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NJ Knockouts vs. Boston Blitz
By Michael Goeller
The Knockouts answered their critics and kept their playoff hopes alive last night by drawing the most highly ranked team in the league, the Boston Blitz. The common criticism of the New Jersey Knockouts was that their even record going into last night’s match was achieved against the lowest ranked opponents in the US Chess League. They continued their even record, but they raised their level of respect considerably. Let’s hope that the draw raises their spirits so that they can make it to the playoffs.
Board 1
Joel Benjamin-NJ (2651) – Larry Christiansen-BOS (2669) [D45]
ICC 90 30 u/Internet Chess Club 2007
2… e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5
4. e3 Bf5 5. cxd5 cxd5 6. Qb3 Qc8 7. Bd2 Nc6 8. Bb5 e6 9.
5. Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6 7. e3 Nd7 8. Bd3 dxc4 9. Bxc4 g6 10.
5… Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. e4 dxe4 8. Nxe4 Nxe4 9. Qxe4 Bb4+ 10. Bd2 Qa5 11. a3 Bxd2+ 12. Nxd2 c5 13. dxc5 Nxc5 14. Qe3 Qc7 15. b4 Nd7 16. Ne4 b6 17. Rd1
White may have some imagined edge due to his “queenside pawn majority,” but Black should easily hold a draw, which he does.
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20. Nd6 Bd7 21. Be2 Ba4 22. Rd2 Rfd8 23. f4! Ng6 24. Bf3 Rab8 25. g3 Ne7 26. b5!? Bb3 27. Bd1 Bxd1 28. Kxd1 g6 29. Kc2 Nd5 30. cxd5 Rxd6 31. dxe6 Rc8+ 32. Kd1 Rxe6 33. Re1 Rxe1+ 34. Kxe1 Rc3 35. a4 Ra3 36. Rd4 h5 37. Kf2 Kg7 38. h3 Kf6 39. Kg2 Ke6 40. Re4+ Kf6 41. Rc4 Kf5 42. Rc7 Rxa4 43. Rxf7+ Ke6 44. Rg7 Kf6 45. Rh7 Ra2+ 46. Kf3 Ra3+ 47. Kg2 Ra2+ 48. Kf3 Ra3+
Game drawn by mutual agreement. They didn’t quite play down “to bare kings,” but it was close, and typical of the battles between these two.
1/2-1/2Board 2
Jorge Sammour-Hasbun-BOS (2576) – Dean Ippolito-NJ (2433) [C21]
ICC 90 30 u/Internet Chess Club 2007
1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. c3 dxc3 5. bxc3
In their excellent book “Danish Dynamite,” Muller and Voigt give this move a “?!” mark. In video commentary after the game, Sammour-Hasbun said that he expected to side-step the Petroff to reach a Two Knights Defense / Scotch Gambit position — and that he had never played or even seen this position before. Muller and Voigt’s recommendation 5. Nxc3 Bxc3+! 6. bxc3 d6 7. Bc4 Nc6 transposes to well-known lines of the Goring Gambit, which they discuss in detail.
5… Bc5
5… Be7!? 6. Bc4 d5! 7. exd5 Nf6 safely transposes to a bad variation of the Urusov Gambit and gives Black easy equality and possibly more due to White’s weakened pawn structure.
White is in no hurry to try to prove compensation, since forcing attempts lead to nothing.
Theory is rather sparse in this line, because quality games are hard to find. But one game was encouraging for White: 8. Bg5 Nf6 (8… Nge7 9. Nd4 followed by f4-f5 perhaps)
9. Nbd2
8… Nf6
8… Nge7!?
9… Nxe4 10. Bxf7+ Kxf7 11. Qd5+ Kf8 12. Qxe4
10. a4 a6 11. Bg5 h6 12. Bh4 Bg4 13. a5 Ba7 14. Nbd4 Ne5
14… Nxd4!? 15. cxd4 g5 16. Bg3 Nxe4 17. Re1 d5 18. Bxc7! Qd7 19. Bb3
Black has retained the pawn and has played perfectly natural moves, but still has not fully equalized. The pin on the Knight is trouble, and if Black plays …g5 then he will have no safe place for his King. This is a very tough line to play against.
16…
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It’s amazing how defenseless Black is to combat White’s beautifully centralized forces.
23… gxf6 24. Nd7 Qe7 25. Rfe1 Qd8 26. Kf1!
24. Nd7! gxf6+ 25. Kh1 Kh8 26. Qh4 Rg7 27. Qxh6+ Rh7 28. Qxf6+ Rg7 29. Qh6+
29. Ne5 followed by Rd7 is another way to win.
29… Rh7
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30. Qxh7+! Kxh7 31. Nf6+ Kg7 32. Nxe8+ Rxe8
White has simplified to a winning Exchange-up ending, which he conducts extremely well to victory despite staunch resistance and evident time pressure.
33. Rfe1 Rh8 34. Re2 Bc5 35. Kg2 Kf6 36. Rd5 Bd6 37. h3 Rg8+ 38. Kf1 Rh8 39. Re3 Rh4 40. Kg2 Rc4 41. Kf3 Rf4+ 42. Ke2 Ra4 43. Kd3 Rf4 44. Ke2 Ra4 45. Re8 Ra2+ 46. Kf1 Bf4 47. h4 Ra3 48. Re4 Bd6 49. Rc4 Ra1+ 50. Kg2 Re1 51. Rg4 Re8 52. c4 Bb4 53. Kf3 Re1 54. Kg2 Re8 55. Rg3 Bd6 56. Rb3 Re4 57. c5 Be5 58. Re3! Rxe3 59. fxe3 Bc3 60. c6! bxc6 61. Rc5 Bd2 62. Rxc6+ Kxf5 63. Rxc7 Kg4 64. Rc4+ Kh5 65. Kf3 Be1 66. Rc6
Black resigns, since 66… Bxa5? loses to 67.Rc5+, so there is no way to stop White from gaining a winning outside passed pawn by Rxa6 etc.
1-0Board 3
Evan Ju-NJ (2303) – Denys Shmelov-BOS (2391) [B47]
ICC 90 30 u/Internet Chess Club 2007
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. g3 a6 7. Bg2 d6
As with Shen’s game, below, Ju’s opening shows a lot of influence from Joel Benjamin and bears comparison to Benjamin’s game against Charbonneau from USCL Round 5. Benjamin has had long success with this line, which he has been playing for nearly a quarter of a century:
7… Nf6 8.
8.
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The game resembles Benjamin – Charbonneau from Round 5, but Black has not castled yet and instead focuses on generating queenside counterplay.
13. Be3 b5 14. Rae1 b4 15. Nd1 Na5 16. Nd4 Nc4 17. Bf2 h5 18. h3 hxg4 19. hxg4 d5 20. e5 Ne4 21. Bxe4 dxe4
Black has got to be for choice.
22. b3 Na3 23. Qxa6 Bc5 24. c4
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25. Nb5! Nxb5 26. cxb5 Rb8 27. Bxc5 Qxc5+ 28. Rf2 Bxb5 29. Qd6! Qxd6 30. exd6 f5
By some miracle, Ju has managed to equalize and holds on for a draw.
31. Ne3 Rbd8 32. Rd1 Bd3 33. Nc4 fxg4 34. Kg2 Rf5 35. Kg3 Rd5 36. Rfd2 Rc5 37. Kxg4 Bxc4 38. bxc4 Rxc4 39. Rd4
Game drawn by mutual agreement
1/2-1/2Board 4
Chris Williams-BOS (2241) – Victor Shen-NJ (2250) [E11]
ICC 90 30 u/Internet Chess Club 2007
1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Qe7 5. g3
5… Nc6 is Benjamin’s usual move here, and you can see his influence as a coach on Shen’s play. 6. Bg2 (6. a3 Bxd2+ 7. Qxd2 d6 8. Bg2
6. Bg2 Nc6 7. Nc3 Bxc3 8. Bxc3 Ne4 9. Rc1 d6 10.
This has worked better in practice than the immediate 11… e5 12. d5 Nb8 (12… Nb4?! 13. a3 Na6 14. b4) 13. Nd2 a5 14. c5 Bd7 (14… dxc5 15. Ne4 Na6 16. d6 cxd6 17. Qxd6 Qxd6 18. Nxd6 Rb8 might hold it together) 15. Nc4 Bb5 16. Qb3 Bxc4 17. Qxb7!? Bxe2 18. cxd6 Qxd6 19. Qxa8 Na6 20. Qc6 Bxf1 21. Bxf1 Nb4 22. Qxc7 Qxc7 23. Rxc7 Nxd5 24. Rc5 Rd8 25. Rxa5 Kf8 26. Rb5 e4 27. a4 Nf6 28. a5 Rd1 29. a6 Ra1 30. b4 1-0 Razuvaev,Y-Benjamin,J/Moscow 1987
12. a3
a) A very interesting alternative plan for White led to a fantastic game by Fedorowicz: 12. e4!? e5 13. d5 Nb8 14. Nh4! Na6 15. Qe1! (15. f4 exf4! 16. Rxf4 Nc5=) 15… Nc5 16. f4 f6?! 17. f5! Bd7 18. g4 b5 19. Rh3 Rfb8 20. Ng6!? hxg6? (if 20… Qe8 I think Fedorowicz was planning something like 21. Rxh7!! (21. Qh4 h6) 21… Kxh7 22. Rf3 (22. Qh4+!?) 22… Kg8 23. Rh3 Kf7 24. Rh7 bxc4 (24… Qg8 25. Qh4 bxc4 26. Qh5 Qxh7 27. Qxh7 Rxb2 28. g5 fxg5 29. Qh5 Kf6 30. h4! g4 31. Qg5+ Kf7 32. Qe7+ Kg8 33. Nxe5) 25. Qc3 Na4 26. Qh3 c3 27. bxc3 Rb1+ 28. Bf1 Bb5 29. Qh6 Rxf1+ 30. Kg2 Qg8 31. Nh8+ Qxh8 32. Qh5+ Ke7 33. Rxh8 Rxh8 34. Qxh8 Nxc3 35. Qxg7+) 21. fxg6 Qe8? (21… f5! 22. exf5!) 22. Rh8+ Kxh8 23. Qh4+ Kg8 24. Qh7+ Kf8 25. g5! f5 (25… Ke7 26. gxf6+ Kd8 27. Qxg7 leaves White with killer passed pawns) 26. exf5 Bxf5 27. Rxf5+ Ke7 28. Qxg7+ Kd8 29. Rf8 1-0 Fedorowicz,J-Moskow,E/New York 1992 — a true brilliancy!
b) Black got all the fun on the kingside, though, in this game: 12. d5 Nb4! 13. a3 Na6 14. Qc2 e5 15. e4?! f5! 16. Nd2 f4 0-1 Kasantsev,A-Anka,E/Budapest 1996 (33)
Apparently played with the interesting plan of …b6 and …Nb7, stifling all of White’s queenside play.
13… Nb8 has also worked well: 14. Ne1 (14. Nd4) 14… e5 15. c5 dxc5 16. Nd3 Nd7 17. Qc2 Ra5 18. Rc1 b6 19. Rc4 Nf6 20. Rxa4 e4! 21. Ne1 Rxa4 22. Qxa4 Bb7 23. Nc2 Ra8 24. Qb3 Bxd5 25. Qc3 Qe6 0-1 Wronn,B-Buchenau,F/Germany 1991 (40)
14. Qc2 Ra5 15. Ne1 b6 16. Nd3 e5 17. e4 Nb7!? 18. f4!
With the queenside blocked, White reacts naturally by seeking play on the kingside instead, but it becomes a stand-off on that side of the board as well.
18… Nc5 19. f5 f6 20. g4 Bd7 21. Kh1 Nxd3 22. Rxd3 Rc5 23. Rg1 g5!?
If White does not capture en passant, then Black gets all the kingside play.
24. fxg6 hxg6 25. Rc3 Kg7 26. Bf1 Rh8 27. Qf2 g5!?
Taking away White’s natural advance g5.
28. Rgg3 Ra5 29. Be2 Raa8 30. Rh3 Raf8 31. Rcg3 Be8 32. Bd1 Bd7 33. Rh5 Be8 34. h4?! Bg6!?
Black looks fine to me after 34… Bxh5 35. gxh5 Rh7 36. Qg2 (36. Bg4 f5!) 36… Kh8 37. hxg5 fxg5 38. Rxg5 Rhf7 . Even if White wins the a-pawn and has two pawns for the Exchange, I like Black here.
35. Qe3 gxh4 36. Rh3 Bxh5! 37. gxh5 Rh7 38. Bg4 Kh8
Black is willing to give back the Exchange to keep the position from getting blocked completely.
This is the sort of position that Black feared and White must have been playing for. White’s domination of the light squares makes it difficult for Black to liberate himself or develop any good plan. The position may even tend toward zugzwang. But I really don’t see how White can pursue an advantage. Williams suggests that 42.Qg4 would have given him chances to play for a win.
43. Kg2
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43… Rgxg6+!?
This seems a good practical decision, if Black wants any chance to play for a win and wants to avoid purely passive play.
44. hxg6 Qg7 45. Kf3 Qxg6 46. Qc8+ Kh7 47. Qxc7+ Qg7 48. Qxd6?
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As several commenters point out, 48.Qc8! would have led to a draw. But 48. Qxb6 f5! also yields a strong attack for Black. After White’s blunder, Black gains a critical tempo on White’s Queen that makes all the difference.
48… f5! 49. Qd8 Qg4+ 50. Kf2 Qxh3
Black is up a whole Rook, but White’s Queen and passed pawns can generate a lot of confusion. The rest of the game is a wild ride!
51. Qe7+ Kg6 52. d6 Qg3+ 53. Ke2 Qg2+ 54. Kd1 Qf3+ 55. Kd2 Qf2+ 56. Kc3 Qd4+ 57. Kb4 Qxb2+ 58. Kxa4 Qc2+ 59. Kb4 Qd2+ 60. Kb3 Kh5!?
If Black wants to win, he has to avoid things like 60… h3 61. d7 h2 62. Qe8+! Kh7 (62… Kg5 63. d8=Q+ Qxd8 64. Qxd8+!) 63. Qf7+ Kh8 64. Qf8+=
61. Qf7+ Kg4 62. Qxf5+ Kg3 63. Qxe5+ Kg2 64. Qg7+ Kf3 65. e5 h3 66. d7 h2 67. d8=Q Qxd8 68. Qxh6 Qd1+ 69. Kb4 h1=Q
Life gets a lot easier with two queens!
70. Qc6+ Ke2 71. Qxb6 Qb1+ 72. Ka5 Qa8+
White resigns. An incredible game by young Shen to bring NJ a critical point and tie the match!
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