Swindling an IM!

Here is a small game from a recent LeChess club activity on ICC, 'Play the Master', where a LeChess member gets to play a one-on-one game Vs. an International Master. I played Polydamas the other day as Black, and after some opening problems was in severe trouble. However, looking for swindles in a lost position (see 'Chess for Tigers', by Simon Webb), I managed to find a neat combo that complicated matters somewhat [29)...Nf3+!?].

The resulting position was still objectively better for White, but the imbalance meant I had hopes for further complications. In the end, I managed a win due to a blunder by the IM. However, the position before blundering the rook was probably drawn.

A good result! Enjoy the game.

Game 6

The match has ended in a draw after a well fought final game. In response to Salty's Exchange Spanish, I prepared an interesting novelty suggested by Craig Evans, A.K.A LeSacAttack on ICC. It is an improvement over a Morozevich game, and is the move 12)...Qf4!?, aiming to provoke weaknesses on White's Kingside and keeping the Queens on maintaining an active middlegame. The novelty worked well, and equality was soon reached. There were many interesting moments throughout the game, many of which in the post-mortem were suggested to be winning for one of us. However, having briefly reviewed the game with Fritz, the computer maintains the belief the suggested continuations lead only to slight edges. Analysis will hopefully prove or disprove this belief in the near future when I work on it.

Many thanks to SaltofLife for playing me in this match, it was a very exciting fight, and I have gained a lot from it. Now I am open for a new match, so if anyone is interested please send me an ICC message! :)

Game 4

SaltofLife Vs JimGrange
4th Match Game




Salt showed his Grandmasterly technique in this game grinding out a win in another Exchange Ruy Lopez. The game followed Fressinet - Adams (Bordeaux, 2000) until Salt's novelty 16)g4. By move 19 I believe black had equalised, and had a good grip on the d-file. Salty blundered with 20)Kf2? allowing 20)...Rd2+ winning a pawn, but I overlooked this simple check and played to exchange all the major pieces. This left white with a slight pull into the endgame, which was executed with lethal precision. A very strong game from Salt, leaving the match in a very exciting position. 2 games left, with Salt needing only not to drop a point to clinch the match. A win for him in game 5 will be immediately decisive.

Game 2

SaltofLife Vs. JimGrange
2nd Match Game.







The second game ended in disappointment for me as Salt took the lead in the match on the White side of an Exchange Spanish. Play was evenly balanced until Black lashed out with the rash 15)...h5?!, the intention being to inhibit the expansion of White's pawn majority. But the weakness created on the g6 square and the h5 pawn itself was too high a price to pay. Salt played energetically, making full use of my weaknesses, but play I was able to fight back with 21)...g5!, after which play was becoming more even. At move 24 I came up with the xorrect defensive idea, bringing the Bishop to f7, although this plan was one tempo too slow. Fritz was delighted to point out to me that the non-human move 24)...Be6!! drew immediately, as the Bishop gets to f7 with the tempo (and the game!) spared. If anyone is playing for a win in the resulting positions, it is black. Following a miscalulation of a series of exchnages, Black could only watch idley as White pushed his f-pawn to the Queening square, and Black capitulated.

A few positives to take from this game, and the match is starting to heat up! I am getting confidence from these games, even though they haven't gone my way yet! The 3rd game is set for Monday 25th June at 19:30 UK time (14:30 server time).

5)...Qf6!? in the Exchange Spanish

Globetrotter (1929) Vs jimgrange (1870) - ICC Nov. 2006

I have recently taken up e5 against 1)e4 with reasonable success. The ever-popular exchange Spanish has less sting thanks to a suggestion by GM Nigel Davies in his excellent book "Play 1)e4 e5!"

1)e4 e5 )Nf3 Nc6 3)Bb5 a6 4)Bxc6 dxc6 5)0-0 Qf6!?

This is the move suggested by Davies, as played by Beliavsky and Michael Adams. Although the move looks rather primitive, the Queen is often well placed on f6. 6)d3 A rather quiet variation, but not without a sting. 6)...Ne7!? 7)Be3 Ng6 8)Nbd2 Bd6 9)Nc4 Novelty 9)h3 preventing Bg4 was preferred by Rozentalis against Magnus Carlsen (2006) 9)...Bg4! 10)h3 Bxf3 11)Qxf3 Qxf3 12)gxf3 Nh4 Black has completely equalised, and I prefer his position. The weakness of f4 plays an important role in the remainder of the game. 13)Nd2 f5 If White takes the extra pawn, he will not be able to hold on to it 14)Bg5 Be7 15)Bxh4 Bxh4 16)exf5?!
As already mentioned, White will not be able to hold onto this pawn, and just weakens his Kingside irreprably. Better would have been 16)Nc4!? fxe4 17)fxe4 Bf6 would have left him with an equal game. 16)...0-0 17)Rae1 Rxf5 18)Kg2 Raf8 =+ 19)Re4 Bg5 20)Nc4 Bf4! I really liked this move. It highlights the weakness of f4 and the White Kingside as a whole. 21)Na5 R8f6! The b-pawn is immune as 22)Nxb7?? Rg5+! 23)Kh1 Rh6 leads to mate. 22)Bd2? White Resigns. An interesting game highlighting the efficacy of 5)...Qf6!? in the Spanish.