Stoyko Plays the Lasker at ICC

Black to play after 30.Kg2.

FM Steve Stoyko will be giving his second lecture on the Lasker Defense to the Queen's Gambit Declined at the Kenilworth Chess Club this Thursday from 7:00-8:00 p.m. The cost is $5 per person. The first lecture (to which I have posted notes online) was very worthwhile and well received.

In anticipation of Steve's lecture, I decided to look at games he has played with the Lasker at ICC. I have been hanging out at ICC a lot more of late, following the FIDE World Championship of course, and I only recently discovered the "search" command to find games in specific lines or by specific players. Previously I had tried the "history" command to look at recent games by various players, including Steve (who is "knightmare51" at ICC). I still have not mastered all of the search potential for plumbing the ICC database, but I did manage to turn up several games of interest to our studies. Not surprisingly, Steve has a near 100% score as Black with ECO D56 and D57. If you play through the main game (which contains some others in the notes), I think you'll see why! As usual, you can view the games online, you can download the PGN or you can get it all as text below.

[Event "ICC Blitz"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2005.10.05"]
[Round "?"]
[White "KIMO"]
[Black "knightmare51"]
[Result "0-1"]
[PlyCount "62"]
[EventDate "2005.??.??"]

1. d4 e6 2. c4 d5 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 O-O 6. e3 h6 7. Bh4 Ne4 8. Bxe7 Qxe7 9. Nxe4 ({a)} 9. Bd3 Nxc3 10. bxc3 dxc4 11. Bxc4 b6 12. O-O Ba6 13. Bxa6 Nxa6 14. Qb3 c5 15. Ne5 Rac8 16. Rfe1 Rfd8 $11 { KIMO-Knightmare51, ICC 10-05-2005 (0-1 53)}) ({b)} 9. cxd5 { (This appears to be the most commonly played move among strong players on ICC)} Nxc3 10. bxc3 exd5 11. Bd3 c5 $1 12. O-O Be6 13. Ne5 Nd7 (13... c4 $5) 14. Nxd7 Qxd7 15. Rb1 b6 16. Bb5 Qd6 17. Qf3 Rac8 $11 { ExcaliburBrief-knightmare51, ICC 10-05-2005 (0-1 36)}) ({c)} 9. Rc1 $1 c6 10. Bd3 Nxc3 11. Rxc3 dxc4 12. Bxc4 Nd7 13. O-O e5 14. dxe5 (14. Bb3 $5) 14... Nxe5 15. Nxe5 Qxe5 16. f4 $1 {The classic book move.} Qf6 $6 (16... Qf5 17. Bd3 Qe6) (16... Qe4) 17. f5 $5 (17. e4 $14) 17... b5 18. Bb3 b4 19. Rc5 Ba6 20. Rf2 (20. Rf4 $1) 20... Rad8 21. Qc1 Bb5 22. e4 Qd4 (22... Rfe8 $1 $17) 23. e5 a5 $1 24. e6 a4 25. exf7+ Kh8 26. Rxb5 $8 axb3 $5 27. Ra5 Rxf7 (27... bxa2 $1 $15) 28. axb3 $11 {0-1 SaabMaster-knightmare51/Internet Chess Club 2003 (37)}) 9... dxe4 10. Nd2 f5 11. g3 $6 c6 12. Bg2 e5 13. Nb3 $6 exd4 (13... f4 $1 14. Bxe4 $2 exd4 (14... fxe3 $5) 15. Qxd4 $4 Rd8 $19) 14. Nxd4 Be6 $5 (14... Rd8 $1 15. Qa4 c5 16. Nb5 Nc6 $17) (14... Qb4+ $1 15. Qd2 Qxc4 $17) 15. Qc2 Nd7 16. a3 c5 17. Nxe6 Qxe6 18. O-O Ne5 19. Rfd1 Rfd8 20. Qb3 b6 21. Rd5 Rxd5 22. cxd5 Qd6 23. Rd1 h5 24. a4 Rd8 25. Bf1 Kh7 26. Be2 h4 27. Rd2 hxg3 28. hxg3 Qh6 $1 29. Qd1 ( 29. Qc3 Nf7) 29... Kg6 30. Kg2 $2 (30. Qf1 Rh8 31. Qg2 Kf7 $15) 30... Rh8 31. Qg1 (31. Bh5+ $8 $19) 31... Qh3# 0-1