Polyakin - Smith

Here is IM Bryan Smith's last round win against Vladimir Polyakin, from last Sunday's Asian-American Chess Classic in Somerset. It is a good example of Smith's tactical style.

Ferrero - Lankri

In the final round of the Asian-American Chess Classic, Atlantic Chess News editor Steve Ferrero won his game against Etan Lankri, enabling Ferrero to tie with four other players (including myself) for 7th-8th place prize money. All notes are by Steve Ferrero.

Round Five: Larsen's Opening

Steve Ferrero (USCF 1871) - Etan Lankri (USCF 1674), Somerset NJ 5/4/2008

1.b3 e5 2.Bb2 d6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.e3 Nc6 6.Ne2 O-O 7.d4 Bf5

Here, my opponent offered a pawn sacrifice, if I captured on c6 first, then won the central pawn. But I would have been painfully weak on the white squares on my kingside and underdeveloped. Still, for a class B player to even contemplate such a sacrifice was a bit unnerving for me.

8.a3

This move prepares c4, without permitting the black knight to redeploy to b4 then d3.

8...exd4 9.Nxd4 Be4 10.Bxe4 Nxe4 11.Nxc6

These doubled pawns, that I saddle Black with, remain the primary focal point of White's attack throughout the rest of the game, even as we eventually head into an ending.

11...bxc6 12.O-O Bf6 13.Bxf6 Qxf6 14.Qd4 Qxd4 15.exd4 Rfe8

16.f3

I played this move to allow the white king to get to f2 and to prevent any black rook incursion, until White can develop the queen knight to get the rooks connected.

16...Nf6

I indicated to Etan, after our game, that 16...Ng5 would have posed more concern since he would have retained annoying checks on h3 and would remain attacking the f3 pawn, preventing White from liquidating the rooks on e1.

17.Kf2 Re7 18.Nd2 Rae8 19.Rae1 Nd5 20.Nc4 Nc3

I had already come to the realization that I should never have allowed the black knight to post onto d5 before I could get my pawn on a4. Black is threatening the powerful 21...Re2+. Yet if White trades off all the rooks, even though the white king ends up on e1 at the conclusion of the exchanges, Black's knight redeploys to b5 with dual threats on the hanging a3 and d4 pawns. Therefore, I play for tricks and re-post the white knight on f5, only temporarily, holding my loose d-pawn and relying on the sham threat of Ne7+ and Nxc6. However, if Black simply swaps the rooks off and first chops on a3, all of the white pawns fall like a house of cards. This is Black's most critical mistake, in fearing my Ne7+.

21.Ne3 Nb5 22.Nf5 Rxe1 23.Rxe1 Rxe1 24.Kxe1 Kf8

24...Nxa3 must be near winning for Black.

25.a4 Nc3 26.Kd2 Nd5 27.c4

This may have been a bit hasty, or an outright error, since Black later should have brought his knight from b4 to a2 and back again with continuous checks to secure a draw as I pointed out to Etan after the game. I contemplated getting my knight back to c2 to trade off the black knight but assessed that, although White would probably retain some slight advantages due to the compromised black queenside pawn structure, it likely wouldn't be enough to win. I'm uncertain if my assessment is correct, however.

27...Nb4 28.h4 g6 29.Ne3 Ke7 30.g4 h6 31.Kc3 a5 32.d5 c5 33.f4 h5 34.f5 Kf6 35.g5+ Ke5 36.f6 Kf4 37.Kd2 Kg3 38.Nf5+

Etan indicated, during the post mortem analysis, that he missed this powerful shot.

38...Kg4 39.Nh6+ Kxh4 40.Nxf7 Na6

The black knight is hoping to get back in time to stop White's passer, moving quickly on the f-file.

41.Nxd6

Not if I can help it! Black cannot afford the luxury of capturing White's knight, if he is to have any hope of stopping White's passer, which makes this combination possible.

41...Nb8 42.Ne4 Nd7 43.f7 Kh3 44.Nxc5 Nf8 45.Ne6 Kg2 46.Nxf8 h4 47.Nxg6 h3 48.Nf4+, Black resigns.

Sivakumar - Bartell

The following game was the biggest upset at the Asian-American Chess Classic, earning 5 cents per rating points differential for the winner. Obviously 48...Qc2??, overlooking 49.Qg4+ fxg4+ 50.fxg4#, is the type of blunder that can occur in game/30 chess.

Round One: Sicilian Defense, Grand Prix Attack

Kavinayan Sivakumar (USCF 1834) - Tommy Bartell (USCF 2427), Somerset NJ 5/4/2008

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 g6 3.f4 Bg7 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bb5 Nd4 6.O-O Nxb5 7.Nxb5 d5 8.exd5 a6 9.Nc3 Nf6 10.d4 c4 11.Qe2 b5 12.Re1 O-O 13.Qxe7 Bf5 14.Qe2 Re8 15.Ne5 Nxd5 16 Nxd5 Qxd5

17.Qf2 f6 18.Nf3 Rxe1+ 19.Nxe1 Re8 20.Bd2 Bg4 21.Nf3 Bxf3 22.gxf3 f5 23.c3 Kf7 24.Kg2 a5 25.Re1 Rb8 26.Qh4 Qd7 27.Qf2 Rb7 28.a3 Bf6 29.h4 Qd8 30.Kh3 Re7 31.Rxe7+ Kxe7 32.Qe3+ Kf7


33.Be1 Qd5 34.Kg3 Qd8 35.Kh3 Qd7 36.Kg3 Kg7 37.Qe2 Kh6 38.Qe3 Kh5 39.Kh3 Qd8 40.Qf2 Qe7 41.Qg3 Qe2 42.Qf2 Qd3 43.Qg3 b4 44.axb4 axb4 45.Qf2 b3 46.Qg3 h6 47.Qf2 Be7 48.Qg2 Qc2 49.Qg4+, Black resigns.

No More "ChessDown"

For about ten days, I was calling it ChessDown. All the chess diagrams had disappeared from my blog. Apparently it was a problem with their registration. But I am happy to report today that the ChessUp website is...well, up again.

Pix from Asian-American Chess Classic

Here are photos from yesterday's grand prix and scholastic events at the Asian-American Chess Classic, held at the Ramada Somerset.

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Assistant TD Aaron Kiedes accepts IM Bryan Smith's entry fee.

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Seated at the table, clockwise, are Greg Nolan, Tommy Bartell, Leroy Dubeck, and Boris Privman, with TD Ken Thomas standing.


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Two guys named Steve - Stoyko and Ferrero - chat in the corridor.

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Ken Thomas also directed the scholastic event, as can be seen in these two photos.




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Yefim Treger plays Etan Lankri in an early round.

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GM Michael Rohde was one of four players to tie for first place, with a score of 4 points.


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Boris Privman and Yefim Treger do a post mortem analysis.

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In the final round, with Michael Rohde and Sergey Kudrin having already drawn their game on board one, Bryan Smith beats Vladimir Polyakin on board two, while Boris Privman defeats Tommy Bartell on board three. Steve Stoyko, who did not participate in the tournament, stands as a spectator.



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Meanwhile, Greg Nolan upsets Leroy Dubeck.

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TD Ken Thomas prepares to distribute the prize money.

Asian-American Chess Classic

At today's Asian-American Chess Classic, held at the Ramada Somerset, I finished with a score of 3-2-0. I was lucky to win my last round game in which both players made errors, perhaps due to the game/30 time limit.

I should have played 13...Qd6 because, after 13...Kxh8? 14.d5 Nb4, White missed a win by 15.d6!. On 21.Bxf6+, I missed 21...Rxf6 22.Rxf6 Qxc4, winning. Instead my 21...Bxf6? 22.Rxf6 Nxa2+ 23.Kb1 Bxc2+ should have lost to 24.Ka1 Bxd1 25.d6!.

Round Five: Philidor Counter Gambit

Kevin Chen (USCF 1711) - Jim West (USCF 2234), Somerset NJ 5/4/2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Nc3 fxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Nxe5 dxe4 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Nxg6 Nf6 9.Qe5+ Kf7 10.Nxh8+ Kg7 11.Bg5 Nc6 12.Qf4 Be7 13.O-O-O Kh8 14.d5 Nb4

15.Bc4 Qd6 16.Qh4 Bf5 17.g4 Bg6 18.f4 exf3 19.Rhe1 Rf8 20.Re6 Qc5 21.Bxf6+ Bxf6 22.Rxf6 Nxa2+ 23.Kb1 Bxc2+


24.Kxc2 Qxc4+ 25.Kb1 Nc3+ 26.bxc3 Qb3+ 27.Kc1 Qxc3+, White resigns.

Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation 5...Qd6

International master Robert Hess likes to play 5...Qd6 in the exchange variation of the Ruy Lopez. Here are a couple of his games in this line, one against me, the other against grandmaster Alexander Stripunsky.

Jim West (USCF 2200) - Robert Hess (USCF 2349), 4th New Yorker June Open 6/18/2005

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.O-O Qd6


6.d4

In My 60 Memorable Games, Bobby Fischer gives this as White's best because 6.d3 f6 7.Be3 c5 8.Nbd2 Be6 9.Qe2 O-O-O is equal while 6.Na3? b5! "strands the knight."

6...exd4 7.Nxd4 c5 8.Nb3 Be6 9.Be3 Qxd1 10.Rxd1 b6 11.Nc3 g6 12.Bf4 Rc8 13.Nd5 Bxd5 14.Rxd5 Nf6 15.Rd2 Bg7 16.c3 O-O

White has a slight advantage here.

17.f3 Nh5 18.Be3 Bf6 19.Rad1 Rfd8 20.Rxd8+ Rxd8 21.Rxd8+ Bxd8 22.Kf2 Kf8 23.Ke2 Ke7 24.Kd3 Kd6 25.a4 Kc6 26.Nd2 Ng7 27.Nc4 f6 28.f4 Ne6 29.f5 Nf8 30.Bf4 Nd7 31.g4 b5 32.axb5+ axb5 33.Nd2 c4+ 34.Kc2 gxf5 35.gxf5 Be7

The game is now equal.

36.Nf3 Nc5 37.e5 Kd5 38.exf6 Bxf6 39.Bxc7 Ke4

Instead Black could have obtained a slight edge by 39...Nb3.

40.Nd4 Bxd4 41.cxd4 Nd7 42.Kc3 Kxf5 43.Kb4 Ke4 44.Be5 Nxe5 45.dxe5 Kxe5 46.Kxb5 Kd5 47.h4, draw.

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GM Alexander Stripunsky - IM Robert Hess, Foxwoods Open 2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.O-O Qd6 6.a4

The idea behind this move is to play 7.Na3 without allowing 7...b5.

6...f6 7.Na3 Bg4 8.Nc4 Qd7 9.Ne3 Be6 10.d4 exd4 11.Nxd4 Bf7 12.Nb3 O-O-O

13.Qe2 Nh6 14.Rd1 Bd6 15.Bd2 Rhe8 16.Nc4 Bxc4 17.Qxc4 Qg4 18.Bxh6 gxh6 19.Re1 f5 20.g3 fxe4 21.Re3 h5 22.Rae1 h4 23.Rxe4 hxg3

24.hxg3

White wisely avoids 24.Rxg4?? gxh2+ 25.Kg2 Rxe1 26.Rh4 Rg1+ 27.Kf3 Rf8+ which wins for Black.

24...Rxe4 25.Qxe4 Qg7 26.Kg2 Kb8 27.Nd4 Qf6 28.Ne6 Rd7 29.b3 Re7 30.Re3 h5 31.Qc4 Rf7 32.Nf4 h4 33.Rf3 Qf5 34.Qe2 Re7 35.Qd3 Qg4 36.Nh3 hxg3 37.fxg3 Re8 38.Nf2 Qh5 39.Qf5 Qh6 40.Qf6 Qc1 41.c4 Re1 42.Kh3 Re8 43.Kg2 Bc5 44.Qc3 Qb1 45.Qd3 Qe1

Of course, Black refuses to swap queens because he has all the winning chances in the middle game, due to White's precarious king position.

46.Qf5 Re5 47.Qf7 Re2 48.Qf5 Bd4 49.g4 c5 50.Qf8+ Ka7 51.Qf4 Rb2 52.g5 Rb1 53.Kh3 Qf1+ 54.Kh4 Qg2 55.Nh3 Rh1 56.Qg4 Qe2 57.Qf4 Qe7 58.Qf5 Re1 59.Kh5 Qe2 60.Kh4 Qe7 61.Nf4 Re5 62.Qf6 Qh7+ 63.Qh6 Qe4 64.Qh5 Re8 65.Kg4 Rh8 66.Qg6 Rh4+

67.Kxh4 Qxf3 68.Nd3 Bg1 69.a5 Bh2 70.Qf6 Qxd3 71.g6 Qg3+ 72.Kh5 Qe5+ 73.Qxe5 Bxe5 74.Kh6 b6 75.g7 Bxg7+ 76.Kxg7 bxa5 77.Kf6 Kb6 78.Ke6 a4, White resigns.

It is an easy win for Black after 79.bxa4 Ka5 80.Kd5 Kxa4 81.Kxc5 a5.