Nov. 2, 2001Position No. 5662: White to...

Nov. 2, 2001

Position No. 5662: White to play and win. From the game Brock-Zimninski, Reno 2001.

Solution to Position No. 5661: Black wins a piece with 1 ... e4! 2 Qxe4 Bg4, threatening 3 ... Re8. If 3 Ndc1, then 3 ... Re8 4 Qd3 Qe7 5 Kf2 Bf5 6 Qd2 Nd5 wins the Bishop.

AMERICAN OPEN

The American Open, always a highlight of the local chess circuit, gains enhanced status this year because of a connection to the U.S. Championship. The 12 highest-scoring eligible entrants will earn invitations to the 56-player U.S. Championship, scheduled for January in Seattle.

The competition may be more intense this year, but the extra attractions (chess lectures, free chess movies and separate five-minute and 10-minute tournaments) remain unchanged.

The American Open is scheduled for Nov. 22-25 at the Furama Hotel, 8601 Lincoln Blvd.; Los Angeles. For more information, call Jerry Hanken at (323) 257-9839 or Randy Hough at (626) 282-7412.

LOCAL NEWS

The October Chess Fest, one of the largest scholastic events ever in Southern California, took place last Saturday in Santa Clarita. Organizer Jay Stallings of the California Youth Chess League provided music, face painting, T-shirts, and lectures by IM Jeremy Silman to achieve the terrific turnout of 275 players.

Winners by grade: Boris Kitapszyan, kindergarten; Michael Cosley, first grade; Jackson Stallings, second grade; Kevork Karakouzian, third grade; Gevorg Khachatrian and Armen Samuelian, fourth grade; Melinda West, fifth grade; Anand Kesavaraju and Julian Landaw, sixth grade; Randy Myers, seventh grade; Vanessa West, eighth grade; Max Landaw, ninth grade; Harut Keshishian, 10th grade; Minas Nordanyan, 111th grade; and Ilya Malinskiy, 12th grade.

Varuzhan Akobian is the early leader in the John Rowell Invitational, a 10-player round robin that began last weekend in Century City. Akobian has 31/2-1/2, a half-point ahead of Melikset Khachian. Next at 21/2-11/2 are state champion Levon Altounian and Armen Ambartsoumian. Anyone who scores 51/2-31/2 or better earns a norm toward the title of International Master. The tournament concludes Sunday.

William Pennucci, Jonathan Hanish, David Nufer, Ilya Malinskiy and Steve Conant led their sections in the Wilshire Chess Society tournament last Sunday at the Westside Pavilion. The club will not run a November event but plans a blitz tournament on Dec. 23. Call Michael Jeffreys at (310) 473-6291 for information.

The Exposition Park Chess Club will conduct a free nonrated tournament on Sunday in the public library, 3665 S. Vermont Ave.; Los Angeles. Register at the site at 1 p.m.

Carlos Garcia edged Fereidon Geula on tiebreak to win the eight-player round robin at the West Valley Chess Club in West Hills. Each scored 51/2-11/2. Max Sorkin won the concurrent 33-player Swiss System tournament with a score of 6-1. Class prizes went to Barry Petersen, Ped Bashi, Vigen Haroutunian, Yale Warsaw and Greg Arsenault.

The West Valley Chess Club runs tournaments continuously on Thursday evenings in the Jewish Community Center, 22622 Vanowen St., West Hills. For details, call John Price at (818) 363-1379 or Duane Cooper at (818) 999-0837.

The Santa Monica Bay Chess Club, which meets at 7 p.m. Mondays in Joslyn Park, 633 Kensington Road, Santa Monica, begins a three-round tournament on Monday. For details, call Pete Savino at (310) 827-2789.

The November Octos will be held Nov. 10 at the Chess Center, 2657 Irvine Ave., Costa Mesa. Each entrant plays three games against opponents in his eight-player section. Call Mike Carr at (949) 768-3538 for full information.

TODAY’S GAMES

IM Khachian -Casella, Century City 2001: 1 e4 d6 2 d4 Nf6 3 Bd3 e5 Turning a Pirc Defense into a Philidor. 4 Nf3 Bg4 5 c3 Be7 6 Be3 0-0 7 Nbd2 Nbd7 8 0-0 c6 9 h3 Bxf3 10 Nxf3 White has only a small advantage. Although he controls more space, his Bishop seems no stronger than Black’s Knight. Qc7 11 Bc2 Rad8 12 Qe2 Rfe8 13 dxe5 dxe5 14 b4 a5 15 a3 b5!? 16 Rfd1 Rb8 17 Nh4 c5 First 17 ... g6 inhibits White. 18 Nf5 Bf8 19 Rab1 axb4 20 axb4 c4 Fencing in White’s extra Bishop. 21 Ra1 Ra8 22 Qf3 g6 A nearly forced weakening, as White’s Knight occupied a powerful post. 23 Nh6+ Bxh6 24 Bxh6 Qc6 25 Qe3 Kh8 26 Qd2 Rxa1 Sturdier is 26 ... Nf8. White will not succeed with the invasion 27 Rxa8 Rxa8 28 Bxf8 Rxf8 29 Qd6 Qxd6 30 Rxd6 Kg7, as Black gets counterplay from 31 Rb6? Ra8 32 Kf1 Ra2 and 31 Kf1 Ra8 32 Ke2 Ra2 33 Kd1 Ra1+ 34 Kd2 Rf1. 27 Rxa1 Ng8 28 Be3 Ngf6 29 Bh6 Ng8 30 Bg5 f6 31 Be3 Nf8 32 Ra7 Ra8 Also reasonable is 32 ... Ne6 33 Qd5 Qxd5 34 exd5 Nf4, but not 32 ... Re7?? because 33 Rxe7 Nxe7 34 Qd8 wins a Knight. 33 Rxa8 Qxa8 34 Qd6! Qe8 Avoiding 34 ... Qa1+? 35 Kh2 Qxc3 36 Qxf8 Qxc2 37 Bh6, when White mates. 35 f4 Kg7?! Allowing a superb breakthrough. After 35 ... exf4 36 Bxf4 Ne6 37 Be3 Kg7 38 e5 or 38 Bd1, it’s uncertain if White can make progress. 36 Bc5! Threatening to win a pawn by 37 Qc7+ Kh8 38 fxe5 fxe5 39 Bxf8 Qxf8 40 Qxe5+. exf4 What else? White should win after either 36 ... Nd7 37 Qc6 or 36 ... Ne6 37 fxe6 Nxc5 38 exf6+ Nxf6 39 bxc5! Nxe4 40 Bxe4 Qxe4 41 c6. 37 e5! Activating his KB, at last. Black gets no relief from 37 ... f5 38 Bd1 Ne6 39 Bf3 Nxc5 40 bxc5. fxe5 38 Be4 Nf6 39 Bc6 N8d7 40 Bxb5 Qf7 41 Bf2 g5 42 Qc7 Intending simply 43 Bxc4 and the march of the b-pawn. e4 43 Bd4 Nf8 44 Qe5! Qe6 After 44 ... h6 45 Bxc4 Nbd7 46 Qxe4, Black is helpless against the passed pawns. 45 Qxg5+ Ng6 46 Bxc4! Qxc4 47 Qxf6+ Kh6 48 h4!, Black Resigns.

GM Leko (Hungary)-IM Ghaem Maghami (Iran), World Team Championship, Yerevan 2001: 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6 Bg5 e6 7 f4 b5 The Polugaevsky variation, one of the wildest lines of the Sicilian Defense. 8 e5 dxe5 9 fxe5 Qc7 10 exf6 Another sharp variation branches off with 10 Qe2 Nfd7 11 0-0-0. Qe5+ 11 Be2 Qxg5 12 0-0 Ra7 A characteristic maneuver which develops the Rook and supports f7. 13 Qd3 Rd7 14 Ne4 Qe5 15 Nf3 Black welcomes 15 c3 Bb7 16 Bf3 Bxe4 17 Bxe4 gxf6 18 Rae1 Bc5. Qxb2 Most logical. After 15 ... Qc7 16 Qe3 Bb7, Black faces the same problems without the solace of an extra pawn. White could secure an edge by 17 c3 Bxe4 18 fxg7 Bxg7 19 Qxe4. 16 Qe3 Bb7 17 a4 b4 18 Rab1 If White tries to open the b-file with 18 c3, Black can survive 18 ... Bxe4 19 Qxe4 gxf6. Qxc2 19 Nfg5! The first original move immediately puts Black in serious trouble. Qc7 Perhaps Black should sacrifice his Queen by 19 ... h6 20 Rfc1 Qxa4 21 Ra1 Qxa1 22 Rxa1 hxg5, although White keeps pressure with 23 Rc1. The alternative 20 ... Qa2 21 Nxf7! seems crushing for White, as 21 ... Rxf7 22 Bc4 Qa3 23 Qxa3 bxa3 24 Bxe6 and 21 ... Kxf7 22 Bc4 Qa3 23 Bxe6+ Kxe6 24 Nc5+ Kxf6 25 Qe6+ Kg5 26 Rc4! Bxc5+ 27 Rxc5+ Bd5 28 Rd1! will mate. 20 Rxb4! An unexpected combination that relies on promoting the f-pawn. Bxe4?! White meets 20 ... g6 or 20 ... Nc6 strongly by 21 Rc4. Black will not find a hiding place for his King. 21 Nxe4 Bxb4 22 fxg7 Rg8 23 Nf6+ Kd8 24 Nxg8 Bc5 No better is 24 ... Kc8 25 Rc1 Nc6 26 Nf6. 25 Nf6 Bxe3+ 26 Kh1 Kc8 If 26 ... Rd2 27 g8Q+ Ke7, White wins plenty of material by 28 Nd5+! Rxd5 29 Rxf7+ Kd6 30 Qg3+. 27 Nxd7, Black Resigns.