|
NJKO vs. Tennessee Tempo
By Michael Goeller
The New Jersey Knockouts caught another lucky break in their match tonight with the Tennessee Tempo (US Chess League, September 5, 2007). The Knockouts were losing badly on the two bottom boards, but then Tennessee’s Board 3, seeing that the win on Board 4 was absolutely in the bag, took a draw by repetition against his higher-rated opponent, perhaps afraid of blowing his advantage in time pressure by trying too hard to win. But Shen pulled a draw out of the jaws of defeat (or out of somewhere else perhaps), and the match was drawn 2-2. The Knockouts have drawn both of their matches so far, more from luck than anything. Let’s hope they can play better next time, and if they don’t let’s hope their luck continues!
Board 1
Burnett-TEN (2407) – Ippolito-NJ (2433) [C50]
ICC 75 30 u/Internet Chess Club 2007
1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nc6 3. Nf3 Bc5 4. d3 Nf6 5. Bb3 a6 6. c3 Ba7 7. Nbd2 O-O 8. h3 d6 9. g4 Be6 10. Qe2 Bxb3 11. axb3 d5 12. b4 Qd6
Black seems to be doing very well here, but White’s long-term prospects on the kingside make his game somewhat easier to play. He at least has the most obvious plan of playing Nf1-g3-f5 and Black has nothing good to do against that. Meanwhile, what is Black going to do that’s active? Maybe …Bb6 and …a5!?
15. dxe4 Ne8 16. O-O Qd3 17. Qxd3 Rxd3 18. Kg2
Fritz still loves Black, but White has a lot more control of critical squares.
18… Nd6 19. Ne1! Rd1 20. Nc2 Rxf1 21. Kxf1 Rd8 22. Ke2 f6 23. Be3 Nc4 24. Bc1
24. b3 Nxe3 25. Nxe3 Bxe3 26. Kxe3=
24… Nd6 25. Be3 Nc4 26. Bc1 Kf7 27. Na3 Nxa3 28. bxa3 Ne7
Both sides look solid here.
29. Be3 Bxe3 30. fxe3!? Nc8 31. c4 Ke6 32. Rc1 g6 33. Rc2 Ne7 34. Rc1 Rd7 35. Nh1 Rd8 36. Nf2 b6 37. Nd3 Rh8 38. c5 h5 39. cxb6 cxb6 40. Rc7! hxg4 41. hxg4 Rc8 42. Rb7 Rc6
White has managed to translate his advantage in space and control of critical squares into a significant advantage with his Rook on the seventh.
The idea is to clear the c5 square for the Knight by eliminating the b6 pawn — which will leave the a6 pawn a target as well.
|
The losing move! Black seems to have been lulled to sleep in the position.
45… Rxb6 46. Rg7 Ne7 looks equal
46. Nc5!
Black is s uddenly lost. The pawn at a6 must fall because the Knight at b6 is pinned down due to mating ideas with Rd7 if it moves. White is gonna pick up some pawns.
46… f5
Black has no other useful moves.
47. exf5 gxf5 48. gxf5 Kd5 49. Kd3! Rd6 50. Ne4 Rc6 51. f6 Na4 52. Rd7+ Ke6 53. f7
Even easier is 53. Re7+ Kd5 54. f7
53… Rc8 54. Ra7 Nb2+ 55. Ke2 Nc4
Diagram #
56. Ng5+! Kf6 57. f8=Q+! Rxf8 58. Nh7+
Black resigns
1-0Board 2
Zlotnikov-NJ (2408) – Andrews-TEN (2337) [A04]
ICC 75 30 u/Internet Chess Club 2007
1. Nf3 e6 2. g3 b6 3. Bg2 Bb7 4. O-O f5 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 Bb4 7. Qc2 O-O 8. d3 Bxc3 9. Qxc3 Qe8 10. b4 d6 11. c5 Na6 12. cxd6 cxd6 13. Bb2 Rc8 14. Qd2 e5 15. a3 Qh5 16. Rac1 Nc7 17. b5 Ne6 18. Qb4 Rcd8 19. Qh4!
White completely defuses Black’s kingside initiative. Now when Black advances pawns on that wing, he ends up weakening his king position.
19… Qe8 20. a4 h6 21. Nd2 Bxg2 22. Kxg2 f4 23. Rc6 Rd7 24. Qh3 g5?! 25. f3!?
Maybe White is egging Black on?
Suddenly Black’s position looks full of holes!
27… Nd4 28. Rxd6 gxf3+ 29. exf3 Rxd6 30. Nxd6 Qe6 31. Qg5+! Kh8 32. Bxd4 exd4 33. Nf5
White simply has a won ending due to his material advantage.
33… Ne8 34. Qxh5+ Kg8 35. g4 Ng7 36. Qg5 Qf6 37. Qxf6 Rxf6 38. Nxg7 Kxg7 39. Re1
Black resigns
1-0Board 3
Wheeler-TEN (2200) – Ju-NJ (2303) [B15]
ICC 75 30 u/Internet Chess Club 2007
1. Nf3 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. e4 c6 4. h3 d5 5. Nc3 dxe4 6. Nxe4 Nd7 7. Bc4 Ngf6 8. Nxf6+ Nxf6 9. O-O O-O 10. Re1 Qd6 11. c3 Nd5 12. Bb3 Bf5 13. Bg5 Rfe8 14. Bh4 Rad8 15. Bg3 Qd7 16. Ne5 Qc8 17. Qf3 Be6 18. Re2 f6 19. Nd3 Bf7 20. Rae1 e6 21. Nc5 f5 22. Bh4
22… Rd6
At this point, with the bottom board looking like a clear win for Tennessee and White getting into a bit of time pressure, Wheeler decides to take a draw against the higher rated player.
23. Bg3?!
23. Nd3! Nb6 24. Bg3 Rdd8 25. Be5
23… Rdd8 24. Bh4 Rd6 25. Bg3 Rdd8
Game drawn by repetition. Another lucky break for Ju, who also drew last week after getting in quite a bit of trouble.
1/2-1/2Board 4
Shen-NJ (2250) – Larson-TEN (2120) [B47]
ICC 75 30 u/Internet Chess Club 2007
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Qc7 5. Nc3 e6 6. Be2 a6 7. O-O b5 8. Nxc6 dxc6 9. Be3 Bb7 10. f4 Nf6 11. e5 Nd5 12. Nxd5 cxd5 13. c3 Rc8 14. Bd4 Bc5 15. Rf2!? O-O 16. Bf1 Qb6 17. Qd2 f6 18. Re1 Bxd4 19. cxd4 b4 20. exf6 Rxf6 21. g4!?
Risky but interesting.
21… Rc7 22. g5 Rf8 23. Bh3 Bc8 24. Qe3 Rc4 25. Rd2 Qd6 26. Rf1 a5 27. Bg4 a4 28. Be2 Rc7 29. Bd3?
|
After this, White slips into a lost ending because Black can exchange Bishops and play off of White’s weakened pawns.
29… Ba6! 30. Bxa6 Qxa6 31. Re1 Rc6 32. h4 Qc4 33. Ra1 a3 34. bxa3 Qc3 35. Qxc3 bxc3 36. Rf2 Rc4
37. Rc1 Rxd4 38. Rxc3 Rdxf4 39. Re2 Rxh4 40. Rxe6 Rg4+ 41. Kh2 Rxg5 42. Re7 h6 43. Re2 Rf4 44. Kh3 Rc4 45. Rb3 d4 46. Rd2 Rc1 47. Kh2 Rg4 48. Rb4 h5 49. a4 Rc3 50. Rb3 Rgg3 51. Rb4 Rcd3 52. Rdb2 h4 53. a5 Rh3+ 54. Kg2 Rdg3+ 55. Kf2 Rh2+ 56. Kf1 Rxb2 57. Rxb2 Ra3 58. Rd2 d3 59. Kg2 Kh7 60. Kh3 g5 61. a6 Kh6 62. Kg4 Ra4+ 63. Kf5 Rxa6 64. Rxd3 Rxa2 65. Rd8 Ra5+ 66. Kg4 Ra4+ 67. Kh3 Rf4 68. Rc8 Kg6 69. Rc5 Rf3+ 70. Kg2 Rf5 71. Rc8 Kh5 72. Rc4 Rf4 73. Rc3 Kg4 74. Rb3 Ra4 75. Kg1 h3
Black has played the ending brilliantly to make steady progress for his king. But suddenly things start to get ugly and Larson loses the thread.
|
77… h2+?
Black has so many easy wins, the best being: 77… Kh4 78. Rb4+ g4 79. Rb3 Ra1+ 80. Kf2 (80. Kh2 g3+)
80… h2
|
79. Rg3+! Kf4 80. Rg4+ Kf5 81. Rxg5+ Kxg5
White stalemated. An incredible escape for Shen. I think we should change the name from the Knockouts to the Houdinis after this escape and Ju’s last week.
1/2-1/2
Games in PGN