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Tactics / Eastern Open


BIG GUNS VERSUS KING IN THE CENTER: Ernest Colding (2200) Tan D. Nguyen (2035) 42nd Annual Eastern Open, Open section (4), Bethesda, Maryland, 12.28.2015


Desperate, but after the better 34. Re2 a5


35. Kb2 Nd3+ 36. Ka3 Rb8! 37. Rxf7 Ne5 38. Rxe5 (else 38. ... Nc4+ and 39. ... Rb4 mate), Black still wins.


34. ... a5 35. Rc1 No better is 35. Rh5 Rg3.


35. ... a4 36. Rxc5 dxc5 37. Kxa4 f6 Or 37. ... Kd6.


38. Rg7 Kd6 39. Rg6 The white rook and bishop make a sorry


pair!


39. ... Ra8+ 40. Kb5 Rb8+ 41. Ka4 c4 42. Bxc4 Kc5, White resigned.


AFTER 16. ... Qb8 After obtaining a great position against Tan


Nguyen’s Modern De fense, Ernest finds a great way to decide the game.


And now there are two ways to win:


1) Simplest is 17. Bxd7+! Kf8 (if 17. ... Kxd7 18. Nb6+ Nxb6 19. Qb5+ Bc6 20. Qxc6 mate) 18. Qd2 h6 19. Bf4 Kg8 20. Bxc8 Qxc8 21. Nxd6.


2) The game went 17. Nfe5! dxe5 18. Bxd7+ Kf8 19. Qf3 (19. d5? was played in the game and Colding eventually won) 19. ... Kg8 20. dxe5 Ba6 21. Be8 (or 21. Bxc8) 21. ... Ra7 22. Nxa5 Qxe5 23. Be3 Nd6 (or 23. ... Qxa5 24. Bxa7) 24. Nc6 Qf6 25. Qxf6 is much more complicated.


JUST ANOTHER BORING ENDGAME?: Daniel Lowinger (2226) Andy Samuelson (2295) 42nd Annual Eastern Open, Open section (4), Bethesda, Maryland, 12.28.2015


AFTER 24. ... Qd4 So what are the candidate moves, here?


25. Rd1; 25. Nb5; 25. Qxb7; 25. Ne2


White must be vigilant to the bitter end: 1) 25. Nb5!, Black resigned in view of the following variation 25. ... Qe4 (or 25. ... Qxb2 26. Nxd6) 26. Qxe4 Nxe4 27. Nxd6 Nxd6 28. Rd1.


AFTER 33. Rg7


Andy has played a fine game until here and now finishes with some tactics. Daniel has just played 33. Rg7 although 33.


Reh1 would have been the lesser evil. Black’s knight is much better than White’s


big pawn. What are Black’s potential threats in this position?


33. ... Rh3! 34. Rxg5?


2) But not 25. Rd1?! Ng4!! with the idea 26. Rxd3 Ne5 winning. Better is 26. Nb5 Qxf2+ (26. ... Qxb2 27. Nxd6 Nde5 28. Qf4 Qe2 29. Rf1 Nxh2 30. Kxh2 Qxf1 31. Qxe5 Qxf2+ 32. Kh3 Qf1+ with a perpet - ual with equal chances) 27. Qxf2 Ngxf2 28. Rxd3 Nxd3 29. Nxd6 Nxb2 with equal chances.


3) 25. Qxb7? Bc5 (less impressive is 25. ... Bb4 26. a3.) 26. Na4 (neither 26. Ne2 Qe5 nor 26. Qb8+ Bf8 help much.) 26. ... Bf8 27. Qf3 Nxb2 when Black has the edge.


4) 25. Ne2? Qxc4 26. Qxb7 h6 and Black is better.


(see next game, top of next column) www.uschess.org 37


AFTER 23. Ng4? Black has the beautiful 23. ... Kh8!! 24. Nxf6


(Another try is 24. Bb5 Bxb5 25. axb5 Rfd8 26. Rad3 Qe4 but leaves Black in command.) 24. ... Nf3+!! (Winning but less elegant is 24. ... Qd8! 25. Ne4 [not 25. Nxh7? Nf3+! 26. gxf3 Qxh4] 25. ... Qxh4 winning.) 25. gxf3 (if 25. Kh1 Qe5! 26. Ng4 Qh5! wins) 25. ... Qxf3 26. Be4 Qxf6 27. Bxc6 bxc6with a big advantage to Black.


IT’S JUST MOP UP, RIGHT?: GM Sergey Erenburg (2654) IM Raymond Kaufman (2337) 42nd Annual Eastern Open, Open section (5), Bethesda, Maryland, 12.28.2015 Notes by Erenburg and Beckman.


AFTER 21. Qf1 White has just played 21. Qf1 although 21.


Qe3 would have been stronger. How did Black respond? After 21. ... Qd5! the tables have been turned on White. But what happens after 22. Bxf6 gxf6 23. Ng4? Isn’t Black in trouble?


IN THE FOOTNOTES: GM Alexander Shabalov (2622) GM Sergey Erenburg (2654) 42nd Annual Eastern Open, Open section (4), Bethesda, Maryland, 12.28.2015 Notes by Erenburg.


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