Sticking to the battle plan

The military strategists say no plan survives the first 10 minutes of battle.

The same applies to chess, a game of both long-term strategy and short-term tactics. Players, of course, devise general game plans but must be prepared to adjust on the spot — reacting if the opponent makes a bad move or regrouping if he makes a good one.

Sometimes, as in today’s two games, players fasten onto an idea early and pursue it with pigheaded tenacity, with mixed results.

For the past six years, the Foxwoods Resort and Casino in eastern Connecticut has hosted a wildly successful open tournament, boasting some of the best facilities on the East Coast. This year’s expanded, nine-round edition, which attracted more than 500 players over the Easter weekend, was won by a quartet of grandmasters, all at 7-2: Julio Becerra, Ildar Ibragimov, Alexander Goldin and Jaan Ehlvest.

IM Renier Gonzalez earned a grandmaster norm among the slot machines, and GM Hikaru Nakamura took the blitz event at 9-1.

Alaskan Master Bryan Smith, featured in last week’s column, makes an encore appearance for his fine win at Foxwoods over young IM Dmitry Schneider of New York. On the Black side of a French Defense, Smith makes an energetic bid right out of the opening to go after White’s castled king on the king-side. When Schneider complacently fails to counter with an attack of his own on the other flank, Black’s strategy emerges triumphant.

Somewhere around 11. Bf4 h6 12. h4?! (provoking play on the wrong side of the board) g5 13. Bh2 f5 (Black’s king-side phalanx now becomes fearsome) 14. hxg5 Ng6 15. Nbd2 Be8, it seems self-evident that Schneider’s only source of counterplay is the pawn break b2-b3, cracking open lines to the Black king.

Instead, 16. Be2 (much more playable is the immediate 16. b3 cxb3 17. Qxb3 hxg5 18. Nxg5 Na5 19. Qa2 Qe7 20. Ngf3) Qh7 17. Nf1 Na5 18 b4?? plays right into Black’s scheme. White tries to patch his king-side holes with pieces, but a few well-timed sacrifices dynamite the structure.

Black already has all the play on 26. Bf3 f4! (pawns are worthless and open lines priceless in such positions) 27. Bg2 Qh6 28. gxf4 Bxf4 29. Bxf4 Qxf4 30. Re3 Rdg8 31. Ng3 (Rb2 Qh6 threatening instant mate on h1 33. Rxg8+ Rxg8 34. Ng3 Nd3 35. Re2 Rh8 36. Nf1 Nf4 is also much better for Black) Be8 32. Qe1 Bg6, and the bishop’s ability to shift fields shows the power of Black’s alignment.

The payoff comes on 33. Rb2 Qh6 34. Qd1 (see diagram) Bd3!, apparently overlooking the overworked c-pawn but actually preparing the final assault. Schneider has little choice but to accept with 35. Rxd3 cxd3 36. Qxb3, but another line-opening sacrifice does him in.

Thus: 36…Rxg3! 37. fxg3 d2! (cutting the last lines of communication in White’s defenses) 38. Kf2 (Bf3 Qh2+ 39. Kf1 Rf8 40. Qd1 Qxg3 41. Ke2 Rxf3 42. Qxd2 Rf2+ also loses) Rf8+ 39. Ke2 (Bf3 now loses to the cute 39…Qh1!) Qh2. Now 40. Rxd2 results in slow, painful death on 40…Qxg2+ 41. Kd1 (Kd3 Qe4 mate) Rf1+ 42. Kc2 Qe4+ 43. Rd3 Rf2+ 44. Kc1 Qxd3.

Instead, White prefers the quick exit of 40. Qd1 Qxg2+ 41. Kd3 Rf1! 42. Qxd2 Qe4 mate. Once Black set his plan in motion, the game practically played itself.

The loser gives a much better account of himself in today’s second game, played at the second annual Western Pacific Open in Burbank, Calif., earlier this month. IM Nikolay Andrianov and Filipino master Jouaquin Banawa tied for first in the strong Swiss event, drawing each other in the last round to finish with identical 4 1/2-1/2 scores.

On the Black side of a Sicilian Dragon Yugoslav Attack, expert Gevorg Vardanyan doggedly pursues his play on the half-open c-file against IM Yaacov Stisis. But just when Black seems poised to strike, White’s king-side plan comes to sudden fruition, leading to a midboard checkmate.

Black seems on the brink of a breakthrough, building up tremendous pressure against his opponent’s c3 square with 23…Qc7 24. hxg6 fxg6 25. Rh1 Na2!. Taking the Black knight with either his own knight or king is fatal, but White instead ignores the queen-side demonstration to pursue his own attack on 26. f5! Nxc3 27. Qh6+ Kf6.

With his own king in jeopardy, White dares not pause in the assault but fortunately has enough sacrificial material to flush out the Black king for good: 28. e5+! Kxe5 (Rxe5 29. g5+ Kxf5 [Kf7 30. Qxh7+ Kf8 31. Qh8+ Kf7 32. Rf7 mate] 30. Qh3+ Ke4 31. Qg4+ Kd5 32. Rd3+ Kc5 33. Qd4 is also mate) 29. Re1+ Ne4 30. Rxe4+!, and now the Black king has no refuge.

The game concluded 30…Kxe4 (White also runs the king to ground on 30…Kf6 31. Re6+ Kf7 32. Qxh7+ Kf8 33. Qh6+ Kf7 34. fxg6+! Kxe6 35. g7+ Kd5 36. Rd3+ Ke5 37. Qg5+ Ke6 38. Qg6+ Ke5 39. Qf5 mate) 31. Qe3+ Kd5 32. Qe6+. Since 32…Kd4 33. Rd3 is yet another mate, Vardanyan resigned.

6th Foxwoods Open, Mashantucket, Conn., April 2004

SchneiderSmith

1. e4e622. Ne3Nh4

2. d4d523. Nxh4Qxh4

3. e5c524. Nf1Bg5

4. c3Bd725. g3Qh3

5. Nf3Nc626. Bf3f4

6. a3f627. Bg2Qh6

7. Bd3Qc728. gxf4Bxf4

8. 0-00-0-029. Bxf4Qxf4

9. Re1c430. Re3Rdg8

10. Bf1Nge731. Ng3Be8

11. Bf4h632. Qe1Bg6

12. h4g533. Rb2Qh6

13. Bh2f534. Qd1Bd3

14. hxg5Ng635. Rxd3cxd3

15. Nbd2Be836. Qxb3Rxg3

16. Be2Qh737. fxg3d2

17. Nf1Na538. Kf2Rf8+

18. b4Nb339. Ke2Qh2

19. Ra2Ba440. Qd1Qxg2+

20. Qb1Be741. Kd3Rf1

21. gxh6Qxh642. Qxd2Qe4 mate

2nd Western Pacific open, Burbank, Calif. April 2004

StisisVardanyan

1. e4c517. f4Nc6

2. Nf3d618. Ndb5Qd8

3. d4cxd419. a4Nb4

4. Nxd4Nf620. h4Rc5

5. Nc3g621. h5Bxb5

6. Be3Bg722. Bxb5Rac8

7. f30-023. Rg3Qc7

8. Qd2Nc624. hxg6fxg6

9. g4Nd725. Rh1Na2

10. Be2Nb626. f5Nxc3

11. 0-0-0Ne527. Qh6+Kf6

12. b3Bd728. e5+Kxe5

13. Bh6Qc729. Re1+Ne4

14. Bxg7Kxg730. Rxe4+Kxe4

15. Rhg1Rfc831. Qe3+Kd5

16. Kb2a532. Qe6+Black

resigns

David R. Sands can be reached at 202/636-3178 or by e-mail at dsands@washingtontimes.com.