Scholastics / 2014 National High School Championship
dark-squared pressure. 13. ... g6 14. h3 Hoping to bring the rook to g4, but
Black counters this threat rather easily. After 14. Ne2 Bh6 15. Rc1 Ne7 16. Rxc8+ Nxc8 The knight comes to c4, and White has no activity.
14. ... h5 15. Rg1 Less effective is 17. ... Rc7 18. Bc1
which allows White to de fend his f-pawn, while activating his knight on d6.
18. Qd3 Ne7 The move 18. ... Rc7 was also sufficient
to win, but I see a chance to decisively activate my pieces by sacrifice.
19. Nxb7 My opponent, seeing the result if he
takes my rook, tries to capture b7 and then bring his knight to c5, where it will block the c-file. 19. Nxc8 Rxc8 20. Be2 Nf5 White’s king is hopelessly stranded, and Black’s pieces begin to penetrate, on e3 for example (exploiting the pin on the f2-pawn).
He correctly avoids the sacrifice, but
now the black rook decisively enters the fray. After 20. Qxb5 Rc2 Black threatens ... Qxf2+ as well.
20. ... Rc2 21. Bc3 The other try 21. Bxb5 Rxb2 leaves
White without the dark-squared bishop and allows Black to bring his knight to f5 and then d4, exploiting the dark- square weaknesses created by White’s opening strategy.
21. ... Nf5 Black’s final piece enters the fight,
threatening ... Be3 (which also cuts off the c3-bishop from the white queen).
22. Bxb5 Be3 23. Kd1 No better is 23. Be2 Rxc3. 23. ... Rxf2 24. Qh1 Bxd4, White resigned. 15. Nb5 was White’s best chance, ex -
changing Black’s strong dark-squared bishop. Of course, White’s pawns are also shattered. However, Black keeps an edge with 15. ... a6 16. Nd6+ Bxd6 17. exd6 Na7 18. a4 0-0 19. Be2 Rfd8 because the d6-pawn is completely stranded.
15. ... Bh6
The passive defense is Ne2, but my opponent, knowing that this approach is ultimately doomed, tried to reverse the trend by bringing the knight to d6. Al - though I punish it, in general, this is a good practical approach; when in a lost position, try to create complications—your opponent might make a mistake.
16. Nb5 0-0 17. Nd6 Bxf4 At A Glance ⁄2 /7), Kinsleigh Wong (5/7), Derek Chen (5/7), Emma Wing (41 ⁄2
19. ... Bb5! This move is the key! White’s queen on
d3 holds the position together, preventing Black’s rook to reach c2 and the black queen from further wreaking havoc. So, Black sacrifices his bishop to divert the queen, a classic theme.
20. Qf3 A picturesque position: White’s queen
is stuck on h1, while all of Black’s pieces (except for the knight) stand on White’s weakened dark squares.
See more games, including one by Yang, as well as more reporting and photos from San Diego in the Chess Life Online April archives at
uschess.org.
2nd-5th, 6: Sam A. Schmakel, Andrew Tang, Kesav Viswanadha, Abhishek Obili; 6th-20th, 51 : Jonathan Homidan, Cameron Wheeler, Aleksandr Ostrovskiy,
Date: April 4-6, 2014 | Location: Town and Country Resort, San Diego, California | 942 players | Top Finishers: K-12 Championship, 1st, 61 ⁄2
Cancio, Matt Gross, Udaivir Singh, Hugh Fox, Amber Fox, Patrick Froehlich); 2nd, 191 ⁄2
⁄2
/7), Rohan Mittal (41 ⁄2
(NY); K-12 Under 1600, 1st, 61 : Gervacio Cabel; 2nd-4th, 6: Kalyan V. Madanapalli, Nate Getz, Jonathan C. Mikolic; 5th-14th, 51 (NJ), Regis Jesuit High School (CO); K-12 Under 1200, 1st-2nd, 61 : Jack Lyons, Clark Ohnesorge III; 3rd-9th, 6: Sohail Amin, Bryan James Kaperick, Emily
: Niles North (IL), Ransom Everglades School (FL); 3rd-4th, 171 ⁄2
Saletan, Arturo Jose Corces, Bolortuya Tumurbaatar, Justin Alexander Vince, Robert Wall Grayson; K-12 Under 1200 Team Championship, 1st, 22: Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School (VA); 2nd, 211
⁄2 : Niles North (IL); 3rd-4th, 21: Vianney High School (MO), Rockhurst High School (MO); K-12 Under 800, 1st, 61 ⁄2
Unrated, 1st, 61 : Jacob Stanley Bovee; 2nd-3rd, 6: Edward Bail Galacci, Jose Manuel Vazquez; 4th-6th, 51 Kellogg; K-12 Unrated Team Championship, 1st, 20: Barry Goldwater High School (AZ); 2nd, 191 School (NY). | Chief Tournament Director: Jonathan David Shacter.
⁄2 ⁄2 : Bobby
Blankenship; 2nd-6th, 6: Kevin Park, Adrian J. Chavarria, Vsevolod A. Leskin, David Bishop, Soumika Nav Gaddameedi; K-12 Under 800 Team Championship, 1st-2nd, 18: United South High School (TX), Richards High School (IL); 3rd-4th, 171 ⁄2
: Gompers Preparatory Academy (CA), Crossroads School (MO); K-12 ⁄2
: Blue Ridge High School (AZ); 3rd, 171 : Automotive High
: Nickolas J. Scipione, Lucas Elgin Elgin, Adam Davis ⁄2
/7), Joshua Pennock, Nicolas Johnston, Sumhith Aradhyula, Aiya : Kennedy Middle School (CA); 3rd, 19: Edward R. Murrow High School ⁄2
⁄2 : Luke Anthony Drennan, Eric
Musielski, Sarfaraz Ahamed Mohammed, Mason David Miller, Sharika Hasan, Nicholas F. Jensen, Jonathan D. Couture, Bryce M. Wong, Myron Loke, Diego Rafael Draguicevich; K-12 Under 1600 Team Championship, 1st-2nd, 181
⁄2 : Christian Brothers Academy
Joshua Colas, Michael W. Brown, Bryan Hu, Nicky Korba, Varun Krishnan, Jalen Wang, Craig Hilby, Nathaniel A. Kranjc, Joshua Sheng, Allan Beilin, Jeevan Karamsetty, Matthew W. Larson; K-12 Team Championship, 1st, 20: Catalina Foothills HS (AZ, Coach Robby Adamson, Coach Steven Pennock, Bryan Hu (51
2014 National High School Championship : Darwin Yang;
⁄2
42 June 2014 | Chess Life
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