Thursday, July 12, 2007

Ju - Zaichik

This game, played yesterday, won the biggest upset prize at the New Jersey Futurity International in Parsippany. The player of the white pieces is New Jersey state champion Evan Ju.

NM Evan Ju (FIDE 2173) - GM Gennadi Zaichik (FIDE 2473), New Jersey Futurity International 7/11/2007

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bg5 Bd7 7.Qd2 Rc8 8.f4 Nxd4 9.Qxd4 Qa5 10.e5 dxe5 11.fxe5 e6


White usually plays 12.O-O-O in this position.

12.exf6 Qxg5 13.Ne4 Qh6

Black should have played 13...Qa5+ 14.c3 Rg8 15.Rd1 Bc6 with 16...Rd8 to follow.

14.Rd1 Bc6 15.fxg7 Bxg7 16.Nd6+ Kf8 17.Qb4 Qe3+ 18.Be2 a5

This is a winning position for White. Simplest is 19.Qxa5, preferred by Fritz8. Ju's continuation is also good enough.

19.Qh4 Bxb2 20.Rd3 Qc1+ 21.Bd1 Rg8 22.Rf1 Be8 23.Nxc8 Rxg2 24.Qd8 Rxc2 25.Qd6+ Kg7 26.Rg1+, Black resigns.