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Chess Life Magazine 2014 February The December Check is in the Mail: Miniatures Galore
Chess Life Magazine 2014 February The December Check is in the Mail: Miniatures Galore | The December Check is in the Mail: Miniatures Galore |
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| By Alex Dunne | |
| December 21, 2014 | |
 GRABOVE AND TAMONDONG WIN !Matthew Grabove of Calgary, Canada, and Cesar Tamondong (left) of Redwood City, California, divided honors in the 2014 Swift Quad 14SQ06. Grabove ceded three draws on his way to tie for first while Tamondong lost a thriller to Grabove. GAME OF THE MONTH This game illustrates the three most important sectors of the game: the center, the center, and the center. KING'S INDIAN DEFENSE (E68) 7728 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.g3 0-0 5.Bg2 d6 6.0-0 More popular is 6...c6 7. h3 Qb6 8. Re1 as in Gelfand-Nakamura, Amber blindfold rapid 2011 6. ...Nbd7 7.Nc3 e5 8.e4 Entering the Classical Variation of the King's Indian Defense. 8...exd4 9.Nxd4 Re8 10.h3 a6 And here 10...Nc5 11. Re1 Bd7 12. Rb1 Qc8 was Gelfand-Svidler where 13. g4!? was tried instead of the sounder 13. Kh2 11.Bg5 Elwert-McNab, NPSF-50 1994 continued 11. Bg5, but in the notes to the game, Elwert recommended 11. Rb1 as a better move. 11...Rb8 This is a TN. The usual reply here is 11...h6. 12.b3 h6 13.Be3 Ne5 14.a3 An innocuous move. After 14. Qd2 there are some fireworks but the position evens out after 14....c5 15. Nc2 Bxh3 16. Bxh6 b6 17. Bxg7 Kxg7 18. cxb5 axb5 19. f4 Bxg2 20. fxe5 Bxf1 21. exf6+ Qxf6 22. Rxf1 Qe5. 14...c5 15.Nde2 b5 16.f4 Ned7 17.cxb5 Nxe4 Black can claim an advantage after 17....axb5 18. Qxd6 b4 19. axb4 cxb4 20. e5 bxc3 21. Nxc3 Bb7 22. Bf2 Bxg2 23. Kxg2 Nh5. 18.Bxe4 White keeps things level after 18. Nxe4 Bxa1 19. Qd2! (Not 19. Qxa1 d5!) Now White's position becomes very shaky despite White's finding some good moves. 18...Nf6 19.f5 White continues the attack as his best way to continue. 19...Nxe4 Equally ambitious is 19...gxf5 20. Bxh6 fxe4 21. Bxg7 Kxg7 22. bxa6 Bxh3 23. Rf4 wth an edge to Black. 20.fxg6 fxg6 21.Nxe4 Qe7! Black piles up on the e-file with decisive results. Too materialistic is 21...Bxa1? 22. Qxa1 Rxe4 23. Bxh6 Re5 24. Rf8+ Qxf8 25. Bxf8 Kxf8 26. Nf4 Kf7 27. Qd1 Rb6 28. Qd3 Bf5 29. Qc4+ winning. 22.Qd5+ Kh8 23.Bxh6 Bxh6 24.N2c3 Bb7 25.Qxd6 If 25.Qd3 Bxe4 26.Nxe4 Qxe4 27.Qxe4 Rxe4 25...Bxe4 26.Qxe7 Be3+ 27.Kh2 Rxe7 28.Nxe4 Rxe4 29.bxa6 The fireworks have stopped. White has three Pawns for the piece and a lost game. Black still has work to do, however. 29...Ra8 30.Rae1 Rxa6 31.Rf3 Rae6 32.h4 Kg7 33.a4 Bd2 34.Rxe4 Rxe4 35.Kh3 Ba5 36.Rd3 Rd4 37.Rf3 Bd8 38.Rc3 Rd5 39.Kg4 Kf6 40.Re3 Bc7 41.Rf3+ Black still gets his King into the center after 41. Kf3 Be5 42. Kg4 Rd4+ 43. Kf3 Ke6 44. Ke2 Kd5 41...Ke5 42.Rf7 Bd8 Another route is 42...Rd4+ 43. Kg5 Bd8+ 44. Kxg6 Rg4+ 45. Kh7 Rxg3 46. h5 Rxb3 47. h6 c4 48. Kg8 Ke6 49. h7 Bc5! 43.Rf3 Rd4+ 44.Kh3 Ke4 45.Rc3 Rd5 46.Rc4+ Kd3 47.Kg2 Ba5 Black builds a barricade to allow his King to cross to c2. 48.Kf3 Bc3 49.g4 Kc2 50.Ke4 Rd4+ 51.Ke3 Rxc4 52.bxc4 Kb3 53.Kd3 Be1 54.h5 gxh5 55.gxh5 Kxa4 56.h6 Kb3 57.h7 Bc3 0-1  Gabrove ANGELS WANTED ! The Absolute tournament is the correspondence tournament that features our strongest players vying for the honor of being the best of the best. The games of the Absolute players are a source of entertainment and instruction. It seems only right that the winners be compensated for their efforts. That is why donations toward the prize fund are being asked for. Help support the Absolute! Send in your earmarked donations to Joan DuBois, PO Box 3967, Crossville, TN 38557. NOVEMBER RESULTS John Collins Tim Rutledge 13C96 4-2 Alphonso Zenoh 13C06 4-2 William Parker 13C06 4-2 Andy Hunt 13C19 6-0 Walter Muir Vytautas Vitkauskas 14W13 6-0 Trophy Quad Michael Rabadan 13Q12 6=0 BIDS TAKEN FOR 2015 ABSOLUTE Do you have what it takes to play chess with the best of the best ? If you are rated above 2200 and would like the opportunity to cross Pawns with the kings of the correspondence chess world, now is the opportunity to send in your bid to be selected for the 2015 Absolute Championship. The top 13 rated players will ne accepted to play in this event. Send in your bid to [email protected] THE MINIATURE GAME COLLECTION The snow is falling; the temperature is dropping - it is that time of year again. So settle down in a warm room, get out your chess set, and enjoy the miniature games! White's f-Pawn suddenly develops jets. CARO-KANN DEFENSE (B10) 7729 The disappearance of a whole Black Rook is almost painless. GRUNFELD DEFENSE (D91) 7730 The pin wins. NIMZOINDIAN DEFENSE (E30) 7731 Robert Oneill sums it up - "This was the result of making chess moves at work without paying attention". BALOGH DEFENSE (A82) 7732 Two Knight sacrifices on opposite sides of the board crown this game. QUEEN'S INDIAN DEFENSE (E15) 7733 Seldom has so strong a Master been so tied down. BIRD'S OPENING (A02) 7734 ...from out of a clear blue sky... ENGLISH OPENING (A34) 7735 The more Black ponders the final position, the worse it gets.. CENTER COUNTER (B01) 7736 White's Knight forks three pieces - two Rooks and a Knight! GRUNFELD DEFENSE (D97) 7737 Even at the world championship level miniatures happen. ENGLISH OPENING (A30) 7738 Black resigns in the diagrammed position in the realization that here is no defense that will save him. QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED (D30) 7739 Black develops all the way to mate. QUEEN'S GAMBIT (D06) 7740 An ingenious trap catches Black's Queen. ALEKHINE'S DEFENSE (B04) 7741 NIMZOINDIAN DEFENSE (E42) 7742 There is no stopping the mate after 17. Re1 despite the extra Rook. CARO-KANN (B18) 7743 Miniature games are the snacks of the chess world -somewhat like extra sharp cheese and crackers. Find a complete index of Alex Dunne's articles here. |