Sunday, September 04, 2005

Bady-Bartell, NJ Open 2005

Black to play and equalize after 20.Bc5.


Remind me never to make predictions.... This morning, Steve arrived at the tournament just before 12:00 noon (the time play began on Saturday) only to find that he had been forfeited in Round 3 which had started at 11:00 a.m. I suppose there is one risk in living so close to the venue: you may wait to the last minute (or what you think is the last minute) to arrive.... Since there was bound to be good competition for first place, with Thomas Bartell (2373), Albert Kapengut (2360), Edward Formanek (2336), and now Anatoly Volovich (2400+ and playing the two-day schedule), he saw there was no chance of coming in first and therefore withdrew.

The Round 3 game on Board 1 was a rather interesting Sicilian Dragon by transposition. Though it ended in a draw, it was not without some tactical fireworks (see position above after 20.Bc5). Tom Bartell, who was last year's co-champion and a recent repeat visitor to the Kenilworth Chess Club, played Black against Glenn Bady of Pennsylvania. You can play over the game online or download the PGN or get it as text below.

[Event "New Jersey Open"]
[Site "Somerset, NJ USA"]
[Date "2005.09.04"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Bady, Glenn"]
[Black "Bartell, Thomas"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[PlyCount "50"]
[TimeControl "40/2"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 g6 ({A good method of avoiding} 2... Nc6 3. Bb5) 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 ({The Queen becomes a target after} 4. Qxd4 $6 Nf6 5. e5 $6 Nc6 6. Qd1 $2 (6. Qa4 Nd5 $11) 6... Nxe5 $1) 4... Bg7 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Nb3 {A cautious line.} (7. Qd2 Ng4) (7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 d5 $13) 7... O-O 8. Be2 d6 {We have now transposed to the Classical Dragon, which was played by Karpov with some success.} 9. f4 a5 10. a4 Be6 11. O-O Bxb3 $5 12. cxb3 e6 13. Bf3 Qe7 14. Qe2 Rad8 15. Qb5 $5 Rfe8 16. Rad1 h5 $5 {The Knight l soon need an escape square, and this move opens up two possible spots.} 17. e5 Ng4 18. Bxg4 (18. Bb6 $5) 18... hxg4 19. exd6 (19. Bb6) 19... Rxd6 20. Bc5 { This appears to win material, but Black has other ideas.} Bd4+ $1 { The beginning of an interesting combination that keeps the balance.} 21. Rxd4 ( 21. Bxd4 Nxd4 22. Qxa5 Nxb3 $11) 21... Nxd4 22. Qc4 ({No better is} 22. Bxd6 Nxb5 23. Bxe7 Nxc3 24. bxc3 Rxe7 $13) 22... Rc6 $1 (22... Qd8 23. Bxd6 Qxd6 24. Ne4 Qd8 25. Kh1 $14) 23. Bxe7 Rxc4 24. bxc4 Rxe7 25. Rd1 Nb3 {and Black offered a draw, which White accepted. The position is equal, though Black should have at least a psychological edge given the way he managed to get out of danger.} 1/2-1/2

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are right when about the Black gaining tempo on White queen, nethertheless; White also gain valuable tempo on Black's knight. 1.e5 c5
2.Nf3 g6
3.d4 cd4
4.Qd4 Nf6
5.e5 Nc6
6.Qa5 Ne5
7.Qe4 eNb4 (7...Nc7 is safer)
8.Bb5 Qa5
9.Nc3 d4
10.ed6(e.p.) Bf5
11. Bc6+ bc6 (Nc6 might be better)
12.d7+ and the complications favor the first player. Bady.

Anonymous said...

The line 22. Bxd6 Nxb5 23. Bxe7 Nxc3 24. bxc3 Rxe7 seems to slightly favor white since black has the doubled pawns on the g file and white has the queenside pawn majority- what does anyone else think