Much attention is always given to the top boards in team matches. It is true for the CDCL also, but in the venue of match play board 4 weighs just as heavily as board 1. In the recent CDCL match between the Schenectady Geezers and RPI, the first decisive result was on board 4. There Richard Chu Schenectady’s long time President and Captain of the Geezers won a game of many moves. Although the game went more than 50 moves, neither side dawdled and time trouble was never an issue.
Sankalia, Nitesh - Chu, Richard [B06]
CDCL Match Geezers v RPI Schenectady, NY , 05.04.2012
1.e4 d6 2.d4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.Bf4?!,..
Many moves have been played here. The text however is not one of them. It is unnecessarily risky. The most common are; 4 Nc3, heading for the Classical Variation of the Pric, and 4 c3, focusing on keeping the a1-h8 diagonal closed for as long as possible. They are the most popular choices. Keeping options open with 4 Be2, is also frequently seen, with the precise variation is yet to be determined. Another possibility is 4 c4, looking to transpose into a KID.
Because the text is viewed as doubtful by theory we do not find many games with this position in the databases and none with master players on both sides. Here is best example I found:
(906433) Savinell, Fernando (2075) - Cristobal, Ruben (2316) [B06]
79th Championship of Argentina, Buenos Aires (3), 26.09.2004
1.d4 g6 2.Nf3 Bg7 3.Bf4 d6 4.e4 Bg4 5.c3 Nd7 6.h3 Bxf3 7.Qxf3 c6 8.Bc4 e6 9.Nd2 Qe7 10.0–0 Ngf6 11.Rfe1 Nh5 12.Be3 0–0 13.Qd1 b5 14.Be2 Nhf6 15.a4 a6 16.Qc2 Rfc8 17.b3 Ne8 18.Bf3 Nc7 19.Qd3 c5 20.Rec1 e5 21.Bg4 Rd8 22.Bxd7 Qxd7 23.dxc5 dxc5 24.Qxd7 Rxd7 25.axb5 Nxb5 26.Nc4 Rd3 27.Nb6 Rb8 28.Nd5 f5 29.Bxc5 fxe4 30.c4 Nd4 31.Bxd4 exd4 32.b4 e3 33.fxe3 dxe3 34.Rxa6 Bd4 35.Kh2 Be5+ 36.Kg1 e2 37.Kf2 Rd1 0–1
The Modern/Pirc Defense complex is all about tactics. Black’s opening strategy is to give White as much of the center as he wants to take and then to attack it hoping to create holes that may be exploited. In the general positional sense White has a good game from the beginning. Black bets on his tactical alertness to find ways to so disturb the balance that conventional play fails. The odd thing is, after a flurry of tactics, the late middle game and ending is often about the realization of some positional advantage gained by one side or the other.
4..., Bg4!?
More pertinent here is 4..., c5. In the Modern Defense (no Knight on f6), opening the a1-h8 diagonal is a key theme for Black.
5.h3?,..
Better 5 c3, preserving the pawn structure.
5..., Bxf3 6.Qxf3 e5?
Why forego 6..., Bxd4, pocketing a pawn? That is the natural outcome of the play so far. Black may have been needlessly worried about the line; 6..., Bxd4 7 Bc4!? Bxb2?! 8 Be5, when White has some compensation for the material. Black can deal simply with that problem by not grabbing the b-pawn; 6..., Bxd4 7 Bc4 e6; when the Bishop pair and a tempo or two lead in development is small reward for the pawn. Black would then have a solid advantage, while White is far from proving his idea sound. Black’s game move hands White a solid edge.
7.dxe5 dxe5 8.Be3 Nc6 9.Bc4 Nf6 10.0–0?,..
Castle if you will, castle if you must, but don’t castle without thought goes the doggerel. It applies here. The move 10 c3, keeps the Black Knight out of d4 maintaining the advantage.
10..., 0–0 11.Nc3?,..
Obviously White does not recognize the value of d4. He concedes that outpost to Black. Again, 11 c3, is better.
11..., Qe7 12.Bg5?,..
A bad patch of positional play by White continues. One hundred and fifty years ago Morphy taught the chess world about completing development before embarking on other operations. Mr. Sankalia is just beginning his career in rated chess, and like many talented up-and-comers he has not yet integrated all the knowledge the great players have given us in his play; Morphy on development, Rubinstein on dynamics, Botvinnik on concrete calculation of variations, etc. Here Morphy would have played; 12 Rad1, and if 12..., Rad8 13 Ne2, keeping the game in balance.
12..., Nd4
Black hit’s the White Queen first before White gets in his contemplated Nc3-d5. That allows Black to prevent the Knight form going to d5.
13.Qd3 c6 14.Rad1 Rad8 15.Ne2 Nxe2+?
Now it is Black’s turn to not see what is on the board to see. Trading off his useful Knight for its White counterpart is not good. It may have to be done sometime or other, but not yet. Corralling and harassing the Bishops is what is required. After 15..., b5; White can’t really play 16 Nxd4, because the Bc4 falls when Black recaptures 16..., Rxd4. That being so, the Bg5 gets taken off eliminating the better of the White Bishops after 16..., Ne6; and it leaves Black an entirely satisfactory position. He then may well have a small edge. Such an outcome should be sufficient for the Modern/Pirc player.
The strength of the Geezers traditionally has been their depth of experience on every board. Mr. Chu may have thought to test the least experienced player on the RPI team when he selected the move played. Objectively, the move played lets White claim some small advantage.
16.Qxe2 Qb4 17.Rxd8 Rxd8 18.b3 b5 19.Bd3 Rd4 20.Be3 Rd7 21.Bd2 Qd4 22.Be3 Qb2 23.a4 bxa4 24.bxa4 Qb4
Here is a direct threat to the a-pawn. The straight forward defense, 25 Ra1, drops the e-pawn to 25..., Nxe4. White can maintain the material balance with; 25 Qe1, and if; 25..., Qxa4 26 Qxa1 Rxa1; recovering the pawn. White’s Bishop pair is dominant. Black will have a hard time finding something useful to do with his Rook. Played this way, Black would have a difficult defensive task.
25.Bg5 Qxa4 26.Rb1 Qd4 27.Be3 Qd6 28.Ra1 c5 29.Bb5 Rc7 30.Rd1 Qf8
One can not say Black’s scheme of deployment is full of promise. He has abandoned the light squares to the White Bishop. Black must be thinking of defending his scattered Q-side pawns with his dark squared Bishop.
31.Qd2?,..
Overlooking that the e-pawn is hanging, or maybe, White thinks he can let it go and put pressure on the Q-side pawns. After 31..., Nxe4 32 Qd8 Rc8 33 Qd3 Nf6; Black is a pawn to the good, and the Bishop pair is looking a little less impressive.
31..., Rc8?
For reasons unknown Black does not take the pawn. The “threat” of the White Queen coming to the 8th rank is meaningless.
32.Qa5 Nxe4?
Now taking the e-pawn is wrong. It is better to defend the a-pawn with 32..., Qe7.
33.Qxa7?,..
Overlooking a devastating fork on c3.
33..., Ra8?
Black does also?! After 33..., Nc3; Black will win the Exchange and have a solid advantage.
34.Qb7 Rb8 35.Qxe4 Rxb5
Black has eliminated the Bishop pair and garnered a pawn. It is not much of an advantage because Black’s Bishop is not very active. White’s pieces are quite well placed, and Black’s pieces are not particularly well coordinated.
36.Ra1?!,..
A little better is 36 Rd7, getting to the 7th rank right away.
36..., Qd6 37.Ra8+?,..
White sees a forcing sequence. It is tempting to play such when you are in the midst of a difficult struggle. There is a certain feeling of comfort when you can predict the future for several of moves. Unfortunately for White, the outcome of the forcing sequence leads to simplification favoring Black. Keeping a fight going with 37 Qc4 Rb4 38 Qxc5, is the best course.
37..., Bf8 38.Bh6 Rb8 39.Bxf8 Kxf8 40.Rxb8+ Qxb8
The Queen and pawns ending is not quite won for Black, but it is close to that. White has to find as much activity for his Queen as possible. Failing to do so leads to the loss for White.
41.Qd5 Qb1+?!,..
Black goes for activity. More controlled is 41..., Qc7; securing the extra pawn and planning for its long term exploitation. The text gives White a chance to hold.
42.Kh2 Qxc2 43.Qxe5?,..
Shortsighted greed. The finesse 43 Qd6+, looking to capture the e-pawn with check, is the proper way to go. The text gives Black a needed tempo.
43..., Qxf2 44.Qh8+ Ke7 45.Qxh7?,..
With the White Queen now out of play about as much it can be in such a simplified position, the win is clear for Black.
45..., Qf4+ 46.Kg1 c4 47.Kh1 Qf6 48.Qg8 c3 49.Kh2 Qf4+ 50.Kg1 Qd2 0–1
The game went on for a couple of more moves. However there is no way of stopping the c-pawn from Queening. A game with many flaws, but it is just those flaws that make it worth examining. The errors are typical. Considering the errors and identifying the thought processes leading to mistakes is the first step towards improvement.
Thanks to Bill Townsend, the Schenectady Gazette chess columnist and leader of the CDCL fro providing the following update on the League standings:
1 Geezers, 2 match points, 6 ½ game points
2 RPI, 1 ½ match points, 8 ½ game points
3 Capital Region, 1 ½ match points, 5 ½ game points
4 Uncle Sam, ½ match points, 3 ½ game points
5 Albany A, ½ match points, 2 game points
6 Schenectady A no matches played yet
It has been an uneven start in the League this year. Negotiations are underway among the Schenectady teams and Albany A for matches. Travel plans, illnesses and other obligations have made getting games in more difficult than usual this year. I believe the next few weeks will see these problems work themselves out. The most critical of the matches yet to be played are those with RPI for the Schenectady and Albany A teams. The semester ends soon for RPI. Playing after the end of the school year is a problem for the RPI team.
More soon.
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