Kingston CC Championship 2026: Results summary, some notes

[Frank Dixon]

Sam Marin (2047), Carleton U. -- Hou Ji Yao (1860), McGill U. 'B'; bd. 2 of 4
Kingston 2016, played Jan. 9
InterUniversity Team Championship, Championship section, rd. 1 of 4
Org.: InterUniversity Chess League; Queen's University Chess Club, Chair: Simon Gladstone; Kingston Chess Club
TD: Tyler Longo; Assistant TD: NTD Frank Dixon
Sicilian, Paulsen / Kan / Maroczy, B43
Time controls: 40/90' + 30", SD/60' + 30"
Notes by Frank Dixon

[Here is a marathon positional battle, interesting, well played and hard fought from both sides, with no real tactics in what can often be a highly tactical line, finally ending in a draw!! Black's effort is impressive, spotting his opponent nearly 200 rating points, and eventually getting slightly the better of the draw. Enjoy!!]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 Qc7 7.Be3 Be7 8.Be2 O-O 9.O-O d6 10.Qd2 b6 11.f3 Bb7 12.Nc2 Rfd8 13.Na4 Nbd7 14.Rac1 Nc5 15.Qb4 Bc6 16.Nxc5 bxc5 17.Qc3 Nd7 18.b4 cxb4 19.Nxb4 Bb7 20.Bd4 Bf6 21.Rfd1 Bxd4+ 22.Qxd4 Nc5 23.Nd3 e5 24.Qe3 Ne6 25.c5 Nd4 26.cxd6 Qxd6 27.Nc5 Qb6 28.Bc4 Rac8 29.Nxb7 Qxb7 30.Bd5 Qb5 31.Rb1 Qc5 32.Kh1 Ne6 33.Qb3 Rd6 34.h3 Qc7 35.Qa4 Kf8 36.Rb7 Qc2 37.Qxc2 Rxc2 38.Rdb1 Rc7 39.Rxc7 Nxc7 40.Rb8+ Ke7
[Reaching the first time control. The ending is close to level, with White having a bishop for a knight in an open position, usually good for a slight advantage. It's fascinating to see how Black deals very effectively with this.]
41.Rb7 Rd7 42.Bb3 f6 43.Ba4 Nb5 44.Rb6 Rd6 45.Rb7+ Rd7 46.Rb8 Rd8 47.Rxd8 Kxd8 48.Kg1 Nd4 49.Kf2 Kc7 50.Ke3 Kd6 51.Kd3 Ne6 52.Ke3 Nf4 53.Kf2 h5! 54.h4 g5 55.g3 Ne6 56.Be8 gxh4 57.Bxh5 hxg3+ 58.Kxg3 Nd4! 59.f4 Ne6 60.fxe5+ Kxe5 61.Bg6 Ng5! 62.Kf2 Nxe4+ 63.Ke3 f5
[The game at last departs from material equality. Can Black make something of his extra pawn!?]
64.Bf7 Nc5 65.Bc4 a5 66.Be2 f4+ 67.Kf3 Ne6 68.Bc4 Nd4+ 69.Kf2 Ke4 70.Ba6 Kd5 71.Bc8 Kc4 72.a4 Kb4 73.Bd7 Kc3 74.Bb5 Kb4 75.Bd7 Kc4 76.Be8 Kd3 77.Bg6+ Kc3 78.Be8! Kb4 79.Bd7 Nb3! 80.Kf3 Nc5 81.Be8 Nxa4 82.Kxf4 Nc3 83.Ke3 Nb5 84.Kd2! a4 85.Bxb5! Kxb5 86.Kc3 a3 87.Kb3, 1/2 -- 1/2.
[White had to calculate perfectly to hold the draw, and did so!!]

[Frank Dixon]

Matthew Struthers (2047) -- Geoff McKay (2151)
Kingston 1997, played Nov. 17
Kingston Whig-Standard Championship, rd. 7 of 8
Org.: Kingston Chess Club
TD: Frank Dixon; Assistant TD: Dr. James Cairns
Alekhine, Four Pawns', B03
Time controls: 30/90', SD/60'
Notes by Frank Dixon

[This game was crucial to Matthew's eventual tournament victory. Matthew, a Physics student at Queen's University, and an important organizer as Ontario Youth Coordinator in his first year there, 1994-95, ended with 6.5/8. He had a half-point bye and a loss to former champ Dr. Peter Sibbald, who holds a PhD in Physics!! Matthew defeated me in the final round, in a wild game, to clinch the title, contested since the 1950s, for a trophy and prize donated by Kingston's newspaper, founded in 1834, but now down to four issues per week.]
1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Nd5 3.d4 d6 4.c4 Nb6 5.f4
[This is the Four Pawns Attack, which from the 1920s has been the toughest test for Black players of this defense. Alexander Alekhine introduced the opening to top-class chess at Budapest 1921; it had been played sporadically before that. As Black, it is all too easy to be overrun by the pawn storm, or to make a tactical error and lose quickly, as is the case here. Not for the fainthearted! The Alekhine was Geoff's main defense against 1.e4, and he scored many successes with it. I had some wins against him in rare variations, as well as several losses.]
5...dxe5 6.fxe5 Nc6 7.Nf3 Bg4 8.Be3 e6
[The sharpest lines see Black play an early ...g6, which is borderline unsound. Deep knowledge and strong courage are needed. GM Lev Alburt (born 1945) for many years championed the Alekhine as Black, and he showed many new resources. GM Alburt was a multiple USA champion after arriving from the USSR, who wrote some excellent books as well. GM Bobby Fischer played it occasionally in the early 1970s, then twice in his victorious world title match, Reykjavik 1972, over holder GM Boris Spassky. Bobby scored a win and a draw!]
9.Nc3 Be7 10.Ne4 Bb4+ 11.Kf2!? Be7 12.Be2 Bxf3 13.gxf3 O-O 14.Rg1! f5!? 15.Nc5! f4!? 16.Nxe6!
[Putting a second piece en prise; but as GM Mikhail Tal, the eighth World Champion, said: "They can only take one at a time!"]
16...fxe3+ 17.Kf1 Qd7??
[Losing immediately. An absolute must was 17...Qe8!, whereupon White has the choice between two strong replies: a) 18.Rxg7+, with one possibility being 18...Kh8 19.Qd3 Qh5 20.Qxe3 with an unclear situation, and b) 18.Nxg7 Qf7 19.Ne6+ (19.e6!? Qxg7! 20.Rxg7+ Kxg7 -/+) Kh8 20.Nxf8 Rxf8 21.Rc1, where there are again many complex lines.]
18.Rxg7+ Kh8 19.Qd3!!, 1-0.
[Black cannot stop mate on h7.]