Walk with me if you will, down the back streets of Cambridge on this night of a dark moon rising… a Devil’s moon… toward a match celebre’, The Boston Blitz vs. The New Jersey Knockouts. Peripherally, I spy the iconic orange logo of Boston’s own Dunkin’ Donuts… you are tempted, aren’t you?… but, we didn’t stop to pick up the dozen sugar-fix morsels to stimulate team neurons. No, it wasn’t a donut atmosphere… Such a mistake… As we arrive at the Harvard Science center, I search the educated air for the smell of pizza… sausage, peppers, onions… so greasy the lift from the plate to the mouth must be made in less than 0.25 seconds, or one risks permanent shirt spackling. You don’t smell anything?… Hmmm, not a pizza night either.

The alarms in my head were faintly tinkling… something amiss; do you feel it?… and, sure enough, as the match begins, a dark-haired miscreant (some suspect alumni Paul MacIntyre) drops some boxes on the table… Sacre bleur, pastries, the most deadly form of brain fuel… You know the kind… they come with squiggly frosting decorations, some even look like birds or squirrels… they have French names you can’t pronounce and you wonder as you pick them up between your thumb and index finger whether it is proper to extend your pinky… They’re pretty and small enough to inhale, but you don’t. You take a small bite and shout magnifque! They’re not made by bakers… no, their authors are chefs… Oh, I don’t blame Paul (if, indeed, it was him)… How could he know the psychological terror he was unleashing in these insidious confections… nor, could he suspect the ghastly fate that awaited our innocent heroes as each, in turn, consumed the perilous electuaries contained therein.

Continue with me now to that middle ground between light and shadow… Let us view a creation of the mind… a strangely Marzipan game molded and shaped and marked with a B and left in the oven just a little too long… by team manager, and glucose intolerant, Jorge Sammour-Hasbun…

SM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (BOS) vs. IM Dean Ippolito (NJ) — Board 2

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Nf3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Qc2 a6 8.Qxc4 b5
9.Qc2 Bb7 10.Bd2 Be4 11.Qc1 Nbd7 12.Ba5 Ra7 13.Nbd2 Bd5 14.Re1 Ne4

The first new move. 14…Qa8 15.e4 Bb7 is no better. White has a slight advantage
as in the game.

15.Nxe4 Bxe4 16.Qe3…

Nakamura-Illescas, 2007 (1-0) went 16.Qf4 Nf6 17.Ne5… with advantage White.
However, 16. Qf4 Qa8 17. Rec1 Bd6 18. Qg5 h6 19. Qd2… is no more than equal.

Position after 16. Qe3…

The game is equal.

16…Qa8 17.Rac1

17.Rec1 Nb6 is a little better as it keeps open the possibility of a4… at some point.

17…Nb6 18.b3 b4 19.Bf1 Bxf3 20.Qxf3…

After the game, Jorge thought that 20.exf3… was better. But, 20… Rd8 is also equal.
However, with Queens on the board, there are greater complications.

20…Qxf3 21.exf3 Rb8 22.f4…

According to Fritz, better was 22.Rc6 Nd5 23.Rec1 Bd6 24. f4 Kf8 25. Bg2 Rb5

Analysis Position after 25… Rb5

And now, the liquidation 26. Bxc7 Rxc7 27. Bxd5 Rxd5 28. Rxc7 Bxc7 29. Rxc7 Rxd4
is only slightly better for Black and probably a draw.
If 25…. Rb7 26. f5 Ke7 27. fxe fxe 28. f4 Kd7 29. f5… is actually better for White.
However, 28… g6! Puts the kibosh on White’s plans and Black is winning.

Analysis Position after 28… g6!

Now, 29.g4 Nxf4 is winning for Black.
It comes down to this, if White can maintain the two Bishops, he has winning chances.
My analysis shows he cannot. Jorge is trying to make something out of nothing…
a good chef knows when to stop adding ingredients.

22…Kf8 23.Bg2 Bd6 24.Rc2?…

Jorge should trade the Bishop for Knight with dead equality.

24.Bc6 Nd5 25.f5… (25.Bxd5 exd5) 25…Ne7 26.Ba4 Nxf5 is just winning for Black.

24.Rc6 Nd5 25.Rec1… is not good, as mentioned above.

24…Nd5! Of course.

Position after 24… Nd5!

I believe Black is winning. All tries to save the Bishop seem to lead to complications favoring Black.

25.Rec1 Rbb7 26.f5 Ke7

26…Rb5 27.Bxd5 Rxa5 28.Be4 exf5 29.Bc6… is ok for White.

27.fxe6 fxe6 28.Re1?…

A bit of time pressure here… but, Jorge is the best I’ve ever seen at it.
To be honest, all moves are bad, but this loses quickest. He had to try…

28.f4 g6 29. a4 bxa 30. Re2 Rb5 31. Bd2 c6 32. Rce1 Rd2 33. Bh3 Nc7
with complications.

Analysis Position after 33… Nc7

Can Black win? I think the advanced, passed a-pawn and White’s pawn
weaknesses gives Black the better chances. But, these are the types of
positions that Jorge usually manages to win. It is surprising that he missed this.

After the game move, the outcome is not in doubt.

28…Rb5 29.Rce2 Rxa5 30.Rxe6+ Kf7 31.Bf1 Nf6 32.Bc4 Kf8 33.R1e2 Ra8
34.f4 Re8 35.Rxe8+ Nxe8 36.Kg2 Be7 37.Kf3 Bf6 38.Ke4 Nd6+ 39.Kd3 Nb5
40.g4 Nxd4 41.Re4 Nc6 42.Re6 Nd8 43.Re2 Nb7 44.g5 Be7 45.h4 Rf5
46.Ke3 Bd6 47.Bxa6 Nc5 48.Bc4 Rxf4 White resigns 0–1

Boston (0 – 1)

This one hurt… as the pressure was now on, and, it wasn’t looking good on board 3,
where newly crowned IM Marc Esserman was being force fed some stale Italian Biscotti…
and our master chef looked ill indeed.

NM Victor Shen (NJ) vs. IM Marc Esserman (BOS) — Board 3

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Be7 5.0–0 d6

Or, 5…0–0 6.Re1 (6.Nc3 d6) 6…d6 with a probable transposition to the game.

6.a4 0–0 7.Re1 Na5

7…Be6 8.Nbd2 Qd7 9.c3… is about equal. But, Marc has a more complex idea in mind.

8.Ba2 c5 9.Nc3…

Position after 9. Nc3…

Anand-Naiditsch (1/2) 2009 went 9. Bg5 Nc6 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. Nc3 Ne7 12. Nd5 Nxd5
13. Bxd5 Be6 14. Bxe6 fxe drawn on move 26.

9… h6?!

Marc must have been asking himself why 9.Bg5… was better. So, he decides to
prevent it. But, in my opinion, Black can’t waste moves here. He should probably
just let it transpose with 9… Nc6 or if 10.h3 Be6 =

10.h3 Nc6 11.Nd5 Nxd5 12.Bxd5 Bf6 13.c3 Kh7

Black’s last two moves are again a waste of precious time. …Be6 to finish his development
was called for… 13…Be6 14.Qb3 Qd7 15.Be3 Ne7 16.Bc4 Rfc8 is better for White,
but not as bad as the game.

14.Be3 g6 [14...Be6, last chance] 15.d4 exd4 16.cxd4 Nb4?!

After 16…cxd4 17.Nxd4 Ne7 18.Bb3… Black will probably lose his d-pawn…
but, he can still hope.

Position after 16… Nb4?!

This is losing since the endgame with White’s passed d-pawn is just too simple
to give Black chances.

17.dxc5 Bxb2 18.Rb1 Bc3 19.Bxh6 Bxe1 20.Bxf8 Qxf8 21.Qxe1 Nxd5
22.exd5 dxc5 23.Qe5 Kg8 24.a5…

Even better was… 24.Nd2 f6, Black must prevent Ne4…
25.Qc7 b6 26.Re1…

Position after 24. a5…

White dominates the board and will carefully nurture his d-pawn into a win.

24…Qd8 25.d6 b6 26.Ng5 Bf5 27.Qd5…

Surprisingly, White’s best seems to be… 27.Nxf7 Kxf7 28.Re1 Qe8
29.Qd5+ Be6 30.Rxe6 Qxe6 31.Qxa8 Qd7 32.Qd5+ Qe6 33.Qf3+ Kg7
34.Qb7+ Kf6 35.a6…
with a winning Queen endgame. (Fritz +- 7.90)

Analysis Position after 35. a6…

But, us humans tend to shy away from these tricky Queen endgames.

27…Qe8 28.Rd1 Rd8 29.Qc4 Rd7?!

Position after 29… Rd7?!

29…Qd7 30.Re1 (30.g4 Be6 31.Qd3) 30…Re8 31.Rxe8+ Qxe8, gave some
drawing chances. But, White is still in command.

30.g4 Be6 31.Qf4?!…

After this, Black is again struggling, but in the game.

31.Qc2 f6 32.Nxe6 Qxe6 33.Qxg6+ nets a pawn in a tough but winning
major piece ending.

31…Bb3 32.Rd3 Qe2

A better chance is… 32…Bc2 33.Re3 Qd8 34.h4 b5 35.Rc3… (Fritz +/-0.75)
Of course, White still dominates. After the game move, White is winning.

33.Rd2 Qe1+ 34.Kh2 Kg7 35.Ne4 Qa1 36.axb6 axb6 37.g5 Be6
38.Nf6 Rd8 39.d7 Rh8 40.Ne8+ Kg8 41.h4 Bxd7 42.Rxd7 Rxh4+ 43.Qxh4 Qe5+
44.Qg3 Qxe8 45.Qd6 Qe2 46.Rd8+ Kh7 47.Qf4 Black resigns 1–0

Those Italian pastries are worse than the French ones… My kingdom for some pizza.

Boston (0 – 2)

And now for our youngest competitors… A Madeleine perhaps… a simple treat with
a distinctive flavor… a game that seemed Boston’s best of the night crumbled
as Andrew Wang clutched too hard for victory.

Andrew Wang (BOS) vs. NM Andrew Ng (NJ) — Board 4

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Nd7 4.d4 Ngf6 5.Nc3 cxd4 6.Qxd4 e5 7.Qd3 h6
8.Be3 Be7 9.0–0 0–0 10.Rfd1 a6 11.Bc4 Nb6 12.Bb3 Be6 13.Nh4!…

White has the advantage. (Fritz +/- 1.15)

Position after 13. Nh4!…

The transfer of the Knight to f5 is often played in this variation. Andrew
does not let his chance slip. Of course, the attempt to grab
the e-pawn loses a piece… 13… Nxe4 14. Bxb6 Qxb6 15. Qxe4…
So, relatively best is 13… Kh7 14. Nf5 Bxf5 and White will attack on both wings.

13…Nc8? This is losing.

14.Bxe6 fxe6 15.Ng6 Re8 16.Qc4! Bf8 17.Nxe5 Qa5

Position after 17… Qa5

White has won a pawn… but, how to consolidate… often the nemesis of young
players. From here on out, the analysis room was buzzing… “why didn’t he
play…?” , “Didn’t he see…?”. Surely, there were many wins to be had.; but,
the pressure of team chess on a young player cannot be underestimated.
Andrew new that he must win as the others were not doing so well.

18.Ng6… [18.Nf3 Qh5] 18…Qh5 19.Nf4

When under pressure, simplify… Best was 19.Nxf8 Kxf8 20.Bf4 e5
to calm the nerves.

19…Qf7 20.a4 Ng4 21.Bc1…

Better was… 21.Qe2 Nxe3 22.Qxe3 Be7 23.Nd3…

21…g5

Nearly equal is … 21…Nxf2 22.Kxf2 g5 23.Rf1 d5 24.exd5 e5 25.Kg1 Nd6 26.Ne6…

Analysis Position after 26. Ne6…

Perhaps a little complex… Yes?

22.Nd3 Nb6 23.Qb3 Nd7 24.f3 Nge5 25.Be3 Rac8?!

The old wrong Rook trick. Now, White can pull the old Queen takes b-pawn trick.

Position after 25… Rac8

If Black had played 25…Rec8 26.Qxb7? Nc4 27.Ba7 Bg7 with plenty of compensation.

26.Bf2?!…

A bit timid, but who can blame him. Better was … 26.Qxb7 Nc4 27.Bd4 Ra8
28.Qb3 Rec8 29.Ne2 Rab8 30.Qa2 and White is up two pawns for his misplaced Queen.

26…g4 27.fxg4 Nxg4 28.Bg3… [28.Qxb7… is better] 28…Nc5 29.Nxc5 Rxc5
30.Rf1…

It was better to keep pressure on the d-pawn with…
30.Rd3 Ne5 31.Bxe5 Rxe5 32.Qb6…

30…Qg7 [30… Qc7] 31.Ne2… [31.Rad1] 31…d5 32.h3 Ne5 33.Nf4 Nc4
34.Nh5 Qd4+ 35.Bf2 Qe5 36.Qf3 dxe4 37.Qg4+ Kh8

White has in his sights a crusher… the analysis room was overwhelmed with tension.

Position after 37… Kh8

Do you see it… of course, 38. Qg6!… wins. +- 7.00 on the Fritz-O-meter.
Hitting the e8-Rook and threatening Nf6… winning Black’s Queen or it’s mate.
After playing this whole line to attack Black’s King… Andrew misses this
easy move… Ouch!

38.Bxc5?!… still winning, but the hard way.

30… Bxc5+ 39.Kh1 Rg8 40.Qh4 Qg5 41.Qxg5 Rxg5 42.Nf4 Ne3

Again there is a win for White… a lot tougher, but a win…not easy to see
with clocks running low.

Position after 42… Ne3

43.Rfc1?… Oops! The game is equal.

The win was… 43.Nxe6 Nxf1 44.Nxg5 Ng3+ 45.Kh2 Bf2 46.Nf7+ Kg7
47.Ne5 Nf5 48.Rf1 e3 49.Nd3 Bg3+ 50.Kg1 Kf6 51.Nf4 Ke5 52.Ne2 Bf2+
53.Rxf2 exf2+ 54.Kxf2…

Analysis position after 54.Kxf2….

With a long hard Knight ending ahead… which White should win.

43…Rf5? Throws away the draw.

43…Bd6! 44.Nxe6 Rxg2 45.Rd1 Rh2+ (45…Bg3 46.Rd8+ Kh7 47.Rd7+ Kg6
48.Rxb7 Rh2+) 46.Kg1 Rg2+ 47.Kh1 Rh2+ with a perpetual.

44.Nxe6 Bb6 45.c4 Rf6 46.c5 Ba5 47.Nd4…

A simpler win is 47.c6 bxc6 48.Rxc6…

47…Bd2 48.Rg1… [again…48.c6 Bxc1 49.c7 Rf8 50.Rxc1…]
48…Nf5 49.Ne2 Ne3 50.Ng3 Re6 51.b3 Nd5 52.Rgf1 e3 53.Rf8+ Kg7
54.Rd8 Re5 55.Rd7+ Kg6 56.Rxb7 e2 57.Nxe2 Rxe2 58.c6 Bf4 59.Rd7 Nf6
60.Ra7 Rb2 61.Rf1 Be5 62.Rc1 Ne4

And again, there is a nice, though not easy, win on the board.

Position after 62… Ne4

Hint… it has to do with a passed pawn.

63.Re1?… Oh, no! We are equal again.

There were actually people in the analysis room pulling their hair out…
really… no joke.

63.c7! Ng3+ 64.Kg1 Bd4+ 65.Kh2 Rc2 66.Rxa6+ Kf7 67.Re1 Bf2
68.Rd1 Rxc7 69.Rxh6…

Analysis Position after 69. Rxh6…

This is a win… but, after the games I had seen this night… who knows.

63…Ng3+ 64.Kg1??…

As Joe Costiglione would say… “Can you Believe it?”.

A draw is had by 64.Kh2 Ne4+ 65.Kh1 Nf2+ 66.Kg1 Nxh3+ 67.gxh3 Bd4+
68.Kh1 Bxa7 69.Rc1 Bb6 70.c7 Bxc7 71.Rxc7 Rxb3

In time trouble White drops both Rooks.

64…Bd4+ 65.Kh2 Bxa7 66.Kxg3 Bf2+ 67.Kg4 Bxe1 68.c7 Rc2 White resigns 0–1

Well, that’s how the French cookie crumbles. And this was the teams best game.

Boston (0 – 3)

And next is our clash of the Crème de la Crème… the Petit Four of our
pastry night… What tantalizing tasty treat awaits our audience… I admit,
this was the game I was worried about. Eugene was black against a world
class GM. Yes, I know that GM Gulko’s rating has declined
but, his record in the league is superb… and as White, he has shown
that he has not slowed down all that much.

GM Boris Gulko (NJ) vs. GM Eugene Perelshteyn (BOS)

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.e3 e6 7.Bxc4 Bb4
8.0–0 0–0 9.Qe2 Bg6 10.Ne5 Nbd7 11.Nxg6 hxg6 12.Rd1 Qa5
13.Na2 Bd6 14.Bd2…

GM Gulko accepts equality…

Position after 14.Bd2…

One try for more is…
14.e4 e5 15.dxe5 Qxe5 16.f4 Bc5+ 17.Kf1 Qh5 18.Qxh5 gxh5
19.e5 Nb6 20.Bb3 Ng4 21.a5…

Analysis Position after 21.a5…

I can’t say I blame him for rejecting this… yet, White seems to come out on top.
What do you think? I like GM Gulko’s quiet line.

14…Qc7 15.g3 e5 16.Nc3 exd4 17.exd4 Nb6 18.Bb3 Nbd5 19.Qf3 Rad8
20.Bg5 Rd7 21.a5 Be7 22.Re1 Bd8 23.Na4…

Black’s pieces seem a bit awkward and White now has a very slight advantage.

Position after 23.Na4…

23…Nh7

Also possible was the strange… 23…Qxa5 24.Nc5 Re7 25.Red1 Qb4
26.Bxd5 cxd5 27.Bxf6 gxf6 28.Qxd5… with near equality for Black.
In the game, Black does not quite make it to equality..

24.Bd2 Bg5 25.Bxg5 Nxg5 26.Qg4 Nh7

If 26…Ne6 27.Nc5 (27.Rxe6 fxe6 28.Qxe6+ Rff7 29.Nc5 Rd6 30.Qg4…=)
27…Nxc5 28.dxc5… the game also seems equal after… 28… Re7
29.Bxd5 cxd 30. Qd4…

Perhaps this was the better choice as the game move is equal but complicated.

27.Nc5 Rdd8 28.a6… [28.Re5 Nhf6 29.Qh4 Rfe8 30.Nd3…=]
28…b6 29.Nd3 Nhf6 30.Qf3 Ne7?! 31.Rxe7! Qxe7 32.Ne5…

Position after 32. Ne5…

GM Gulko has sacrificed the exchange for what looks like no more than equality.

32… Rd6

Could Black hold on to the exchange?
Let’s try… 32…Qd6 33.Nxc6 Rd7 34.Ne5 Rc7 35.Nxg6 Re8 36.Rd1 b5
37.Ne5 Ree7 38.g4…

Analysis Position after 38.g4…

Fritz thinks White is about a pawn better. I played out several variations
from here and they seem to favor White. Is it a win? I am not sure…
but, it is very tough on Black.

33.Nxg6 Qe4 34.Qxe4 Nxe4 35.Nxf8 Kxf8

After this, White is just up a pawn and Black’s hopes to draw are slim.

If instead, 35…Nd2 36.Ba2 Nf3+ 37.Kg2 Nxd4 38.Nh7 Kxh7 39.Bxf7
White is up a pawn.

36.Rd1 Rf6?!

This is a mistake.

Better chances were given with… 36…Nf6 37.Kf1 Nd5 (37…Nd7 38.d5 c5)
38.Bxd5 Rxd5 39.Rc1 Rd6

Analysis Position after 39… Rd6

Black has hopes to draw a pawn down Rook ending.

37.f4 g5? 38.Bc2…

Position after 38.Bc2…

Black cannot hold the g-pawn… White is winning.
The rest is technique.

38…Nd6 39.fxg5 Re6 40.Kf2 Ne4+ 41.Bxe4 Rxe4 42.h4 Re6 43.Kf3 Kg7
44.d5 cxd5 45.Rxd5 b5 46.Rxb5 Rxa6 47.h5 Ra4 48.Rb7 Kg8 49.g4 a5
50.h6 Ra1 51.g6 fxg6 52.Kf4 Rc1 53.Kg5 Rc6 54.Ra7 Rb6 55.Rxa5 Kh7
56.Ra7+ Kh8 57.Rc7 Kg8 58.Rg7+ Kh8 59.Rxg6 Rb5+ 60.Kh4 Kh7
61.Rc6 Rxb2 62.Kh5 Rb5+ 63.g5 Ra5 64.Rc7+ Kh8 65.Re7 Rb5 66.Kg6 Rb8
67.Kf7 Rf8+ 68.Ke6 Rg8 69.Kf6 Rf8+ 70.Rf7 Ra8 71.g6 Kg8 72.Rg7+ Kh8
73.Rd7 Ra6+ 74.Kf7 Ra8 75.Ke7 Black resigns 1–0

So much for the Petit Four… I never did like those anyway.

Boston (0 – 4)

Oh my! What a night… every pastry seemed sour… Who brought those
lethal pastries in anyway? Paul… was it you? Just goes to show… you
can’t trust those curly-Q decorated gourmet treats… no, those
Petit Fours will kill you… trust me.