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CHESSCHESS ChessHORIZONSHORIZONS Horizons Best State Magazine 2006 CJA / Fred Cramer Awards New Scholastic Column The New England Open, Continental Open, World Open, and U.S. Senior Championship 2007 Massachusetts Champion David Vigorito October - December 2007 $3.95 October - December 2007 1 Chess Horizons About MACA The Massachusetts Chess Association is an educational non-profit organization whose purpose is to promote chess in Massachusetts and represent the interest of chess players within the state to the governing body of chess in the United States, The United States Chess Federation (USCF). As part of its role as a state organization, MACA has programs in place to support the exist- ing chess community as well as promote chess among schools and the general public. Highlights of these programs are: Providing at least four major tournaments each year: Massachusetts Open (State Championship) Massachusetts Game/60 Championship Greater Boston Open Harry Nelson Pillsbury Memorial Running a scholastic program, which consists of a series of tournaments to determine the state’s scholastic champions as well as “warm up” tournaments throughout the year. Free boards and sets are provided to schools and clubs through MACA’s Living Memorial Chess Fund (LMCF). Quarterly publication of the award winning Chess Horizons, a journal of regional, national and international chess news and features. Promotion and development of chess in correctional institutions through our Prison Chess program. We hope you will chose to join MACA and enjoy the benefits of membership while knowing that you are helping to promote chess throughout Massachusetts. ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP RATES (Includes Subscription to Chess Horizons unless otherwise noted.) Adult: $12.00; Life: $175.00; Life (age 65 or older): $100.00; Junior (under age 18): $6.00. Make checks payable to MACA and mail to: Bob Messenger 4 Hamlett Dr. Apt. 12 Nashua, NH 03062 (603) 891-2484 or [email protected] Dues are non-refundable October - December 2007 3 Chess Horizons ing. Instead, 19.bxa4 Rc8 is equal, be- Vigorito on Chess cause White cannot take over the c-file. This was still probably White’s best. 9.0-0 Na5 10.Qe2 b5 11.Kh1?! Be7 cuuuuuuuuC IM David Vigorito 12.Bg5 Nxb3 {rDwDkDw4} White’s last couple of moves makes a {DqDwgp0w} It’s better to be lucky than good… funny impression. Here I forced things too much. The simple 12...0-0 is more {pDwDphw0} The Massachusetts Open was held than comfortable for Black. {DwDw!NDw} over Memorial Day weekend, as always. 13.cxb3 b4 14.Na4 Qb7 15.Rac1 Bd7 {b0wDwDwG} I had decided not to play in it, because I I became a little hasty in my queenside {DPDwDwDw} had a book deadline coming up and did pursuits, so Chris plays to exploit his {P)wDw)P)} not think I could spare the three days. At slight lead in development. the last minute, I decided to play. I got 16.e5 dxe5 17.Qxe5 {Dw$wDRDK} lucky in this tournament because Ivanov Here I was pretty annoyed with my- vllllllllV was clearly burned out from the US self. I had confidently chased his knight 19...exf5 20.bxa4 Championship and everyone was play- to the a4-square, and now it is ready to After 20.Rc7, I have a pleasant choice: ing my favorite openings. In the first jump back into the game with strong ef- a) 20...Qxc7 21.Qxc7 Bd7! Much round I was paired with the rapidly im- fect via c5. I cannot castle because of worse is 21...Bb5 22.Re1 0-0 23.Qxe7 proving Chris Williams. Rc1-c7, and challenging the c-file is dif- (23.Rxe7 Rac8 24.Qf4 Nd5o) ficult. After some thought, I realized that 23...Rae8 24.Qxb4 Rxe1+ 25.Qxe1 g5 C. Williams - D. Vigorito Rc7 was not necessarily fatal, so I thought 26.a4 (I saw this move during the game Massachusetts Open (1) 2007 it would be useful to force White to make and did not like the looks of my position) Sicilian Defense [B88] a decision with his bishop. 26…Bd7 27.Bxg5 hxg5 28.Qd2 and 17...h6!? White has the initiative. After 21…Bd7! 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 The point of this move is to get 22.Re1 g5 23.Qd6, Black has 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 White’s bishop off of the c1-square, af- 23…Ng8!u. This looks ugly, but Black I am always happy to see the Sozin ter which I can consider playing ...Rc8. is up quite a bit of material. variation. I have a very good score with There is another point as well, but I was b) 20…Qe4 This move shows a hid- Black in this line, including a win against not yet aware of it. The immediate den point of 17…h6. The h4-bishop is GM Kudrin. 17...Rc8 gives White the initiative after loose. 21.Rxe7+ Kf8 22.Bxf6 (22.Qxf6 6…e6 7.Bb3 Nc6 18.Rxc8+ Qxc8 19.Rc1 Qd8 20.Nc5. I gxf6 23.Rxe4 fxe4 24.Bxf6 Bb5o) This is more commonly played via a could offer a queen trade by 17...Qd5, 22...Qxe5u. Classical Sicilian move order (5…Nc6) but the ending after 18.Bxf6 Bxf6 During the game I had not decided and I find some White players surprised 19.Qxd5 exd5 20.Rfe1+ Kd8 21.Nc6+ which way to play, but 20…Qe4 is cer- by this move via the Najdorf. For those Bxc6 22.Rxc6 only offers prospects to tainly simpler, even if it looks scary at of you preparing to play Fischer’s favor- White. first. ite line against me, please take note that I 18.Bh4 20...Qe4 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Qc7 played 7…b5 against Kelleher in round 18.Rc7 Qb8 19.Bxf6 gxf6 20.Qg3 Here I realized that after my intended 5. I may have to prepare 7…Nbd7 now Bd8 21.Qg7 Bxc7 22.Qxh8+ Ke7 22...Bd8, White has 23.Qd6 (or 23.Qc5), too. All three moves score well for Black. 23.Qxh6 Qh8 gives Black some when Black must repeat with 23...Be7. 8.Be3 Qc7 counterplay. After 18.Bf4 or 18.Be3, I Chris and I both saw this possibility, cuuuuuuuuC can at least consider castling, because while some of the spectators thought I {rDbDkgw4} upon 18...0-0 19.Rc7 Qb8, there is no might be losing. In fact, there is a win {Dp1wDp0p} more Bxf6, so the d7-bishop won’t hang. for Black. 18...Bxa4 22...0-0! {pDn0phwD} I thought I should eliminate this knight This took me almost half an hour to {DwDwDwDw} before it could hop into c5. Now White find, even though it is basically a two- {wDwHPDwD} gets carried away. mover. This happens a lot – you spend {DBHwGwDw} 19.Nf5? thirty minutes calculating various things When I came back to the board and and then suddenly something occurs to {P)PDw)P)} saw this, it naturally scared the crap out the mind and you hardly need any time {$wDQIwDR} of me. A bear move like this, sound or to check it. This happened here, and once vllllllllV not, is very disturbing to see when you I saw the point I only spent a minute or 8…Be7 is the main alternative, and I have not even considered it. After 19.Rc7 two calculating things and looking ahead have played it several times as well. Qd5, White has too many pieces hang- for potential problems. 20 www.masschess.org Chess Horizons 23.Rce1 Bd8! The second round was unusual be- 10...Qb8!? cuuuuuuuuC cause I was paired even lower, although A modern interpretation. Black wants {rDwgw4kD} the game was also very difficult. to play …Rd8, …d6, …Rd7, …Qf8, {Dw!wDpDw} …Rad8, and …e6 with a dynamic hedge- D. Vigorito - D. Meredith hog. {pDwDw0w0} Massachusetts Open (2) 2007 11.Ndb5 {DwDwDpDw} Sicilian Defense [B38] An odd move, but not without logic. {P0wDqDwD} The knight is not easy to chase away be- {DwDwDwDw} 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 0-0 cause …a6 will leave the b6-pawn very 5.Nf3 c5 6.Be2 cxd4 7.Nxd4 Nc6 difficult to defend. My opponent was {P)wDw)P)} A King’s Indian has turned into a moving very quickly and I wanted to {DwDw$RDK} Maroczy Bind. This is another one of my make him start thinking. I also had a spe- vllllllllV most successful openings. I like space. cific idea in mind. The point. Black saves the piece. 8.Be3 b6 11…Rd8 12.Nd5! 24.Qd6 Qg4 A tricky line that I have also played. This looks like a good novelty. The I do have to be a little careful. If White 9.0-0 Bb7 10.f3 threat of 13.Ndc7 does not give Black brings a rook to the g-file, even if I save cuuuuuuuuC time to set up his desired formation. my queen, the f8-rook will be hanging if {rDw1w4kD} 12…Nxd5 13.cxd5 Bxb2 my king moves. This is complicated by {0bDp0pgp} I did not notice this move at all. Black the fact that the d8-bishop has no squares. could not move his knight, because both 25.f4 {w0nDwhpD} 13…Ne5 14.f4 and 13…Na5 14.b4 lose If 25.Re3, then 25…f4. {DwDwDwDw} material. It just did not occur to me that I 25...Rc8! {wDPHPDwD} was not yet really threatening the c6- Now the bishop comes to c7 and all is {DwHwGPDw} knight, because after 14.dxc6 dxc6 my well.