This report I want to devote to Ido Alkin, who won all three his games in November 16 quad. Besides formally winning all these games Ido has demonstrated a good understanding of the positions of the specific class (see below), a bright tactical vision and some other qualities which I want to illustrate by analyzing my game with him.
I have already played with Ido more than 5 times; the score is almost equal. But I have noticed that in some positions requiring the more strategic thinking (for example the French Defense positions) Ido plays less accurately than in open positions (for example Sicilian Defense positions). Having known a fact that he usually plays Sicilian Defense (by White I also do not object the “Sicilian” but play the closed variants with the early “e4-e5-pawn” move) I had decided to apply an unusual order of moves shown by position 6 in the very upper part of the picture. So, after the moves 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 I played 3. e5; if Ido had played 2… d6 (that once happened in some games between us) I would have definitely played 3. e5 (which is my favorite move with anybody). But playing 3. e5 after 2… e6 offers Black two options – to respond by 3… d6 or 3… d5 shown by position 7 and 61 respectively.
So, my intention was the following – to imply Ido that he might transpose the Sicilian Defense into the French Defense. There is nothing wrong with such a transformation, but, as I said above, I wanted to make Ido play less familiar system hoping that my experience would prevail… (by the way I would then have played 4. d2-d4 without c2-c3 since I could not allow Black to play d5-d4).
But Ido chose 3… d7-d6 and our game developed in Sicilian direction, like in one of its closed variants (and almost analogously we played earlier). However somehow Ido played much better than last time, when I was lucky to win. He did not make some strange decisions and was extremely determined. In particular he actively and harmonically developed his pieces aiming against my king. Just look at position 19 – his bishops and knight with a queen are ominously looking at my king (by the way, in the picture the odd positions are white, even positions are black; positions of not the smallest size are actually occurred in our game; positions of the smallest size constitute some variants, about the main variant – read further).
In position 19 I could (and had to) decrease a pressure of two black bishops by playing d4xc5. But I had overestimated my position and decided to develop my dark-squared bishop by playing 10. Bc1-e3. However after an obvious answer 10… Bxf3 11. Qxf3 cxd4 (what resulted in position 23) I had understood the aggravation of my status.
Position 23 is a key position of the whole game (by the way, it explains its number as 23 since between it and position 19 there are 4 positions shown by white/black circles in the picture). While executing a sequence of moves “10. Be3 Bxf3 11. Qxf3 cxd4” resulting in this key position I saw only one Black’s threat consisting in the light variant 12. Bxd4 Bxh2 13. Kxh2 Qh4 14. Kg1 Qxd4 15. Qxb7 and White was OK. But when position 23 had occurred I suddenly saw that Black had the more serious threat – in response of 12. Bxd4 to play 12… Qh4 with a double attack - to checkmate me by Qxh2 and/or take my d4-bishop!
I was shocked and began to find ways to save myself. I had chosen the move 12. Nc3-b5 which saved a piece but cost me two pawns. The compensation was not enough and I lost in a hard fight. But in a break between rounds I showed position 23 to Lev Zilbermintz and he had surprised me by the wonderful variant characterized by “12. Bxd4 Qh4 13. Rfd1” when I could defend myself from two Ido’s threats – checkmating and/or taking a d4-bishop! Upon coming home I had clarified this variant, named it as the “Main Variant of the game”, and had given it by the smallest positions in the picture. This variant is almost forced and after it White loses only one pawn. In particular in its last position 35 White can take g7-pawn by his bishop, with only one pawn down. Of course the fight would not be finished and Black would be better…
But I have shown this variant as the surprising possibility to continue fighting in a bad position. It is a pity that I had not found it earlier…
But it does not neglect Ido’s capabilities to fight actively and decently. It looks like he has made some significant achievements in his play. Again, he has demonstrated a beautiful tactical vision and progressed in the strategic ideas mentioned above in some first paragraphs. I hope we will meet again and our future games will be more interesting and exciting!
Congratulations to Yefim Treger for winning our report contest, and a free entry to the tournament. If you want a chance to win a free entry into our Saturday Quads, email a report to icanewjersey@gmail.com, following these guidelines. We hope you guys have had a great week and we hope to see you at our next Quad which is November 23. Enjoy and we hope to see you soon!
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