Right after the celebration of Victory Day in World War II (my late father, a decent chess player, fought against the Nazis during the Great Patriotic War), I continued my series of May victories — this time, on the chess front.
I managed to win a beautiful game against Mark. What’s especially interesting is that the photographer captured the most crucial moment of the game, when I was contemplating a tempting piece sacrifice.
But first, there are a few words about the opening. I boldly sacrificed a pawn in my favorite line of the King’s Indian Defense, delaying the development of my kingside knight. Mark, before accepting the pawn, thought for a very long time (and continued thinking for a long time throughout the game, as usual getting into terrible time trouble). Having obtained excellent compensation for the pawn, I began searching for ways to launch a mating attack. In the critical black position 40 I spent a long time calculating variations related to a knight sacrifice on b3 (this is the moment shown in the photo).
I was particularly fascinated by the unexpected knight move to the corner of the board in the line “20… Nxb3 21. Rb1 Na1 22. Rxa1 Rb2” (see five small positions in the lower part of the picture), where I would have secured a draw thanks to the follow-up “23… Rxe2”.
However, this line doesn’t lead to a win, and moreover, White could choose not to take the knight right away with “22. Rxa1”, and instead play “22. Kd3”, after which Black’s attack is not so effective.
After calculating all the pros and cons, I decided to go for a simpler path. I castled, and then, with a strong knight maneuver to d4, I won the Exchange. In the final position of the game, Mark could have continued to resist, but he ran out of time.
I am completely satisfied with my play in this game, as it reflects my personal style. Strangely enough, Mark, knowing this, still chose to play in the same style. Was he trying to punish me for the pawn sacrifice?! But here is my advice: don’t play positions that suit your opponent’s style much more than they suit your own.
I actually gave that piece of advice in my previous report. Clearly, Mark didn’t read it… It’s a pity!
Congratulations to Yefim Treger for winning this week’s report contest, and, as a result, free entry to his next Glen Rock Quads competition! If you want a shot at free entry, click THIS LINK for instructions on how to participate in our report contest.
This weekend, in addition to our Glen Rock Quads on Saturday, we will host the Dr. Ostfeld Memorial ICA Championships on Sunday! For the first time, this tournament will be held at our Glen Rock location. This tournament consists of four sections: two unrated sections, U800, and U1200. Top three places earn a trophy, and the three best school teams earn team trophies. Click HERE for more information regarding our tournament!
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