Saturday, August 13, 2022

GAME OF THE WEEK, by Alan Lasser

   It’s always a pleasure to honor a long-time reader of this letter who finally gains the master title.  Unfortunately, while the letter was on hiatus, I was unable to congratulate Rod Hajaj on his achievement.  Brandon Wang, however, had the good timing to wait until after I started writing again to become a master so I could feature his big accomplishment.  When we first met, he was a little kid who liked to play bughouse.  Soon he could beat me, and when he was eight years old, one of his wins against me appeared on this page.  He took first in the expert section at the recent Continental Open, which is a profitable way to earn the title.  It wasn’t easy for Brandon, he was losing for much of the final game;  but a master needs persistence and determination, and Brandon soldered on in a difficult position until he had a chance to turn the table.  Congratulations!
 
Brandon M. Wang(2217)-Evan Ling(2175)
7/25/22
Continental Open
Sturbridge, MA
3.c4 e6 
8.a4 c6 
40.Qf6+ 1-0
 
 
 
[Event "Continental Open"]
[Site "Sturbridge, MA"]
[Date "2022.07.25"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Brandon M. Wang"]
[Black "Evan Ling"]
[Result "1-0"]
[BlackElo "2175"]
[ECO "D02"]
[WhiteElo "2217"]
 
1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 Nbd7 5.Bf4 dxc4 6.e4 Bb4 7.Qc2 b5 8.a4 c6
9.Be2 Bb7 10.O-O a6 11.Bg5 ( 11.b3 cxb3 12.Qxb3 Bxc3 13.Qxc3 Nxe4 14.Qc2 Nef6
15.Bd6 Nb6 16.Bc5 Nfd7 17.Ne5 Nxc5 18.Qxc5 Nxa4 19.Rxa4 bxa4 20.Bf3
{ -0.36 Stockfish } ) 11...h6 12.Bh4 ( 12.Bd2 Bxc3 13.Bxc3 c5 14.axb5 axb5
15.b4 Bxe4 16.Qb2 cxd4 17.Nxd4 { -1.61 Stockfish } ) 12...Be7 13.Rad1 ( 
13.h3 O-O 14.Rad1 Nh5 15.Bxe7 Qxe7 16.Qc1 Nhf6 17.Nh2 e5 18.dxe5 Qxe5
{ -1.35 Stockfish } ) 13...O-O 14.Ne5 ( 14.Nd2 Nh7 15.Bg3 Qb6 16.Kh1 Rac8
17.f3 Nhf6 18.b3 cxb3 19.Nxb3 Nh5 20.Bf2 { -1.37 Stockfish } ) 14...Nxe5
15.Bxf6 gxf6 ( 15...Ng6 16.Bxe7 Qxe7 17.Qc1 Rad8 18.Qe3 Rd7 19.Rd2 Rfd8
20.Rfd1 Qg5 { -2.39 Stockfish } ) 16.dxe5 Qc7 17.exf6 ( 17.f4 fxe5 18.f5 Bg5
19.Kh1 Rad8 20.fxe6 fxe6 21.Bg4 Rxf1+ 22.Rxf1 Qe7 { -2.89 Stockfish } )
17...Bxf6 18.Qc1 Kg7 19.Bg4 ( 19.Qe3 Rad8 20.Qc5 Rxd1 21.Rxd1 Rd8 22.Rxd8
Bxd8 23.g3 Bf6 24.axb5 axb5 { -3.08 Stockfish } ) 19...Rad8 20.Rde1 e5 ( 
20...b4 21.Ne2 c5 22.Ng3 Kh7 23.Re2 Rg8 24.Bh5 Rd4 25.Rc2 Bxe4 26.Nxe4 Rxe4
27.Rxc4 Bd4 { -3.80 Stockfish } ) 21.Ne2 Bg5 22.f4 ( 22.Qb1 Rd3 23.Ng3 Rfd8
24.Nf5+ Kh7 25.Be2 Rd2 26.h4 Bf6 27.Rd1 Bc8 28.Rxd2 Rxd2 29.Rd1 Qd8 30.g3
Rxd1+ 31.Qxd1 Qxd1+ 32.Bxd1 Be6 { -3.00 Stockfish } ) 22...exf4 23.Qc3+ $6 ( 
23.Nxf4 Qe5 24.Bf5 Rd6 25.Qe3 Qd4 26.e5 Qxe3+ 27.Rxe3 Rd4 28.Nh5+ Kh8
{ -3.62 Stockfish } ) 23...f6 $2 { 0.00/22 } ( 23...Kg8 { -1.60/22 } 24.Qh3
Qe5
{ 24...Rfe8 25. Nc3 Bc8 26. Bxc8 Qxc8 27. Qh5 Qc7 28. Kh1 Qe5 29. axb5 axb5
30. h4 Bf6 -5.77 Stockfish } 25.Qh5 Qxb2 26.h4 Bf6 27.Qxh6 Bg7 ) 24.h4 $2
{ -1.17/21 } ( 24.Nd4 { 0.00/22 } 24...Qb6 25.Rd1 Kg8 26.Kh1 c5 27.Ne6 Rxd1
28.Rxd1 Bc8 29.Qh3 Bxe6 30.Bxe6+ Kh8 31.Qg4 Rd8 32.Rxd8+ Qxd8 33.h4
{ 33.Bd5 = Stockfish } 33...f3 34.hxg5 fxg2+ 35.Kxg2 Qd2+ 36.Kh3 Qd3+ 37.Kh2
Qd2+ 38.Kh3 ) 24...Rd3 $6 { -0.82/24 } ( 24...Bxh4 { -1.17/21 } 25.Nxf4 Bc8
26.Bxc8 Qxc8 27.Re3
{ 27. g3 Bg5 28. e5 Bxf4 29. exf6+ Kh8 30. f7+ Kh7 31. Rxf4 Rd3 32. Qc2
-2.67 Stockfish } 27...Qg4 28.Rh3
{ 28. axb5 axb5 29. Ref3 Rfe8 30. Qe3 Kh7 31. b3 f5 32. e5 cxb3 33. Qxb3
Rxe5 -4.72 Stockfish } 28...Kh7 29.Qc2 Kg8 30.Ng6 Qxg6 31.Rxh4 Rd3 32.Rhf4
Rg3 33.Rf5 Rg5 34.R5f2 Kh7 35.Rd2 Re5 ) 25.Qc1 ( 25.Qc2 h5 26.Bf5 Bh6 27.e5
Rd5 28.Nxf4 Bxf4 29.Rxf4 Rxe5 30.Rd1 { -1.46 Stockfish } ) 25...Qb6+ $6
{ -0.35/21 } ( 25...Bc8 { -0.65/22 } 26.hxg5 hxg5 27.Bxc8
{ 27. Nxf4 gxf4 28. Qxf4 Qxf4 29. Rxf4 Rd4 30. Bxc8 Rxc8 -3.70 Stockfish }
27...Rxc8 28.Nc3
{ 28. a5 Rh8 29. Nxf4 gxf4 30. Qxf4 Qxf4 31. Rxf4 Re8 32. Re2 Re5 -5.21
Stockfish } 28...Qe5
{ 28... Qa7+ 29. Rf2 Re8 30. axb5 axb5 31. Ne2 Rxe4 32. Kf1 Ree3 -7.36
Stockfish } 29.axb5 Rh8 30.Rf2 f3 31.gxf3 Qg3+ 32.Rg2 Qh4 33.Kf1 ) 26.Kh1 Bc8
$2 { +1.75/22 } ( 26...Qc7 { -0.35/20 } 27.Rf3
{ 27. Nxf4 Bxf4 28. Rxf4 Qe5 29. Ref1 c5 30. Qe1 c3 31. bxc3 Qxc3 -0.08
Stockfish } 27...Qe5
{ 27... Qd6 28. axb5 cxb5 29. hxg5 hxg5 30. Ng1 Rh8+ 31. Rh3 Rhxh3+ 32.
Bxh3 Qd4 -0.70 Stockfish } 28.hxg5 hxg5 29.Ng1 Bc8 30.Bxc8 Rxc8 31.Rh3
{ 31. Rxd3 cxd3 32. Nf3 Rh8+ 33. Kg1 Qe7 = Stockfish } 31...g4 32.Rh2 Rcd8 )
( 26...Qc5 27.Nxf4 Bxf4 28.Rxf4 Qe5 29.Ref1 c5 30.Qe1 c3 31.bxc3 Qxc3 32.Qxc3
Rxc3 33.e5 Rc2 34.exf6+ Rxf6 35.Rxf6 Bxg2+ 36.Kg1 Bxf1 37.Rxf1 Rc4
{ -0.06 Stockfish } ) 27.Bxc8 Rxc8 ( 27...f3 28.hxg5 hxg5 29.gxf3 Rxc8 30.Ng3
Rh8+ 31.Kg2 Kg6 32.Nf5 Qa5 33.Re2 Qc7 34.Rh1 Rdd8 { +4.58 Stockfish } )
28.Nxf4 Bxf4 29.Qxf4 Rf8 ( 29...Qd8 30.Qg4+ Kh8 31.Qh5 Rd7 32.e5 Qe8 33.Qxh6+
Rh7 34.Qxf6+ Kg8 35.Rf5 Rg7 36.Rg5 Rc7 37.e6 Rxg5 38.Qxg5+ Rg7 39.Qf4 Qg6
40.Qf3 { +8.72 Stockfish } ) 30.e5 $2 { +0.02/23 } ( 30.Qg4+ { +1.53/23 }
30...Kh7
{ 30...Kh8 31. e5 Qd4 32. Qh5 Kh7 33. e6 Qd5 34. e7 Rg8 35. Qxd5 Rxd5 36.
e8=Q Rxe8 37. Rxe8 +18.89 Stockfish } 31.Qf5+
{ 31. e5 Qd4 32. Qf5+ Kh8 33. Qh5 Kh7 34. e6 Qd5 35. e7 Rg8 36. Qxd5 Rxd5
37. e8=Q Rxe8 38. Rxe8 +22.34 Stockfish } 31...Kh8 32.e5 Qc7 33.Qh5 f5
34.Qxh6+ Kg8 35.Rf4 Rg3 36.Qe6+ Rf7 37.Kh2 Rg7 38.Rxf5 Qe7 39.Qc8+ Qf8
40.Qxf8+ ) 30...Qd4 $4 { +6.13/25 } ( 30...f5 { +0.02/23 } 31.e6 Qc5 32.Qc7+
Kg8 33.h5
{ 33. axb5 axb5 34. Qf4 Kg7 35. Rf3 Qe7 36. Rfe3 Rd5 37. Ra3 Rd3 =
Stockfish } 33...Qd5 34.Kh2 Rd4 35.Rf4 Rd2 36.Rf2 Rxf2 37.Qg3+ Kh8 38.Qxf2
Re8 ) 31.Re4 Qd8 32.Qf5 $2 { +1.21/22 } ( 32.Qg4+ { +5.64/22 } 32...Kh7 33.e6
{ 33. Rxf6 Rxf6 34. exf6 Qxf6 35. Re8 h5 36. Qxh5+ Kg7 37. Qh8+ Kg6 38. h5+
Kg5 39. Rg8+ Kf5 40. g4+ Ke6 41. Re8+ Kd7 42. Qxf6 Kxe8 +24.99 Stockfish }
33...Qe7 34.Qf5+ Kh8 35.Qg6 Qg7 36.e7 Rg8 37.Qxg7+ Kxg7 38.Rg4+ Kf7 39.Rxg8
Kxe7 40.Rg7+ Ke6 41.Rg6 Ke5 42.Rxh6 Rd4 43.Rh8 c3 44.bxc3 Rxa4 45.h5 Rh4+
46.Kg1 a5 ) 32...Rd7 $4 { +10.05/25 } ( 32...Rg3 { +1.21/22 } 33.Rff4 Kh8
{ 33...Qd5 34. Rg4+ Rxg4 35. Qxg4+ Kh8 36. Qg6 f5 37. Qxh6+ Kg8 38. Re3
+7.71 Stockfish } 34.Rd4 Qe8 35.exf6
{ 35. e6 Qg6 36. e7 Rg8 37. Qxg6 R3xg6 38. Rd8 Kh7 39. e8=Q Rxe8 40. Rxe8
+22.89 Stockfish } 35...c5 36.Rd7 Qg6 37.Qxg6 Rxg6 38.Rd6 b4 39.Rxa6 c3
40.bxc3 bxc3 41.a5 c2 42.Rc4 Rgxf6 43.Rxf6 Rxf6 44.Rxc2 Rc6 45.Rc4 h5 46.g3
Kg7 47.Kh2 Kf7 48.Kg2 Ke7 ) 33.exf6+ Kh8 ( 33...Kg8 34.Qg6+ Kh8 35.Rd4 Rg8
36.Qh5 Qe8 37.Qxe8 Rxe8 38.Rxd7
{ Stockfish says that Black will be mated on move 57. } ) 34.Qg6 $6
{ +6.30/25 } ( 34.Re7 Rxe7 35.fxe7 Qxe7 36.Qxf8+ Qxf8 37.Rxf8+
{ Stockfish sees mate on move 56 } ) 34...Rh7 $2 { +23.43/26 } ( 34...c5
{ +6.30/25 } 35.Rf5
{ 35. Qxh6+ Rh7 36. Qg5 bxa4 37. Qxc5 Qc8 38. Qd4 Qd8 39. Qxc4  +16.83 
Stockfish } 35...Rd1+ 36.Kh2 Qc7+ 37.Ref4 Qh7 38.Qg7+ Qxg7 39.fxg7+ Kxg7
40.Rxf8 Rd7 41.R8f5 Rb7 42.Rxc5 Rb6 43.h5 ) 35.f7
{ It's time for a new master to close the deal. } 35...a5 36.Re8 Qxh4+ 37.Kg1
Qd4+ 38.Rf2 Qg7 39.Rxf8+ Qxf8 40.Qf6+ 1-0
 
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