More From the NYS Championship

Round three of the NYS Championship saw the confusion of multiple start times begin to clarify. The two-day schedule folks were all on site and catching up with the three and four day people. Round four will see all playing on the same page so to speak.

The top rated player entered is IM Rafael Prasca Sosa at 2523. No Grandmasters this year, just one IM and a handful of youthful FM’s which may make for interesting games. Absent the “big guns”, a number of players may have visions making away with the title, if they can just play their best chess.

Some round two tidbits;

FM Ostrovskiy (2416), the defending State Champion, was held to a draw by Michael Chaing (2201).

Schenectady’s own Deepak Aaron likewise was held to a draw by a the young Kingston Expert Jonathan Richman (2032). Richman with long distance coaching by GM Ronen Har-Zvi, has made excellent progress - he broke 1800 two years ago and now is a solid Expert.

Chiang, a young player of serious promise, had to play Deepak in the third round. When he began playing rated chess in 2002, Michael had a rating not quite to the four digit level, something in the 800s. His highest published rating is about 2228. That is quite a far climb in a relatively short span of nine years. This game is interesting on several levels, not the least of which is a clash of two players who we can expect to see for many more years.

Aaron, Deepak (2288) - Chiang, Michael (2201) [C45]

133d NYS Championship Open, Board 4, Albany, NY (3), 04.09.2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.e5 Qe7 7.Qe2 Nd5 8.Nd2 g6 9.c4 Ba6

Here is how two of the best played this opening:

Svidler, Peter (2660) - Adams, Michael (2680) [C45]

Tilburg Fontys Tilburg (8), 1997

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.e5 Qe7 7.Qe2 Nd5 8.Nd2 g6 9.c4 Ba6 10.b3 Bg7 11.Bb2 Nb4 12.Nf3 c5 13.g3 0–0 14.Bg2 d5 15.0–0 Rad8 16.Rfd1 Rfe8 17.a3 Nc6 18.Qc2 d4 19.Re1 Qd7 20.b4 Nxe5 21.b5 Bc8 22.Nxe5 Rxe5 23.Rxe5 Bxe5 24.Qd2 Qd6 25.Re1 Be6 26.Qd3 Re8 27.Bc1 Bf5 28.Qf3 Kg7 29.Bd2 Re6 30.Qd1 Bf6 31.Rxe6 Bxe6 32.Qb3 h5 33.Be4 Qe5 34.Bd3 Bg4 35.Qa4 Be2 36.Qc2 Bf3 37.Bf1 Bg5 38.Qb3 Bxd2 39.Qxf3 Qf5 ½–½

10.Qe4!?,..

There are no examples of this move in my databases by top flight players. The move is known to theory along with the alternatives; 10 Nf3, and 10 b3.

10..., Nb6 11.b3 Bg7 12.Bb2 d5 13.cxd5,..

Theory prefers 13 Qe3 0-0 14 f4, saying Black is just bit better. I guess Deepak likes this position because it certainly gives White much scope for tactics, and tactics is where he is strongest.

13..., cxd5 14.Qe3 Bb7?!

According to Rybka Black should trade on f1 leaving the White King to worry about finding a haven. The text helps White and surrenders most of the slight advantage Black had. White now completes his development and the game is approximately even.

15.Bb5+ c6 16.Bd3 0–0 17.0–0 Rfe8 18.f4 f6

This is probably where Black begins to lose control of the situation. I had the pleasure of listening to a very quiet post mortem at board after the game finished. In hindsight Chiang did not like his Knight sitting on b6 and looked for points in the game where it could have been brought back for defense. It is possible that beginning this operation against the White center is mistaken, and here is the moment where the Knight could have been played to d7.

19.f5!,..

This move might have surprised Chaing, or at least the aftermath of this move surprised him.

19..., gxf5?!

Rybka, with the cold hard eye of the computer says Black had to try; 19..., fxe5 20 fxg6 (threatening 21 Rf7) 20..., Rf8 21 gxh7+ Kh8 22 Bf5 Ba6; trading off a pawn and all of the cover of the Black King for a potential pawn roller in the center. Making that sort of decision requires a gambler’s heart and the self-confidence of a Tal. The game now tilts in White’s favor.

20.Rxf5 fxe5 21.Qg3?,..

A slip. Here 21 Rh5!, is better, then if 21..., e4 22 Bxg7 exd3 23 Be5, and the Black King suffers. White proceeds with his natural desire to have all of his pieces take part in the final assault. It unfortunately could have given Black time to strengthen his defenses.

21..., Kh8 22.Raf1 Rf8?

Once more this is very natural, Black does not care for a Rook coming to f7, and once more the computer says this maybe the only way to keep the game going. Rybka’s line is 22..., e4 23 Rf7 Bxb2 24 Rxe7 Rxe7; when Black has a Rook, a minor piece and a pawn for the Queen. Once he finds a way to hang on to the a-pawn, his Ra8 comes to an open file on the K-side putting White firmly on the defensive. After the text Deepak demonstrates some interesting tactics that proves White now is winning.

23.Rxe5!

Exactly. The vulnerability of the Black King to an attack by pieces is such that what Bronstein was fond of calling “chess fantasy” appears on the board. The conventional piece values, a Rook is worth five pawns, a Knight worth three, etc. no longer apply. It is now all about mate or the transition to and endgame.

23...Rxf1+ 24.Nxf1 Qf7 25.Rh5 Bxb2 26.Rxh7+ Qxh7 27.Bxh7 Kxh7 28.Qc7+,..

The key resource. White gets a piece, as well as threatening to gather in a pawn or two on the Q-side. Losing a piece is not end of the world, but if the pawns go all hope of winning, or even holding the draw in the long run, is gone for Black.

28..., Kg8 29.Qxb7 Rf8 30.Ng3 Bd4+ 31.Kh1 Re8 32.h4,..

White has carefully not hurried to snatch pawns. He first made sure no nasty tactics involving the Bishop check from d4 and a sudden jump of the Rook to his back rank does not lead to mate.

32..., c5 33.Nf5 Bf6 34.Nh6+ Kh8 35.Qf7 0–1

Another piece is lost, and so Mr. Chiang resigned. This was a pleasing demonstration of tactical creativity by Mr. Aaron