In the last open 2024 tournament, I played a very complicated game with Angelo Valentino (I was Black, he was White). I will try to explain this game by six key positions shown in the picture (in positions 1, 3, 5 White is to move; in positions 2, 4, 6 Black is to move.
In this game I have chosen one of my favorite openings, Kings’ Indian Defense. White in its turn has chosen the Bg2–fianchetto system. Usually it is considered as the stable, mostly positional system, without any risk for White. However there are some very active variants in this system for Black aiming to create an attack against the white’ king.
These variants are based on placing a black queen on h5. Of course such nearness of the black’s queen with the white king creates the grounds of the attack, especially with Nf6-g4 maneuver and/or trading g2-bishop by Bc8-h3. However in order to place his queen on h5 (and\or secure his stability there) Black has always to take into account the White’s possibility to trap the black’s queen by playing h2-h3 and g3-g4. For example Black cannot place his queen on h5 if White has already played h2-h3. So placing my queen on h5 would not have happened in the game if Angelo (instead of playing 7. Bd2) had played 7. h2-h3. Also, placing his queen on h5 had to be made after the Black ‘s castling since White could use an unsecured location of the black king on e8 (which is vulnerable to a check from Nd6!) by the maneuver Nf3-g5-e4 (or Nc3-e4 after trading knights). It could have happened in position 1 if White (instead of 9. Qc2) had played 9. d4xe5 (if immediately 9. Nf3-g5 is played then 9… e5xd4 follows) d6xe5 10. Ng5 (threatening h2-h3 with a catch of the queen) h7-h6 11. Ng5-e4 (forcing trading knights because of a threat of giving a check from d6) Nxe4 12. Nxe4 O-O 13. Bb4 with a very good position for White.
I could get a much worse position because of neglecting castling (instead of 9…e5 I should play 9…O-O). On the other hand I was happy to see my queen on h5 and bishop on g4 (please look at position 2) which both create a tremendous pressure at the white’s center. I understood at that moment (while thinking about position 2) that my task was to deflect the white’ f3-knight and g2-bishop to make a move Nf6-g4 for creating the famous “queen and knight” tandem. This task could be executed by simply capturing 12… e5xd4 which makes White capture d4-pawn by his f3-knight, giving up an important e5-square for the black’s knight and generally weakening a big diagonal. After this move Black would completely have taken an initiative. But I had first decided to develop my b8-knight (by playing 12…Nbd7) but White correctly closed the center by 13. d4-d5. Still I had found a good sequence of moves leading to position 4 (when you analyze the game it is a segment from 12th and 20th moves). In this position I had made a key move 20…e5-e4 temporarily sacrificing a pawn but getting an opportunity to play Nf6-g4 with a threat “Mate in 2”. Just look at position 3. In it White had to submit that Black achieved a good accomplishment (by his famous “queen and knight” tandem), and to play 22. Bg2 (instead of a clear weak 22. Qe2).
But I also somehow did not play perfectly (I am not sure where I had made a serious mistake). It resulted in a complicated ending without queens but White had saved his two annoying bishops. At some moment I even offered Angelo a draw (he refused), but soon he committed a serious mistake. Please look at position 6 (White had just made a move 31. Rc7 hoping to give me an unpleasant check on g7) but I had planned in advance (in response of it) a move 31. Nf7 (what led to position 5). I thought I would win one of the two white bishops, but Angelo had found a decent defense, - 32. Rc4 (a good credit for him!). Unfortunately for my opponent his position had become a weak one, mostly because his lonely bishop, restricted by his pawns, was useless against my strong knight. I won b-pawn and managed to win a whole game in mutual time trouble.
So, here is some advice from this game. Almost always try to prepare for your opponent (prepare mentally, by recalling the key ideas of the openings, systems, variants you play). In complicated positions (with much tactics and strategies) be creative in both attack and defense (it looks naïve but I want to stress out the necessity of homework in chess, it helps in creativity
a lot). And here is the last piece of advice. Never neglect castling!
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 December 21. Enjoy and we hope to see you soon!
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