White: Fred Foreman, Phalanx III Black: Chuck Washington, Hill Carnegie II Pittsburgh Chess League, round 4, December, 2002 Sicilian Defense, closed variation ("Foreman attack") In the early 1960's, Fred Foreman was an Expert, and shared the Club championship with the late Bob Bornholz in 1962. By the mid 1970's, when I met him, Fred's best results were past, but he was still taking some amazing scalps, winning games against Richard Costigan, Rick Abrams, and assorted Experts. His unique approach to the opening and middlegame, and his efficient use of the clock, can throw unprepared opponents off balance. 1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 d6 3 Nd5?!! Objectively, this move is less strong than the usual 3 g3 or 3 f4. But it is the start of Fred's patent system, and I am glad to have a chance to annotate one of his wins with it. 3 ... e6 4 Ne3 Nc6 The obvious question is, what about 4 ... d5? After 5 exd5 exd5 6 Bc6+ Nc6 (6 ... Bd7 7 Qe2, winning a pawn) 7 Nf3, White's pressure on the center would force Black to make some concession. 5 g3 Nf6 6 d3 Why didn't White play the obvious 6 Bg2? From observing Fred's games, I think it's because he wanted to save the g2 square for the knight. 6 ... Bd7? This is a poor choice for several reasons. Black could certainly play 6 ... d5 now. If he doesn't want to handle it that way, the bishop should go to b7. On d7 it gets in everyone's way. 7 c3 Rc8 8 f4 White is finally ready to meet 8 ... d5 with 9 e5, which would be extra strong because Black's knight cannot retreat to d7. 8 ... Be7 9 Be2 Qc7 Not an auspicious square for the Queen, as we shall see. 10 Nf3 a6 Why not just 10 ... b5? 11 O-O O-O 12 Qe1 Black's position is uncomfortable, but he could try 12 ... d5 13 e5 Ne8 or even 12 ... Ne8 with the idea of 13 ... f5. Instead he cuts off the knight's last retreat. 12 ... Rfe8 13 g4 h6 14 g5 hxg5 15 Nxg5! White pieces are poised to swarm over the kingside. 15 ... Nh7 would give Black a fighting chance. 15 ... e5 16 Qh4 Threatening 17 fxe5 Nxe5 18 Rxf6! Bxf6 19 Qh7+ Kf8 20 Nd5, mating or winning the queen. The rest of the game is easy to understand, but watch for some cute tricks at the end. 16 ... Be6 17 f5 Bd7 18 Rf3 Bd8 19 Rh3 Kf8 20 Qh8+ Ke7 21 Qxg7 Rf8 22 Rh7 Be8 23 Qxf6+ Kd7 23 ... Kxf6 24 Nd5 mate! 24 Qe6 mate White: Micah Evans Black: David Tobias Pa. State Junior Championships, ages 11-12, November 2002 This game is far from World Championship caliber, but it was submitted by the loser (Tobias) in hopes that it would be interesting, and indeed, it's like a lesson in basic tactics in one game. 1 d4 c5 2 c3 Nf6 3 Nf3 d6 4 e3 a6 5 Bd3 cxd4 6 cxd4 Bd7 7 Nbd2 Nc6 8 e4 e6 9 O-O Be7 10 Re1 Rc8 11 b3 Nb4 12 Bb1 d5 13 e5 Ng4 14 h3 Nh6 15 Re3 Nf5 16 Bxf5 exf5 17 h4? Nc2! (forking the rook on a1 and the rook on e3) 18 Rd3 Nxa1 19 Ng5 Bb5 20 Rg3 h6 21 Ngf3 f4 22 Rxg7 Bf8 (Black might have played 22 ... Bd7 first; then 23 ... Bf8 would have trapped the rook.) 23 Rg4 Nc2 24 Rxf4 Bb4 25 e6! Bd6 (Black rightly avoids 25 ... fxe6 26 Ne5) 26 exf7+ Ke7 27 Rf5 Qd7 28 g4 Bd3 29 Rxd5 Kxf7? 30 Ne5+ Ke6 31 Nxd7 Kxd5 32 Nb6+ Kc6 33 Nxc8 Nxd4 (Oops! If 33 ... Rxc8 34 Qf3+ wins the bishop. But the text is not much better.) 34 Bb2! Be2 35 Qc1+ Kd5 36 Bxd4 Kxd4 37 Qb2+! (a "skewer") Kd5 38 Qxh8 Bc5 39 Qd8+ Ke5 40 Qe8+ Kd4 41 Qxe2 b5 42 Qe3+ Kd5 43 Qxh6 (43 Qe4 would be mate) a5 44 Qg6+ Kd4 45 Nf3+ Kc3 46 Qxc5+ Kb2 47 Qxb5 Kxa2 48 Qxa5+ Kxb3 49 Kf1 Kc4 50 Ke1 Kd3 51 Qa4 Kc3 52 Ke2 Kb2 53 Kd3 Kc1 54 Qc2 mate. White: Mike Opaska Black: Ryan Milisits Pa. State Junior Championships, November 2002 Sicilian Defense, Alapin Variation 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 c3 Nf6 4 ... dxc3 would be the Morra Gambit. The text transposes to a variation of the Alapin Sicilian (1 e4 c5 2 c3 Nf6 etc.). 5 e5 Nd5 6 cxd4 Nc6 The most flexible move here is 6 ... b6. 7 Bc4 Nb6?! 7 ... d6 would transpose to an old main line: 8 O-O Be7 9 Qe2 O-O 10 Nc3 Nxc3 11 bxc3 b6 (or 11 ... dxe5), etc. The text makes it harder for Black to develop his queen bishop. The move ... Nb6 makes more sense when Black hasn't already shut in the bishop, as in some other well-known variations: 1 e4 c5 2 c3 Nf6 3 e5 Nd5 4 d4 cxd4 5 Nf3 Nc6 6 Bc4 Nb6 7 Bb3, or 6 cxd4 d6 7 Bc4 Nb6 8 Bb5. 8 Bb5 Be7 9 O-O d6 10 Nc3?! 10 Qe2! 10 ... dxe5 11 dxe5 Bd7?! Returning the favor. Black's queen is only getting in the way on d8, and he should have traded it at once. 12 Bxc6?!! Bxc6 13 Nd2?!! I guess it's logical to follow up one baffling, incomprehensible move with another. 13 ... Qd4 14 Qe2 Nd7?! It's amazing if White is not busted after his 12th and 13th moves, but now Black is overreacting. Simply 14 ... O-O would leave White with the problem of untangling his minor pieces without losing material. 15 Nc4 Bd5? But now Black gets in serious hot water, by forgetting that he needs to castle. Admitting his error by 15 ... Nb6 is quite playable. 16 Nxd5 Qxd5 16 ... exd5? 17 Nd6+ 17 Rd1 Qc6 18 Nd6+ Bxd6 19 Rxd6 Qc7 20 Bf4 Rd8 This self-pin causes agony. But 20 ... O-O 21 Rc1 or 20 ... Nb6 21 Rc1 Qb8 22 Qb5+ was worse. 20 ... Nb8 21 Qg4 g6 22 Qh4 doesn't look promising either. 21 Rc1 Qb8 22 Rcd1 Or 22 Bg5 Rc8 23 Rcd1 h6 24 Rxe6+! 22 ... h6! 23 Qd3 Qc7 24 Qg3! g5 25 Bc1 Rc8 26 Bd2 26 h4 was also logical; White answers 26 ... Nc5 with 27 Qf3. 26 ... Nb6 27 Ba5! Qc5 28 Bxb6 axb6 29 h4 Qb5 30 hxg5 Rg8 31 Qf3?! 31 Qf4, threatening 32 Qf6 and 33 Rd8+, wins immediately. If 31 ... Rg6 32 Rd7 Qxd7 33 Rxd7 Kxd7 34 Qxf7+ does the job. 31 ... Qxe5 32 Qxb7?! 32 Rd7 first is clearer: 32 ... Rg7 33 gxh6 Rh7 34 Qg4 Qf8 35 Qh4 f6 36 Rxh7. 32 ... Qc5 33 b4 33 Rd7 Rxg5 34 Re7+ Kf8 35 Rxf7+ Kg8 36 Rh7 Rf8 and Black is still hanging in there. But simply 33 gxh6 looks good. 33 ... Qc2 34 Qxb6 Rxg5 35 Rd8+ Ke7 36 Qd6+? 36 Qb7+ Rc7 37 R8d7+ Rxd7 38 Rxd7+ Kf8 39 Rxf7+ Kg8 40 Qf3 looks good. 36 ... Kf6 37 Qd4+ Kg6 Black's king is safe. There are no more clear wins. 38 Rxc8 Qxc8 39 a4? Qa8 40 Qd3+ f5 41 f3 Qxa4 42 Qd6 Qb3 43 Re1 Kf7 44 Qd7+ Kf6 45 Qd4+ Kf7 46 Qd7+ Kf6 47 b5 Qa2 48 Qd4+ Kg6 49 Qf2 Qxf2+?! 49 ... Qb3 50 b6 f4 looks pretty safe. Draw agreed After 60 Kxf2 Kf6, the burden of proof would be on Black. White: Jeremiah Blocki Black: Kesha Mezherytski Pa. State Junior Championships, ages 15-16, November 2002 French Defense, Winawer variation 1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e5 c5 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 bxc3 Qb6 (6 ... Qc7 is the usual move. After 7 Qg4 Ng7 8 Qxg7 Rg8 9 Qxh7 cxd4 White can not recapture the d-pawn: 10 cxd4?? Qc3+) 7 Qg4 Ne7 8 Nf3 (After 8 Qxg7 Rg8 9 Qxh7 cxd4 10 Qd3, White would have a solid extra pawn.) 8 ... Nbc6 9 Be2 Nf5 10 O-O Bd7 (After 10 ... cxd4 11 Bd3! White gets some compensation for the pawn.) 11 Be3 c4 12 Rfb1 Qc7 13 Ng5 h6 14 Nf3? (14 Nf3 prepares Nh3-f4-h5, etc.) 14 ... O-O-O 15 Nh4 Nxh4 (15 ... Nce7 looks OK) 16 Qxh4 g5? 17 Qg3 Rdg8 18 Bh5 Be8 19 Rb2 Ne7 20 Qf3 Nf5 21 Rab1 Qe7?! (After 21 ... b6 22 Rb4 followed by 23 a4 White will eventually open a file on the queenside and double his rooks on it. But why not 21 ... Bc6?) 22 Qd1 Ng7 23 Be2 h5 24 Rxb7! (Counting points isn't enough; you have to figure out who can win after the trade. Only White can win here.) 24 ... Qxb7 25 Rxb7 Kxb7 26 Qb1+ Kc7 27 Bxg5 Nf5 28 Bf6 Rh6 29 Qb4 Bc6 30 Qc5 Ra8 31 a4 a5 32 g3 Rh7 33 Bf1 Rh6 34 Bh3 Rg6 35 Bxf5 exf5 36 Qce7+ Kb6 37 Qxf7 Rgg8 38 Qxh5 Bxa4 39 Qxf5 Bc6 40 Be7 a4 41 Ba3 Rgb8 42 h4 Ka5 43 Qf6 Rb1+ 44 Kg2 Bb5 45 Qd6 Ra6 46 Bb4+ Rxb4 47 cxb4 mate