Enrico Sevillano wins state championship

Position No. 6124: Black to play and win. From the game Samuel Sevian-Tatev Abrahamyan, Pan- Armenian Games, Yerevan 2010.

Solution to Position No. 6123: Black wins the Queen by 1…Bxc4+! 2 Qxc4 Rd2+! 3 Rxd2 Qxc4+ or gains the exchange by 3 Kf1 Rxc2 4 Bxc6 Rxc4 5 Bxb7 Rb4 6 Bc6 Rxb2.

Perennial state champion IM Enrico Sevillano did it again. He won the Southern California Open last weekend in Los Angeles, the sixth time since 2003 he has earned at least a share of first place in the traditional Labor Day weekend state championship.

Sevillano skipped the invitational state championship in August, which he had won the previous four years. However, he defeated Joel Banawa, that tournament’s co-winner, en route to his 51/2 -1/2 score last weekend.

Jouaquin Banawa (Joel’s older brother), John Daniel Bryant and GM Melikset Khachiyan shared second prize at 5-1.

Edward Collins, Alexander Garber and Cijo Paul led the under-1800 section with 5-1 scores. Daniel Asaria and Ryan Jo Perkovich won class prizes.

The turnout of 119 players produced a small profit for the Southern California Chess Federation.

There were 58 entrants in the two scholastic events. Karl Tolentino won the Scholastic Open with 41/2 -1/2, a half-point ahead of Eli Minoofar, John Howard Parker, William Yuen Yee and Jennifer Yu. Ethan Minoofar and Matthew-Kean Wang tied for first in the Scholastic Reserve. Evyn Machi was third.

Austin Cambon led the 15-player Action tournament.

International news

U.S. champion Gata Kamsky scored 71/2-11/2 to take the $10,000 first prize in the Baku Open in Azerbaijan. The 150-player tournament featured 16 grandmasters. Kamsky defeated three GMs and overcame a sixth-round loss to GM Rauf Mamedov of Azerbaijan by winning his last three games.

Five players shared the lead entering the final round, but only Kamsky managed to win. Mamedov was knocked out by Kamsky’s former second, GM Emil Sutovsky of Israel, who tied with three others at 7-2.

Four Southern Californians traveled to Yerevan, Armenia, to participate in the Pan-Armenian Games, which included a chess competition for players of Armenian ancestry. Tatev Abrahamyan and former state champion IM Andranik Matikozyan scored 5-4 in the 40-player event. Harutyun Akopyan (4-5) and Harut Keshishian (3-6) did respectably against strong opposition. Abrahamyan achieved a norm toward the title of Woman Grandmaster.

Local news

The California Youth Chess League plans a fundraising dinner on Sept. 25 in Newhall to benefit Sean’s Fund. The fund, which distributes chess equipment to youngsters in hospitals, was inspired by Sean Reader, a CYCL champion who died of leukemia at age 12 in 2006. For more information, see seansfund.org.

The Riverside Youth Chess Assn. will conduct the William Stockamp Memorial, a tournament for students in grades K-12, Saturday at La Sierra High School, 4145 La Sierra Ave. in Riverside. Call Bruce Bartholomew at (951) 687-5302 for details.

Games of the week

IM Andranik Matikozyan (U.S.A.)-Arnold Minasyan (Armenia), Pan-Armenian Olympics, Yerevan 2010: 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 Nc3 Nc6 4 Bb5 Similar to the Rossolimo Attack against the Sicilian Defense. Qc7 5 0-0 a6 Logical, but Black will trail in development. 6 Bxc6 Qxc6 7 Re1 d6 8 d4 cxd4 9 Qxd4!? e5 Probably best. The natural 9…Nf6 leads to trouble after 10 e5! dxe5 11 Nxe5. For example, 11…Qc7 12 Bg5 Be7 13 Nc4! menaces 14 Nb6, and 13…Qc5 14 Qxc5 Bxc5 15 Na4 is not a solution. 10 Qd3 Be6 11 Bg5 f6 More active is 11…h6 12 Bh4 g5 13 Bg3 Nf6, but Black’s weakened Kingside will remain vulnerable. 12 Be3 Ne7 13 Rad1 Rd8 14 Nd5 b5 15 h3 White could go pawn grabbing by 15 Nb4 Qb7 16 Qa3, but Matikozyan prepares Kingside action. Bf7 16 Nh4 Nxd5 17 exd5 Qc4 18 f4 Rc8 Much safer is 18…Qxd3 19 Rxd3 g6. 19 Qf5! Qxc2? Underestimating the danger. Black should resist with 19…Be7 20 Qg4 g6. 20 Qg4 Threatening both 21 Nf5 and 21 Rc1. h5 21 Qg3 Kd7 The computer points out 21…Qh7 22 fxe5 dxe5 23 d6 Be6 24 Bg5!!, setting up a Rook sacrifice at e5. 22 Rc1 Qd3?! White will exploit the lineup of Queens with a fine combination. No better is 22…Qxb2?! 23 Ng6, but 22…Qe4 23 Rxc8 Kxc8 24 Rc1+ Kd7 25 Bb6 Bxd5 is tougher. Nevertheless, White’s attack appears relentless after 26 Ng6 exf4 27 Nxf4, as Black cannot use all of his pieces. 23 Rxc8 Kxc8 24 Rc1+ Kd7 25 Rc7+! Inviting 25…Kxc7 26 Bb6+ Kxb6 27 Qxd3, which is Black’s only chance to prolong the game. Ke8 26 Rc8+ Kd7 After 26…Ke7 27 Bb6! Qxd5 28 f5!, Black cannot stop both 29 Qc3 and 29 Ng6+. 27 Rd8+! Ke7 28 Bb6! Relying on 28…Qxg3 29 Nf5 mate. Qe4 Even the best defense, 28…Qxd5 29 fxe5 Ke6 (not 29…Qxe5 30 Nf5+! Ke6 31 Nd4+ Ke7 32 Nc6+) 30 exf6 Qe5, will lose to 31 Qf2 Qxf6 32 Nf3. 29 Qc3 f5 30 Qc7+ Kf6 31 Rxd6+, Black Resigns.

GM Emil Sutovsky (Israel)-GM Rauf Mamedov (Azerbaijan), Baku 2010: 1 e4 Mamedov shared the lead before this last-round game, but faced a very dangerous attacker. c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 Nc3 Nc6 4 d4 cxd4 5 Nxd4 Qc7 Taimanov’s variation of the Sicilian Defense. 6 Be3 Nf6 A playable alternative to the standard 6…a6. 7 f4 Nxd4 Black usually chooses 7…d6 or 7…Bb4 8 Ndb5 Qa5. 8 Qxd4 b6 New. Previously, Black relied on 8…Ng4 9 0-0-0 Nxe3 10 Qxe3 Bc5 11 Qg3 0-0, with almost even chances. 9 Nb5 Qc6 10 Qc4! Threatening 11 Nc7+. Bc5? Black’s attempt to surprise White backfires. He had to play 10…Kd8, accepting a small disadvantage by 11 e5 Nd5 12 Bd2 Qxc4 13 Bxc4 Bb7 or 11 Qxc6 dxc6 12 0-0-0+ Bd7 13 Nc3 Bb4. 11 Bxc5 bxc5 12 e5 Nd5 13 Nd6+ Ke7 14 f5! Few pieces are developed, yet already White has an unstoppable attack. He threatens 15 Qh4+ Kf8 16 Qh5. f6 Neither 14…exf5 15 0-0-0 nor 14…Ne3 15 f6+! gxf6 16 Qh4 helps Black. 15 Qg4 fxe5 Dreaming of counterplay from 16 Qxg7+? Kxd6 17 Qxh8 Qa4. The defensive 15…Rg8 would fail to 16 Bb5 Qb6 17 0-0-0, anticipating 17…Ne3 18 Nxc8+ Raxc8 19 Rxd7+ Kf8 20 Qh5 or 17…fxe5 18 Nxc8+ Raxc8 19 Qg5+! Ke8 20 fxe6 Qxe6 21 Rhe1. 16 Bb5! Qxd6 Now Black drops the exchange without compensation. However, he could not survive 16…Qb6 17 Nxc8+ Rhxc8 18 Qxg7+ or 16…Qc7 17 Ne4! Rg8 18 0-0-0. 17 Qxg7+ Kd8 18 Qxh8+ Kc7 19 0-0-0 Rb8 20 c4?! The only flaw in a great performance. Instead, 20 a4! Ba6 21 Qxh7 Bxb5 22 axb5 prevents 22…Rxb5 because of 23 c4. Ba6 21 Qxh7 Bxb5 22 cxb5 e4?! Black has swindling chances after 22…Rxb5 23 Rhe1 c4. 23 fxe6 Qxe6 24 Qh5, Black Resigns.