Last night, Wednesday, saw a battle between the Albany Area Chess Club teams A and B in the CDCL at the club rooms. This is the year of the B teams. As in the match between the Schenectady A and B teams, the B team prevailed. The score was 3 -1 for the AACC B team.
Dean Howard won for Albany A on board 1 in a Ruy Lopez, Exchange variation from John Morse. That was the last good news for the A team. On board 2 Peter Henner for the B team won from Tim Wright in slightly strange Colle System. In a surprise that I will not call an upset, a new face locally, Kavana Mallanna defeated Jonathan Lack of the A team on board 3. The opening was one of Lack’s patented closed variations of the Vienna Game. Lack had a solid space advantage and was grinding out the win when tactics broke out as time got short for both. A misplayed mating combination left Lack with a material deficit that cost the game. On board 4 Arthur Alowitz had the worse position for awhile, but Bob Kemp of the A team made a couple of errors and Arthur won the game.
It is not quite correct to think of these teams being called A and B because one is stronger than the other. Both are led by first boards manned by Experts; Howard and Morse. The middle boards have Class A players holding them down, although Kavana Mallanna is till a provisional rated player, she has posted one result over 1800. Incidentally, Kavana is one of the very few women that have played in the CDCL. On the last board the B team had an edge with the solid veteran B player Arthur Alowitz facing the less experienced Bob Kemp.
More on this interesting match in my next post. Now to continue reporting on the recent Schenectady match. A crucial game in the SCC A - Geezers match was the contest between John Phillips and Philip Sells. It is seldom Sells does not bring home the full point when he is ahead a Rook even when he is short of time. In this game it was amazing how much activity Mr. Phillips got out of his pieces at the crucial moments. Altogether a very interesting battle.
Phillips, John - Sells, Philip [E24]
SCC A v Geezers CDCL Match Schenectady, NY, 28.04.2011
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.f3 d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.e3 0–0 8.cxd5 Nxd5
There is much theory associated with this position from the Nimzo-Indian, Samisch variation. It has been chewed over by the elites regularly in recent years. It is not the mainline, but a sideline popular with the sharper of the 2500+ crowd. Here are a couple of examples from recent practice:
Milov, Vadim (2652) - Pantsulaia, Levan (2578) [E25]
FIDE World Cup Khanty Mansiysk (1.1), 27.11.2005
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.f3 d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.dxc5 f5 9.Qc2 0–0 10.e4 fxe4 11.fxe4 Nf4 12.Be3 Qc7 13.Qd2 Nd7 14.Qd6 Qa5 15.Rc1 e5 16.Nf3 Rf6 17.Qe7 Qa4 18.Nd2 Rf7 19.Qd8+ Rf8 20.Qc7 Kh8 21.g3 Ne6 22.Qd6 Nf6 23.Qd3 Ng4 24.Bg1 Qxa3 25.Rb1 Rd8 26.Qc4 Ng5 27.Qb3 Qa5 28.Be2 Nh3 29.Nc4 Qc7 30.Nd6 Rf8 31.Qd5 Nxg1 32.Rxg1 Be6 33.Rxb7 Qa5 34.Qd2 Qxc5 35.Rf1 Rfd8 36.Bxg4 Rxd6 37.Qg5 Qxc3+ 38.Kf2 Rf8+ 39.Kg2 Qc2+ 40.Kg1 Qc5+ 41.Kg2 Qc2+ 42.Kg1 Rxf1+ 43.Kxf1 Bc4+ 0–1
Ivanchuk, Vassily (2741) - Prusikin, Michael (2560) [E25]
EU-Cup 22nd Fuegen (6), 13.10.2006
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.f3 d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.dxc5 Qa5 9.e4 Ne7 10.Be3 0–0 11.Qb3 Qc7 12.a4 Nd7 13.a5 Nc6 14.Bb5 Nxa5 15.Qa3 b6 16.Ne2 Bb7 17.0–0 Rfc8 18.cxb6 axb6 19.Qe7 Nc5 20.Qxc7 Rxc7 21.Rfd1 Rcc8 22.Ra2 Bc6 23.Bxc5 Bxb5 24.Bxb6 Bxe2 25.Rxe2 Nc4 26.Bf2 h6 27.h3 Rc6 28.Be1 g5 29.Rb1 Kg7 30.Bg3 Kg6 31.Kh2 Ra3 32.Be1 Rc8 33.Rc2 Rc6 34.Bf2 Ra8 35.Rb4 Ra1 36.Bd4 e5 37.Bf2 Rc7 38.Re2 Rc1 39.Be1 Ra1 40.Rb8 Ra3 41.h4 Ra1 42.Kh3 f6 43.Kg4 Ra6 44.Rg8+ Kf7 45.Rd8 Kg6 46.Bf2 Ra3 47.Rc2 Ra1 48.h5+ Kf7 49.Rd5 Ke6 50.Rd8 Kf7 51.Rd5 Ke6 52.Rd8 Kf7 53.Rh8 Kg7 54.Rb8 Kf7 55.Rd8 Ra6 56.Rd1 Ke6 57.Rb1 Kf7 58.Bg1 Ra4 59.Bf2 Ra6 60.Kh3 Ra4 61.Rcc1 Ra2 62.Bg1 Na3 63.Rb8 Nc4 64.Rd1 Rc2 65.Rh8 Kg7 66.Rdd8 Rc1 67.Rdg8+ Kf7 68.Rg6 Ke6 69.Kh2 Nd2 70.Rhxh6 R7xc3 71.Rxf6+ Ke7 1–0
In both games cited and a large number of other games in the database, the Grandmasters preferred 8 dxc5. I do not know exactly why they like the capture on c5. It may be a preference for complicated dynamics resulting.
9.c4!?,..
Complicated play ensues. However, there really isn’t any path that does not lead to complications. Other tries here have been 9 Bd2, 9 Qd2, 9 Bd3, and 9 Ne2 with 10 e4, following. These two guys do like complications. That is not to be critical. It is a good thing in my opinion, and they make interesting chess, which is something those of us who write about the game are always looking for.
9..., Ne7 10.Bb2 Nbc6 11.Bd3 Re8 12.Ne2 Nf5 13.Qd2 cxd4 14.exd4 e5 15.d5 Ncd4
A critical moment; White has a pair of Bishops but his King is not well secured, Black has tactical chances based on an opening of the center before the White King finds a haven. The question is; how solid is the White center?
16.Nxd4 Nxd4 17.0–0?!,..
It is not clear that White had accurately calculated the following operation. Here, with the simple 17 Rd1, White could have kept a slight edge. After 17 Rd1 Bf5; and either 18 Bxd4 exd4+ 19 Kf2, or 18 0-0 Qb6 19 Bxd4 Qxd4+ 20 Qf2 Qxf2+ 21 Kxf2, the double Rook endgame favors White a little bit because of the passed d-pawn. Some chess writers say all double Rook endgames are drawn, nevertheless, I would rather have the strong passed pawn in one than not.
17..., Nb3 18.Bxh7+ Kh8
It could be Mr. Phillips hoped for 18..., Kxh7; then 19 Qd3+, and 20 Qxb3, nets a pawn. I doubt that though. John does not often play what might be called “hopeful chess”, that is play a move and hope the opponent errs. I suspect John misread something.
19.Qc2 Nxa1 20.Rxa1?!,..
Capturing with the Bishop removes a target. With the Bishop on a1, the eventual .., Qb6+; is less of a danger. After 20 Bxa1 g6 (If 20..., f5 21 Bxf5, and White has a couple of pawns for the Exchange, and that, along with the rather open situation of the Black King gives him some advantage.) 21 Bxg6 Qb6+ 22 Qf2 Qxf2+ 23 Rxf2 fxg6 24 f4 Bf5 25 fxe5, and Black is close to a win. Black would have to use some skill to stifle counter-play from the bunch of pawns White is holding.
20..., f5
This is the position that I guess John misread. He may tentatively have thought a capture was possible on f5 and now realized the Bb2 was vulnerable to the Queen check on b6. Now John turns his considerable talent to making things difficult for Black. Instead of throwing up his hands, he bears down trying to get the maximum activity out of his pieces.
21.f4 e4?!
Somewhat better is 21..., exf4; opening the e-file for the Rook.
22.Qc3 Qb6+ 23.c5 Qh6 24.Bxf5?,..
Better 24 Re1, threatening Re3/h3 along with pushing the d-pawn, and making the immediate capture of the Bh7 problematical. None of my comments should be construed to imply the position is not won for Black. Making things difficult for the opponent from a lost position is an important skill for the practical tournament player. You make difficulties in the hope that your opponent, as humans often do, will not find the best path under pressure. The Re1/e3/h3 is now foreclosed.
Time was now becoming a problem for Mr. Sells.
24..., Bxf5 25.Re1 e3 26.Rxe3 Rxe3 27.Qxe3 Qg6 28.Qe7?,..
Very risky. Better 28 Be5, keeping the pressure on.
28..., Re8
Sells took a fairly long time to decide on this move. Now the term “long time” is relative. Philip was down to only a minute or so to figure out how to finish up the game.
29.Qxb7 Be4 30.g3 Bf3 31.Be5 Rg8 32.Qc7 Bg4?
With just seconds to go Mr. Sells misses the correct finish; 32..., Qe4 33 Bxg7+ Rxg7 34 Qc1+ Kh7 35 Qh3+ Kh6!; and Black wins.
33.Qe7 Qb1+ 34.Kg2 Qc2+ ½–½
With almost no time remaining, Philip Sells took the perpetual check. Had there been a bit more time he might have tried for a win with the sequence; 35 Kg1 Bf3 36 Qh4+ Qh7 37 Qxh7+ Kxh7 38 d6 Bc6; and Black is just be enough ahead in material to haul in the full point. The key factor is there does not appear to be any way for White to eliminate the Black a-pawn. The plan therefore is; win the White a-pawn, blockade the many White passers and use the a-pawn to win the last White piece. A plan requiring many, many moves and there just was not enough time to make the moves.
More soon.
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