The players were intent on their games, but, I was glancing through the window that covered the left wall of the playing room. The darkness outside seemed all consuming when suddenly in the distance I spotted the faint flickering of a thousand points of light (sorry, wrong nightmare). My curiosity took me into the night air where I was confronted with a strange scene. Down by the gates to the Harvard Center was a small but angry group of what can only be described as feudal peasants. There was a very officious type lecturing them from a platform… “Yunk Frankenshtein iss indeed VALLOWING EEN EES GANDFADDA’S VOOTSHTAPS.” , he bellowed. Torches and pitchforks were waving, but this brought the crowd to a halt, yielding a collective…”huhhh?”… “VOOTSHTAPS!… VOOTSHTAPS!” he reiterated as he began to dance… his feet pounding the platform.

“Only at Harvard…” I thought as I rejoined the ongoing games within.

It didn’t look good in Denys’s game… not good at all. It was obvious he wasn’t in his best form right from the beginning…

Denys: I am Dr. Frankenstein.
Igor (no not that eegor): rrrr!

Denys must have taken offence to his opponent’s response.

Denys: HE’S GOT A ROTTEN BRAIN! IT’s ROTTEN, I TELL YA! ROTTEN!
Igor (now a bit angry): RAAAAAAA!
Matt: Ixnay on the ottenray.

SM Denys Shmelov vs. FM Igor Schneider — Board 4

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 a6 4.Ngf3 c5 5.exd5 exd5 6.dxc5 Bxc5 7.Nb3 Bb6 8.Be2… Certainly, the safest move in this seldom played variation. Other moves are Be3, Bg5, or even Qe2+. Denys’s move keeps a quiet positional edge. 8… Nc6 9.0-0 Qd6?! This move doesn’t seem right as the Queen is unprotected in many variations. 10.Bg5 Nge7 This is the first crossroads.

Fritz, the aggressive little monster that it is, considers 11.c4… to be its top choice. First, one must notice that 11… d4 is not good because of 12.Rc1… threatening to fork on c5 or win the pawn if the Bishop or Queen moves. Next, it is interesting to note the variation 11… f6 is answered by 12.Be3 Bxe3 13.fxe3… and now if 13…o-o 14.e4… and the pawn is lost again. So, Black should play something like.. 11… o-o 12.Qd2… Threatening 13.c5 Bxc5 14.Bf4… winning the Bishop. And if Black plays 12… Bc7 13.c5 Qg6, White has a bigger edge than in the game. Denys played the solid 11. c3… and settled for a minimal edge after… 11… h6 12.Bxe7 Nxe7 13.Nbd4 Bg4 14.Qd3…

I don’t know whether Denys considered the sharper 14.Qa4+ Bd7 (14… Nc6? 15.Bb5 Bd7 16.Rfe1+…)
15.Bb5! Bc6 (15… Bxb5 loses to a fantastic variation given below) 16.Bxc6 bxc 17.Rfe1 o-o and again White is better than in the game.

If instead, Black plays 15… Bxb5 16.Nxb5 Qc6 17.Nd6+ Kf8 18.Qf4!… is the star move… protecting the Knight and threatening mate.

18… f6 19.Ne5!!… neither Knight can be taken. 19… Qc7 20.Rfe1!… still the knights are immune. 20… Kg8 21.Nef7 Bc5 22.Re6!… Black doesn’t get two pieces for the Rook. 22… Bxd6 23.Nxd6 Ng6 24.Qg3 Kh7 25.Rd1 Qa5 26.a3 Qb6 27.h4 Qxb2 28.Qd3… and the Knight is lost after the forced… 28… h5 29.Qf5…

Computers are amazing animals. This variation would, of course, be rejected by any of us mortals. Denys’s move is sound, keeps an edge and avoids all this nonsense.

Around now, I wandered outside again and the official looking guy was still talking… “A riot is an ungly thing… undt, I tink, that it is chust about time ve had vun.” The crowd cheered and pressed against the gate… “Ha… these Harvard guys are such kidders… “ I thought and went back inside to get a coffee.

14… 0-0 15.Rfe1 Ng6 16.g3 Rad8 17.Bf1 Qf6 18.Re3 h5 19.h4?!…

After the game, we decided that 19.h3!… followed by 20.h4… saved a tempo on the game and kept the edge for White. Fritz agrees +=.50. Now, Black has a small advantage after…

19… Ne7 20.Rae1 Nf5 21.Re5 Nxg3

Surprisingly, White has two ways to lose a pawn here… one is… 22.Ng5 (threatening mate) Ne4 23.Nxe4 dxe 24.Qxe4 Qxh4. Here the Queens are on the board and Black’s Rook is active. Denys correctly chooses to go to the endgame where his famous technique can be maximized.

22.fxg3 Qxf3 23.Qxf3 Bxf3 24.Re7 Bxd4+ 25.cxd4 b5 26.Be2 Bxe2 27.R1xe2 Rd6 28.Rc7 g6 29.Kf2 Rf6+ 30.Kg2 Rd8 31.b3 Kg7 32.Ree7 Rdd6 33.Red7 Rxd7 34.Rxd7 Rc6 35.a4 Rc2+ 36.Kh3 Rb2 37.Rxd5 Rxb3 38.Rd6 bxa4 39.Rxa6 a3 40.d5 Rd3

I had a feeling that, with proper technique, Black could win this. Of course, he only needed a draw to win the match. I can only offer the following variation… perhaps there is a clever draw in there somewhere, but neither I nor Fritz see it. Here is one possible variation…

41.Kg2 Kf8 42. Ra7 Ke8 43. Kf2 f6 44. Ra6 Ke7 45. Re6+ Kf7 46. Ra6 g5 47. Ra7+ Ke8 48. hxg5 fxg5 49. d6 g4 50.Re7+ Kd8 51. Ra7 Rf3+ 52. Kg2 Rc3 53. Kf2 Rd3 54. Ra5 Kd7 55. Rxh5 Kxd6 56. Rg5 Rd2+ 57. Ke3 Rd1 58. Ra5 Rf1 59. Kd4 Rf3 and Fritz claims mate in 31.

The game was drawn after… 41.Kg2 Rxd5 42. Rxa3 Rd2+ 43. Kf3 Rd6 44. Rb3 Rf6+ 45. Kg2 Rf5 46. Rc3 Ra5 47. Kf3 g5 48. hxg5 Rxg5 1/2-1/2
Boston (1.5 – 2.5)

“AAARRRRR!” that was me, not the monster. What a match! Congratulations Dallas… They’re back in the swing of things in the Western division… and Boston… well we decided to celebrate as usual with a group song and dance. Chris passed out the top hats and canes and Matt led the “V” formation… (sung to the tune of Puttin’ on the Ritz…)

If Your Blue   (tap)
And You don’t know   (tap)
Where to go to   (tap tap)
Why don’t you go   (tap)
Where fashion sits… (roll hats to hand and Point cane)

From somewhere came this deep and gleeful rasping voice echoing throughout the building… “UTTIN’ ON THE ‘IIIIITZ!”

As the guys continued to the chorus line kicking… Chris Bird was packing up and motioned me over. “Hey, could you help me with the bags?” Well, it was all I could do to muster my best Groucho imitation and answer… “Soitenly… You take the blonde… and I’ll take the one in the turban.”

And That’s the Truth… PHGGGHH!