Untitled
The state championship is
certainly the most important, most tensely competed and
most strenuously combated event in Indiana. But it’s
also the event where old friendships are rekindled and new
ones are forged! A notable example of this is Michael
Zabawa – the author of these lines (John Cole)
remembers Mike from chess clubs and tournaments long ago.
It was superb to see him again, but such pleasant
reminiscing had to be interrupted by playing him in round
one! Michael played extremely well and had a practically
winning position from the opening (castling queenside on
the Black side of an English is rarely a good idea!), but I
managed to confuse the issue and outplay him. Almost all of
the round one games in the Open section went
“according to plan”…except Andy
Porter’s game, where he dropped a queen in the
opening and instantly resigned! However, he re-entered in
the two day section and restored order to his round 1
result. Another exception was a very solid and tense game
between Jim Mills and Craig Hines (our newly elected
president, may his reign be prosperous and serene!)
Mills,James – Hines,Craig [D58]
2014 Indiana State Championships (1),
24.10.2014
1.d4 d5
2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Be7 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bg5 0-0 6.e3 h6 7.Bh4
b6 The
good ol’ Tartakower, championed by countless world
class players. 8.Be2
Bb7 9.0-0 Nbd7 10.Rc1 c5 11.Ne5 [11.cxd5
Nxd5 12.Bg3 Nxc3 13.Rxc3 looks plausible as well. The text
looks to complicate rather than allow Black to clarify the
central tension.] 11…Rc8 [11…cxd4
12.exd4 Nxe5 13.dxe5 Ne4 14.Nxe4 dxe4 15.Qxd8 Bxd8 16.Bxd8
Raxd8 would be a quick way to suck the vitality from the
position, but both sides seem to want to keep tension in
the center.]
12.cxd5?! [12.Nxd7
Qxd7 13.dxc5! is a good time to transition structures. One
of the complexities of the Tartakower and of the Queen's
Gambit Declined in general is deciding when to allow an
isolated pawn/hanging pawns structure, what pieces to keep
on the board in these structures, etc. Here White can
transition to either a hanging pawn structure or one where
Black's kingside structure is weakened. 13...Rxc5
(13...bxc5 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.cxd5 Bxd5 16.Nxd5 Qxd5 17.Qxd5
exd5 18.b3 and though White's edge is admittedly small, he
is playing for two results only.; 13...g5 14.Bg3 Bxc5
15.Be5 Qe7 is probably Black's best - his kingside is a bit
ventilated, but his pieces all make sense and, with a soon
to be symmetrical pawn structure, should be headed towards
a draw.) 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Ne4 Rc7 16.Nxf6+ gxf6 17.Qd4 Kg7
18.cxd5 and White has a comfortable position based on his
superior pawn structure.]
12…Nxe5
13.Bxf6 Bxf6 14.dxe5 Bxe5 15.dxe6 fxe6
16.Qxd8?! Compliantly
trading down to an inferior ending. [16.f4 Bxc3 (16...Bf6?!
17.Bc4 Qe7 18.Qg4 gives White good pressure) 17.Rxc3 Qe7
18.Bc4 is headed towards a draw - the open d file will be a
gateway to mass exchanges.] 16…Rcxd8
17.Rfd1 This
might look quite drawish, but Black has excellent chances
to win this! His queenside majority and pair of mighty
bishops should make White’s defense quite difficult
– notice that the “weak” e pawn will be
easily defended by a future …Ke7 17…Bxc3?! Too
forgiving – the bishop is a monster on e5! [17...Kf7
18.f4 Bf6 19.Kf2 g5 looks good - Black's bishops are both
raking the long diagonals.] 18.bxc3
Kf7 19.a4 Ke7 20.a5 Good
technique from Jim, immediately ridding himself of his weak
a pawn 20…Rxd1+
21.Bxd1? Ceding
the d file for no good reason, but perhaps Jim was trying
to keep pieces on the board in hopes of a win. [21.Rxd1 Bc6
22.axb6 axb6 23.Rb1 Rb8 is dead even.] 21…Rd8
22.axb6 axb6 23.Bg4 Bc6 24.Rb1
Rb8 [24...b5!
gets the queenside assets moving! 25.Bf3 Bxf3 26.gxf3 Rb8
and Black has good chances in this rook ending - the
outside passed pawn will paralyze White's
rook.]
25.Bf3?! Transposing
to the previous note. [25.Be2 b5 26.f3 b4 27.cxb4 Rxb4
28.Rc1 and retaining the bishop allows White more robust
chances of defense - the extra light squared control makes
a successful blockade on c4 or c2 more likely. Black is
still pressing, but White has better chances than in the
game.] 25…Bxf3
26.gxf3 b5 27.Kf1 Kd6 28.Ke2 Kd5 29.Kd3 c4+ 30.Kc2
Kc5 [30...e5
31.Rd1+ Kc6 32.Rg1 Rf8 33.Rxg7 Rxf3 is a stone cold win for
Black. The text looks logical, but Black can improve his
other pawns before going all in on a ...b4
break.] 31.Ra1
Kb6?! [31...Rf8
32.f4 e5! is a straightforward win for Black. In rook
endings like this, it's often the case that you simply have
to let your opponent penetrate to your seventh - as long as
YOU get to do it too! ] 32.f4
Rf8 33.h4 e5 34.Rg1 Rf7 [34...exf4
35.Rxg7 fxe3 36.fxe3 Rf2+ 37.Kd1 Rh2 38.Rg6+ Ka5 39.Rxh6
Ka4 40.e4 Kb3 41.Rb6 is a draw by the hair of White's teeth
- Black's king will never be able to activate while Rb6 is
a resource.] 35.Rg2? [35.fxe5
Rxf2+ 36.Kd1 gives White counterplay and a dangerous e
pawns.]35…exf4
36.e4 Kc5 37.f3 b4 38.cxb4+ Kxb4 39.Rg6 Kc5 40.Kc3 Rb7
41.Kd2 Rd7+ 42.Kc3 Rd3+ 43.Kc2
Rd7? Vastly
overvaluing the g pawn. [43...Rxf3 44.Rxg7 Kd4 45.Rd7+ Kxe4
and Black is cleaning up.]44.Rg4
Rf7 [44...g5!
45.hxg5 hxg5 46.Rxg5+ Kd4 47.Kd2 c3+ 48.Kc2 Rb7 is a cute
way to penetrate and win - Black will scoop up the f pawn
and his two passed pawns will carry the day. ] 45.Kc3What
used to be a very easy position is now a tough technical
task for Black. 45…Kb5 [45...g6!
would be a very difficult move to find - the essential
point is that White is in zugzwang! 46.Rxg6 Rb7 47.Rxh6
Rb3+ 48.Kc2 Rxf3 and Black's edge in king/rook activity and
pawn advancement is decisive.] 46.e5?! [46.h5
is a simple way to draw - it gives White's rook another
square to shift to! Neither side would have anything better
to play than Rg4-h4 and ...Kc5-b5] 46…Kc5 [46...Rd7
47.Rxf4 Rd3+ 48.Kc2 Re3 49.Rf7 Rxe5 50.Rxg7 will still be a
draw (the White rook is in prime rear checking position),
but Black can make White sweat a bit.] 47.e6
Re7 48.Rxf4 Rxe6 49.Rf5+ Kd6 50.Kxc4 Ke7 51.Kd4 g6 52.Rf4
Rf6 A
hard fought game from both sides! ½-½
The Reserve section featured some early surprises,
one notable one being John Roush’s
draw:
Roush,John – Denby,Caleb [A22]
2014 Indiana State Chess Championships (1),
24.10.2014
1.c4 e5
2.Nc3 Nf6 3.e3 c6 4.Nf3 e4 5.Nd4 d5 6.cxd5
cxd5 A
reversed Alapin Sicilian where White’s extra tempo
should be quite useful 7.d3
Nbd7 8.dxe4 dxe4 9.Qa4 [9.Qc2
Nc5 10.b4! wins the e pawn] 9…a6
10.Bd2 b5? 11.Ncxb5 Bb7 12.Nc3 Bc5 13.Nb3
0-0 White
is up a pawn, but his misplaced queen and deficit in
development gives Black good compensation. 14.Nxc5
Nxc5 15.Qa3[15.Qd4
Rc8 16.Qxd8 Rfxd8 17.Be2 is a fascinating position -
Black's pawn deficit is well balanced by his massive lead
in development, activity and space.] 15…Nd3+
16.Bxd3 Qxd3 17.Na4 Qxa3 18.bxa3 Bc6 19.Nc5 Bb5 20.Rc1 Rfc8
21.a4 Nd7 22.Nxe4 Rxc1+ 23.Bxc1 Bxa4
24.0-0 With
a safe king and an extra pawn, White should have good
winning chances – even the opposite coloured bishops
shouldn’t be an issue. 24…Rc8
25.Ba3 g6 26.Rc1 Rxc1+ 27.Bxc1 f5 28.Nc3 Bc6 29.f3 Nf6
30.Kf2 Kf7 31.Ne2 Bb7 32.Bd2 Ke6 33.Nf4+ Kf7 34.Nd3 Nd7
35.a4 Ke6 36.Nf4+ Kf7 37.Bc3 Nb6
38.Bd4 Planning
on trapping the Black knight, but giving up the pawn is too
much. [38.a5 Nd5 39.Ne2 is still good winning chances for
White] 38…Nxa4
39.h4 Ke7 40.Ke2 Kd6 41.Kd3 Nc5+ 42.Kc4 Ne6 43.Nd3 Nxd4
44.exd4 The
chances have dried up from the game, leaving only a peace
treaty to be forged. 44…Bc6 [44...a5
45.Nf4 Ba6+ 46.Kb3 Bb5 47.h5 g5 48.Nh3 h6 49.Nxg5 Be8
(49...hxg5?? 50.h6) 50.Nh3 Bxh5 51.Nf4 Be8 is a dead
draw] 45.Nf4
Bb5+ 46.Kb4 Bf1 47.g4 fxg4 48.fxg4 Bb5 49.g5 Bf1 50.Ka5 Bb5
51.Kb6 Bf1 52.h5 gxh5 53.Nxh5 Kd5 54.Nf6+ Kxd4 55.Nxh7 Ke5
56.Nf8 Kf5 57.g6 Kf6 ½-½
Round two is when the action really began to hot up,
however…
Lutes,Gary – Dimitrov,Drago [B43]
2014 Indiana State Chess Championships (2),
25.10.2014
1.e4 c5
2.Nc3 a6 3.Nf3 e6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Qc7 6.Bd3 Nf6 7.0-0 d6
8.Bg5 Mixing
Bd3 and Bg5 isn’t the best idea – the place for
the bishop is e3 or d2. 8…Be7
9.a4 Nc6 10.Nxc6 Voluntarily
strengthening Black’s center and opening the b file
can’t be right. 10. Nb3 looks best, though Black
stands quite well. 10…bxc6
11.Qd2 h6 12.Be3 Ng4 Either
acquiring the bishop pair or rerouting the knight to a
stronger post on e5 13.f4
c5 14.Bc4 0-0 15.Qe2 Nxe3
16.Qxe3 With
two bishops, a stronger center and a potential bind of the
dark squares, Black stands better. White’s only real
threat is organizing an assault around f5. 16…Bf6
17.f5?? But
not now! 17…Bd4
18.Qxd4 cxd4 19.Nd5 exd5 20.Bxd5 Bb7 21.Bxb7 Qxb7 22.b3
Qxe4 23.Rae1 Qxc2 24.f6 gxf6 25.Rxf6 Kg7 26.Ref1 d3 27.R6f3
d2 28.Rg3+ Kh7 0-1
Kluttz,Scott – Blaine,Roger [C00]
2014 Indiana State Championships (2),
25.10.2014
1.e4 e6
2.b3 Not
a terrible choice against the French, actually! White will
avoid closing the long diagonal and try to generate
pressure with what is usually a poor piece in French
structures. 2…d5
3.Bb2 Nf6 [3...dxe4
4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Qe2 Be7 6.Nxe4 would certainly be a non
standard position - White would probably castle queenside
and start an attack!] 4.exd5
exd5 5.Nf3 Bd6 6.d4 [6.Be2
0-0 7.0-0 c5 8.d4 seems appropriate only when Black has
committed himself to ...c5 - otherwise the White dark
squared bishop might just be a lame piece for the entire
game.] 6…0-0
7.Be2 c6 8.Nbd2 Bg4 9.0-0 Re8 10.Re1 Qc7
11.c4 [11.Ne5
Bxe2 12.Rxe2 Nbd7 13.Ndf3 looks close to even, though the
Black bishop is better than its counterpart] 11…Nbd7
12.a4?! An
unnecessary weakness that Roger immediately sits
on! 12…Bb4
13.Ba3 Bc3?! [13...Bxa3
14.Rxa3 Ne4 15.Nxe4 dxe4 16.Nd2 Bxe2 17.Rxe2 Qd6
immediately highlights how badly the a3 rook is placed! The
text has some tactical points in mind, but they simply
don't work. Notice that the a3 bishop ends up being
beautifully placed.]
14.Rc1
Ne4? [14...Qa5
is still perfectly good for Black] 15.Nxe4
Bxe1 16.Nd6? [16.Ng3!
Ba5 17.b4 Bb6 18.c5 traps the bishop and nets two pieces
for a rook, with a better game for White] 16…Bxf2+? [16...Re6
17.cxd5 Bxf2+ 18.Kxf2 Rxd6 19.Bxd6 Qxd6 is better for Black
- White's king is unsafe and his pawn structure is a bit
ragged] 17.Kxf2
Re6 18.c5 The
dust has cleared and White has two pieces for a rook
– and one of those pieces is Knightzilla, the
unstoppable monster that rules d6! White is much better
here. 18…Nf6
19.Ne5 Bxe2 20.Qxe2 Ne4+ 21.Kg1
f6 [21...Nxd6
22.cxd6 Rxd6 23.Bxd6 Qxd6 might be a better practical
choice - at least Black has two pawns for the piece and
there's no eternal knight choking his
position.] 22.Qg4
Re7 23.Nf3 Qd7 24.Qf4 Nxd6 25.cxd6 Re4 26.Qg3 Rae8 27.Re1
Re3 28.Rxe3 Rxe3 29.Ne5 fxe5 30.Qxe3 e4 31.Qh3 Qd8
32.Qe6+And
Rogeroslav gives up the ghost. 1-0
Hines,Craig – Gepiga ,Rheno [A47]
2014 Indiana State Championships (2),
25.10.2014
1.d4
Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5 Be7 4.Nbd2
b6?! Complete
surrender of the center, if White wishes to grasp it.
[4...c5 is a sounder idea - White must be prevented from
creating an ideal center to go along with his smooth piece
development] 5.e3 [5.e4
Bb7 6.Bd3 looks like a dream position for White - Black has
not a hint of counterplay here. But e3 is the Torre Attack
"autopilot"] 5…Bb7
6.Bd3 d6 7.0-0[7.e4
is still lovely even a move late!] 7…Nbd7
8.c3 0-0 9.Qe2 h6 10.Bh4 a6 11.Rad1
Nh5 A
typical device in Torre positions – Black trades off
a set of minor pieces and stalls e4 with threats of
…Nf412.Bg3
Nxg3 13.fxg3?! The
f file isn’t yet an asset for White, but he’s
seeking active play. [13.hxg3 c5 14.e4 cxd4 15.cxd4 b5
looks like a normal position, with Black's two bishops
pitted against White's edge in central space.] 13…c5
14.e4 Qc7 15.Nc4?! But
where’s this guy going? e3 is not an improved post
for the knight – he provides good service on d2 by
shoring up the e pawn. [15.a4 looks solid, holding up
Black's counterplay with ...b5 15...Qc6?! 16.d5! Qxa4??
17.Ra1 would be a misguided attempt to punish the a
pawn] 15…Bf6?! [15...b5
16.Ne3 cxd4 17.cxd4 Nf6 is a dream position for Black - two
bishops, solid position, sounder pawn
structure.] 16.Ne3
cxd4 17.cxd4 Rfc8 18.Ng4 Qd8 19.Nxf6+ Nxf6 20.Nh4
b5? [20...Rc7
21.e5 dxe5 22.dxe5 Nd7 23.Rxf7 Kxf7 24.Qh5+ Kg8 and none of
White's aggression works here - the rook provides excellent
defense along the seventh rank, while the knight hops into
f8] 21.e5
dxe5 22.dxe5 Qb6+ 23.Kh1 Ne8? Decisively
misplacing the Black knight. For defensive purposes, Black
is a piece down. [23...Nd7 24.Qh5 Rf8 25.Nf5 exf5 26.Qxf5
g6 27.Qxd7 Rad8 is perfectly solid and equal.] 24.Rxf7? Too
frantic – White’s attacking potential
doesn’t need to be rushed! [24.Bb1! is cool, calm and
winning - Black has no good answer to White's attacking
ideas with Qd3 and Qh5 now that his knight can't jump into
f8 for defensive purposes. 24...Rc4 25.Qh5 Qc7 26.Rxf7!
Qxf7 27.Bh7+ wins the queen and the game.] 24…Kxf7
25.Qh5+ Ke7 26.Ng6+ Kd8 27.Nf8 This
has all been forced – Black’s king looks quite
scary, but notice that there aren’t any advantageous
discoveries! Black’s queen being on a dark square is
a big deal. 27…Bd5? [27...Qf2
28.Be4+ Kc7 29.Qf3 Qxf3 30.Rd7+ Kb6 31.Rxb7+ Ka5 32.gxf3
looks approximately equal! But both parties were closing in
on time pressure, and this is a ridiculous line to find at
the board. But 27...Qf2 makes sense from a broad
perspective - when defending, finding counterplay can be
extremely important. Being a motionless punching bag is not
a good role to occupy!] 28.Qf7? [28.Be4
Ra7 29.Nxe6+ Qxe6 30.Bxd5 Qe7 31.Be6+ Kc7 32.Rc1+ recoups
the material investment with interest - White would be
stone cold winning. The text allows Black to mobilize the
rest of his pieces for defense.] 28…Ra7
29.Nxe6+ Bxe6? Way
too greedy – it doesn’t take a whole loaf of
bread to make a sandwich. [29...Qxe6 30.Qxa7 Rc7 31.Qe3 Re7
and Black is a piece up with a well constructed defense -
he will hop his knight to c7 and his rook to d7 to offer
more support to the pinned bishop.] 30.Bg6+? [30.Bxb5+
Nd6 31.Qxe6 Qd4 A last clever tactical trick! 32.Be2!! And
a calm as you please riposte. White will pick up the knight
with a decisive attack and material
advantage.] 30…Rd7 Black
has weathered the storm, and White has run out of
material. 31.Qxe8+
Kc7 32.Rc1+ 0-1
Roberts,Gerald – Mills,James [A00]
2014 Indiana State Championships (2),
25.10.2014
1.g4 The
Grob! Is the Grob sound? Probably not. But how many people
with the Black pieces come to the board with its theory on
board? And how many players with the Black pieces will
start playing unsoundly in an effort to prove the
Grob’s unsoundness? Most games are won and lost in
the middlegame and endgame – within the bounds of
reasonableness, any opening can prove successsful.
I’m sure Gerry has gotten more than his fair share of
points from Black players who simply self destruct when
lured away from well known opening paths. 1…e5
2.Bg2 d5 3.d4 e4 4.c4 dxc4 I’m
not sure I like this – the Grob bishop looks quite
happy with this decision. [4...c6 5.g5 Be6 6.cxd5 cxd5
7.Nc3 Nc6 looks eminently reasonable - all of Black's
pieces have clear roles, and the g pawn looks quite
strange.] 5.g5
Bb4+ 6.Nc3 Bxc3+? Black’s
first clear mistake – this guts Black’s dark
squares and solidifies White’s center. [6...f5 7.Nh3
Ne7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Nf4 c6 looks much better - Black has kept
control of the position and gotten mobilized. He holds a
clear edge here] 7.bxc3
Qd5 8.Nh3 White
most certainly has good compensation here – two
bishops, a solid central structure and targets to attack on
c4 and e4. It’s also entirely possible that a bishop
lands on a3 and Black has great difficulty
castling. 8…Ne7
9.Nf4 Qa5 10.e3 A
very brave decision! It’s not completely necessary to
sacrifice another pawn, but it looks very dangerous for
Black to accept it.10…Qxc3+?! [10...Bg4!
11.Qc2 Bf3 neutralizes White's main asset - the Grob
bishop! Black looks very solid here. The text is asking too
much from his position - he cannot fall behind so far in
development for material gains that will likely be given
back anyhow.] 11.Bd2
Qa3 12.Qc2 Black
is far behind in development and White has very clear
attacking plans on both the queenside and in the center.
Though White is two pawns down, he holds a clear advantage
here. 12…Bf5
13.Rb1 Nbc6 14.Qxc4 0-0 15.Bc3 [15.0-0
b6 16.Rb5 looks quite strong - White has excellent pressure
on all sides of the board. Even a quick kingside attack by
barrelling the h pawn up the board isn't out of the
question!] 15…a5? Just
creating targets. [15...Rfd8 16.0-0 Rab8 completes Black's
mobilization - though I still prefer White, at least this
is a fight.] 16.0-0
Rfb8 17.Rb5 Na7 [17...Qd6
18.d5 Na7 19.Rbb1 is incredibly depressing - Black can
hardly move! Notice that the Grob pawn stops Black from
stopping up the long diagonal - Qd4 is a huge threat
here!] 18.Rxa5
b5 19.Qxc7 And
Black is completely lost. 19…Rc8
20.Rxa3 Rxc7 21.Bb4 Re8 22.Bc5 Nac8 23.Rb1 f6 24.gxf6 gxf6
25.Nh5 Kf7 26.h3 Rg8 27.Kh2 Rd7
28.Rxb5 And
the scoresheet became indecipherable here. A lovely Grob
win for Gerald! 1-0
This flurry of action left only two perfect scores standing
in the Open section: John Cole and Andy Porter. The Reserve
section was left with six unblemished scores in contention
for the top spot. The duel between the two flawless scores
in the Open was long and tense…
Porter,Andy – Cole,John [E50]
2014 Indiana State Championships (3),
25.10.2014
1.d4
Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 c5
5.e3 An
odd move, but not necessarily bad. 5. dc is the mainline.
The text is passive, but solid. 5…0-0
6.Nf3 b6 7.Be2 Bb7 8.0-0 cxd4 9.exd4
d5Transitioning
to an IQP structure where White’s queen will be oddly
placed on the c file – usually these structures
feature White playing aggressive moves like Bg5, Ne5, Bd3,
Qe2, etc. 10.cxd5
Nxd5 11.Nxd5 Bxd5 Trading
pieces (especially minor pieces) is an excellent goal for
the side facing the isolated pawn. Black is already
slightly better, as White’s pieces aren’t
aggressively placed to compensate for his structural
weakness. 12.a3
Bd6 13.Be3 Nd7 [13...Nc6
14.Ng5 g6 is slightly more accurate from Black - the c6
knight is able to jump into the weakened queenside light
squares.]14.Rac1
Qb8 A
cleverish move, making way for the f rook, immobilizing
White’s minor pieces, preparing …b5 and
keeping an eye on the queenside light squares. 15.Rfd1
a6 16.h3 Qb7 17.Ng5 Nf6 18.Bf3 A
trade I’m quite happy to see – White officially
relinquishes his claim on aggressive plans by trading his
light squared bishop! Black will now be playing “for
two results only”, as the saying goes. 18…Bxf3
19.Nxf3 Rfc8 20.Qb3 Nd5 21.Ne5 Rxc1 22.Rxc1 Rc8 23.Rxc8+
Qxc8 24.Qc4 Qxc4 25.Nxc4 So,
the first 25 moves have been pretty much variation free
– a quiet position that has been based on ideas and
strategic contours rather than any attempt at calculating
moves. That cannot be said of endgames – endgames are
the domain of pure calculation and concrete evaluations!
But first, the basic stuff – get the kings
up!
25…Bc7
26.Bd2 Kf8 27.Kf1 Ke7 28.Ke2
Kd7 [28...f6!
is much more accurate, and based on a basic Steinitzian
principle - restrict the knight with pawns! 29.Kd3 b5
30.Ne3 Nf4+ 31.Ke4 Kd7 32.Kf3 Kc6 And Black is making good
progress - the light squares all represent inroads for his
pieces, and the queenside pawns and the d4 pawn are stuck
as targets for the Black bishop.] 29.Kd3
Kc6?Underestimating
Ne5! I wasn’t sure if the bishop vs. knight endgame
would be a draw, but I surely should prevent it as an
option. [29...f6! with similar play to the previous
variation.] 30.g3? Aside
from not playing a direct move to draw, this move places a
pawn on a dark square – thematically wrong for this
endgame! [30.Ne5+ Bxe5 31.dxe5 Kc5 32.b3 h5 33.Ke4 is
simply a dead dull draw - Black cannot force his way
through with his king.] 30…b5? [30...f6
as you might have heard is the right idea. Wish I'd heard
it at the time.] 31.Ne3? [31.Ne5+
Bxe5 32.dxe5 is not as clear as the previous opportunity,
since g3 is a bit of a weakness. But this is still too
locked up to make progress. But now Black returns to the
program of squeezing] 31…Nf6
32.Nc2 Bd6 33.Ne3 Nd7Making
way for the f pawn! …f5 will make …f4 a
positional threat in some lines, and gives Black’s
knight the e4 square as an outpost. 34.Bc3
g6 All
of Black’s pawns are on light squares, and all but
one of White’s pawns are on dark squares. This
creates many bishop endings as a possibility for a win,
where Black’s piece will be strong and White’s
will be a very passive cleric. 35.Nc2
f5 36.Bd2 Nf6 37.Bg5 Ne4 38.Be3
a5 Aiming
to fix White’s pawn structure with …a4. Do not
hurry! Every advantage that can be accumulated should be
accumulated. 39.Ne1
Kd5 40.Nf3 a4 41.Ng5 Nxg5 42.Bxg5
e5! Remember
those bishop endgames I mentioned? It might look strange to
trade off White’s most prominent weakness (and on a
dark square, no less!) but Black’s bishop needs the
long diagonal. 43.Be3
Bc7 Forcing
White to trade on e5 44.dxe5 [44.h4
e4+ 45.Kc3 Ba5+ 46.Kc2 Kc4 is the point of ...Bc7 - Black
will simply play ...Bb6, pick up the pawn and
convert.] 44…Bxe5 The
difference between the two bishops and the difference in
king activity is enough to assign Black a winning position
– White’s bishop, with all of Black’s
pawns on light squares, has nothing to
do.45.Kc2
Ke4 46.Bc5 g5 47.b3 Bd4 Forcing
an easily winning king and pawn ending. 48.Bxd4
Kxd4 49.bxa4 bxa4 50.Kd2 Kc4 51.Kc2
g4 And
White’s king must give way, letting Black’s
king in for popcorn 0-1
Roberts,Gerald – Hollinberger,Drew [A00]
2014 Indiana State Championships (3),
25.10.2014
1.g4 The
Grob, again! 1…d5
2.Bg2 c6 3.g5 g6 [3...h6
4.h4 hxg5 5.hxg5 Rxh1 6.Bxh1 Qc7 looks much more incisive -
there's no good answer to the queen hopping into h2 7.Nf3
e5 renews the threat after ...e4] 4.c4
Qa5? [4...dxc4
5.Na3 h6 6.h4 (6.gxh6 Be6 7.Qc2 Nxh6 8.Nxc4 Bg7 and Black
has a weak h pawn to attack and harmoniously placed pieces)
6...hxg5 7.hxg5 Rxh1 8.Bxh1 Be6 9.Qc2 Qd4 looks practically
winning for Black] 5.cxd5
cxd5 This
reminds me of an Exchange Reti (say, 1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 c6 3.
g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 Bf5 5. cd cd 6. Qb3)…except
there’s a pawn on g5! Here, the g pawn is in no way a
weakness – it prevents Black from naturally
developing his kingside. The Grob redeemed? 6.Qb3 [6.b4!
Qxb4 7.Bxd5 ensures that the light squared bishop dominates
the long diagonal 7...Bg7?! 8.Nc3 Bxc3? 9.dxc3 Qxc3+ 10.Bd2
would be far too dangerous - White has far more than enough
compensation for a pawn here (two bishops, lead in
development, weak kingside dark squares to
attack)] 6…e6
7.Qc3 Qxc3 8.Nxc3 Bd7 9.d3 Nc6 10.Bf4 Rc8 11.Rc1
e5?!Black’s
solid pawn barrier ensures that White’s bishops are
held at bay! [11...Nge7 12.h4 Bg7 13.h5 0-0 looks equal
with a strategically tense game to come.] 12.Bg3
d4 13.Ne4 Black’s
center pawns are just targets now, and the Grob bishop
breaths fire down the long diagonal 13…h6
14.h4 hxg5 15.hxg5 Rxh1 16.Bxh1 Bb4+ 17.Kf1 Ke7
18.f4?! [18.Nf3
Bd6 19.Nxd6 Kxd6 20.b4 a6 21.a4 and Black's central pawns
will inevitably fall, with a decisive edge to
White] 18…Bf5 [18...exf4
19.Bxf4 Ke6 20.a3 Bf8 21.Nf3 f5 22.Nc5+ Bxc5 23.Rxc5 Nge7
is still much better for White, but it doesn't yet drop
material.] 19.fxe5
Bxe4 20.Bxe4 Bd2 21.Rc4 Bxg5 22.Nf3 Be3
23.Bf2 [23.b4!
plans on chasing away the Black knight and picking up the d
pawn for free - Black is helpless against this plan!
] 23…Nh6
24.Bxc6 bxc6 25.Nxd4? [25.Bxe3
dxe3 26.Nd4 Kd7 (26...c5 27.b4!) 27.Ra4 Rc7 28.b3 and White
is decisively better, with pawn weaknesses everywhere to
attack. Even after the text, though, White is slightly
better and can press against Black's weaknesses
indefinitely. But shouldn't we all give peace a
chance?] ½-½
Jackson,Jeff – Pitchkites,Ben [B33]
2014 Indiana State Championships (3),
26.10.2014
1.e4 c5
2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6
5.Nxc6 Certainly
not the best, but not unknown – 5. Nc3 is, of course,
normal. 5…bxc6
6.Nc3 e5 7.a3 Be7 [7...Bc5
8.Bd3 0-0 9.0-0 h6 is a more aggressive post for the Black
bishop - Black has a solid edge here] 8.Be2
0-0 9.0-0 d5 10.exd5 [10.Bd3
looks weird, but it's better than abandoning White's only
center pawn.] 10…cxd5
11.Re1 Bb7 12.Bf1 d4 13.Nb1It
seems like Black has gotten ten free tempi! Still,
it’s dangerous to be overconfident – all
passive positions contain elastic energy. 13…Qd5
14.Nd2 Rfc8 [14...Rac8
15.b3 Rfd8 looks like the right positioning for the rooks -
I really can't find a move for White, while Black is free
to bulldoze forward.] 15.f3
Bc5 16.Bd3 Ng4? This
looks cute, but there’s no reason to do anything
drastic. [16...Bb6 17.b3 Re8 18.Qe2 Qd7 is still a solid
edge for Black.] 17.Ne4
Ne3 18.Bxe3 dxe3 19.Nxc5 Qxc5
20.Qe2 White
picks up a pawn, and the rest is technique. At least in
this game! 20…f5
21.Qxe3 f4 22.Qxc5 Rxc5 23.b4 Rc3 24.Rxe5 h6 25.a4 Rac8
26.Rae1 Rf8 27.Re7 Bd5 28.Rxa7 Bc4
29.Rc7 1-0
Zabawa,Michael – Thieme,Steffen [A34]
2014 Indiana State Championships (3),
25.10.2014
1.c4
Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.cxd5 Nxd5 4.Nf3 c5 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2
Nb6?! [6...Nc7
7.0-0 e5 would be the Rubinstein English, an incredibly
rich and complex variation that has attracted the attention
of world champions from both sides of the board. The knight
on b6, however, is not terribly flexible - it prevents a
natural defense of the c pawn via ...b6 and is vulnerable
to being kicked.] 7.0-0
e5 8.d3 Be7 9.a4! And
here’s the boot! The a pawn simply threatens to
trundle up to a6 with tempo, detonating the long diagonal
with decisive impact. Black’s reply is virtually
forced, but it weakens Black’s queenside
badly. 9…a5
10.Nb5?! [10.Be3
immediately puts the weak Black c pawn under observation
10...0-0 11.Rc1 f5 12.Nb5 and White has an excellent
initiative against Black's undeveloped and overextended
position] 10…0-0
11.Bd2 Be6 12.Bc3 f6 Without
pressure against Black’s position, Black simply has a
space advantage and natural posts for his knights on d4 and
b4. Black has a solid plus here. 13.e3 [13.Nd2
Nd5 14.Nc4 is more circumspect - White has no justification
for any central breaks.] 13…Nd5
14.d4 cxd4 15.exd4 e4 16.Ne1
Nxc3? Gifting
White a strengthened central presence. [16...f5 17.Nc2 Ncb4
is simple and good - White has numerous weaknesses and
Black's pieces are active.] 17.bxc3
f5 [17...Bc4?
18.Bxe4 Bxf1 19.Kxf1 wins an exchange, but White has more
than enough compensation - besides the passed d pawn, he
has weaknesses to attack and he owns the light
squares.]
18.Qe2
Bf6 19.Nc2 Rc8 20.Ne3 Bd7? Simply
allowing White’s knight to destroy Black’s hard
earned central barricade! [20...Bg5 21.f4 exf3 22.Qxf3 Na7
is a cute tactic - Black undermines the support of the c
pawn with tactics! This is balanced. 23.Nxa7? Rxc3 24.Qxb7
Bxe3+ 25.Kh1 f4 and Black is much better] 21.Nd6
Ne7 22.Nxc8 Qxc8 23.Rfc1 White
is an exchange up for little
compensation.23…Bg5
24.f4 Not
yet bad, but why expose the White king for no gain? [24.Qb2
f4 25.gxf4 Bxf4 26.Re1 holds no terrors for White - he is
simply winning.] 24…exf3
25.Bxf3 f4 26.Nd5?! A
bit closer to the precipice. [26.gxf4 Bxf4 27.Re1 is still
fine] 26…Nxd5
27.Bxd5+ Kh8 28.Qd2?! [28.Qc4
fxg3 29.Qxc8 gxh2+ 30.Kxh2 Rxc8 31.Rf1 is still fine for
White, despite shedding a pawn.] 28…Bh6
29.Rf1 fxg3 30.Rxf8+ Qxf8
31.Rf1?? Chess
can be a horribly cruel game. [31.Qg2 gxh2+ 32.Kh1 is still
winning.] 31…Qxf1+ Michael
is someone I haven’t seen in quite awhile (I think I
was 14 years younger and 120 lbs. heavier?) and it was
fantastic to see him back in the tournament arena. And I
can personally attest that his tournament score should have
been much higher than it was – he had me in extremely
dire circumstances in our first round game. Add in what
should have been a win in this game, and that would have
been a superb tournament for Mike! I hope to see him back
in action quite soon. 0-1
But the jewel of this round, and I would say the
tournament, was the following game. I’m not sure
commentary is important for a game like this, so I’ll
just add sparse notes. My suggestion – open a good
bottle of red wine, turn off your engines, and enjoy this
game aesthetically.
Bjorklund,Mark – Roush,John [A04]
2014 Indiana State Championships (3),
25.10.2014
1.d4 g6
2.Nf3 Bg7 3.g3 c5 4.Bg2 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nc6 6.Nb3 d6 7.0-0 Nf6
8.N1d2 0-0 9.c3 Qc7 10.Re1 Rb8 11.Rb1 b5 12.Nd4
Bd7 Black
has a very comfy position here, with a natural minority
attack on the queenside. 13.b3
e5 14.Nxc6 Bxc6 15.c4 Bxg2 16.Kxg2 Rfd8 17.cxb5 Rxb5 18.a4
Qb7+ 19.f3 Rb4 20.e3 d5 21.Ba3 Rb6 22.Bc5 Rc6
23.b4 Now
it’s White with the queenside initiative! But Black
has an excellent central presence and a weakened kingside
to attack. 23…Rd7
24.Nb3 Re6 25.Bxa7 Ra6 26.Nc5 Qxa7 27.Nxa6 Qxa6 28.b5
Qb7 The
game’s fate is cast – either Black will break
the kingside into a million pieces, or the passed pawns
will hit home! Of course, I didn’t mention that both
might happen… 29.a5
d4 30.a6 Qb6 31.e4 Bh6 32.Qd3 Rc7 33.Re2 Rc3 34.Qd1 Ne8
35.Ra2 Nc7 36.a7 Qb7 37.b6 Na8 38.Qa4 Bf8 39.Qa6 Qc6 40.b7
Rc2+ 41.Kh3 Qd7+ 42.g4 Rc3
43.Kg3 [43.bxa8Q
Rxf3+ 44.Kg2 Qxg4+ 45.Kh1 is safe, as the newly spawned
queen defends the e pawn!] 43…h5
44.bxa8Q [44.Kg2
steps out of any nonsense, with a win for
White] 44…Qxg4+
45.Kf2 Rxf3+ 46.Ke1 Qg1+ 47.Kd2 Qe3+ 48.Kd1 Qg1+ 49.Kd2
Qe3+ 50.Kd1 Qg1+ ½-½
Was this game a flawless piece of accurately played chess?
I would say that question misses the point of such games.
We crazy folk play chess for many reasons, but one of the
reasons I play is the deep sense of aesthetic enjoyment I
sometimes get from it – finding that one paradoxical
move that makes everything work, the logically played
endgame that seems to follow deep and beautiful laws of the
universe, and those moments when mind transcends matter and
will becomes everything. Will anyone remember the boring
technical games I played from this tournament? Not a
chance. Will people remember this crazy brawl that ended in
a beautiful and paradoxical position (just look at
White’s major pieces on the side of the board!)?
Absolutely. Congratulations to both players for creating a
piece of interesting art rather than just another result to
be scrawled on the wall.
The fourth round found a clear leader for the Open section
– John Cole, who would be playing against Dr. Arthur
Galstian:
Cole,John – Galstian,Arthur [D94]
2014 Indiana State Chess Championship (4),
26.10.2014
1.c4 c6
2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.d4 d5 The
super solid Schlechter Slav, an approved drawing weapon
among masters. Black hopes to create a light square
barricade against which White will prove impotent. White,
for his part, just has to stay patient. 5.e3
Bg7 6.Be2 0-0 7.0-0 a6 [7...dxc4
8.Bxc4 Bg4 9.h3 Bxf3 10.Qxf3 Nbd7 11.Rd1 e5 is a mainline
of sorts for this opening with lots of games played
(including a drawn Cole-Monokroussos game from earlier this
year!). The text, however, is also a typical idea from this
line - Black often places all of his pawns on light squares
after trading or moving his light squared
bishop.] 8.a4
Bf5 9.b4?! Too
lackadaisical. [9.Qb3 Ra7 (9...Qc7 10.cxd5 Rd8 11.dxc6 Nxc6
and Black doesn't have enough compensation for the pawn.)
10.h3 looks like an easy plus for White. The text allows
Black to naturally develop the usual light squared
blockade.]
9…dxc4
10.Bxc4 Nd5 11.Qb3 Nxc3 12.Qxc3 Nd7
13.Bb2?! Far
too routine – it allows Black’s knight to
activate quite handily. [13.a5 Nf6 14.Bb2 Ne4 15.Qc1 is a
smidge of a plus for White - he still has a space
advantage, and can perhaps dream of placing a knight on c5
to massage Black's backward b pawn.] 13…Nb6
14.Be2 Nd5 15.Qb3 Qd6 [15...Be6!
is most exact, granting Black instant
equality.]16.Ba3
b5 17.Rac1 [17.a5
Rfd8 18.Rac1 Rac8 19.Rc5 is a smidge of an edge for White -
at least here Black's knight has not jumped into the c4 or
a4 squares. He can hope to squeeze Black's backward c pawn
while pushing a space edge in the center.] 17…Nb6
18.a5 Be6 19.Qc3 Nc4 20.Rfd1
Nxa3?Simply
can’t be right – Black has spent many moves to
improve the placing of this knight, and now trades it for
White’s dreadful bishop! [20...f5 21.Bb2 Rad8 22.Ba1
and White still has a space edge to push, but Black is
extremely solid on the light squares.] 21.Qxa3
Bd5 22.Qc3 Rac8 23.Ne5 Bxe5?!Very
cooperative – Black’s dark squares are simply
emaciated after this move. The fact that White’s
pawns are doubled will not be a factor in the equation
– White can still create a candidate for promotion
from this kingside structure, while the e5 pawn horribly
cramps Black’s position. [23...Rfd8 24.Nd3 Bc4 25.f4
clamps down on Black's only pawn break (...e5) and retains
a good edge.] 24.dxe5
Qe6 25.Qd4 f5 26.f4 [26.exf6
Qxf6 27.f3 Qxd4 28.Rxd4 is more accurate - this is a very
pleasant ending for White, as the Black queenside structure
is weak and stuck on light squares.] 26…Qf7
27.Qb6 Ra8 28.Rd2 e6?! Unnecessarily
weakening vital squares in the Black camp (d6, the seventh
rank) and wasting a move that could have been spent on
mobilizing his rooks. And…about that seventh
rank!
29.Rxd5
?!! A
question mark for the move’s true strength, double
exclam for the psychological impact and the
outcome!
A book that I think every chess player should own is
Invisible Chess Moves by Neiman and Afek. In it, the
authors discuss an important and sadly overlooked aspect of
chess – psychology! I think psychology and the way
our brains operate when faced with certain problems are the
root cause of many inexplicable blunders.
Here, I think the game and tournament situation explain why
this move works so well. Dr. Galstian has been playing an
extremely solid game against a senior master and would be
quite happy with a draw – but, having been pushed
back into his trenches and feeling positionally squeezed,
he faces the “expected” tactical blow that
sends his position into chaos. We calculate 29…cd
30. Rc7 (the thematic and “expected” refutation
of 28…e6 which weakened the seventh rank) Qe8 31.
Qb7 and Black is helpless! So Dr. Galstian
plays…
29…exd5? But
what if… [29…cxd5 30.Rc7 Rfb8! 31.Qd6 Rd8
32.Qc6 Qe8 33.Qb7 Rdb8 34.Rg7+ Kf8 35.Qc7 Rc8 36.Qb7 Rc1+
37.Kf2 Rb8 38.Qa7 Ra8 and the White queen cannot rest from
the rook’s repeated entreatments, with a
draw.
Is 30…Rfb8 objectively a difficult move to see? I
don’t think so, but I think it’s a
psychologically difficult move to see. It ignores the
attack of Black’s queen and the invasion of the
seventh rank, and it requires Black to deeply calculate a
line when a semi-plausible alternative (29…exd5)
allows him to continue the game. Consider that I
didn’t notice 30…Rfb8 during the game, and an
observing expert (Steffen Thieme) didn’t notice it
either! Perhaps finding this move is like finding your
optical blind spot?]
30.Rxc6 The
game resumes its “expected” course –
White has far more than enough compensation for the
exchange – he already has a pawn, Black’s d
pawn will soon fall, the entire queenside is menaced and
all of White’s pieces are more active than their
counterparts. 30…Qa7
31.Bf3 Qxb6[31...Rfd8
32.Rc7 Qxb6 33.axb6 Rac8 34.Bxd5+ Kh8 35.e6 and White's
pawns will push through with ease.] 32.Bxd5+
Kh8 33.axb6 Rac8 34.Rc5 Kg7 35.b7 Rb8
36.Rc7+ and
Dr. Galstian tipped his king. 1-0
John
Cole and Dr. Arthur Galstian doing battle, Andy Porter in
background
Meanwhile, on board two, Lester Van Meter was making a
charge to challenge for the title in the last
round…
Van Meter,Lester – Leach,Mathew [E06]
2014 Indiana State Championships (4),
26.10.2014
1.c4
Nf6 2.g3 e6 3.Bg2 Be7 [3...d5
4.Nf3 dxc4 would be the major theoretical path of this
variation, with White having two major options (5. Qa4+ and
5. Na3)] 4.Nf3
c5 5.0-0 0-0 6.d4 cxd4 7.Nxd4 d5
8.Qc2?! It
seems strange to commit the queen so early to a potentially
opening file. [8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.Nc3 Nxc3 10.bxc3 is one
possible treatment from White - his slight lead in
development and potential pressure on the b pawn makes up
for his slight structural deficit.] 8…Nc6
9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Rd1 Bb7 The
bishop looks quite passive, but it fulfills useful
prophylactic roles (defending the long diagonal against its
counterpart, for instance). Black has handily
equalized. 11.e4 Probably
too early – White is not sufficiently mobilized for
this pawn break. [11.Nd2 Qb6 12.b3 Rfd8 13.Bb2 looks like
an equal and tense fight.] 11…Qb6
12.Nc3 Rac8 [12...dxc4
13.Bf1 Rad8 14.Bxc4 Ng4 looks more direct - Black's active
pieces and lead in development compensate for his slight
structural defect.] 13.Be3
Qa5 14.a3?! Unnecessarily
weakening White’s queenside and practically forcing
Black to take on c4. [14.Qa4! Qxa4 15.Nxa4 Rfe8
(15...Nxe4?? 16.Bxe4 dxe4 17.Rd7 wins a piece) 16.Bc5 Bd8
17.b3 leaves White with a deathlock on the position -
Black's light squared bishop is a very displeased
spectator.]
14…dxc4 The
time White spends in regaining this pawn will allow Black
to mobilize his pieces.15.h3
e5?! White
is not yet threatening to play e5 – Black has time to
mobilize his rooks! [15...Rfd8 16.Qa4 (16.Na4? Ba6 17.Rxd8+
Rxd8 18.Bxa7 Bb5 embarasses White's minor pieces) 16...Qxa4
17.Nxa4 Rxd1+ 18.Rxd1 c5 looks solidly equal for Black -
his weak c pawns are not yet a liability, and his pieces
are well coordinated.] 16.Rac1
Rfd8 17.Bf1 Rxd1 18.Nxd1 c5
19.Bg2? An
odd step backwards! [19.f3! makes two of Black's minor
pieces look quite silly - White has an excellent grip on
the light squares and weaknesses to attack.] 19…Ba6
20.Bd2 Qb6 21.Bc3 Nd7 [21...Qe6
keeps Black's knight staring at the important d5
square.] 22.Ne3
Qe6 23.Rd1 [23.Qa4!
immobilizes Black's pieces - he can follow up with Rd1, Nd5
and even something slow like Bf1xc4 or h4, Kh2 and
Bh3]23…Nb6
24.Nd5 Kf8? [24...Bb5
25.Qe2 Ba4 activates Black's bishop and gives him a small
edge - notice that the "weak" c4 pawn is becoming more of a
strength!] 25.Bf1 [25.Bf3!
threatens to win the exchange and plans to activate White's
bishop. 25...Rd8 (25...Qxh3 26.Nxe7 Kxe7 27.Bxe5 sets
White's bishop pair after Black's exposed king) 26.Bg4
either wins the e pawn or forces Black's queen into an
unpleasant discovery - White is just winning
here.] 25…Bb5
26.Qe2 Bc6?! [26...Ba4
27.Re1 Bd6 28.Qh5 Qg6 is solidly equal for
Black] 27.Qh5
f6? [27...Qg6
28.Qxg6 hxg6 29.Nxe7 Kxe7 30.Bxe5 is certainly better for
White (two bishops, targets to attack), but Black still has
chances to defend.] 28.Qxh7
Be8? [28...Rd8
29.Qh8+ Kf7 30.Qh5+ Kg8 31.Ba5 is grim for Black, but
there's still work for White. The text simply sheds major
material.] 29.Qh8+
Kf7 30.Be2 g6 31.Qh7+ Kf8 32.Bd2 Bf7 33.Nxb6 axb6 34.Bg4 f5
35.exf5 Qf6 36.fxg6 Bxg6 37.Qh6+ Ke8 38.Bxc8 b5 39.h4 Kf7
40.Bg5 Qf3 41.Be6+ Kxe6 42.Qxg6+ Bf6 43.Qxf6+
1-0
Mat
Leach and Lester Van Meter dueling
With these two results, another Van Meter-Cole showdown was
scheduled for the last round. Meanwhile, in the Reserve
section, Jason Wycoff and Matt Kubisch played each other to
a tense draw, while Jeff Jackson continued his clean sweep
to take a clear 4-0 lead into the last round!
The final round of a tournament is always filled with
tension, especially when titles are on the line. A point
behind and playing White, I knew that Lester would be
playing all out for a win. The course of the game certainly
justified this expectation:
Van Meter,Lester – Cole,John [A39]
2014 Indiana State Championships (5),
26.10.2014
1.c4 c5
2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.Nc3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Nf6 6.0-0 0-0 7.d4 cxd4
8.Nxd4 So
far, so theory! This Pure Symmetrical position of the
English has seen thousands upon thousands of efforts,
including the contributions of world champions from both
sides of the board. Though I prefer playing White,
I’ve had this position many times from both sides of
the board. 8…Ng4 [8...Nxd4
9.Qxd4 d6 10.Qd3 is the super mainline, with numerous
methods of defense from Black. The text is a bit more
obscure sideline that poses some immediate problems for
White.] 9.Nc2 [9.e3
d6 10.b3 Nxd4 11.exd4 Nh6 is the mainline, and probably
White's best course of action - Black has active pieces and
possibilities of ...b5 and ...e5 pawn breaks, but White has
an edge in space. White has a decent edge with an
interesting strategic struggle ahead.] 9…Bxc3 Immediately
destabilizing the position and starkly casting the die
– White absolutely must put his two bishops to work
quickly before Black gets a grip on White’s shattered
pawn structure! [9...d6 10.Bd2 Bd7 is a much calmer
interpretation of the position, and probably better - Black
has well posted pieces and chances to achieve ...b5 before
White can reorganize his pieces (his c2 knight especially
looks quite strange)]
10.bxc3
Qa5 [10...d6
11.Rb1 Qc7 12.Bf4 Rd8 is better, and much more to the point
- developing your pieces is a good thing. Perhaps a certain
annotator needs to reread some Reinfeld books on these
matters?] 11.Nb4! A
great move that I completely overlooked. Taking the offered
sacrifice is very dangerous. 11…Nge5 [11...Nxb4
12.cxb4 Qxb4 13.Qd4 d6 14.h3 Nf6 15.Be3 is incredibly
dangerous for Black - I'm desperately behind in development
and White has perfectly good plans on both sides of the
board. This looks like far more than enough for a mere
pawn.] 12.Qd5
Qc7?! I
need to admit that I’m worse here and focus on
getting my pieces out as quickly as possible. [12...d6
13.Qb5 a6 14.Qxa5 Nxa5 15.Nd5 and White is going to regain
his pawn with a good edge due to his ferocious pair of
bishops. Still, at least Black has developed
here.] 13.Qe4? [13.c5!
puts White's weakness to work cramping Black's position!
Black is on the edge here. 13...d6 14.cxd6 exd6 15.Rd1 and
with two bishops, more active pieces and a weak d pawn to
lean on, White is simply much better. The text allows Black
to consolidate.]
13…d6 14.Bh6
Re8 15.Nd5 Qd8 This
looks scary for Black, but he can slowly untangle by
playing moves like …f6 and …e6. Ugly, but
effective! White needs to generate pressure for Black
consolidates and goes after his weak c pawns. 16.Qh4 Too
crude – Black’s kingside, even while missing
the fianchettoed bishop, is too solid for this approach.
[16.c5 highlights Black's dearth of development by cracking
open the position. 16...e6 17.Nb4 d5 18.Nxc6 Nxc6 19.Qf4
gives both sides something to crow about - Black has a
solid pawn structure and targets, White has the two
bishops, superior dark squared presence and an edge in
mobilization. This feels balanced.] 16…f6Looks
odd, but Black’s defensive plan is something like
…Nf7, …Kg7 and …e6! An impromptu
Hedgehog on the kingside, so to speak. 17.c5? This
is either a misguided sacrifice or an error – White
does not get enough compensation. 17…g5 Sealing
up the bishop! 18.Bxg5
fxg5 19.Qxg5+ Kh8 20.Be4 Rg8 Forming
a bucket brigade for the kingside
conflagration!
21.Qh5
Rg7 22.Nf4 Bg4 And
finally completing development with
tempo! 23.Qh4
Qf8 24.cxd6 exd6 25.Qh6? A
blunder in a difficult position. There’s still work
to be done on the Black side – Black’s pieces
look nice, but it’s hard to move them without
loosening my defensive posture. [25.Rad1 Ne7 26.Rd4 Rc8
27.f3 Bf5 is most certainly winning for Black, but there's
still work to be done.] 25…Bxe2! An
annoying tactical point for White – the g file
suddenly becomes not full of stuff! 26.Kh1[26.Nxe2
Rxg3+ 27.Nxg3 Qxh6 is the annoying point] 26…Bxf1
27.Ne6 Bd3 An
important intermezzo [27...Qe7 28.Nxg7 Qxg7 29.Qxg7+ Kxg7
30.Rxf1 and in a practical sense, there's still a lot of
work to be done here - White has a very clear plan of
pushing pawns on the kingside, whereas Black's plan isn't
as clear cut. The text cuts down resistance
immediately.] 28.Nxf8
Bxe4+ 29.Kg1 Nf3+ 30.Kf1 Rxf8 A
material imbalance I’ve never had before (three
minors and a rook for a queen) – it was gratifying
that all of it happened to be pointed at White’s
king! 31.Qxd6
Rgf7 32.Ke2 Rd8 33.Qh6 Bd3+ 34.Ke3 Nce5 35.Qh5
Nc4# An
aesthetic finish to a very hard fought game. 0-1
This game wrapped up a 5-0 score and three titles in a row
for John Cole – but it’s his first year taking
the title unshared or without tiebreaks! Hopefully next
year the younger crowd (Sean Vibbert, Steven Cooklev,
Sameer Manchanda, etc) shows up to wrest it from his
superannuated grasp!
The Reserve section featured a tense last round showdown as
well – Jeff Jackson, leading the section with a clean
4-0 score, was defeated on board one by Jason Wycoff!
Meanwhile, Matt Kubisch (Wycoff’s 4th round opponent)
defeated Mark Bjorklund to keep pace with Wycoff and claim
a share of the Reserve title. I would love to share some of
these undoubtedly fine efforts with the readers of these
pages – but no scoresheets were provided! Hopefully
they can send in these scribblings so I can belatedly share
them with you all (nudge nudge, wink wink, hint
hint).
I think I speak for everyone who played when I say how
gorgeous the playing site was. I have fond memories of the
Rose Hulman campus from numerous childhood chess camps
– the site was just as enjoyable at thirty, luckily!
No matter where next year’s event is held, I hope to
see everyone (and even more of everyone!) there with bows
on!
Cheers,
John W Cole