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Contents 2.23.2022:
U.S. Amateur Team East 2022
 Victory Visits The Marshall
Chess Toons
Best Recent Game Contest

En Passant
Problem of the Week

Editor's Note


U.S. Amateur Team East 2022
 

The 50th annual U.S. Amateur Team East took place this past weekend in Parsippany New Jersey, drawing an impressive crowd considering we are fresh off the heels of the omicron wave and not yet able to play without wearing masks. It felt like a reunion of pre-pandemic chess friends, professionals, and goofballs who I had not seen in years. We all came together for a special three day weekend to play this game that we love, in person and over the board. While many teams were from the tri-state area, one team that I played against, The Secret Dark Knight Society, had driven all the way from Ohio to participate in the event and board 3 on my own team had flown in from Florida just for the occasion. 
 


(Pictured above: Winners of the "Best Gimmick" Prize: Four Strong Squares.)

One of the traditions that makes Amateur Team East magical happens on Sunday evening before round 4. The organizer of the event and past President of the New Jersey Chess Federation, Steve Doyle, presents prizes for "Best Gimmick" and "Best Team Name." Often, there are costumes, puns, and raucous laughter. One of the winners for the "Best Gimmick" prize is pictured above: Four Strong Squares.

One of the most anticipated contests of the event is always who will win the "Best Team Name." This year, there were a few finalists that garnered applause from the crowd including "Worse than Nepo's Man Bun" and "Re-U-knighted and it feels so good," which Doyle sang to the tune of the classic Peaches and Herb song each time he mentioned it, slowly - and sincerely - as if serenading the crowd. We ate it up. However, the room burst into deafening applause when Steve Doyle said the name of the clear winner: "She Said She Was 1800."  

In case you're curious, here is a wall chart with the full list of teams and players and a complete list of prize winners can be seen here. Congratulations to the team from ICN who finished in first place this year. Perhaps this is a good moment to plug our new programming with ICN, the "All new in-person spring training sessions at the MCC, April 15th, and 18th-22nd," details can be found here.





(Pictured above: FM Nathan Resika singing before the start of a round.)

My team was lucky to play one match behind the velvet ropes. Sadly, we didn't stay there for long, though in round 5 we were very close to them again on Board 16 paired against another team of Marshall regulars: Matan Prilleltensky (Board 1) Sam Bellows (Board 2) Frank Ashmun (Board 3) and Jason Margiotta (Board 4). As my team's Board 4, I found myself paired against former Marshall Chess Club board member and Treasurer, Jason Margiotta.  
 

Margiotta, Jason  2007 vs. Keener, Greg Keener  1767
U.S. Amateur Team East, 2022 Parsippany, NJ 
2022.02.21
(Play through the game here.)

 

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3
Bb7 




This is a major fork in the road. Sometimes I play 8...a6, sometimes 8...Bd6, and sometimes 8...b4. I selected 8...Bb7 because I had just played through a few games with this move order and had a few ideas fresh in mind, though I was unable to use them in this game. 

9. O-O a6 10. e4 c5 11. d5 c4 12. Bc2 Qc7 13. dxe6 fxe6 14. Nd4



I have to admit, I had assumed that my opponent would play Ng5 to attack my isolated e-pawn and prevent Kf7 to defend it, so when he played this move I somehow forgot that Kf7 was possible. Luckily, there was also the natural move Nc5 that I was planning to play anyway as it eyes the outpost on d3. I was also tempted to play 14...e5 at once, dislodging the knight from the center and preventing the further advance of the e-pawn, but this would invite the knight in to the e6 square with a gain of tempo hitting my queen so I decided against it. 

14...Nc5 15. Be3 Be7 16. f4 O-O-O 17. Qe2 e5 18. Nf5



I wanted so badly to preserve my dark-squared bishop, but couldn't resist capturing the pawn on e4 for some reason. Sticking with the plan and simply playing my knight to the outpost on d3 was likely best. 

18...Nfxe4 19. Nxe7+ Qxe7 20. fxe5 Nxc3 21. Bf5+Kb8 22. bxc3 g6 23. Bg4 Nd3 24. e6 Rhf8



25. Bh6! Qc5+ 26. Be3 Qe7
Up to this point I wasn't sure if my opponent was actually repeating the position or simply trying to get closer to making time control without taking risks. 27. h4!! An idea that avoids repetition, and a good one. This move was my longest think of the game as I pondered many variations in which I appeared to just be losing tactically. The specter of Ba7+ as a discovery tactic appears in several lines that prevent me from simply capturing the pawn on e6. Meanwhile, the e-pawn looms large and appears to be an unsolvable problem. 27...Bd5 I thought this was my best try to eliminate the pesky pawn. 28. Bg5 Qc5+ 29. Be3 Qe7 30. Bg5 Qc5+ 31. Be3 Qe7 1/2-1/2 I was thrilled to make this draw, not only because I thought I was worse in the position but also because at this moment in the match it looked like my team might have a chance of pulling out a full point on another board to tie up the score as we had lost on board 2 early in the round. 


(Pictured above, Marshall Chess Club Members NM Alexander Fikiet and Robert Leonard.)
 

Despite losing a critical match point in round 5 and deciding to go home early, me and my team had the time of our lives and have already begun making plans for next year.  There is something special about this tournament that is difficult to explain to chess players who haven't experienced it. I have one friend in particular who shakes his head any time I mention it and wonders why anyone would travel, stay in a hotel for 3 days and pay an entry fee for a big tournament that essentially has no prize fund. Amateur Team East is more like a convention, a "chess-con" of sorts, than a tournament. It's special. 

One final observation: as I sat in a ballroom with hundreds of chess players shoulder to shoulder calculating in near silence for hour after hour - I didn't hear a single cough.   




Greg Keener, Editor of the Spectator

 
 


Victory Visits the Marshall 

Victory Journal is a print and digital publication devoted to the intersection of sport and culture. Rather than engage in statistical analysis or partisan squabbling, Victory spotlights the drama of sport and the enduring glory of athletic pursuits the world over through award winning photography. Recently two photographers from the Victory Journal stopped by the Marshall Chess Club to chat with players between rounds and photograph our historic club for their publication. I asked Katelyn Mooney, one of the photographers from Victory, what Victory Journal was all about and why they were interested in our club. 

Katelyn Mooney: Victory Journal is really about the thrill of victory and the ecstasy of defeat. I've shot many stories for Victory and really wanted to hone in on a true ode to NYC with something genuine. With that being said, I decided to shoot chess players all around the city for a photo story. Your spot in particular seems to pave the way for Victorians and bright eyes alike. Keeping a sport alive in such a space as yours really embodies what Victory Journal is all about. It's the "everything else" in sports culture that makes it interesting.



(Photo Courtesy of Katelyn Mooney/Victory Journal) 

(Photo Courtesy of Katelyn Mooney/Victory Journal) 


(Photo Courtesy of Katelyn Mooney/Victory Journal) 

(Photo Courtesy of Katelyn Mooney/Victory Journal) 


(Photo Courtesy of Katelyn Mooney/Victory Journal) 


(Photo Courtesy of Katelyn Mooney/Victory Journal) 


(Photo Courtesy of Katelyn Mooney/Victory Journal) 


(Photo Courtesy of Katelyn Mooney/Victory Journal) 


(Photo Courtesy of Katelyn Mooney/Victory Journal) 

—Katelyn Mooney, Photo Journalist for Victory Journal

 
Best Recent Game Contest!

The Marshall Spectator is thrilled to announce a new contest for our current members to participate in. If you have played a recent game at the Marshall Chess Club that you think may be appealing to a wider audience, please submit it with your annotations to Spectator@mashallchessclub.org. Each issue we will select the most interesting game based both on the quality of play and annotations and publish it here for our readership to enjoy.



 
Fikiet, Alex 2314 vs. O'Brian, Matthew 2287
Amateur Team East, 2022 
(Play through the game here.)



With our first match of the tournament, our team was already given a big challenge, playing a team with an average rating of 2199.75 (out of a possible 2200!). Having not played a a serious long time control game since July, this was a good wake up call. 
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ 



I know my opponent, Matthew O'brien, as a strong master who knows a good amount of theory in sharp Sicilian Lines in the Taimanov and Najdorf. Knowing this, I did not want to play on his terms and instead decided to reach a quieter, more strategically minded position, even if less critical, since I figured he would be less comfortable.

3... Nd7  Not suprisingly, the most combative and complicated reply. Bd7 is more snooze-ville.  4. d4  One of two main moves, my goal was to reach a sort of maroczy-bind structure, which fits my psychological plan.  (4. O-O a6 5. Bd3!?  is another plan recently played by Dubov, with lots of complicated play in a sicilianish/ruy lopez hybrid thing.)

4... Nf6  Again, seeking complications.

5. O-O ...and again, avoiding them.  (5. e5 cxd4 (5... Qa5+ 6. Nc3 Nd5 7. Rb1!?) 6. Qxd4 dxe5 7. Nxe5 a6  where possibilities that score reasonably according to my database, but also felt more to my opponents taste. )

5... cxd4 6. Qxd4 a6 7. Bxd7+ Bxd7 8. c4  The Maroczy-bind structure I wanted. 

8... e5 (8... g6 9. Nc3 Bg7 10. Qd3 O-O 11. Be3 is another way to play. Again, my opponent is aggressive and tries to initiate crisis. Objectively black is doing totally fine, but needs to follow a specific approach. With e5, d6 and d5 are weakened, but black gains space and time.)

9. Qd3 b5 10. Na3 so if bxc4, Nxc4 perfectly targets the weak d6 pawn.

10... Rb8?!  mechanical defence of b5 gives me a free hand and a plus after a typical operation.  (10... Bc6!  was the move I was most concerned about. I have to play Re1, but that rook would much rather be placed on d1.  11. Re1)

11. Bg5 I will gladly exchange this bishop for the f6 knight to increase control of the d5 square. Even if my opponent gets two bishops vs two knights (a typical advantage) the knights are much better in this semi closed structure and get great outposts. 



11... h6 12. Bxf6 Qxf6 13. Rfd1 b4  White has an advantage. This fixes the structure to white's liking and helps my knight go to where it wants to go. But black does not have many great options and needs to be careful:  (13... Be7? 14. c5! uses the d-file pressure to good effect)  (13... Bc6? 14. cxb5 axb5 15. Rac1 Bd7 16. Rc5! Threatening Nxb5, Rxe5+ or Nxe5 also showcases whites initiative. )  (13... Qd8 14. Rac1 Be7 15. c5!  again )  (13... Qe6 14. cxb5 axb5 15. Nc2 and the knight manuevers to d5 and sticks it tongue out against blacks passive bishops. )

14. Nc2 Be7 15. Ne3  to d5!

15... Be6 16. Nd5 Bxd5  The knight cannot be tolerated 17. Qxd5 (17. cxd5 { Is interesting too. I exchange some positional trumps (d4 square, weak d6 pawn, d-file control, for others (c6 square, c-file control, and c4-square for knight). But Qxd5 is the typical, principled approach. )

17... O-O 18. b3 patience. I can slowly improve my position since black does not have many active possibilities. its useful to block these pawns and place my pawns on colors opposite his bishop. 

18... Qe6 19. Ne1! go to d5 or f5. classic maneuver.



19... Rb6 20. Nc2 Bg5 The knight cannot be allowed to e3

21. Rd3 Qxd5? In a passive position, my opponent cracks. He needed to just chill and do nothing, but that was definitely not to his liking. (21... Rc8 22. Rad1 Be7 23. Ne3 Rc5 24. Qa8+ Rc8 25. Qa7 { Was a possible other continuation that was to my liking)

22. Rxd5 f5 23. exf5 Rxf5 24. Rad1  targeting d6

24... Be7 25. Ne3 the knight improves 25... Rg5? 26. Ra5 I think my opponent missed this location for the rook and its strength. Even with equal material, the endgame is super lost. a6, b4, and d6 are all weakness that are easy to attack, and all of white pieces are better than their counterparts. The knight on d4 compared to the pathetic e6 bishop especially. (26. R5d2 Drops several pawns worth of computer advantage and easier for black to defend practically.)



26... e4 hoping to bail out into a rook ending. If (26... Kf7 27. Nd5 and a6 or b4 drops depending where the rook goes.)

27. Nd5 (27. Rxg5 Bxg5 28. Rd4 Bxe3 29. fxe3 a5 30. Rxe4 still sucks for Black, but gives him some chances to draw ("All rook ending are drawn" -- Siegbert Tarrasch) )

27... Kf7 28. Ra4  targeting more pawns. everything drops! 28... Rxd5 desperation. After other lines, every black pawn gets captured.

29. Rxd5 Bg5 Black's hope is to play e3 and try and maneuver his bishop to c5 to defend weaknesses. Most things win for white, but i was happy to be most accurate at this point.

30. Kf1 e3 31. f4 (31. fxe3? { is still super winning, but the evaluation improves by almost 4 pawns!) 31... Bf6 (31... Bxf4 32. Rf5+)

32. Ke2 and the e3 pawns is lost. Really no more comment necessary.

32... Bc3 33. Kxe3 Rb8 34. Rxa6 Re8+ 35. Kf3 Black resigns, down an exchange and a bunch of pawns with no counter-play. 




Congratulations to Alex Fikiet for submitting the best annotated, recently played game and winning a free tournament entry!

Want to submit your games? Simply email a recent annotated game that you played at the Marshall to us at Spectator@marshallchessclub.org and you will automatically be entered into the contest. 

We look forward to reading your submissions and sharing your recent brilliancies with our readership! 


Greg Keener, Editor of the Spectator 
 
       
Chess Toons

 
 


En Passant

Chess News En Passant:

 The Marshall Chess Club was featured in a recent article in the Village Voice.

– The Airthings Masters tournament kicks off this year’s Meltwater Champions Chess Tour. Sixteen players in total will battle it out in the round-robin stage of the online event before eight go forward to the knockout stage. The tournament will take place on February 19-26

– Hikaru Nakamura defeated Levon Aronian in tiebreaks to win the first leg of the FIDE Grand Prix in Berlin.
 

Problem of the Week

W. Weber 1949



White to move and selfmate in 2.  

Yes, you read that right: in selfmate problems, White forces Black to mate White. You might call them the existentialist's chess problem. In this gem, White makes a waiting move, which leaves Black only with queen moves- and each one creates a distinctive weakness that allows White to force Black to do the dirty deed. Happy solving!  

 
 [The solution to last issue's problem, F.W. Lord, 1876, 1.c7! and mate cannot be avoided on the next turn. For instance if 1...Nxc5 2.c8=N#!]

Alexander George, Marshall Chess Club Member

Editor's Note

Spot a typo in the spectator? If you have any feedback, comments, or would like to submit an article please contact me directly at gregk@marshallchessclub.org.

Enjoy, and thanks for reading!


—Greg Keener, Editor of the Spectator
The Marshall Chess Club
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