Charlotte (North Carolina) Holiday GM

[Hans Jung]

https://www.chessbomb.com/arena/2020...rk-Yip_Carissa Mark Plotkin is playing. He's had long games. I admire his energy. Good Luck Mark.

[Hans Jung]

Strange tournament. Mark Plotkin finally wins one game and he is tied for first. The field is as close as Ive ever seen it. Keep it up Mark!

[Hans Jung]

https://www.chessbomb.com/arena/2020...ggupati_Balaji Carissa Yip who was in last place for the first few rounds and looked like she was being blown out of the tournament came back to achieve an equal score. Here she plays a nice endgame. She can play amazing chess.

[Hans Jung]

Mark finished with -1. He probably had the longest games of anyone in the tournament.

[Wayne Komer]

Charlotte Holiday GM 2020

December 31, 2020

Holiday 2020
Round 1, December 27, 2020
Plotkin, Mark – Yip, Carissa
A36 English, symmetrical, Botvinnik System

1.c4 g6 2.Nc3 Bg7 3.e4 c5 4.g3 Nc6 5.Bg2 d6 6.d3 e6 7.Be3 Nge7 8.h4 h5 9.Nge2 Nd4 10.Qd2 Nec6 11.f4 a6 12.O-O Qa5 13.Rae1 O-O 14.e5 dxe5 15.fxe5 Bxe5 16.Bh6 Nxe2+ 17.Rxe2 Bg7 18.Bxc6 bxc6 19.Bxg7 Kxg7 20.Rf6 Qd8 21.Ref2 Ra7 22.Ne4 Qd4 23.Qg5 a5 24.g4 Rh8 25.Qf4 hxg4 26.Rxf7+ Rxf7 27.Qxf7+ Kh6 28.Qf4+ Kg7 29.Qc7+ Kh6 30.Kh2 e5 31.Qf7 g3+ 32.Kxg3 Qxd3+ 33.Qf3 Qxf3+ 34.Rxf3 Bf5 35.Nxc5 Rd8 36.Nb7 Rb8 37.Nd6 Rxb2 38.Nxf5+ gxf5 39.Rxf5 Rxa2 40.Rxe5 a4 41.Re6+ Kh5 42.Rxc6 Rc2 43.Rc5+ Kh6 44.Kg4 a3 45.Rc6+ Kh7 46.Kh5 a2 47.Rc7+ Kg8 48.Ra7 Rxc4 49.Ra8+ Kg7 50.Ra7+ Kg8 1/2-1/2

Round 2, December 27
Stearman, Josiah – Plotkin, Mark
A13 English Opening, Agincourt variation

1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.e3 Nf6 4.Nc3 a6 5.b3 c5 6.Bb2 Nc6 7.cxd5 exd5 8.d4 cxd4 9.Nxd4 Bd6 10.Be2 O-O 11.O-O Be6 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.Rc1 c5 14.Na4 Rc8 15.Bf3 Ne4 16.Bxe4 dxe4 17.Qh5 f5 18.Rfd1 Qe7 19.g3 Bf7 20.Qe2 Rc6 21.h4 Rfc8 22.Nc3 c4 23.Nd5 Qe8 24.Qd2 Bh5 25.Qd4 Bf8 26.Rd2 cxb3 27.Rxc6 Rxc6 28.axb3 Bf7 29.Qa4 Rd6 30.Qxe8 Bxe8 31.Ba3 Rd7 32.Bxf8 Kxf8 33.Rd4 Bf7 34.Nb4 Rxd4 35.exd4 a5 36.Nc6 Bxb3 37.Nxa5 Bd5 38.Kf1 Kf7 39.Ke2 Kf6 40.Kd2 h6 41.Kc3 g5 42.hxg5+ hxg5 43.Nc4 Bxc4 44.Kxc4 f4 45.gxf4 g4 46.d5 e3 47.Kd3 exf2 48.Ke2 g3 49.Kf1 Kf5 50.Kg2 Kg6 51.d6 Kf6 1/2-1/2

Round 3, December 27
Plotkin, Mark – Mishra, Abhimanyu
C07 French, Tarrasch, open variation

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.Ngf3 cxd4 6.Bc4 Qd6 7.O-O Nf6 8.Nb3 Nc6 9.Nbxd4 Nxd4 10.Qxd4 Qxd4 11.Nxd4 Bc5 12.Nf3 O-O 13.Bg5 b6 14.Rad1 Bb7 15.Bxf6 gxf6 16.c3 Rfd8 17.Be2 Bd5 18.a3 Bb3 19.Rd2 Kf8 20.Bd1 Bc4 21.Re1 b5 22.Be2 Rxd2 23.Nxd2 Bxe2 24.Rxe2 Rd8 25.Kf1 Ke7 26.Ke1 a6 27.f3 f5 28.Nb3 Bb6 29.Rd2 Rg8 30.g3 f4 31.g4 h5 32.h3 f5 33.gxf5 Be3 34.Rh2 Rg1+ 35.Ke2 e5 36.Kd3 Kf6 37.Ke4 Re1 38.Rg2 Bf2+ 39.Kd5 Bg3 40.a4 Kxf5 41.axb5 axb5 42.Nd2 Re3 43.Kc6 Kg5 44.Kxb5 Kh4 45.Rg1 Re2 46.Rd1 Kxh3 47.c4 Be1 48.Ne4 Rxb2+ 49.Kc6 Bg3 50.Kd5 Kg2 51.c5 h4 52.c6 Rb8 53.Nd6 h3 54.c7 Rf8 55.Ke4 h2 56.c8=Q Rxc8 57.Nxc8 h1=Q 58.Rxh1 Kxh1 59.Ne7 Bh4 60.Ng6 Bg5 61.Nxe5 Kg2 62.Kf5 Be7 63.Kg4 Kf2 64.Nd3+ Ke3 65.Nxf4 Bd6 66.Nh5 Kd4 67.Ng7 Bb8 68.Nf5+ Kd5 69.Kg5 Ke6 70.Nh6 Bc7 71.Ng4 Bb8 72.Nf2 Bc7 73.Nd3 Bd6 74.Nf4+ Bxf4+ 75.Kxf4 Kf6 76.Ke4 Ke6 77.f4 Kf6 78.f5 Kf7 79.Ke5 Ke7 80.Kf4 Kf6 81.Kg4 Kf7 82.Kg5 Kg7 83.f6+ Kf7 84.Kf5 Kf8 85.Ke6 Ke8 86.f7+ Kf8 87.Kf6 1/2-1/2

Round 4, December 28
Stremavicius, Titas – Plotkin, Mark
A40 Reti

1.Nf3 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.e4 c6 4.c3 d5 5.exd5 cxd5 6.Bf4 Nh6 7.h4 f6 8.Nbd2 Nf7 9.Qc2 e5 10.dxe5 fxe5 11.Be3 O-O 12.Nb3 Nc6 13.Rd1 e4 14.Ng5 Nfe5 15.Nc5 Ng4 16.Nce6 Bxe6 17.Nxe6 Qd6 18.Nxf8 Nxe3 19.fxe3 Rxf8 20.Qb3 Ne7 21.Rh3 Qf6 22.Kd2 Qf2+ 23.Kc1 Kh8 24.h5 gxh5 25.Kb1 Nf5 26.Qc2 Qxc2+ 27.Kxc2 Bh6 28.Kd2 Nxe3 29.Rxe3 Rf2+ 30.Be2 Rxg2 31.Rh1 Rg3 32.Rxh5 Bxe3+ 33.Ke1 Rg5 34.Rxg5 Bxg5 35.Bg4 Bf6 36.Bc8 d4 37.Bxb7 e3 38.cxd4 Bxd4 39.b4 Kg7 40.a4 Kf6 41.b5 Kg5 42.a5 Kf4 43.b6 Bxb6 44.axb6 axb6 45.Bc6 h5 46.Ke2 h4 47.Bd7 Ke4 48.Bc6+ Kd4 49.Bd7 1/2-1/2

Round 5, December 28
Plotkin, Mark – Sheng, Joshua
A11 English

1.c4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e3 Nf6 4.b3 Bf5 5.Bb2 e6 6.Nh4 Bg4 7.Qc2 Nbd7 8.h3 Bh5 9.g4 Ne4 10.Nf3 Bg6 11.d3 Qa5+ 12.Nfd2 Nxd2 13.Nxd2 O-O-O 14.cxd5 Qxd5 15.e4 Qa5 16.a3 h5 17.b4 Qc7 18.g5 Qf4 19.O-O-O Qxf2 20.d4 Kb8 21.Bd3 Qe3 22.Kb1 Qxg5 23.Nc4 Rc8 24.h4 Qd8 25.d5 e5 26.d6 f6 27.Bf1 Bf7 28.Bh3 Qe8 29.Rhg1 Be6 30.Bf5 Rg8 31.Bh7 g6 32.Bxg8 Bxg8 33.Rd3 Qe6 34.Rc3 Bf7 35.Bc1 Bxd6 36.Nxd6 Qxd6 37.Be3 Qe6 38.Rd1 Nb6 39.Bxb6 axb6 40.Rcd3 f5 41.Rd6 Qb3+ 42.Qxb3 Bxb3 43.Rg1 Bc4 44.Rgxg6 fxe4 45.Rg7 e3 46.Rdd7 Ba6 47.Rge7 e2 48.Rxe5 Rf8 49.Rde7 Rf4 50.Kc2 Rxh4 51.Kd2 Bc4 52.Re4 Rxe4 1/2-1/2

Round 6, December 29
Daggupati, Balaji – Plotkin, Mark
B06 Robatsch Defence

1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c6 4.Bc4 d5 5.exd5 b5 6.Bb3 b4 7.Na4 cxd5 8.a3 Nc6 9.Be3 bxa3 10.Rxa3 Nh6 11.c3 O-O 12.Nf3 Nf5 13.Bf4 f6 14.h4 Na5 15.Ba2 Nc4 16.Nc5 Nxa3 17.bxa3 e6 18.Qa4 Qe8 19.Qa5 Qc6 20.O-O Nd6 21.Nd2 Nb7 22.Nxb7 Bxb7 23.Nb3 Ba6 24.Ra1 Bc4 25.Qb4 Qb6 26.Nc5 Bxa2 27.Rxa2 e5 28.Be3 Rf7 29.Rb2 Qxb4 30.axb4 f5 31.dxe5 Bxe5 32.Bd4 Re8 33.Rd2 Rfe7 34.Bxe5 Rxe5 35.g3 R8e7 36.Kg2 Kf7 37.Kf3 h6 38.Rd4 Rc7 39.Kg2 Ke7 40.Nd3 Re4 41.Rxd5 Rxc3 42.Nf4 g5 43.hxg5 hxg5 44.Nh3 Kf6 45.Rd6+ Re6 46.Rd8 Rc7 47.Rf8+ Kg6 48.Rg8+ Rg7 49.Rc8 Rb6 50.Rc4 Re7 51.g4 Re4 52.gxf5+ Kxf5 53.Rc5+ Re5 54.Rc4 Reb5 55.Kg3 g4 56.Rf4+ Ke5 57.Rxg4 Rxb4 58.Nf4 Kd4 59.Rg7 a5 60.Rd7+ Kc4 61.Nd5 Rb3+ 62.Kf4 Rb7 63.Ne3+ Kc3 64.Nd1+ Kc2 65.Ne3+ Kb1 66.Rd1+ Ka2 67.Ke5 a4 68.Nc4 Rf3 69.Rd2+ Kb1 70.Rd4 Kc1 71.Na5 Rb5+ 72.Ke4 Ra3 73.Nc6 Rc3 74.Nb4 Kb1 75.Nd5 Rcc5 76.Ne3 a3 77.Nc4 Ka2 78.f4 Kb3 79.Nd6 Rb4 0-1

Round 7, December 29
Plotkin, Mark – Shankar, Gauri
C47 Four Knights, Ioseliani-Glek

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.g3 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Nxc3 7.bxc3 Bc5 8.O-O O-O 9.d3 Bb6 10.Nd2 Be6 11.Ne4 f5 12.Ng5 Bd5 13.Qh5 h6 14.Nf3 Qf6 15.Ba3 Rfe8 16.c4 Bf7 17.Qh3 g5 18.g4 e4 19.dxe4 fxe4 20.Nd2 Bxf2+ 21.Kh1 e3 22.Bc5 exd2 23.Bxf2 Bxc4 24.Bg1 Bxf1 25.Rxf1 Qe6 26.Rd1 Rad8 27.c4 Kh7 28.Qb3 Qe2 29.c5 Re7 30.h3 Nd4 31.Qb1+ Kg7 32.Qa1 Qxd1 33.Qxd1 Re1 34.Qxd2 Rxg1+ 0-1

Final Position



Round 8, December 30
Plotkin, Mark – Belous, Vladimir
B22 Sicilian, Alapin’s variation

1.e4 c5 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Bc4 Nc7 7.cxd4 d5 8.exd6 exd6 9.d5 Ne5 10.Be2 Bg4 11.Nxe5 Bxe2 12.Qxe2 dxe5 13.Qxe5+ Qe7 14.Qxe7+ Bxe7 15.Nc3 1/2-1/2

Round 9, December 30
Dragun, Kamil – Plotkin, Mark
B15 Caro-Kann, Gurgenidze

1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c6 4.f4 d5 5.e5 Nh6 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.h3 Bxf3 8.Qxf3 Qb6 9.Ne2 f6 10.g4 fxe5 11.fxe5 Na6 12.Bg2 Rf8 13.Qc3 e6 14.Be3 c5 15.dxc5 Qc7 16.Nd4 Qxe5 17.O-O-O Rc8 18.Kb1 Rxc5 19.Qb3 Nc7 20.Rhe1 Nf7 21.Nxe6 Qxe6 22.Bxc5 Be5 23.Bxf8 Kxf8 24.Bxd5 Nxd5 25.Qxd5 Qf6 26.Rf1 1-0

Final Standings

1 Belous 5.5
2-4 Dragun, Stremavicius, Sheng 5
5-6 Yip, Stearman 4.5
7-9 Plotkin, Shankar, Mishra 4
10 Daggupati 3.5

http://chessstream.com/Invitational/Pairings.aspx

[Hans Jung]

In game 1 Mark missed the amazing h5! (a move I call the can -opener) at move 28 and some how Carissa survived miraculously.