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Game of the Week
With Analysis by IM Greg Shahade
 

April 22nd, 2003

(3) Lapshun,Y (2566) - Paschall,W (2483) [A00]
53rd New York Masters New York (3), 22.04.2003

Joel Benjamin, who claimed that the new increment rules add about 50 points to his strength, was back to look for his first ever NY Masters championship. Jan Ehlvest and Alex Wojtkiewicz were the other GM’s in the field. We had 2 new masters in Bostonian IM, William Paschall and NM Ernest Colding.

    Our other new player was 14 year old Laura Ross. Laura got to play as the  chessvideo.com wildcard player. Every 10 weeks a company sponsors one player under 18 years old, rated from 2000-2199 to play in the NY Masters, thus giving the chance for a talented aspiring young master, to play against masters and even grandmasters!

Participant List for 53rd NY Masters

We had a stunning upset in the first round of this week’s NY Masters. After about 15-20 minutes of my game, I looked over and saw Milman and Ehlvest discussing their game. Of course I automatically assume the GM has won in such situations, but you know what happens when you assume….   I later found out that Milman SMASHED Ehlvest with the Smith Morra gambit in the Sicilian!! On just move 21, the world-class Grandmaster had to lay down his king.

(Its 330 AM and Lev Milman, who should obviously be asleep, is instead pleading to me to include his game with Ehlvest in the report, so here we go, enjoy all you Smith Morra fans….)

(23) Milman,L - Ehlvest,J [B21]
New York Masters (1), 23.04.2003

1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6 5.Nf3 e6 6.Bc4 Qc7 7.0-0 Nf6 8.Nb5 Qb8 9.e5 Ng4 10.Nd6+ Bxd6 11.exd6 b5 12.Bb3 0-0 13.h3 Nf6 14.Re1 a5 15.Bg5 a4 16.Bxf6 gxf6 17.Bc2 Nb4 18.Bb1 Nd5 19.Nh4 Qxd6 20.Qg4+ Kh8 21.Nf5 1-0

ROUND 3:  Benjamin was the first 3/3 after nicely chopping me up in a Classical Schevenigen. Joel sacrificed a pawn and then a piece, and there was no chance to defend. The GM duo of Ehlvest and Wojtkiewicz fared quite poorly in this round as they both lost. Milman knocked off Wojo after winning some pawns in the opening and Eisen managed to muddle the issue after losing 2 pawns to Ehlvest.

Now Joel had to sit back and see who would join him at 3/3….

(3) Lapshun,Y (2566) - Paschall,W (2483) [A00]
53rd New York Masters New York (3), 22.04.2003

[Click here for an interactive JavaScript board]
 

1.b4 d5 2.Bb2 Bg4 3.Qc1 !!!
 

NEW WORLD RECORD!!! Fastest Qc1 ever in master level chess!!! After watching enough of Lapshun’s openings I’ve run out of ways to poke fun at his unorthodox moves.

3...Nd7 4.c4 e6 5.e3 Ngf6 6.a3 a5 7.c5 c6 8.Be2 Bxe2 9.Nxe2 b6 10.d4 Be7

Lapshuns bishop on b2 isn’t looking so happy…

11.0-0 0-0 12.Nd2 Qc7 13.Qc2 Ng4 14.g3 f5 15.Nf4 Rf6 16.h3 Nh6 17.Nd3 a4?
 

A huge positional mistake…if black wanted to close up the position, he had to play ….b5 first.

18.cxb6

And all the sudden white has all the play…..the c-pawn is very weak, and the knights will come to e5 and f4.

18...Qxb6 19.Rac1 Nb8 20.Nf3 Rf8 21.Nf4 Re8 22.Ne5
 

Lapshun’s position looks extremely pleasing. Most of white’s pieces are very well placed, whereas blacks pieces are randomly scattered about.

22...Ra6 23.Qe2 Bd6 24.Nfd3 Ra7 25.Rc2 Nf7 26.Rfc1 Nxe5 27.dxe5
 

Ooops….and now the bishop that looked so bad earlier in the game, will trade itself for a rook after Bd4 next move.

27...Bf8 28.Bd4 Qa6 29.Bxa7 Qxa7 30.Nc5 g6 31.Rc3 Bg7 32.f4 Bf8 33.h4 h6 34.Kf2 Re7 35.Qc2 Re8 36.Qd1 g5 37.hxg5 hxg5
 

38.Qh5 1-0

Completely crushing, attacks the rook on e8, prepares either Qxg5 or Rh1. Paschall throws in the towel and Lapshun moves to 3-0. It looks like Lapshun’s break from the NY Master has paid off, as he has come back with force!

Return to the New York Masters Index

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