The Howard - Magat Game from AACC

The game between Dean Howard and Gordon Magat was a meeting of the two highest rated players in the AACC Championship. Gordon had dropped three points so far in the event hurting his chances to qualify for the title playoff match. Mr. Howard, on the other hand was down only 1 ½ points. I expected a stern fight with clock problems having a role in deciding the result. Instead it was a short sharp battle without serious time trouble for either party. The matter was settled early, by move 15 Dean had gambled on a quick transition to an ending in which his Knight is stuck on a8. If it could be rescued, then he had an Exchange to the good, and if not there was to be a tough ending with a Bishop and Knight versus a Rook. No rescue was possible and the game was decided effectively by move 23 when Mr. Magat’s b-pawn began to advance. With a small chess joke at the last, Mr. Howard was mated on move 27.

Howard, Dean - Magat, Gordon [B22]
AACC Championship Guilderland, NY, 11.01.2012

1.e4 c5 2.c3,..

A choice when White does not want to explore the complications of the Open Sicilian (2 d4) or the intricate maneuvering of the Closed Sicilian (2 Nc3). The move can lead to a very sharp opening interlude with lots of tricks for both sides.

2..., Nf6

Equally popular is 2..., d5; with a different kind of game, but still tricky.

3.e5 Nd5 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nf3 d6 6.Bc4,..

Much more common is 6 cxd4, but the move is not unknown at the elite level. Here three examples:

(1118005) Erenburg,Sergey (2585) - Gelfand,Boris (2729) [B22]
World Championship Blitz Rishon Le Ziyyon (7), 07.09.2006
1.e4 c5 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nf3 d6 6.Bc4 Nb6 7.Bb3 dxe5 8.Nxe5 e6 9.cxd4 Nc6 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.0–0 Be7 12.Nc3 Ba6 13.Re1 0–0 14.Bf4 Nd5 15.Be5 Nxc3 16.bxc3 Bf6 17.Qf3 Rc8 18.Rad1 Qe7 19.Bc2 Rfd8 20.Qe4 g6 21.Qf3 Bg7 22.Bb3 c5 23.Bxg7 Kxg7 24.d5 c4 25.Bc2 Bb7 26.d6 Rxd6 27.Qe3 Rb6 28.a4 Qc5 29.Qd4+ Qxd4 30.Rxd4 Bd5 31.h4 f5 32.g4 Rb2 33.Bd1 Rb1 34.gxf5 gxf5 35.Kh2 Kf6 36.Re3 Rg8 37.Bf3 Bxf3 38.Rxf3 Rgg1 39.Rg3 Rh1+ 40.Kg2 e5 41.Rxc4 e4 42.Rc6+ Ke5 43.f4+ Kxf4 44.Rg5 Rbg1+ 45.Kf2 e3+ 46.Ke2 Rh2+ 47.Kd3 Rd2+ 48.Kc4 Rxg5 49.hxg5 e2 50.Re6 Kxg5 51.Kb5 f4 52.c4 f3 53.c5 f2 54.c6 f1Q 55.c7 e1Q+ 0–1


(965270) Neubauer,Martin (2457) - Stocek,Jiri (2585) [B22]
Mitropa Cup Steinbrunn (2), 22.05.2005
1.e4 c5 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nf3 d6 6.Bc4 Nb6 7.Bb3 dxe5 8.Nxe5 e6 9.cxd4 Nc6 10.Nf3 Bb4+ 11.Nc3 Nd5 12.Qd3 Na5 13.Bc2 Bd7 14.Bd2 Bxc3 15.bxc3 Rc8 16.Ne5 f6 17.c4 fxe5 18.cxd5 Nc4 19.dxe5 Nxe5 20.Qe4 Rxc2 21.Qxc2 Bb5 22.a4 Nd3+ 23.Kd1 Ba6 24.Be3 0–0 25.Qb3 Bc4 26.Qxb7 Bxd5 27.Qxa7 Bxg2 28.Rg1 Bf3+ 29.Kc2 Nb4+ 30.Kb3 Rf7 31.Qxf7+ Kxf7 32.Kxb4 Qd6+ 33.Kc3 Be2 34.Rgc1 Ba6 35.Rd1 Qc7+ 36.Kb2 Qb7+ 37.Ka3 Qe7+ 38.Kb3 Qb7+ 39.Ka3 Qe7+ 40.Kb3 Qb7+ ½–½


(963094) Zhigalko,Sergei (2462) - Karjakin,Sergey (2635) [B22]
Young Stars of the World 3rd Kirishi (9), 23.05.2005
1.e4 c5 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.Nf3 d6 5.d4 cxd4 6.Bc4 Nb6 7.Bb3 Nc6 8.exd6 Qxd6 9.0–0 Be6 10.Na3 dxc3 11.Qe2 Bxb3 12.Nb5 Qb8 13.axb3 e5 14.Nbd4 f6 15.bxc3 Kf7 16.Nxc6 bxc6 17.Qe4 Qd6 18.Be3 Nd5 19.c4 Nb4 20.Bxa7 Qd3 21.Qg4 Be7 22.Rad1 Qg6 23.Qd7 Rhd8 24.Qb7 Rxd1 25.Rxd1 Rd8 26.Rf1 Kf8 27.Bb6 Rd3 28.Qc8+ Qe8 29.Qf5 g6 30.Qe6 Qd7 31.Qxd7 Rxd7 32.Be3 Rd3 33.Rb1 Nc2 34.Kf1 e4 35.Ke2 Bb4 36.h4 Kf7 37.Bd2 Na3 38.Ra1 Be7 39.Bc1 Nc2 40.Ra2 exf3+ 41.gxf3 Nb4 0–1

6..., dxe5!?

And Black promptly takes the game into a not so explored area. The standard answer here is 6... Nb6; when Black is about equal according to Rybka and theory. There are few examples of this move in my databases. One that illustrates the tactical nature of the play in this line is;

(910731) Matsuura,Everaldo (2474) - Navarro,Tiago Cunha (2150) [B22]
Belo Horizonte pre olymp Belo Horizonte (2), 09.10.2004
1.e4 c5 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nf3 d6 6.Bc4 dxe5 7.Nxe5 e6 8.0–0 Bd6 9.cxd4 0–0 10.Qh5 Qc7 11.Bd3 Nf6 12.Qe2 Nbd7 13.Re1 Rd8 14.Bf4 Nxe5 15.dxe5 Bb4 16.Rc1 Qd7 17.Bb5 Qd4 18.Bg5 h6 19.Nc3 hxg5 20.Rd1 Qb6 21.exf6 a6 22.Bd3 Bd7 23.fxg7 [23.Qh5 g6 24.Bxg6 fxg6 25.Qxg6+ Kf8 26.Qg7+ Ke8 27.Qg8+ Bf8 28.Qg6#] 23...Bxc3 24.bxc3 Qc5 25.Be4 Bb5 26.Qf3 Qe5 27.Qe3 Kxg7 28.Bxb7 Qxe3 29.fxe3 Rab8 30.Rxd8 Rxd8 31.a4 Bc4 32.Bf3 Rd3 33.Kf2 Rxc3 34.e4 Kf6 35.Kg3 Be2 36.Rb1 Bd3 37.Rb4 Ra3 38.Kg4 Kg6 39.e5 Bf5+ 40.Kg3 g4 0–1

In the game cited an experienced master is defeated by a youngster. The master overlooked the winning line at move 23 - see the note in the game score- and paid a big price for missing his chance.

7.Nxe5 e6 8.0–0 Nc6

Marginally better is 8..., Be7; why give White the chance to do damage to the Black pawn structure? After the text acceptable for White is; 9 Nxc6 bxc6 10 Qxd4 Qb6 11 Qg4, with a slightly superior pawn structure.

9.cxd4 Be7 10.Nc3?!,..

Suspect from a positional point of view. Reasonable is 10 Nf3, agreeing to an isolated QP middle game and equality.

10..., Nxc3 11.Nxc6?,..

White does not want to allow 11 bxc3 Nxe4 12 dxe5, when it is he that has the weakened pawn formation. He therefore decides to “fish in troubled waters” with a not quite sound combination. Mr. Howard may have misevaluated the possibility of getting the Knight out of a8 or obtaining some kind of real compensation for it if lost. The sporting situation, Dean’s race with Peter Henner, and a sense that this game must be won, likely influenced the decision to take a risk.

11..., Nxd1 12.Nxd8 Nxb2 13.Nxe6 Nxc4 14.Nc7+ Kd7!

Not so logical looking as 14..., Kd8; but better. If the Black King goes to d8, White gains a valuable tempo with the Bishop check at g5. That is just enough to allow him to get some activity for his Rook offsetting the slight material imbalance. Play might go; 14..., Kd8 15 Nxa8 Bd616 Bg5+ f6 17 Bg4 b6 18 Bg3 Bxg3 19 hxg3 Bb7 20 Rfc1, and if 20 ...,b5 21 a4, and White is obtaining decent compensation. Black can improve in this line with again 18..., Kd7; then White probably must try 19 Rfe1 Bb7? 20 Nc7 Bxc7 21 Bxc7 Kxc7 22 Re7+, again with some compensation. In this sub-variation Black has to find 19..., g6; or 19..., Rg8; to keep his advantage. The text sidesteps all that and gives Black a substantial edge.

15.Nxa8 Bd6 16.Bg5,..

Marginally better is 16 Rb1, but the Na8 is doomed. The Black Bishops will dominate the game.

16..., b5 17.a4,..

A radical try but less wild attempts just leave Black in control.

17..., b4!

Dean was likely hoping this move would not be played. Suddenly the Black b-pawn is a menace.

18.a5 Bb7 19.Rfc1 Rc8 20.Nb6+ axb6 21.a6,

White bets on the advanced a-pawn to shake his opponent’s confidence, that was not to be.

21..., Bd5 22.a7,..

A bit more stubborn is 22 axb6. The fundamentals remain unchanged however. Three minor pieces and the passed b-pawn are powerful enough to win no matter what White tries.

23..., Ra8

Black can play 23..., b3 right away because the Nc4 is immune from capture for the b-pawn will Queen. Mr. Magat uses good technique preventing any possible counter-play involving pushing the a-pawn to the eighth rank.

23.g3 b3 24.Rcb1 b2 25.Ra6 Be4 26.Bf4 Bxf4 27.Rc1,..

This is Mr. Howard’s joke at the end of a tense fight. He recognizes 27 Rxb2 Nxb2 28 gxf4 Nd3 29 Rxb6 Rxa7; and the material deficit with the mating threats to his King make further resistance useless.

27...,c1Q# 0–1

This win tightened up the struggle for a playoff spot. Gordon has kept alive some hope to qualify. If Howard wins his last game against Henner, we will have to watch Peter strive to win his last two games, or at least garner 1 ½ points. In that case Peter is first and Dean second filling the playoff chairs. If it is a draw, Gordon Magat may get to play a playoff for the last spot. I don’t know if that playoff for a playoff spot is one or two games. We will have to inquire of the TD, Galen Perry, should the situation come about. Peter Henner can, of course, by defeating Howard, helps Gordon alot. Then Gordon is in, which spot depends on how many points Peter scores in his final two games. It must not be forgotten that if Chris Caravaty wins his last game against Jonathan Lack, Caravaty will have 5 points as well as Gordon Magat. What that situation entails could make determining who plays for what more than interesting. God Bless the TD, he could have a most unusual problem to deal with. Lots of tension for sure.

More soon.