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The Newfoundland Open Chess Championship was held at the spacious and hospitable Murray's Pond Fishing and Country Club from April 19-21. The tournament is annual, normally attracting loyal regulars and the occasional "out-of-town" addition. This year was a particularly special edition, with extra efforts made by Jordan Berson and Anthony Leonard who united their ambitions to put a spotlight on Newfoundland chess and its enthusiastic, although limited community. I agreed to headline the tournament, eager to visit a province I once called home and pit myself against former rivals.
A view of the playing hall at Murray's Pond.
The tournament attracted 14 players competing over 5 rounds for the impressive NL Open trophy and its implied prestige. The tournament was well organized and the games were interesting. At the time control of 120 minutes + 30 seconds/move some games went nearly 5 hours. Meanwhile, Murray's Pond ensured nobody went hungry, providing an array of refreshments and snacks before, during, and after the rounds. Also a big thank you to Alick Tsui, who took all the photos during the tournament and simul, including all photos used in this report.
The Newfoundland Open trophy, awarded to the winner.
There were a few upsets in the tournament, particularly in the final round. Anthony Leonard (2017) beat 5-time NL Open champion FM Grant Spraggett (2385) to secure himself sole 2nd place with 4/5. This also happened to be Grant's first loss on Newfoundland soil, a streak dating back to 2004 when I used to live there! I, Aman Hambleton, finished in first place with 4.5/5, conceding a long and hard fought draw to Spraggett, who himself earned clear 3rd place at 3.5/5. The U1800 prize went to Jeffrey Dawson with 2.5/5 and the Top Senior prize was won by Ray MacIsaac, also with 2.5/5.
From L-R: FM Grant Spraggett (3rd), Anthony Leonard (2nd), IM Aman Hambleton (1st)
After the tournament, I gave a simul to 21 players at the university campus and was delighted to see so many eager, young challengers take part. I scored 20 wins with one draw earned by Justin Drover, a young man who knows his rook endgames! It was great to see such an interest in chess, both at the tournament and during the simultaneous exhibition. It is my opinion that chess in Newfoundland is only beginning to grow, and this professionally run tournament is a taste of things to come.
A photo of the simultaneous exhibition, with 21 hopefuls.
Attached you can find the game Cole, Dustin - Hambleton, Aman from round 4 with my annotations.
[Event "Newfoundland Open"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2013.04.21"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Cole, Dustin"]
[Black "Hambleton, Aman"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E38"]
[WhiteElo "1907"]
[BlackElo "2465"]
[Annotator "Aman Hambleton"]
[PlyCount "76"]
[SourceDate "2009.08.18"]
1. d4 e6 {Always giving my opponents the choice to slip back into the French
Defense...} 2. c4 {... and declined} Nf6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 c5 {We've entered
the classical variation of the Nimzo-Indian Defense, and c5 is a dynamic
approach which aims to undermine the center before White has time to support
it.} 5. e3 {If White wants to add immediate support, he has to entomb his
own
c1 Bishop for the time being.} (5. dxc5 O-O 6. a3 Bxc5 7. Nf3 b6 {is a
topical
variation, leading to interesting middlegame play. My opponent chose a safer
alternative.}) 5... O-O 6. Nf3 b6 7. Be2 Bb7 8. O-O cxd4 9. Nxd4 $5
({Critical
is} 9. exd4 d5 10. Bg5 dxc4 $11 {[%cal Ge2c4,Yb7f3] when Black stands
slightly
better with good play against the isolated pawn.}) 9... a6 10. b3 (10. Bf3
Bxf3
11. Nxf3 Qc7 12. b3 d5 $11 {and the complications surrounding the pinned Nc3
tend to favour Black.}) 10... Qc7 11. Bb2 Be7 {Black doesn't want his Bishop
caught outside of the pawn chain before setting up the solid hedgehog
structure.} (11... d6 $6 12. a3 Bxc3 13. Qxc3 Nbd7 14. b4 $14) 12. Rac1 d6
13.
Rfd1 Nbd7 14. Bf3 {White's pieces lack offensive roles, and it makes good
sense to offer a trade of White's Be2 for Black's powerful Bb7.} Rac8 15.
Bxb7
Qxb7 16. Qe2 {Again, White's pieces lack direction and coordination. Qe2
intends Qf3 to challenge the long diagonal, fearless towards an endgame.
Black
needs to be careful not to trade too many pieces due to his vulnerable pawn
structure.} Nc5 (16... Ne5 17. f4 Nc6 18. g4 $14 {results in an unpleasant
initiative for White.}) 17. Qf3 Qc7 $1 {Correctly avoiding the exchange of
Queens.} 18. Nde2 Rfd8 19. Nf4 (19. Ng3 {During the game I thought this move
was better, preparing Nce4 and offering more trades. Although not an
ambitious
strategy, it may be the most difficult to face for Black. e.g.} Qb8 20. Nce4
Nfxe4 21. Nxe4 Nxe4 22. Qxe4 b5 23. Qg4 g6 24. Qd4 e5 25. Qe4 $11) 19... Qb8
20. Nce2 {White is re-routing his pieces to more active posts, but
unfortunately uses a great deal of time to do so. The precarious placement
of
White's pieces in the early middlegame is taxing now, but the position is
still equal.} b5 21. cxb5 axb5 {[%csl Ra2][%cal Rb5b4] Black gets in the
thematic b5 break and now looks to nurse the small plusses he enjoys.} 22.
Nh5
Nxh5 23. Qxh5 {White creates some exchanges, but it is now too late.} Qa8 {
Effective, as the a-pawn has no sensible way to be defended and there is not
enough of an attack to let it go for free.} 24. Qg4 (24. Rd4 Qxa2 25. Bc3
Nxb3
26. Rg4 g6 27. Qh6 Bf8 $19 {wins easily for Black.}) 24... Bf8 25. Ra1 Ne4
26.
a4 f5 27. Qf3 Rc2 {The 2nd rank invasion ties the White Queen to the defense
of the N, and ties the N to e2 due to the pin on the f2 pawn.} 28. axb5 Qb8
29.
Bc1 $2 (29. Ba3 {Being active instead of passive is better. Targeting d6 and
keeping the rooks connected.} g5 30. Qh5 Bg7 31. Nd4 Bxd4 32. Rxd4 $13 {with
counterplay}) 29... g5 $6 {This move appears strong but actually has some
tactical flaws.} 30. h3 (30. Qh5 $1 Bg7 31. Nd4 Bxd4 32. exd4 $16) 30... Bg7
31. Ra4 Qxb5 {Now Black is winning. There are too many weak pawns and
uncoordinated pieces in the White camp.} 32. Nd4 Bxd4 33. exd4 Rxf2 34. Qh5
(
34. Qd3 Qxd3 35. Rxd3 Rc8 $19) 34... Qxb3 {Playable based on the following
continuation.} 35. Ra7 Rxg2+ $1 36. Kh1 Rh2+ $1 {Forcing White to capture in
lieu of Kg1 Qg3+, and thus forcing checkmate.} 37. Kxh2 Qg3+ 38. Kh1 Nf2#
{An
example of a typical hedgehog structure, which arose initially from a
Nimzo-Indian. Black waited for his moment and seized it with 20. ... b5,
opening up his pieces while White was still disorganized and searching for
the
right plan.} 0-1
A view of the playing hall at Murray's Pond.
The tournament attracted 14 players competing over 5 rounds for the impressive NL Open trophy and its implied prestige. The tournament was well organized and the games were interesting. At the time control of 120 minutes + 30 seconds/move some games went nearly 5 hours. Meanwhile, Murray's Pond ensured nobody went hungry, providing an array of refreshments and snacks before, during, and after the rounds. Also a big thank you to Alick Tsui, who took all the photos during the tournament and simul, including all photos used in this report.
The Newfoundland Open trophy, awarded to the winner.
There were a few upsets in the tournament, particularly in the final round. Anthony Leonard (2017) beat 5-time NL Open champion FM Grant Spraggett (2385) to secure himself sole 2nd place with 4/5. This also happened to be Grant's first loss on Newfoundland soil, a streak dating back to 2004 when I used to live there! I, Aman Hambleton, finished in first place with 4.5/5, conceding a long and hard fought draw to Spraggett, who himself earned clear 3rd place at 3.5/5. The U1800 prize went to Jeffrey Dawson with 2.5/5 and the Top Senior prize was won by Ray MacIsaac, also with 2.5/5.
From L-R: FM Grant Spraggett (3rd), Anthony Leonard (2nd), IM Aman Hambleton (1st)
After the tournament, I gave a simul to 21 players at the university campus and was delighted to see so many eager, young challengers take part. I scored 20 wins with one draw earned by Justin Drover, a young man who knows his rook endgames! It was great to see such an interest in chess, both at the tournament and during the simultaneous exhibition. It is my opinion that chess in Newfoundland is only beginning to grow, and this professionally run tournament is a taste of things to come.
A photo of the simultaneous exhibition, with 21 hopefuls.
Attached you can find the game Cole, Dustin - Hambleton, Aman from round 4 with my annotations.
[Event "Newfoundland Open"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2013.04.21"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Cole, Dustin"]
[Black "Hambleton, Aman"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E38"]
[WhiteElo "1907"]
[BlackElo "2465"]
[Annotator "Aman Hambleton"]
[PlyCount "76"]
[SourceDate "2009.08.18"]
1. d4 e6 {Always giving my opponents the choice to slip back into the French
Defense...} 2. c4 {... and declined} Nf6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 c5 {We've entered
the classical variation of the Nimzo-Indian Defense, and c5 is a dynamic
approach which aims to undermine the center before White has time to support
it.} 5. e3 {If White wants to add immediate support, he has to entomb his
own
c1 Bishop for the time being.} (5. dxc5 O-O 6. a3 Bxc5 7. Nf3 b6 {is a
topical
variation, leading to interesting middlegame play. My opponent chose a safer
alternative.}) 5... O-O 6. Nf3 b6 7. Be2 Bb7 8. O-O cxd4 9. Nxd4 $5
({Critical
is} 9. exd4 d5 10. Bg5 dxc4 $11 {[%cal Ge2c4,Yb7f3] when Black stands
slightly
better with good play against the isolated pawn.}) 9... a6 10. b3 (10. Bf3
Bxf3
11. Nxf3 Qc7 12. b3 d5 $11 {and the complications surrounding the pinned Nc3
tend to favour Black.}) 10... Qc7 11. Bb2 Be7 {Black doesn't want his Bishop
caught outside of the pawn chain before setting up the solid hedgehog
structure.} (11... d6 $6 12. a3 Bxc3 13. Qxc3 Nbd7 14. b4 $14) 12. Rac1 d6
13.
Rfd1 Nbd7 14. Bf3 {White's pieces lack offensive roles, and it makes good
sense to offer a trade of White's Be2 for Black's powerful Bb7.} Rac8 15.
Bxb7
Qxb7 16. Qe2 {Again, White's pieces lack direction and coordination. Qe2
intends Qf3 to challenge the long diagonal, fearless towards an endgame.
Black
needs to be careful not to trade too many pieces due to his vulnerable pawn
structure.} Nc5 (16... Ne5 17. f4 Nc6 18. g4 $14 {results in an unpleasant
initiative for White.}) 17. Qf3 Qc7 $1 {Correctly avoiding the exchange of
Queens.} 18. Nde2 Rfd8 19. Nf4 (19. Ng3 {During the game I thought this move
was better, preparing Nce4 and offering more trades. Although not an
ambitious
strategy, it may be the most difficult to face for Black. e.g.} Qb8 20. Nce4
Nfxe4 21. Nxe4 Nxe4 22. Qxe4 b5 23. Qg4 g6 24. Qd4 e5 25. Qe4 $11) 19... Qb8
20. Nce2 {White is re-routing his pieces to more active posts, but
unfortunately uses a great deal of time to do so. The precarious placement
of
White's pieces in the early middlegame is taxing now, but the position is
still equal.} b5 21. cxb5 axb5 {[%csl Ra2][%cal Rb5b4] Black gets in the
thematic b5 break and now looks to nurse the small plusses he enjoys.} 22.
Nh5
Nxh5 23. Qxh5 {White creates some exchanges, but it is now too late.} Qa8 {
Effective, as the a-pawn has no sensible way to be defended and there is not
enough of an attack to let it go for free.} 24. Qg4 (24. Rd4 Qxa2 25. Bc3
Nxb3
26. Rg4 g6 27. Qh6 Bf8 $19 {wins easily for Black.}) 24... Bf8 25. Ra1 Ne4
26.
a4 f5 27. Qf3 Rc2 {The 2nd rank invasion ties the White Queen to the defense
of the N, and ties the N to e2 due to the pin on the f2 pawn.} 28. axb5 Qb8
29.
Bc1 $2 (29. Ba3 {Being active instead of passive is better. Targeting d6 and
keeping the rooks connected.} g5 30. Qh5 Bg7 31. Nd4 Bxd4 32. Rxd4 $13 {with
counterplay}) 29... g5 $6 {This move appears strong but actually has some
tactical flaws.} 30. h3 (30. Qh5 $1 Bg7 31. Nd4 Bxd4 32. exd4 $16) 30... Bg7
31. Ra4 Qxb5 {Now Black is winning. There are too many weak pawns and
uncoordinated pieces in the White camp.} 32. Nd4 Bxd4 33. exd4 Rxf2 34. Qh5
(
34. Qd3 Qxd3 35. Rxd3 Rc8 $19) 34... Qxb3 {Playable based on the following
continuation.} 35. Ra7 Rxg2+ $1 36. Kh1 Rh2+ $1 {Forcing White to capture in
lieu of Kg1 Qg3+, and thus forcing checkmate.} 37. Kxh2 Qg3+ 38. Kh1 Nf2#
{An
example of a typical hedgehog structure, which arose initially from a
Nimzo-Indian. Black waited for his moment and seized it with 20. ... b5,
opening up his pieces while White was still disorganized and searching for
the
right plan.} 0-1
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