Saturday, September 03, 2005

Hart-Selling, NJ Open (u-1800) 2005

White to play after 26...Qe3.


I watched the end of the game between Kenilworth Chess Club regulars Glen Hart and Ed Selling in Round 1 of the under-1800 section of the New Jersey Open. I was especially interested in the moment depicted above, since I saw the best move and hoped Glen would find it. But Glen was in time trouble so he chose the "safest-looking move," breaking the pin on his Rook by moving the King to b1, which ironically gets him into trouble. You can play over the game online or download the annotated PGN file (or see it as text below) for the solution. We went over the game together in the skittles room and I think it is worth playing over. White's play might have been improved by including Pf3 at some point (in English System fashion) to strengthen his e-pawn.

Glen Hart (left) playing Ed Selling.



[Event "New Jersey Open (u-1800)"]
[Site "Somerset, NJ USA"]
[Date "2005.09.03"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Hart, Glen"]
[Black "Selling, Ed"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B48"]
[Annotator "Goeller,Michael"]
[PlyCount "68"]
[TimeControl "40/2"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 Qc7 7. Qd2 b6 8. O-O-O Bc5 9. Be2 $6 { This move may be too slow.} (9. Bf4 $5 Ne5 10. Nf3 Nxf3 11. gxf3 (11. Bxc7 Nxd2 12. Rxd2 Bb7 13. e5 Rc8 14. Bd6 f6) 11... Qc6 12. Rg1 $14) ({Best may be} 9. Nxc6 $1 Bxe3 10. Qxe3 dxc6 11. e5 Ne7 12. Ne4 $16) 9... Nf6 10. g4 $5 h6 11. h4 ({Better} 11. Nxc6 $1 Bxe3 12. Qxe3 dxc6) 11... Bb7 12. g5 $6 ({ White first must take a moment to strengthen his center:} 12. f3 $142 O-O-O $5 13. g5 hxg5 14. hxg5 $14) 12... Nxd4 ({Even better may be} 12... Nxe4 $1 13. Nxe4 Nxd4 14. Bxd4 Bxe4 15. Bxg7 Bd6 $1 16. Kb1 Bf4 17. Qc3 Qxc3 18. Bxc3 Rh7 $11) 13. gxf6 Nxe2+ 14. Qxe2 Bxe3+ 15. Qxe3 gxf6 16. Rhg1 $44 {White is down a pawn but he has excellent compensation: Black's King is still in the center with lines opening up, White has good chances of gaining a grip on the dark squares, and the extra pawn is doubled and vulnerable to attack.} Rc8 $5 { It seems at first unwise of Black to completely forego castling. But Ed thought he was "content" to have his King sit in the center, especially since he has good counterplay on the Queenside.} (16... O-O-O $6 17. Rg7 d6 18. Qd4 $1 $14) (16... Qc5 $1 17. Qd2 Bc6 18. Qf4 Qe5 $11) 17. f4 $6 {Too slow.} (17. Qd4 $142 $1 $36) 17... b5 18. Rd2 $5 (18. a3 Qc5 19. Qd2 Bc6 $15) 18... Qc5 $1 $15 19. Qe1 $6 Ke7 $6 ({Black could win White's weak e-pawn immediately by} 19... b4 $1 {xe4} 20. Nd1 Bxe4 $1 $19) 20. e5 $5 (20. a3 a5) 20... fxe5 21. fxe5 Rcf8 $2 (21... b4 $142) 22. Qd1 $6 (22. h5) (22. Rg4 $5 Bc6 23. b4 $5) 22... Rd8 23. Qe1 {White begins to get into time trouble here.} d5 $6 24. h5 $5 ({Easier was} 24. Qf1 $1 Rdf8 25. Qf6+ Ke8 26. Rg7 $36) ({or} 24. exd6+ Rxd6 25. Rxd6 Qxd6 26. Qe3 $44) 24... Rdf8 $6 (24... Rdg8 $1 $11) 25. Qh4+ (25. Ne4 $3 Qc4 (25... dxe4 26. Qh4+ $40) (25... Qb6 26. Nd6 Rhg8 27. Rdg2 Rxg2 28. Rxg2 Ba8 29. Qb4 $40) 26. Qh4+ Kd7 27. Rg3 $1 b4 28. Nf6+ Kc6 29. Qxc4+ dxc4 30. Rd6+ Kb5 31. Nd7 $16) 25... Ke8 26. Rgd1 Qe3 27. Kb1 $6 (27. Ne4 $3 Kd7 28. Re1 $1 Qb6 29. Nd6 $16 { and Black is tied up while White can build up his attack on the kingside.}) ( 27. Re1 Qg5 28. Qd4 $132) 27... Qxe5 28. Ne4 $2 {Right idea but too late!} (28. Re2 Qg5 29. Qd4 $44 {would still give White play for his pawns.}) 28... Qxe4 $1 29. Qxe4 dxe4 30. Rd8+ Ke7 31. R1d7+ Kf6 32. Rxf8 Rxf8 33. Rxb7 Rd8 34. Kc1 Rd6 $19 {and White's flag fell.} (34... e3 $1 { of course would have been more immediately conclusive.}) 0-1

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