Alan Lasser’s Game of the Week… June 21, 2009

In the Milford Chess Club on Thursday night (in the Margaret Egan Recreation Center) I played a game/30 against our soon-to-be tournament director Ryan Young's King's Indian Attack.   His 11.c4 is anti-positional, releasing the tension in the center.  The advanced c-pawn was easily eliminated, allowing me to gain the momentum on the queenside with mobile pawns that were hungry for pieces.  Rather than pause to regroup and consolidate my material gain, I exploited his lack of development by sacrificing my two rooks for his queen, keeping the pressure on his queenside.   Soon I invaded his weak squares and then I shifted my focus to the seventh rank and the king.

VIEW THIS GAME AND ANIMATE THE MOVES – CLICK HERE

White Ryan Young

Black AL

Event game/30

Site Milford Chess Club

Date 2009.06.18

Round 

Result 0-1

ECO A07

1 Nf3 d5

2 g3 Bg4

3 Bg2 c6

4 O-O Bxf3

5 Bxf3 e5

6 d3 f5

7 Nd2 e4

8 Bg2 Nf6

9 d4 Nbd7

10 e3 . . .

(-0.56) -0.31 10. c4 Be7 11. Qb3 Qb6 12. Qxb6 axb6 13. cxd5 Nxd5 14. Nc4 O-O 15. Bh3 b5

10 . . . Bd6

11 c4 O-O

12 c5 Bc7

13 b3 . . .

This is too conservative. Better was b4, intending b5 and opening up a file on the queenside to use for invasion.

13 . . . b6

14 cxb6 axb6

15 Bb2 c5

(+0.39) +0.59 15... Ng4 16. Qe2 Qe7 17. Rfc1 Qe6 18. b4 Rfc8 19. a3 Bd6 20. h3 Ngf6 21. Nb3 b5 22. Na5

16 Qc2 Qe7

17 Nb1 Rfc8

18 Qd2 b5

(0.00) +0.44 18... Qf7 19. Nc3 cxd4 20. Qxd4

19 Ba3?? . . .

(-1.58) 0.00 19. dxc5 Nxc5 20. Nc3 Qd7 21. Nxb5 Qxb5 22. Bxf6 gxf6 23. Qxd5 Kg7 24. Qxf5 Re8 25. f4 Bb6 26. Qg4 Kh8 27. Qf5 Kg7

19 . . . b4

20 Bb2 c4

21 bxc4 dxc4

22 Rc1 c3

(+1.84) +2.19 22... Bd6 23. a3 c3 24. Nxc3 bxc3 25. Rxc3 Rcb8 26. Qc2 Nb6 27. Rb3 Qe6 28. Rc1 Na4 29. Rxb8 Rxb8 30. Qxa4

23 Bxc3 bxc3

24 Qxc3 . . .

(-2.26) -1.94 24. Nxc3 Ba5 25. Qd1 Qe6 26. Qb3 Qxb3 27. axb3 Nb6 28. Nb5 Rxc1 29. Rxc1 Bd2 30. Rc5 Ra1 31. Bf1 g6 32. Kg2 Ra2 33. Rc6 Nbd7 34. Bc4 Kg7 35. Kf1 Bb4 36. Rc7 Kh6 37. Kg2

24 . . . Ba5?

(+1.50) +2.26 24... Qe6 25. Qc6 Qxc6 26. Rxc6 Ne5 My thought here was that I could give up the two rooks for the queen because the white knight and queen rook were undeveloped and vulnerable. It would cost my opponent material or position to get them out alive. The computer says I had an even stronger line of play, but I had not forseen the powerful 26...Ne5 it suggests.

25 Qxc8+ Rxc8

26 Rxc8+ Kf7

27 a4 . . .

27.Nc3 doesn't lose the knight after 27...Nb6 28.Rc5 Bb4 29.Re5 but instead Black can keep piling on the pressure with 27.Nc3 Qa3 28.Nd1 Nb6 29.Rc6 Nbd5 30.Bf1 Qa4

27 . . . Qb4

28 Rc1 . . .

(-2.67) -2.00 28. Na3 Qb2 29. Rcc1 Ng4 30. Rf1 Nb6 31. Bh3 Ke7 32. Nb5 Nc4 33. Rab1 Qa2 34. Ra1 Qc2 35. Bxg4 fxg4 36. d5 Qd3

28 . . . Qb2

(+2.13) +2.67 28... Qb3 29. Bf1 Nb6 30. Na3 Bc3 31. Rcb1 Qxa4 32. Bb5 Qa8 33. Ra2 Ke7 34. Kg2 Nfd5 35. Rb3 Qa5 36. Kh3 Bb4

29 Na3 Ng4

30 Nc4?? . . .

(-5.81) -1.97 30. Rf1 Nb6 31. Bh3 Ke7 32. Bxg4 fxg4 33. Rfb1 Qe2 34. Rc1 Nxa4 35. Nc4 Be1 36. Rxe1 Qxc4 37. Rec1 Nc3 38. Kg2 Qb3 39. Ra7 Kf8 40. Ra8 Kf7

30 . . . Qxf2+

31 Kh1 Nxe3

32 Nxe3 Qxe3

33 Rd1 . . .

(-7.09) -6.48 33. Rc4 Qd2 34. Rcc1 Qxd4 35. Rd1 Bd2

33 . . . Nf6

34 d5?? . . .

(-10.00) -7.13 34. Rf1 Qxd4 35. Rad1 Qxa4 36. Ra1 Qb5 37. Bh3 Qe5 38. Ra2 g6

34 . . . Ng4

35 Rf1 Nf2+

36 Kg1?? . . .

(-mate 3) -11.94 36. Rxf2 Qxf2 37. Rf1 Qc2 38. Rxf5 Ke7 39. d6 Ke6

36 . . . Nh3+

Now if 37.Kg1, then Qg1 38.Rg1 Nf2 mate

Alan Lasser

Fairfield County Open

SPEED CHESS TOURNAMENT

$500 First Prize!! - $1600 Prize fund guaranteed!!

Saturday August 29, 2009

Norwalk Public Library - 1 Belden Avenue, Norwalk CT

Registration: 11:00am - 11:45am Rounds: 12noon – 4:00pm

1 section - 7 round Swiss G/10

Prizes: $500-300-200 / Top U2000, U1800, U1600/Unr - $200 each

Entry Fee: $30 in advance or $35 at the door

Unrated Tournament – USCF membership not required except for class prizes

Top scholastic players are also eligible for trophies.

The Norwalk Public Library is not responsible for the content of this program.

Presentation of this program does not constitute endorsement by the Library or the City of Norwalk.

I-95, Take Exit 15 to Route 7 North, Exit 1. Right at ramp light, right at third light, Mott Ave. Library on corner of Belden and Mott.Merritt, South on Route 7. Take Exit 1. Left onto Van Buren. Left at first light. Go under Route 7 overpass, right onto Mott Ave.

Questions? Call Melvin Patrick 203.644.3037 or email melvinpat@aol.com

A message from Kevin Zimmerman (the "Z man")

Fellow chess enthusiasts of Connecticut and throughout New England! Get ready for the

The 3rd Annual Zimmerman Games Day

343 Hills Street East Hartford

Saturday August 29

12:30pm

(Rain date- Sunday August 30)

Side dishes or desserts welcome. The grill will be fired up with burgers, dogs, chicken, and veggie burgers! BYOB- setups provided.

Bring your skills for Chess, Backgammon, Poker, Dominoes, Spades, Checkers, Ping Pong, Bocce, Badminton, and more!

$10 EF Chess Tournament with prizes starts at 2:00pm

Door Prizes, 50/50 Raffle

Afternoon Drum Circle- bring an instrument!~

Please RSVP by Wednesday August 26 to:

Marie- MsBubbyJ@aol.com

Kevin- ChefKez@aol.com

860-569-7565

August 5, 2009

Greetings, fellow chess players:

The New Britain Chess Club is proud to announce a new annual tournament starting at the club. Yes, friends, another spectacular event is will commence on August 11, as we wind down this fantastic summertime chess season at the NBCC. The idea for this event was created by NBCC President Joe Mansigian and the name of the event is the annual New Britain Summer Games Chess Tournament. Details on the event follow.

Just a few important notes---

Membership to the NBCC is not required prior to entry in the tournament, however USCF membership is. If you are interested in participating, please arrive at the club around 7:15 or earlier to register. Your TDs will be Emily Pond, Randy Shane, Ed Scimia, and assisting in his first tournament at the club, Doug Pence.

I hope everyone is doing well and I hope you are enjoying your summer (if you can call it will all the rain we have been having!),

All the best,

Bob

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1st New Britain Summer Games Chess Tournament

The New Britain Chess Club will be sponsoring the multi-section 'Summer Games Tournament' beginning on Tuesday August 11th, 2009 through Tuesday September 1st, 2009.

Time Controls: Primary: 40 moves in 85 minutes with 5 second delay

Secondary: game in 30 minutes

Rounds: There will be four rounds.

Sections: Experts/Masters Open to any player rated above 2000

and invited players rated at least 1950 whose admission is not objected

to by any fully qualified entrant.

Mad Dogs Open to any player rated above 1600 but

not accepted into the Experts/Masters

Striving Upward Open to all players rated under 1600.

Alan Lasser’s email:

blacklightmazes@me.com

blacklightalanlasser@blacklightmazes.com

Alan Lasser’s web sites:

http://web.me.com/blacklightmazes

www.blacklightmazes.com

Connecticut Chess Magazine is http://www.robroy8.com/chess.htm

Alan Lasser’s Game of the Week is http://www.robroy8.com/AlanLasser.htm