The SCC Finals Begin

The Finals of the Schenectady Championship got underway with no more than the usual portion of misunderstanding. Two of the three scheduled games were played, and the outcomes conformed to the ratings predictions. The third game, Varela - Le Cours, was postponed to a later date. The TD did not get a positive confirmation from Carlos Varela, and so Alan Le Cours had to make the drive from Saratoga for naught.

There were a visitor or two and some casual games played along side the two serious contests. Of those, I am going to begin with the Phillips - Chu game. Richard and I long time colleagues in chess and friends. He has a record of beating Experts and Class A players periodically. When he is on his game Richard is a very capable chess player, however, his skill lies in tactics and not positional play. When he finds a tactical possibility, he can follow it with diligence and look pretty deeply searching for opportunities. Overlooking the positional factors is his chess sin, and that is the story In today’s game.

Phillips, John - Chu, Richard [A42]
SCC Championship Finals, Round 1 Schenectady, NY, 12.01.2012

1.e4 d6 2.d4 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 e5

No less than eight moves have been documented in theory here for Black in this line of the Modern Defense, Averbakh variation. Most popular is 4..., Nf6; converting the line to a standard Pirc Defense. The text has to be considered the mainline of the Averbakh variation. Here is now one of the super-Grandmasters handled the Black pieces;

(911857) Agrest, Evgenij (2604) - Morozevich, Alexander (2758) [A42]
Calvia ol (Men) Mallorca (3), 17.10.2004
1.d4 g6 2.e4 Bg7 3.c4 d6 4.Nc3 e5 5.dxe5 dxe5 6.Qxd8+ Kxd8 7.f4 Be6 8.Nf3 Nc6 9.Kf2 Nf6 10.Be2 h6 11.h3 Kc8 12.g3 Nd7 13.Kg2 exf4 14.gxf4 Bxc3 15.bxc3 Na5 16.Nd2 c5 17.Ba3 Kc7 18.Rae1 b6 19.Rhf1 f5 20.Bd3 Rhe8 21.Bc1 Rad8 22.Rf3 Nf6 23.Kf2 fxe4 24.Nxe4 Bxc4 25.Nxf6 Rxe1 26.Kxe1 Bxd3 27.f5 Bxf5 28.Bxh6 Rh8 29.Bf4+ Kc6 30.Re3 Rh4 31.Bg3 Ra4 32.Re7 Nc4 33.Rc7+ Kb5 34.Rh7 Rxa2 35.Nd5 a5 36.h4 Be4 37.Nc7+ Ka4 38.Re7 Bf3 39.Re6 Kb3 40.Rxg6 Re2+ 0–1

Here’s an example of the variation , the only one found in the databases of the specific line chosen by Mr. Chu;

(405391) Dimitrijeski, Kristian (2180) - Beyer, Ulrich [A42]
JBL NO 9596 Germany (2), 1995
1.d4 g6 2.c4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.e4 e5 5.dxe5 Bxe5 6.f4 Bg7 7.Nf3 Nc6 8.Be2 Nge7 9.Be3 Be6 10.0–0 h6 11.Nd5 f5 12.Nd4 Bd7 13.Nb5 Rc8 14.g4 fxe4 15.f5 Nxd5 16.Qxd5 Qe7 17.fxg6 Qe6 18.Qf5 Qxf5 19.gxf5 0–0 20.f6 Rxf6 21.Rxf6 Bxf6 22.Bxh6 Bg7 23.Be3 a6 24.Nc3 Bf5 25.Bh5 Bxc3 26.bxc3 Kg7 27.Bd4+ Nxd4 28.cxd4 Bxg6 29.Bxg6 Kxg6 30.Kf2 c6 31.a4 Rh8 32.Ke3 d5 33.cxd5 cxd5 34.Rb1 Kf5 35.Rf1+ Ke6 36.Rb1 Rxh2 37.Rxb7 Rh3+ 38.Ke2 Rd3 39.Rb6+ Kd7 40.Rxa6 Rxd4 41.Ra8 Kd6 42.a5 Kc6 43.Ke3 Rd3+ 44.Ke2 Ra3 45.a6 Kb6 46.Rd8 Kc5 47.Ra8 Kd4 48.a7 Ra2+ 49.Kf1 e3 50.Kg1 Kd3 51.Rd8 Rxa7 52.Rxd5+ Ke2 53.Rb5 Rg7+ 54.Kh2 Ke1 55.Re5 e2 56.Re6 Rf7 57.Kg2 Rf2+ 58.Kg1 Rf1+ 59.Kg2 Kd2 60.Rd6+ Kc3 0–1

Not Grandmasters to be sure, the game has value as it demonstrates that Black can make a decent game if he stays focused. Note that the capture on c3 happens later in this game.

5.dxe5 Bxe5

Theory gives the nod to 5..., dxe5; as the only acceptable move for Black and holds that the game is about even. It is interesting that Deep Rybka actually likes the text giving White only the smallest of advantages after it is played.

6.f4 Bg7?!

Seemingly a normal move but it a telling miss. In the Pirc/Modern, far more often than expected, Black captures the Nc3 with this Bishop. To someone who has not spent some time studying the work of those Grandmasters who use the Pirc, that capture looks an unlikely candidate. It can work however, especially against an opponent who is not completely prepared. The idea here is; 6..., Bxc3+ 7 bxc3 Qh4+, (To get more pawns on dark squares since Black no longer has a Bishop of that color.) 8 g3 Qe7; pressure on e4 is the point of Black’s play. If White continues with the natural; 9 Bg2, then 9..., Nf6 10 Qd3 Bf5; and the e-pawn is lost. If earlier White pushes the e-pawn to e5, say 10 e5, then maybe the pawn will be gone antway, but most importantly, the “big” White center is blown up. In such a case, Black has achieved all he wished for in selecting the Modern as his defense; obtaining a playable middle game. If you are using general chess principles alone, then the key capture on c3 just is considered only in passing and discarded. Why in the world does Black want to surrender the Bishop pair, especially the dark squared pride of the Black position? The answer is found in the often heard but seldom followed concept; in the vast majority of openings, all Black is striving for is equality and a playable middle game. The capture on c3 delivers that goal.

7.Nf3 Nc6 8.Be2 Nge7 9.0–0 Bg4 10.Be3 0–0 11.h3 Bxf3 12.Bxf3,..

Both sides have completed their development, and we now see the net result of the failure to capture on c3; White has a comfortable game along with more say in the center.

12..., Kh8

Black takes a precaution before making his only break possible; .., f7-f5. He could, and probably should, break now rather than later. Play might continue; 12..., f5 13 Re1 Rb8 14 Bf2 fxe4 15 Rxe4 Qd2; when White is still better, but Black has chances.

13.g4 f5 14.Qd2 fxg4?

A definite error. Correct is 14..., fxe4 15 Bxe4 Qd7; when the sacrificial line 16 f5? gxf5 17 gxf5 Nxf5; leaves the White King far less safe than the Black King. The game move presents White with an open h-file on which to operate. Black has not gone down this path blindly. He has some glimmering of tactical chances on the f-file and is intent on following those chances. The problem for Black is two-fold; was the positional factor of the h-file been properly evaluated, and have the tactics on the f-file been calculated accurately? The result of the game answers these questions.

15.hxg4 Ng8 16.Nd5 Rf7

When I saw this move played it was a puzzle, why there? A little more thought brought the conclusion; Black is building a defense along the 7th rank of course!

17.g5 h5!?

This then seemed out of step with the 7th rank defense, but no, a bit more consideration brought to light the 7th rank defense idea had a big problem; whenever the Bg7 has to move to allow the Rf7 to defend h7, White can check from c3 with the Queen. It seems the h-pawn jump is necessary. Black can play 17..., Qd7; planning to maneuver to minimize the effect of checks from c3 by getting the Ng8 out of the way, but White moves his King to g2 and doubles Rooks on the h-file and will win in a different way than in the game. This possibility illustrates the positional advantage the h-file gives to White.

18.gxh6 Nxh6 19.Qh2!?,..

Better 19 Kg2, then the threat of 20 f5 threatening the Nh6 is very strong. If 19..., Kg8 20 f5 and material is lost. If 19..., Qf8 20 Rh1, when Richard’s idea, 20..., Ne5?!; does not quite work after 21 exf5 Rxf3 22 Bxh6 Bxh6 23 Rxh6+ Kg7 24 Rah1, and beyond the material deficit, threats on the h-file will end the game in White’s favor quickly.

19..., Qf8 20.Rad1,..

A really good move for more reasons than immediately apparent.

20..., Ne5?

This was the blow Mr. Chu had in mind as the position developed. After the game he thought it was premature and first 20..., Re8; needed to be played. That is true. After 20...Re8 21.f5 gxf5 22.Bh5 Be5; Black is working towards easing his difficulties. Richard was thinking of 20..., Re8; in combination with the Knight sacrifice at e5, and that does not seem to work. The “tree of analysis” gets very bushy after 20..., Re8; but the lines I looked at all seem to give Black a playable game in the short term. The positional problems remain, and over the long run White has good chances to win. The text, on the other hand, loses by force.

So what if Black plays 20..., Re8; and tries his Knight sacrifice? Play could go; 20..., Re8 21 Kh1 Ne5? 22 fxe5 Rxf3 23 Kg2 Be5 24 Rxf3 Qxf3+ 25 Kxf3 Bxh2 26 Bxh6, when White, with a piece for a pawn, will have a win with a modicum of care.

21.fxe5 Rxf3 22.Bxh6 Bxh6 23.Rxf3 Qxf3 24.Qxh6+ Kg8 25.Qxg6+ Kh8 26.Qf6+!?,..

Forcing off the Queens. It may be quibbling to mention, but shorter is 26 Rd2!, and Black must give up his Queen to hold off mate for even a few moves. The move 26 Rd2, threatens mate beginning 27 Rh2+. What is Black to do? In the discussion after the game the first thought was 26..., Rg8; but that does nothing to prevent 27 Rh2+, first winning the Queen and mating anyway. The second thought was 26..., Qe3; overlooking 27 Nxe3, also collects the Queen without preventing the coming mate.

John Phillips said he would have played the move but he just did not see it.
He had worked out the game continuation, was confident it led to a win and did not look farther. The practical problem with taking a longer path such as here, is something may have been missed in the calculation.

26...Qxf6 27.exf6 Kg8

The position is lost; an extra pawn and a extra piece is too much to overcome in an endgame such this. John Phillips felt certain he would be able to cash in his advantage for the full point. The final moves demonstrate he was correct.

28.Rf1 Kf7 29.Rf4 c6 30.Ne3 Rg8+ 31.Kf2 a6 32.Ng4 Rg6 33.e5 Rxg4 34.Rxg4 dxe5 35.Rg7+ Kxf6 36.Rxb7 Ke6 37.Rb6 Kd6 38.Rxa6 Kc5 39.b3 1–0

My friend Richard had a nice idea. Its flaws unfortunately were more weighty than its merits, and he would not, or could not change his approach to a more positional method. There is an adage that says chess 99% tactics. I don’t know if that is correct for every level of play. The saying certainly is most correct for us at the club level. There is a big but coming; some consideration for positional factors has to be part of even a club players arsenal. In today’s game the open h-file leading to the Black King provided the basis for a successful tactical solution for White. Ignoring, or not recognizing these factors in a position will frequently wreck even nice tactical schemes. It did so here.

More soon.