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Game of the Week
With Analysis by IM Greg Shahade
May 6th, 2003
We had the reigning US Champion in
attendance this week, yet he wasn’t even our top ranked player, as GM Jan
Ehlvest held that distinction. Rounding out the
field of Grandmasters was Alex Stripunsky. We actually had two national
champions playing in this event, as the champion of USA and Canada were both
competing, as IM Pascal Charbonneau was also in attendance!
Participant List for 55th
NY Masters
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1. GM Jan
Ehlvest
2. GM Alexander Shabalov
3. GM Alexander Stripunsky
4. IM Rashid Ziatdinov
5. IM Jay Bonin
6. IM Pascal Charbonneau
7. WIM Jenn Shahade |
8. NM Evgeny
Gershov
9. NM Rafal Furdzik
10. FM Boris Privman
11. FM John Bick
12. Qualifier – Yucet
Sori
13. Filler – Evan Rosenberg
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(4)
Charbonneau,P (2444)
- Stripunsky,A (2643) [B42]
55th
New York Masters New York (4),
06.05.2003
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The last round showdown is here and it’s going to come down to
Canadian Champ, Pascal Charbonneau, and GM Alexander Stripunsky. Stripunsky is a
half point behind Charbonneau, thus he will need a win for first place.
Meanwhile, Jay Bonin is also in the running with 2.5/3, but to join the winners
circle he will have to knock off the US Champion, Alexander
Shabalov!
1.e4
c5
Stripunsky plays his usual sharp
Sicilian defense, needing a victory for $350.
2.Nf3
e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 Qc7 6.Qe2 d6 7.c4 Nf6 8.0-0 g6 9.Nc3 Bg7 10.h3
0-0 11.Nf3 Nfd7 12.Bf4 Ne5 13.Rac1 Nbc6 14.Rfd1 Bd7 15.b3 Rac8 16.Bb1
    
   
 
 
 
 
   
Charbonneau has to be happy with the
opening outcome, as he has a very solid position, with no weaknesses.
Stripunsky will be torturing himself trying to come up with some active
plans here.
16...Nxf3+ 17.Qxf3 Nd4
18.Qd3 e5 19.Be3 b5!?
This move seems impossible??
20.cxb5
Qxc3!?!?!
And here we have it! Stripunsky has
definitely found a way to mix the game up! However, does this give him any
real active play or just hand white a clear advantage on a silver plate?
21.Rxc3
Rxc3 22.Qd2 axb5 23.Qb2 b4 24.Bd3 Be6 25.Bxd4 exd4 26.f4 Rfc8 27.Qf2 Rc1
28.Rxc1 Rxc1+ 29.Kh2 Rc3 30.Qe2 h5 31.g3 d5
32.exd5
This move was criticized by the crowd……it
seems foolish to open up the position for blacks two bishops. Now black has
ideas of Rc1-h1 mate. It was felt that e5 would be sufficient to hold a draw
and thus first place, but perhaps Charbonneau now wanted to play for the
victory?
32...Bxd5 33.g4 h4
Shutting the king in, renewing the idea of
Rc1-h1 checkmate. White does not have to allow checkmate after Rc1 of
course, but it’s at least something for Stripunsky to dream about.
34.Qd2
Bh6 35.Kg1 Bf8 36.Kf2
Charbonneau has removed his king from the
corner and brought it to perhaps a safer spot on f2..
36...Bd6 37.f5 Bg3+ 38.Ke2
Kg7 39.Qg5
And now Charbonneau is on the
counterattack!! White is threatening fg6 and in some cases f6! What can
Stripunsky do? It’s time to forget about winning this for black and think
about holding a draw and taking a piece of 2nd place.
39...Bf3+ 40.Kxf3 Rxd3+
41.Ke4 Rd1 42.f6+ Kh7 43.Qd5
Things are beginning to look very hopeless
for Stripunsky, black’s position is hanging on by
a thread.
43...Re1+ 44.Kd3 Re3+
45.Kc4 Re6 46.g5 Bd6 47.Qxd4 Kg8 48.Qxh4 Bf8 49.Qf4 Re2 50.h4 Rxa2 51.h5
gxh5 52.Qh4 Rc2+ 53.Kb5 Rg2
Amazing! Black is planning to set up a
fortress! With the rook on the g-file, shuttling back and forth, how can
white make any progress? The b-pawn is firmly defended and white can never
play g6 or approach with the king. If the king ever goes to e8, black will
just push it back with a timely check on the e-file. Let’s see what
Charbonneau can come up with, as I’m sure he wasn’t happy with drawing and
clear first, but also wanted to defeat the Grandmaster.
54.Qxh5
Rg3 55.Kc4 Rc3+ 56.Kd5 Rd3+ 57.Ke4 Rg3 58.Kf4 Rg1 59.Kf3 Bc5?
And the fortress falls apart! Black had to
play …Bd6 to keep any chances alive. Now white wins with
a simple tactic.
60.g6!
And the unfortunate bishop on c5 is left
undefended.
60...Rxg6 61.Qxc5 Rxf6+
62.Ke3 Re6+ 63.Kd3 1-0
Congratulations to Charbonneau on his perfect
4-0 score! Charbonneau is as close as you get to GM strength, especially at
game 30. Shabalov got clear 2nd place
defeating Bonin with 3/4. Jay has to be commended on his fine tournament,
playing a field of 3 very strong grandmasters and scoring 1.5/1.5 against
them. It’s a rare 4 round event where you get the chance to play
Ehlvest, Shabalov
and Stripunsky!
----------------------------------------------------------
55th New York Masters Action USA (USA), 6 v 2003
----------------------------------------------------------
1 2 3 4 Total
----------------------------------------------------------
1.
Charbonneau, Pascal m
2444 +10 + 4 + 7 + 3 4.0
2.
Shabalov,
Alex g 2676 + 9 - 3
+10 + 5 3.0
3.
Stripunsky, Alex g
2643 + 8 + 2 = 5 - 1 2.5
4.
Ziatdinov,
Rashid m 2498
= - 1 +13 + 6 2.5
5.
Bonin, Jay m
2462 +11 + 6 = 3 - 2 2.5
6.
Ehlvest,
Jaan
g 2705 +13 - 5 + 8 - 4 2.0
7.
Gershov,
Yevgeniy
f 2357 = +13 - 1 = 9 2.0
8.
Privman, Boris f
2283 - 3 +11 - 6 +10 2.0
9.
Furdzik, Rafal 2287 - 2 -10 +11 = 7
1.5
10. Sori,
Yucet 2049 - 1 + 9 - 2
- 8 1.0
11.
Bick,
John f 2264
- 5 - 8 - 9 =12 0.5
12. Rosenberg, Evan 2061 --- --- --- =11 0.5
13.
Shahade, Jennifer wm
2375 - 6 - 7 - 4 --- 0.0
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