200908 - Northwest Chess!

Corey Russell – Peter Vancouvering
Grants Pass Open, Round 3
Grants Pass, Oregon, March 14, 2009
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4
Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be3 a6 7. Bd3
It should be noted that 7. ... Bc5? 8.
Nxe6! wins a pawn for White, since the
move double hits Q on c7 and bishop on c5.
7. ...Nf6 8. Nb3?!
11. ...d5 12. Ng3 Rd8 13. Bg5 Be7 14.
Bxf6 Bxf6 15. exd5 Rxd5
Ewald Hopfencitz – Corey Russell
Grants Pass Open, Round 4
Grants Pass, Oregon, March 15, 2009
1. e4 c5 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6
After the game, my opponent said that
he doesn’t encounter this move from
anyone. Most people he has played
apparently play 4. .... e5!?. While that move
might be enough to maintain the balance,
seems little anti-positional. My move is
better attempt at creating an imbalance (and
therefore winning potential).
5. d3 d5 6. e5
This didn’t work out very well. Was
worried about 8. ...Nxd4 9. Bxd4 Bc5 10.
Bxc5 Qxc5 and I thought it would be hard
to win as White. However, instead of 8. Nb3
I could have tried 8. h3 Nxd4 9. Bxd4 Bc5
10. Bxc5 Qxc5 11. Qe2 (threatening e5 and
Ne4-d6) d6 12. f4 and White doesn’t have
to draw just yet.
8. ...Bb4 9. 0-0 0-0 10. h3 d6 11. Ne2
16. Qc1!
Defends the b-pawn, gets out of the pin
on the d-file, prevents Black queen from
getting in on f4, and allows White to get at
least one good piece with Be4.
16. ...g6 17. Be4 Rd8 18. c3 b6 19. Qe3
Bb7 20. Rad1 Bg7 21. Bf3 Rac8
Black offered a draw here. While it’s true
he has the bishop pair, his dark-squared
bishop is blunted at the moment. White’s
pieces are holding the equilibirium. My
opponent thought this was a kind of position
where whoever over-extended themselves
in an attempt to win would lose instead. I
agree with that assessment, since the only
way I could see to win was in fact if he did
just that. So agreed to his draw. As it turns
out, we both won the rest of our games and
ended up tying for 1st with 4.5 points out of
5. He also won the class A section.
6. ...d4! 7. exf6 dxc3 8. bxc3 Qxf6 9.
Bb2?
Too passive of a posting for the bishop.
It never moves for the rest of the game.
Think White probably had to play 9. d4,
though Black should still be okay.
9. ...Bd6 10. g3 0-0 11. Bg2 e5 12. 0-0
Bg4 13. h3 Bh5 14. g4 Bg6
Sure this avoids the pawn doubling, but
makes a ...d5 break by Black unnecessarily
powerful. I think 11. Bd2 with the idea of
a3 is better since if Black tried to break d5
in that line, White will be able to force Black
to have the isolated d-pawn if he does it right
away.
½–½
15. d4??
Gives Black a huge attack. Much more
promising plan for White would be 15. Qe2,
Nd2-e4.
Page 10 Northwest Chess August 2009