The first mate and first board, seaman Eugene Perelshteyn proved up to the task as he avoided trouble waters and sunk the opponents boat even without the two bishops.

GM Eugene Perelshteyn (BOS) vs. IM Bruci Lopez (MIA)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0–0 6.Be2 e5 7.Be3 h6 8.d5…

More common is… 8.0–0 Ng4 9.Bc1; or, 8.h3 exd4 9.Nxd4 Re8 10.Qc2 Qe7 11.Bf3 c5 12.Nde2 Nc6 with a very slight edge for White.

At first, the dynamic pawn grab 8.dxe5… seems good as Black’s h6 pawn may hang. For example, 8… dxe 9.Nxe5 Nxe4 10.Nxe4 Bxe5 11.Bxh6… with advantage White. Unfortunately, Black can cleverly maintain with… 8…Ng4 9.Bc1 Nxe5 Tisdall-Rowson, ½-½, 1993 was a cute draw after 9. exd Nxe 10.fxe cxd 11.O-O Bxc3! and White’s two sets of doubled pawns defeat the purpose of being a pawn up.

8…Ng4 9.Bd2…

or, 9.Bc1 f5 10.g3

9…f5 10.h3 Nf6 11.exf5 gxf5

The game is very slightly better for White.

Position after 11… gxf5

Black does have a scary presence in the center. And now Eugene begins a series of moves that I find incredulous, but, of course, they are perfectly logical… to a GM.

12.g3…

This is the first move that baffled me… Turns out, it serves to support the Knight on h3.

12…Na6 13.Qc1 Kh7 14.Qc2!…

Another of those GM maneuvers… giving Black a pin to worry about.

14…c6 15.Nh4 e4

Ah! Now I see. The pressure on Black’s f-pawn has produced a weakening advance… yes? Or, is Black attacking? Fritz calls it +/= 0.35, a very slight edge for White.

16.0–0…

Must not be an attack.

16…cxd5 17.Nxd5…

Maybe a smidge better is… 17.cxd5 Qc7 18.Rac1 Qf7 19.Bxa6 (19.Bc4)19…bxa6 But, you and I both know Eugene would never relinquish the two Bishops for a smidge.

17…Nxd5 18.cxd5 Nc7 19.Qb3…

It was after this move that I thought that Black could generate some counterplay with 19… f4.

Position after 19.Qb3…

19…Be5

After this, Black never seems to get back into the game. Complicating, but no better is… 19…f4 20.Qc2 Kg8 21.Qxe4 Qe8 22.Qd3 Bxh3

20.Rac1 b6 21.Bh5 Rf6 22.Bc3 Bxc3 23.Rxc3 Bb7 24.Rd1 Na6 25.Qc2 Qe7 26.Ng2 Qd7 27.Nf4 Rc8 28.a3 Rc7 29.b4 Qc8 30.Rc1 Rxc3 31.Qxc3 Qxc3 32.Rxc3 Rf8 33.Bg6+ Kg8

White is winning.

Position after 33… Kg8

However, this is not an easy position, especially with the clock ticking. Fritz gives as best… 34.f3 Rc8 35.Re3 Rc1+ 36.Kf2 Rc2+ 37.Ke1 Nc7 38.Bxf5…

Analysis position after 38.Bxf5…

And Black cannot capture either pawn. 38… Nxd5 39… Be6+ wins a piece; or, 38… exf3 39.Bxc2… White will be up two pawns.

34.Ne6…

This move keeps the same advantage; but, Black could repeat if he chooses.

34…Rf6 35.Bh5 Bxd5

Black repeats with 35…Kh8 36.Nf4 Kg8. After the game move, Eugene invades with the Rook.

36.Rc8+ Kh7 37.Nf4 Bf7 38.Rf8

38.Be2… wins a piece, but who’s counting.

38…Kg7 39.Ra8 Bc4 40.Rxa7+ Kg8 41.Ra8+ Rf8 42.Ra7 Rc8 43.Bg6 Rf8 44.Bh7+… Black resigns 1–0

Final position…

It’s mate after 44… Kh8 25.Ng6#… Boston (1 – 0)

Very nice demonstration of the power in controlling the open file.

Meanwhile, back on the other side of the ship, Frigate Lieutenant Shmelov was teetering on the brink as wave after wave pushed him nearer the edge…

FM Marcel Martinez (MIA) vs. SM Denys Shmelov (BOS)

This was one of those “theoretical discussions” , unfortunately, I don’t think that Black ever quite equalized.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 b6 5.Nge2 c5 6.a3 Ba5 7.Rb1 Na6 8.Bd2 0–0 9.Ng3…

Position after 9.Ng3…

It is early, but I think this is the crucial position of the game. The most common move here for Black is 9… Bb7. However, it doesn’t seem to lead to equality. Let’s look at Gonzalez-Akopian, ½ , 2004 which continued…

9…Bb7 10.Bd3 d5 Most top players avoid the obvious 10… Bxg2 11.Rg1 Bb7 for obvious reasons. A good attacking player will make Black’s life miserable here.

However, this may be the best. 11.cxd5 cxd4 12.exd4 Bxc3 13.bxc3 Qxd5 14.Qe2!… In the game, Gonzalez contiued (14.f3 Nc5! And Black equalized). This improvement works better as Black’s Knight must move to a bad square. 14…Nb8 15.f3 Qa2 16.Bc1 Qxe2+ 17.Kxe2 Rc8 18.Bd2…

Analysis position after 18.Bd2…

The endgame is much better for White. His king is centralized, he has the two Bishops, and he controls more space in the center. (Fritz +/- 0.85) Let’s call this variation A.

I’m sure that Denys was familiar with the type of position that results here and so, he displays his own improvement.

9… cxd4 10.exd4 Bxc3 11.Bxc3 Bb7 12.Bd3 d5 13.b3 Qe7 14.0–0…

Postion after 14.O-O…

I became interested in the difference between this position and Variation A above. Here, White’s dark squared Bishop is better placed and his pawns are already advanced. Black is holding better in the center, but the presence of Queens means Black is under attack on the Kingside as well. This means that White can alternate threats and possibly create more winning chances than in variation A. So, if Black must suffer, why not grab a pawn?

14…Rfd8

This was Denys’s chance to complicate White’s plan. Let’s look at the pawn grab. 14…dxc4 15.bxc4 Qxa3 16.Qd2 Qd6 17.Rfd1 Rfd8

Analysis position after 17… Rfd8

White is down a pawn and must prove his idea. Fritz and I consider White slightly better; but, if Black can slip out of the attack, perhaps Denys’s 9…cxd4 is the best. After the game move, Denys slips back into an inferior endgame.

15.Re1

15.Bb2…

Rac8 16.Qd2 Qd7

After this Black is worse. Grabbing the pawn was still possible, but a little more dangerous than before.

16…dxc4 17.bxc4 Qxa3 18.c5 Nc7 19.Ra1 Qb3 20.Rxa7 Bc6 21.Bb4 bxc5 22.Bxc5…

The game is close to equal as Black has eliminated the queenside pawns and a draw is in sight. Of course, White could have tried to trap the queen or shift to the kingside attack. So, I fully understand why Black rejected this line.

17.Bb2 Nc7 18.Rbc1 Nce8 19.f3 Qd6 20.Qe3 Qd7 21.c5 Bc6 22.Ne2 Rb8 23.Bc2 a5 24.Qd2 Rdc8 25.Nf4 Qd8 26.Bc3 Nd7 27.b4 Bb5 28.Nd3 Bc4 29.Nb2 Nef6 30.Bd3 axb4 31.axb4 b5

White still has a slight advantage that he has maintained almost from the beginning.

Position after 31… b5

The position on the Queenside has become static with White having the advantage of a protected passed pawn and slightly less awkwardly placed pieces. This proves enough for FM Martinez.

32.Ra1 Ra8 33.Nd1…

33.Bc2 Qc7 34.Qg5… kept an advantage.

33… Rxa1 34.Bxa1 Ra8?!

34…Qc7 35.Nc3 Qc6 36.Bb2 Ra8 =

35.Nc3 Rb8 36.Bb2 h6 37.Qe2 Nf8 38.Ra1 Ng6 39.g3?!…

This is an error. Denys has played well and has put some pressure on White’s game.

Position after 39.g3?!…

Now, he can actually gain a slight advantage with 40…Ne7! 41.Nb1 Nc6 42.Bc3 Ne8 43.Na6 Nc7

Analysis position after 43… Nc7

Somehow White’s pieces are the awkward ones.

39… Nh5 40.Qe3 Bxd3?!

40…Ne7!

41.Qxd3 Qg5 42.Kf2 e5?

A loser… the sacrifice 42…Nhf4 43.gxf4 Nxf4 44.Qf1 Qg6 45.Ke3 Qc2 46.Kxf4 Qxb2 47.Ne2 e5+ 48.Kg3 Re8 49.Rb1 Qd2 50.Kh3 exd4 51.Ng3 d3 52.Qd1 Qe3 53.Rb3 Qe6+ 54.Kg2… does not work… although it is the best he has as the b-pawn is falling.

Position after 42…e5?

43.Bc1

Nxd5!… is better.

Qd8 44.Qf5 Nf6 45.dxe5 d4 46.Ne4 Nxe4+ 47.Qxe4 d3 48.Be3 Qe8

And the rest, as they say, is technique.

49.f4 Rd8 50.Rd1 Qe6 51.Rxd3 Qa2+ 52.Bd2 Re8 53.Rd7 Nf8 54.Qd5 Ra8 55.Qxa2 Rxa2 56.Rd8 g6 57.Kf3 Kg7 58.Rd3 Rc2 59.g4 f6 60.Ke4 Kf7 61.exf6 Kxf6 62.Kd5 Ne6 63.Kc6 Black resigns 1–0

Boston (1 – 1)

Well, one mate overboard, no pun intended; but the two deck hands were cleaning up pretty good… so far.

Seaman, or rather Seawoman, Anya Corke was pushing IM Blas Lugo all over the deck but couldn’t quite find the end of the plank.

WGM Anya Corke (BOS) vs. IM Blas Lugo (MIA)

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Nc3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 a6 9.e4 c5 10.d5 c4 11.dxe6 cxd3 12.exd7+ Qxd7 13.0–0 Bb7 14.Re1 Bb4 15.Bg5…

A very unusual move. Will White really open the g-file.

Position after 15.Bg5…

Most common is… 15.Ne5 Qe6 16.Nxd3 Bxc3 17.bxc3 with a tough game; but, White has a pawn. After the game move, Anya will trade pieces and calmly play into a pawn up ending where White is the only one with winning chances,

15…Bxc3 16.bxc3 Rc8 17.Bxf6 gxf6 18.Qd2 Rg8 19.Re3 Kf8 20.Rxd3 Qg4 21.Ne1 Qg5 22.Re3 Qf4?

22… Qe5 23.Rd1… was best, and White is nearly winning, but there is still a game.

Position after 22… Qf4?

23.Rd1?!…

Anya misses her best. 23.e5!… seems to be a winner threatening Qd7… as in the game. Thus, if 23… fxe5 24.Qd7… and Black cannot save the Bishop. So 23…Qf5 24.Qd6+ Kg7 25.e6 Rge8 26.Rg3+ Kh8 27.exf7 Rf8 28.Rd1 Qe5 29.Qxe5 fxe5 30.Rd7…

Analysis position after 30.Rd7…

White has two pawns and a dominant position. After the game move, White is also winning, but it is much tougher.

23…Rg6 24.Qd7 Qc7 25.Qxc7?!…

25.Qh3 Kg7 26.Nf3 Rd8 27.Rxd8 Qxd8 28.Nd4 Bc8 29.Qf3… is probably better as White has forced some favorable trades and kept her Queen and the attack.

Analysis position after 29.Qf3…

In the game, White has traded Queens and now the win depends on very precise technique.

25…Rxc7 26.Nf3 Rg4 27.Rde1?!…

27. Rd4… keeps the Rook more active… followed by h3… making luft will keep a bigger advantage. After the game move, Black has 27…f5 28. exf Kg7 29.Kf1 Ra4 30.Re2 Bd5 with a likely draw.

27… Rc4 28.Nd4 Rg5 29.Rd1 Bc8 30.Nb3 Re5 31.Rd4 Rc7 32.h3…

32.f4 Re8 33.Kf2

32…Re6 33.Na5 Re5 34.Nb3 Re6 35.Rd8+ Ke7 36.Rdd3 Rec6 37.Nd4 Rc5 38.f4 Kf8 39.Kf2 Rc4

Position after 39… Rc4

A lot of maneuvering has been going on and not much was accomplished.

40.e5…

This makes it hard, if not impossible to win. However, 40.g4 Ra4 41.Rd2 Ra3 42.Nb3 Be6 43.Rb2 Ke7 is no better. The game is slowly headed to equality.

40…fxe5 41.fxe5 Ra4 42.Rd2 Ke7 43.Rde2 Be6 44.Nxe6 Kxe6 45.Rf3 Ra3 46.Rf6+ Ke7 47.Rh6 Raxc3 48.Rxa6 Rc2 49.Rxc2 Rxc2+ 50.Kf3 Rc4 51.Ra5 Rb4 52.Ra6 Rc4 53.g3 Rc3+ 54.Kf4 Rc4+ 55.Kf5 Rc3 56.Ra7+ Kf8 57.Kf4 Rc4+ 58.Kg5 Rc3 59.Kf4 Rc4+ ½–½

Final Position

The game was agreed drawn. Let’s look at one possibility.

60.Kf3 Rc3+ 61.Kg4 Rc4+ 62.Kh5 Re3 63.Rxb5 Rxg3 64.Rb3 Rg2 65.a4…

Analysis position after 65.a4…

The two Rook pawns make it an easy draw after…

65… f5 68.Ra3 Rg6+ 69.Kh5… [ after 69.Kxh7 Ra6 the White King will never leave the h-file without giving the a-pawn] 69… Ra6 70.a5 Ke7 71.Kg5 Ke6 draw.

A very well played game by both sides. Some tough maneuvering and Anya kept the game in hand from the beginning. This was my favorite game from the match… theoretical and some nice endgame/late-middlegame play by both players.

Now, over to our last chance to win… deck hand Ilya gave it a great try and almost shoved his galley mop down his opponents throat.

NM Eric Rodriguez (MIA) vs. NM Ilya Krasik (BOS)

And yet another d4 opening.

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.g3 dxc4 6.Ne5 Nbd7 7.Nxc4 b5 8.Nd2 Bb7 9.Bg2 Qb6 10.0–0 Rd8

Position after 10… Rd8

Simple equality can be had by 10…c5 11.dxc5 Nxc5 12.Bxb7 Qxb7 13.Nb3 a6 Ilya’s move is a novelty and no worse.

11.a4?…

Loses a pawn. 11.a6… seems reasonable. If 11… Qxd4 12.Nxb5…

11… b4 12.a5 Qxd4 13.Nb5??…

Loses a piece.

13… Qe5

13…cxb5 14.Bxb7 Ne5 15.Qe1… is better for Black, but still a game.

14.a6 Ba8 15.Nxa7 Qc7 16.Nxc6 Bxc6 17.Qc2 Bc5 18.Nb3 Bxg2 19.Kxg2 Rc8 20.Nxc5 Qxc5?!

Position after 20…Qxc5

With Queens on the board, Black’s task is actually easier. 20…Nxc5 21.Qc4 0–0 22.Be3 Nfd7 23.a7 Qb7+ 24.f3…

After the game move, Black must be careful… but, realistically, White is lost.

21.Qxc5 Nxc5 22.Be3…

Possibly better was 22.a7 Kd7 23.Be3 Nb3 24.Ra4 Nd5 25.Rd1 Kc6 26.Rd3 Nc5 27.Bxc5…

22…Nb3 23.Ra4 Nd5 24.a7 0–0

24…Ke7 25.Kf3

25.Bf4

25.Rd1 Ra8 26.Kf3 Rfc8

25…Ra8 26.Bd6 Rfd8 27.Bxb4 Nxb4 28.Rxb4 Na5 29.Ra1…

Black is winning… do you see the move?

Position after 29.Ra1…

29… Nc6?

Ilya said after the game that he saw the winner as soon as he made this move. Funny, that is a common malady in chess. I don’t know the reason, but all of us have suffered in this way at one time or another.

Of course, the analysis room was buzzing and expecting 29…Rxa7 30.Rba4 Rda8 31.b4 Nc6 32.Rxa7 Rxa7 33.Rc1 Ne7

Analysis Position after 33… Ne7

And the Knight even guards the c8 checkmating square… amazing. After the game move, it is a draw.

30.Rb7 g6 31.b4 Rd2 32.b5 Rxa7 33.Rbxa7 Nxa7 34.Rxa7 Rb2 35.Rb7 Rxe2 36.Kf3 Rb2

Position after 36… Rb2

This is an easy draw and there is not much left to point out, except that Jorge’s suggestion after the game was incorrect… So, I will continue a bit.

37.b6 g5 38.h3 Kg7 39.Ke3 h5 40.Rb8 Kf6 41.Rb7 h4 42.Kf3 Rb3+ 43.Kg2 Kg6 44.Rb8 hxg3 45.fxg3 Kf5 46.Kf2 Ke4

Position after 46… Ke4

Ilya has been trying to generate some winning chances… unfortunately, there are none. But, here, Jorge suggested that Ilya had made a mistake by allowing White to play h4… He thought that White could win with this move. However, I hope it is some consolation to Ilya that this is not true. At no point was h4… winning for White. For example, from the position above…

47.h4 Rb2+ 48.Ke1 gxh4 49.gxh4 f5 50.h5 e5 51.h6 Ke3

Analysis position after 51… Ke3

Black need never come out from in front of his pawns and he can easily defend White’s isolated pawns.

52.Kf1 Kf3 53.Kg1 Rg2+ 54.Kf1 Rh2 55.Kg1 Rxh6 56.Rf8 Rg6+ 57.Kh2 Rg2+ 58.Kh1 Rb2 59.Rxf5+ Ke4 60.Rf6… =

The game continued…

47.b7 Rb2+ 48.Kg1 Kf3 49.Rg8 Rxb7 50.Rxg5 Rb1+ 51.Kh2 Rb2+ 52.Kh1 Rb1+ 53.Kh2 Rb2+ 54.Kh1 f5 55.h4 Rb7 56.Kh2 Rb2+ 57.Kh1 e5 58.Rxf5+ Kxg3 59.Kg1 e4 60.Kf1 Kg4 61.Rf8 Rh2 62.h5 Rxh5 63.Ke2 Rh3 64.Rg8+ Kf4 65.Rf8+ Ke5 66.Re8+ Kd5 67.Rd8+ Kc4 68.Rc8+ Kd4 ½-½

Boston (2 – 2)

This match was a good one for Boston, even though they didn’t win. There was never any chance of losing the match and all the players played steady and solid.

Just what was needed… a true and steady course. Did we right the ship? Well, maybe next week we can win some of these winning positions… and sail away to still waters… no more stormy New England weather… only Kramnik style calm seas.

This week we see Boston playing the Miami Sharks (without top gun, GM Julio Bacerra) in a match which means something to both sides. Boston would like to avoid playing the wrong end of those dreaded draw odds matches, and Miami has not yet been assured of a playoff spot, although they are leading Dallas by 1.5 with 2 to play for the final spot in the West.

Board 1: GM Eugene Perelshteyn (BOS) vs. FM Bruci Lopez (MIA)

Eugene has been playing well this season and is especially tough as White (2-0). FM Lopez has his hands full facing a very staunch opponent. I expect a slow, positional game with White in control. As usual, Eugene will be looking to grab the two Bishops and show off his technique.

Board 2: FM Marcel Martinez (MIA) vs. SM Denys Shmelov (BOS)

I predict a very interesting game here… only because all of Denys’s games are interesting. As Black, Denys will complicate and possibly sac an exchange. No doubt, another edge-of-the-seater. Could this be Denys’s first win of the year? With Boston in the playoffs, he will be trying hard to get us those draw odds.

Board 3: WGM Anya Corke (BOS) vs. IM Blas Lugo (MIA)

Anya has shown she is a force to be reckoned with. Although she has only played one game, as Black, her style and technique impressed. Can she play her way into a playoff appearance? On the surface, this game may appear to be advantage Miami due to experience… but, I, for one, can’t wait to see Anya with the White pieces… Another Karpovian performance perhaps?

Board 4: NM Eric Rodriguez (MIA) vs. NM Ilya Krasik (BOS)

This one looks pretty even to me. After a shaky start this season, Ilya has gotten things together and seems to be playing well. He will combine his theoretical knowledge and solid opponent preparation… “So, who am I playing tonight?”… to produce, as always, the fan favorite game. Look for a super-solid Semi-Slav here… Naahhh!

In Summary, Could someone please pick up some pizza?… We’re going to be here for a while.