minor piece. With Queens on, the chances for the pawns are very much reduced.
16.Bc4 Bb7
The text keeps a solid advantage. A different approach is 16..., Bc5!? 17 Qd2 Bb4; planning to devalue the passed pawns right away.
17.Bb3,..
There are too many pieces on the board for White to contemplate any early advance of the passed pawns, however, that idea has to be part of whatever plan White is considering. If it is not, giving up the piece makes no sense. The Bishop b3 is just standing in the way of that notion. An alternative approach is; 17 Rhe1 Bc5 18 Qh4 Bb4 19 Rd3 Rfd8 20 Red1 Rxd3 21 Rxd3 Qb6 22 Qd4, and Black still controls the game. However, if Black trades Queens on d4 and captures the Nc3, breaking up the pawns, White has made some progress towards equality. Of course, Black can just play 22..., Bc5; and keep the advantage he has intact. Apparently White decides to wager that pressure on the a2-g8 diagonal is his best chance for counter-play.
17..., Rad8 18.Qc4 Qg5+ 19.Kb1 Rxd1+ 20.Rxd1 Qxg2
And we now see the flaw in the scheme White is following; Black gets to plunder the White K-side.
21.Qc7 Bxf3 22.Qxe7 Bxd1 23.Nxd1 Ne4 24.a4 Nd2+ 25.Ka2 Nxb3 26.cxb3 f5
White got some reduction of material and a pawn up to a4. Unfortunately, the Queens remain, and the pressure on the a2-g8 diagonal is gone. The upshot is; Black can advance his f-pawn easily, while the queening square for the White a-pawn is well guarded by the Black Queen and Rook. Black is clearly winning.
27.Ne3 Qc6!
A timely repositioning of the Queen eliminates any tricks White might have in mind to try with his Queen and Knight. I have the feeling that Mr. Sells had worked out much, including this move, back when he captured on the pawn on g2. White makes a few more moves, but he sees the f-pawn is becoming a monster.
28.Nc4 f4 29.Nd6 Qd5
There will be no smothered mate or discovered attack tricks. Black is alert taking precautions as required.
30.Nb5 f3 31.Nc3 Qf7 0–1
White resigns. Although this was a losing outing for Mr. Clough. He plays chess with ideas, and that is admirable. If sometimes he falls short, experience against strong opponents provide Matthew the opportunity to refine his understanding of the game. Philip Sells did his usual fine job of grasping the needs of a position and framing his play to those needs. He took what was offered and did not allow counter-play to happen, a mark of a strong player.
More soon.
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