The League MVP

Last Wednesday I had the honor of presenting to Dean Howard of the Albany Area chess Club the Most Valuable Player trophy for this year’s Capital District Chess League competition. I did this pleasurable task representing Bill Townsend and the CDCL to aid the League in getting all the awards delivered in a timely manner. The trophy goes to the player who scores the highest number of points on the highest average board in League play. Dean won scoring 6 - 1 playing board 1 for the AACC A Team in all matches. As it happened, Mr. Howard was assured of the MVP award before the final match was played and even a loss in that game could not effect the outcome.

An important step in his march to the trophy was this win from Jonathan Feinberg of the Saratoga A Team. Coming out of the opening White was ahead in development. Dean, with the Black pieces, found a way to overcome this deficit and reached a near equal position as the opening phase ended. The initial middle game maneuvering gave Black a slight edge. An ill-advised pawn hunt by White resulted in Black owning a passed pawn. Howard exploited that to win a pawn and the game.

Feinberg, Jonathan - Howard, Dean [A13]

CDCL Match Saratoga A v Albany A, Saratoga Springs, NY, 06.05.2011

Board 1

1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 c6 5.0–0 Nbd7 6.b3 Bd6 7.Ba3,..

This is not totally unknown to theory. For example here is a game from the 1950’s:

Szily, Jozsef - Kapu, Jeno [A13]

HUN-ch 07th Budapest, 1951

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 c6 4.c4 e6 5.0–0 Nbd7 6.b3 Bd6 7.Ba3 Qe7 8.Qc1 0–0 9.Bxd6 Qxd6 10.Qa3 Qxa3 11.Nxa3 b6 12.Rfc1 Bb7 13.cxd5 exd5 14.Nd4 Rfe8 15.Kf1 Rac8 16.Nf5 Re6 17.Rc2 Nb8 18.Rac1 Rd8 19.b4 g6 20.Nd4 Re7 21.d3 Ng4 22.h3 Nh6 23.Nb1 f5 24.Nd2 Nf7 25.N2b3 Rde8 26.a3 Kg7 27.Nd2 Nd8 28.N2f3 Nd7 29.Rb2 Rf8 30.Kg1 f4 31.g4 Ne5 32.Nxe5 Rxe5 33.Bf3 Kf7 34.a4 Ke7 35.a5 b5 36.a6 Ba8 37.Rbc2 Kd6 38.h4 h6 39.Kg2 h5 40.g5 Re7 41.Rc5 Ne6 42.Nxc6 Nxc5 43.Nxe7 Nb3 44.Nxg6 Nxc1 45.Nxf8 Na2 46.g6 Ke7 47.Nd7 Nxb4 48.Bxh5 d4+ 49.Bf3 Bxf3+ 50.Kxf3 Nxa6 51.h5 b4 52.g7 Kf7 53.h6 b3 54.Nf6 1–0

7...,Bxa3 8.Nxa3 0–0 9.d4 Qe7 10.Qc1,..

The path taken by White, keeping the Queens on the board, does not seem to be any more promising than Szily’s choice of heading for an endgame right out of the opening.

10..., e5

Black could have just as well played 10..., b6; taking the game into positions similar to those of the Tartakower variations that have been favored by Dean. He has had success with that kind of play this year. Maybe he just wanted something a little different here, and maybe he was concerned that Mr. Feinberg had prepared for the Tartakower type positions.

11.cxd5 Nxd5

Black could here try 11..., e4; leading to complications that are not unfavorable, but it is an important match versus a strong opponent, and Dean aims to keep things under control.

12.Nc4 exd4 13.Nxd4 N7f6 14.Qb2 Bd7

Both sides have proceeded carefully. White has some advantage. It lies primarily in that this Bishop really has no decent square from which to operate while its White counterpart is effectively posted.

15.Rae1!?,..

In chess we are very often “waiting or breaking”. That is waiting to get everything in order before making a game changing move, or breaking the pattern of maneuvering with a threat. Many times the breaking move is a pawn push in or around the center. Here it maybe time for 15 e4!?, dislodging the Nd5 and taking more control in the center. If 15 e4 Nxe4?! 16 Rfe1, favors White because it will be hard for Black to get away without a loss of material. But if, 15 e4 Nb6 16 e5 Nd5 17 Rac1 c5 18 Ne2 Bc6 19 Na5 Rae8 20 Nxc6 bxc6 21 Rfe1 Qxe5; White has some advantage in theory while Black has chances for counter-play. After the game move, Black breaks first.

15..., b5 16.Nd2 Rac8 17.a3 c5 18.e4 Nb6 19.Ne2 Bc6!?

It is possible that 19..., c4; is better.

20.Nc3 c4 21.bxc4 Nxc4 22.Nxc4 bxc4 23.Qb4?!,..

White is not entirely pleased with how things have gone. His Rook at f1 is not participating right now, and shifting his Rooks over to open files will take time. The Black Rooks are not particularly well placed, but it will take less time to improve their positions than their White counterparts. So the question arises, why take off on a pawn hunt that allows his opponent to make both Rooks active? It could be Mr. Feinberg believed Mr. Howard would agree to the removal of the Queens, and if not, the resulting activity of the White Queen might gain enough time to activate the White Rooks. A judgment call that turns out to be incorrect.

23..., Qe6 24.Qa5?!,..

Somewhat better is 24 Rd1. White hunts pawns and Black activates his Rooks

24..., Rfd8 25.Qxa7 Ra8 26.Qc5 Nd7 27.Qg5 f6 28.Qh5?,..

With 28 Qe3, White keeps his cause alive. The complicated play going; 28 Qe3 Rxa3 29 Qd4 Raa8 30 Nd5 Ne5 31 f4 Nd3 32 Ra1 Rac8; when 33 Qxc4 loses to 33..., Bxd5 34 exd5 Qe6+; or 34 Qxd3 Bc4; winning. It is much easier to measure this stuff in the quiet of my study with a computer cranking out variations than to do so over the board

28..., Rxa3 29.Nd5,..

Losing patience. More stubborn is 29 Rc1. In the long run, however, the passed pawn is too far along to be successfully stopped.

29...,Ne5 30.f4 Nd3 31.Bh3?,..

Weakening e4 and d5. This may be a sign of discouragement overtaking Mr. Feinberg, or time pressure perhaps.

31..., Qf7 32.Qxf7+ Kxf7 33.Rd1 Bxd5 34.exd5 Rxd5 35.Bg2 Rd4 36.Rb1,..

Trading off a pair of Rooks with 36 Ra1, does not offer much stiffer resistance after 36..., Rxa1 37 Rxa1 c3 38 Ra7+ Ke6 39 Rc7 Nc1; with the fork at e2 indirectly protecting the pawn.

36..., Ra2 37.Rfd1 c3 38.Ra1 Rxa1 39.Rxa1 c2 0–1

A nice win over the long time Expert Feinberg, and a worthy contributor to Dean Howard’s Most Valuable Player title.

Next Monday is the annual speed chess tourney at Proctors in Schenectady. Details and times can be found in Bill Townsend’s Gazette column on Sunday. I plan to be there. If we are lucky perhaps Deepak Aaron, just returned from his participation in the 50th World Junior Championship event will be there also. I hope so.

More soon.