(284) Kleinman,Michael (2368) - Preotu,Razvan (2300) [B31]
2012–13 Canadian Junior Chess Champions Toronto (2), 26.12.2012
The year's Canadian Junior was a strong 10–player round robin. It was a well organized even by the Chess'n Math Association, which I would gladly play again next year. The event was run at the Britton House Retirement Home, and the venue was quiet and spacious.
In the end, Richard Wang emerged victorious after beating me in a critical game in the 8th round. I was planning on annotating that game, but it already appeared in the CFC newsletter. The game I decided to annotate was my round 2 game against Razvan Preotu. It was an interesting positional battle, which I believe is instructive. 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.h3
XABCDEFGHY 8r+lwqkvlntr( 7zpp+-zpp+p' 6-+p+-+p+& 5+-zp-+-+-% 4-+-+P+-+$ 3+-+-+N+P# 2PzPPzP-zPP+" 1tRNvLQmK-+R! xabcdefghy
In my opinion, this is the most flexible move, because it prevents Black from having the option of placing the bishop on g4. The next few moves are typical of this sort of position. Black cements his space by playing e5, while trying to place the g8 knight to f4 via f6-d7-f8-e6 5...Bg7 6.d3 Nf6 7.Nc3 b6 8.Be3 Nd7 9.Qd2 e5 10.a3 The idea here is to play b4, and open up my rook even at the expense of undoubling my opponent's weak pawns [10.Bh6 0–0 11.0–0–0 is possible as well] 10...a5 [For example: 10...0–0 11.b4 cxb4 12.axb4 Qe7 13.Ne2²] 11.0–0 0–0 12.Bh6 Re8 13.Ne2
XABCDEFGHY 8r+lwqr+k+( 7+-+n+pvlp' 6-zpp+-+pvL& 5zp-zp-zp-+-% 4-+-+P+-+$ 3zP-+P+N+P# 2-zPPwQNzPP+" 1tR-+-+RmK-! xabcdefghy
This move gives me the opportunity of playing b4, as well as putting my queen on c313...Nf8 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.Qc3 Qd6 16.Nd2 At this point we can see that the opening went nicely for White, and I enjoyed a small but permanent advantages. 16...Be6 17.f4 f6 18.Rf2 Nd7 19.Raf1 Rad8 20.Nc4?! [20.f5 gxf5 21.exf5 Bd5 22.Ng3 Analysis Diagram
XABCDEFGHY 8-+-trr+-+( 7+-+n+-mkp' 6-zppwq-zp-+& 5zp-zplzpP+-% 4-+-+-+-+$ 3zP-wQP+-sNP# 2-zPPsN-tRP+" 1+-+-+RmK-! xabcdefghy
was suggested by the computer, and seems like a ice way to place my pieces] 20...Bxc4 21.Qxc4 exf4 22.Rxf4 b5 23.Qc3 b4 The idea is interesting; my opponent wants to play b3 at some point, sacrificing his pawn, but destroying my pawn structure 24.Qb3 Qe6 25.Qxe6 Rxe6 26.b3! This move secures the pawn structure 26...Nb6 [26...a4 looks interesting, but: 27.bxa4 seems to just keep the pawn] 27.Ra1 A nice finesse, forcing the black rook to move to a8 27...Ra8 28.a4 [28.axb4 cxb4 29.Nd4 Rd6] 28...Rd8 29.Rf3 Re5 30.Ng3 Rf8 31.Kf2 Rf7 32.Nf1 f5 33.exf5 gxf5 34.Re3 Rxe3 35.Nxe3 Kf6 36.Rf1 Ke5 37.Ke2 f4 38.g3 h5
XABCDEFGHY 8-+-+-+-+( 7+-+-+r+-' 6-snp+-+-+& 5zp-zp-mk-+p% 4Pzp-+-zp-+$ 3+P+PsN-zPP# 2-+P+K+-+" 1+-+-+R+-! xabcdefghy
39.gxf4+? [39.Ng2 was my original idea, but I couldnt see a continuation after 39...Nd5 . It turns out that 40.gxf4+ Nxf4+ 41.Kd2 Rf8 42.Ne3± is almost winning due to all of black's weaknesses] 39...Rxf4 40.Rg1 With this move, I threw away all of my advantage [40.Rxf4 Kxf4 41.Kf2 And there may still be some chances to convert this endgame... though Black should be able to hold] 40...Kd4 41.Rg6 Nd5 42.Nc4 Kc3 43.Rxc6 Kxc2 44.Rxc5 Nc3+ 45.Ke3 Rh4 46.Nxa5 And a repetition could follow:
46...Rxh3+ 47.Kd4 Rh4+ 48.Ke3 This game was somewhat disappointing to fail to convert. The opening went well, giving me the advantage I was hoping for, but I went wrong at the critical point when I was very close to a full point. ½–½
2012–13 Canadian Junior Chess Champions Toronto (2), 26.12.2012
The year's Canadian Junior was a strong 10–player round robin. It was a well organized even by the Chess'n Math Association, which I would gladly play again next year. The event was run at the Britton House Retirement Home, and the venue was quiet and spacious.
In the end, Richard Wang emerged victorious after beating me in a critical game in the 8th round. I was planning on annotating that game, but it already appeared in the CFC newsletter. The game I decided to annotate was my round 2 game against Razvan Preotu. It was an interesting positional battle, which I believe is instructive. 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.h3
XABCDEFGHY 8r+lwqkvlntr( 7zpp+-zpp+p' 6-+p+-+p+& 5+-zp-+-+-% 4-+-+P+-+$ 3+-+-+N+P# 2PzPPzP-zPP+" 1tRNvLQmK-+R! xabcdefghy
In my opinion, this is the most flexible move, because it prevents Black from having the option of placing the bishop on g4. The next few moves are typical of this sort of position. Black cements his space by playing e5, while trying to place the g8 knight to f4 via f6-d7-f8-e6 5...Bg7 6.d3 Nf6 7.Nc3 b6 8.Be3 Nd7 9.Qd2 e5 10.a3 The idea here is to play b4, and open up my rook even at the expense of undoubling my opponent's weak pawns [10.Bh6 0–0 11.0–0–0 is possible as well] 10...a5 [For example: 10...0–0 11.b4 cxb4 12.axb4 Qe7 13.Ne2²] 11.0–0 0–0 12.Bh6 Re8 13.Ne2
XABCDEFGHY 8r+lwqr+k+( 7+-+n+pvlp' 6-zpp+-+pvL& 5zp-zp-zp-+-% 4-+-+P+-+$ 3zP-+P+N+P# 2-zPPwQNzPP+" 1tR-+-+RmK-! xabcdefghy
This move gives me the opportunity of playing b4, as well as putting my queen on c313...Nf8 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.Qc3 Qd6 16.Nd2 At this point we can see that the opening went nicely for White, and I enjoyed a small but permanent advantages. 16...Be6 17.f4 f6 18.Rf2 Nd7 19.Raf1 Rad8 20.Nc4?! [20.f5 gxf5 21.exf5 Bd5 22.Ng3 Analysis Diagram
XABCDEFGHY 8-+-trr+-+( 7+-+n+-mkp' 6-zppwq-zp-+& 5zp-zplzpP+-% 4-+-+-+-+$ 3zP-wQP+-sNP# 2-zPPsN-tRP+" 1+-+-+RmK-! xabcdefghy
was suggested by the computer, and seems like a ice way to place my pieces] 20...Bxc4 21.Qxc4 exf4 22.Rxf4 b5 23.Qc3 b4 The idea is interesting; my opponent wants to play b3 at some point, sacrificing his pawn, but destroying my pawn structure 24.Qb3 Qe6 25.Qxe6 Rxe6 26.b3! This move secures the pawn structure 26...Nb6 [26...a4 looks interesting, but: 27.bxa4 seems to just keep the pawn] 27.Ra1 A nice finesse, forcing the black rook to move to a8 27...Ra8 28.a4 [28.axb4 cxb4 29.Nd4 Rd6] 28...Rd8 29.Rf3 Re5 30.Ng3 Rf8 31.Kf2 Rf7 32.Nf1 f5 33.exf5 gxf5 34.Re3 Rxe3 35.Nxe3 Kf6 36.Rf1 Ke5 37.Ke2 f4 38.g3 h5
XABCDEFGHY 8-+-+-+-+( 7+-+-+r+-' 6-snp+-+-+& 5zp-zp-mk-+p% 4Pzp-+-zp-+$ 3+P+PsN-zPP# 2-+P+K+-+" 1+-+-+R+-! xabcdefghy
39.gxf4+? [39.Ng2 was my original idea, but I couldnt see a continuation after 39...Nd5 . It turns out that 40.gxf4+ Nxf4+ 41.Kd2 Rf8 42.Ne3± is almost winning due to all of black's weaknesses] 39...Rxf4 40.Rg1 With this move, I threw away all of my advantage [40.Rxf4 Kxf4 41.Kf2 And there may still be some chances to convert this endgame... though Black should be able to hold] 40...Kd4 41.Rg6 Nd5 42.Nc4 Kc3 43.Rxc6 Kxc2 44.Rxc5 Nc3+ 45.Ke3 Rh4 46.Nxa5 And a repetition could follow:
46...Rxh3+ 47.Kd4 Rh4+ 48.Ke3 This game was somewhat disappointing to fail to convert. The opening went well, giving me the advantage I was hoping for, but I went wrong at the critical point when I was very close to a full point. ½–½
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