US AMATEUR TEAM

Editor's Note: We've got not just one but two reports from the US Amateur Team - East! First, four-time state champion Geoff McKenna provides his games and commentary on the adventures of a squad that also included long-time Virginia stalwarts Bill Mason (state champion 1991) & Steve Mayer, plus Maryland's Ray Kaufman. Following that we present Roger Mahach's account of his all-Virginia team (the others were Tim Hamilton, Dave Long & Harry Cohen-actually Harry lives in Maryland now, but he was enough of a long-time Virginian (and former VCF officer( that we'll give him a pass on that.

MEMORIES OF A GOOD RESULT

by Geoffrey McKenna

For chessplayers who haven't gone to the US Amateur team tournament in New Jersey, I recommend the experience highly. Not only are you likely to see famous players (this year's event had Yasser Seirawan, Joel Benjamin, Roman Dzhindzhichashvili, Alexander Ivanov and some others) but it is a common occurrence for a mere mortal to get paired against somebody famous. 

I have played the USAT about a dozen times since 1981. Several of my teams have been fairly close to the ratings cap. This year was different. In addition to being close to the cap, three of our four team members (me, Bill Mason & Steve Mayer-but not our fourth, Ray Kaufman) were at or near their ratings floor. So our =4th place finish did not come as a surprise. Also I had my best performance ever at the USAT, scoring 5 1/2 - 1/2 against a field with an average rating a little over 2200 Here are the details, round by round:

DANIEL GRECO - GEOFFREY MCKENNA
BENKO GAMBIT 
(As happens in other tournaments, rust and sleep deprivation take their toll in round 1. Thus, while this is hardly the smoothest of performances I was happy to survive the round.) 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 Nc3 axb5 6 e4 b4 7 Nb5 d6 8 Bc4 (I first faced this sharp theoretical line against Alan Rufty at the 1997 Va Closed. After losing some material I managed to obtain a draw. This time I didn't fall for the naive 8...g6 9 e5!) 8...Nbd7 9 Nf3 g6?! (naivete deferred) 10 e5 Nxe5 (if 10...dxe5 11 d6 exd6 12 Nxd6+ Bxd6 13 Qxd6 with a lot of pressure.) 11 Nxe5 dxe5 12 d6 exd6 13 Bg5 Be7 14 Bxf6 Bxf6 15 Nxd6+ Ke7 16 Qf3 Be6 17 Bxe6?! (White should probably preserve his good attacking knight.) 17...Qxd6 18 Bd5 Ra7! 19 Rd1 Qa6 20 Rc1 e4!? (This is one of the two neat moves I made in the tournament. The thinking is as follows: in an opposite-colored bishops game, keeping the bishop active is worth a pawn. Also, when White grabs the pawn he has to take some time out to protect his queen.) 21 Qxe4+ Kf8 22 Bc4 Qc8 23 0-0?! Bxb2 (Mission accomplished: my important c-pawn is safe and I'm still up a pawn.) 24 Rc2 Bf6 (Avoiding the exposed post on d4 where an exchange sac might prove lethal.) 25 Rd1 Kg7 26 g3 Re8 27 Qg2 Rae7 28 h4 Qg4 29 Rd5 Bd4 (Black has built up a nice initiative over the last few moves, which he proceeds to dissipate. The White king position is almost collapsing but I couldn't figure out how to put him away.) 30 Kh2 Re1 31 Rg5 Qd7 32 Rd5 Qe7 33 Qf3 h5 34 Kg2 Bf6 35 Bb5 Rc8 36 Rd7 Qe4 37 Qxe4 Rxe4 (Things are looking more drawish.) 38 Bc4 Re7 39 Rcd2 Kf8 40 Kf3 Bd4 41 Rd5 Rc6 42 Rd8+ Kg7 43 Re2?? Rf6+ 44 Kg2 Rxe2 0-1

GEOFFREY MCKENNA - JAMES LEWIS 
SEMI TARRASCH 
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 e3 (I avoid theory because I'm rusty.) 3...e6 4 Nc3 Be7 5 Nf3 O-O 6 Be2 d5 7 O-O Nc6 8 a3 b6 9 cxd5 exd5 10 Qc2 h6?! (To secure e6 for the bishop but this is a serious loss of time.) 11 Rd1 Be6 12 e4 dxe4 13 dxc5 
(At this point, my opponent sighed, said, "Here we go", and surprised me with...) 13...exf3! (This is better than I thought.) 14 Rxd8 Raxd8? (Natural, but Rfxd8 is probably better. Defending the a-pawn turns out to be a worthwhile goal.) 15 Bxf3 Nd4 16 Qa4 Bxc5 17 Be3 a5 (He wants to trap my queen with ...Bb3) 18 Bxd4 Rxd4 19 Qc2 R8d8 20 Rd1 Rxd1 21 Nxd1 Ng4 22 h3?! (The Black pieces become terrifyingly active over the next few moves.) 22...Ne5 23 Be2 Nc6! 24 Qe4 Nd4 25 Bf1 Bf5 26 Qf4 g5 (Look who's playing for a win! This is very brave since queens are usually effective at exploiting weakened pawns.) 27 Qe5 Bxh3 (I missed this.) 28 Qh2 Bf5? (Losing! Black has a couple of reasonable alternatives: i) 28...Nf3+ 29 gxf3 Bxf1! 30 Kxf1 Rxd1+ 31 Ke2 Rd6 with an edge, or ii) 28...g4!? 29 Ne3 Bd6 30 Qh1 with complications-I think it's a draw.) 29 Qxh6 Ne6 30 Ne3 Bg6 31 Bc4 Bf8 32 Qh2 Bd6 33 Qh3 Nf4 34 Qh6 b5 35 Qxg5 Rc8 36 Qxb5 Rc5 37 Qa6 Bf8 38 g3 Rg5 1-0 on time

STEVE STOYKO - GEOFFREY MCKENNA 
SICILIAN 
1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 Nc6 3 Bb5 e6? (Pushing the king pawn one square on the third move worked well last game. Here it's not so hot; White gets something like a Nimzo reversed with a huge number of tempi. Never again!) 4 Bxc6 bxc6 5 d3 d6 6 f4 Ne7 7 Nf3 Ng6 8 0-0 Be7 9 Kh1 Bf6 10 Qe1 e5 11 f5 Nf8 12 g4 g5 13 Kg2 Qe7 14 Ne2 h5 15 h3 Bb7 16 Ng3 h4 17 Nh5 Nh7 18 Qa5 Rg8 19 Nxf6+ Qxf6 20 Bd2 Qd8 21 c4 Qxa5 (Black shouldn't have survived the opening but he did. But my initial optimism about the resulting endgame waned over the next few moves.) 22 Bxa5 f6 23 Rab1 Kd7 24 Nd2 Rab8 25 Nb3 Ba8 (securing the good bishop) 26 Kf2 Rb7 27 Bc3 Rgb8 28 Na5 Rb6 29 Ke2 Nf8 30 Kd1 Kc8 31 Kc2 Nd7 32 b3 Kc7 33 a3 Kc8 34 Bd2 Ra6 35 Ra1 Rab6 36 Rfb1 Kc7 37 Be3 d5 (Here I concluded that I was losing so I started moving pawns in the dim hope of altering the position's character.) 38 b4 d4 39 Bd2 cxb4 40 axb4 c5 41 Nb3 cxb4 42 Rxa7+ R6b7 43 Ra5 Rb6 44 Rba1 Bc6 45 Ra7+ Kc8 46 R1a5 R6b7 47 Rxb7 Rxb7 48 Ra6 Rc7 49 Bxb4? Bxe4! (I'm probably still losing but it's a complete mess.) 50 Na5 Bg2 51 Re6 Ra7 52 c5 Nxc5 53 Rxf6 Nd7 54 Rg6 Bxh3 55 Rg8+ Kc7 56 Rxg5 Ra8 (Probably ...Ra6 is more accurate.) 57 Rg6 Rh8 58 Rc6+ Kb8 59 Bd6+ Ka7 60 Rc7+ Ka6 61 Nc4 Bxg4 62 Rxd7 h3 63 Bxe5 h2 64 Rd6+ Ka7! (Avoiding the lethal 64...Kb7 65 Na5+) 65 Rd7+ Ka6 66 Rd6+ Ka7 
Here my opponent requested confirmation that he had another hour available for the game. This confirmation was withheld as he was in fact nearing the end of a sudden-death time control. With only five minutes remaining, he expressed his annoyance and offered a draw, which I cheerfully accepted. Afterwards we considered the consequences of 67 Bxh8 h1Q 68 Bxd4+, with most people expressing the view that White had the better of a drawn position. Dzhindzhi, who had just hung his queen, stepped forward and opined that White is winning. My opponent thought so too, although they differed sharply as to methods. My satisfaction at surviving the game was tempered by disappointment in my teammates' 0-3 showing this round against lower-rated opposition. /

GEOFFREY MCKENNA - YU ZHANG LU 
QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED 
1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 Nf3 Be7 5 Bf4 0-0 6 e3 b6 7 Bd3 c5 8 dxc5 bxc5 9 0-0 Nc6 10 a3 Bb7 11 cxd5 exd5 12 Qc2 Bd6? (Black presumably wants to challenge White's control of b8, but this is a lemon. His position goes from equal to losing in one move.) 13 Bg5 Ne5 (Either d5 or h7 will fall anyway.) 14 Nxe5 Bxe5 15 Bxh7+ Kh8 16 Bf5 d4 17 f4! Bc7 18 Qf2 g6 19 Qh4+ Kg7 20 Ne4 Nxe4 21 Qh6+ Kg8 22 Bxd8 Bxd8 23 Bxg6 1-0

ERNEST JOHNSON - GEOFFREY MCKENNA 
BENKO GAMBIT
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 d5 b5 4 cxb5 a6 5 bxa6 g6 6 g3 d6 7 Bg2 Bg7 8 Nh3 0-0?! (After this game I repeated something I read by Benko a couple of decades ago, that the g3 lines of the Benko gambit are toothless. Bill Mason, who had faced the same line in a dramatic round 2 game, disagreed. The secret is for White to launch a kingside onslaught right out of the opening, the goal being to provoke some modest weakening of the Black kingside pawns for much later exploitation. Here's the idea: if White can provoke the advance of the Black h-pawn, then after an eventual e4-e5 (in about ten or fifteen moves) he will be propitiously placed to throw the kitchen sink at g6) 9 Nf4 Nxa6 10 Nc3 Qb6 11 0-0? (He should play h4 first to provoke ...h5) 11...Nc7 12 Re1 Ng4 13 h3 Ne5 14 Qc2 Nb5 15 Qb3 Bd7 16 Nxb5 Qxb5 17 Qxb5 Bxb5 (A rule of thumb in the Benko is that endings are good for Black unless White can first stake out some space on the queenside. Here Black has complete control of the queenside.) 18 Bd2 Nc4 19 Bc3 Bxc3 20 bxc3 Na3 (gaining both time and space) 21 Rac1 Bc4 22 e4 Nb5 23 h4 Rxa2 24 e5 Rfa8 25 Re4 Ra1 26 Rxa1 Rxa1+ 27 Kh2 Bb3 28 c4 Na3 29 exd6 exd6 30 Re8+ Kg7 31 Rb8 Bxc4 32 g4 Nb5 33 Rb7 Ra7 34 Ne6+ Kf6 35 g5+ Ke5 36 f4+ Kf5 (Imagine if White could add just a little gas to the attack. But he can't.) 37 Rxa7 Nxa7 38 Nd8 Kxf4 39 Nxf7 Nb5 40 Nd8 Kg4 41 Ne6 Kxh4 42 Bf3 Nd4 0-1 

GEOFFREY MCKENNA - IRINA KRUSH 
SEMI SLAV
1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 (One of the reasons I had a good tournament is whenever I played White my opponent played the QGD, which I find more congenial than the Indians.) 3 Nc3 c6 4 Nf3 Nf6 5 e3 Nbd7 6 Qc2 Bd6 7 Bd3 0-0 8 Bd2?! (An outright slip of the hand. I meant to play 8 cxd5 first.) 8...dxc4! 9 Bxc4 b5 10 Bd3 Bb7 11 e4 e5 12 0-0 Re8 13 Ne2 (White's chances lie on the kingside but this looks pretty slow.) 13...a6 14 dxe5 Bxe5 15 Rad1 c5 16 Nxe5 Nxe5 17 Be3 Nxd3 18 Rxd3 
18...Qc8? (White's 17th move was aimed at the c-pawn so that in the event of 18...Bxe4 19 Rxd8 Bxc2 I would be able to play 20 Rxa8 Rxa8 21 Bxc5, but even in this line I think Black is significantly better owing to the unfortunate placement of White's knight. The text avoids simplification at the cost of a whole tempo.) 19 f3! (What a difference! Now the e-pawn locks out Black's bishop, giving White much the better game.) 19...c4 20 Rd6 Nd7 21 Ng3 Ne5 22 Qc3 f6 23 Nf5 Qc7 24 Bb6 Qf7 (During the game I thought Black's defense hereabouts was brilliant, bringing my initiative to a grinding halt. White is always on the verge of busting in around f6 and g7 but I couldn't figure out a way.) 25 Rfd1 Bc8 26 Ne3 Be6 27 Nd5 Bxd5 28 R1xd5 Qg6 29 Kh1 Nd3 30 Be3 h6 31 b3 (I was feeling sad to see my nice knight go, and here I was trying to undermine Black's knight by softening the c-pawn. The trouble is that with the b-file open it is White whose king is vulnerable.) 31...Rec8 32 bxc4 bxc4 33 g3 Kh7 34 Kg2 Rab8 35 h4 Qf7 (Here I thought Black should keep an eye on the weak squares around the White king.) 36 Rd7 Qf8 37 Bd4 Rc6 38 Ra7 Rd8 39 Rdd7 Rxd7 (Here I showed 55 seconds left to play 11 moves. My opponent had a few minutes, but...) 40 Rxd7 Qc8 41 Re7 Qd8?? 42 Bxf6 Ne1+ 43 Kf2 (...here she used up almost all of her time, played a succession of bad moves, and went over. The remainder of the time scramble was played in the best amateur tradition as described in the song "City of New Orleans", viz, ain't no one keepin' score.) 43...Rxf6 44 Qxf6 Qd2+ 45 Kf1 Qd3+ (45...Qg2+ was a better try) 46 Kxe1 Qe3+ 47 Kf1 Qd3+ 48 Kg2 Qe2+ 49 Kh3 Qf1+ 50 Kg4 1-0 (Irina is actually the highest-rated opponent I have beaten in 13 years. I had a very heavy meal right before this game and played most of it in a wimpy, diffident frame of mind. I would have been happy with a draw. She held the initiative at various points, so I am pleasantly surprised to be writing this article.)

MEMORABLE MOMENTS

by Roger Mahach

Scariest moment at the US Amateur Team-East: facing a cute-as-a-button 8-year-old girl who wiped out the first fifteen moves of a Pelikan Sicilian in less than a minute. She played with her Barbie, all the while producing one great move after another. 

Most dreadful moment: losing a won game (and the match) to guy who brought along his own blow-up butt cushion and then sitting frozen at the board while I listen to him deflate the cushion. 

Funniest moment: sitting next to an American legend and listening to his wife berate him for playing so soon after a massive heart attack, to which the GM's only response was to order prime rib (rare) and another double scotch 30 minutes before the round!

This year marked my 12th visit to the US Amateur Team Championship-East, held in Parsippany, NJ over the President's weekend (February 17-19, 2001). Having received the blessing of a new family, I pretty much stopped playing chess but somehow always find time for the USATs. My first was in 1989 after an unknown caller left a chilling message on my answering machine: "You don't know me but I've been told you're an underrated A player. We need a strong 4th. Call me at…" 

In that first outing I teamed with three masters I didn't know. Subsequent years found me on 3rd or 4th board behind great local players like Macon Shibut, Steve Mayer, Tim Hamilton, Harry Cohen and former Pennsylvania legend Craig Jones. But it seems that I have finally found a permanent home back with my mates from the Arlington Passed Pawns. This year Hamilton (1st board), myself (2nd), Cohen (3rd) and David Long (4th) defended the good name of the Old Dominion. Harry and Dave had exceptional tournaments. Long scored 6-0 and won a board prize, while Cohen went undefeated at 5-1. Hope to see you there next year.

GREGORY TOMKOVICH - ROGER MAHACH
NIMZOINDIAN
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e3 c5 5 Bd3 Nc6 6 Nge2 cxd4 7 exd4 d5 8 0-0 0-0 9 Bg5 dxc4 10 Bxc4 Be7 (It's important for Black to keep the dark square bishop in this IQP position where White is fully developed and can whip up a nasty attack.) 11 Bf4 (Trying to set up threats against c7 is inconsistent. White would be better off getting his rooks into play and playing against Black's center and kingside, eg 11 Rc1 Qd7 12 Qd2 a6 13 Rfd1 Rd8 14 Qf4 b5 15 Bb3 Na5 16 Bc2 Bb7 17 Bxf6 Bxf6 18 Ne4 Bxe4 19 Qxe4 g6) 11...a6 12 Rc1 b5 13 Bb3 Na5 14 Bc2 Bb7 (Black has solved is space problem and doesn't have to fear the d5 break that is so common in these IQP positions.) 15 Qd3 (If the bishop was still on g5 this would be awkward for Black.) 15...Nc4 (This is a dream position for Black-a Sicilian-like set up against the IQP. I was counting on White to regroup and defend the b-pawn but...) 16 Qg3 (What White had been planning all along. Forget the b pawn, he's going after the king! He had two ways to protect the pawn: 16 b3 Na3 17 Be5 Nxc2 18 Rxc2 Rc8 19 f3 Nd7 20 Bf4 b4 21 Ne4 Rxc2 22 Qxc2 Qa5 23 Nd6 Ba8 24 Rc1 Nf6 25 Nc8 Bd8 26 Nd6 Nd5=; or 16 Rb1 Rc8 17 Bg5 g6 18 f3 Re8 19 Rfc1 e5!) 16...g6 (The safe move. Were it not a team event I may have just grabbed the pawn but I just couldn't calculate the risks. 16...Nxb2 17 Bh6 Ne8 18 Bf4 Rc8 19 Qh3 Nf6 20 Be5 h6 [Black can play this since there is no threat of the bishop sacrificing itself against h6] 21 Nf4 Nc4 22 Bxf6 Bxf6 23 Qd3 [if 23 Nxe6 fxe6 24 Qxe6+ Rf7 25.Bg6 Rcc7 26.Bxf7+ Rxf7 and after Bc8 Black would be better] 23...Re8! [but not 23...g6? 24.Nxg6 fxg6 25.Qxg6+ Bg7 26.Qh7+ Kf7 27.Qg6+ Kg8=] 24 Qh7+ Kf8 25 Nce2 Qd6 26 Nh5 Bxd4 27 Rfd1 Qc6! winning) 17...Bh6 Re8 18 Nf4 (Bothersome. White has managed to direct almost all of his minor pieces against the kingside and is ready to sac on g6) 18...Qd6 (It's important to pin the knight against the queen. If 18...Nxb2 19 Nxe6 fxe6 20 Bxg6 Kh8 21 Bxe8 Nxe8 22 Rfe1-groan!) 19 b3 Nb6 (Again the safe move, though Black could have had more: 19...Na3 20 Bd3 Qxd4 21 Nxe6 fxe6 22 Bxg6 Qg4! 23 Bxe8 Qxg3 24 Bf7+! Kxf7 25 fxg3) 20 Rfe1 Bf8 (To prevent hi-jinx on e6; if 20...Rac8 21 Rxe6 fxe6 22 Bxg6 Kh8 23 Bxh7 Nh5 24 Qg6 e5! 25 Qf7 Qxh6 26 Ng6+ Qxg6 27 Bxg6 Ng7 28 dxe5 Rc6 29 Re1 Bc8 30 Re3 Nd5 31 Qxd5 Rxg6 White has too many pawns for me) 21 Bg5 Nbd7 22 Qh4 Bg7 23 Ne4 Nxe4 24 Bxe4 Bxe4 25 Rxe4 e5 26 Rce1 f5 27 dxe5 Rxe5 28 Rxe5 Nxe5 29 Nh3 (Both players were short of time here and the control was not until move 50) 29...Re8?? (Unbelievable; after all the defensive work, Black blunders a piece.) 30 Rc1?? (White returns the favor. 30 f4!-I forgot that the queen protects e1!-30...Re6 31 fxe5 Bxe5 32 Kh1! Bg3 33 Qxg3 Qxg3 34 hxg3 Rxe1+ 35 Kh2 Ra1 36 Bd8 Rxa2 37 b4) 30...Nd3 31 Rb1 Qe6 32 Be3 h6 33 Nf4 Nxf4 34 Qxf4 g5 35 Qb4 f4 36 Bd2 Qf5 37 Rc1 f3 38 gxf3 (Time trouble. 38 Be3 fxg2 39 Qd6 Kh7 40 Qxa6 Qf3 41 Qa7 Re4 42 Qc7 b4 was correct) 38...Qxf3 39 Bc3?? (39 Re1 Rxe1+ 40 Bxe1 Be5; 39 Be3 Rxe3 40 Rc8+ [40 fxe3 Qxe3+] Kh7 41 fxe3 Qxe3+ 42 Kg2 Qe2+ 43 Kg1 [43.Kg3?? Be5+ 44.Kh3 Qf3#] Qd1+ 44 Kg2 Qd5+ 45 Kg3 Be5+ 46 Kf2 Bd4+ 47 Ke1 Qe4+ 48 Kf1 Qf4+ 49 Ke2 Qg4+ 50 Kd3 Qxc8 51 Qxd4) 39...Re4 -+ 40 Qc5 Rg4+ 41 Kf1 Qd3+ 42 Ke1 Re4+ 0-1

GERARD MCDONNEL - HARRY COHEN
CARO KANN
1 e4 c6 2 d4 d5 3 Nd2 dxe4 4 Nxe4 Nf6 5 Nxf6+ gxf6 (The Bronstein variation- very fitting since it was the great master's birthday that day.) 6 Bc4 Bf5 7 Ne2 e6 8 Be3 Nd7 9 Bb3 Bd6 10 Nf4 Qc7 11 Qf3 0-0-0 12 c3 Bg6 13 h4 e5 14 Nxg6 fxg6 15 dxe5 Bxe5 16 0-0-0 f5 (Black has undoubled his kingside pawns and proceeds to place them on light squares.) 17 h5 (White could try the scary looking 17 Bxa7 b6 18 Be6 Rhe8 19 Bxd7+ Rxd7 20 Rxd7 Kxd7 21 Qd3+ Ke7 [21...Kc8? 22 Qa6+ Qb7 23 Qxb6] 22 Qa6 Ra8 23 Qa3+ Qd6 [23...Kf6 24 Bxb6 Qb8 25 Qc5 Rxa2 26 Kb1 Ra6 27 Qxc6+ Kg7 28 Qd7+] 24 Qxd6+ Bxd6 25 Re1+ Kd7 26 Bxb6 Rxa2 27 Kb1 Ra4 28 Rd1 Ke6) 17...Nf6 18 hxg6 hxg6 19 Rxd8+ Rxd8 20 Rh6 (playing against the only weakness in Black's position) 20...Qg7 21 Rh4 (21 Qh3 Ne4 22 Rh7 Qf6 23 Qh4 Bxc3 24 bxc3 Qxc3+ 25 Kb1 Qe1+ 26 Kb2 [or 26 Bc1 Nd2+ 27.Kc2 Qe2 28.Qxd8+ Kxd8 29.Bxd2 b5 30.f4 Qxg2 31.Rxa7 c5 32.Bg8 Qe4+ 33.Kc1 Qh1+ 34.Kb2 Qg2] 26...Qc3+ 27 Ka3 Qa5+ 28 Kb2 Qc3+) 21...Qd7 22 Bc2 Ng4 23 Bf4 Qd5 (Black finds a nice trap in the position.) 24 Bxe5?? (White's playing as if he has an advantage!) 24...Qd2+ 0-1

DAVID LONG - JEFFREY MITCHELL
SICILIAN
Notes by David Long
1 e4 c5 2 c3 Nf6 3 e5 Nd5 4 d4 cd 5 Nf3 e6 6 cd b6 7 Nc3 Nc3 8 bc Qc7 9 Bd2 Bb7 10 Bd3 d6 11 0-0 Nd7 12 Re1 Be7 13 Bf4 0-0 14 ed6 Bd6 

It turns out this was all theory through move 13. Sveshnikov evaluates the variation as unclear in his Encyclopedia monograph on the c3 Sicilian (B22, page 140, col 122). Perhaps my opponent knew all this, since he spent only a few minutes on the clock to reach this point.

My idea had been to exchange pawns on d6 to divert his bishop from control of g5 and then play the stock sacrifice Bh7, but I couldn't find a win if the Black king just retreats to g8. For example, 15 Bh7+ Kh7 16 Ng5+ Kg8 17 Bd6 Qd6 18 Qh5 Nf6 18 Qh4 Qd5 19 f3 Qf5 followed by Rac8 and play on the c-file.

Instead of 14 ed, White should have played either 14 c4 or 14 Rc1. Then Black must be careful about exchanging on e5. For example, 14 Rc1 de5 15 Ne5 Ne5 16 Be5 Bd6 17 Bh7+! Kh7 18 Qh5+ Kg8 19 Bg7 Kg7 20 Qg5+ Kh8 (or Kh7) 21 Re3 winning decisive material. If Black does not play 16...Bd6 and instead substitutes 16...Qc6 then 17 Be4 Qc8 18 Bh7+ with the same combination.

15 Ne5 Nf6 16 Re3 Nd5 17 Bh7 
Played instantly and walking into forced mate. Black must try 17...Kh8, when I intended 18 Bg5 to keep the knight off f6 and f4. This was also winning in the post mortem, eg 18...g6 19 Rh3 Kg7 20 Bh6 Kh7 21 Bf8 Kg8 22 Bd6 Qd6 23 Qd2! with the threat of 24 Rh8 followed by 25 Nf7 as well as 24 Qh6; or 18...Nf6? 19 Bf6. But now it appears 18...Be5 holds, eg 19 Qh5 (19 de5 Kh7 and keeps the piece!) Nf4! 20 Qh4 (20 Bxf4 Bxf4 the bishop can drop back to h6) Ng2 Black can draw by perpetual attack on the queen.

As for attempts by White to get more, 18 Qh5 also leads to a draw: 18...Nf4! (not 18...Nf6? 19 Qh4 Nh7 20 Rh3 winning) 19 Qh4 Ng2 20 Qh5 Nf4=. And 18 Ng6 fails to 17...fg6 (but 18...Kh7? allows mate in two) 19 Rh3 Bf4 20 Bg6 Bh6 wins. (Also in this line Black could play 19...Nf4 20 Bg6 Nh3 21 gf Bf3 (or...Rf3) winning.) The best move, not found until many days later, appears to be 18 Bc2! After 18...Nxf4 19 Qg4 Kg8! (other moves appear to lose) 20 Qxf4 f6 21 Rh3 Bxe5 22 dxe5 Qxe5 23 Qxe5 fxe5 would be about equal.

18 Rh3 Kg8 19 Qh5 Rfc8 20 Qh8 mate 1-0

DAVID LONG - FRED FOLLIS
PHILIDOR
Notes by David Long
1 e4 d6 2 d4 Nf6 3 Nc3 e5 4 Nf3 Nbd7 5 Bc4 Be7 6 0-0 0-0 7 Bb3 c6 8 Re1 b5 9 d5 Bb7 10 dc Bc6 11 Nd5 Nd5 (White got very little from the opening but now plays to weaken the d5 square and give his opponent a bad bishop.) 12 Bd5 Qc7 13 c3 Nf6 14 Bc6 Qc6 15 Bg5 Rfe8 16 Bf6 Bf6 17 Qd2 Rad8 18 Rad1 Re7 19 Qd5 Qd5 20 Rd5 a6 21 Red1 Red7 22 g4! h6 (tying up the bishop further) 23 h4 g5 24 h5 Bg7 25 Kf1 f6 (Maybe it was better to start transferring the knight to the queenside right away.) 26 Ne1 Kf7 27 Nc2 Ke6 28 Nb4 a5 (My original idea was to play 29 Nc6 and I should have stuck with that. I wanted to attack the queenside pawns right away before the Black rooks were freed from guarding the pawn on d6. But I thought that somehow Nc6 would allow the rooks out.) 29 Ne3?! (Threatening Nc5, but this interferes with the Rd1 and allows ...d5, which releases some pent up energy in the Black position at the cost of a pawn. Fortunately, things still work out well for White.) Bf8 30 Rb5 d5 31 Ra5 de 32 Nc5 Bc5 33 Rd7 Rd7 34 Rc5 Ra7 (34...Rd2!?) 35 a3 Rb7 36 b4 Ra7 37 c4 Ra3 -+ 38 Rc6 Ke7 39 b5 Rb3 40 b6 Rb1 41 Ke2 Rb2 42 Ke3 Kd8 43 c5 Rb3 44 Ke4 Rb4 45 Kf5 Rf4 46 Ke6 Rb4 47 Rc7 e4 48 Ra7 Kc8 49 Kd6 Rd3 50 Kc6 Kb8 51 Rb7 Ka8 52 Rd7 Rd3 53 Kc7 Rd7 54 Kd7 f5 55 Kc7 1-0