The SCC Finals End With An Upset

This game settled the standings for the Finals event at Schenectady. Here a rising talent upsets an established contender. After the game Alan lamented a patch of bad form he has been living through. In two games at the Saratoga Club with Feinberg and Farrell where he had some advantage ended in losses after Alan found incorrect continuations. In today’s game the pattern repeats. At a critical juncture, Alan goes astray.

There is not much in chess in which I claim to be an expert; maybe a couple of opening lines and the ability to find just the wrong move at a crucial moment in a game. I have a long list of those kind of errors over the years made by me. A couple of them versus were Alan no less. I think all chess players except the elite World Championship Candidates probably hit streaks like this.

My self-prescription for getting out of the trend is three-fold: Take a step back from serious play and skip a regular event or two. Sometimes we need to recharge our competitive energy. Don’t put chess aside entirely, study. For me the key activity was the playing over master games. Sometimes it would be intensive examination of one or more games of some particular variation or theme. Other times it would be running through a large number of games quickly to get a feel for piece placement and thematic tactics. A third step was to rework my opening tools. A number of poor results in the 1980s led me to put aside the French Defense as my main answer to 1 e4, and take up the Pirc Defense. With a new opening came a renewed interest in competition.

There is no basis to say this prescription works every time for everyone. It is a positive plan however. My chess career spanned sixty years during which there were many breaks from competition. Some were forced by the demands of work, but not a few came about because of a sudden loss of form. Loss of form is defined not just by lost games. It really is when your play, the moves you find and the ideas you have, just do not come up to your self-defined standards. If you are going to play chess for some long time, these form problems will likely occur. Working out a process to deal with them is a requirement for longevity at chess.

Le Cours, Alan - Calderone, Zack [A30]
SCC Finals Schenectady, NY, 24.03.2012

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.Nc3 b6 4.g3 e6 5.Bg2 Bb7 6.0–0 Be7 7.Re1 d6

Equally popular is 7..., d5. The opening is classified as the Symmetrical English.

Here are a couple of GM games with the move 7..., d6:

(132724) Tal, Mihail (2560) - Tseshkovsky, Vitaly (2575) [A30]
Riga (12), 1981
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.Nc3 e6 4.g3 b6 5.Bg2 Bb7 6.0–0 Be7 7.Re1 d6 8.d4 cxd4 9.Nxd4 Bxg2 10.Kxg2 Qc8 11.Qd3 Nbd7 12.b3 Ne5 13.Qd2 d5 14.cxd5 Bb4 15.Bb2 Nxd5 16.Qg5 Bxc3 17.Bxc3 Qxc3 18.Qxe5 0–0 19.Rac1 Qd2 20.Red1 Qh6 21.Nc6 Rfe8 22.e4 Nf6 23.h3 Nd7 24.Qc7 Nc5 25.Rc4 e5 26.Rd5 f6 27.Rd6 Qh5 28.Nd8 Qg6 29.Qc6 Raxd8 30.Qd5+ Ne6 31.Rxd8 Rxd8 32.Qxe6+ Kf8 33.Rc7 Re8 34.Qd6+ Kg8 35.Qd5+ Kh8 36.Rxa7 h5 37.h4 Kh7 38.Ra8 Rxa8 39.Qxa8 Qg4 40.f3 Qd7 41.Qd5 Qc7 42.Qd2 b5 43.a3 Qc5 44.Qa2 Qc1 45.a4 b4 ½–½

The next is a very interesting game in which White offers pawns for tactical and positional chances. Black refuses these “Greek” gifts but falls to a violent attack on the K-side.

(248803) Cvitan, Ognjen (2515) - Lautier, Joel (2570) [A30]
Novi Sad Olympics (Men) (10), 1990
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0–0 e6 6.Nc3 d6 7.Re1 Be7 8.e4 a6 9.d4 cxd4 10.Nxd4 Qc7 11.Be3 Nbd7 12.f4 0–0 13.Rc1 Rfe8 14.g4 h6 15.h4 Nc5 16.Bf2 e5 17.fxe5 dxe5 18.Nf5 Bf8 19.g5 hxg5 20.hxg5 Nh7 21.Nd5 Qd8 22.Rc3 Re6 23.b4 Nd7 24.Rd3 Bxd5 25.exd5 Rg6 26.d6 e4 27.Rxe4 Qxg5 28.Nh4 Rf6 29.Rg4 1–0

And here are a couple of games featuring 7..., d5:

(118023) Larsen, Bent (2620) - Gligoric, Svetozar (2560) [A30]
Bled, 1979
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5 3.Nc3 e6 4.g3 b6 5.Bg2 Bb7 6.0–0 Be7 7.Re1 d5 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.e4 Nb4 10.d4 cxd4 11.Nxd4 N8c6 12.Nxc6 Nxc6 13.e5 Qxd1 14.Rxd1 Rb8 15.Nb5 0–0 16.Bf4 g5 17.Rac1 gxf4 18.Bxc6 fxg3 19.hxg3 Bc5 20.Bxb7 Rxb7 21.Kg2 f6 22.exf6 Rxf6 23.f3 Rbf7 24.Rd3 h5 25.Rc4 Rg6 26.Nc3 e5 27.Ne4 Bd4 28.b3 b5 29.Rc2 Kg7 30.Kh3 Kh6 31.b4 Ra6 32.Kg2 Kg6 33.Nd2 Rff6 34.Nb3 Ra3 35.Rdd2 Rd6 36.Nxd4 exd4 37.Rc5 a6 38.f4 Kh6 39.Rg5 Rg6 40.Rxg6+ Kxg6 41.Rxd4 Rxa2+ 42.Kh3 Ra1 43.Rd6+ Kg7 44.Kh4 Rh1+ 45.Kg5 Rh3 46.Rg6+ Kf7 47.Kf5 h4 48.g4 a5 49.bxa5 Ra3 50.Ra6 b4 51.g5 h3 52.g6+ Ke7 53.g7 Rg3 54.Rg6 Rxg6 55.Kxg6 h2 56.g8Q h1Q 57.Qf7+ Kd6 58.Qf8+ Ke6 59.f5+ Kd7 60.Qxb4 Qg2+ 61.Kf6 Qc6+ 62.Kg5 Qg2+ 63.Qg4 Qd5 64.Qa4+ Ke7 65.Qb4+ Kf7 66.Kf4 Qc6 67.Qb3+ Kf8 68.Qa3+ Kg7 1–0

(592675) Gurevich, Mikhail (2667) - Van Wely, Loek (2643) [E17]
Bundesliga 0001 Germany (5.2), 07.01.2001
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 c5 3.g3 e6 4.Nf3 b6 5.Bg2 Bb7 6.0–0 Be7 7.Re1 d5 8.cxd5 exd5 9.d4 0–0 10.Bf4 Nbd7 11.Qc2 Ne4 12.dxc5 Bxc5 13.Nxe4 dxe4 14.Ng5 Rc8 15.Qb1 Nf6 16.Nxe4 Bxe4 17.Bxe4 Qd4 18.Bf3 Qxf2+ 19.Kh1 Rfe8 20.Rf1 Qd4 21.Rd1 Qc4 22.Qf5 Be3 23.b3 Qc2 24.Qxc2 Rxc2 25.Rd3 Bxf4 26.gxf4 g6 27.Kg2 Nh5 28.Rd4 Ng7 29.Rd7 a5 30.Rad1 Ne6 31.Kg3 Rxa2 32.Rb7 Rb2 33.Rxb6 a4 34.b4 a3 35.Ra6 Rxb4 36.f5 Nd4 37.fxg6 hxg6 38.Rxa3 Nxe2+ 39.Bxe2 Rxe2 40.h3 Rbb2 41.Rdd3 Kg7 42.Rab3 Rbc2 43.Rbc3 Rg2+ 44.Kf4 Rcf2+ 45.Rf3 Re2 46.Rce3 f5 47.Rxe2 Rxe2 48.Kg3 Kh6 49.Ra3 Kg5 50.Ra8 Re3+ 51.Kg2 Kf4 52.Ra4+ Re4 53.Ra2 Rd4 54.Re2 Rd3 55.Rf2+ Ke3 56.Rf3+ Ke4 57.Rf2 f4 58.Re2+ Re3 59.Ra2 Rg3+ 60.Kh2 Rd3 61.Kg2 Ke3 62.Rb2 Ra3 63.Rf2 Ra5 64.Rf3+ Ke4 65.Rf2 Rg5+ 66.Kh2 Ke3 67.Ra2 Rd5 68.Ra3+ Rd3 69.Ra6 g5 70.Re6+ Kf3 71.Rg6 Rd5 72.Rg8 Re5 73.Rg7 Re2+ 74.Kg1 Rg2+ 75.Kh1 g4 76.Rxg4 Rxg4 77.hxg4 Ke2 0–1

The cited games show that at the highest level opening the game in this fashion satisfies these outstanding players from both sides of the board. Returning to our game:
8.e4 Nbd7 9.d4 cxd4 10.Nxd4 a6 11.b3 Qc7 12.Bb2 Rd8!?

Up to this move it has been all book from lines where the Symmetrical English and the Hedgehog Defense come close to each other. Theory gives 12..., 0-0; as the best here.

A couple of famous Soviet Grandmasters played this line to a draw in 1975:

(104106) Petrosian, Tigran V (2645) - Balashov, Yuri S (2540) [A30]
43rd USSR Championship, Yerevan, 1975
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.g3 b6 5.Bg2 Bb7 6.0–0 a6 7.Re1 d6 8.e4 Nbd7 9.b3 Be7 10.d4 cxd4 11.Nxd4 Qc7 12.Bb2 0–0 13.h3 Rfe8 14.Rc1 Bf8 15.Kh2 Rad8 16.Rc2 Qb8 17.Rce2 Nc5 18.Kg1 Qa8 19.Ba1 Qb8 20.Re3 Qc7 21.Qb1 Ncd7 22.Bb2 Ne5 23.Qc2 Ned7 24.Qe2 Rc8 25.Kh1 Rcd8 26.Nc2 Rc8 27.f4 Nb8 28.Rc1 Red8 29.Ne1 h6 30.Nd3 Nbd7 31.Kh2 Be7 32.h4 Nh7 33.Nd1 Bf6 34.Nc3 Bd4 35.Nd5 exd5 36.Bxd4 dxe4 37.Nf2 Nhf6 38.Nxe4 Bxe4 39.Bxe4 Re8 40.Bf3 Rxe3 41.Qxe3 Re8 42.Qc3 Ne4 43.Qb2 f5 44.Re1 Ndc5 45.Qc2 Qe7 46.Qd1 Qe6 47.Re3 a5 48.Kg2 Re7 49.Bb2 Kh7 50.Be2 Qf7 51.a3 Nf6 52.Rxe7 Qxe7 53.Bf3 Ng4 54.Bd4 Ne3+ 55.Bxe3 Qxe3 56.Qd5 Qe6 57.Qxe6 Nxe6 58.h5 Nd4 59.Bd1 g5 60.hxg6+ Kxg6 61.Kf2 Kf6 62.Ke3 Ne6 63.Bc2 Ng7 64.Bd1 Ne6 65.b4 axb4 66.axb4 Nc7 67.Kd4 Ke6 68.Bb3 Kf6 69.Ba4 Ke6 70.Bc6 Ke7 71.Bb7 Kd7 72.Kd3 Ne6 73.Ke3 Kd8 74.Bg2 Ke7 75.Bd5 Nc7 76.Bb7 Kd7 77.Kf3 Ne6 78.Kg2 ½–½

Somewhat more recently two Grandmasters, in a slightly different move order, explored the line and White prevailed:

(236886) Azmaiparashvili, Zurab (2610) - Lerner, Konstantin Z (2560) [A30]
Lvov, Zonal Tournament, 1990
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 c5 6.0–0 a6 7.Re1 Be7 8.e4 d6 9.d4 cxd4 10.Nxd4 Qc7 11.b3 0–0 12.Bb2 Nbd7 13.Rc1 Rac8 14.Rc2 Rfe8 15.Rd2 Qb8 16.f4 Bf8 17.Bf3 Nc5 18.e5 dxe5 19.fxe5 Nfd7 20.Bxb7 Nxb7 21.Nxe6 Nxe5 22.Nxf8 Kxf8 23.Kg2 Nc5 24.Nd5 Ng6 25.Rf1 Rcd8 26.Rdf2 Rd7 27.Nxb6 Qb7+ 28.Nd5 Ne6 29.Qf3 Kg8 30.h4 h6 31.Kh2 Qb8 32.Qg4 h5 33.Qxh5 Nc7 34.Qg4 1–0

And to show that the Black game can pose some dangers to White, here is
A game from a USA event:

(443905) Dzindzichashvili, Roman (2545) - Sunye Neto, Jaime (2505) [A30]
New York CITS (9), 1996
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0–0 d6 6.Nc3 Nbd7 7.Re1 e6 8.e4 a6 9.d4 cxd4 10.Nxd4 Qc7 11.b3 Be7 12.Bb2 0–0 13.Rc1 Rac8 14.f4 Rfd8 15.f5 e5 16.Nd5 Nxd5 17.cxd5 Nc5 18.Nf3 Qb8 19.g4 Nd7 20.g5 f6 21.h4 b5 22.Qe2 Rc7 23.Rxc7 Qxc7 24.Rc1 Qb6+ 25.Qf2 Qxf2+ 26.Kxf2 Rc8 27.Rxc8+ Bxc8 28.Bc1 Bd8 29.h5 Nc5 30.Ne1 fxg5 31.Be3 Bb6 32.b4 Na4 33.Bxb6 Nxb6 34.Nf3 h6 35.Nd2 Nd7 36.Nf1 Nf6 37.Ng3 Bd7 38.Bf3 Be8 39.Be2 Kf8 40.Kg2 g4 41.Kf2 Ke7 42.a3 Kd8 43.Kg2 Bxh5 44.Nxh5 Nxh5 45.Bxg4 Nf4+ 46.Kg3 Ke7 47.f6+ Kxf6 48.Kf3 Nd3 49.Bc8 Ne1+ 0–1

I found no games with the text in my databases. Rhetorically, why is that? Rybka answers: 13 Nd5!? exd5 14 exd5, and if Black is careless playing; 14..., Ne5 15 Nf5 0-0 16 Nxe7+ Qxe7 17 f4, recovers the piece with an excellent position for White. However, if Black is cautious and varies with 14..., Kf8 15 Qe2 Ng8!; it is questionable if White has enough compensation for the material. Black may have to suffer for a while, but a piece is a piece. The sacrifice on d5 may not be entirely sound, but it introduces a degree of irrationality to the game that the very good players avoid usually.

13.Qe2 0–0 14.Kh1!?,..

I don’t quite get this move. White seems to be worried about some check by the Black Queen or his dark squared Bishop on the g1-a7 diagonal after f2-f4 is played. Neither I nor Rybka found a specific line where that check was important. Absent a specific need, it is sensible to complete development with 14 Rad1.

14..., Ne8?!

This retrograde maneuver is not understandable in view of the needs of the position. So far the players have been debating control of various squares in around the center and jockeying for favorable line opening tricks. If Black intended here to shift his Queen to a8, it makes more sense to leave the Knight on f6 attacking e4. He may have intended to prepare a break with .., d6-d5; after .., Nc7; and maybe .., Nd7-f6; and had a change of heart. Or, most likely, Black had the vague outlines of a plan including playing .., f7-f5; trying to begin a K-side action. Then if White plays Bg2-h3 as in the game, to prevent .., f7-f5, Black imagined there might be tricks down the long diagonal.

15.Rad1 Qb8 16.f4 Qa8 17.Bh3?!,..

Both sides have disposed their forces as they desired. The flaw in the Black position is advancing any of his center pawns at the moment is not realistically possible. The flaw in the White position is the potentially fragile situation of the White King requiring White to pay close attention to his pieces guarding vital points. Thus both sides have to resort to some maneuvering looking for a chance for advantage.

White decides attacking e6 is his way to do this. The text reduces the defenses of e4 and the long diagonal. He might be better served by playing 17 Kg1, getting his King out of the line of fire but that move would be tantamount to admitting the move to h1 was unnecessary.

17..., Nc7 18.f5?!,..

If the King were on g1, this move would have more bite. As it is, Black has a chance to get to near equality with 18..., e5 19 Nf3 Nf6 20 Ba3 Rfe8 21 Bf1 b5!; because if White goes for the b-pawn, Black eliminates the e-pawn opening the long diagonal to his advantage.

18..., Nc5?

A mistake that should allow White to obtain a near winning edge.

19.b4 e5

Short of going in for some sacrificial continuation, this is the best practical chance. One alternate served up by my computer is 19... Bf6?! 20 bxc5 dxc5 21 Nb3 exf5 22 Bxf5 Rxd1 23 Rxd1 Re8; but 24 Rd7, cements the White advantage.

20.Nc2?,..

It is now White’s bad form begins to surface. Here White can obtain a significant advantage with; 20 bxc5! exd4 21 Nd5 Nxd5 22 exd5, when the follow-on threat of c5-c6 leaves Black in a bad way.

20..., Nd7 21.Bc1?!,..

Not a bad move in that there is no tactical oversight, rather it misses the opportunity to carryout a thematic idea; controlling d5. White can play 21 Ne3, dangling the “bright and shiny” e-pawn. If Black grabs it he is lost after; 21 Ne3 Bxe4+? 22 Nxe4 Qxe4? 23 Bg2, trapping the Queen. Assuming Black is not so tempted, he will probably play; 21..., b5; which is a much stronger move. Then, after 22 a4, the game is very complex and White has only a modest plus.

21..., b5!

This counter-stroke is strong.

22.Nd5 Nxd5 23.cxd5,..

White has eliminated the most direct threat to his King by stifling the battery aimed down the long diagonal. It was done at a cost. Black will have the first say on the c-file, and the square c4 beckons the Nd7. Getting up some opposition on the c-file is slow going because of the two minor pieces on c2 and c1. Clearing them out of the way takes time that Black can use to bring the power of his Rooks into play.

22..., f6?!

Too cautious. The natural 22..., Rc8; is better. Black has two minor pieces and a pawn guarding f6 right now. This prevents the idea of f5-f6 and the Exchange sacrifice at f6 from working immediately. Precautions can wait for a turn or two until Black needs to move one of the minor pieces. Black with this move grants White time to not be over run on the c-file, but White has to be creative. The best try may be; 23 a4, then if 23..., bxa4 24 Na3, a5 25 b5, keeping a tight rein on the Black Bishops

24.Be3,..

A fundamental problem for White is his Bc1 and Nc2 both need the e3 square. Since two pieces can’t occupy the same point at the same time, White will have trouble coordinating his pieces.

24..., Rc8 25.Rd2 Rc4 26.Qg4?,..

White has not liked how the game developed. Here I think Mr. Le Cours lost patience with the situation and faith in the resources of his position. It is not easy to find 26 a4!, which appears to keep the position under control after; 26..., Rfc8 27 axb5 axb5 28 Ra1, the game is balanced. If 28..., Qb8 29 Bf1, and a mistake is; 29..., Rxe4? 30 Qxb5 Rxc2 31 Rxc2 Rxe3 32 Qxd7, with a big advantage. When you lose faith in a position any active try becomes tempting. White stakes everything on a not so subtle direct attack on the Black King.

26..., Rfc8 27.Bh6 Bf8 28.Ne3 Rxb4 29.Bg2 Kh8 30.Nc2 Rbc4 0–1

Mr. Calderone calmly fended off the assault. White now must lose material. He correctly ends the contest with resignation. This game definitely moved Zack into the ranks of potential contenders for next year’s title. He finished clear third with a 50% score and played up in every game. It was an outstanding result for the young man.

More soon.