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Chess Life Online 2009 March Live From Milwaukee: Sam Annotates and Photos from Open
Chess Life Online 2009 March Live From Milwaukee: Sam Annotates and Photos from Open | Live From Milwaukee: Sam Annotates and Photos from Open |
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| July 14, 2009 | |
The Junior Closed players arrived at the Junior Open in time for the prizegiving ceremonies. Here Sam Shankland poses with Eric Rosen and Kevin Bu, #1 and 2 in the Under 21 section.Photo Stan Wright
U.S. Junior Closed Standings after two rounds 1.5 IM Sam Shankland(2564), IM Ray Robson(2553), FM Elliott Liu(2405), FM Michael Lee(2384) 1.0 IM Salvijus Bercys(2503) 0.5 GM-elect Alex Lenderman(2654), FM Joel Banawa(2392) 0.0 Maxx Coleman(2182) Sam Shankland annotated his win over Banawa below while Shankland and Bercys jointly annotated their first round draw. See the full schedule here, and watch the games at Noon and 6 EST live on the Internet Chess Club (USJunior09). Also go to the Wisconsin chess blog for a detailed report on the Open and see the CLO U.S. Junior Open wrap-up. Shankland,Sam (2448) - Banawa,Joel (2352) [D45] US Junior (2), 13.07.2009 [Shanky] 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.g4 Bb4 8.Bd2 Qe7 9.Rg1 b6 10.0–0–0 Bb7 11.g5 Bxc3 12.Bxc3 Ne4 13.Bd3 Nxc3 14.Qxc3 dxc4 15.Bxc4 0–0 16.Ne5 Nxe5 17.dxe5 Rfd8 18.f4 Rxd1+ 19.Rxd1 Rd8 20.Rd3 g6 21.h4 Rxd3 22.Bxd3 Qd7 23.Qd4 
Position after 23. Qd4
23...Qxd4 23...Qd5 ensures a draw. White has very little to try.24.Be4 Qxa2 25.h5 gxh5 26.Qd8+ Kg7 27.Qf6+ Kg8 28.Bxh7+ Kxh7 29.Qxf7+ Kh8 30.g6 Qc4+ 31.Kd2 Qd5+ 32.Ke1 Qa5+ 33.Kf1 24.exd4 This endgame is deceptively difficult for Black. Although with best play it is surely drawn, Black will always be defending. 24...Kf8 25.Be4 Ke7 26.Kd2 Kd7 27.Kc3 Bc8 28.Bf3 Kc7 29.h5 Bd7 30.h6 Be8 31.Kc4 Bd7 32.b4 Bc8 The start of a bad plan. Black should have played a6 then shuffled Be8-d7-e8 etc which should hold, as White's only winning attempt of b5 followed by d5 is likely to fall short. 33.a4 33.f5 exf5 34.d5 cxd5+ 35.Bxd5 Be6 33...Bb7 34.Kc3?? 
Position after 34. Kc3
Allowing an immediate draw with c5 Bxf3 cxd4+ etc. [34.Kd3] 34...a6 34...c5 35.Bxb7 cxd4+ (35...cxb4+? 36.Kxb4 Kxb7 37.d5 And black has some work to do yet.) 36.Kxd4 Kxb7 35.Kd3 White realizes his mistake. 35...b5 35...Bc8 36.b5 cxb5 37.axb5 a5 38.d5 exd5 39.Bxd5 Be6 36.axb5 axb5 36...cxb5 37.Bxb7 Kxb7 38.d5 Kc7 39.d6+ Kc6 40.Kd4 Kb6 41.d7 Kc7 42.Kc5 Kxd7 43.Kb6 37.f5! White breaks. gxf5 is met by Bh5. White had to do it this move otherwise black would play Kd7 and f5 would always be met by gxf5 Bh5 Ke7. 37...exf5 38.e6 Kd6 39.exf7 Ke7 40.Ke3 Kxf7 41.Kf4 
Position after 41.Kf4
41...Ke8 41...Ke6! The only drawing move. 42.Bd1 Bc8! 43.Bb3+ Ke7 The point. Black now will be able to keep his bishop on d7 rather than b7 (Bg8 is never a problem as Bxh7 can be met by Kf7) 44.Ke5 Bd7 42.Ke5+- Ke7 43.Bh5 Kf7 44.Bd1 Ke7 45.Be2 Bc8 46.d5 cxd5 46...Bd7 47.d6+ Kf7 48.Bf3 Be8 49.Bd1 47.Bxb5 Bb7 48.Bd3 Kf7 49.b5 Ba8 50.Bb1 Kf8 51.b6 Kf7 52.Bd3 Bb7 53.Kd6 
Position after 53.Kd6
53...d4 53...f4 54.Be2 d4 55.Bc4+ Ke8 56.Ke5 54.Ke5 Ke7 55.Kxd4 Ke6 56.Bc4+ Kd6 57.Bf7 1–0 IM Bercys (2503) - IM Shankland (2564) [D79] [Shankland and Bercys] 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 0–0 5.c4 c6 6.Nc3 d5 7.cxd5 cxd5 8.Ne5 e6 9.0–0 Nfd7 10.Nf3 Nc6 11.Bf4 Qb6 12.Na4 Qb5 13.b3 Nb6 14.Bd6 Rd8 
Position after 14...Rd8
White was planning on Nc3 but totally forgot Qa5 -/+ 15.Bc7 Rd7 16.Bxb6 Preferred over Nb6 to get an extra tempi [16.Nxb6 axb6 17.Bf4 Qb4 18.Bd2 Qe7 19.Bc3 b5 playable for both sides] 16...axb6 17.Re1 Qa5 18.e3 Bf8 19.a3 Rc7 20.Bf1 So far all forced 20...Bd7?! Based a miscalculation [20...b5 21.Nc5 b4 22.axb4 Qxa1 23.Qxa1 Rxa1 24.Rxa1 Nxb4 25.Ra4 b6 26.Rxb4 bxc5 27.dxc5 Bxc5 28.Rb8 Kg7 29.b4 most likely drawn] 21.Qd2 Qa7 21...Ra7 Black planned this but missed White's response 22.Rec1 simple and very effective. 22.Nc3 This line gives White a slight edge because Black lacks space. 22...Na5 23.Qb2 Rac8 24.Rec1 Qb8 24...b5? 25.Nxb5 Bxb5 26.Rxc7 Rxc7 27.Bxb5 Qb6 28.a4 Bb4 29.Rc1 Rxc1+ 30.Qxc1± Nxb3? 31.Qb2+- 25.Ne5 Be8 26.b4 Nc6 26...Nc4? 27.Nxc4 dxc4 28.b5± 27.Nb5 Re7 28.Nf3 Bg7 29.Rc2 e5 30.Rac1 Rd8 30...exd4 31.Nbxd4 Nxd4 32.Nxd4 Rec7 33.Bh3 Rxc2 34.Rxc2 Rxc2 35.Qxc2 31.dxe5 Nxe5 32.Nxe5 Bxb5 White misevaluated this variation. 33.Bxb5 Bxe5 34.Qb3 d4 
Final position
Game drawn 35. e4 g5 (only move) White's slightly better but Black should hold. ½–½ Also among the leaders is Ray Robson, who won his second round game against 2008 U.S. Junior Open Champ Maxx Coleman. 
Ray Robson giving a trophy to Awonder Liang.
Photo Stan Wright |