You know what happens when you suffer through a match like this… your eyes tear up… your brain gets all “Squishy” (not the technical chess “Squishy” – for that, see Dave Vigorito’s next book.),  and you start to write poetry (or, at least, words that rhyme)…

Ode to a Dragon Slayer

No stars to cheer this gloom
Where monsters roam
And cannons boom

One battle’s fire in sight
A Dragon’s felled
Our  valiant Knight

Oh Lord,  he shan’t survive
St. George, St. George
Why eight e-five?

Never mind that Vinay Bhat quote…  “Ilya Krasik is the worst fourth board in the league” (or was it “in the history of the league”)   which Matt heartlessly put up on the board… that was no motto… no..  Facts can’t be mottos, can they?… we kid Ilya … a lot.

No…”Oh, fate thou dust mock me” was our motto this night as four brave young men road out to face their doom at the hands of….  The Philadelphia Inventors?? Are you kidding?… a rhetorical question, of course… Only one came back… crawling and bleeding… and mumbling something about a fire breathing monster on board one… and, oh yes, that @#$% Benko.

They found our weakness… give us a pawn and our position gets, for lack of a better term, “Squishy”.

It all started very badly when first to finish was first board where  St. Jorge felt the heat of the Dragon’s breath.

SM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun  vs.  GM  Sergey Kudrin  –  Board 1

In our pre-match analysis, this game figured to be at least a draw.  According to Jorge, he had played five previous games with GM Kudrin and all were draws.   He later revealed to us that he was tired of the draws and had prepared the following “special”  variation…

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Nxc6 bxc6 8.e5…

An old and not too popular variation that has been played by World Champions from Lasker to Kasparov.  Of course, 8.e5… is the only logical move here, but for purposes of my rhyme, 7.Nxc6… just didn’t cut it.  If you can think of a good verse questioning this move… let me know.

8… Ng8 9. f4 Nh6…

Kasparov – Ivanchuk 2002, ½ – ½, went 9… f6 10.Bd4… with White castling short.

10. Qd2…

Lasker – Fox 1906, 1-0,  continued 10.Be2… and White again castled kingside.  Be2 also seems to prevent 10… d6 due to 11.Bf3…

Maybe there is a lesson here… World Champions can’t be too far off… castle short!

10… O-O 11. O-O-O…

This move was criticized by some in the audience, but, it has been played by GMs in the past, including one of my favorites, GM  Soltis – Bjerre, 1969, 1-0.  Black played 11… Qa5 and went on to lose a very unclear game.

11… d6

GM Kudrin offers to give back the pawn for good piece play.  This move was also played many times before, my count gives black a big edge with 7 wins, 1 loss and 2 draws.  This includes Fritz2 – Kasparov 1992, 0-1.  Fritz2 took the d6 pawn and lost easily in a drawish endgame.

12. h3 Nf5 13. Bf2 c5 14. g4…

After the game, Jorge said that this position was all part of his home preparation.  He expected 14…Bb7 and intended to sacrifice an exchange with 15.gxf Bxh1  He didn’t reveal any exact plan after this and, it seems to me, that Black has an advantage in most variations.  Will Jorge reveal the plan to us?… maybe in his next GOTW, who knows.

14… Nd4!

I must give this move a pat on the back (!).  I like it very much.  Black often chucks the c-pawn to attack with Rooks and Bishops.  Black could have done so with 8… Nd5 9.Nxd5 cxd5 10.Qxd5… very early in the game… with White’s King on the queenside, this move is powerful.

15.Bg2 Rb8 16. Bxd4 cxd4 17. Qxd4 Qa5 18. Rhe1…

All this was played before in Cochet – LeBled, Corr. 1998, 0-1.  That game continued  with 18… Be3! Which seems a much tougher move to meet.  Black attacked on the queenside and won.  However, GM Kudrin’s move seems to simply win in a similar way, but it does give White an option…

18…dxe 19.fxe…

This is where Fritz gives as best the exchange sacrifice… 19.Rxe5!? Bxe5 20.Qxe5 Qxe5 21.fxe5 Bb7 22.Bxb7 Rxb7 and White has one isolated pawn for the exchange and a tough row to hoe to make a draw.  After the game move…

18… dxe5 19. fxe5 Be6 20. Bd5…

Slightly better was 20.Qe3… but after 20… Rfc8 Black will rip open White’s King position eventually… It’s just too much pressure.

20… Rfd8 We all saw this one coming.

Unfortunately, all moves here seem to lose rather quickly.  Here’s some analysis by Fritz.

1. -+  (-2.28): 21.Kb1 Kh8 22.Qd2 Qb4 23.b3 Rbc8 24.Kb2
2. -+  (-2.77): 21.g5 Bxd5 22.Nxd5 Qxa2 23.Re3 Qa1+ 24.Kd2 Qa5+ 25.Ke2 e6 26.Ne7+ Kf8 27.Ra3 Qb5+
3. -+  (-2.52): 21.a3 Rd7 22.Kb1 Rbd8 23.Qc4 Rxd5 24.Nxd5 Bxd5 25.Qc3 Qxc3

And although GM Kudrin played differently than Fritz recommends, he never let the win escape him.  White had to resign on move 33.  Boston (0-1)

Oh well, it was up to Dave now, and things were looking good.  He was up a pawn and it was all a matter of technique… that is to say… Kramnik’s technique.  Must we suffer gambits in every game?… There’s just no respect for the little guys these days.

Before the match Dave explained to us his new concept of  “Squishiness in chess”  (forgive my spelling here).  It will all be made clear in his next book… and one could say that it was amply demonstrated in his game.

This is the game I am most familiar with since I was relaying moves until the final few minutes.  I  was impressed with Black’s play here…(Squishiness aside) and it seemed so effortless.  For a while I thought neither player was going to castle…

FM Tom Bartell  vs  IM Dave Vigorito  –  Board 2

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c6 3. d4 d5 4. e3 Bf5 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nh4 Bg6 7. Nxg6 hxg6 8. g3 Nbd7 9. Bd2 Bb4 10. Qb3 Bxc3 11. Bxc3 Ne4 12. Bg2 Nxc3 13. bxc3…

Up to now, Dave has been Kramnik and Tom has been Topalov… from round 12 of their Elista, World Championship match.  Topalov recaptured… 13.Qxc3 f5 14.O-O Qe7 and things boiled with a draw on move 47 after some exciting moments.

I couldn’t find 13.bxc in my (not too extensive) database… but I don’t imagine it’s any worse.  The game is about equal.

13… Qc7 14. Rb1 Rb8 15. Qa3 dxc4 16. Qxa7 Rh5!

A very nice move by Dave driving the White Queen back home due to the threat of death by …Ra5.  Still equal, but Black is doing things.

17. Qa4 Nb6 18. Qc2 Ra5 19. O-O Rba8

Black is threatening a pawn and things look pretty equal after White defends with… 20.Rb2 Na4 21.Rb4 b5 22.e4 Nb6 23.Rb2 Ra3 and Black has a small initiative. So, White decides to complicate…

20. e4 Rxa2 21.Rb2 Rxb2 22. Qxb2 Na4 23. Qb4 b5 24. d5 e5 25. Bh3!?…

Things are getting more and more complex for Black… Yet, he is still better. Fritz points out the ingenious defending/attacking move 25…Qb7… with this move only Black stays in the drivers seat.  It threatens to take on d5 and to push c5 and b4 getting the extra pawns rolling.  One sample variation could be…  26.Qd6 cxd5  27.Qxe5+ Kf8 28.exd  Qe7 29.Qd4 Qf6 30.Qxf6… (if the Queen moves, the c-pawn falls and if 30.d6 Qxd4 31.cxd4 Rd8 32.d7 b4 and the pawns march.)  30…gxf6 31.Rc1 Ke7 and Black has good winning chances.

The move played in the game should keep things equal…

25… Rd8 26. Rd1…

This move gives Black the advantage again.  26.Rb1… was better.

26…Qd6 27. Qa5 Qc5?

I give this a “?” because it allows an equal game again.  Better was 27…Rb8 28. Rb1  Kf8 and Black is threatening to exchange on d5.  So, 29.dxc Qxc leads to a pawn up endgame and a large advantage.

28.Rb1!…

More pressure… but, again, Black has a few drawing moves, …f5 or …Nb6.  For example 28… Nb6 29.dxc6 Rd2! 30.Rf1 Qxc6 31.Rb1 Nd7 (31…Qc4 is drawing but more difficult) 32.Bxd7+… (if 32.Rxb5 Rd1+ 33.Bf1 Qxe4 with the better game) 32…Kxd7 33.Qxb5 Qxb5 34.Rxb5 Rd3 35.Rxe5 Rxc3 is a draw.

28… Rd6? 29.dxc… Black is lost… Boston (0-2)

A nice gambit of a pawn by FM Bartell. Certainly, made for a  very interesting game with lots of twists and turns… too bad the last bad turn was Dave’s.

SM Denys Shmelov   vs.  IM Richard Costigan  –  Board 3

Denys is a grinder… give him a bad position and he’ll make a draw… give him a pawn, or in this case two,  and he’ll shove them down your throat… it must have been the other games that affected his play here… as the match grew more gruesome, Denys seemed to lose his usual indefatigable drive… and I can’t say I blame him… as in the room depression seemed contagious…

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. cxb5 a6 5. bxa6 Bxa6 6. Nc3 d6 7. e4…

Today’s top players seem to prefer White playing g3,Nf3,Bg2,O-O to keep the Bishops on and avoid simplification.

7… Bxf1 8.Kxf1 g6 9. Nf3 Nbd7 10. h3 Bg7 11. Kg1 O-O 12. Kh2 Qa5 13. Re1…

When the Benko first became popular… way back in the 60’s and 70’s when I was learning chess… this is what everyone played… White castles by hand and tries to hold the pawn.  Is it possible this is the best?  You know, we didn’t have any computers back then.

13… c4!?

This is the move I could not find in any database.  And I’m sure that Denys must have asked himself… just what is wrong here?  Normally, Black plays …Rb8 or …Nb6 both of which tie the Bishop down.  Or, is it that the c4 Pawn is weak here and should be attacked.   Candidate moves for White are 14.Qe2… which seems to force 14…Rfc8 misplacing Black’s Rook.  Fritz likes this…  But, moving the Bishop anywhere does point out the fact that Black can’t punish this move.  Therefore, I like Denys’s decision…

14. Bg5 Rfb8 15. Re2 Ne8 16. Nd4!…

16.Bxe7… was not as good, since 16… Nc5  17.Rc2 Nd3 18.Rb1 Nb5 19.Re2 Qc7 20.Bh4 Nxa7 and Black has gained a valuable pawn and still has pressure on the b-pawn.  After the game move, Black must give up his Bishop as the e-pawn will fall due to the threatened fork on c6.  Black’s dark squared Bishop is almost required to regain the gambit pawn in the Benko.  So, White is able to trade things down to reach…

16. Nd4 d4 17. Qxd4 f6 18. Be3 Nc5 19. Rb1 Qa6 20. Qd2 Na4 21. Nxa4 Qxa4 22. a3 Rb3 23. Rc1 Rc8 24. Qd4 Rd3 25. Qa7 Qxa7 26. Bxa7 c3 27. Rxc3 Rdxc3 28. bxc3 Rc4?

This is a little too cute.  White is a pawn up and winning.  Black should just take on c3 and make things as tough as he can.  Now White saves the c-pawn and frees his Rook from the need to guard the e-pawn with…

29. Bd4 Ra4 30. Ra2?…

I don’t like this move at all.  White is still winning, but why let Black’s Knight out.  Better is 30.Rb2 Rxa3 31.Rb7… tying things up nicely.  Now White can start playing chess a pawn up.

30… Kf7 (30… f5 immediately is better)  31.Kg3 f5 32.exf??…

We’ll put this down as the blunder that allowed the draw.  32.f3… was a must since after 32… fxe 33.fxe Nf3 White can defend with his King.   Now the win is problematic since the d-pawn will fall.  White is still better, but I see no win and neither did the players after…

32… gxf5 33. Kf4 Nc7 34. Kxf5 Nxd5 35. f4 h6 36. g3 e6+ 37. Kg4 e5 38. Bf2 Nxc3

Draw agreed on move 49.  Nice swindle by IM Costigan.  Boston (0.5-2.5)

No Matter, the match was a done deal as Ilya was suffering on Board 4… but, we had hopes in the early part of the game… take a look…

FM Mathew Bengsten  vs.  NM Ilya Krasik  –  Board 4

The game started as a Benko and, for a while, we were wondering if the players on boards 3 and 4 would just copy each other… I never understood how that works… but, it’s a funny idea anyway.

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. cxb5 a6 5. bxa6 g6 6. Nc3 Bxa6 7. g3…

White adopts the “other” variation mentioned in the Board 4 game.  Well, at least there is no copying going on.

7… d6 8. Bg2 Bg7 9. Nf3 Nbd7 10. Rb1 Qa5 11. O-O O-O 12. Qc2 Ng4!?

Certainly, I’m not up on Benko theory… and I’ve never seen this move before.  But, I know Ilya keeps current in this weird stuff, so I wondered what the idea is.  It has been played before, but the games I looked at were not convincing.  Normal is, of course, …Rb8 or … Nb6  as in the board 3 game.

13. Bd2 Nge5 14. Nxe5 Nxe5 15. Rfd1 Rfb8 16. Be1 Ra7?!

It seems to me that the Knight maneuvering by Black has allowed White to position his King Rook and dark Bishop in a way that makes it difficult for Black to weaken White’s Queenside pawns… I didn’t like Black’s last move, 16… Ra7… maybe it was better to play 16… Bc8 now since if 17.a4 Bf5 18.Be4 Bxe4 would now force White to capture with the Queen since the a-pawn hangs.  19.Qxe4 Rb3 and Black has made some progress.  20.f4 Ng5 21.Qxe7 Bd4+ 22.Kh1… and Black has enough play for two pawns.

17. a4 Bc8 18. b3 Bf5 19. Be4 Bxe4 20. Nxe4 Qa6 21.Nc3 Qc8 22. Kg2 Raa8

The Rook returns to a8.  Another indication that 16…Ra7 was wrong.  However, extra credit since most players refuse to admit mistakes and I’m probably a prime offender in this category.

23. Nb5 h5 24. h3 Ra6 25. Bc3 Qb7

Basically, Black has been moving without a purpose.  No fault to Ilya, White is just much better and has consolidated.  But, White should not exchange Bishop for Knight as he does.  He should just grab space, perhaps with 26.e4… and maybe an eventual f4.  There is not much Black can do but wait and try to draw a pawn down ending.

26. Bxe5 Bxe5 27. Na3 h4 28. g4 e6

Ilya is doing his best to mix it up a little and Bishop vs. Knight helps.  Fritz says he is down less that a pawn now, and I agree.

29. Qd3 c4??

But, this is a loser.  Anything is better… even exchanging Queens after 29… exd 30.Qxd5 Qxd5 40.Rxd5 Rb4 now threatens c4 and Black can play on.  After…

30. Nxc4 exd5 31. Qxd5 Qe7

White is two passed pawns up in a fairly simple position.  Black resigned on move 60. Boston (0.5-3.5)

Well, at least Ilya sacked a pawn and went down trying to regain it.  I have a theory… maybe losing or winning a pawn leads to “Squishy” positions… and the Blitz players are not familiar enough with this concept to feel comfortable.  Could it be that “Squishiness” was our downfall?  Hmmmm… I think I’m on to something.  Now, if I only knew what.

Dave, when is your new book due out?