Two Brilliancies from the 2nd NJ Futurity 2008

By Michael Goeller

I have annotated two of the better games from the 2nd NJ Futurity International, the first of which, Ippolito-Erenburg, was awarded the brilliancy prize sponsored by Pete Tamburro for its sparkling conclusion. Erenburg went on to win the tournament (as he did last year.) The second, Ju – Scekic, is simply a great example of gambit play, with Black developing excellent compensation for his pawn due to White’s somewhat passive set-up and capping off his initiative with a nice piece sacrifice. There were other very fine and interesting games from the event (most notably Yudasin’s strongly played endgames), but these were my favorites.

IM Dean Ippolito – GM Sergey Erenburg [D45]

2nd NJ Futurity International/Branchburg, NJ USA (6) 2008


1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 a6 6. b3 Bb4 7. Bd2 Nbd7 8. Bd3 O-O 9. O-O Bd6










10. c5

This advance is frequently too commital in this type of position, surrendering the tension and making it easier for Black to break in the center without creating weaknesses. However, this was obviously intended as Ippolito’s “improvement” on an earlier Erenburg game from the same tournament:

10. Rc1 h6!? (10… b5 11. Qc2!? looks good for White, while the natural 10… e5?! was played in a recent high level encounter where Black suffered due to the isolani after 11. cxd5 cxd5 12. dxe5 Nxe5 13. Nxe5 Bxe5 14. Ne2! Bg4 15. f3 Bh5 16. Bc3 Qd6 17. Bxe5 Qxe5 18. Qd2 Rfe8 19. Rc3 Bg6 20. Bxg6 hxg6 (White’s superior structure gives him the better long term prospects, especially given his successful blockade on the d4 square.) 21. Qd4 Qe7 22. Rfc1 Rad8 23. Kf2 Qd6 24. h3 Rd7 25. Rc8 Rde7 26. R1c5 g5 27. Qc3 Qe6 28. Rxe8+ Rxe8 29. Nd4 Qe5 30. Rc8 g6 31. Rxe8+ Qxe8 32. Qc7 Qd7 33. Qe5 Nh7 (White has achieved an ideal set-up against the isolated pawn and Black’s second weakness at g5.) 34. a4 Qd8 35. Ne2 Nf6 36. Nc3 Qb6 37. Nxd5 Nxd5 38. Qxd5 Qb4 39. a5 b5 40. axb6 Qxb6 41. Ke2 Qc7 42. b4 Qc2+ 43. Qd2 Qb3 44. Kf2 Kh7 45. Kg1 Qc4 46. e4 Kg7 47. Qd6 Qc1+ 48. Kh2 Qc3 49. e5 Qc4 50. Qf6+ Kg8 51. e6 Qc7+ 52. f4 gxf4 53. exf7+ Qxf7 54. Qxa6 Kg7 55. Qc6 Qb3 56. Qc7+ and Black resigned as the only way to save the f-pawn is by exchanging Queens and surrendering to a lost King and Pawn ending. 1-0 Aronian, L-Morozevich,A/ Yerevan ARM2008) 11. h3 (perhaps 11. Qc2!?) 11… Re8 12. Re1 dxc4 13. bxc4 e5 14. Qc2 Qe7 15. c5 Bc7 16. e4 (16. Ne4!? Nxe4 17. Bxe4 Nf6 18. dxe5 Bxe5 19. Nxe5 Nxe4 20. Qxe4 Qxe5 21. Qxe5 Rxe5 22. e4) 16… exd4 17. Na4 (best might have been 17. Ne2! Nh5 18. Nexd4 Nf4 19. Bf1) 17… Ne5 18. Nxe5 Qxe5 19. f4 Qe7 20. Qd1 Bd7 21. Rb1 Rab8 22. Qf3 Red8 23. Rb2 Bc8 24. Reb1 Re8 25. e5 Nd5 26. Qe4 g6 27. Qxd4 Rd8 28. Qc4 Be6 29. Qc2 Qh4 30. Rf1 Bxh3 31. Be4 Bg4 32. Rb3 Ne7 33. Nb2 Nf5 34. Be1 Qh5 35. Bf2 Nd4 36. Bxd4 Rxd4 37. Re3 Be6 38. f5 gxf5 39. Bxf5 Rh4 40. Bxe6 fxe6 41. Rf6 Bxe5 42. Rg6+ Kh8 43. Rf3










43… Bd4+! 44. Kf1 Rh1+ 45. Ke2 Qe5+ 46. Kd2 Bxb2 47. Qd1 0-1 Scekic,M-Erenburg,S/DoCA 2008.

 

10… Bc7

Black has also played 10… Bb8!? 11. Na4 (11. Qc2 e5 12. dxe5 Nxe5 13. Nxe5 Bxe5 14. f4= 1/2-1/2 Gozzoli,Y-Malakhatko,V/Paris FRA 2005) 11… e5 12. dxe5 Nxe5 13. Nxe5 Bxe5 14. Bc3! Bxc3 15. Nxc3 Qe7 16. Na4 (16. b4 Ng4 17. h3 Ne5) 16… Bg4 17. Qc2 Qe5 18. Qc3 Qg5 19. Kh1 Rae8 (Black must be preferred here due to his chances for a kingside initiative.) 20. Qb4 Re7 21. Nc3 Bf5 22. Rad1 Bxd3 23. Rxd3 Qf5 24. Rdd1 h5 25. Kg1 Rfe8 26. Rd4 Qe5 27. h3 Qc7 28. Ne2 Ne4 29. Qa3 Re5 30. b4 Qe7 31. Rd3 Qh4 32. Qb2 Rg5 33. Nf4 Rf5 34. Rd4 Qf6 35. Nd3 Ng5 36. Nf4 Ne4 37. Nd3 Ng5 38. Nf4 Ne6 39. Nxe6 fxe6 40. Rd2 Qg6 41. Kh1 Ref8 42. a4 e5 43. b5 axb5 44. axb5 Rg5 45. Rg1 h4 46. bxc6 bxc6 47. Qb6 Kh7 48. Kh2 Rf6 49. Qb4 Qf5 50. Qb1 e4 51. Qb2 Rfg6! 52. Qa1 Qf8 53. Qc3?? Qf3!! 54. gxf3 Rxg1 0-1 Schneider,S-Roiz,M/Saint Vincent ITA 2005.

 

11. e4 e5 12. exd5

In the onl y other game I could find to reach this position, White played instead 12. dxe5 Nxe4!? (12… Nxe5 13. Nxe5 Bxe5 14. exd5 cxd5 would transpose to the main game) 13. Nxe4 dxe4 14. Bg5!? (14. Bxe4 Nxe5! 15. Bc3 Nxf3+ 16. Qxf3=) 14… f6 15. Bc4+ Kh8 16. exf6 gxf6 17. Nd4 Nxc5! (17… fxg5 18. Ne6) 18. Bh6 Qd6 19. g3 Rd8 20. Qh5! Qe7 (20… Qxd4? 21. Qf7 f5 22. Rad1 Nd3 23. Bxd3 Be6 (23… exd3 24. Bg5) 24. Qxc7 exd3 25. Rxd3!) 21. Rad1 Nd3 22. Bxd3 Rxd4 23. Rfe1 Be6 (23… f5?! 24. Be3!) 24. Bxe4 Rxd1 25. Rxd1 Rd8 (25… Rg8!?) 26. Rxd8+ Bxd8 27. Be3 Bg8 (27… Bxb3! 28. Bxh7 Qxh7 29. Qxh7+ (29. Qe8+ Bg8! 30. Qxd8 Qb1+ 31. Kg2 Qe4+) 29… Kxh7 30. axb3=) 28. Qg4 Bc7 29. h4 Bd6 30. h5 Bc5 31. Bd2 (31. Bxc5! Qxc5 32. Qd7) 31… Qg7 32. Qf4 Bd4 33. h6 Qe7 34. Bf3 Be5= 35. Qh4 Be6 36. Be3 Kg8 37. Be4 Qd7 38. Kh2 Qd1 39. Bf4 Bd4 40. Be3 Be5 41. Kg2 Bg4 42. f3 Be6 43. g4 Bd5 44. Qh5 Qe2+ 45. Bf2 Kf8 46. Bxd5 cxd5 47. Qf5 Bd4 48. Qc8+ Ke7 49. Qxb7+ Ke6 50. Qc6+ Ke7 51. Qc7+ Ke6 52. Qc8+ Ke7 53. Qb7+ Ke6 54. Qc6+ Ke7 1/2-1/2 Le Quang Liem-Nguyen Huynh Minh H/Singapore SIN 2006.

 

12… cxd5

12… exd4?! 13. d6! dxc3 14. dxc7 Qxc7 15. Bxc3 Nxc5 16. Bxf6 gxf6 17. Bb1

 

13. dxe5 Nxe5 14. Bg5!

14. Nxe5 Bxe5 15. Rc1=

 

14… Be6 15. Be2

15. Re1 Ned7

 

15… Nc6 16. Rc1 Re8 17. Nd4 h6 18. Be3 Ne5 19. h3

19. Nxe6!? Rxe6 20. Re1 b5

 

19… Ng6

Though White has achieved a nice centralization, Black has brought his pieces to the kingside where he may be able to begin an attack.

 

20. Qd2?










White had to play 20. Nxe6! with a slight edge no matter how Black takes back due to the two Bishops. 20… Rxe6 (20… fxe6 21. Bd3) 21. Bf3 Nf4 22. Qd2.

 

20… Bxh3!!

A bolt from the blue! White missed his chance to swap the Bishop and it now punishes him severely.

 

21. gxh3 Qd7

Basically, White will find it very hard to defend because his pieces are poorly placed to cover the critical squares. Meanwhile, so many of Black’s forces are massed on the kingside that he finds it easy to support the attack.

 

22. f3

White’s best try may be 22. f4 but it is very hard to defend after 22… Qxh3 23. Rf3 Qg4+ 24. Kf1 Nh4

meanwhile, there is no point in 22. Kg2? Nh4+ with mate to follow.

 

22… Qxh3 23. Rf2










23… Rxe3! 24. Bf1

24. Qxe3 Bf4 25. Qd3 Bxc1

 

24… Qh4

24… Qg3+ 25. Rg2 Qf4

 

25. Qxe3 Bf4 26. Qd3 Ne5! 27. Qe2

27. Qd1 Be3 (27… Bxc1 28. Qxc1 Qxd4)

 

27… Bxc1 28. Qxe5 Bf4 29. Qe2 Re8 30. Qc2 Qg3+ 31. Kh1 Be3 32. Nd1 Bxd4

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[Michael Goeller]


Evan D Ju (2286) – Milos Scekic (2371) [B01]

2nd NJ Futurity International/Branchburg, NJ USA (9) 2008


1. e4 d5 2. exd5 c6!?










This move seems tantamount to spotting White a pawn. Likely it is something that Scekic has used in blitz.

 

3. dxc6 Nxc6 4. Nc3 e5 5. Nf3

White does best to play more actively than in the game with 5. Bb5! Nf6 6. Nf3 Bd6 7. d3 O-O 8. Bxc6 bxc6 9. O-O Nd5 10. Re1 Bg4 11. h3 Bh5 12. g4 Bg6 13. Nxd5 cxd5 14. Nxe5 Qh4 15. Qf3 Rae8 16. Bf4 Qf6 17. Qg3 Bxe5 18. Bxe5 Qc6 19. Bc3 h6 20. Qf4 a6 21. Qd4 f6 22. Bb4 Rf7 23. Rxe8+ Qxe8 24. Re1 Qa4 25. Qc5 Kh7 26. a3 Qd7 27. Qd6 Qc8 28. Re2 f5 29. Qe6 Qb7 30. Bc3 fxg4 31. Qxg4 Bf5 32. Qg2 Qd7 33. Kh2 d4 34. Bb4 Qb5 35. Qg3 Bc8 36. Re7 Rxe7 37. Bxe7 Qf5 38. Bd6 Bb7 39. Be5 g5 40. h4 Kg6 41. hxg5 h5 42. Qf4 Qxf4+ 43. Bxf4 Bf3 44. Kg3 Bd1 45. c3 a5 46. cxd4 Bb3 47. Bd2 a4 48. Kf4 Be6 49. Ke5 Bf5 50. d5 h4 51. d6 h3 52. Bf4 Bd7 53. d4 h2 54. Bxh2 Kxg5 55. Kd5 Kf6 56. Kc5 Ke6 57. Kb6 Kf7 58. Kc7 Ke8 59. Be5 Bf5 60. d5 Bd7 61. f4 Bf5 62. b4 1-0 Markgraf,A-Reuss,A, Germany 2008.

 

5… Bc5 6. Be2

This set-up is too passive. Better must be 6. Bb5!?

 

6… Nge7 7. O-O O-O 8. d3 f5 9. Kh1

9. Re1 followed by Bf1 seems relatively safe while 9. Be3 Bxe3 10. fxe3 Qb6 is not so good.

 

9… a6 10. Be3 Bd6 11. d4 e4 12. Bc4+ Kh8 13. Ng5 Qe8 14. f4

14. d5 Ne5 15. Be2 (15. Bb3 Ng4) 15… N7g6 (15… f4? 16. Ngxe4!) 16. Qd4 h6 (16… Qe7 17. f4!) 17. Nh3 f4!

 

14… b5 15. Bb3 Na5

Surprisingly, White is already in a tough spot.

 

16. Be6

White likely has to give back the pawn for counterplay by 16. d5!? Qg6 17. Qd4 h6 18. Ne6! Bxe6 19. dxe6 Nxb3 20. axb3 Qxe6 21. Rfd1 Rfd8 22. Qb6

 

16… h6

16… b4! may be even stronger.

 

17. Bxc8! Qxc8 18. Nh3 Nc4 19. Bc1 b4 20. Na4 Nd5 21. Qe2 Qc6 22. b3 Ncb6 23. Nxb6 Qxb6

White is going to be very hard pressed now to defend both his c- and d-pawns.

 

24. Bb2 Rac8 25. g3 Rc7 26. Nf2 Qc6 27. Kg1










27… Bxf4!

A great way to conclude a sparkling game, and objectively much stronger than 27… Qxc2 28. Qxa6!? etc.

 

28. gxf4? Nxf4

White’s Queen has no good square that does not allow tactics involving e3 and Qg2#.

 

29. Qd1 e3 30. d5 Qg6+

White loses the house after 31.Ng4 e2! etc.

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Copyright © 2008 by Michael Goeller