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First a couple of my good games from this years' Frisco Masters(Only) Tournament, May 31-April 3.
Game 1
Event: Frisco Masters
Date: 4/2/2000
White: USCF Life Master Clark Harmon
Black: USCF Life Master Arthur Braden
1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bf4 e6
I usually play 3. . .. c5 here but I decided to play more conservatively rather than invite an
exchanging war in the center too early. So far I've not been able to find any record of this move beeing tried here.
4. e3 Bd6
Variations where the white B on f4 is left unchallenged can get a little hairy on the queenside.
It looks paradoxical to exchange the "bad bishop" but the game is still at such an early stage that
pawn pushes in the center are virtually assured, freeing the other bishop and overturning that
evaluation. In the mean time I don't let white's initiative build.
5. Bg3?!
I don't believe this is correct, even though it may make good temporary positional sense. Black
would not normally want to take the B on f4 too early as it would allow an e5 bind and easy targets
on the e file. This move seems to lose a tempo, so I give it back to place a piece more actively,
but a strong player realizes that my next move also requires that new positional responsibilities be met.
5... Ne4 6. Bxd6 Qxd6
6. ... cxd6 is very interesting and I will experiment with it more later, but for now I just wanted
to develop quickly to neutralize any possible white initiative.
7. c3
The threat was 7. ... Qb4+ picking up a pawn, however it is not clear to me that white should play so
passively. I believe that 7. a3 is a superior move, followed by the time honored c4 at some point.
7... Nd7
Preparing ... e5 (or possibly ... c5) and preventing Ne5.
8. Bd3
8. Nbd2 makes more sense to me. Certainly there is no rush.
8... O-O 9. Nbd2
So maybe it transposes, but is white's B best on d3?
9... f5!?
I decided that I did not want to play too passively, even if this did not make as much positional sense.
9. ... Nxd2 followed by 10. ... e5 seems most correct but leaves little wood on the board for the kind
of play I was looking for. On the other hand my move does put more pawns on the color of my bishop ... but
how will white prevent ... e5?
10. c4
Solid and good, striking at the a2-g8 diagonal.
10... c6 11. a3?
It is unclear what white believes he is preventing. The ony thing this move seems to be
good for is to play for a minority attack.
11... e5 12. cxd5 Nxd2!
12. ... cd is simply okay, but I wanted more.
13. Nxd2
13. Qxd2?? makes no sense after ... e4. Now the knight has been drawn away from the center and
the white king is not tucked away, there is a new possibility I was aiming for.
13... exd4 14. exd4
14. dc Nf6! 15. Qb3+!? Kh8 16. cb Bxb7 17. Qxb7 de seems to be very good for black.
14... Re8+ 15. Kf1
On 15. Be2 I was planning 15. ... Qxd5 16. Nf3 Qe4 when black is doing very well.
15... Nf6?!
Here goes nothing! I wanted more play for a pawn ... but it is too risky here. A better practical decision
is just to take 15. ... cd when black's position is clearly preferrable. Now Clark's patient positional
play triumphs.
16. dxc6 Qxd4 17.Nf3?!
Better seems 17. Qb3+ followed by 18. Nf3.
17... Qb6 18. Bc4+ Kh8
I had planned to up the ante with 18. ... Be6 when sacrificing the pawn but
now realized that 19. Bxe6+ Rxe6 20. Nd4! was good for white since if 20. ...
Rd6? 21. Qb3+ would take out any sting in a upcoming attack, while 20. ...
Rd8? 21. c7! wins. The best laid plans of ...
19. Qd4
Back to an equal game again! If only white would have taken the b pawn I could ...
19... bxc6 20. Qxb6 axb6 21. Ng5 Ba6??
With time beginning to dwindle I drop a pawn. 21. ... g6 makes good sense here.
22. Nf7+ Kg8 23. Nh6+ Kf8 24. Bxa6 Rxa6 25. Nxf5
Oh well. Another loss on the books. But maybe if I can drum up some play RIGHT NOW while white isn't
prepared for it?
25... b5!?
Perhaps my only hope for counterplay. Otherwise white just plays 26. Ne3 and laughs at me.
26. Rc1 b4
The point! Now I can get a little play perhaps?
27. Nd6 Re6
I had seen 27. ... ba but white has too much after 28. Nxe8 ab 29. Re1! (29. Rb1 Ne4! with good
play for black.) Nxe8 30. Ke2! which stymies the queenside pawns.
28. Nc4
On 28. ab I was planning ... Nd5 to prevent the comfortable Ne3 follow up by
white, and to make the knight more active.
28... bxa3 29. bxa3 Re4?!
I was afraid of 30. f3 but didn't know what else to do. I decided that 30. f3
Rd4 followed by 31. ... Ra4 would still give me play. In this case I knew that
white would get the c pawn and I would have to hope that my pieces were active
enough to compensate for the lost pawn. However, in retrospect 29. ... Ra4!
keeps my hopes alive since 30. f3 (to prevent 30. ... Re4 which is one reason
I played 29. ... Re4 first) Nd5! 31. Kf2 Nf4 really stirs the pot and makes it
very difficult for white to get anything more than a draw.
30. g3?
As mentioned earlier, 30. f3 is superior here.
30... Ra4 31. Nd6 Red4
I played this because I realized 31. ... Re6? offers no hope and that my
opponent may not see that he is really NOT winning a rook if I take the a pawn
and head for drawish waters with only the kingside pawns left.
32. Rxc6 Rxa3 33. Rc8+ Ke7 34. Nf5+ Kd7 35. Rf8?
Finally some breathing room! It would be difficult for me to draw after the simple 35. Nxd4 Kxc8 (35. ... Ra1+ is a bad
dream after 36. Kg2 Rxh1 37. Ra8! Rc1 38. Ra7+ and black wins some more wood
on the kingside, which I saw during the game.) and black suffers on.
35... Rd2!
Now my piece activity offers me some real chances.
36. Kg2
36. Nxg7? Rf3 could hardly have seemed appealing.
36... Raa2 37. Rf1?
Getting caught up in trying to take advantage of my time pressure, my opponent
plays another poor move. 37. Nxg7 leads more towards a comfortable draw.
37...Ng4
Now how brown cow? The knight is pinned to f5 because of the threat of ...
Ne3+ so I will definitely pick up the f pawn with continuing activity.
38. h3?!
This just gets better and better! Now he is finding real trouble ... but
he has this idea ...
38... Nxf2 39. Rf7+?? Ke6 40. Rxg7
With seconds on my side of the clock he must have decided that if I take the knight he plays Rf7
check winning it back, while none of the checks are any good ... but he's
missed one which I had seen two moves ago.
40... Ng4+!
Winning.
41. Kf3
Going back a rank just leads to mate.
41... Nh2+ 42. Kf4 Nxf1 43. g4 h5
With my flag hanging I decide to employ my pawn rather than just let it be
eaten up. What can I say?
44. Re7+ Kd5
Wouldn't it just be appropriate if when my flag was hanging I fall for 44. ... Kf6?? 45. g5+ Kg6 46. Rg7 mate?
45. Rd7+ Ke6
Finally we reach the time control with me in the driver's seat.
46. Re7+ Kd5 47. Rd7+ Kc6 48. Rxd2
My opponent said in a very generous tone, "I think I can draw this so I'll offer you the draw.". I could only smile and
feel somewhat insulted that my opponent could believe my endgame judgement was
that poor, yet somehow I'm a master.
48... Nxd2!
What's the big deal? I have to capture, right? I must have taken half an hour for this move, more in
depth than it seems. It looks like capturing with the rook is good since ...
Kd5 and ... Ke6 will pressure the knight and allow rook checks from behind but
white can barely draw, mainly because of the possibility of h4 (preventing an
a-file assault from behind) and the fact that the rook must come back to the
8th rank to prevent the h pawn from queening; 48. ... Rxd2?? only draws as the
black knight is too far out of play for the ensuing pawn rush. After a lot of
thought I realized this was the only winning move. I had seen it all the way
to the end from here(!), although my opponent deviated from the main line I'd analyzed and made it easier for me. Now the
knight gets back in time to assist in the recovery operation.
49. gxh5 Kd5 50. h6 Ke6 51. h7 Ra8
Now we see one of the reasons for 48. ... Nxd2. 52. h4 is too slow
after ... Rh8 and 52. Kg5 allows critical knight checks. But at this point
what else can he do?
52. Kg5 Nf3+ 53. Kg6 Ne5+ 54. Kg7 Kxf5!
The BEAUTIFUL point of all this! Now white can't "queen"! The mop up is complete.
55. h8=N
If 55. h8=Q Ra7+! 56. Kg8 (other moves allow the knight to pick up the queen)
Kg6!! and white must play 57. Kf8 and cough up the queen to save the king.
55... Ra7+ 56. Kh6 Nf7+
Finishing it, but 56. ... Re7 is a prettier finish. My move yields a certain win.
57. Nxf7 Rxf7 58. h4
Will I have a stroke or something before the game ends? My opponent must have been in shell shock and playing on out of shear inertia.
58... Kg4 59. Kg6
Who knows? Maybe he'll take the pawn!!
59... Rf5 0-1
Game 2
Event: Frisco Masters
Date: 4/3/2000
White: IM (International Master) Vincent McCambridge
Black: USCF Life Master Arthur Braden
1. c4 b6 2. Nf3 Bb7 3. g3 e5
In Informant 76 black tried 3. ... Bxf3 in the game M. Gurevich 2643 FIDE - Bunzmann 2596 FIDE but is well known to turn out
fine for white, as in the game continuation 4. ef3 c5 (in a similar variation
as black, Karpov had more than enough comp for the loss of the minor exchange
by preventing the freeing d4 with this move -- however Karpov also had time to
put his knight on c6!) 5. d4 cd4 6. Qd4 Nc6 7. Qd1 e6 8. Bg2 Re8 9. O-O Na5 10.
b3! N [10. Nc3] b5! 11. Nd2 bc4 12. Nc4 Nc4 13. bc4 Rc4 14. Be3 Nf6 and now 15
Qd3! Rc7 16. Rfc1 Be7 17. Rc7 Qc7 18. Rc1 with initiative is good for white --
a game I was aware of when playing 3. g3. After considerable reflection, my
opponent chose another more enterprising route.
4. d3
Obviously ... e4, ... e3 must be prevented.
4... Bb4+
I believe my opponent realized that ... f5, ... e4 can not be stopped so wants to entice a piece to
d2 so that an ... e3 follow up could be a problem for white. However, it is
not uncommon to play the Capablanca-style check on b4 at this early stage.
5. Bd2 Bxd2+ 6. Qxd2
A good positional eye will disregard playing 6. Nbxd2 here as not only is ... f5, . .. e4, and ... e3 a possible problem, but the
coordination of the pieces is not good; for example, where does the d2 knight
go? White has nothing to fear from 6. ... Bxf3 as a later f4 will exonerate
the pawn structure. Now if black carries out the central pawn maneuver then ...
e3 is temporarily prevented by Qxe3+.
6... f5 7. Bg2 Nf6 8. Nc3
I had considered 8. Qg5, but after 8. ... O-O! 9. Qxf5 e4 white's position is not looking
well and black's enterprising opening thrives on. 8. O-O does nothing in an
attempt to control black's central ambition and begs for an early ... e4.
8. ... O-O 9. O-O
Through careful play I've arrived at a comfortable position from
my perspective.
9... d6 10. e4!?
My first thought was 10. d4 which appears on retrospect to be most correct. I saw varaitions like 10. ... e4 11. Ng5 Qe7
12. d5 e3 dancing around in my head and was not sure if I wanted to allow this.
I justified the move played as an attempt to attack light squares, that the
fianchettoed queen bishop left behind, in the center and on the kingside (i.e.
f5; and separately g6 will be weaker if black attempts ... h6 later). However,
I believe I misjudged 10. d4 and that white has nothing to fear and everything
to gain by playing 10. d4.
10... Nc6
Silly is 10. ... fxe4? 11. dxe4 Nxe4?? 12. Nxe4 Bxe4 13. Ng5! Bg 14. Kg and nothing can be done to prevent both
threats of 15. Ne6 and 15. Qd5+.
11. Nd5?!
Not a particularly good move. I should have continued with my light square attack with 12. exf5 and possible
13. Nh4 or 13. Ng5, but I didn't trust the move after the reply 12. ... Ne7.
However, white is doing well in this line. The move played leads to a
necessarily defensive posture for white, almost into oblivion.
11... fxe4 12.Ng5?
Am I blind? Was I hoping to recapturing the pawn with advantage? This
was my worst move of the game, completely missing my opponent's simple reply!
12... Nd4
In comes the calvary, and with it an initiative for black. Now it
will be difficult for white to even hold the game at all!
13. dxe4 h6 14. Nh3 Nxd5 15. cxd5
A difficult decision. I wanted to play 15. exd5 but black would
be able to follow up with ... e4 with proper support from the queenside rook,
and get a gripping bind on the light squares on my kingside. I also felt that
residual chances for a defense were offered by new prospects on the c file.
15... Ba6 16. Rfe1 Nf3+?!
McCambridge is not McCambridge. I believe my
opponent wasn't happy about his results in the tournament and this may account
for this oversight. On any other day Vince would have crushed me with 16. ...
g5! when his attack rages on, probably for a win. Now I have excellent
defensive prospects with the removal of the well placed knight.
17. Bxf3 Rxf3 18. Re3!
The beginning of new hope for white in the position.
18... Qf6 19. Qc3 Rxe3
The apparently clever response 19. ... Be2?? is squashed by 20. Qc6 winning.
20. Qxe3 Rf8 21. Kg2 g5
Too little, too late.
22. Rc1
Has a result of my opponent's erroneous 16th I have equality.
22... Rf7 23.Ng1 g4 24. Rc2 h5 25. h4
Shutting down the kingside escalation for good. Now the defensive f3 will follow with good prospects.
25... Bb5
25. ... gh+ is
not convincing after 26. Nxh3 Rg7 27. Ng1! h4 28. Rc3, so black prevents 26.
Qa3 and 27. Qxa7 as well as preparing for ... a5 and a possible ... c6.
26. b3
Helps prevent ... c6 by the new possiblity of a4.
26... a5 27. f3 Rg7?!
My opponent is eyeing the h4 pawn, but there is nothing here.
28. Rf2 gxf3+ 29. Nxf3
How now brown cow?
29... Rf7
Just in time to prevent white from grabbing the initiative.
30. Ng5?!
In extreme time pressure (about 4 minutes left to reach move 45) I attempt to
just simplify. However, the defense is more difficult after this unnecessary
exchange.
30... Qxf2+ 31. Qxf2 Rxf2+ 32. Kxf2 Bd7?
Perhaps excited by my time pressure my opponent prevents Ne6 (does it need to be prevented?) and I
now saw the possibility of 33. ... Bg4 only allowing the knight back via
exchange, which explains my next move. Black could play the immediate 32. ...
c5! when I would probably have to capture and we'd have an accelerated version
of the game continuation.
Whew! Made it to the time control. Now 45. ... Bxb3 46. Nd3 Kg4 47. Kf2 e4 48. Nxb4 e3+ 49. Kxe3! seems to hold for white.
45... e4 46. Kd4 Bxb3 47. Nxe4
Now I should be able to draw this in my sleep. 47. ... Kg4 is prevented by 48. Nf6+.
47... Bd1 48. Nf2!!
My best move of the game because of a very nice follow up in mind, which seals the draw. My king is
centrally located so why should I give ground by allowing ... b3 Kc3 Ke5? The
follow up prevents this. Fritz only sees a large black advantage here, but the
position is now dead drawn.
48... Be2 49. Nh3!
With time to check and recheck variations, I verified that I could play this tremendous follow up.
White will nail down the black king to the kingside watching his h-pawn while
the white king patiently awaits a b pawn push for the draw in hand.
49... Kg4 50. Nf4 Bf1
No help is offered by 50. ... Bd1 as 51. Kc4 b3 52. Kc3 makes it
painfully obvious that black is tied up with responsibilities as 52. Kxg3?
Nxh5+ brings down the house of cards.
51. Ke3!
It's laughable that Fritz thinks black is winning here. Black has no escape from an easy draw, with my
king comfortably in the square of the b pawn.
51... Bc4 52. Kd4 Bf7 53. Kd3
Now staying next to the important square c4, as 53. ... Kxg3? 54. Nxh5+ Bxh5
55. Kc4 sucks the life out of the pawn. Fritz says black has a huge advantage.
Both players know it's dead drawn, and Vincent probably knew it before I did.
My opponent, a gentleman of the game, simply said, "You played well!" It's
players like these and games like this one that make my interest in chess a
very worthwhile one. --> 1/2-1/2
Game 3
Event: "Sacramento County Championship"
Date 7/5/1993
White: Arthur Braden 2268
Black: Ziad Baroudi 2107
So we arrive at a Najdorf Sicilian rather than more positional lines -- once
again 1. Nf3 proves to be flexible. So what variation should we play?
6.Bc4
Anyone care for a Sozin? This game was important for me as the only rated game
we had played before this was a 5-minute blitz in which I had fallen into an
early book trap. It happens, right? However, my opponent got up as soon as the
"trap" was set and started looking at other games! During tournament?
Sure. During a 5-minute game? Very rude. I was to learn that Ziad had been rude
to others as well and that did it. I wanted to win this game VERY badly. Thus
the opening choice.
e6 7. Bb3 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. f4 Qc7 10. Be3
I have in the past played the Sozin while following the variation played by my
favorite-of-all-time chess hero GM Nick DeFirmian, playing his pet 10. Be3 line
which he nursed for years. Unfortunately the line fell out of favor and I gave
it up.
10. ... Nc6
Best may be the move Walter Browne played, 10. ... Nbd7, and with exemplary
endgame technique GM Kaidanov managed to barely eke out a win over GM Browne in
the 1994 U.S. Championship. Also 10. ... b5 has been tried, but again without
success. The move played by my opponent strikes at the center in a more
straightforword way, but allows some "exchanging" variations which I
believe may still favor white.
11. f5 e5?!
It seems better to exchange in the center to lessen the pressure that white's
position offers.
12. Nxc6 bxc6 13. g4 h6 14. h4?!
My all out pitch for a homerun, and very risky here.
14. ... a5?!
The losing move, but creative. I had expected ... Nh7 when I was prepared to
play g5 anyway, although I don't think black would be in any "real"
danger. Black should then have at least equality in my opinion.
15. g5 Nxe4?
The point of black's 14th move and an otherwise good idea, but it doesn't work
here. Black's position was probably already losing though. Best seems to be 15.
... hg.
16. Nxe4 d5 17. gxh6!
Game over, or has my long lost chess partner from the past, NM Paul Gallegos
would say, "Lights out!".
17... f6 18. Qh5
I know. I know! 18. Bxd5+ right? I saw that move but felt that 18. Qh5 didn't
allow exchanges in what appears to be a very cramped position.
18. ... Bd8 19. Kh1 Qf7 20. Qd1 Kh7 21. Nd6!
This MUST be winning. Now black can not cover h5.
21. ... Qg8 22. Rg1?
Still winning, but why not just 22. hg with nothing left for black?
I had allowed this sacrifice because after much thought I felt it was
defensible. I still believe it is, but the other masters are aware of Victors
attacking style combined with the idea that normally one does not allow such an
unclear position and I would now play Qd2 and admit that Ba3 was less credible
then I'd believed it to be, since it now appears the Bishop would be more
useful covering the dark squares on the kingside.
This is the position I had seen when I played 16. h4?! and felt I was doing
fine. However, I now believe that there is no reason to have allowed this kind
of struggle. I now believe black was winning.
Other than the placement of the white Q I had seen this piece arrangement when
allowing the sacrifice on move 15 (!) and felt I had at least a draw.
27... Bd5 28. Re7?!
A highly questionable decision. I had decided many moves ago that allowing
black to capture the rook on e4 was the best course. I changed my mind and
tried to play for a win. I believe this was a very bad idea, although even
during the game I realized that queenside play for black is most probably a
winning advantage in any case.
