Saturday, March 9, 2019

Old Fort Bay Invitational 2019 final


Despite my bleak Saturday, I felt pretty confident Sunday morning. Though my opponents were by rating supposed to be easier than those the day before, I hadn't been able to beat Daijah Johnson in last year's event, only giving up a draw to her, and I had also had a quick draw with Philip Hanna to help seal first place last year. But I needed to win both games today to have a shot at first place in this year's tournament.

Cross,Ted (1998) - Hanna,Philip (1761) [B99]
Old Fort Bay Invitational Nassau (10), 03.03.2019

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Be7 8.Qf3 Qc7 9.0-0-0 Nbd7 10.g4 h6 11.Bxf6 Bxf6 12.Rg1? 
I'm not so familiar with this particular line with h6, so my move gives black the edge. [12.h4 Qb6 13.Nb3 Be7 14.Kb1 Nc5 15.g5 Bd7 16.f5 hxg5 17.hxg5 0-0-0 18.g6+/=]
12...g5 13.Kb1? 
And here I just moved way too quickly without even examining the board. I didn't even see he could take on f4 until after I had moved my king. Suddenly I knew I had given black a strong advantage and would need to fight desperately to get back into the game. [13.f5 Ne5 14.Qh3 Nc6=/+]
13...gxf4 14.a3 Ne5? 
I felt so lucky that he played this and let me have the pawn back. True, missing the f pawn still hurts me since the e pawn needed its support, but now I knew I'd have a fighting chance. [14...Qb6 15.Nde2 Ke7 16.Rg2 Qe3-/+]
15.Qxf4 Bg5 16.Qg3 Ng6 17.Bd3 Bf4?! 
This just places the bishop wrong and gives me a slight edge.
18.Qf2 Qe7? 
This was a big mistake. It lines the queen up with the king on the file and allows tactical tricks. [18...Bd7+/=]
19.Rge1 
I saw the tactical ideas but didn't realize I could play Nf5 directly. [19.Nf5! exf5 20.Nd5 Qh4 21.Qxh4 Nxh4 22.exf5 h5 23.gxh5+-]
19...Bd7? 
My move had been a tad slow, so black could have gained equality if he could have seen this line. [19...Qh4 20.Qf1 Be5 21.Nf3 Qf6 22.Na4 Rb8 23.Nxe5 Qxf1 24.Bxf1 Nxe5 25.Rxd6 Ke7 26.Rb6=]
20.Nf5! Qf8 21.Nh4? 
The computer's line here is one few humans would play all the way through. [21.Qb6! Bc6 22.e5 Bxe5 23.Be4 Rc8 24.Bxc6+ bxc6 25.Rxe5 Nxe5 26.Nxd6+ Ke7 27.Nde4+-]
21...Be5 22.Ne2?! 
[>=22.Nxg6 fxg6 23.Qb6=]
22...0-0-0? 
Castling queenside is often bad in the Najdorf Sicilian, and that proves to be the case here, where black is suddenly lost. [22...Nxh4 23.Qxh4 b5=/+]
23.Nf3 f6? 
Black was already in big trouble, but this makes it easier for white. [23...Qe7+/-]
24.Qb6 
After this, the tactics all fall into place and it's over quickly.
24...Qe7 25.Ned4 Bxd4 26.Nxd4 Ne5 27.Re3 Nc6 28.Bxa6 1-0

Philip is a promising young player and I expect he'll be one of the best Bahamian players soon. My final round opponent was Daijah Johnson, who had upset me last year with a draw with the black pieces. I actually felt more confident against her playing black myself, because I felt I'd be able to draw her into an opening that she would be unfamiliar with.
photo by Gurth Smith

Johnson,Daijah (1435) - Cross,Ted (1998) [A88]
Old Fort Bay Invitational Nassau (11), 03.03.2019



1.d4 f5 
I hadn't known how Daijah would open, but I was happy to see d4, since I guessed that she would be unfamiliar with the Dutch Defense.
2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.g3 0-0 6.Bg2 d6 7.0-0 c6 8.Qc2 Qc7 9.c5?! 
This was her first deviation from opening theory. It's not good, because it prevents the proper use of her d pawn.
9...dxc5 10.dxc5 
She still could have played for a slight edge if she had seen Bf4 here. [>=10.Bf4 Qd7 11.Qb3+ Kh8 12.Rfd1+/=]
10...e5 11.e4 Na6 12.Be3?! 
Playing b4 here due to the tactical trick against black's king would have been enough for equality. [>=12.b4=]
12...Ng4 13.Nd1?! 
The knight on d1 blocks white's further development. [>=13.exf5 gxf5 14.Nh4 f4 15.Bd2 Nxc5 16.Rae1 Ne6=/+]
13...Re8?! 
A short time later I was wishing this rook was back on the f file, so this move couldn't have been correct. [>=13...Nxe3 14.Nxe3 Kh8=/+]
14.h3? 
Again b4 could have given white equality. [>=14.b4=]
14...Nxe3 15.fxe3 Qe7 16.b4 
Finally b4, but it's too late here and black has a strong advantage.
16...fxe4 17.Nd2 Nxb4 18.Qb3+ Nd5 19.Nxe4 Be6 20.Nd6 Reb8 
I think my move is just fine, because what the computer suggests seems crazy and beyond what any human would play.  My move allows me to undermine the knight on d6 by playing b6. [20...e4! 21.Nxe8 Rxe8 22.Rb1 Nc3 23.Qxb7 Nxb1 24.Qxb1 Bd5-+]
21.e4 Nf4 22.Qf3 Nxg2 23.Qxg2 b6 
The knight is undermined and has nowhere to go.
24.Qc2 bxc5 25.Nc4 Bxh3 26.Rf2 Rf8 27.Nde3 Rxf2 28.Qxf2 Be6 29.Rc1 Rf8 30.Qe2 Bh6 31.Nxe5 
Drops a piece, but it was over anyway. This just made it quicker.
31...Qg5 32.Kg2 Qxe5 33.Rh1 Bxe3 34.Qxe3 Qb2+ 35.Kg1 Bc4 0-1

If FM Carver Moncur had won his last round game, I would have only tied for first, but he lost, giving me the title for the third straight year. And I got to keep the big trophy! I'll miss playing in The Bahamas. There is a tremendous group of players here.




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