Ferrero - Hall

Steve Ferrero is my team captain at the U.S. Amateur Team East, as well as editor of Atlantic Chess News. His favorite opening move as White is 1.b3, which I have tried occasionally myself. Here Ferrero draws against a stronger player at the Viking Last Saturday Quads in Mount Arlington.

Round Two: Larsen's Opening

Steve Ferrero (USCF 1884) - Tim Hall (USCF 2021), Mount Arlington NJ Quad 9/29/2007

1.b3 e5 2.Bb2 Nc6 3.e3

Bobby Fischer preferred to play 3.c4.

3...d5 4.Bb5 Bd6 5.Nf3 Qe7 6.c4 Nf6 7.c5

Instead 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.Nc3 Nxc3 9.Bxc3 Bd7 leads to an equal position.

7...Bxc5 8.Nxe5 Bd7 9.Nxd7 Qxd7 10.Bxf6 gxf6 11.Qf3 Qe6 12.O-O a6 13.Bxc6+ Qxc6 14.Rc1

White has a clear advantage.

14...Qd6 15.d4 Ba7 16.Qf5 c6 17.Nc3 Qe6 18.Qxe6+ fxe6 19.Na4 Ke7 20.Nc5 Rab8

A more ambitious player as White might have kept queens on the board, but Ferrero is happy to draw against his higher rated opponent. Probably Black's reluctance to allow a draw explains why he did not exchange with 20...Bxc5 21.Rxc5.

21.Kf1 Kd6 22.Rc2 Rhe8 23.Rd1 Re7 24.b4 e5 25.dxe5+ fxe5 26.Ne4+ Ke6 27.Nc5+, draw.