The 2021 New Britain Chess Club Championship resulted in a tie between FM Nelson Castaneda and Joe Bihlmeyer. Joe lost to Nelson early but won all of his other games to catch up after two other players (Mark Bourque and Gert Hillhorst) were able to hold Nelson to draws. A playoff game also went Nelson’s way.
The following game between the top two shows the spirited play that brought BOTH players to the top of the heap.
Event "NBCC Club Championship 2021: Round 2
Joe Bihlmeyer - Nelson Castaneda
A GOOD SMITH-MORRA
Site "https://lichess.org/study/y2BnqSve/AKDZc7tT"
UTCDate "2021.07.21"
ECO "B21"
Opening "Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Accepted"
Annotated by FM Rick Bauer"
1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3!?
The Smith-Morra is a good weapon. White gets easy development with enough pressure to keep black on the defensive.
3... dxc3!?
Accepting the challenge is the only way to gain a theoretical edge, but not the only way to play. Black can also get a good game by declining with 3... Nf6!? 4. e5 Nd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 =
4. Nxc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 d6 6. Bc4 e6
Old School! Playing both e6 and d6 gives black a solid, but constrained game. 6... a6
7. O-O Be7
This and ...Nf6 can be played in either order.
8. Qe2 Nf6 9. Rd1 e5!? =
9... Bd7 10. Nb5 Qb8 11. Bf4 Ne5 12. Nxd6+! Bxd6 13. Rxd6 Qxd6 14. Nxe5 Qe7 15. Rd1 O-O 16. Nxd7 Nxd7 17. Bd6 Qg5 18. Bxf8 Nxf8 is also equal but most of the play is gone.
10. h3
10. Be3!?, 10. Bg5 O-O
10... O-O
10... Be6
11. Be3 a6
11... Be6 12. Rac1 Rc8
12. a4
12. Nd5
12... Be6 =+ 13. a5?!
13. Bxe6 fxe6 14. Qc4 Qd7 15. Ng5 Nd8 -/+ Hardarson, Robert - Hjartarson, Johann, 0-1, ISL-ch, 1991, https://lichess.org/4IB23sdM
13... Rc8?
Clearly, the b6 square is now sensitive, but how can white take advantage? The answer is to start on the other side and create a second weakness! 13... Bxc4 14. Qxc4 Nxa5 15. Qb4 Nc6 16. Qxb7 Qc8
14. Bb6? =+
Putting the B on this square blocks it from the N! 14. Bxe6 fxe6 15. Ng5! Qd7 16. Na4! The beautifully coordinated attack of the two knights on either side of the board wins back the material, and then some.
14... Bxc4 15. Qxc4 Qd7 16. Qd3 =+ h6
16... Bd8!? returns the backward pawn in exchange for a target on b6. 17. Qxd6 Qxd6 18. Rxd6 Bxb6 19. axb6 Rfd8
17. Rd2 17. Ra4 Rfe8 17... Nb4! 18. Qe2 Qe6 18. Rad1 Bf8 19. Qe2 Nb4!
Black has found a remarkable way to contest d5 with a “floating outpost.” The Nb4 is not protected at all, but cannot be attacked!
20. Nh4 g6 21. Qf3 Kg7 22. Qg3 Nh5 23. Qf3 Nf6 24. Qg3
Based both on position and rating, white would be happy with a draw by repetition, but black is not.
24... Kh7 -/+ 25. Qf3 Qe6
25... Be7 looks risky but the B is not overloaded. Only major pieces can target d6 and f6.
26. g4!
In a difficult position to play, white finds the strongest plan. The idea is not to advance the kingside but to centralize the Nh4 via g2, e3, and d5.
26... Rc4?!
Black misses the deep point of white's last move and aids the plan with a tempo.
27. Ng2! Nd7 28. Ne3 Nxb6 29. axb6 Rc5 30. Ned5 Nxd5 31. Nxd5 =
White's unshakable grip on the light squares gives him full compensation for the backward d6 pawn. 31. exd5 =
31... Rec8 32. Kg2
32. Nc7! and it is hard for black to avoid repetition. 32... Qd7 33. Nd5 Qe6 34. Nc7
32... Kg7 33. b4?!
33. Nc7 Qf6 34. Qxf6+ Kxf6 35. Nd5+ Ke6
33... Rc4 =+ 34. Qe2 34. Rd3 34... R8c6 -/+ 35. Ra1
35. h4
35... Be7?
Black has the right idea, to target the b6 pawn, but misses white's next shot. 35... Qd7 is the only way to prevent it.
36. Rxa6! Bg5
36... bxa6 37. b7 Rxb4 38. Nxb4 Rb6 39. Nc6 Rxb7 40. Qxa6 Rb1 41. Nxe7 Qxe7 42. Qxd6 is completely equal.
37. Raa2??
After all the beautiful maneuvers and counter maneuvers, white simply hangs the exchange. 37. b5 37. Nc7 37. Rda2
37... Bxd2 38. Rxd2 f5?
Black wants to open lines for his rooks but runs into a tactic. Surer would be 38... Rd4 $19 39. Rxd4 exd4 40. Qd3 f5! or 38... Rc1
39. exf5 gxf5
On move 40 white is down an exchange and pawn structure, but the dominant knight on d5 gives complete compensation if it is used to the fullest.
40. Nc7?!
40. b5! R6c5 41.Ne3! maintains dynamic equality.
40... Qg6 41. b5 Rxc7!
Black’s best chance is to return the exchange for one of the b pawns! Not 41... R6c5 42.Rxd6! Qxd6 43.Ne8+ +-
42. bxc7 Rxc7 43. Qd3?! 43. Qd1! Is almost equal.
43... Rd7 =+ 44. f4 e4 45. Qd4+ Kh7 46. Kg3
This natural move is a mistake! 46. Kh2! fxg4 47. hxg4 is better since the g pawn cannot be taken without dropping the e pawn.
46... fxg4 47. h4?
White probably didn’t like the looks of 47. hxg4 h5 48. g5 Qf5 -/+ but the cure is worse than the disease: 2 pawns down vs one
47... d5 47... Qe6! 48. b6? 48. Qe5! 48... Qg7 48... Qd6 49. Qc5 49. Qe3 49... Qf7 50. Rc2!? d4! 51. Rc4? d3 52. Qe5 Qd5!
The human way to win. Stockfish can find the more forcing 52... d2! 53. Qxe4+ Qg6 54. f5 Qd6+ 55. Kg2 Qd5!
53. Rc7 Qxe5 54. fxe5 Rg7 55. e6 d2 56. e7 d1=Q 57. e8=Q Qf3+ 58. Kh2 g3+ 59. Kh3 g2+
0 - 1
59... Qh1# is faster but less aesthetic. 60. Kh2 g1=Q# The two queen mate is much prettier.
