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Game of the Week
With Analysis by IM Greg Shahade
 

April 15th, 2003

(3) Nakamura,H (2632) - Schmaltz,R (2642) [E12]
52nd New York Masters New York (3), 15.04.2003

[Click here for an interactive JavaScript board]
 

The lineup was STACKED this week. We have our regular 2 ex-World Championship Candidates in Jan Ehlvest and Leonid Yudasin, but we also had 4 other GM’s in attendance! Joining the fray were bullet king, GM Roland Schmaltz, 15 year old sensation GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Alex Wojtkiewicz and GM Pavel Blatny. This might go down as the strongest NY Masters thus far! With all these strong players in attendance you knew there would be a lot of exciting chess! In total we had 6 GM’s, 4 IM’s and 1 WIM! Let’s get to the action….

 Participant List for 52nd NY Masters:

Yudasin tried to move to 3/3 against Polish GM, Alex Wojtkiewicz, but today Alex was too solid and was able to hold the draw. Jan Ehlvest joined Yudasin and Wojtkiewicz with 2.5/3 after dispatching Blatny with the black pieces.

    On the live internet relay, we had a long awaited NY Masters matchup. Nakamura and Schmaltz have yet to cross paths in this tournament, but have both had incredible success in the past. They are both known for their incredible prowess at speed chess, as both have been rated number 1 in the world on the ICC at bullet chess (1 minute chess). To finally get to see them play in a sanctioned action chess tournament was a thrill for many spectators! Which one of them would move to an undefeated 3/3?

(3) Nakamura,H (2632) - Schmaltz,R (2642) [E12]
52nd New York Masters New York (3), 15.04.2003

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3 Bb7 5.Nc3 d5 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.Qc2 Nxc3 8.bxc3 Be7 9.e4 0-0 10.Bd3 c5
 

11.Bf4 Qc8 12.Qd2 Ba6 13.0-0 Rd8 14.Rfd1 Bxd3 15.Qxd3 Qa6
 

Nakamura does not like to trade queens, but Schmaltz felt that 16.Qxa6 Nxa6 17.d5 would have given white the advantage.

16.Qe3 cxd4 17.cxd4 Nd7 18.h4 Qa4 19.h5 Bf8 20.h6 g6 21.e5
 

21...b5 22.Bg5 Re8 23.d5 exd5 24.Rxd5 Nb6 25.Rd4 Qc2 26.Rc1 Qf5 27.g4
 

We’ve got some wild action here! Schmaltz has a lot of dark squared weaknesses, but how can Nakamura take advantage?

27...Qe6 28.Nd2 Rac8 29.Rxc8 Rxc8 30.Ne4 Qxg4+ 31.Kh2 Qe6 32.Qf4 Nc4 33.Bf6
 

Again, all of white’s pieces are positioned near the black king, but it’s almost impossible to make anything happen. Schmaltz felt that he should simply capture the pawn on a3 in this position, although that looks pretty risky to me.

33...Nb6 34.Bd8 Rc4 35.Bxb6 Qxb6 36.Nf6+ Kh8 37.Rxc4 bxc4 38.Nd7
 

38...Bxh6 39.Qxh6

Nakamura offered a draw, which Schmaltz immediately and confidently declined.

39...Qxf2+

Now Schmaltz sheepishly returned the draw offer, as he realized that even if he wins the knight on d7, white can play Qf8 checkmate, thus perpetual check is the only option.

40.Kh3 1/2-1/2

Return to the New York Masters Index

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