MCC Holiday Swiss (Round 4)

Victory! I met Venkata Vutukuri over the board for the second time last night and played what I feel was a pretty reasonable game of chess. For the first time in a while I didn’t make any overt, material losing, blunders. I developed, got a good position, attacked a weak spot, and eventually his position fell apart. For his part my opponent didn’t make any material losing blunders either. This game had relatively equal material right to the end, save for some pawns here and there.

Once again I was victorious in second meetings (+4 =0 -0 now) and I won my U1300 section. Sadly, given that many of the other U1300 players in my skill range played up this month, it’s not that much of an accomplishment. As I said 3 weeks ago, I would have been a little upset if I _didn’t_ win this section. But still, it is an accomplishment and I’m proud of it.

I think with the winnings ($40) I’ll become a member of the MetroWest Chess Club.

Next week: Adventures in U1450 Land.

Venkata Vutukuri    —    Steve Wollkind (1120)
MCC Holiday Swiss (2006)  (4)   MetroWest Chess Club
2006.12.26     0-1     B01t

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.c4 c6 (D)

I haven’t yet learned enough about the Icelandic gambit to play it, but someday I will. For now I play it safe with c6 and let white choose whether I’ll be playing a gambit line or not.

( 3…e6 The Icelandic gambit. On my short list of “unsound openings I plan to learn.” )

4.dxc6

The Scandinavian gambit accepted. White’s other primary option is to transpose into the Panov-Botvinnik Attack line in the Caro Kann. I’m glad no one tends to do this against me since I haven’t learned anything about it yet.

( 4.d4 Transposing to the Panov-Botvinnik 4…cxd5 5.Nf3 e6 6.Nc3 Bb4 )

4…Nxc6

Black’s plan here is to clamp down on the d4 square with moves like e5 and Bc5 and to prevent white from ever playing d4. The d pawn becomes weak and a target of attack.

5.Nf3 e5 6.Nc3 Bc5

( 6…e4!? )

7.Na4 (D)

With Na4 I’m officially out of my “book’ such as it is, though I don’t even know what white’s typical moves are in this line. My plan, such as it is, has been accomplished.

7…b6

This looks reasonable to me. After the exchange it will allow me to continue to control d4, at the cost of the bishop pair and an isolated pawn. This may be too much to give up, and it seems clear to me that after the exchange on c5 white’s plan must be to attack my weak a and c pawns and push his majority up the board.

8.Nxc5 bxc5 9.d3 O-O 10.Bg5 (D)

Here I considered h6 to force the issue with the bishop, but decided there was no reason: if he wants to exchange, he’ll exchange. No need to weaken my pawn structure in the process. I also considered Qd6 to break the pin, continue to defend f6 and bring defense to my hanging pieces on c5 and c6. I opted against this, however, as on d6 the queen has very limited mobility and I’m asking her to do an awful lot of work there as well.

10…Re8

I opted for the safe, developing Re8. In my recent games I’ve started to notice that if you put rooks on lines with enemy kings and queens, good things just seem to happen.

11.Be2

Getting another piece between my rook and his king, and preparing to castle.

11…Bf5

Developing and attacking the weak d3 pawn.

12.O-O

( 12.Nh4 Nd4 )

12…Nb4

Adding a 3rd attack to d3. White can bring no more defense to the square unless he plays Ne1, which looks a little awkward. His only other option is to exchange on f6 and then kick the knight.

13.Bxf6 Qxf6 14.a3 Nc6 15.h3 (D)

My opponent told me that he made this move because he didn’t want my bishop going to g4, but that was never in my plan. I’m still going after the d3 pawn with everything I have, with added threats of Qg6 and Bh3.

15…Rad8

Again, just getting a rook on a line with an enemy queen. Now the threat is e4, forcing an awkward knight retreat to d2 or h2.

16.Qc2

Sensibly moving the queen off of the d file.

16…Nd4

The white knight on f3 is preventing moves that I would like to make, specifically Qg6. This move more or less forces Nxd4.

17.Nxd4 Rxd4 (D)

I’m not sure if this is the right recapture, but I liked it a lot. The rook is impossible to dislodge now that white’s only minor piece is the light squared bishop. This keeps the pressure on d3, with the possibility of two more attackers being piled on, and opens new threats for rook moves along the 4th rank as part of an attack on white’s king. The downside is that I pass up an option to shore up my pawns on the queenside with exd4. Still, I think the rook move is the stronger option.

18.b4

My opponent told me that he felt b4 was a blunder. He thinks that he should have played Rad8, and after Qg6 Kh2. I think he is still in trouble as after Red8 the d3 pawn still falls.

18…Qg6

I wasn’t particularly worried about the b pawn going anywhere. Yes, I’m giving him the chance to just pick off my c pawn, but this would significantly weaken his structure and I think that I wouldn’t have too much trouble winning one or both of his c pawns, especially once the pawn on d3 is gone.

19.g4

My opponent again labeled this as a blunder, saying that even here he should have preferred Kh2. The d pawn still falls, though.

19…Bxd3 20.Bxd3 Rxd3 (D)

White has several ways to go wrong here. My opponent played f3, preventing the rook check and indirectly guarding h3. Stronger seems to be Rac1, defending the queen.

21.f3

( 21.bxc5?? Rg3+! )

( 21.Qe2 Rxh3 )

( 21.Rac1 e4 22.Kg2 f5 )

21…e4

My opponent told me after the game that on this move “I was terrified, because nothing happened. I expected f5 or h5, but when I saw e4 I just thought ‘well, there goes the game’”

I was highly entertained.

22.Qe2 h5 23.Rad1 Rxa3 24.Kh2 (D)

24…hxg4 25.hxg4 cxb4 26.Kg3 f5 27.c5 (D)

Every remaining black move in the game is a check.

27…Qxg4+ 28.Kf2

( 28.Kh2 Kh2 fares no better. 28…Qh5+ 29.Kg1 exf3 30.Qc4+ Kh7 31.Rf2 Re4 32.Qd5 Rg4+ 33.Rg2 Rxg2+ 34.Kf1 Qh1# )

28…Rxf3+ 29.Ke1 Qg3+ 30.Kd2 Rd8+ 31.Kc1 Rc3+ 32.Kb1 Rb3+ (D)

Here white must give up his queen to avoid mate, but is lost in any case.

33.Kc1

This and Ka1 lose fastest. Qb2 prolongs it a bit.

( 33.Ka1 Qc3+ 34.Ka2 Ra3+ 35.Kb1 Ra1# )

( 33.Qb2 Rxb2+ 34.Kxb2 Qc3+ 35.Kb1 Rxd1+ 36.Rxd1 b3 )

33…Qc3+

With mate in 2 staring him in the face, my opponent resigned.

( 33…Qc3+ 34.Qc2 Qa1+ 35.Qb1 Qxb1# )

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Diagrams generated using Steve Eddins’ Chess Imager http://www.eddins.net/steve/chess/chessimager