Thursday, January 16, 2020

GM Maxime Vachier-LaGrave (2780) - GM Ding Liren (2801)

GAME OF THE WEEK   by Alan Lasser

   Although I am a registered Independent, surely this is the dream of every chess player, this must be our wildest fantasy, this is the best thing that could possibly happen for the game of chess(#2-Magnus Carlsen marries Taylor Swift).  Imagine that in the 2020 Presidential Debates, when Trump makes the mistake of bragging about what a great commander he is or how he is smarter than everyone else, Trump’s opponent may counter sharply with, “Well Mr. President, we know from the Mueller Report that you have an interest in the game of chess.  Why don’t we play a game of chess right now, right here on stage in front of the American people, and let them see which one of us is really smarter and a better commander.”  Instantly a chess set is wheeled onstage.  What a moment for chess, it could be the most dramatic game ever played!  Is five-minute okay, Mr. President?  

   Don’t expect him to wuss out and refuse, it would be a disaster in the polls to back down.  Don’t expect him to go to the bathroom and pull out Stockfish, that’s probably not allowed under the debate rules.  He is a smart guy, no doubt Trump has foreseen this possibility and he is already practicing his game online.  Do you recognize his handle?
 
  This is the longest four queens position I have ever seen.  The previous four queens position to appear in this column lasted all of eight ply.  The ladies are here for a full twenty moves.  The strategy on this virtually empty board is just like bughouse, give check and don’t stop giving check.  It was all just harmless fun, of course.
 
GM Maxime Vachier-LaGrave (2780) - GM Ding Liren (2801)
 
11th London Classic, GCT Finals, 12/6/19
 
1.e4 e5 
6.d3 b5 

https://beta.chesstempo.com/pgn-viewer/

 

Cut & Paste the code below, and LOAD into webpage above

 

[Event "11th London Classic"]
[Site "England"]
[Date "2019.12.06"]
[Round "?"]
[White "GM Maxime Vachier-LaGrave"]
[Black "GM Liren Ding"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[BlackElo "2801"]
[ECO "C84"]
[WhiteElo "2780"]
 
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.d3 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.a3 O-O
9.Nc3 Na5 10.Ba2 Be6 11.b4 Bxa2 12.Rxa2 Nc6 13.Bg5 Qd7 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Nd5 a5
16.c4 Ne7 17.Qb3 bxc4 18.Nxe7+ Bxe7 19.dxc4 axb4 20.axb4 Qc6 21.Re1 Rxa2
22.Qxa2 Ra8 23.Qb3 g6 24.b5 Qc5 25.Qc2 c6 26.bxc6 Bd8 27.Nd2 Bb6 28.Nb3 Qxc6
29.Ra1 Rc8 30.Rc1 h5 31.h4 Ra8 32.Ra1 Rxa1+ 33.Nxa1 Qd7 34.g3 $6 { -0.72/30 }
( 34.Qe2 { -0.33/30 } 34...Qa4 35.Nc2 Qb3 36.Kh2 Qb2 37.g3 Bc5
{ 37...Kf8 38. Kg1 Bc5 39. Kf1 Ke8 40. Ne1 Qc1 41. Kg2 Ke7 42. Nf3 Qc3  
-0.12   Stockfish } 38.Kg2 Kg7 39.Qd3
{ 39. Kf1 Kf8 40. Ne1 Qb3 41. Kg2 Qb7 42. Nf3 Ke7 43. Qc2 Qd7 44. Qd2 Kf6  
-0.12   Stockfish } 39...Qb1 40.Kf3 Qg1 41.Ne3 Qe1 42.Nd1 Ba7 43.Qc2 )
34...g5 35.Qd2 gxh4 36.c5 $6 { -1.53/29 } ( 36.Qg5+ { -0.74/27 } 36...Kf8
37.Qxh5 hxg3
{ 37...Qa4 38. Qh8+ Ke7 39. Qxh4+ Kd7 40. Qf6 Qxc4 41. Qf3 Qc1+ 42. Kg2 Ke7
 -0.85  Stockfish } 38.Qh8+ Ke7 39.Qh4+ f6 40.Qxg3 Qa4 41.Nb3 Qxc4 42.Nd2
Qc1+ 43.Nf1 Qg5 44.Qxg5 fxg5 45.Ng3 Bd4 46.Kg2 Kf6 47.f3 Bc5 48.Kh3 Bb6
49.Kg4 Bf2 50.Nf5 Bc5 51.Ng3 Be3 52.Nf5 Bc5 ) 36...Bxc5 37.Qg5+ Kf8 38.Qxh4
Ke8 $6 { -1.18/28 } ( 38...Qg4 { -1.53/30 } 39.Qxg4 hxg4 40.Kg2
{ 40. Nb3 f5 41. exf5 Bb4 42. Kg2 Ke7 43. f3 gxf3+ 44. Kxf3 d5 45. g4 Kf6
46. Kg2 Bd6  -2.97   Stockfish } 40...Ke7 41.f3 d5 42.exd5 Kd6 43.fxg4 Kxd5
44.Nc2 Ke4 45.Ne1 Ke3 46.Nf3 f6 47.Ng1 e4 48.Nh3 Be7 49.Nf2 Kd4 50.Nh3 e3
51.Kf3 Kd3 52.Nf4+ Kd2 53.Ne2 Bc5 54.g5 fxg5 55.g4 Kd3 56.Nc1+ Kc3 57.Ke2 Kc2
58.Nd3 ) 39.Nb3 Qa4 $6 { -0.50/27 } ( 39...Qc6 { -0.96/27 } 40.Nxc5
{ 40. Nd2 Qb6 41. Kg2 Qb4 42. Qg5 Bb6 43. Qg8+ Ke7 44. Qg5+ Kf8 45. Qh6+
Ke8 46. Nf3 Qb2 47. Qxh5 Qxf2+   -0.89   Stockfish } 40...dxc5 41.f3 c4
42.Qxh5 Qc5+ 43.Kf1 c3 44.Qg5 c2 45.Qc1 Qc4+
{ It's mate in 31.    45... Qb5+ 46. Ke1 Qb4+ 47. Ke2 Qc3 48. Kf2 Kd7 49.
g4 f6 50. g5 fxg5 51. Kg3 Qc4 52. Kg4 Qe2 53. Qg1 Qd2 54. Qa7+ Kc6 55. Qa8+
Kc5 56. Qa3+ Kc4 57. Qa6+ Kd4 58. Qa1+ Kd3 59. Qf1+ Kc3 60. Qa1+ Kb3 61. Qf1 c1=Q 62. Qb5+ Kc3 63. Qxe5+ Kd3 64. Kh5 Qf4 65. Qd5+ Ke3 66. Kg6 Qc2 67.
Qe6 Kxf3 68. Qh3+ Kxe4 69. Qe6+ Qe5 70. Qf6 Qxf6+ 71. Kxf6 Qc6+ 72. Kxg5 Qd6 73. Kh4 Qg6 74. Kh3 Kf3 75. Kh2 Qg2# }
46.Ke1 Qb4+ 47.Ke2 Qc3 48.Kf2 f6 49.Ke2 Ke7 50.Kf2 Qd3 51.Ke1 Ke8 52.Qd2 Qb3
53.Qc1 ) ( 39...Qb7 40.Qh3 Bb4 41.Qf5 Qc6 42.Kg2 Qc2 43.Na1 Qc4 44.Qf3 Kd7
45.Nb3 Kc6 46.Qe3 f6 47.Qc1 Qxc1 48.Nxc1 Kc5 49.Ne2 Kc4 50.Kf3 Bc5 51.Ng1 Kd3
52.Nh3 Kd4 53.Ng1 Ba3 54.Ne2+ Kd3 55.Ng1 Bc1 56.Nh3 Bb2 57.Ng1 Bc3 58.Nh3 Ba5
{ Black doesn't make a bit of progress over the next twenty moves. 
Stockfish scores it  -2.04 but it looks like a draw. } 59.Ng1 Bb6 60.Nh3 Bc5
61.Ng1 Kd2 62.Kg2 Bd4 63.Kf3 Bb6 64.Nh3 Ke1 65.Kg2 Bc5 66.Kg1 Bd4 67.Kg2 Bb6
68.Kg1 Ke2 69.Kg2 Bd4 70.Kg1 Kd2 71.Kg2 Bc3 72.Kf3 Kd3 73.Ng1 Ba5 74.Nh3 Kd4
75.Ng1 Bd2 76.Ne2+ Kd3 ) 40.Nxc5 $2 { -1.63/28 } ( 40.Qh3 { -0.50/27 }
40...Kf8 41.Qc8+
{ 41. Nxc5 dxc5 42. Qc8+ Kg7 43. Qxc5 Qxe4 44. Qe7 Qf5 45. Qd8 Qf6 46. Qe8
Qd6   -0.32   Stockfish } 41...Qe8 42.Qa6 Qe6 43.Qb5 Ba7 ) 40...dxc5 41.Qxh5
$6 { -2.03/28 } ( 41.Qh3 { -1.51/27 } 41...Qd1+ 42.Kh2 Qd4 43.Qc8+ Ke7
44.Qc7+ Kf8 45.Qc8+ Kg7 46.Qf5 c4 47.g4 hxg4 48.Qxg4+ Kf8
{ 48... Kf6 49. Qh4+ Ke6 50. Qh3+ Kd6 51. Qa3+ Qc5 52. Qa2 Ke7 53. Kg2 c3  
 -11.29   Stockfish } 49.Qc8+ Ke7 50.Qb7+ ) 41...Qxe4 42.Qh8+ Ke7 43.Qc8 Qd4
44.g4 c4 45.g5 c3 46.Kg2 $2
{ -4.57/25 } ( 46.Qc6 e4 47.Kg2 e3 48.fxe3 Qxe3 49.Qf6+ Ke8 50.g6 Qd2+ 51.Kg1
c2 52.gxf7+ Kf8 { The endgame database says it's mate on move 90. } )
46...Kd6 $6 { -2.85/25 } ( 46...Qe4+ { It's mate on move 77 } 47.f3 Qe2+
48.Kg3 c2 49.Qc5+ Kd7 50.Qd5+ Ke8 51.Qc6+ Kf8 52.Qd6+ Kg8 53.Qd8+ Kh7 54.g6+
Kxg6 55.Qg8+ Kf6 56.Qh8+ Ke6 57.Qc8+ Kd5 58.Qd8+ Kc4 59.Qc7+ Kb3 60.Qb6+ Kc3
61.Qa5+ Kb2 62.Qb6+ Kc1 63.Kg4 Kd1 64.Qb3 Ke1 65.Qb4+ Qd2 66.Qe4+ Kd1 67.Qc4
Qd4+ 68.Qxd4+ exd4 69.Kf4 c1=Q+ 70.Ke5 Ke2 71.Kf6 Kxf3 72.Ke7 d3 73.Ke8 d2
74.Kf8 d1=Q 75.Kxf7 Qd7+ 76.Kf6 Qf4+ 77.Kg6 Qdf7# ) 47.f3 Qd2+ 48.Kh3 Kd5
49.Qf5 Kc6 50.Qc8+ Kd6 51.Qf8+ Kc6 52.Qc8+ Kb5 53.Qb7+ Kc5 54.Qa7+ Kd6
55.Qb8+ Kd5 56.Qb7+ Kd4 57.Qe4+ Kc5 58.Qxe5+ Kc4 59.Qe4+ Kb3 60.Qb1+ $2
{ -4.15/24 } ( 60.Qb7+ { -2.32/26 } 60...Kc2
{ 60...Ka3 61. Qe7+ Kb2 62. Qb7+ Kc1 63. Qxf7 Qxg5 64. Qa7 Qe5 65. f4 Qxf4
66. Qa3+ Kd2 67. Qa5 Qe3+  -51.48   Stockfish } 61.Qxf7 Qxg5 62.Qa2+ Kd3
63.Qa3 Qe3 64.Kg3 Ke2 ) 60...Ka3 61.Qa1+ Kb4 62.Qb1+ Kc5 63.Qf5+ Qd5 64.Qc8+
Kd4 $6 { -2.90/24 } ( 64...Kb4 65.Qb8+
{ 65. Kh2 Qd2+ 66. Kg3 Qxg5+ 67. Kh3 Qh5+ 68. Kg2 Qg6+ 69. Kf1 Qd3+ 70. Kf2
c2 71. Qf8+ Kb3 72. Qb8+ Kc3 73. Qc7+ Qc4 74. Qa5+ Qb4 75. Qa1+ Kb3 76. Qc1
Qd4+ 77. Kg3 Qb2 78. Qe3+ Ka2 79. Qa7+ Kb1 80. Qxf7 c1=Q 81. Qf5+ Qcc2 82. Kf4 Qd4+ 83. Kg5 Qxf5+ 84. Kxf5 Kc2 85. Kg5 Kd3 86. Kg6 Qd7 87. f4 Qe6+ 88.
Kh7 Ke4 89. f5 Kxf5 90. Kh8 Kf6 91. Kh7 Qf7+ 92. Kh8 Qg7# } 65...Kc4 66.Qb1
Qxf3+ 67.Kh2 Qh5+ 68.Kg2 Qxg5+ 69.Kf3 Qd5+ 70.Kg4 Qd3 71.Qa2+ Kb4 72.Qa1 c2
73.Qb2+ Kc4 74.Qa2+ Kc3 75.Qa5+ Kb2 76.Qb6+ Qb3 77.Qf6+ Kb1 78.Qf1+ c1=Q
{ 79. Qf5+ Qcc2 80. Qf1+ Qd1+ 81. Qxd1+ Qxd1+ 82. Kf5 Kc2 83. Kf6 Qd6+ 84.
Kxf7 Kd3 85. Kg7 Qe7+ 86. Kg6 Ke4 87. Kh5 Qg7 88. Kh4 Kf4 89. Kh5 Qh7# } )
65.Qg4+ Kd3 $6 { -1.85/27 } ( 65...Ke3 { -2.32/24 } 66.Qg1+ Ke2 67.Qg2+ Kd3
68.Qf1+ Kc2 69.Qf2+ Kb3 70.Qb6+ Kc4 71.Qa6+ Kd4 72.Qa1 Qxf3+ 73.Kh4 Kd3
74.Qb1+ Ke2 ) ( 65...Kc5 66.g6 fxg6 67.Qg1+ Kc4 68.Qxg6 Qxf3+
{ Stockfish says it's mate on move 102.   69. Kh2 Qf4+ 70. Kh1 Qc1+ 71. Kg2
Qd2+ 72. Kh1 c2 73. Qe4+ Kb3 74. Qf3+ Qc3 75. Qd5+ Qc4 76. Qb7+ Kc3 77.
Qg7+ Qd4 78. Qc7+ Kb2 79. Qb7+ Kc1 80. Qb5 Qe4+ 81. Kg1 Kd2 82. Qa5+ Ke3 83. Qc5+ Kf3 84. Qf2+ Kg4 85. Qd2 Qg6 86. Kh2 Qh5+ 87. Kg2 Qh3+ 88. Kg1 Qg3+
89. Kf1 Qf4+ 90. Ke2 Qc4+ 91. Kf2 c1=Q 92. Qd7+ Kf4 93. Qd6+ Kf5 94. Qd7+ Qe6 95. Qd3+ Kg5 96. Qg3+ Qg4 97. Qe5+ Qf5+ 98. Qxf5+ Kxf5 99. Ke2 Qc2+ 100. Kf3 Qd3+ 101. Kf2 Kf4 102. Ke1 Qc2 }
) 66.g6 c2 $2 { 0.00/30 } ( 66...fxg6 { -1.84/25 } 67.Qxg6+ Kd2
{ The endgame database says Black mates on move 106 after 67...Kd4. } 68.Qg2+
Kc1 69.Qg1+ Kc2 70.Qf2+ Qd2 71.Qb6 Kd3 72.Qg6+ Ke3 73.Qg5+ Kxf3 74.Qg4+ Ke3
75.Qg3+ Kd4 76.Qd6+ Kc4 77.Qc6+ Kb4 78.Qb6+ Ka3 79.Qc5+ Kb2 80.Qb6+ Kc1
81.Qg1+ Kc2 82.Qa7 Qd3+ ) 67.gxf7 c1=Q 68.f8=Q Qh1+ 69.Kg3 Qe5+ 70.Qgf4 Qg1+
71.Kh4 Qh1+ 72.Kg3 Qee1+ 73.Kg4 Qhh4+ 74.Kf5 Qh5+ 75.Kf6 Qa1+ 76.Ke6 Qa2+
77.Kf6 Qb2+ 78.Ke6 Qb3+ 79.Kf6 Qb2+ 80.Ke6 Qb3+ 81.Kf6 Qc3+ 82.Ke6 Qg6+
83.Q4f6 Qc6+ 84.Ke7 Qc5+ 85.Ke6 Qc6+ 86.Ke7 Qc7+ 87.Ke6 Qb6+ 88.Ke7 Qc5+
89.Ke6 Qcf5+ 90.Ke7 Qc5+ 1/2-1/2
 
 

Alan Lasser
blacklightmazes@icloud.com
website: blacklightmazes.com

 

 

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2020 MILL BROOK PARK OPEN  APR. 18

 

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News about Connecticut events in 2020 will be posted here as soon as the pieces start moving again. Last year's news can be found here: 2019.

There are several CSCA events coming up:

  1. 2020 CT Girls' Championship will take place on Sunday January 19 at the Play More Chess Academy in Hamden.
  2. 2020 Greenwich City Scholastic Championship & CSCA NNGP Southern Leg will take place on Sunday January 26 at the Greenwich Academy.
  3. 2020 CT Grade Championship will take place on Saturday February 8 at the Roosevelt School in Bridgeport.
  4. CSCA Regional Scholastic Chess Tournament in southern Connecticut on February 29 or March 1 (more details will be announced soon).
  5. CT K-12 State Championship will take place on March 7 at Manchester High School (more details will be announced soon).

For more registration and more information on these and other upcoming chess events in Connecticut please visit our calendar.

 

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