Kids Night This Monday! 110819

Paul Morphy - The pride and sorrow of chess masters.

We are having nice crowds at the chess club and we hope to see a return of our younger members for this month's addition of Kid's Night.
Games, lessons or even the ever present Ladder Tournament will be available for the young players. Also a free chess magazine to take home. So come on out to the Club this Monday Night.

Now for an international tournament postal game played in the early 1990's - Tener vs McLellan. Black demonstrates how the best way to answer an attack on the wing is to counter attack in the center!

1. d4          Nf6
2. c4          g6
3. Nc3       Bg7
4. e4          d6
5. f3           O-O
6. Be3        Nc6
7. Nge2      Rb8
8. a3           a6
9. b4           Bd7
10. Qd2      Re8
11. g4?!       .…...

Position after White played 11. g4?! White's King may have too much space!

All book until Black's last move. And White wants to use is board space advantage right away. But Black finds the correct response.

11. ……        b5
12. cxb5        axb5
13. Ng3 ?
White needed 13. Bg2 in order to keep his strong center, develop his last piece and be able to castle to either wing. Now Black pushes back in the center! (-.6) of an advantage for Black now.

13. …..          e5
14. Nxb5        exd4
15. Nxd4        Nxd4
16. Bxd4        Bxg4!
17. Be2 ?!       …….
Black regains the pawn with a slightly larger advantage as the bishop is immune. After 17. fxg4, Nxe4 18. Nxe4, Rxe4 and Black regains his piece with a big plus! The same move 17. Bg2 is still better for White here. Black is now up (-.8).

17. ……         Bh3
18. Kf2 ?      
White's major problem is that his King has no safe haven. Castling king side is now prohibited and castling queen side is castling into air. Staying in the center has a rook and queen X-raying him. Hard to see but 18. Rd1 was the best move. Now Black's advantage is up to (-1.7 pawns).

18. …..           h5
19. Bc4           h4
20. Nf5!?        gxf5
21. Rag1        Ng4+!
McLellan, playing Black, is a teacher of poetry, no accounting. By immediately returning the piece, the Black pieces are left in control of the board, and any hope of counter play by White is a pipe dream. Black is up (-2.1).

22. fxg4         fxg4
23. Bd5          Bxd4+
24. Qxd4        c5!
25. Qc3          Kh7
26. Ra1           …….
White tries hard to keep the Black rooks inactive but McLellan finds a way. 26. Ke2 was better here, as Black is now up (-3.3).

26. …..           Re5
27. Rhe1         Qf6+
28. Kg1           g3!
29. hxg3          Rg8
30. Rf1           Bxf1
31. Rxf1         Qh6
32. Rxf7+       Kh8
33. Rf3 ??       …….
The final blunder in a bad position. As ugly of a move as it is, 33. g4 was needed.

33. ……          hxg3
34. Qb2            g2
White Resigns