Cover Story
A creative solution to the kingside threats, but still insufficient in the end.
14. ... Rh4 15. Bxg5 Qh2+ 16. Kf2 Rxg4 17. Qh3 Rxg5 Clever, but gives White nominal
hope. 17. ... Rf4+ is more direct, though Lapshun understandably did not see clarity in geometric variations such as 18. Bxf4 Qxf4+ 19. Ke1 Qxe4+ 20. Kf2 Qf4+! 21. Ke1 Qe5+! 22. Kf2 Ne4+ 23. Ke3 Ng3+ 24. Kf2 Qf4+ (the third posting on f4) and Black mates as the white queen is now cut off from defense.
18. Qxh2 Ng4+ 19. Kg3
19. Kg1? leads to the picturesque 19. ... Ne2+ 20. Kh1 Nf2+ 21. Rxf2 Rd1+ 22. Qg1 Rh5 mate.
19. ... Nxh2+ 20. Kxh2 Ne2 21. g4?
The final mistake. 21. g3 keeps White fighting, but now his king lacks any semblance of shelter.
21. ... Rxg4 22. Na3?? 22. Nc3 was forced.
22. ... Rd6 23. Rf3 Nf4, White resigned.
-+-+-vl-+ zppzp-mk-zp- -+-tr-+-+ +-+-+-+- -+-+Psnr+ sNL+-+R+- PzPP+-+-mK tR-+-+-+-
Final position
The final position resembles scholastic tendencies—a blocked bishop, knight on the rim, open king and ladder mate.
High especially liked the scene of
Friday night’s first-round games. He got his “dream” scenario, as seven of the eight top boards featured a titled player versus a North Carolinian. “Instead of going to the big tournament, here it is, coming to you,” Newsom said. “It’s hard for us players not from the northeast to get to big tournaments.” A few in-state players used the home-court advantage to pull off upsets. Sara Walsh, not yet rated 1800, played in the open section and beat a FIDE master, while Charlottean Josh Mu attained his national master title, aided by his draw of a grandmaster. Also in the opening round, local master Chris Mabe navigated a
30 Chess Life — January 2012
treacherous middlegame to draw the top seed.
Slav Defense (D17) GM Giorgio Kacheishvili (2669) Chris Mabe (2298) 2011 North Carolina Open (1) Notes by Klein]
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 Nbd7 7. Nxc4 Qc7 8. g3 e5 9. dxe5 Nxe5 10. Bf4 Nfd7 11. Bg2 g5 12. Ne3 gxf4 13. Nxf5 0-0-0 14. Qc2
So far a theoretical position. 14. ... Ng6
The first move that is not the main line. 14. ... Nc5 is slightly more standard.
15. 0-0
A rare position where White had an honest choice of which way to castle. Kingside castling scores well and is also more fighting.
15. ... h5 2700-level Chinese grandmasters
Wang Yue and Hua Ni have both chosen 15. ... Kb8 immediately, with the idea of restraining White’s queenside thrust. The plan backfired spectacularly in Magnus Carlsen-Yue after 16. Rac1 a5 17. b4! axb4 18. Nb5. The world number one went on to win a pawnless endgame. His countryman chose 17. ... Bxb4 but after 18. Nd5 ultimately suffered the same fate.
16. Rfc1 Kb8 17. b4 The text is a tad slow (17. Nb5 Qb6
[17. ... Qe5? 18. Bxc6! bxc6 19. Nbd4 wins for White] 18. Nbd4 would have been similar to the Carlsen game, where Black must act quickly to avoid either a4-a5-a6 or a direct sacrifice on c6).
17. ... fxg3 18. hxg3 h4 19. b5
The natural follow-up, but again, a knight invasion may have been better.
19. ... hxg3 20. Nxg3 Nf4
20. ... Bc5 activates Black’s last piece, and threatens the Ng3 by virtue of the pin. And after 21. Nce4 Bd4 the position is unclear.
21. Rab1 Nxg2 22. Nd5 Ne3! Either getting the queens off the
board or removing the Nd5 from attack; either way a success for Black.
23. Nxc7 Nxc2 24. bxc6 Kxc7 25. cxd7 Bc5 26. Rxc2 b6 27. Rc4 Rdg8
Slightly exotic. Taking the pawn on d7 with either piece would suffice for equality.
28. Kg2 Kxd7 29. Rd1+ Kc7 30. e3 Rd8 31. Rdd4 Rxd4?!
-+-+-+-tr zp-mk-+p+- -zp-+-+-+ +-vl-+-+- P+Rtr-+-+ +-+-zP-sN- -+-+-zPK+ +-+-+-+-
After 31. ... Rxd4 Black “falls” into the trap. Moving the
king off of the c-file, or even to c6, was just fine, and would have made for an easier effort. Instead, the lower-rated player is in a hurry to liquidate the position, as is often the case.
32. exd4 Rh4 33. f4
This is one fly in the ointment that Mabe said he missed completely (but which ultimately does not spoil things, if only just). There is also 33. Nf5 Rf4 34. Nd6!! which is simply majestic. 34. ... Rxd4 35. Nb5+ (or 35. Rxd4 Bxd4 36. Nb5+ Kc6 37. Nxd4+ with a trans- position) 35. ... Kc6 36. Rxd4 Bxd4 37. Nxd4+ Kc5 38. Nf3 when White has good practical chances.
33. ... Rxf4 34. Ne2 Re4 35. Kf3 f5 36. Rc1 Kc6 37. a5 Kb7 38. dxc5 bxc5 39. Rxc5
White could also try 39. Ra1, with the idea that leaving Black’s c-pawn on the board hinders his ability to corral the a-pawn, but it is still hard to make progress.
39. ... Ra4 40. Rxf5 Ka6 41. Ke3 Rxa5
-+-+-+-+ zp-+-+-+- k+-+-+-+ tr-+-+R+- -+-+-+-+ +-+-mK-+- -+-+N+-+ +-+-+-+-
After 41. ... Rxa5 Black later ditched his a-pawn to
reach a theoretical draw. On move 112, Mabe invoked the 50–move rule. You did not have to be titled to be courted by the organizers. Everyone from low masters to class D-players got personal invitations to come, but the organizers made no secret that they were hoping the grandmasters lured
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