Steven Zierck (1997) -
Mike Splane (2257)
Kolty Chess Club August 9, 2007
Steven is improving rapidly, his rating has gone up 500 points this year, from class C to expert. Nobody in the club has beaten him for months. I knew I would have a tough game on my hands.
1 e4 e6
During the two weeks prior to this game I was studying the Scheveningen variation of the Sicilian. I am not comfortable with it yet, so perhaps it was unwise to adopt it in the championship game. I decided that I needed some over the board practice with the opening, if I was ever going to learn it and gain confidence in it.
2. d4
c5
He looked a bit uneasy when I played this. Perhaps he doesn’t normally play the open Sicilian.
3. Nf3 cd 4. Nd4 Nf6 5. Bd3
Already I am out of my opening preparation, typical for me. I’ve resolved to fix this problem within the next 12 months. While Zierck was thinking about his move, I was considering playing the line 5. Nc3 Bb4 but after the game I looked it up and 6. e5 Ne4 7. Qg4 is good for White
5. … Nc6
I wanted to prevent 6. c4. I also considered 5. … d5 6. e5 Nfd7, but my
radar warned me off. When I looked this up in Chess Lab after the game I
discovered that 7. Ne6 is crushing. Sometimes
I can trust my instincts!
6. Nc6 dc
Kibitzers suggested 6. … bc. ECO gives my move as the main line, but, based on my results in this game, I may try the alternative recapture.
7. Bf4
I was expecting to have a happy life after 7. … e5 when both of my bishops are good. His move is good, and is the book move in ECO. I wonder if he knew it, or found it over the board.
7. … Qb6
Apparently the game starts here. ECO gives 7… Nd7. This looks silly to me.
I think he can castle and let me take the b pawn, but even though he gets a big lead in development I didn’t see any immediate problems for me.
8. Be5 Qa5+ 9. Bc3 Bb4 10. Qd2 Bc3 11. Nc3
The endgame is bad for him because the locked pawns in the center favor my bishop.
The players on board two have just agreed to a draw, so nobody could catch the winner of this game.
11. … e5 12. 0-0-0 0-0
I wanted to leave my king in the center and play 12. … b5 but 13. Qg5 was a concern.
13. Kb1
Planning to use the exposed position of my queen to exchange knights with Nd5. He has to move the king first so I can’t capture on d2 with check. I saw the idea and should have played 13. … Qc7 to prevent it. Not only is his knight on c3 passively placed, it is also the target for a pawn storm. . I didn’t realize how much the exchange of knights would free his game.
13. … b5? 14. Nd5 Qd8 15. Nf6+ Qf6 16. Qe3 Qe7
To prevent 17 Qc5.
17. Be2 Be6 18. Rd2 b4
This turns out badly and is based on a blind spot in analysis. See the next note.
19. Rhd1 c5 20. Rd6 Rac8
I was planning to play 20. … c4 21.Qc5 a5, when he can’t play 21. Bc4 Rac8 or 21. Qe5 Ba2+ Unfortunately, Ba2+ is illegal move with a pawn on c4, which is what I missed. I also looked at 20. … c4 21. Qc5 f6? 22. Re6 and I’m dead. Clearly I have to stop his queen coming to c5. I analyzed 20…. Qc7 21. Qg3 Qa5 22. b3 and I thought I would lose the e pawn, but perhaps I can still save it with 22. … Rfe8 23. Qe5 Bb3 This would have been better than what I played.
21. Ba6 Rc7 22. Qd2 h6 23. Rd8 Rc6
I should trade twice on d8, but I was worried about his active rook on d8 compensating for my better bishop. If he tried repeating the position with 24. Rd6 Rc7 25. Rd8 then I would’ve exchanged. I was hoping he would withdraw the bishop on the f1 b5 diagonal so I could keep control of my first rank. Play might go 24. Be2 Rb8 25. Rf8+ Qf8 26. Qd6 Qd6 27. Rd6 Kf8 when I can force his rook to retreat. And have a safe position with the better bishop. Unfortunately there is a hole in this analysis too.
24. Bb7 Rb6
Of course I can’t capture the bishop.
25. Rf8+ Qf8 26. Bd5 Rd6 27. c4
I thought this move would be fatally weakening when I played 23. … Rc6, but to my disappointment I can’t capture en passant without losing a pawn. He stands slightly better now because I can never capture on d5, and I can’t easily open lines on the queenside. Fortunately for me, his bishop can not move. If he could trade bishops and plant a rook on d5 I would be in serious trouble.
27. … Qd8 28. Qe3 Qc7
I was considering … Qa5 and … Ra6, but he can play b3 and Rd2 and easily hold everything. I offered a draw here.
29. Qg3 Rd8 30. Kc2
Finally unpinning the bishop. I can’t let him free the d5 square for his rook, so I have to retreat my bishop.
30. … Bd7
He offered a draw here, even though technically he was
supposed to make his move first. I accepted. If he makes a passive move I’ll
play 31. … Ba4+ 32.
b3 Be8 followed by pushing the a pawn to threaten to
open the a file. His plan would be to play his rook to d3 and f3 and put
pressure on my kingside. I may need to play …Qe7 and … Qg5 to simplify. With
½ - ½
The draw earned us a 3-way tie for first place with Richard Roubel.