Open and Shut

Warning. The following games may be depressing for some. Not because you lose like this, but because you never seem to win like this!

By Shaun Press

Ke7 12.Nxb5 a6 Black really needs to swap queens at this point. 13.Qe2 Qd5 [13...axb5 14.Nc6++-] 14.Nc7 Qd6 15.Nc4+ 10 Hernando Rodrigo,J (2362) Castaner Halster,X (2134) [E12] I Fincas Mediterranea Castelldefels ESP (9), 26.08.2004 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3 Ba6 5.Qc2 c5 6.e4 d6 [6...cxd4 7.Nxd4 Bb7 transposes back into more sensible lines for Black.] 7.e5 Nfd7 8.Qe4! Now Black is in serious trouble. 8...d5 9.cxd5 Bb7 10.Nc3 exd5 11.Nxd5 Nc6

Deepan,C (2360) - Barsov,A (2497) [C05] Open Pune IND (10), 12.09.2004 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.c3 c5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.Ngf3 Be7 8.00 h5 9.a3 a5 10.Re1 cxd4 11.cxd4 g5 Threatening to trap the knight on f3 12.Nb1 [12.Nb3 does not hold the pawn after 12...g4 13.Nfd2 a4 14.Nc5 Nxc5 15.dxc5 Bxc5] 12...g4 13.Nfd2 Nxd4 14.Nc3 Nc6 15.Bb5 Kf8 16.f4 Qb6+ 17.Kh1 Nd4 18.Bf1 Nf5!

19.Bd3 Ng3+!! [19...Ng3+ 20.hxg3 h4 21.Qxg4 hxg3++] 01 Serpik,I (2247) - Dellaca,R [D01] 26th Southern California Open Burbank USA (4), 05.09.2004 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bg5 Nbd7 4.f3 c5 5.e4 dxe4 6.d5 exf3 7.Nxf3 Nb6 8.Ne5 e6?? One bad move and its all over. 9.Bb5+ Bd7 10.dxe6! Bxb5 [10...fxe6 11.Bxf6 gxf6 12.Qh5++-] 11.exf7+

12.e6! fxe6 [12...Nf6 gets mated after 13.exf7+ Kd7 (13...Kxf7 14.Ng5+ Kg8 15.Qe6#) 14.Qf5+ Kd6 15.Bf4+ Ne5 16.Qxe5+ Kc6 17.Qe6+ Bd6 18.Ne5#] 13.Qxe6+ Be7 14.Bb5 Rc8 [14...Nxd4 15.Nxd4 cxd4 16.Nxe7 Qxe7 17.Bxd7+ +-] 15.Ng5 Rf8 16.Ne4 [16.Ne4 Nf6 17.Ndxf6+ gxf6 18.dxc5 bxc5 19.Bf4 Qd7 20.Nd6+ Kd8 21.Qxd7+ Kxd7 22.Nxb7+-] 10

Navarro Perez,M (2075) - Canovas Quesada,J [B23] I Fincas Mediterranea Castelldefels ESP (9), 26.08.2004 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bc4 e6 6.00 Ne7 7.f5 Previously considered best, although the theory police now frown on the whole Bc4 variation of the Grand Prix Attack. 7...gxf5 8.d3 e5? Black decides to give the White bishop on c4 a Xmas present. 9.Ng5 00 10.Qh5 and the queen joins the party. 10...h6 11.Nxf7 10 Goodman,C - Klokow,J [C57] Yanofsky Mem Winnipeg CAN (3), 05.09.2004 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5 5.Nxf7 Bxf2+ Pretty much wins by force! 6.Kf1 Qe7 7.Nxh8 d5 8.Bb5? This is probably not good. [8.Bxd5? Bg4 wins the queen, but not always the game (at least when I was black in this position).; 8.exd5 Nd4 is a whole other pile of analysis] 8...Bg4 9.Be2 White has wasted a tempo on the normal lines by moving the bishop to b5 and then e2.

with a strong attack.] 11.exd5 Nd4 12.Qc4?? [12.d6 cxd6 13.Qc4 gives White some counterplay] 12...Qf8 [12...Ng4 was also winning] 13.g3 Ne4+ 14.Kg2 Qf3+ 15.Kh3 Nf2+ 16.Kxh4 Qg4# 01 Grafl,F (2411) - Bromberger,S (2440) [B51] FSGM September Budapest HUN (6), 09.09.2004 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Nd7 4.d4 Ngf6 5.Nc3 cxd4 6.Qxd4 a6 [6...e5 is thematic, if a little painful.] 7.Bxd7+ Nxd7 8.Be3 e6 9.000 Qa5 10.Kb1 Ne5 [10...b5 deserves greater consideration.] 11.Nxe5 dxe5 12.Qa4+ Qxa4 13.Nxa4

13. ... Bd7?? [deciding that 13...Bd7 14.Rxd7 Kxd7 15.Nb6+ Kc6 16.Nxa8 Bc5 17.Bxc5 Kxc5 18.Nc7 Kd6 19.Nxa6 bxa6 was not worth analysing, Black resigned.] 10 Pambalos,P (2025) - Shavtvaladze,N (2439) [B15] 1st Kalamaria Open Thessaloniki GRE 1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c6 4.Nf3 d5 5.Bf4 dxe4 6.Nxe4 Qa5+ 7.c3?? Qf5! Winning a piece! 8.Bxb8 Qxe4+ 01

9...Bxe2+ 10.Qxe2 Bh4! If White had captured on d5 then this move is not playable. [10...Nd4 is Estrins recommendation in the lines where White has taken on d5. 11.Qxf2 000