Eight Players on Monday 031615

Tournament chess is for everyone!

A casual chess night with eight players. A little calm after the exciting Club Championship

Casual chess can be a semi-serious practice game, as long as you don’t mind the chatter of the other club members doing other things.

Those can be lessons, reviewing games, discussing openings or endings, playing a real casual game where the game – among other things are discussed during the game.

Conversations about anything could break out, and not even chess related!

We have events planned for later here at LCCC. But in the mean time, come on by for the ‘casual’ chess events – like our continuous Ladder Tournament!

We now present a game played by two 2300+ rated players in the 1930 Toronto Chess Championship.

As you will see, even their play is not always stellar either. They error as do us mere mortal players.

Igor3000 – the LCCC chess program – will do the analysis.

      1.      d4                    Nf6

      2.      c4                    e6

      3.      Nc3                 c5

      4.      d5                    d6

      5.      e4                    e5?!

Black is setting up a type of ‘Stonewall Defense’, but Black is cramped and must counter punch soon or slowly be smothered. White is already positionally up a pawn (+1).

      6.      f4                     g6 ?!

Now (+1.3)

      7.      fxe5                 dxe5

      8.      Nf3                  Bg7

      9.      Bd3?               …….

The bishop has no future there trapped behind two blocked pawns (+1). Be2 was better.

       9…….                  O-O

      10.  O-O                 Ne8?

Na6  looks worse but a) doesn’t move a knight from a good square and b) doesn’t break the chess opening rule of moving the same piece twice in the opening (+1.1).

     11.  b3                    Nd6

     12.  Bb2                 f5

     13.  Qe2                 f4

    14.  Na4?                Nd7

A knight on the rim is grim as it controls half its normal squares and it is about as far away from both kings and the center of the board as it can be (+.5).  

     15.  Kh1                 b6

     16.  Bc3                  g5

     17.  Ng1?               Nf7?

White moves his other Knight away from the center as Nd2 was better (=). But Black gets too aggressive and this move would allow White some queenside activity with 18. B4, cxb4 19. Bxb4 (+.2). Qe7 was safer for Black (=).

     18.  Nb2                 Nf6

     19.  Nd1?               …….. 

Black to move after 19. Nd1?

 

These dubious knight moves allows Black to get an attack rolling.

     

            19.……..               g4

            20.  Be1                  Qd6

            21.  g3?                  Nh5

The wrong plan for White as this allowed Black to add an attacker to the g3 square (-2.2). 21. h3 was safer (-.8).

            22.  Nc3                 Qh6

            23.  Qg2                 Ng5

            24.  Rd1?               Bd7

The rook will not arrive in time(-2.6). 24. A3 for counterplay was a better plan. Sometimes the best defense is offense (-1.8).

            25.  Rd2                 Rf7 ?

Much better was 25…..fxg3 26. Bxg3, Nf4 27. Bxf4, exf4 28. Nb5, f3 29. Qg3, Nxe4 30. Bxe4, Qxd2 31. Nxf3, gxf3 (-5.8)!

      26.  Bc2                  Raf8

     27.  d6?                  fxg3

Pointless move by White (-5.5). 27. Rd1 holds on longer (-2.7).

     28.  Rxf7                Rxf7

     29.  Bxg3               Nh3

     30.  Nb1                 N3f4

     31.  Qf2                  Ne2!

     32.  Qe1?                Nhxg3

White had to swallow the bitter pill and take the pesky knight(-5.5). Now a pretty queen sacrifice to end it. Can you find it?

      33.  Kg2                 Qh3+

      34.  Nxh3               gxh3++