Our team Occupy The Center, the 99% Solution had an average performance at the USATE in Parsippany but we got nominated for Best Team name. The best team name prize was awarded to Team Romney, We Play Both Sides of the board.
Eric Mark had a great tournament on board 1 with 4 wins and one loss. In the second game, our youngest member Cameron Hill put up a valiant effort against Grandmaster Joel Benjamin.
He did not know his opponent when he asked for his rating but he will not forget this experience anytime soon.
Eric provided some analysis of his round one upset of USCF Master Alena Kats.
Mark, Eric (1955) - Kats, Alena (2235)
US Amateur East 2012, Round One
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator ",Eric Mark"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Nbd7 8. Qf3
Qc7 9. O-O-O Be7 10. Bd3 b5 11. Rhe1 Bb7 12. Qg3
This is a well-analyzed variation of the Najdorf. Fischer played 12....0-0-0 vs. Spassky, as did NM Jim West against me last year at USATE. I inflicted
that game, which ended in a draw, on most of you.
After Alena's
12...b4, I sacrificed the Knight, of course, with 13. Nd5!...exd5, but after I played
14. e5, she sank into deep thought for more than 30 minutes. Seems she never saw this line before. e5, rather than opening the e-file with exd5, is supposed to lead to an almost-forced draw, after White sacs his Qg3 for pieces and pressure.
13. Nd5! exd5 14. e5 dxe5 15. fxe5 Ne4
15... Nh5 is the main line when White takes a deep breath and plays 16. e6!?...Nxg3, 17. exf7+! (taking the Nd7 is weaker) followed by Rxe7 and probably Ne6....with a mess. GM Nunn, in his old Najdorf book, analyzes a forced draw where either side who deviates loses. Fritz says Black is clearly better. Go figure.
16. Bxe4 dxe4
.....and now I expected 16... Bxg5+ which is best per the cyber-beasts.
17. Bxe7 Qxe5!
which she played, after another long think. 17... Kxe7 loses 18. Nf5+ Kd8 19. Qxg7 Re8 20. Qxf7 Rxe5 21. Qg8+ Re8 22. Qg5+ Kc8 23. Nd6+ Kb8 24. Nxe8
I traded Queens, though Bd6 is playable
18. Qxe5 Nxe5
My first instinct was to
play Bxb4 and offer a draw---but the more I studied the position, the more I
liked the strength of the Bishop. Too good to offer a draw, even to a Master
with the Queens off. The strength of the Bishop.....hmmm. That led me
to---finally---find what should have been the winning move.
19. Nf5! g6
is much better. Black must
cede the Exchange to avoid mayhem---as Alena did---or else try the ugly
19... f6 20. Bxb4 Kf7 21. Nd6+ Kg6 22. Nxb7 Rab8 23. Rxe4 Rxb7 24. Bd6
20. Bf6 gxf5 21. Bxh8 Nd7 22. Rd4 Ke7
Here, the simple 23. Rxb4
should win. White takes a pawn, threatens a piece and opens the c3 square for a
Bishop retreat. (If 23...Rxh8 then 24. Rxb7 wins.)
23. Red1? Bc6!
and Black was right back in
the game.
24. Rd6 Bb5 25. Bg7 Rg8 26. Bh6 Rxg2 27. Bf4 Rg4 28. Bh6 Nc5 29. R6d5 Ne6 30. Rxf5 Be2 31. Re1 Bf3 32. Bd2 Nd4 33. Bxb4+ Ke6 34. Ra5 Rg2 35. Rxa6+ Kf5 36. Bc3 Ne6 37. Ra5+ Kg4 38. Be5 f5 39. Ra6 Ng5 40. Rf6 Be2 41. Rf8 Bc4 42. b3 Be6 43. Re3 Nf3 44. Bb8 Rf2 45. Rf6 Bc8 46. Rh6 Kg5 47. Rxh7 f4 48. Rxe4 Bf5 49. Bxf4+ Kf6 50. Rh6+ Kf7 51. Rc4 Ng1 52. Rc7+ Kg8
53. Be5 1-0
