GM Christiansen came in early and angry this night… one could see it in his eyes.  Obviously, Josh Freidel’s prediction of a San Fran win, 3.5 – 0.5 had him upset.  Oh yes, I know his blog said Boston 3.5 – 2.0, but we all could read between the lines… the code was simple,  taken directly from the ancient Biblical code matrices.  Did he really think we wouldn’t catch on to this?  Just eliminate every other word, beginning with a vowel, take the third letter, or second letter, depending on the time of the post…  (yeah, they had internet access in those days, although response times were horrendous)… and when you put it all together you get “Boston #$%$, we win easily, 3.5 – 0.5”.

Having deciphered the insult, I can only say that it’s psychological effect was no less devastating.  Marc Esserman came in complaining of a tennis injury to his knee… obviously setting up an excuse should he lose. Ilya, as always, complained of tiredness… well, it would help if you didn’t stay out all night… and Jorge complained of… oh, never mind, I try to keep this article PG… beyond that, I had a headache, aggravated by having to relay moves in Jorge’s game.

Larry never complained though… he simply took out his anger on his opponent, who did his own complaining… seems his finger was hurting… those keyboard injuries can be tough.

Oh, we all need excuses to explain to our inner selves why we are not as good as Fischer… that is to say, you guys aren’t… Please, can we stop complaining… I can’t take any more… this headache is killing me.

The first game to finish was Board 1 and, unfortunately for GM (elect) Bhat, it ended in a time forfeit when he was unable to type in his move fast enough after making several typing errors.  This is the curse of internet play.  Many players prefer to type in moves rather than just use a board interface. I guess they feel this method is less prone to accidentally dropping a piece on the wrong square… but, it is certainly not prone to typing errors.  In any case, I think Larry had the best of it at the time.  Let’s take a peak…

GM (elect) Vinay Bhat  vs.  GM (elected) Larry Christiansen  — Board 1

1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 d5 3. Nd2 Nbd7 4. e3 e5 5. Ngf3 Bd6 6. dxe5 Nxe5 7. c4 Nxc4 8.Nxc4 dxc4 9. Bxc4 h6 10. Bh4 Bg4 11. O-O…

Castling here leads to a level game.  Fritz points out the following dangerous line for both sides…  11.Qb3 O-O  12.Qxb7!? Rb8 13.Qxa7 Rxb2 14.O-O Bxf3  15.gxf3 Qd7 when Black has an attack for the pawn.  I can’t blame White for rejecting this as GM Christiansen is surely a formidable attacking player.  But, Black still has a lot to prove here.  If White can consolidate and get the pawn moving things could get tough.

One possible line is…  16.Bg3… taking the knight only opens lines to White’s King. 16… Rd2 to prevent White grabbing the d-file.  17.Qa5 Bxg3 18.hxg3 Nh7  The Knight comes into the attack.  19.Kg2 Ng5 20.Rh1 Rd8 Threatening …Qc6 attacking the Bishop and f3.  21.Rac1 Qd6 Threatening …Qf6 22.Qc3… and White is just about ready to push the pawn.   Well, this is just one variation and any misstep could be the end.  What do you think?… is the pawn worth suffering the attack?

After the game move, things proceeded quite calmly to a slightly better game for Black, as he has the centralized King and Queenside majority.  This is often enough to win at the GM level…

11… g5 12. Bg3 Bxg3 13. hxg3 Qxd1 14. Rfxd1 Ke7

It seems that White keeps the game perfectly equal with Rd2… or Rd3… followed by doubling on the file when Black will try to prevent this by opposing at least one Rook.  Then White can move his King toward the center and all is under control.  IM Bhat chooses a move to keep things more alive… but, this is what leads to Black’s control of the d-file and subsequent pawn sack to achieve a dominating position… and the final one… as this is where IM Bhat overstepped… yet he need not feel to bad about this loss, as it is tough to save in time pressure.

15. Re1 Rhd8 16. Rac1 c6 17. a3 a5 18. Nd4 c5 19. Nf3 Bd7 20. Ba2 b6 21. e4 Ng4 22. e5 Bf5 23. Bb1 Be6 24. Re2 Ra7 25. Ne1 h5 26. Nf3 Rad7 27. Nxg5 Rd1+ 28. Re1 Rxc1 29. Rxc1 Rd2 30. Nxe6 fxe6 {White forfeits on time} 0-1

The first thing to notice here is White is up a pawn… but, Black has mate threats to hold White at bay while he picks off pawn after pawn.  Fritz rates the game –1.12 in Black’s favor after the move… 31.b4!?… The idea is to at least open the c-file and save the b-pawn which at this point seems important.  White would probably draw if Black were to grab the f-pawn… but he has better…  31… cxb 32.axb a4!? 33.f4… the e-pawn is important to White.  33… a3 34.Bg6 a2 35.Bxh5 Rb2  just in time to prevent the dislodging of the Knight.  36.Bg6 Rxb4 and Black has two passed pawns and still has the mate threats… He is winning.

The move that IM Bhat was going to play when his flag fell is slightly worse… 31.f4 Rxb2 32.Re1… (to prevent Black’s …Ne3 attacking the g-pawns.)  33… Kf7!  Preventing the Bishop attack on h5.   33.a4 c4 34.Be4… note that attacking the pawn allows Black to continue pushing due to the attack on the Bishop and subsequent mate threats due to the dominant Knight.  34… c3 35.Rc1 Rb4 36.Bb1 Rd4 37.Bc2… the Bishop needs to protect the a-pawn. 37… Ne3 38.Kf2 Nxc2 39.Rxc2 Rd3!  And Black’s King will walk through g6 to d4 and Queen the c-pawn or, White can give up all his Kingside pawns and Black’s h-pawn will win.

A very nice pawn sack by Larry and a great game.  No wonder IM Bhat couldn’t type. Boston (1-0)

Next to finish was Marc Esserman, who seemed to be winning rather easily.  Marc always keeps a close eye on the other games and if he sees that a draw is what is needed, he plays to that end.  I think this is what happened here.  He simply decided not to press.

FM Sam Shankland  vs.  NM Marc Esserman  — Board 3

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Be7 8. Qe2… This is an odd sort of move not often seen at high levels.  Frankly, I don’t understand how White expects an advantage out of this… more usual is the aggressive 8. Qf3… After all, if White intends to give up the two Bishops, he should at least have some tricky moves.  Marc very simply gains equality with…

8… h6 9. Bxf6 Bxf6 10. O-O-O Qc7 11. g3?!… Equality was still maintained with 11.Qc4… offering a trade of Queens that Black should accept and the players can shake hands.  The game move is much too passive.  Now Black has the initiative. 

11… Nc6 12. Nxc6 bxc6

Now Black threatens …Bxc3 crippling the pawn structure in front of White’s King.  So, White should play something like 13.Qd2… when, although Black is better, it’s a game. Instead, White panics a bit and boots a pawn…  13. e5?! dxe5 14. Ne4 Be7 15. fxe5 Qxe5 16. Qc4…

Fritz evaluates the position as winning for Black (-1.69) and I agree.  Since after 16… O-O! It was slightly better to play 16… Rb8 forcing 17.c3…, but why quibble.  For example, 16….Rb8! 17.c3… as the pawn is immune (17.Qxc6+ Kf1 and both mate and …Bb7 winning the Knight are threatened). 17…O-O 18.Bg2 Qc7 and White has very little compensation.  The game continuation gives White the option to offer the Queen trade… but essentially, White is much worse.  17. Bg2 Rb8 18. Qc3 Qc7 19. b3 f5 20. Nc5 Bg5+ (20.Bf6… is better. It’s best to keep the check possibility)  21. Kb1 Bf6 22. Qc4 Qa5 23. Nxe6… This would not be good if the  check on a6 was available, as White’s King would be driven into the open.  23… Bxe6 24. Qxe6+ Kh8 25. Qe3 Rfe8 26. Qd2… The pawns are now even and the Bishops are of opposite color… but, Black is attacking…

Fritz now finds a pretty winning move… Do you see it?

26… Qc5!!  Wins.  The following moves are best… 27.c3 Re2!! Giving the Rook away, but Black will win the Queen for two Rooks and two pawns and the attack. 28.Qxe2 Qxc3 29.Qd2 Qa1+ 30.Kc2 Qxa2+ 31.Kd3 Rxb3+ 32.Ke2 Rb2 33.Bf3 Bc3 34.Qxb2 Qxb2+  35.Kf1 Bd4 36.Be2 a5 and the pawn will Queen or win material.

After the game move… 26… Qe5 Black has the advantage but maybe not enough to win if White gets the Queens off the board, which he does after… 27. c3 c5 28. Rhe1 Qxc3 29. Qxc3 Bxc3 30. Rxe8+ Rxe8 and the game quickly fizzled to a draw on move 39.

Nice opening, nice middlegame, keeping things under control all the way to the endgame.  The missed win was something computers see and humans reject… especially when time controls are near.  This was certainly a night of good opening play for the team… Boston (1.5 – .5)

Even Ilya played a great opening… really a thing of beauty… I was shocked.

NM Ilya Krasik  vs.  FM Daniel Naroditsky  –  Board 4

Before the game began I was kidding Ilya that he was playing a genius tonight; after all, he is only 12 yrs. old and already a high master.  I think Ilya was determined to prove who the real genius was… and he almost did.

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 O-O 6. Be3 Nc6 7. Nge2 a6 8. Qd2 Rb8 9. h4 h5 10. O-O-O b5 11. Nd5…

What a beautiful move… if you know what you are doing.  White allows the opening of the b-file and he knows (guesses) that his attack is faster.  Wow!  The Kings Indian is book for many moves these days and we are not out of book yet.

11… bxc4 12. Nxf6+ Bxf6 13. g4 Nb4 14. Nc3 c5 15. gxh5 Qa5  This is actually the first new move, or move that I can’t find in any database.  Up to now, we were following  Tarjan – Gunaway  1983 which continued 15… Be6 16.hxg6 Qa5 17.a3 fxg  White cannot capture the Knight and Black went on to win.

16.Bxc4!… taking advantage of Black’s inaccuracy.

16… Be6 17. d5… This move opens Black’s f6 Bishop.  Fritz says it is best… But, I might have preferred the safer Bxe6… which also gives White a nice advantage.

Black feels the pressure and sacks a Rook for a dangerous looking attack.  Still, 17… Bd7 must be preferred.

17… Nxa2+ 18. Bxa2 Rxb2 19. Qxb2 Bxc3 20. Qb3 Bd7 21. Bd2 Bxd2+ 22. Rxd2 c4 23. Qe3 c3 24. Rc2 Qa3+ 25. Kd1 Ba4 26. Bb1 Qb2 27. Qc1 Qb5 28. Ke1 Rb8 29. Kf2 Bxc2 30. Bxc2 Qc4 31. hxg6 fxg6 32. Qg5 Rb2 33. Qxg6+ Kf8 34. Qf5+ Ke8 35. e5 dxe5 36. Kg3 Qf4+ 37.  Kh3…

White has eluded the checks and now threatens to win with Rg1…  So, Black pitches the Rook for a chance at a perpetual. 37… Rxc2 38. Qxc2 Qxf3+ 39. Kh2 Qf4+

Well, according to the many universes theory in quantum physics, any time that you have a decision to make, both paths are actually taken in parallel universes.  So, in one universe Ilya chose 40.Kg2 Qg4+ 41.Kf2 Qf4+ 42.Ke2 Qg4+ 43.Ke1 Qg3+ 44.Qf2 Qd3 45.Rf1… and White threatens mate and is able to avoid the perpetual and wins.

Unfortunately for those of us in this universe, he chose  40. Kg1 Qg3+ 41. Qg2 Qe1+ 42. Qf1 Qg3+ 43. Qg2 Qe1+ 44. Qf1 Qg3+ 45. Qg2 {Game drawn by repetition}

Now that can make your head hurt… Anybody got some aspirins.

Speaking of heads hurting, I think Jorge has the market cornered.  It seems that every game is an old fashion, romantic style, pieces hanging, pawns thrown to the wind, slugfest… I have to admit, after relaying the moves to this game, my head was spinning… but, what a great game…

SM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun  vs.  IM David Pruess  –  Board 2

Every time someone plays the French defense, Jorge gets upset… I think he feels its just not “Manly” chess… and, as far as I can tell, he just throws pieces and pawns at his opponent until they resign… no  contribution to theory here… just all out mayhem… or, is it?

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. f4 O-O 8. Nf3 c5 9. Qd2 Nc6 10. O-O-O c4 11. g4…

Ok, my head started throbbing right around here… no rest for the weary tonight.

Fritz seems to like 11.Nb5… to drop the Knight on d6 as best.  But, that’s because he considers Black’s best to be 11… a6 and b5.  Conventional human play has always gone along the lines of this game.  Fritz also likes 11.h4… in this position as a better attacking move.  The idea is that White will move his c3 Knight to e2 or a4 depending on what Black does and play h5, h3 and c3, Qc2, Ng5, not necessarily in that order of course.

Also, interesting is 11.f5!?… as Black surely would not take and allow 12.Nxd5… attacking the Queen.  Jorge didn’t play it because of 11… Nb6 and now White must either exchange or sack the pawn with 12.f6 gxf  13.Qh6…  In analysis after the game, we found insufficient compensation.  We do know Pruess’s thoughts on this move from Stein – Pruess 2004 which ended in a draw.  IM Pruess ignored the whole thing and continued 11… Rb8 and White exchanged on e6.  The game continued…

11… Rb8 I must say that 11… a6 followed by …b5 seems a time saver.  Also, the move that I was a bit worried about was the pawn sack 11… b5 and I wondered, “What then”.  Fritz doesn’t like it… but hey, if White can sack two pawns, Black should at least be able to sack one… I mean, fair is fair.

12. Nb5 Nb6 13. h4… (13.Bh3… is our own GM Eugene Perelshteyn – Ulibin 2001, drawn in 35 moves)  13… Bd7 14. Nd6 Nc8 15. f5!?… No draws for Jorge.  He sacks two pawns for an attack.

Now, 15… exf5 first, is answered by 16.Nxf5… and a game only a mother could love. So, 15… Nxd6 16.f6!… otherwise there is no compensation here.  16…gxf6 forced 17.exd6 Qxd6 Strangely, this has all been played before, Viaud-Carleton 1991 (0-1) after White continued 18.g5 Qe7 19.Qf4 fxg5 20.hxg5 f6  21.Qh4? (Qe3=) f5.

18.Qh6… and there you are… two pawns for an attack… at least that’s what I was hoping at the time… there goes my head again…

18… Qe7 19. g5 f5 20. h5…

I would call this one of the critical positions.

Black has a choice of four reasonable looking moves…

Fritz ranks them as follows…

Analysis by Fritz 9:

1. =  (0.23): 20…Kh8 21.g6 f6 22.Qe3 Nb4 23.Rg1 Rfe8 24.Kb1 e5 25.Qf2 h6
2. += (0.36): 20…Be8 21.Nh4 c3 22.bxc3 Qa3+ 23.Kb1 Qxc3 24.Rh3 Qb4+ 25.Kc1 Qe7
3. += (0.64): 20…c3 21.g6 fxg6 22.hxg6 Rf6 23.gxh7+ Kh8 24.Qe3 Qb4 25.Qxc3
4. += (0.64): 20…f6 21.Rg1 fxg5 22.Rxg5+ Kh8 23.Nh4 Be8 24.Bxc4 Qf6 25.Ng6+ Bxg6

Jorge told me that during the game he was most worried about 20…c3.  The analysis above will change as you let Fritz think longer and as you play through the moves.  I present it only as a gauge of the choices.  I played through the first 3 choices and I felt that Black’s game was at least equal in choices 1 and 2… Although, as we see from the game, it is difficult.  It also seemed to me that 20… Be8 was a little easier to defend.  So, take that for what it’s worth and play through some the lines.  No easy task for either side.

20… Kh8 21. g6 f6 22. Rg1 Rg8 23. Nh4 Qg7 24. Qe3 h6

Black has fended off the attack and is slightly better (-0.80 Fritz).  However, any misstep can be lethal… no fun here.

Jorge told me after the game that he was wondering if he could ever break in.  Black seems safe… as long as he doesn’t do much… Jorge comes up with the only plan that there is… sack a piece on c4 or e6  and attack.  Can Black defend? Let’s see…

25. Ng2 Rge8 26. Nf4 Kg8 A small mistake exposing his King to check on d5 if and when he carries out his obvious piece sack.  27. Bg2 b5 28. Rge1 a5 29. Re2 b4 30. Rde1 Qf8?? Handing White the game (+1.58).   30…e5 keeps the advantage for Black and White will be scuffling for a draw.  For example,   30…e5! 31.Bxd5+… this is why Blacks King should not have moved to g8. 31… Kh8 32.Bf7… (32.Bxc4 Nxd4 is good for Black)  32… Red8 33.dxe fxe  34.Bxc4 a4 (34… exf4 gives White too much pressure on e7 for the piece.  35.Qxf4 Rc8  36.Bd5… and after the Knight is exchanged a White Rook will infiltrate to the seventh.)  35.Ne6 Bxe6 36.Bxe6 Nd4 37.Bxf5 Nxf5 38.Qxe5 Qxe5  and White may have enough for the piece to draw.  I played this out to a draw with Fritz… but it is not easy.

31. Nxe6!!… A spectacular combination that most players would miss… somehow, Jorge never misses these shots.  31… Bxe6 32. Qf4!… A beautiful Zwischenzug… winning the game.

The rest is simple.

32… Bd7 33. Bxd5+ Kg7 34. Qc7 Rxe2 35. Rxe2 Qd8 36. Qd6 Rb6 37. Bxc6 Rxc6 38. Re7+ Kf8 39. Rf7+ Kg8 40. Qd5… Black resigns.

A fabulous game by Jorge!  Another Game O’da Week! To steal a phrase from the great golfer Bobby Jones, who was speaking of Jack Nicklaus… “He plays a game with which I am not familiar”… and which, I might add… makes my head hurt!