Mystery game #13: Sharp struggle, with a final twist!

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  • Mystery game #13: Sharp struggle, with a final twist!

    Here is the score of an interesting game. You can reply with respectful commentary, alternative variations, and guesses on player strengths, era of game, and scenarios.
    1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 b5 7.Bb3 Bb7 8.f3 e5 9.Nf5 Bc8 10.Ne3 Nbd7 11.Ned5 Nxd5 12.Nxd5 Nc5 13.c4 bxc4 14.Bxc4 Qh4+ 15.g3 Qd8 16.b4 Ne6 17.Be3 Rb8 18.O-O Be7 19.Qd3 a5 20.a3 O-O 21.Rfd1 Bg5 22.Bf2 Kh8 23.Rab1 axb4 24.axb4 f5 25.exf5 Nd4 26.g4 Nxf5 27.gxf5 Bxf5 28.Qe2 Bxb1 29.Rxb1 Bf4 30.Bd3 Qg5+ 31.Kh1 Qh5 32.Nxf4 Rxf4 33.Be4 Qe8 34.b5 Qd8 35.Bg3 Rf8 36.Bd3 Qb6 37.Qe4 g6 38.Kg2 Rfe8 39.Bf2 Qd8 40.Qd5 Qg5+ 41.Kh1 Qf6 42.Be4 Re7 43.b6 Rd7 44.b7 Rc7 45.Qa5 Qd8 46.Bb6, 1-0.

  • #2
    Roger Lebrun (1965) -- Alex Lambruschini (1738), Canadian Forces Tournament, Kingston 2009, (4), played Nov. 29, 2009. Time controls G/120' + 30". Sicilian, Najdorf / Sozin.

    This was the deciding game in the last round. Alex had put this event together, at Fort Frontenac, in Kingston; this now serves as the Canadian Forces National Defense College. Fort Frontenac was where European settlement began in the Kingston area, in 1673, and ruins from the original Fort are right outside the current Fort's walls, in downtown Kingston. I was serving as Assistant TD for this, at Alex's request. He and I had met when he arrived at Queen's University in 2002, and he is a 2006 graduate. While a student, Alex served as President of QUCC, and was very active in post-secondary chess development, serving as a CFC Governor as well.

    The Fort is closed to public access, but can be visited on 'Open Doors Kingston Day', usually in early summer. It is a self-contained small college, with lecture and dining halls, accommodations, parking, and some recreational areas as well. A couple of hundred students can be accommodated there. Kingston is the oldest city in Ontario.

    From the chess standpoint, Alex, with the Black pieces, trails by half a point, to Roger, an opponent 227 points higher-rated. Alex chooses to mix it up in the opening with a very sharp side-variation against the Sozin Najdorf (6.Bc4). White gets a positional advantage, but trails on the clock throughout the middlegame. Black plays an unbalancing combination beginning with 24...f5, but this actually gives White more advantage, with two bishops on an open board, and Black's rooks bottled up. But there is a lot of material still on the board, and both Kings aren't that safe. Then, White, with 90 seconds left on his clock, refuses Black's draw offer at move 38. Then, White's time apparently EXPIRES a couple of moves later, meaning a Black win. BUT, and it is a very big but: the clock had been improperly set, claimed by Roger, and neither player had been receiving the increment. Since Alex, as TD, was involved in the game as a player, he had to defer to me, as assistant, for a decision, and I ruled that the game must continue, with the time of 20 minutes more (to move 40, so 20 minutes, at a half-minute increment) added in for the moves made so far, and with the increment function turned on as well, for future moves. Neither player questioned this, and I believe it is correct. After a few minutes of pause, the game resumed, and White converted his advantage with very strong play; at the end, after 46.Bb6!, he is winning material, with his passed b7-pawn threatening to queen as well. Black resigned, and Roger wins the tournament!!

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    • #3
      Hi Frank. This was one of my first forays with the Sicilian Defense, as I was playing for a win. Credit for organizing the event goes to Regis Bellemare.

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