GM Aman Hambleton vs Deepak Aaron

Last night was spent viewing the Chess games from the current US Masters tournament being contested in Charlotte, North Carolina. Earlier I had commented that it was strange to see fellow Georgian Deepak Aaron

https://www.wolfchess.org/

on board six facing Grandmaster Aman Hambleton

International master Aman Hambleton needs one more GM norm to become a grand master. In March, 2017 he vowed to stop shaving until he achieves this goal. (https://news.stlpublicradio.org/arts/2017-12-07/on-chess-the-quest-to-grandmaster-title-at-the-st-louis-invitational)

on board six because he was the only untitled player among the leaders. On had to go down to board twenty six to find the next untitled player. Deepak had the black pieces, which lowered the prospect of success. Music from The Hearts of Space (https://v4.hos.com/this-week/program) was playing as I surfed… Then the surfin’ stopped as the focus went to that game only as I sat there transfixed by the game. The commentary was left untouched as I began living vicariously while rooting for Deepak. I was so into it while making sounds like, “YES!”, or, “Oh No, Mr. Bill”… If and when Deepak would make a move of which I approved (and not all of my chosen moves would be approved) a fist would be clenched that would be pumped. Only one who has sat across from a titled player can understand how difficult it is to score even a draw against a Grandmaster, or one of GM strength. Not once did I turn on the analysis, and I have still not yet gone over the game with annotations, but hope to do so later today.

GM Ben Finegold and Deepak Aaron moving pieces: https://www.wolfchess.org/

It is my pleasure to present the moves of this extremely hard fought Chess game. If you would like to see the annotations by Stockfish please click onto this link (https://lichess.org/broadcast/2022-charlotte-us-masters/round-5/jOrLgMFv)

GM Aman Hambleton vs NM Deepak Aaron
2022 US Masters
Round 5
ECO E32 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical Variation

1.d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 O-O 5. Nf3 c5 6. dxc5 Na6 7. g3 Nxc5 8. Bg2 Nce4 9. O-O Bxc3 10. bxc3 Qa5 11. Nd4 d5 12. cxd5 exd5 13. c4 Qc5 14. Bb2 Qxc4 15. Qxc4 dxc4 16. Rfc1 Bd7 17. Rxc4 Rac8 18. Rb4 b5 19. Bxe4 a5 20. Bxh7+ Kxh7 21. Rb3 a4 22. Rd3 b4 23. f3 Rc4 24. Bc1 Bc8 25. Bg5 Nd5 26. Bd2 Ba6 27. Be1 Rfc8 28. Kf2 R4c5 29. Rdd1 Nc3 30. Bxc3 Rxc3 31. Rab1 R8c4 32. Rd2 Rc1 33. Rxc1 Rxc1 34. Rb2 Rc4 35. Ke3 a3 36. Rc2 Kg6 37. h4 f5 38. g4 fxg4 39. fxg4 Kf6 40. Rd2 Ke5 41. Nf3+ Ke6 42. Nd4+ Kd5 43. h5 Rc3+ 44. Kf4 Kc4 45. e3 Rc1 46. Rh2 Rf1+ 47. Ke5 Kd3 48. g5 Rg1 49. Kf4 Rf1+ 50. Ke5 Rg1 51. Ne6 Bc4 52. h6 gxh6 53. gxh6 Rg8 54. h7 Rh8 55. e4 Bxa2 56. Rxa2 Rxh7 57. Nf4+ Kc4 58. Nd5 Ra7 59. Nxb4 Kxb4 60. Kd6 Kb3 61. Ra1 Kb2 62. Re1 Ra6+ 63. Kd7 Ra4 64. e5 Rd4+ 65. Kc7 Rc4+ 66. Kd7 a2 67. e6 Rd4+ 68. Ke7 a1=R 69. Rxa1 Kxa1 70. Kf7 Rf4+ 71. Kg7 Re4 72. Kf7 Rxe6 73. Kxe6 Kb2 1/2-1/2

13…Qc5 is a TN. SF prefers 13…Bd7

Bogdan Lalic (2500) vs Margareta Muresan (2215)
Event: GMA Baleares op
Site: Palma de Mallorca Date: ??/??/1989
Round: 1
ECO: E32 Nimzo-Indian, classical variation
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 O-O 5.Nf3 c5 6.dxc5 Na6 7.g3 Nxc5 8.Bg2 Nce4 9.O-O Bxc3 10.bxc3 Qa5 11.Nd4 d5 12.cxd5 exd5 13.c4 Bd7 14.cxd5 Rac8 15.Qb3 Ba4 16.Qa3 Rc3 17.Nb3 Bxb3 18.Qxa5 1-0
https://www.365chess.com/game.php?gid=2300735

Anna Ushenina (2501) vs Humpy Koneru (2607)
Event: SportAccord Blitz Women 2013
Site: Beijing CHN Date: 12/16/2013
Round: 24.6
ECO: E32 Nimzo-Indian, classical variation
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 O-O 5.Nf3 c5 6.dxc5 Na6 7.g3 Nxc5 8.Bg2 Nce4 9.O-O Bxc3 10.bxc3 Qa5 11.Nd4 d5 12.cxd5 exd5 13.c4 Bd7 14.cxd5 Qxd5 15.Bb2 Rac8 16.Qb3 Qxb3 17.axb3 a6 18.e3 Rc7 19.Rfc1 Rfc8 20.Rxc7 Rxc7 21.b4 Nd6 22.Nb3 Nfe4 23.Bd4 Bc6 24.f3 Nf6 25.e4 Nb5 26.Be5 Re7 27.Bb2 Rd7 28.Bf1 Kf8 29.Kf2 Ne8 30.Ke3 Re7 31.Na5 Rc7 32.Rc1 f6 33.h4 Ke7 34.f4 Ned6 35.Bd3 Bd7 36.Rxc7 Nxc7 37.e5 fxe5 38.Bxe5 Nd5+ 39.Kd2 Nxb4 40.Bxh7 b6 41.Nb3 Nc4+ 42.Kc3 Nxe5 43.Kxb4 a5+ 44.Kc3 Ng4 45.Nd4 Kd6 46.Be4 Nf6 47.Bf3 b5 48.Be2 Kc5 49.Nb3+ Kb6 50.Bd3 a4 51.Nd4 Ka5 52.Nc2 Nd5+ 53.Kd4 Nf6 54.Kc5 Be8 55.f5 Nd7+ 56.Kd6 b4 57.g4 b3 58.Nd4 b2 59.g5 a3 60.Nb3+ Kb4 61.Nd4 a2 62.f6 gxf6 63.gxf6 Nxf6 64.Ke7 a1=Q 65.Nc2+ Kc3 66.Nxa1 bxa1=Q 67.Bf5 Bc6 68.Kxf6 Kc4+ 69.Kg6 Qg1+ 70.Kf6 Qd4+ 71.Kg5 Qe5 72.Kg6 Be4 73.Bxe4 Qxe4+ 74.Kg5 Kd5 75.h5 Ke6 76.h6 Qf5+ 0-1 (https://www.365chess.com/game.php?gid=387755)

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFFX_uUtPSsc-_UD1VRsaCg?view_as=subscriber

Hastings Last Round

We will look at how the players profiled in a previous post on Hastings fared in the tournament.
(https://xpertchesslessons.wordpress.com/2018/01/04/hastings-upsetting-first-round/)

Adam Taylor

finished with a score of 5 1/2 out of 9, which included the upset win over Sengupta in the first round and three draws with GM’s. He drew with Black against GM Alexander Cherniaev (2436) in the second round; Alexandr Fier, with White, in the penultimate round; and Bogdan Lalic (2415),

also playing White, in the last round. Mr. Taylor’s performance rating was 2452, over 200 points higher than his FIDE rating.

Adam C Taylor vs Bogdan Lalic

Last round

1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 Bg4 3. Bg2 Nd7 4. O-O e6 5. c4 Ngf6 6. b3 Bd6 7. Bb2 O-O 8. d3 c6 9. h3 Bh5 10. Nbd2 a5 11. a3 Re8 12. e4 1/2-1/2

GM Deep Sengupta

won his last round game with Danny Gormally (see below) to tie for first place with IM Yiping Lou,

who settled for a short draw with Arghyadip Das

in the final round to finish with 7 points.

Yiping Lou vs Arghyadip Das

Last round

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 d5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 O-O 7. Bg5 dxc4 8. Qxc4 b6 9. Nf3 Ba6 10. Qa4 c5 11. dxc5 bxc5 12. Rd1 Qb6 13. Bxf6 gxf6 14. Rd2 Nc6 15. Qg4+ Kh8 16. Qh4 Kg7 17. Qg4+ Kh8 18. Qh4 Kg7 1/2-1/2

After his first round draw with GM Daniel Gormally in round one Kim Yew Chan (2299) beat an FM with Black in the second round. Then the wheels came off as he first lost to GM Alexander Cherniaev with White in the third round. He drew with the Black pieces versus a player rated 1961, Mikolaj Rogacewicz, in the fourth round before losing to a titled woman player rated only 1993 WFM Rasa Norinkeviciute in the fifth round. Unable to take the woman’s Chess punch, he withdrew. His PR was only 2151.

GM Jens Kristiansen (2415),

playing White, managed to draw a long game versus John N Sugden (2059). The GM is sixty five years young, showing fighting spirit the above named players who agreed to quick draws should envy, if not emulate. There is no shame in a game of 70+ moves which ends in a hard fought draw, unlike the aforementioned gentlemen with short drawers.

Jens Kristiansen vs John N Sugden

Final round

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. Bd3 cxd4 6. exd4 d5 7. Nf3 O-O 8. O-O dxc4 9. Bxc4 Nbd7 10. Bg5 Nb6 11. Bb3 Be7 12. Qd3 Bd7 13. Bc2 g6 14. Bh6 Re8 15. Ne5 Nbd5 16. Qg3 Nh5 17. Qf3 Bf6 18. Nxd5 Bxe5 19. dxe5 exd5 20. Qxd5 Bc6 21. Qxd8 Raxd8 22. f4 Rd2 23. Rf2 Rd4 24. Rd1 Red8 25. Rxd4 Rxd4 26. f5 Ng7 27. f6 Ne6 28. Bb3 Rd7 29. Be3 a6 30. h3 Kf8 31. Kh2 Nd4 32. Bxd4 Rxd4 33. e6 fxe6 34. Bxe6 Bd5 35. Bxd5 Rxd5 36. Re2 Rd7 37. Re6 Kf7 38. Rb6 g5 39. Kg3 Kg6 40. Kf3 h5 41. Ke3 Kf5 42. a4 h4 43. a5 Ke5 44. b4 Kf5 45. Kf3 Rd3+ 46. Ke2 Rd7 47. Ke3 Ke5 48. b5 axb5 49. f7 Rxf7 50. Rxb5+ Kf6 51. Kd4 Ke6 52. Rxg5 Rf2 53. Ke3 Ra2 54. Kf3 Kf6 55. Rg4 Ra3+ 56. Kf2 Ra2+ 57. Kg1 Rxa5 58. Rxh4 Rb5 59. Rh8 Rb2 60. h4 b5 61. Kh2 Rb3 62. Rb8 Kf5 63. Rg8 b4 64. h5 Rc3 65. h6 Rc7 66. Rg7 Rc8 67. g4+ Kf4 68. h7 Rh8 69. g5 b3 70. g6 b2 71. Rb7 Kf5 1/2-1/2

Jonah B Willow (2152), with the Black pieces, beat Brian Hewson (2007) in the last round. He also won the previous round game to finish with a flourish. Unfortunately the games between his opening round draw with GM Kristiansen and the penulitmate round were not kind to Mr. Willow.

Hewson, Brian W R vs Willow, Jonah B

Last round

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 c5 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 d6 6. Nc3 g6 7. e4 a6 8. a4 Bg4 9. Be2 Bxf3 10. gxf3 Bg7 11. Be3 Nbd7 12. Qd2 O-O 13. Bh6 Re8 14. h4 Nh5 15. Bg5 Qa5 16. Nd1 Qc7 17. a5 f5 18. Nc3 f4 19. Bxf4 Nxf4 20. Qxf4 Rf8 21. Qg5 Be5 22. Qd2 Bf4 23. Qc2 Ne5 24. Nd1 Qf7 25. Ra3 Rae8 26. Ne3 Bxe3 27. Rxe3 Qc7 28. Qa4 Rc8 29. Kd2 Rf4 30. Kc2 Rcf8 31. Qa3 h5 32. Qb3 R8f7 33. Qb6 Qxb6 34. axb6 Nxf3 35. Kd1 Ne5 36. f3 0-1

The Najdorf was my weapon in the 1970’s. Like many other players who also played The Najdorf, Bobby Fischer had a tremendous influence on making The Najdorf my weapon in the 1970’s. Returning to Chess from years of playing Backgammon professionally I no longer played The Najdorf simply because of not having the time to keep up with the ever changing and developing theory of the opening. The Najdorf is so much more than just an opening; it is an opening SYSTEM. Players who challenge The System have thrown EVERYTHING against it, yet The System prevails. The System works unless and until someone screws up The System more than Donald J. Trump has screwed up the US system of government. GM Gormally’s handling of The System is such an example.

One thing learned from my time attempting to play The Najdorf is that many of the same moves feature in The System. What is important is WHEN they are played, and in what ORDER. Once one learns The System the moves sort of fall into place as one gets a “feel” for what to play and when to play it. The first thing that hit me when playing over the game was that the move 7…Qc7 is not good because White can obtain a very good position by taking the Knight immediately, playing 8 Bxf6. I never played anything other than 7…Be7. I studied other ways of playing without the move, but found none appealing. Deep refused to play the best move and played 8 Qf3, cutting the Gorm much slack. Unfortunately, the Gorm once again refused to play Be7. When he did finally play Be7 on his ninth move it was the wrong move. He should have played 9…b5. Gormally never played b5. The reason one plays a3 in the Najdorf is to follow with the move b5 ASAP. If one is not going to play b5 then one should not attempt playing The System known as the Najdorf. Frankly, this is a pitiful effort by GM Gormally, especially considering it was the last round. The way he played The Najdorf System resembles something a player learning The Nadjorf System might produce, not something one would expect from a long time veteran like the Gorm. I continue reading his fine book, Insanity, passion and addiction: a year inside the chess world, with his constant comments questioning why he continues playing Chess. After this game the Gorm needs to do some SERIOUS soul searching. Maybe he should get a job, or become one of the GM’s he writes about who stay home and give lessons via the internet.

Deep Sengupta vs Daniel W Gormally

Last round

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 cxd4 5. Nxd4 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Qc7 8. Qf3 Nbd7 9. O-O-O Be7 10. g4 h6 11. Bxf6 Bxf6 12. h4 Qb6 13. Nb3 Nc5 14. Nxc5 Qxc5 15. e5 dxe5 16. Ne4 Qc6 17. Bg2 Be7 18. fxe5 O-O 19. g5 Qb5 20. Qg3 h5 21. Nf6+ Kh8 22. Nxh5 Bd7 23. Qg4 Rac8 24. Nf6 gxf6 25. gxf6 Bxf6 26. Qh5+ 1-0