Chessville - 4-Rated Games at the Marshall Chess Club - by Larry Tamarkin - A New York Chess Player (Lessons From the Marshall Chess Club) - chess analysis and instruction, annotated games

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A New York Chess Player
(Lessons From The Marshall Chess Club)
by Larry Tamarkin
3-4-2008

'4-Rated Games'

After getting 'tired' of the one-game-each-week events held at the Freeport, Long Island club in the Freeport library, I decided to go back to playing in the weekly 4-Rated Games event at the Marshall. The Manhattan Chess Club folded some years back and so the Marshall is the 'main-drain' of the places that the strongest chess players can go to on any particular day of the week.

And thanks to tournament director Steve Immitt who has been running the '4-Rated Games!' consistently week after week for many years, where you can still play Grandmasters, International Masters and other chess celebrities in this tournament nearly every week.

Larry Tamarkin

Therefore, going to the Marshall has once again become my main test for myself after taking a break from the long commute on the Long Island Rail Road to the club in Manhattan.

With this column I am hoping to improve my own game by subjecting the games to critical self review and also to the eyes of those who would like to see 'real chess' as played by myself - a player not too different in strength or outlook than many of you reading this. So My Dear Readers, I give you my analysis of many of my games played mostly at the Marshall Chess Club for your pleasure and/or your own analytical scrutiny.

After Steve posted the pairing for tonight [3-4-2008] I noticed that I was paired against the 2nd-highest rated player, famous GM Michael Rohde (the # 1 seed was Peruvian GM Mark C Paragua.) Michael is also a very long-time good friend of mine and so, while not very pleased that I had to have such a hard pairing in the first round, I was not too displeased to see that he was late getting to the game!

Rohde,Michael A (2458) - Tamarkin,Larry S (2019)
[A15] 4-Rated Games (1), 03.04.2008

1.Nf3

Mike was 12 minutes late!

1...Nf6 2.c4 c6

I'm ready to go into the Slav after having viewed most of GM Ronen Har-Zvi's 15-part lecture series on chessclub.com.

3.b3

Rohde ‘chicken's out’ first - he beat me decisively in the 2006 Marshall Chess Club championship early on and I never recovered. With the very much faster time control I suspect he didn't want to 'risk' that I would know what I was doing this time.

3...g6 4.Bb2 Bg7 5.g4!?

I think Mike has been watching too many of those games the kids he teaches play! Seriously though, this is not the kind of move one plays against an opponent you respect. (5.e4)

5...h6

I like slowing (or even stopping) the g5 push. 5...d6 6.g5 Nh5 7.Bxg7 Nxg7 8.d4 Bg4 9.Nbd2 Qa5 10.h4 Bxf3 11.exf3 is in the Opening Tree 2007.

6.Bg2 d6 7.h3 e5 8.Nc3 0–0 9.Qc2 Re8 10.d3 d5

A natural central thrust that insures Black at least equality.

11.e4 d4 12.Ne2 c5 13.Ng3 Nc6 14.Bc1 Nd7 15.Bd2 Nf8 16.Qc1 Kh7 17.a3 Ne6 18.b4 cxb4 19.axb4 Nf4 20.Bf1 Qf6 21.b5 Nd8 22.Bxf4 exf4 23.Ne2 Ne6 24.h4 Nc5 25.Nxf4 Nb3 26.Ng5+ Kg8 27.Nd5 Qd8 28.Nxf7 Kxf7 29.Qf4+ Kg8 30.Ra3 Nc5 31.b6 a6 32.Nc7 Ne6 33.Qg3 Nxc7 34.bxc7 Qe7 35.Rb3 Be5 36.f4 Bxc7 37.Be2 Ba5+ 38.Kf1 b5 39.cxb5 Be6 40.Rb1 axb5 41.f5 Bf7 42.Rxb5 Bc7 43.Qf2 Ra1+ 44.Kg2 Rxh1 45.Kxh1 Bd8 46.fxg6 Bxg6 47.h5 Bxe4+ 48.dxe4 Qxe4+ 49.Bf3 Qe1+ 50.Qxe1 Rxe1+ 51.Kg2 Bg5 52.Rb7 d3 53.Rd7 d2 54.Kf2 Be3+ 55.Kg2 Rg1+ 56.Kh2 Rf1 57.Kg2 Rf2+ 58.Kg3 Rf1 59.Kg2 Re1

We played a few more moves and I hung my d-pawn too, but fortunately it didn't matter and we agreed to a draw. ½–½

After the game with Rohde I get an 'easy' pairing, but it turns out that I'm not in good form like I thought.

Tamarkin,Larry S (2019) - Chernick,Steven (1567)
[C56] 4-Rated Games (2), 03.04.2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.e5 d5 6.Bb5

6.exf6 dxc4 7.0–0 Bc5 (7...Qxf6 8.Re1+ Be6 9.Bg5 Qf5 is also good for Black if he knows his theory.) 8.Re1+ Be6 9.Ng5 Qd5 10.Nc3 Qf5 11.Nce4 0–0–0 12.g4 Qe5 13.Nxe6 fxe6 14.fxg7 Rhg8 15.Bh6 d3 16.Nxc5 Qxc5 17.cxd3 cxd3 (17...Ne5? is the move in Opening Tree 2007 when after, 18.Qe2! Nxd3 19.Qxe6+ Kb8 20.Re2 White is clearly better.) 18.Rxe6 is slightly better for Black according to Fritz 11 - I agree because of White's very silly pawn on g4.

6...Ne4 7.Nxd4

My favorite line of the Scotch Gambit recommended by Roman Dzindzichashvili in his DVD’s and books.

7...Bd7 8.Bxc6 bxc6 9.0–0

9...c5

A better alternative was 9...Be7 and then the following happened in a game I played in 2006: 10.f3 Nc5 11.f4 Ne4 12.Nc3 Nxc3 13.bxc3 c5 14.Nb3 c4 15.Nd4 0–0 16.f5 c5 17.Ne2 Bc6 18.Ng3 d4 (18...f6 19.e6 d4 20.Qg4 Kh8 21.Nh5 Rg8 22.Nf4 Be8 23.Ng6+!) 19.Qg4 Qd5 20.Nh5 g6 21.Bh6 Rfe8 22.e6 Bd8 23.fxg6 fxg6 24.Nf6+ Bxf6 25.Rxf6 Qe4 26.Qxe4 Bxe4 27.Raf1 Bf5 28.e7 Rxe7 29.g4 Re6 30.R1xf5 gxf5 31.Rxe6 fxg4 32.cxd4 cxd4 33.Rd6 d3 34.cxd3 cxd3 35.Rxd3 Rb8 36.Rd4 Rb1+ 37.Kf2 Rb2+ 38.Rd2 Rb6 39.Be3 Rf6+ 40.Ke2 a6 41.Rd4 Rg6 42.Kf2 h5 43.Kg3 Rc6 44.Kh4 Rc3 45.Bf4 Rh3+ 46.Kg5 Kf7 47.Rd7+ Ke8 48.Rd6 Ra3 49.Rd2 Ra5+ 50.Kh4 Ke7 51.Bg5+ Ke6 52.Kxh5 Ra4 53.Re2+ Kf5 54.Rf2+ Ke5 55.Bf6+ Ke6 56.Bh4 a5 57.Bg3 Kd5 58.Bf4 1–0 Tamarkin,L (2058)-Solonkovich,I (2091)/Mineola 2006/EXT 2008 (This was my best game in that tournament!)

10.Nb3 c4?

A bad blunder that should lose quickly - more usual is 10...c6 11.f3 Ng5 12.f4 Ne4 13.Nc3 Nxc3 14.bxc3 when the position is roughly equal, though I prefer White's chances.

11.Qxd5+- cxb3 12.Qxe4 bxa2

12...bxc2 13.Qxc2 Bg4 14.h3 Be6 15.Rd1 is also winning for White.

13.Rxa2

13.Nc3 Be7 14.Rxa2 is also good.

13...Be6 14.c4

14.Nc3 is safer.

14...Be7 15.Nc3 0–0 16.Be3 a6 17.f4 f5 18.exf6 Rxf6

19.Rd1

Here 19.Ra5!? Bb4 20.Re5 Bf7 21.Nd5 is the best way to use the inclusion of the move 14.c4.

19...Qf8 20.Bd4 Bf5 21.Qf3 Rg6 22.Nd5 Bd6 23.Ne3 Be6 24.f5 Rg5

25.h4?!

I have become very confused in mutual time-pressure. 25.Rf1! Bf7 26.f6 still wins easily.

25...Rg3 26.Qe4 Bf7 27.Qc2?

27.f6! Re8 28.fxg7 Rxe4 29.gxf8Q+ Bxf8 30.Nd5 is better with an equal position.

27...Re8

27...c5! would win instantly.

28.Nf1 Rg4 29.Ra5 Ree4 30.c5 Be7 31.Bf2 Bh5?

31...Rb4 would leave White only a little better.

32.Rd3?!

32.Ne3! Rgf4 33.Rd3 Rd4 34.Bg3 Rfe4 35.Rxd4 Rxd4 36.Bxc7 is winning this time.

32...Rb4

32...Re5

33.Ng3

33.Ne3

33...Bf7

In nervous time pressure I was no longer able to keep score. We kept exchanging blunders and finally I achieved a perpetual check - a reasonable result considering the nervousness of the contest. ½–½

As I mentioned at the beginning of the second game, I'm not in good form like I thought and I was incredibly lucky to win the following game; I think my stumble in the first round with Michael Rohde was still affecting my play throughout the evening.

Snitzler,Gabor (1840) - Tamarkin,Larry S (2019)
[A04] 4-Rated Games (3), 03.04.2008

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d3 g6 4.Nbd2 Bg7 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 e6 7.0–0 Nge7 8.a4 0–0 9.Nc4 b6 10.e5?!

This loses a pawn. Better is 10.Bf4 d5 11.Nce5 Nxe5 12.Bxe5 f6 13.Bc3 e5 14.Qe2 d4 15.Bd2 though Black is very comfortable here.

10...d5 11.Nd6 Nxe5 12.Nxc8 Rxc8 13.Nxe5 Bxe5 14.c3 Nf5

My 'young' opponent Gabe Schnitzer - a Holocaust survivor - is so innocent... He actually didn't seem to realize that he was a pawn down for nothing. Anyway I build-up methodically here...

15.Bh3 d4 16.c4 Qd6 17.Bxf5 exf5 18.Bh6 Rfe8

In view of what goes wrong in the game, safer is 18...Bg7 19.Bf4 Qc6 20.a5 b5 and Black keeps a better position.

19.Qf3 Re6 20.Qb7

Here I could just play 20...Qc7, which is recommended by Fritz 11 and my friend Mitch Fitzko as being the most practical and dispassionate (and safe) way to win...but I got very excited here by the prospect of crushing Gabe quickly and chose instead...

20...Rce8!?

Convinced that when White grabs the a-pawn, his queen will be too far away to help his king, my judgment seems to have been right but my subsequent moves led to a lost position.

21.Qxa7 Qc6 22.Qa6 Qf3 23.a5 bxa5

It is important to chase White's dangerous bishop out of there with 23...Qh5! when after 24.Bd2 f4 25.Qb7 bxa5 26.Rxa5 Qe2 27.Bxf4 Bxf4 28.gxf4 Rf6 29.Rxc5 Rxf4 30.Rg5 Qxd3 and I would still have good winning chances.

24.Qxa5 Qxd3 25.Qxc5 Bf6 26.h4 Qf3 27.Qd5 Qg4 28.Qg2 d3 29.Ra8 Qxc4 30.Rc1 Qb5 31.Rcc8

31...Bxb2??

Here with little time on my clock I grab this poison-pawn, which Rybka in fact says is now mate-in-8 for White! The position has become extremely complicated and Black has to play very carefully now to keep things under control.

32.Qd5! d2

32...Re1+ 33.Kh2 Qa4 34.Qd8! Rh1+ 35.Kxh1 Qe4+ 36.Kh2 f6 37.Qd7 Qxh4+ 38.gxh4 Be5+ 39.Kg2 Bd6 40.Qg7# is one amusing way for White.

33.Qxd2 Bg7

I think I'm seizing my chance to get back into the game...

34.Be3?

...and Gabe 'buys into it'. He is still winning if he finds the beautiful 34.Qd5! and no matter how Black squirms he still goes down, e.g. 34...Qb1+ 35.Kh2 Qe1 36.Rxe8+ Rxe8 37.Be3! Rf8 38.Bc5! Of course this line is very difficult to see, especially in time-trouble!

34...h5!

Now I'm finally ok and succeed in outplaying Gabe from here.

35.Rab8 Qe5 36.Rd8?

In time pressure Gabe makes a mistake that eventually loses the game for him. It was best to bail out with 36.Bf4 Qe1+ 37.Qxe1 Rxe1+ 38.Kg2 Rxc8 39.Rxc8+ When the position is completely equal despite Black's extra pawn.

36...Qxb8! 37.Rxb8 Rxb8 38.Qd7 Rb1+ 39.Kg2 Be5

Black is now better and I later out-maneuvered Gabe with my two rooks to win the game. 0–1

I thought I missed a win somewhere in this game, but like the other games I played this evening, this one was rocky and I never quite felt that I had things completely together.

Tamarkin,Larry S (2043) - Margulis,Yevgeni (2138)
[B11] 4-Rated Games (4), 03.04.2008

1.e4 c6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Qf3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.d4 e6 6.Nh3 a6 7.Ng5 Qe7 8.Qg3

8.Be3 h6 9.Qh3 c5 10.Nf3 Nc6 11.dxc5 Nxc5 12.0–0–0

8...c5 9.Nf3

9.dxc5! Nc6 10.Be3 Ncxe5 11.0–0–0 h6 12.Nh3

9...cxd4 10.Nxd4 Nc6 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Be2 h6 13.h4

13.0–0 Qb4 14.Bf3 g6 15.Re1

13...g6

13...Qc5 14.Bd3 d4 15.Ne4 Qxe5 16.Bf4 Qa5+ 17.c3 dxc3 18.Nxc3

14.0–0 Bg7 15.f4 h5 16.b3 Bb7 17.Na4 c5 18.Ba3 Rc8 19.c4!

I liked my position here and thought that I should keep complete control of the game.

19...d4 20.Rad1 Qd8 21.Bd3

Worth considering here was 21.b4!? cxb4 22.Bxb4 Bc6 23.Nb2 Qb6 24.Nd3 which is about equal.

21...Bf8

22.Qf2?!

I saw the shot 22.Bxg6! but with the time going by, I did not have the confidence (or visualizing skills to see the variations) to play it. After, 22...Rg8 23.f5! exf5 (23...Qe7 24.Rxd4 fxg6 25.f6 Qf7 26.Rdd1±; 23...fxg6 24.fxe6+-) 24.Bxf7+! Kxf7 25.e6+ White wins!

22...Be7 23.g3 Qc7 24.Kh2 Bc6 25.Qd2 Qd8 26.Kh3 Kf8 27.Rde1 Kg7 28.Nb2 Qb6 29.Nd1 Qb7 30.Rg1 a5 31.Nf2 a4 32.Rb1 axb3 33.Rxb3 Qa6 34.Bc1 Rb8 35.Re1 Nb6 36.Ra3 Qb7 37.Rb3 Ba4 38.Rb2 Qa6 39.Ne4 Bd8

40.Ng5?!

40.Nf6!? was the best 'bluff' in mutual time pressure, when after 40...Bxf6? (Best is, 40...Bc6! 41.Rb3 Be7 42.Qe2 Na4 43.Ra3 Qb6-+ when Black is still controlling the game.) 41.exf6+ Kxf6 42.f5! exf5 43.Qf4! White would have a suddenly winning attack (according to Fritz 11).

40...Bxg5!

I completely missed this very natural good move, which leaves White with a lifeless position.

41.fxg5

Unfortunately, I could no longer hold my position together and Black won a few moves later. 0–1