St Louis Fall Classic

[Hans Jung]

Aman Hambleton is playing in the St. Louis Fall Classic B.

[Hans Jung]

Aman's first round game was very interesting. He won the queen but had a tough job defending against White's active pieces.

[Hans Jung]

In rd 2 Aman offered a queen exchange in a tough position. His opponent declined and overlooked a hidden resource which led to perpetual.

[Hans Jung]

https://www.chessbomb.com/arena/2019...Foreest_Jorden I was searching the A tournament and found this. Amazing pawn play!

[Hans Jung]

In the A section rd 3 Ipatov - Robson The dancing king.

[Hans Jung]

Ive also been watching the Aman game. It was fascinating, extremely interesting, especially around moves 18 to 23 but really the whole game. Not a consolation to Aman with a tough loss but many fascinating variations and structures. Really entertaining.

[Wayne Komer]

St. Louis Fall Chess Classic – Group B

September 13, 2019

Round 1, September 10
Shtembuliak, Evgeny (2548) – Hambleton, Aman (2492)
A21 English, Kramnik-Shirov Counter-Attack

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Bb4 3.Nd5 Bc5 4.e3 Nf6 5.b4 Be7 6.Nxe7 Qxe7 7.Bb2 O-O 8.Nf3 d6 9.d3 Bg4 10.Be2 a5 11.b5 Nbd7 12.h3 Bxf3 13.Bxf3 e4 14.Be2 exd3 15.Bxd3 Ne4 16.O-O Rae8 17.Rc1 Ndc5 18.Bb1 f5 19.Qd5+ Kh8 20.Bd4 Rc8 21.Bxe4 c6 22.bxc6 bxc6 23.Qxc6 Rxc6 24.Bxc6 Qc7 25.Bf3 Rb8 26.Rb1 Rxb1 27.Rxb1 h6 28.Bd5 a4 29.h4 Kh7 30.h5 a3 31.g3 Qc8 32.Bf7 Kh8 33.Bg6 Kg8 34.Rb6 Kf8 35.Rxd6 Ne4 36.Rd5 Qxc4 37.Rxf5+ Nf6 38.Bc5+ Kg8 39.Bxa3 Qxa2 40.Ra5 Kh8 41.Kg2 Qc4 42.e4 Ng8 43.Bf5 Qc3 44.Ra8 Qc6 45.Rc8 Qa6 46.Bc1 Qe2 47.g4 Qa6 48.Bf4 Qb7 49.Bg3 Qf7 50.Kh2 Qe7 51.Rb8 Qf7 52.Bc8 Kh7 53.Bf5+ Kh8 54.e5 Qe7 55.e6 Qc5 56.Bb1 Qe7 57.Ba2 Kh7 58.Bb3 Kh8 59.Kh3 Kh7 60.Bc2+ Kh8 61.f3 Qxe6 62.Bb3 Qe2 63.Bxg8 Qf1+ 64.Kh2 Qe2+ 65.Kg1 Qe5 66.Bd5+ 1-0

Round 2, September 11
Hambleton, Aman (2492) – Hakobyan, Aram (2550)
A18 English, Mikenas-Carls variation

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.e4 e5 4.g3 Bc5 5.Bg2 d6 6.h3 Nc6 7.Nge2 a6 8.d3 b5 9.O-O bxc4 10.dxc4 O-O 11.Kh2 Nd4 12.Be3 Ne6 13.Qd2 Rb8 14.b3 Bxe3 15.Qxe3 c5 16.f4 Nd4 17.Qd3 Bb7 18.f5 Nd7 19.Nb1 Bc6 20.Nd2 a5 21.a4 Rb4 22.Rae1 Qf6 23.Nc1 Rfb8 24.Bf3 g6 25.g4 Qg5 26.Bd1 Nf6 27.Qe3 Qh4 28.Qf2 Qh6 29.fxg6 fxg6 30.Qxf6 Qxd2+ 1/2-1/2

Round 3, September 12
Quesada Perez, Yasser (2572) – Hambleton, Aman (2492)
B40 Sicilian (Nimzowitsch-Rossolimo & Kan)

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bb5 Nge7 5.d4 cxd4 6.Nxd4 Nxd4 7.Qxd4 a6 8.Bd3 Nc6 9.Qe3 Qc7 10.f4 Be7 11.Qh3 b5 12.O-O Bb7 13.Be3 Na5 14.Rad1 Nc4 15.Bc1 Bc5+ 16.Kh1 Bd4 17.Be2 Ba7 18.a3 Rc8 19.Rd3 Nd6 20.Bf3 f5 21.Rfd1 Nxe4 22.Nxe4 Bxe4 23.Bh5+ Kf8 24.Rxd7 1-0

Round 4, September 13
Hambleton, Aman (2492) – Kadric, Denis (2558)
A20 English Opening

1.c4 e5 2.g3 d6 3.Bg2 Be7 4.Nc3 f5 5.d3 Nf6 6.e4 fxe4 7.dxe4 c6 8.Nge2 O-O 9.h3 a6 10.a4 a5 11.O-O Be6 12.b3 Na6 13.Be3 Nd7 14.f4 Ndc5 15.Rb1 Bf7 16.Qd2 exf4 17.gxf4 Qc7 18.Ng3 Rad8 19.Kh2 Rfe8 20.Bf3 Bf8 21.Rg1 Kh8 22.Qg2 Bg6 23.Rbe1 d5 24.cxd5 Nd3 25.e5 Bb4 26.Rc1 Nxc1 27.Rxc1 Nc5 28.d6 Qf7 29.Bxc5 Bxc5 30.Nd1 Ba3 31.Rc4 b5 32.axb5 cxb5 33.Bd5 Qf8 34.Rd4 Bc5 35.Qd2 Bxd4 36.Qxd4 Rxd6 37.exd6 Qxd6 38.Nc3 Rd8 39.Qf2 b4 0-1

The average rating in this tournament is 2555

[Hans Jung]

https://www.chessbomb.com/arena/2019...mbuliak_Evgeny Another interesting exercise is whats going on in the final position of this game and why didnt white play on.

[Hans Jung]

https://www.chessbomb.com/arena/2019...alevski_Victor We have a King's Gambit in modern grandmaster play. Love it.

[Hugh Brodie]

Aman is struggling in a 100+ move game in which he played the Englund Gambit (1. d4 e5), giving up his Q early for a bunch of material. It's an ending featuring his RPP vs Q.

[Wayne Komer]

St. Louis Fall Chess Classic – Group B

September 15, 2019

Round 5, Sept. 14
Mikhalevski, Victor (2578) – Hambleton, Aman (2492)
A30 Reti/English symmetrical, hedgehog System

1.c4 c5 2.g3 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.O-O Nf6 6.Nc3 a6 7.Re1 d6 8.e4 Be7 9.d4 cxd4 10.Nxd4 Qc7 11.Be3 O-O 12.Rc1 Nbd7 13.f4 Rfe8 14.g4 Nc5 15.Bf2 g6 16.Bg3 e5 17.fxe5 dxe5 18.Nd5 Nxd5 19.cxd5 Bd6 20.Nc2 Qe7 21.Ne3 b5 22.Rf1 Rac8 23.Rc2 Nd7 24.Rcf2 Bc5 25.Rf3 Rf8 26.Kh1 Rcd8 27.Qe1 f6 28.g5 fxg5 29.Bh3 Rf4 30.Be6+ Kg7 31.Rxf4 exf4 32.Ng4 Nf6 33.Qc3 Bd4 34.Qxd4 Qxe6 35.Nxf6 Qxf6 36.Qd3 Qe7 37.Be1 h5 38.Bc3+ Kh6 39.Qd4 Re8 40.Kg1 h4 41.h3 b4 42.Bxb4 Qd7 43.Rf3 Kh5 44.Qf6 Qh7 45.Rc3 Bc8 46.Rxc8 Rxc8 47.Be7 Qh6 48.d6 Rc1+ 49.Kf2 Rc2+ 50.Ke1 1-0

Round 6, Sept. 15
Zierk, Steven (2517) – Hambleton, Aman (2492)
A40 Queen’s Pawn, Charlick (Englund) Gambit

1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 Nc6 3.Nf3 Qe7 4.Bf4 Qb4+ 5.Bd2 Qxb2 6.Nc3 Bb4 7.Rb1 Qxc3 8.Bxc3 Bxc3+ 9.Nd2 Bxe5 10.e3 Nf6 11.Bb5 O-O 12.O-O d5 13.Nf3 Bd6 14.c4 Ne7 15.cxd5 Nexd5 16.Qb3 Nb6 17.Qc2 a6 18.Bd3 Re8 19.Ng5 g6 20.Ne4 Nxe4 21.Bxe4 Rb8 22.Rfd1 Nd7 23.Rbc1 Nc5 24.Bd5 Be6 25.Bxe6 Rxe6 26.h4 h5 27.Rd5 b6 28.Rcd1 Rbe8 29.R1d4 Ne4 30.Rc4 Nf6 31.Rdd4 R8e7 32.Qd1 Kg7 33.Kf1 a5 34.Rc6 Ne4 35.Qc2 Kh7 36.g3 Kg7 37.Kg2 Kg8 38.f3 Nc5 39.e4 f5 40.Rdxd6 cxd6 41.Rc8+ Kf7 42.Qc1 fxe4 43.Qf4+ Rf6 44.Rf8+ Kxf8 45.Qxf6+ Ke8 46.Qxg6+ Kd7 47.fxe4 Re5 48.g4 hxg4 49.Qxg4+ Ke7 50.h5 Nxe4 51.Qg7+ Ke6 52.Qg8+ Ke7 53.Qh7+ Ke6 54.h6 Rg5+ 55.Kf1 Nf6 56.Qc2 Kf7 57.Qc7+ Kg6 58.Qg7+ Kf5 59.Qf8 Kg6 60.Qg7+ Kf5 61.Qf8 Kg6 62.a4 Rh5 63.Qg7+ Kf5 64.Ke2 Rg5 65.Qf8 Ke6 66.h7 Re5+ 67.Kd1 Nxh7 68.Qg8+ Kd7 69.Qxh7+ Kc6 70.Qa7 Rd5+ 71.Ke2 Rd4 72.Qe7 Rb4 73.Qe6 Kc7 74.Kd3 Kc6 75.Qc8+ Kd5 76.Kc3 Ke5 77.Qg8 d5 78.Qb8+ Ke6 79.Qd8 Rc4+ 80.Kd3 Rb4 81.Qc7 Rb3+ 82.Kd2 Rb4 83.Ke3 Re4+ 84.Kf2 Rb4 85.Kf3 Kf5 86.Qf7+ Ke5 87.Qe7+ Kd4 88.Qc7 Kd3 89.Qc6 d4 90.Qc1 Rb3 91.Kf4 Rb4 92.Ke5 Ke2 93.Qc2+ Ke3 94.Qd1 b5 95.Qe1+ Kd3 96.Qf1+ Kc2 97.Qe2+ Kc3 98.axb5 d3 99.Qf3 Rxb5+ 100.Ke4 Rb4+ 101.Ke3 Rb3 102.Qc6+ Kb4 103.Qb6+ Ka4 104.Qc5 Rb4 105.Kxd3 Rb3+ 106.Kc2 Rb2+ 107.Kc1 Rb3 108.Qd5 Kb4 109.Kc2 a4 110.Qc6 Ka3 111.Qc5+ Ka2 112.Qc4 Ka3 113.Qd4 Rb5 114.Qa1+ 1-0

Final position



In Round 7, Aman plays Alexandr Fier

[Hans Jung]

https://www.chessbomb.com/arena/2019...sif-Robson_Ray With both kings being hunted 29....c2! Shabaam! Ray Robson is on a super hot streak! After a slow start he has won 5 in a row and leads the A section by a point and a half.

[Wayne Komer]

St. Louis Fall Chess Classic – Group B

September 17, 2019

Rounds Seven and Eight

Round 7, Sept. 16
Hambleton, Aman (2492) – Fier, Alexandr (2549)
D85 Grunfeld, Modern Exchange variation

1.d4 g6 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Be3 c5 8.Nf3 Qa5 9.Qd2 O-O 10.Rc1 Rd8 11.d5 e6 12.Be2 Nc6 13.O-O Ne7 14.c4 Qxd2 15.Nxd2 b6 16.a4 f5 17.Bg5 Re8 18.Bf3 fxe4 19.Nxe4 Nf5 20.Nf6+ Bxf6 21.Bxf6 Bb7 22.d6 Nxd6 23.Rfd1 Bxf3 24.Rxd6 Rf8 25.Bg5 Bb7 26.a5 Ba6 27.axb6 axb6 28.Rxe6 Rab8 29.h3 Rfe8 30.Rd6 Re4 31.Rb1 Bxc4 32.Rbxb6 Rxb6 1/2-1/2

Round 8, Sept. 16
Grigoryan, Avetik (2568) – Hambleton, Aman (2492)
C00 French, Schlechter variation

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Bd3 Nc6 4.Nf3 Nb4 5.Nc3 Nxd3+ 6.cxd3 c6 7.O-O Bd6 8.Re1 Ne7 9.Bg5 f6 10.Bh4 O-O 11.Qd2 Bd7 12.Rac1 Rc8 13.Bg3 Bxg3 14.hxg3 h6 15.b4 g5 16.a4 Kg7 17.a5 Ng6 18.Na4 b6 19.Ra1 c5 20.axb6 axb6 21.bxc5 Bxa4 22.Rxa4 bxc5 23.dxc5 Rxc5 24.Nd4 Re8 25.Qe3 Qd7 26.Ra6 Rcc8 27.Ra7 Qxa7 28.Nxe6+ Rxe6 29.Qxa7+ Re7 30.Qd4 dxe4 31.dxe4 Rce8 32.f3 Ne5 33.Ra1 Rd7 34.Qb6 Rf7 35.Ra6 Nd7 36.Qd4 Nf8 37.f4 Re6 38.Ra8 Rfe7 39.Ra4 Rd7 40.Ra7 Ree7 41.Rxd7 Rxd7 42.Qa4 Re7 43.Kf2 Rf7 44.Kf3 Nd7 45.Qb5 Kh7 46.Qf5+ Kg7 47.Kg4 Re7 48.Kh5 Nf8 49.Qc5 Ng6 50.e5 gxf4 51.exf6+ Kxf6 52.Kxh6 Re6 53.g4 Ne5 54.Qd4 Kf7+ 55.Kh7 Re7 56.Qxf4+ Ke6+ 57.Kh6 Rf7 58.Qa4 Rf6+ 59.Kh5 Rf8 60.Qb3+ Kf6 61.g5+ Kg7 62.Qb7+ Rf7 63.Qb2 Re7 64.g6 Kf6 65.Kh6 Kf5 66.g7 Ng4+ 67.Kh5 1-0

Final position



Standings after Round Eight

1 Queseda 5.5
2-3 Hakobyan, Shtembuliak 5
4-5 Petrosyan, Kadric 4.5
6 Mikhalevski 4
7-9 Fier, Zierk, Grigoryan 3.5
10 Hambleton 1

Tomorrow Aman plays Petrosyan (2613) in the final round