Well, if it isn’t one thing, it’s another… if it isn’t Boston’s fourth board, Ilya Krasik, giving Boston a nice shot in the arm… it’s a sweat ball on the end of your nose.

As goes Ilya, so goes Boston… or so it seems.  Whenever Ilya plays, we can just watch his game… if he wins or draws… Boston wins… if he loses… it will be a long night.  Of course, Marc Esserman has won two games on fourth board… with the match result being (1-1)… no trend there.  But, Ilya has a record of 3 wins, one draw and 3 losses.  With a match result of (4-3)… Boston losing all three times he lost… this is no trend… it is more akin to prophecy… ergo, in my capacity as Lord of the Universe, I hereby award Ilya the official title… “Augur of Boston”… and with it comes the greatest of responsibility… never lose again…

This match began (and ended) with this wonderful fourth board win by Ilya… and, by the way, my game of the match.

NM Ilya Krasik (BOS)  vs.  FM Matt Bengtson (PHI) –  Board 4

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Nf3 c5 8. Rb1 O-O 9. Be2 b6 10. O-O Bb7 11. d5…

A positional pawn sacrifice of the highest order.  Normally, pawn sacrifices involve gaining development for the sake of attack.  However, this one simply gains the center, some space and maneuvering room with the hope to win back material in a superior position or… just plain ram those center pawns down Black’s throat. (see Vitiugov – Morozevich, 2008, ½-½ )

11… Bxc3 12. Bf4… Most games seem to go 12.Bc4… here and follow with Bf4 next.  I am not sure why… maybe just to discourage Black’s e6 move… but not immediately of course… 13… e6?? This leads to an enormous advantage for White.  Black should have just retreated the Bishop.

13. Qb3! Bg7 14. dxe6 fxe6? (14…Qf6 is a little better) 15. Ng5!!…

What a beautiful move.  Of course, Black cannot take the f4 Bishop due to the Knight fork on e6 with subsequent discovered check winning material.

Black must have expected simply 15.Qxe6+ Kh8 when he is still in the game.

15… Bc8 16. Nxe6 Bxe6 17. Qxe6+ Kh8 18. Rfd1… Excellently played by Ilya… the Knight will not get out without major concessions.

18… Qe8 19. Qxe8 Rxe8 20. Bb5 Rc8 21. Rd6… Again the best move according to Fritz… Ilya is not missing anything.  21… a6 22. Bc4 b5 23. Be6 Rf8 White has played best moves in this sequence… Black’s last is a slight error, Fritz considers giving up the exchange with 23… Nc6 as best.  But, Black is still lost.  However, maybe the passed c-pawn would cause White to think a little.  24. Be3… wins a pawn.

Black cannot save the pawn.  If 24… c4, he will lose a Rook or a Knight to 25.Bd5…

24… Ra7 25. Bxc5 Rc7 26. Rc1 Re8 27. f4… Nicely played, and best.  White, with his extra pawn and two Bishops,  dominates the board.

27…Bf6 28. Be3 Rxc1+ 29. Bxc1 Kg7 30. Be3 Be7 31. Rb6 Rd8 32. Kf2 Rd6 33. Ke2 Nc6 34. Bd5 Nb4 35. Rb7… 1-0

Black’s Bishop is pinned and hanging, and Bc5 will win material.  A great game and, although Black’s early 13… e6? could be called the losing blunder, White carried out the attack so smoothly that I still think this game deserves my Game of the Match award… which carries with it a free ticket to the Boston Playoff Match of your choice.  Congratulations Ilya… even though you don’t need the ticket.  Boston (1-0)

This win was shortly followed by another critical win… a no holds barred brawl…

IM Richard Costigan (PHI)  vs.  SM Marc Esserman (BOS)  –  Board 3

1. d4 f5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bg5…

This position first arose in Lichtenhein – Morphy, 1857, 0-1… I’m sure that both players were aware of this game… but, just to see the greatness of Morphy, every chess player should take a look at the endgame he won here.  The score is incomplete and the last known move is 34.Ne2…  Fritz doesn’t see a win until you play it out quite a bit…

Lichtenhein – Morphy

But, I digress… Marc played the inferior (to Morphy’s 3… e6 )  3… d5 and the game continued…

3… d5 4. Bxf6 exf6 5. e3 Be6 6. Nge2 Nc6 7. Nf4 Bf7 8. a3 Ne7 9. Be2 g6 10. Qd2 Qd7 11. O-O-O O-O-O 12. Kb1 Kb8 13. Ka1…

Maybe someone could do some research… have there ever been three such King moves in a row?…

I thought I understood Prophylaxis in chess… but, this is too much.  The game is now dead equal.  However, Black has the latent weapon of the two Bishops… and Marc never gives up.

13. Ka1 Nc8 14. Nd3 b6 15. Nb4 Nd6 16. Qd3 a5 17. Na6+ Ka7 18. Nc5 Qc8 19. Nb3 c6 20. f3?! Bh6

The game was equal up until White weakened his e3 pawn.  Now, Black has a target and he makes White uncomfortable.

21. Rhe1 Rhe8 22. Bf1 Nc4 23. e4 fxe4 24. fxe4 dxe4 25. Nxe4 Ne3?

This move gains an advantage for Black.  I only give it a “?” because Fritz finds a very nice win with 25… f5!  And the Knight on e4 cannot move.

For example, 26.Nf6 Re3! 27.Rxe3 Nxe3 28.Re1 Bc4 29.Qd2 Bxf1 30.Rxe3 Qc7 31.Qf2 Bxe3 32.Qxe3 Bxg2  and Black is up an exchange and a pawn.  Or… 26.Qh3 Ne3 27.Qxh6 Nxc2+ 28.Kb1 Nxe1 and Black will again gain the exchange as White’s has two Knights hanging.  The game continued…

26.Rxe3 Bxe3 27.Nxa5?…

Perhaps White thought that there was no hope.  But, 27.Nxf6… may hold as White has a pawn and some threats for the exchange.  Fritz gives Black a pawn advantage after… 27… Re6 28.Ng4 Bg5 29.Qf3 Re7 30.Ne5 Bd5 31.Qg3 Bf6 I think Black is winning, but at least White still has reasonable moves.  After the game move, there is no hope.

27…Rxd4? Oops!  I spoke too soon.  After the game, Marc was lamenting the fact that he didn’t play the obviously winning 27… Bxd4! when White loses big time material due to the threatened check on b2.

28.Qxd4??… White blunders.  28.Nd6!… gives chances for a draw and was the reason Marc was upset with himself.

Fritz gives…  28… Qc7 29.Qa6+ Kb8 30.Rxd4 Bxd4 31.Nxe8 Bxe8 32.Nb3 Be5 with a better game for Black due to the two Bishops (-0.84).  But, we are a long way from a win.  I don’t know if White was in time pressure… But,  Black won easily after…

28…Bxd4 29.Nd6 Qc7 0-1

I realize this game was a bit flawed… but, I liked the combative spirit of both sides.  No draws taken or given.   Boston (2-0)

Third to finish… and the match clincher was the USCL Game of the Week… and a beautiful and complicated game it was…

GM Sergey Kudrin (PHI)  vs.  GM Larry Christiansen (BOS)  –  Board 1

I know that when the match began, we figured to need a win on one of the top boards.  Perhaps, this was behind GM Christiansen’s choice of the fighting Alekhine’s defense… no drawish effort here… Black is out to win.

1. e4 Nf6 2. e5 Nd5 3. d4 d6 4. Nf3 g6 5. Bc4 c6 6. exd6 Qxd6 7. O-O Bg7 8. h3 O-O 9. Bb3 b5 10. Nbd2 Nd7 11. a4 Bb7 12. Re1…

This seems to be a transposition of move order to a previous game (Shchekachev-Krivonogov,1996, 1-0) that continued 12.Ne4…  In that game, the Queen retreated and then the Rook occupied the file… 12…Qc7 13.Bg5 Re8 14.Re1 b5.  Here Larry reacts to the threatened win of a pawn (13.Bxd5 cxd 14.axb…) by 12…e6 and thus we leave previous play.

13. Ne4 Qc7 14. Bg5 a6 15. Bh4 c5 16. Bg3 Qb6 17. Bd6…

White has skillfully taken advantage of the slight weakening of Black’s structure that resulted from 12…e6 and now seems to be winning a pawn…

But, no!… 17…cxd4!? Posing an interesting question… Is a Rook really better than Black’s g7 Bishop?  Let’s find out…

18. Bxf8 Rxf8 19. axb5 axb5 20. Qd2 b4 21. Ra4 Bc6 22. Ra2 N5f6 23. Nxf6+ Bxf6 24. Qf4 Kg7 25. Nd2…

Fritz gives 25… Nc5 as equal after… 26.Bc4 Rd8 27.Nb3 Nxb3 27.Bxb3 d3 and one of White’s  queenside pawns is eliminated with one to go to make things really drawish.

25… e5?! 26. Qg3 Qc7 White is now better after 27.Rea1 and the invasion on the a-file 27. Nf3?!… But this is again equal after 27…Rc8 threatening e4 28.Nd2 Nc5 as above.

27… Bxf3 This is only slightly worse for Black, about (+.50) and still very draw-able.

28. Qxf3 Nc5 29. Bd5 Rd8 30. Rea1 Qd6 31. Be4 b3 32. cxb3 d3 33. b4 Ne6

33… Nxe4 34.Qxe4 Qd4 35.Qxd4 Rxd4 36.b5 Rb4 37.f3 Rxb5 seems a little better.  After the game move, White can keep an advantage with 34.b5… for reasons that will become clear later.

34. Ra6 Ng5 35. Qe3 Qd4!

The endgame is equal.

Of course, if the pawn were on b5 and the Rook back on a2, this move would not be possible… although Black is not lost, he would be worse.

36. Bc6 Qxb4 37. Rb6 Qh4 38. Rd1 e4 39. Rb4 Be7 40. Rc4 f5 41. Rxd3 Nf3+

41…Nxh3+ leads to an even simpler Bishop of opposite color draw.  But, I have a feeling Larry just liked the look of the following position…

42. Qxf3 exf3

Very nice, White’s Rook and Queen hang to a pawn… a beautiful picture.  The game ended…

42. Qxf3 exf3 43. Rxh4 Rxd3 44. Rc4 Rd1+ 45. Kh2 Bd6+ 46. g3 Rd2 47. Kg1 Rd1+ 48. Kh2… {Game drawn by mutual agreement} 1/2-1/2

A repetition is forced.  Nice Game of the Week.  Congratulations to both GMs, especially Larry, since this wrapped up the match.  Boston (2.5-0.5)

Meanwhile, in our last to finish game, GM Perelshteyn was never in any danger in a very nice Maroczy.

GM Eugene Perelshteyn (BOS) vs.  FM Tom Bartell (PHI)  –  Board 2

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. c4 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Nc3 d6 8. Be2 O-O 9. O-O Nxd4 10. Bxd4 Bd7 11. f3 a5 12. Qd2 Bc6 13. Rab1 Nd7 14. Bf2…

I must say that this rarely played move shocked me… only because I had never seen it before.

Standard is, of course, 14.Be3…  I was relaying moves here and my hand actually shook as I passed this one along… I thought for sure that the drugs had kicked in and I was seeing things… Let’s see what Eugene has in mind…

14…Nc5 15. Rfc1 Qb6 16. b3 Rfc8 17. Rc2 Qd8 18. Bf1 b6 19. Rd1…

Somehow, through the magic of transposition, we are back in book and following Agrest – Hansen, 2003, ½-½.  That game continued with the strange maneuver… 19… Ra7 20.Qe2 Qf8 21.Qe1… ?? no wonder I don’t understand the Maroczy… from either side.  Our game continues no less enigmatically…

19… Qf8 20. Nd5 Rab8 21. Bh4 Rb7 22. Qe3 Re8 23. Rcd2 Bh6 24. Bg5 Bxg5 25. Qxg5 Qg7 26. h4?!…

Fritz doesn’t like this move and calls it equal.

Perhaps White could have played 26.Qe3… with the idea of a3 and b4 to drive the Knight.  But, this would accept some risk and I think that Eugene was aware of keeping the draw in hand for match purposes.

26… Qe5 27. Qe3?!…

27.Qxe5 dxe5 28.Nc3… seems to gain a nice advantage due to White’s control of the d-file.  Now, things are dead equal.

27… Bxd5 But, this gives the edge back to White.  Why not sit tight with the Bishop for now?  28. Rxd5 Qg3 29. Qf2 Qxf2+ 30. Kxf2 Nd7 31. g3 Rc8 32. Bh3 Rc5 33. Bxd7 Rxd7 34. e5 Rxd5 35. Rxd5 Kf8 36. Ke3 Ke8 37. Rb5 Rb7 38. exd6 exd6 39. Kf4 h6

White has done his best to keep winning chances… however, a nice advantage is not enough to win in many Rook endings… that’s why they are so frustrating.  Consider a line such as… 40.Ke4 Kd7 41.Kd5 Kc7 42.h5 Rb8 43.hxg fxg 44.Ke6 Re8+ 45.Kf7 Re3 46.g4 Rxf3+ 47.Kxg6 Rg3 48.Kf4 Kc6 49.Kf4 Rh3 =

The line chosen by Eugene was just as good…

40. h5 Kd7 41. g4 Kc6 42. g5 hxg5+ 43. Kxg5 gxh5 44. Kxh5 Re7 45. Kg5 Re2 46. a4 Re6 47. f4 Rg6+ 48. Kf5 Re6 49. Kg5 Rg6+ 50. Kf5 Re6 51. Kg5 Rg6+ 52. Kf5 Re6 {Game drawn by repetition} 1/2-1/2

Nice game Eugene… under control all the way… and a great team win.  Boston (3-1)

Now, what does our Augur say about next weeks match?  Sometimes you just need to flick that sweat ball off the end of your nose… if you know what I mean. (Thank you Rosanne Rosannadanna… and the late, great Gilda Radner)