After the first five rounds of the Toms River Futurity*, my score was a dismal 1-4. But I rebounded to finish with a 4.5-4.5 result.
There were two reasons for my comeback.
First, the New Jersey Masters Invitational came to an end, giving me the chance to devote my undivided attention to the Toms River event.
The second reason is the following game, despite its unfortunate outcome for me. This defeat inspired me to garner 3.5 points over the remaining four rounds.
Jim West (USCF 2248) - Orest Popovych (USCF 2301), Toms River Futurity 1986
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6
6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 b5 8.f4 Bb7 9.f5 e5 10.Nde2 Nbd7 11.Bg5 Be7 12.Bxf6 Nxf6 13.Qd3 Qb6 14.h3 O-O 15.O-O-O a5
16.Nd5 Bxd5 17.Bxd5 Rac8 18.Kb1 Rc5 19.g4 Rfc8 20.Nc3 h6 21.Rdg1
Readers of the November-December 1984 issue of the now-defunct The Castled King are already familiar with this position. Instead, the game Suetin-Platonov, USSR 1971 saw 21.Rd2 a4 when "Black's attack came first," per the RHM book on the Sicilian Najdorf.
To repeat my analysis of the position after 21.Rdg1, there might follow 21...a4 22.h4 a3 23.g5 axb2 24.gxf6 Rxc3 (24...Bxf6 25.Nd1) 25.Bxf7+!, winning in all variations.
There is another plan for Black after 21.Rdg1. He can try 21...Qb8 when 22...b4 is a real threat. White's best strategy is to go ahead with the kingside pawn push anyway. One possibility is 21...Qb8 22.h4 b4 23.Na4 Nxd5 24.exd5 Rxc2 25.g5 h5 26.f6 Bf8 27.g6 with a powerful attack.
A reader of The Castled King wrote a letter suggesting 21...Rxc3 22.bxc3 Nxd5 23.Qxd5 Rxc3. But White's attack still comes first after 24.h4 Qf2 25.Rc1 Qg3 26.g5!.
21...a4 22.h4 Qa5 23.g5 Rxc3 24.bxc3 Nxd5 25.Qxd5 Qxc3 26.Qd3 Qb4+ 27.Ka1 d5 28.Rb1?
The fact that I missed the winning 28.gxh6! is indicative of my poor tactical form in the first half of this tournament.
28...dxe4 29.Qxb5 Qd4+ 30.Qb2 hxg5 31.hxg5 Bxg5 32.Rh5 f6 33.Qxd4 exd4 34.Rb4 Bd2! 35.Rb7
Of course, 35.Rxd4?? loses to 35...Bc3+. No better is 35.Rxa4?? Rb8 36.a3 Bc3+ 37.Ka2 Rb2+, etc.
35...a3 36.Rh2 d3?
Black makes a careless move in a winning position where 36...Bh6, followed by 37...d3, is called for.
37.Rg2??
This finally does it! It is still a draw after 37.Rxd2 dxc2 38.Rd8+!! Rxd8 39.Rxg7+! by perpetual check or stalemate.
37...Bh6 38.cxd3 exd3 39.Rg1 d2 40.Rgb1 Bf4 41.Rg1 Rc1+, White resigns.
After 42.Rb1, Black has 42...Be5#.
*{This article originally appeared in Atlantic Chess News in 1987}
