Sunday, November 12, 2017

Alan Lasser's Game of the Week

   The scariest chess monster this Halloween was this pawn blob seen at the European Team Championships;  the winner sacrificed the exchange just to unleash the loathsome beast.  The mighty pawn blob soon dominated the position, tying up the Black rooks and blockading the Black king. 

GM Erwin L’Ami (2611)-GM Sergei Movsesian (2671)
2017 European Team Championship
10/31/17
Crete, Greece
1.d4 Nf6 
2.c4 e6 
3.Nf3 d5 
5.Bg5 h6 
8.e3 O-O 
23.g5 h5 
36.e6 g4 
44.Kg3 1-0


[Event "2017 European Team Championship"]
[Site "Crete, Greece"]
[Date "2017.10.31"]
[Round "?"]
[White "GM Erwin L'Ami"]
[Black "GM Sergei Movsesian"]
[Result "1-0"]
[BlackElo "2671"]
[ECO "D38"]
[WhiteElo "2611"]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 7.Qa4+ Nc6 8.e3 O-O
9.Rc1 Qg6 10.Qc2 Qxc2 11.Rxc2 Rd8 12.a3 Bf8 13.Nb5 Rd7 14.h4 a6 15.Nc3 Rd8
16.g4 g6 $6 { +0.08/24 } ( 16...dxc4 { -0.32/23 } 17.Bxc4 e5 18.Nxe5 Nxe5
19.dxe5 Bxg4 20.Rg1 Bf5 21.e4 Bh7 22.Nd5 Kh8 23.Nc3
{ 23. f3 Bc5 24. Rg4 c6 25. Nf4 Bd4 26. Bxf7 Bxe5 27. Ng6+ Bxg6 28. Bxg6
+0.07 Stockfish } 23...f6 24.exf6 gxf6 25.Bf7 ) 17.cxd5 exd5 18.Bh3 Ne7
19.Na4 c6 20.Nc5 Rb8 21.Ke2 Kg7 22.Nd3 Ng8 23.g5 h5 24.Nfe5 Ne7 25.Bxc8 Nxc8
26.Rh3 Bd6 27.Rf3 Bxe5 28.dxe5 Ne7 29.Rf6 Ng8 30.f4 $2 { -0.89/27 } ( 30.Rf4
{ +0.27/24 } 30...Ne7 31.Nc5
{ 31. e6 Nf5 32. exf7 Kxf7 33. Rc3 Ke6 34. Nc5+ Kd6 35. Rb4 b6 36. Nxa6
+0.47 Stockfish } 31...Nf5 32.Rd2 a5 33.b4 axb4 34.axb4 Re8 35.e4 dxe4
36.Rxe4 Re7 37.Nd7 Rd8 38.Nf6 Ra8 39.Kf1 b6 40.Ke2 Re6 ) 30...Nxf6 31.gxf6+
Kh6 32.Rc1 Rbc8 33.Rg1 Rg8 $6 { -0.27/28 } ( 33...Re8 { -0.82/27 } 34.Nc5 b6
35.Nd7 Red8 36.e6 Rxd7 37.exd7 Rd8 38.Rc1 c5 39.b4 c4 40.e4 Rxd7 41.exd5 Rxd5
42.Rxc4 Rd6 43.a4 Rxf6 44.Kf3 Rd6 45.Ke4 Re6+ 46.Kf3 Kg7 47.Rc8 Re1 48.Rc6
Ra1 49.Rxb6 Rxa4 50.Ke3 Ra3+ 51.Ke4 { Stockfish also plays 33...Rg8 = } )
34.Nc5 Rc7 ( 34...Rb8 35.Kf3 Rge8 36.e6 fxe6 37.Nd7 Rbc8 38.Ne5 Rg8 39.Nf7+
Kh7 40.Ng5+ Kh6 41.Nf7+ { = Stockfish } ) 35.f5 $6 { -0.58/25 } ( 35.Rg5
{ -0.27/27 } 35...b6 36.Nxa6 Rcc8 37.Nb4 Rge8
{ 37...Rgd8 38.Nd3 Rg8 39.Nb4 = Stockfish } 38.Kf3 Rf8 39.Nd3 Rg8 40.Nb4 Rge8
) ( 35.Kf3 b6 36.Nxa6 Rcc8 37.Nb4 Rgd8 38.Nd3 c5 39.e6 fxe6 40.Ne5 Rf8
41.Rxg6+ Kh7 42.Rg7+ Kh6 43.Nf7+ Rxf7 44.Rxf7 Kg6 45.Rb7 Kxf6 46.Rxb6 c4
47.a4 c3 48.bxc3 Rxc3 { +0.61 Stockfish } ) 35...g5 $2 { +1.65/25 } ( 
35...Rcc8 { -0.58/25 } 36.Nxb7
{ 36. Ne6 gxf5 37. Ng7 Rce8 38. Rg5 Rxg7 39. fxg7 Rg8 40. b4 Rxg7 41. Rxf5
Rg2+ 42. Kf3 Rg1 43. Kf2 Rg4 44. Rxf7 Rxh4 45. Rxb7 = Stockfish } 36...gxf5
37.Rf1 Rg2+ 38.Kf3 Rg4 39.Nd6 Rf8 40.Nxf5+ Kh7 41.Ne7 a5 42.Nxc6 ) 36.e6 g4
37.e7 Re8 38.Kf2 b6 $6 { +2.25/28 } ( 38...a5 { +1.67/26 } 39.e4 b6 40.Nd3
dxe4 41.Ne5 Rcxe7
{ 41...Rexe7 42. fxe7 Rxe7 43. Nxc6 Rd7 44. Ne5 Rd5 45. Nxf7+ Kg7 46. Ng5
Rxf5+ 47. Ke3 Kf6 48. Nxe4+ +3.06 Stockfish } 42.fxe7 Rxe7 43.Nxc6 e3+ 44.Ke2
Re4 45.f6 Re6 46.Ne7
{ 46. Rf1 g3 47. Ne7+ Kh7 48. Rg1 Rf4 49. Rxg3 Rf2+ 50. Kxe3 Rxf6 51. Nd5
+4.59 Stockfish } ) 39.Nd3 c5 $6 { +2.82/25 } ( 39...Kh7 { +2.06/26 } 40.Rc1
{ 40. Ne5 Kg8 41. Kg3 Rcxe7 42. fxe7 Rxe7 43. Nxc6 Rxe3+ 44. Kf4 Rf3+ 45.
Kg5 Kg7 46. Kxh5 Rxf5+ 47. Kxg4 +4.22 Stockfish } 40...c5 41.Nf4 Rd7 42.Rd1
d4 ) 40.Nf4 Rd7 41.Rd1 d4 42.e4 Kh7 $6 { +3.94/23 } ( 42...Rdxe7 { +2.83/24 }
43.fxe7 Rxe7 44.Re1 Re5
{ 44...f6 45. Nd5 Rf7 46. Rc1 a5 47. Ke2 Kg7 48. Nxb6 Rb7 49. Na4 Kf7 50.
Rxc5 Rb3 51. Rxa5 Re3+ 52. Kf2 Rxe4 +5.92 Stockfish } 45.b3 Re8 46.e5 Rf8
47.e6 fxe6 48.Rxe6+ Kh7 49.f6 b5 50.Re7+ Kh6 51.f7 Kg7 52.Nxh5+ Kg6 53.Nf4+
Kf6 54.Rc7 Rxf7 55.Rxc5 Rd7 56.Nd3 Re7 ) 43.Nd5 $6 { +3.05/23 } ( 43.e5
{ +3.94/23 } 43...c4
{ 43...b5 44. e6 fxe6 45. fxe6 Rdxe7 46. fxe7 Rxe7 47. Re1 d3 48. Nxd3 Kg6
49. Re5 Kf6 50. Rxh5 +12.31 Stockfish } 44.e6 fxe6 45.fxe6 Rdxe7 46.fxe7 d3
{ 46...Rxe7 47. Rxd4 Re8 48. Rd5 Kg7 49. Rxh5 Rf8 50. Kg3 Kf6 51. e7 Re8
52. Nd5+ Kg6 53. Rg5+ Kf7 54. Rf5+ Kg7 55. Kxg4 b5 56. Re5 Kf7 57. Nc7 Rxe7
58. Rxe7+ Kxe7 59. Nxa6 +20.19 Stockfish } 47.Nxh5
{ 47. Nd5 Kg6 48. Rf1 d2 49. Ke2 g3 50. Rf6+ Kg7 51. Rf5 d1=B+ 52. Kxd1
Rxe7 53. Rg5+ Kf8 54. Nxe7 Kxe7 and mate on move 69, according to Stockfish
} 47...Kg6 48.Nf4+ Kf5 49.Nd5 b5 50.Kg3 Ke5 51.Nf4 Kd6 52.Ng6 Kxe6 53.Kxg4 )
43...Rb8 44.Kg3 1-0

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Friday, November 10, 2017

Memorialize Julius Fuster

This year, the club memorialized the late Julius Fuster. This gentleman played a pivotal role in Connecticut chess history for many years, most notably serving as CSCA president and on the board of directors during the 1990s. In addition, Mr. Fuster was a tournament organizer and a mentor to many chess players, working passionately in these pursuits with many leaders, like Rob Roy, to promote and enrich this game to players all of ages and levels. While striving to expand state chess programs, Julius devoted time with his home club, the Waterbury Chess Club, as an officer and director. Besides being a strong advocate for chess, Julius enjoyed competing in many local tournaments. One of his most memorable tournament victories was clinching first place in a three-way tie in the 1976 New Britain Summer Open alongside legends Arkadijs Strazdins and Mary Conlon. Julius was a highly respected member of our chess community and an inspirational force in the lives of many rising chess players - a dear friend to every chess player. This year, we honor Julius with this event to preserve his legacy to Connecticut chess and to recognize him for his years of steadfast service in this incredible cause.
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