WGM Anya Corke

Before the week six match with Carolina began, the Blitz’s board four player, Ilya Krasik, noted, “This is an historical occasion!” To which Marc Esserman immediately replied, “Yeah, I’m playing on board two.” True, but Ilya was referring to the first ever game played by a woman for the Boston Blitz. The chauvinism by the Boston squad was purely unintentional all these years. There just haven’t been a lot of active strong female players in the area for one to make the team. Until now.

WGM Anya Corke hails from Hong Kong and has been playing for England lately in various events, including the 4NCL, the Four Nations Chess League, a face-to-face league in Great Britain. So team play should be a piece of cake, right? Well, as she reveals in her notes to her first game for the Blitz, she was nervous, but she played very well, smoothly taking home the final point in a 4-0 sweep for Boston. Forthwith are her notes to her game against Ron Simpson:

[Event "USCL Boston Blitz-Carolina Cobras"]
[Site "Cambridge, MA"]
[Date "2009.10.07"]
[Round "6.4"]
[White "Simpson, Ron"]
[Black "Corke, Anya"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B42"]
[Annotator "Corke,Anya"]

I was a little nervous about my first game for the Boston Blitz. I didn’t want to disappoint, especially with the extra scrutiny of being the team’s first female player in a while {like… ever. -ed} . (After being immersed at Wellesley for a month, it’s a mild culture shock for my gender to be newsworthy). I knew that my opponent has an aggressive playing style, so I decided to forgo my usual wild attacks and wait for him to over-press. Maybe he was thinking along similar lines, as the game progressed quietly until he anticlimatically dropped a pawn.

1. e4 e6 2. Nf3 c5 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3 Bc5 6. Nb3 Ba7 7. Qe2 d6 8.
Nc3 Nc6 9. Be3 Nge7 10. a4… (Diagram)

After 10. a4

Possible but a little passive. Usually white skips a4, castles queenside, and plays f4, aiming for a kingside attack and pressure on the d-file. Here white prevents b5, but at the expense of the b4 square and long castling.

10… O-O 11. O-O Bd7

11… e5 Is the typical plan, but I wanted to keep the structure flexible.

12. Rfd1 Qc7 13. Kh1 Bxe3 14. Qxe3 Rad8 15. f4…

After 15. f4

Attempting to control the e5 square I guess, but it also further loosens white’s pawn structure, and after Rfd1 any possible attack has lost its edge.

15… Nb4 16. Nd4 ?!

Slightly dubious since it allows Qc5 or e5 possibilities. But although white’s position looks solid at this point, it’s difficult to find a plan.

16… Qc5 17. e5 Nxd3 18. Rxd3 dxe5 19. fxe5…

19. Nf5 I need to consider this threat, but black has no problems after: Qb4 20. Qe4 Nc6 -+

19… Ng6 20. Rad1 ??

After 20. Rad1

20. Re1 This natural move was of course necessary. I planned to continue with Bc8, b6, and Bb7. I prefer black’s position because of the better pawn structure, but the result is far from clear.

20… Qxe5

20… Nxe5 Is probably better. 21. b4…I was concerned about this move, but it doesn’t pose any problems after: Qc7 22. Qf4 f6 -/+

21. Qf3 Qc7 22. Ne4 Bc8

Overly cautious. With my time running low I wanted to avoid any risks, but I don’t see much white can do after Bxa4.

23. Qf2 e5 From here the realization of the extra pawn is pretty simple. 24. Nb3 Bg4 25. Rxd8 Rxd8 26. Rxd8+ Qxd8 27. h3 Be6 28. Nbc5 Bc8 29. Nd3 f5 30. Nc3 Qd6 31. Qa7 e4 32. Qa8…

After 32. Qa8

A last-ditch attempt at counterplay, but the queen is dangerously cut off from the kingside.

32…Ne7 33. Nc1 f4 34. Qa7 Qd2 35. Qg1 Qxc2 36. N1e2 f3 37. Ng3 Qxb2 38. Ncxe4 Qxg2+ 39. Qxg2 fxg2+ 40. Kxg2 b6 41. Nd6 Bd7 42. Nc4 Nd5 43. Nb2 Nc3 {White resigns.} 0-1

4-0 Boston! I was very happy about the result and relieved not to let down the team. Hopefully I’ll play more exciting games in the future though. As my roommate, who came to watch, answered when asked how she liked the Boston Blitz, “It was good! But it could be a little more blitzy.”

Now, most of you youngsters don’t know what the Wayback machine is… It’s a cartoon invention belonging to Mr. Peabody (a dog) and his boy Sherman (a boy) and was a regular feature in the Rocky and Bullwinkle series. In it, Mr. Peabody took Sherman “way back” in time to teach him history and general life lessons. Of course, Dogs don’t really talk and such machines don’t really exist… do they? Well, I don’t know… maybe. You be the judge as Marc Esserman takes us Way, Way Back… to the romantic chess days of yore, back to the era of Anderson and Morphy, and gives Mr. Simpson and us all a lesson in chess history and how to punish your opponent with a flair.

SM Marc Esserman (BOS) – FM Ron Simpson (CAR)

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 b5

Usually just a transposing move into one of the main lines after the Bishop retreats and Black plays …Be7. Just another boring Spanish game. Considering the course of this game, maybe now was the time for Black to play the Open Ruy with [5...Nxe4 6.Re1 Nc5 7.Bxc6 dxc6 8.Nxe5 Be7] Was this his intent and he just accidentally drove the Bishop first? Only FM Simpson knows.

6.Bb3 Nxe4?!

Position after 6… Nxe4?!

A dangerous (for Black), but playable move, which hands White a strong advantage.

Earlier in the week I was showing this game to people at the club. The typical response was “Oh, yeah. Black fell into a trap.” Well, it is worth mentioning that, although this variation is not the best, Emanuel Lasker lost as White to Arthur Sounweine in 1893; however, this was in no way due to the opening. And again, in 1925 he faced Merkl (Black) and could only draw. Yes, this opening has been played even against the likes of Alekhine, who of course defeated it soundly. So, where is the trap? Let’s try to find one…

7.Re1 d5 8.Nc3!?…

I like this move… it has a certain romantic nature, and has been played before, as early as 1939. The games in my database give an even record 2 wins 2 losses and a handful of draws, even a postal game is included. Fritz gives White about a +.63 advantage… no big deal in a Ruy… right?
More prosaic is the simple… [8.d3 Nf6 9.Nxe5 Nxe5 10.Rxe5+ Be6 11.Bg5 c6] and Fritz calls it equal. Marc goes for the knockout… always.

8…Nxc3 9.dxc3…

Hmmm! Which center pawn would you defend, and how?

9… Be6

Black chooses correctly. The d-pawn is vital and gives him a safe looking position.

10.a4!…

But, no! Take my pawn back?… Hah!

Position after 10.a4!…

Now, I can recommend two games here. Green,Wesley – Crowe, Peter correspondence 1987 contiued 10…e4 11.Ng5 Rb8 12.Nxe6 fxe 13.Qh5+ g3 14.Qh3… ending in a well fought draw on move 34. One other game was Poulsen, Christian – Apsheneek, Fricis 1934 ended in a much simpler 48 move draw after 10…Ne7 11.Nxe5 c5 12.Bg5 c4

Instead, FM Simpson responded less accurately…

10…Rb8?

Here I let Fritz run a while and it really didn’t see Marc’s combination coming. Maybe I need an upgrade.

11.axb5 axb5 12.Ra6 Qd7

Oh! Now Fritz sees it… do you?

13.Rxc6! Qxc6 14.Nxe5 Qc5

Believe it, or not, this has all been played before in Anderson – Olsen, Glostrup, 1934. This game continued…
15. Qf3 Be7 16. Be3 Qd6 17. Bf4 O-O 18. Nxf7 Qa6 19. Nh6+ gxh6 20. Qg3+ Kh8 21. Bxh6 Rf7 22. Qe5+ Bf6 23. Qxe6 Qxe6 24. Rxe6 Re7 25. Rxe7 Bxe7 26. Bxd5 1-0
White is the exchange down but has the two bishops and three pawns for it.

I’m thinking Marc knew this position… either that or he is a genius… as he makes short work of his opponent after the following fabulous combination.

15.Nxf7!!…

Position after 15.Nxf7!!

Take that Morphy! Wow, you don’t often see these beautiful romantic moves these days in what must still be called the opening.

15…Kxf7 16.Qf3+ Ke7 17.Bxd5 Rb6 18.Bg5+ Kd7 19.Bxe6+ Rxe6 20.Qf7+ Re7 21.Bxe7 Bxe7 22.Qe6+ Black resigns 1–0

Final Position

White will win Black’s Rook after 22… Kd8 23.Ra1 c6 24.Ra8+… etc…

When I first saw this game shortly after the match, I thought it was simply magic… just beautiful. Is it an opening trap? Well… it is now. One thing I know for sure… It was a great ride on the Wayback Machine… a really great ride.

The game won the 2008 USCL Game of the Week award for week 1 and is a great target for other players to aim for as they shoot to topple Jorge off his pedestal that was awarded to him by his USCL Game of the Year award from 2007.

Here is the game.  Enjoy!