Casual Chess on 092616 - Quick Tournament Oct 10 - A Spassky Classic

Chess is a game for everyone.....casual or formal.

We had seven players this Monday night. And we will have open chess again next week, so stop on by.

For those looking for some tournament action, the LCCC Quick Tournament will begin on Oct 10!

The time limit will be 10 minutes per player with a 5 second delay. Two rounds will be played!

The final two rounds will be played two weeks later on October 24. If we need a final tie break round, that will be on November 7.

So if you always thought that chess was a slow game, here is your chance to experience it .....well....quick!

Its a fun tournament so be sure to sign up!

Now another classic game by Boris Spassky!

Boris Spassky – Lev Polugaevsky

USSR Championship, Baku 1961

       1.      d4                    Nf6

       2.      c4                    e6

       3.      Nf3                  b6

       4.      Nc3                 Bb7

       5.      Bg5                 Bb4

Spassky prefers the complications of this line to the early trades of the counter-fianchetto in the Queen’s Indian. [Igor3000 has the position at (+.3) of a pawn for White.]

       6.      e3                    h6

       7.      Bh4                 g5

       8.      Bg3                 Ne4

       9.      Qc2                Bxc3

      10.  bxc3                d6

      11.  Bd3                 Nxg3

A double edged position is reached after a series of normal moves. (+.2)

 

      12.  fxg3                 g4

      13.  Nh4                 Qg5

      14.  O-O!                Qxe3+

This sacrifice suggests itself. Anything else allows Black time for castling long. (EVEN)

      15.  Kh1                 Nd7!

The beginning of a very deep defense. Now if 16. Rae1, Qg5 and the White rook is misplaced on e1. (+.2)

      16.  Rf4                  Rg8

      17.  Raf1                O-O-O!

The real threat was 18. Qd1 and Re1 with a snare of the Queen. Now this idea fails to 18. ……Ne5! 19. dxe5, de     and the Bishop on d3 falls. White tries to keep the trap “on” with his next move. (+.2)

       18.  R1f2                Qe1+!

Again ….a witty defense! White would have met 18. …..Ne5 with 19. Bf1! But now, Bf1 is weak as 19. …..e5 20. Re2 and the Black Queen can hide on a1! (EVEN)

       19.  Rf1                  Qe3

       20.  Rxf7                Rdf8

       21.  Qe2                 Qxe2

Spassky visualizes that in the ending he will have a King-side majority, targets to work on and the more active pieces. In contrast, Black’s active Queen makes the middle game barren. (+.2)

       22.  Bxe2                h5

       23.  Kg1                 Be4

       24.  Rxf8+              Nxf8

Actually forced because the minor piece ending is very bad after 24. ….Rxf8 25. Rxf8, Nxf8 26. h3     and Black’s King is too far away. (EVEN)

       25.  Kf2!                Ng6

       26.  Ke3                 Bc6

Exchanging the White Knight on h5 for Black is not as good as it looks. (+.4 instead of EVEN)

       27.  Rf6                  Nxh4

The sixth rank for White is more important than the seventh. If the Knight were on d7, White would not have much. [(EVEN) White doesn’t have much now. But Igor3000 is not Spassky. Actually,  Polugaevsky stops defending like Igor3000.]

       28.  gxh4                g3!

But Polugaevsky is still defending well at this point. (EVEN)

       29.  hxg3                Rxg3+

       30.  Kf4                  Rxg2

       31.  Bxh5               Rxa2

       32.  Rxe6                a5

       33.  Bg4                 Kd8

       34.  h5                    Rh2?

 

Position after Black played  34. ..........Rh2?

This move was the error. 

[Igor3000 sees 34. …..Rf2+ 35. Kg5, Rg2 36. Re2, Rg1 37. Kh4, Rh1+ (EVEN). Instead White leads (+1.2)].

       35.  h6                    Bd7

After the pawn race begins with 35. …..a5 36. Kg3, Rh1 37. Bh3, Rg1+ 38. Kf4, Rb1 39. h7, Rh1 40. Bf5 wins easily. (+1.2) Now it is all simply a matter of Spassky technique.]

       36.  Kg3!!               Rh1

Taking the rook with 36. …. Bxe6 loses in all lines.

       37.  Bf3!                 Rg1+

       38.  Bg2!                Rc1

Now all the right squares are covered and the h-pawn must reach the eighth rank.

       39.  h7                    Rxc3+

       40.  Kh2                 Bxe6

       41.  h8 = (Q)+        Ke7

       42.  d5                    Resigns

Nine Players on 091916 Monday - Quick Tournament Starts Oct 3, 2016

Chess is fun for everyone!

We had eight regular players and one new one show up this Monday.

LCCC welcomes Eric S to the club! He got in quite a few casual games this evening.

The next event on the agenda at LCCC will be a Quick Tournament. This means the rounds will have a time limit for each player of 10 to 15 minutes, with a 5 second delay for the clocks that can do that.

We will probably play two rounds a night, so this tournament will go quickly. We will play the tournament on every other Monday - starting October 3rd, 2016. First round will start as close to 6:30pm as possible.

Please join the tournament by preregistering next Monday at the club or by email. Or, get to the club at 6pm and let our tournament director you want into this fun event. As usual, the event is free!

Now another win by the Michigan Class C Champion and LCCC member - Gene McClure. Notes by Gene!

Kung (1700) - McClure (1578)
1. e4      c5
2. Nf3      Nc6
3. d4      cxd4
4. Nxd4      Nf6
5. Nc3       d6
6. Bc4     e6
7. Be3     a6
8. Qd2    Be7
9. Bb3     ........
Rybka prefer this Bishop on e2.

9. .......       O-O
10. O-O     Na5!   Game even
11. f4       Ng4
I seized the chance to gain the bishop pair.

12. f5      Nxe3
13. Qxe3      Nxb3
14. axb3       Qb6?!
This move is not as strong as it seemed here. Rybka prefers Bd7 first.

15. Qf2        Bf6
16. Nde2      Qxf2+
17. Rxf2       b5
18. Rd1?!      .........
Rybka gives 18. Nxb5! which White said after the game he considered. (-.6)

18. .......        Rd8
19. Nf4        exf5
20. Rfd2?!      ........
Rybka wanted either one of White's knights on d5 (-1.1).

20. .......        Bb7?
Rybka says fxe4, then if 21. Rxd6, then ....Bb7 (-1.8) - a pawn and position.

Position after Black played 20. ......Bb7?

21. Nfd5       Bg5
22. Re2        f4
23. Rf1        b4?!
Trying to set up a skewer of White's rooks.

24. Nxb4       a5
25. Nbd5?     ........
To prevent the skewer, Nd3 was required (-.8).

25. ........        Ba6
26. Nxf4        Bxe2
27. Nfxe2       Be3+
28. Kh1        Rac8
29. g3         Bc5
30. Nd5       Re8
31. Nec3       Re5
32. Kg2       Rf8
33. Ra1       Bb4
34. g4       Rg5?
Rybka gives 34.....Bxc3 or h5 (-.9). It was probably better to leave my Rook pressuring White's e-pawn. [Now (+.2) says Igor3000]

35. Kf3      h5
36. h3       hxg4+
37. hxg4     Re8?
Rybka said I needed the rook back on e5 (even). Instead (+.8).

38. Rd1?    ........
(-.3) Back and forth. If 38. Nb5, f6 39. Nbc7, Rb8 40. c3, Bc5 41. Rxa5, Rxb3 42. Rb5, Rxb5 43. Nxb5 (+1.5) - White passed b-pawn.

38. .......        Rg6
39. Nf4?       Rh6!
White was now in time pressure and it appears mental fatigue set in. [-.5 according to Igor3000].

40. Kg3?       ........
This loses the e-pawn. 40. Ncd5 holding on. Instead (-1.8)

40. ......          Bxc3
41. bxc3        Rxe4
42. Rd5?       Rxe3+
Resigns

Gene McClure Wins at the Michigan Open 2016

Gene McClure (left) playing James Karakos

LCCC had seven players play in the Labor Day Michigan Open this year. We also had three former club members in attendance also - Emily and Pat K and Eric Wright - president of the Ann Arbor Chess Club.

Our contingent was:
James K - 3-0-4
Tom H - 2-2-3
Mike N - 2-2-3
Nick D - 2-4-1
John R - 1-2-4
Paul M - 0-2-5
and also the winner of the Class C Division for the State of Michigan - Gene McClure!

Gene finished with a score of 5-1-1 - for SECOND in the overall Reserve Section Tournament and FIRST in the C Division. Congratulations Gene!

LCCC seems to have a lock on this division - in both the Michigan Open and the Michigan Class Championships. Just take a look at our Hall of Fame!

Here is one of Gene's games from the Open. Gene's comments - no brackets. Igor3000 in [  ].

McClure vs Evans
1. e4      c5
2. c3      d6
3. d4      cxd4
4. cxd4     e6
5. Nf3     Bd7
6. Nc3      Be7
7. Bd3      h6?!
8. O-O      Nf6
9. h3      O-O
10. Be3      Nc6
11. a3      Rc8

Position after move 11. White to move.

12. Bc2     Na5
13. Qd3      Nc4!
The correct move order for White was 13. e5 and 14. Qd3. Black took 25 minutes before making this last move.

14. e5 ?!    ........
The move 14. Bc1 prevents 14. Nxb2, but neither player saw this move at the time.

14.  .......    Nxc3?
[Black forgets about the h7 mate threat once his knight is threatened or taken.(-3.5)]

15. fxe3?!     dxe5
[+2.9 - but the better line for White was 15. exf6, Nxc2 (to prevent mate) 16. fxe7, Qxe7 17. Qxc2 (+3.5)]

16. dxe5      Rxc3??
and Black resigns ten moves later.
[ (+5) 16. ....  g6 would at least gives some hope.]

Michigan Open 2016 This Weekend in Livonia - at the Marriott

Michigan Open action - Gene M in the center in the green shirt.

Labor Day weekend is a BIG weekend. Normally the last big summer weekend of the year. Thoughts and plans return to the grind of work and school - with no vacations to look forward to. And no one is thinking about Thanksgiving - - - -  yet.

But the long weekend allows for a BIG chess tournament (7 rounds!) - with longer time limits for the game and with at least some break/meal times in between rounds. For those not familiar with the 'grind' of one or two day tournaments, a tournament like the Michigan Open seems almost humane to the players.

But, there are different schedules you can play also. You can opt for the 4-day, 3 day or the all too familiar 2-day format, with all the groups merging on Day 4.

Eight LCCC players were there.
Gene M
John R
Emily K
Pat K
Mike N
Nick D
Paul M
Tom H

White to move and take over the game!

It was great to see the high turnout of youngsters (ages 7 thru teens) at the event. Emily K was one fo them - and can they play some great chess!

Your humble scribe will post the results and some games as soon as they are available.

Until then, here is a puzzle for your enjoyment.

GM Judith Polgar with White vs GM Viswanathan Anand with Black. Anand is only the former world champion, but Judith played well this day.

White to move and get the advantage - and later win.