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Game of the Week
With Analysis by IM Greg Shahade
(4)
Shahade,G (2510) -
Yudasin,L (2706) [B14]
46th
New York Masters New York (4),
04.03.2003
[Click
here for an interactive JavaScript board]
GM Alex Stripunsky guaranteed himself a share
of first place by knocking off IM Jay Bonin, whom he has an incredible score
against. Now GM Leonid Yudasin had to beat me to join Stripunsky and thus
justify his fast draw with the white pieces in round 3.
1.e4
c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Nf3 Bb4 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.Qc2 Nc6
9.Bd3 Nf6 10.0-0 Be7 11.a3 0-0 12.Be3 g6 13.Rad1 Bd7 14.Ne5 Rc8 15.Qe2 Re8
16.Bc4 Qc7 17.Nxd7 Qxd7 18.d5
   
   
 
  
 
The thematic break in
isolated pawn positions. This was the point of 16.Bc4. I was now
quite sure I had a sizable advantage, yet Yudasin disagreed after the game,
saying that I was only slightly better.
18...exd5 19.Nxd5 Nxd5
20.Rxd5 Qc7 21.Qf3 Bf8 22.Bf4 Qe7 23.Bg5 Qc7 24.Ba2 Bg7 25.b4 Nd4 26.Qd1?
What’s funny about this move is that I
played Qd1, and almost let go of the piece and then hesitated (Something
just didn’t feel right?) and put the queen back on f3. Yudasin smiled and
laughed and said something, probably out and out telling me about Ne2 and
Nc3, but I was concentrating so didn’t really understand what he said.
26...Ne2+
!
Now I was very upset. There is nothing I
hate more than having a good position and then losing to a stronger player,
as it makes me feel as though I cannot ever get any better if I can’t even
play a position like this. Fortunately the God’s were smiling down upon me
as a had a VERY LUCKY defense.
27.Kh1
Nc3 28.Rd7!
After he forked me I had noticed I could go
Rd7, but was sure it wouldn’t work. Since everything else loses the
exchange, why not analyze a little deeper? I was no longer sure whether I
was totally lost, but I was sure I was lost in any other variation, so I
held my breath and played Rd7, although I really didn’t like that my
survival was now hanging by a thread….
28...Nxd1 29.Bxf7+ Kf8
30.Rxc7 Rxc7 31.Bxe8 Nc3?
A huge mistake by
Yudasin. Yudasin had to play 31….Nf2 32. Rf2 Ke8, with a draw on the
horizon. He thought that now my bishop on e8 is trapped, and it almost is if
not for….
32.Re1!
The only move and a
very strong one. Now black has no way to trap the bishop on e8! Now I
was thinking about winning the game….
32...a6 33.Bf4 Rc4 34.Bd6+
Kg8 35.Bd7 Re4 36.Be6+ Kh8 37.Rxe4 Nxe4 38.Be7
I liked this move during the game. Black
will regain the pawn on f2, but the two bishops and the threat of Bc8 will
be too much to handle.
38...Nxf2+ 39.Kg1 Bd4
40.Bc8 Ng4+ 41.Kf1 Ne3+ 42.Ke2 Nf5 43.Bc5 b6 44.Bxd4+ Nxd4+ 45.Kd3 Nb5
46.Bxa6 Nxa3 47.Kc3
Now I was sure I had a winning position. I
had 3 minutes to his 5, but I'm threatening
48.Bd3, which would win the game instantly, as it would completely trap the
knight on a3. Black must give up the b-pawn…
47...b5 48.Kb3 Nc4 49.Bxb5
Nb6 50.Bc6 Kg7 51.Kc3 Kf6 52.Kd4 Ke7 53.Kc5 Nc8 54.b5 Kd8 55.b6 Ne7 56.Be4
Kd7 57.Kd4 Kd6 58.b7 Kc7 59.Ke5 Ng8 60.h3 Nh6 61.Kf6 Ng8+ 62.Kf7 Nh6+ 63.Kg7
1-0
And it turns out that Yudasin should have
played in Round 3 after all. If he had 3/3 and played against me he wouldn’t
have had to worry about going for a win at all costs, and eventually
throwing the game away.
This win secured me clear 2nd place
and strangely enough, Yudasin got clear 3rd with just 2.5/4! This
might be the first time that 1st,2nd
and 3rd place were all clearly decided. Things were not so peachy
with the U2400 prize, as it was split 3 ways amongst Boris Privman, Evgeny
Marglus and Justin Sarkar.
GM Alex Stripunsky,
wins the event for the 2nd consecutive week. This may be the
first time that the event winner did not have a game shown online! Alex has
almost caught his friend Igor Novikov, for 2nd place in the all
time money list. At the going pace, he will pass Igor quite soon!
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