An Upset From the SCC Consolation

Picking a game for today was not easy. Both the Varela - Sells game and this one were full of interest. My prejudice for upsets drove the choice.

Mr. Glessner is very new to serious chess. Before this event he’d played in just nine events in the mid-West and South Carolina and only seventeen rated games! I suspect he has done very much more playing on the internet and maybe had some excellent coaching. The games of his I have watched in this event show much more sophistication than a 1378 rating suggests.

In the contest we will examine, Dilip Aaron uses his special weapon against 1 e4, the Scandinavian Defense. Recently this defense has seen its reputation improve from being very much a secondary kind of tool to an almost fully fledged mainstream debut.

Glessner, Isaiah - Aaron, Dilip [B01]
SCC Consolation Tourney Schenectady, NY, 23.02.2012

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.c4 Qa5

White tries an offbeat line, and Black decides to try to bring play back to more standard lines. There is not much in the way of theory here. Emms in his book; The Scandinavian, Everyman, London, 2004, makes no mention of the move 3 c4. Deep Rybka suggests 3..., Qe4+ 4 Qe2 Qxe2 5 Bxe2 Nc6; gives Black a modest edge after 6 Nf3 e5; because White has some difficulties in getting the d-pawn up to the 4th rank. If you have access to a chess engine, or just like to analyze, try out lines with 6 Nc3 Nd4 7 Nd5. Lots of fun to be had there. My look at these lines have Black coming out on top after some interesting turns. Before moving on, here is some background:

In the old days games such this led folks to doubt the usefulness of the Scandinavian Defense against first-rate opposition.

(5294) Chigorin, Mikhail - Znosko Borovsky, Eugene [B01]
DSB–15.Kongress Nuremberg (14), 1906
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Be2 Nf6 6.0–0 e6 7.d4 Bd6 8.Nb5 Be7 9.Bf4 Na6 10.c4 c6 11.Nd6+ Bxd6 12.Bxd6 Ne4 13.Ba3 Bxf3 14.Bxf3 Nd2 15.d5 cxd5 16.cxd5 0–0–0 17.Re1 Nc7 18.dxe6 fxe6 19.Bg4 Rhe8 20.Qe2 Kb8 21.Rac1 Rd5 22.Qe3 g6 23.Bc5 e5 24.a3 Nb5 25.Bb4 Qd8 26.Bxd2 Rxd2 27.Rc8+ 1–0

In recent years high level games like this one showed the old Center-Counter Gambit has some bite.

(441878) Barua, Dibyendu (2520) - Speelman, Jonathan S (2625) [B01]
7th Goodricke Open, Calcutta (4), 1996
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 c6 6.Bc4 Bf5 7.Bd2 e6 8.Qe2 Bb4 9.0–0–0 Nbd7 10.Nh4 Bg4 11.f3 Bxc3 12.bxc3 Bh5 13.g4 Bg6 14.Nxg6 hxg6 15.Bb3 Qa3+ 16.Kb1 a5 17.Bc1 Qd6 18.a3 Nd5 19.Qd3 b5 20.c4 bxc4 21.Qxc4 0–0 22.Ka1 Rfb8 23.Ba2 N7b6 24.Qc5 Qxc5 25.dxc5 Na4 26.Rd4 Nac3 27.Bd2 e5 28.Rd3 Nxa2 29.Kxa2 e4 30.fxe4 Nf6 31.Re1 Nxg4 32.Rd6 Rb5 33.Rxc6 Ne5 34.a4 Rbb8 35.Rb6 Rc8 36.Be3 Re8 37.Rb5 Nf3 38.Reb1 Kh7 39.c6 Rac8 40.Rc5 Rxe4 41.Rb3 Ne5 42.c7 Rxa4+ 43.Ra3 Re4 44.Bf2 f5 45.Raxa5 Ng4 46.Bg1 f4 47.h3 Nf6 48.Rab5 Re7 49.Rb4 Rexc7 50.Rxc7 Rxc7 51.Rxf4 Rxc2+ 52.Kb1 Re2 53.Bd4 g5 54.Rf3 Kg6 55.Kc1 Nd5 56.Kd1 Re4 57.Bb2 Ne3+ 58.Kd2 Nc4+ 59.Kd3 Rf4 0–1

There are virtually no master games in the sub-variation used in our game. Here are a couple almost FIDE masters exploring the line in a correspondence game. Notice how the adventurous Black Queen get into trouble here as in Glessner-Aaron game .

(583356) Silveira,Marcos (2215) - Carvalho,Carlos Alberto (2105) [B01]
4th Taca Brasilia Correspondence Championship, Brasilia (8), 24.08.2000
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.c4 Qa5 4.Nc3 c6 5.d3 Nf6 6.Be2 Bf5 7.Nf3 Nbd7 8.Bf4 e6 9.0–0 Bb4 10.Nd4 Bxc3 11.bxc3 0–0 12.Nb3 Qxc3 13.Bd6 c5 14.Bxf8 Rxf8 15.Rc1 Qe5 16.Re1 Qc7 17.d4 Rd8 18.Bf3 h6 19.d5 Ne5 20.Rc3 Nxf3+ 21.Qxf3 Bg4 22.Qg3 Qxg3 23.hxg3 exd5 24.f3 Bc8 25.Nxc5 b6 26.Nb3 d4 27.Rd3 Be6 28.Rxd4 Rxd4 29.Nxd4 Bxc4 30.a3 Nd5 31.Nc6 a5 32.Ne7+ Nxe7 33.Rxe7 a4 34.Kf2 g6 35.g4 g5 36.g3 Kg7 37.f4 b5 38.Ke3 Kf6 39.Rc7 Bf1 40.Kd4 Be2 41.Rc6+ Kg7 42.Rb6 gxf4 43.gxf4 Bxg4 44.Rxb5 h5 45.Ke3 Kg6 46.Rg5+ Kf6 47.Ra5 Bd1 48.Kd2 Bb3 49.Rxh5 Kg6 50.Rb5 f6 51.Rxb3 axb3 52.a4 b2 53.Kc2 Kf5 54.a5 Kxf4 55.a6 Ke3 56.a7 f5 57.a8Q f4 58.Qa7+ 1–0

4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Be2 Bf5

The main attraction for using the Scandinavian for non-professional players is the relatively few lines that need to be studied in preparation for a contest. Compared to the Sicilian, or the double e-pawn defenses, the amount of work is small to achieve a playable middle game position. The downside to specializing in a more-or-less uncomplicated opening such as the Scandinavian is opponents can search out off-beat lines from opening manuals, or dredge up surprises from the internet or their computer engines. One hopes he understands enough about a pet opening to be able to counter such surprises. That is not always the case. Here for example it is better to get in ..,e7-e5; before developing the Bc8. The pawn on e5 will be able exchange itself for the d-pawn leaving a completely open center with equality near at hand.

6.0–0 Bxb1?!

Black falls for a bit of trickery that comes up every so often in many guises; grabbing a poisoned pawn. With only some of his forces developed and his King several moves from castling, Dilip decides to grab a Q-side pawn with his Queen. This a-pawn is just as poisonous as the notorious b-pawn is in the Sicilian Defense.

7.Rxb1 Qxa2 8.Qc2 Nc6 9.d4 e6?

Once more we see a player try ordinary positional methods in a position he provoked requiring dynamic treatment. In the standard Scandinavian positions Black has a shopping list of things to accomplish; Bf5, e6, c6 and Bb4 are all on the list. In most cases positions based on the list work well enough for Black. It is not so much the 3 c5, move that made the position radical, it is the Queen sortie to snatch the a-pawn. Herein is a lesson for the developing and the experienced player; getting so little as a pawn for the time used is fraught with danger. The danger is even greater if your development lags and your King not yet castled.

For good or ill Black should tried; 9..., Nb4!? 10 Qf5, Qa6 11 Ne5 Qd6; when White is still better, but Black has extracted the Queen from the swamp on the Q-side. After 9... Nc4 10 Qf5, Black should not be tempted by the shinny trinket 10..., e6?! Things get interesting in a flash with 11 Qb5+! After that move, all the routine piece values we learn early as chess players, go out the window. Then, 11..., Nd7 12 Qxb7 Rb8 13 Qxc7 Qxb1? (Better 13..., Na6.) 14 Ne5 Rd8 15 Bg5, winning. When the smell of mate is on wind thinking like an accountant is not the way to go.

10.Bd2 Na5

The difficult situation of the Black Queen is forcing him to take measures to get her out of trouble. Doing so prevents dealing with castling and development.

11.Ra1 Qb3 12.Qc1,..

Trading Queens lets Black off the hook.

12..., Nc6 13.d5 Nd8?

If 13..., exd5 14 c5!, points up the absence of squares available to the Black Queen. Mr. Aaron would likely have to try 14..., Bxc5; when 15 Qxc5 Ne4 16 Qe3 Qxb2 17 Rab1 Qf6 18 Rxb7; when the three pawns Black has gotten for his piece are offset by the great activity of the White pieces. This maybe the best try for Black

Some, or all, of the foregoing had to be going through Dilip’s mind to explain this move which leads to annihilation. Another way to try to clarify the situation is; 13..., Nxd5 14 cxd5 Qxd5 15 Bc4 Qh5. This keeps the material balance. What does Black do after 16 Ba6? Then 16..., Bd617 h3 Nd8 18 Ra5, and activity of the White pieces is alarming, but Black is trying to complicate matters. Unfortunately for Black, at this point if White keeps his head clear, the sequence; 18..., f5 19 Bxb7 Nxb7 20 Qc6+ Kf7 21 Ng5+ Kg6 22 Re1, is very strong. Grabbing the a-pawn has sent the Black Queen wandering from pillar to post allowing White to gain time again and again. All that time won turns into a devastating attack.

14.Bd1?!

After sprightly and inspired play, White slips a little bit. The move 14 Ba5!, crowns the work done by White on the theme of surrounding the Black Queen. It is hard to fault a Class C player for not finding the line; 14 Ba5 Bc5 15 Nd2 Be3! 16 Ra3, when the Queen is lost for a Rook. There are not many local club players that would such stuff over the board. The Black Queen’s sad lack of squares is little changed by this slip so White retains a good piece of his advantage after the text.

14...Qb6 15.Ba4+!?,..

Missing the a bit faster finish than in the game; 15 Ba5 Qc5 16 Ba4+ c6 17 b4 Qd6 18 dxc6, and if a) 18..., Nxc6 19 Rd1 Qb1 20 Nd4, wins; or b) 18..., bxc6 19 Rd1, wins; or finally c) 18..., b6 19 c5 Qc7 20 Bxb6 Qxb6 21 c7+ Ke7 22 c8 (Q), wins. White still is winning.

15..., Nd7

No better is 15..., c6; then 16 Ba5 Qc5 17 b4, as in the previous note.

16.Ne5,..

16 Ba5, is still good also.

16..., c6 17.Nxd7 Kxd7

Black’s King is driven out into the cold environs of the middle of the board when all the White heavy pieces, to say nothing of the Bishop pair, are waiting to wrap things up. Further comment is not necessary.

18.Ba5 Qd4 19.Rd1 Qe4 20.dxe6+ Ke7 21.Rd7+ Kf6 [21...Kxe6 22 Qd2, threatening 23 Re1.] 22.Bxd8+ Ke5 23.Qc3+ Kf5 24.Rxf7+ Kg4 25.Qh3# 1–0

Whatever preparation Mr. Glessner put into the game paid off. His coach, if he has one, should be proud. If no coach, then some of our leading players have to worry. There is another “giant killer” coming on from the ranks of the lower rated. A very nice win for Isaiah Glessner!

I have said elsewhere, Dilip sometimes displays over-confidence. So it was in the game. On familiar ground, he thought some risky play can be gotten away with. He had skated on thin ice before against Northrup coming within a hair’s breath of losing late in the game. Here things went out control much earlier, and he was unable overcome the self-created problems. This is not unexpected in young developing players. They’re trying out the limits of their chess imaginations. Sometimes the fantasy of the imagination is just that, fantasy and not the inspiration for creative success.

The good part ff this result is the next couple of rounds of the Consolation event will see several players making serious efforts to; either establish their new reputations, or to repair damage their scores and standings. This will make for interesting chess I am sure.

More soon.