USCF National Events / 2012 U.S. Open
Qc2 Nf6, Black has pressure on d4 and is also attacking a2. White will have to fight hard to hold a draw.
22. … Ba8
At first, this looks like a strange move. The idea is to protect the bishop and pre- pare ... Nf6, ... Nb6, or ... Nb4.
23. Qf3 f5 24. Bd3 Nb4 25. Bxb4 Qxb4 26. Qe3 Qd6 27. g4 Bxe5 28. Qxe5 Qxe5
29. dxe5
Worse is 29. Rxe5 Rc1+ 30. Kh2 f4 31. Be4 Bxe4 32. Rxe4 Rc2 33. Kg2 Rxb2 34. Re6 Rxa2 35. Rxg6+ Kh7. The connected passed pawns give Black the advantage.
29. ... Rd8 30. Rd1 Kg7 31. Be2 Rxd1+ 32. Bxd1 Bd5
I now have a better endgame because of his weak e5-pawn.
33. a3 f4 34. b4 Kf7 35. Bc2 Ke6
35. … g5 36. Bf5, and there is no way for Black to make progress. 36. Bxg6 Kxe5
Though he got rid of his weak pawn, now king activity is an issue.
37. Kf1 Kd4 38. h4 Kc3 Black is clearly better, but both play-
ers are in serious time pressure. Neither
Mexican winner had claimed the title. A special table was set with board, set, clock and the trophy at stake. The crowd gathered on the other side of the ropes. Chief Tournament Director Bill Snead of Texas started the clock. Cameras clicked and flashed for the permissible first few moments. Then the only sounds were the clunk of a piece hitting the board and the slap of a hand on the clock as the players rolled out a fighting game. After being on top but relinquishing much of his edge, Hoyos took advantage of Bryant’s mistake in the rook-and-pawn endgame, winning the historic title and completing the Merida connection to a long-ago Mexican great.
English Opening (A16) GM Manuel Leon Hoyos (2632) FM John Bryant (2515)
U.S. Open, Vancouver, 08.12.2012 (Armageddon playoff)
Notes by IM Alfonso Almeida and Al Lawrence 1. c4
The solid English Opening. Perhaps Manuel, confident of his strength, chose to play a quiet positional game, in order to beat his opponent in technical territory.
1. ... Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Nc3 Nb6 6. Nf3 Bg7 7. d3 0-0 8. 0-0 Nc6 9. Be3 Be6?!
Another try is 9. ... e5 10. Qd2 Re8 11. Bh6 Bh8 12. Rac1 as in Fressinet-Howell, Bundesliga 2010-2011.
10. a3 h6
Also OK is 10. … Nd5 11. Nxd5 Bxd5. 11. Rc1 Nd5 12. Nxd5 Bxd5 13. b4
52. … Rxd5?
The losing move. Either 52. … h4 or 52. … e3 keeps Black in the game.
53. Rxh5+
The only move that forces a win. 53. ... Kd4 54. Rxd5+, Black resigned.
www.uschess.org 25 Or 13. Qd2, targeting the h6-pawn, and
if Black plays the natural defensive move 13. … Kh7, White can continue with 14. Rc5, attacking the bishop on d5 and prepar- ing a discovered check after 15. Rxd5 Qxd5 16. Ng5+, winning the queen on d5.
13. ... e5 14. b5 Nd4 15. Bxd4 exd4 16. Nd2
There is no way for either side to make progress and so they agree to a peaceful end.
33. … Ba3! kept it close. Now White is winning.
34. Nxc5 Rxc5 35. Rxb3 Kf7 36. Rb7+ Ke6 37. Rb6+ Kf7 38. exd4 Rc7 39. Rb5 Qf3 40. d5?
This move gives Black the chance to
create counterplay, while with 40. Qb3+ and 41. Rc5, White keeps his winning edge and limits counterplay.
40. … Qd1+ 41. Kg2 Qxd3 42. Qe5 Qe4+ 42. ... Re7! is a bit better.
43. Qxe4 fxe4 44. h4 Kf6 45. Rb6+ Kf5 46. h5 gxh5 47. Rxh6 Kg5 48. Re6 Kf5 49. Rd6 Rc2 50. Kf1 Ke5
With 50. … e3!?, Black could complicate the game with a sacrifice: 51. fxe3 Ke4.
51. Rd8 Rd2 52. Rh8
Both sides have chances in this bal- anced position.
16. … a6 17. Bxd5 Qxd5 18. bxa6 Rxa6 19. Rxc7 Rxa3 20. Qb1 b5 21. Rfc1 Rc3 22. Ne4 Rxc7 23. Rxc7 Rb8 24. Qb4 Qe5?! 25. Rc6 Bf8 26. Qb3 Kg7 27. Ra6 b4 28. Ra7 Qf5 29. Qb2 Qd5 30. e3 b3 31. Ra4 Bc5 32. Ra5 Rc8 33. Rb5 f5?
of us could calculate the endgame and were just playing instinctively.
39. Ke2 Kb2 40. Kd2 Kxa3 41. Kc3 e5 42. h5 e4 43. g5 hxg5 44. h6 Bg8 45. Bxe4 g4 46. h7 Bxh7 47. Bxh7 g3 48. fxg3 fxg3 49. Be4 Ka4 50. Bc2+, Draw agreed.
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