The recent weather has seen dark and cloudy skies with periods of rain making it dark and dreary, which means perfect weather for watching Chess! Yesterday afternoon this writer/spectator sat glued to the screen watching two American Seniors, the Kentucky Lion, Gregory Kaidanov,
and Shabba Dabba Do, aka, Alexander Shabalov,
battle their opponents in the American Continental Chess Championship 2023. The game between Grandmasters Gregory Kaidanov and Alder Escobar Forero was the first to end. This was the final position after the players prematurely agreed to a draw:
It should be obvious white has an advantage. You know it, I know it, and Stockfish ‘knows’ it, too. It is incumbent upon the player of the white pieces to at least make an attempt to win the game, but, for whatever reason, Colombian GM Alder Escobar Forero decided to gift his opponent a Grandmaster draw. THIS IS WHAT IS WRONG WITH CHESS! These premature draw eruptions with a board full of pieces are killing the Royal Game. If only 1/4 point were awarded to each player for making a draw do you think this game would have been agreed drawn?
GM Alder Escobar Forero (2443) vs GM Gregory Kaidanov (2559)
American Continental Chess Championship 2023
C78: Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Arkhangelsk Variation
- e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Bb7 7. d3 Be7 8. Nc3 O-O 9. a3 d6 10. Ba2 Nb8 11. Re1 Nbd7 12. h3 c5 13. Nh2 Rc8 14. Nf1 b4 15. Ne2 d5 16. Neg3 dxe4 17. dxe4 c4 18. axb4 Bxb4 19. c3 Be7 20. Qe2 Qc7 21. Ne3 Nb6 1/2-1/2
https://lichess.org/broadcast/american-continental-chess-championship-2023/round-5/sTZnPjRG
Oh well, at least my attention could be turned to the Shabba game, in which The US Senior Champ played The Najdorf. Regular readers know how much I love the venerable Najdorf variation even if it was left behind long ago. You never forget your first love… I will admit to living vicariously through Shabba yesterday because, as David Spinks, or Big Bird, as he was called by some habitués of the Atlanta Chess Center, aka, the House of Pain, was fond of saying, “You gotta pull for SOMEBODY, man!” (https://xpertchesslessons.wordpress.com/2020/04/19/im-boris-kogan-versus-expert-david-spinks/) This spectator was living and dying in real time with Shabba. The analysis feature was not on as I sat their exercising my brain when deciding on the move I would make. Speaking of making something, my last cuppa Joe was percolated while spectating, so I was sippin’ the coffee while living vicariously.
GM Cristobal Henriquez Villagra (2616) vs GM Alexander Shabalov (2480)
American Continental Chess Championship 2023
B90 Sicilian, Najdorf, Adams attack
- e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. h3 e6 7. g4 b5 8. g5 Nfd7 9. a3 Bb7 10. h4 Be7 11. Be3 Nb6 12. Qh5 g6 13. Qg4 N8d7 14. h5 Ne5 15. Qg3 Rg8 16. hxg6 hxg6 17. Rd1 Rc8 18. Rh7 Rxc3 19. bxc3 Qc7 20. Bf4 Bxe4 21. Nxb5 axb5 22. Bxe5 dxe5 23. Bxb5+ Kf8 24. Qh4 Qxc3+ 25. Rd2 Bxa3 26. Qxe4 Bb4 27. Qd3 Nd5 28. Qxc3 Bxc3 29. Kd1 Bxd2 30. Kxd2 Ke7 31. c4 Nf4 32. Kc3 Rd8 33. Kb4 Nd3+ 34. Ka5 Nxf2 35. Rh4 e4 36. c5 e3 37. c6 Nd3 38. Re4 Ra8+ 39. Kb6 Rb8+ 40. Ka5 Ra8+ 41. Kb6 Rb8+ 42. Ka5 1/2-1/2
https://lichess.org/broadcast/american-continental-chess-championship-2023/round-5/sTZnPjRG
There was no doubt that white came out of the opening with an advantage and was in the drivers seat after 12 Qh5.
I was actually pleased to see Shabba answer with 12…g6 because that was my choice. Unfortunately, later the Stockfish program disabused me of that notion, showing 12…0-0 as best. Now that is what you call “castling into it.” This is one of the reasons I was so fond of playing The Najdorf ‘back in the day’. Every game was like being on the knife’s edge.
15…Rg8 was not on my radar. Later it was learned two games, given below, had been contested with 15…Rf8. This spectator was contemplating 15…Qc7, with a view toward castling Queenside. Stockfish simply plays 15…Rc8. “Why did I not even consider the move?” I was asking myself later… I was expecting 17 f4, for obvious reasons, but the GM decided to move his Rook to d1, which was another move not on my radar…
When GM Forero played 18 Rh7 Stockfishy says the advantage was now with Shabba. SF says, “Inaccuracy. Bc1 was best.” If that’s the case, then why is there an arrow showing the best move being Rh4?! Inquiring minds wanna know. If you know, or if you know someone, anyone, who knows, then please leave a comment because this inquiring mind wants to know… Whatever… Shabba then sacked the exchange with 18…Rxc3, and the fight was ON! Yes, SF, too, woulda sacked the Rook…
I was expecting 19…Bxe4 and was flummoxed with Shabba’s choice of 19…Qc7. According to the Fish, the game was now even, Steven. In Chess one is either learning, or dead.
Once again GM Forero had a chance to move the pawn to f4, attacking the proud steed ensconced on e5, but chose to play 20 Bf4, yet another move not consider by this spectator… At this point this squirrel did actually consider the move given as best by the silicon monster, 20…Nc4, but rejected it in favor of the move made by Shabba, Bishop takes Pawn on e4.
GM Forero then sacrificed his Knight on b5 when playing 21 Nxb5, and there was then blood all over the board, and the pieces, while drippin’ over the sides of the board. This viewer was LOVIN’ Chess LIFE! This is the way Chess was meant to be PLAYED! The Fish would have simply played 21 a4…
With 33 Kb4 GM Forero let go of the rope with one hand…
When playing 35 Rh4?! the GM let go of the rope with the other hand… White was sooooooooooooo BUSTED! In addition, the General of the white army was low on time. ‘Back in the day’ one would have felt comfortable wagering his net worth on a win for the Black pieces. Unfortunately, those daze are gone…
With the ill chosen RED MOVE of 36…e3?? (“Blunder. Nd3 was best.” Stockfish) Shabba jettisoned much of his advantage. Then he stepped into it with the other foot by playing 37…Nd3?! (Inaccuracy. Rc8 was best.) The game ended with a repetition. Shabba let that fish offa the hook.
Armchair Warrior 