The prestigious Marshall Chess Club Championship was held at its picturesque and newly renovated brownstone at 23 West 10th Street in New York City on Memorial
Weekend. While many recent New York tournaments have been jammed with tons of Grandmasters, the players in the Marshall Championship "benefitted" from the concurrent Chicago Open, which drew away many GMs. This gave local favorite IM Jay Bonin, the defending Champion, a very good chance to repeat, and indeed, after four rounds had been completed in the six-round Swiss, Jay had sole possession of first place with a perfect score. However, Jay lost in Round 5 to Yuri Lapshun, and Lapshun pulled even with him at 4/5, while 14-year-old U.S. Cadet Champion Dimitry Schneider was a half-point back with 3 ½ points. In Round 6, Bonin lost again, this time to Nenad Vulicevic; this allowed Schneider to capture the Championship by defeating Lapshun (in the game which was awarded the brilliancy prize). Congratulations to Dimitry Schneider, the youngest Champion in the long and distinguished history of the Club!
Jay Bonin Daniel Shapiro [A40]
1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 f5 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 d5 5.0?0 Bd6 6.c4 c6 7.b3 Qe7 8.Bb2
Interesting is Kasparovs 8 a4!, played against Nigel Short in a quickplay
game in London 1987, which enables White to get in Ba3 (with the positionally
desirable trade of dark-squared bishops) quicker, but may cede the b4 square.
Short ignored him with 8 O-O 9 Ba3 Bxa3 10 Nxa3 Nbd7 11 a5 and then
challenged with 11 b6. Instead, Akopian --Ulibin, 1991 continued (after 8
a4!) with 8 a5 9 Ba3 Bxa3 10 Nxa3 b6?! (better was 10 Na6; the idea of
b7-b6 is to get in c6-c5, but here that will weaken the b5 square) 11 Ne5,
with a pleasant game for White.
b6 9.Qc1
Bonin insists on getting the bishop to a3; not everybody in this situation
has done so. For example, Olafsson - Yusupov, Winnipeg 1986 transposed to 9
Nc3 Nbd7 10 Rc1 O-O 11 e3 Ba6 and Black has equalized.
Bb7 10.Ba3 Nbd7
In Olafsson - Agdestein, Reykjavik 1987, Black issued the strong plan 10
O-O 11 Bxd6 Qxd6 12 Qa3 (White does not have to follow up the bishop exchange
with this offer of a queen exchange) c5! And Whites queen was not that well
placed.
11.Bxd6 Qxd6 12.Qa3 Qxa3
It appears that 12 c5 would not be as strong as in the note above as here
Black is committed to the square d7 with his knight.
13.Nxa3 Ke7 14.Rfc1 Rhc8 15.Rc2 dxc4?
Understandable in view of Black's next, opening the long diagonal, but really
the source of the problems, as the terrible knight on a3 becomes activated.
After this misjudgment, a minimal disadvantage (for example, with the calm 15 ... Ne4) becomes a real problem.
16.Nxc4 c5 17.dxc5 Nxc5 18.Nd4
Getting to the heart of the matter, Bonin exchanges bishops, and now his slight edge in development plus Black's somewhat loose formation gives White a distinct pull.
Be4 19.Bxe4 Ncxe4 20.Rac1
DIAGRAM
Nd5
Understandably active, trying to deal with creeping threats like 21 f3 or 21 Nb5, but much better was 20 Nd7!, and Black looks to build up starting with a7-a6.
21.Ne3!
An effective shot, transforming his quicker mobilization into concrete tactics.
Rxc2 22.Nxd5+ Kd6
Better than 22 exd5 23 Rxc2 with numerous threats, e.g., 23 Nd6 24 Rc7+ Kf6 25 Rd7.
23.Rxc2 Kxd5 24.Nb5 Ke5 25.f3 Nc5 26.b4 Na4
The relentless pressure has driven the Black knight offsides, as 26 Nd7 would drop a pawn to 27 Rc7.
27.f4+ Kf6 28.Rc7 a5 29.a3 axb4 30.axb4 Rd8 31.Na7!
A nice maneuver: the White knight clambers back into the attack via c6 and e5 with crushing effect.
Rd4 32.b5 h6 33.Nc6 Rd1+ 34.Kf2 Kg6 35.Ne5+ Kh7 36.Nd7 Rb1 37.h4 Kg8 38.Ne5 h5 39.Rc8+ Kh7 40.Nd7 Rxb5 41.Nf8+ Kh6 42.Nxe6 Nc5 43.Nd4 Ne4+ 44.Ke3 Rb4 45.Nxf5+ Kg6 46.Ne7+ Kh7 47.Nd5 Nd6 48.Nxb4 Nxc8 49.Kd4 Kg6 50.e4 Nd6 51.Kd5 Nf5 52.exf5+ Kxf5 53.Nd3 Kg4 54.Ke6 Kxg3 55.Kf7 Kxh4 56.Kxg7 Kg3 57.f5 h4 58.f6 h3 59.f7 h2 60.f8Q h1Q 61.Qf4+ Kg2 62.Qe4+ Kg1 63.Qe1+ Kh2 64.Qh4+ Kg2 65.Nf4+ Kg1 66.Qe1+ 1 -0
Justin Sarker Robert Sulman [B19]
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2
The main independent significance of this move (vis-à-vis 3 Nc3) is greater
flexibility in the event Black plays the 3 g6 line as in the Schneider -
Lapshun game below.
dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6 7.Nf3 Nd7 8.h5 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 Ngf6 11.Bd2
A crazy game Velimirovic - Hort, Havana 1971 went 11 Bf4 (preventing this move was the reason 10 ... Qc7 became standard) Qa5+ 12 b4!? (routine is 12 Bd2 Qc7 restoring the 10 ... Qc7 line) Qxb4+ 13 c3 Qb5 14 c4 Qa5+ 15 Bd2 Qa6 16 O-O with compensation for the pawn. Aside from all this, it may be that 11 Bf4 is the correct move - the White bishop takes up a more aggressive post, and in the event of 11 ... Qa5+ 12 Bd2 Qc7, Black is forced back into the ... Qc7 lines (rather than being able to proceed immediately with king-side development.)
e6 12.000 Be7
A sharp line as opposite-side-castling is envisioned.
13.Qe2
The big game in this line was Karpov - Larsen, Linares 1981, which saw 13 Ne4 Nxe4 14 Qxe4 Nf6 15 Qe2 Qd5 16 c4 and now 16 ... Qe4 would have been best, with equality; Larsen actually played the more enterprising 16 ... Qf5 but drifted into trouble.
00 14.Ne5
DIAGRAM
c5
Also to be considered was 14 ... a5, restricting his play to the queenside.
15.dxc5
White should have thought seriously about 15 Rh4! Then 15 ... Nd5 is easily met by 16 Rg4, and otherwise, the rook centralizes comfortably.
Nxc5 16.c4
Keeping the Black knight out of d5, but the move strikes me as a luxury that cannot be afforded with attacks starting to coagulate on both sides. Trickier is 16 Kb1, preparing for all eventualities.
Qc7 17.Bc3 Rfd8 18.b3
The bishop on c3 was noticeably uncomfortable due to the specter of ... Nc5-a4, but it appears that a better idea was to try to bail out with 18 Rxd8+ Rxd8 19 Rd1. Now the initiative passes firmly into Black's hands.
b5 19.Kb1 bxc4 20.Nxc4 Qb7 21.f3 Nd5 22.Ba5
DIAGRAM
Nxb3
Sulman has conducted the attack excellently. Now he will pursue play on the b-file, plus dark-square threats, to back up the knight sacrifice.
23.axb3 Qxb3+ 24.Nb2
Nothing is saved by 24 Qb2 Qxc4 25 Bxd8 Nc3+.
Qa3 25.Be1 Rab8
There is way too much firepower against the king here.
26.Ne4 f5 27.Nf2 Bf6 28.Nfd3 Rxb2+ 29.Nxb2 Rb8 30.Bb4 Qxb4 0 -1
Robert Sulman Daniel Shapiro [B31]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5
Robby Sulman has been a devotee of the Bb5 Sicilian for many years.
g6 4.00 Bg7 5.Re1 Nf6
The main line. The sharp alternative 5 e5 was dealt a serious blow in Fischer Spassky 1992 (Rematch) when Fischer introduced 6 Bxc6 bxc6 7 b4! The main idea of this gambit is to get in a quick Bc1-b2 and d2-d4 and splatter Black's grip on the dark squares.
6.c3
I have gotten myself into trouble in many blitz games trying to make 6 e5 Nd5 7 Nc3 Nc7! Work for White.
00 7.d4 cxd4 8.cxd4 d5 9.e5 Ne4
Highly standardized theory: few players have found reason to deviate (for either side) from this recipe.
10.Nc3 Nxc3 11.bxc3 Bd7
The main line given by ECO here is 11 Qa5 12 a4 Bg4 (not 12 Qxc3? 13 Bd2 and the queen is in very hot water) 13 Re3 Rfc8 in Levcenkov Klovans, USSR 1978.
12.Rb1
A brilliancy was created in Barendregt Szilagyi, Amsterdam 1966 with 12 Bd3! (avoiding entanglements on the queenside) Rc8 (Black's best may be 12 Bg4) 13 Ng5 e6 14 Qg4 Ne7? 15 Nxh7!! Kxh7 16 Qh4+ Kg8 17 Bg5 Re8 18 Re3.
Na5
DIAGRAM
13.Qa4
Tactically motivated Black can get in the positionally desirable exchange of light-squared bishops, but only at the cost of allowing the break e5-e6. Still, one has to wonder whether 13 Bd3 isn't a stronger plan for White here.
Bxb5 14.Rxb5
A little awkward, but White needs the tempo on the knight. 14 Qxb5 e6 would just be good for Black.
b6 15.e6 Rc8 16.exf7+ Rxf7 17.Ng5 Rf5 18.Ne6 Qe8
Sulman's creative play, starting with 13 Qa4, has netted him only about an even position. There are counterbalancing strengths and weaknesses for each side here.
19.Qb4 Rc4 20.Qb1 Qd7
DIAGRAM
21.Rb2
Not satisfied with the relative equality of 21 Bd2, Sulman initiates a pawn sacrifice. The idea is to vastly improve the position of the b5 rook.
Rxc3 22.Rbe2 Nc6 23.h4 Rc4 24.Nxg7 Kxg7 25.Re6 Rf6 26.R6e2
Testing the waters to see if maybe Shapiro will repeat with 26 Rf5?!
Qg4
Black is a bit weak on the dark squares, but his knight on c6 is a rock, defending e7 and pressurizing d4.
27.Qb5 Qf5 28.Bg5 Rf7 29.Bxe7
An oversight, but Black was beginning to take over matters.
Nxe7 30.Rxe7 Qxf2+ 0 - 1
Daniel Shapiro Dimitry Schneider [A61]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.Nf3 g6 7.Nd2 Bg7 8.Nc4
Shapiro starts out with the so-called "Knight's Tour", but soon reverts to the fianchetto against the Benoni, a line in which he has great experience.
00 9.g3 Na6 10.Bg2 Nc7 11.00 a6
Schneider avoided 11 b5?! Due to 12 Nxd6! Qxd6 13 Bf4, although in Glejzerov Lazarev, Alusta 1993, after 13 Qd7! 14 d6 Ne6 15 Bxa8 Nxf4 16 gxf4 Qg4+ 17 Bg2 Qxf4 18 Qc1, White felt that Black had enough compensation to offer him a draw. Getting back to reality, in Bo Hansen Sax, Polanica Zdroj 1993, Sax played 11 Nfe8! (it is always best to copy experts in complex variations like the Benoni; the f6 knight retreat prepares the maneuver b7-b6 and Bc8-a6 to challenge the knight on c4), and play continued 12 a4 b6 13 Qd2! (ready to meet 13 Ba6 with 14 b3) Rb8 14 Rb1 Bd7 15 b3 a6 with a complex game.
12.Bf4 Nce8
Probably the other knight retreat was better. After the text, Black lacks sufficient influence to prepare queenside activity.
13.a4 Rb8 14.a5 Qe7 15.Re1 Nh5 16.Bd2 Nef6
Tacitly offering a draw (maybe White will feel that 17 Bf4 is best) but also a recognition that he will have to lose time with his knights in order to try to improve his position.
17.h3 Nd7 18.Ne4 Be5 19.Bg5
A concrete sequence to solidify White's advantage.
f6 20.Bh6 Ng7 21.f4 f5 22.fxe5 fxe4 23.e6
This confers a decisive edge.
Nf6 24.Rf1 Bxe6 25.dxe6 d5 26.Bxg7 Kxg7 27.Rxf6 Rxf6 28.Qxd5 Rd8 29.Qxe4 Rd4 30.Qc2 Qxe6 31.b3 Rd7 32.Qe4 Qg8 33.Qe5 Qf8 34.Nb6 Re7 35.Qc3 1-0
Erez Klein Jay Bonin [E97]
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.d4 00 5.e4 d6 6.Be2 e5 7.00 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.Nd2 a5
This has gained preeminence over 9 c5 and 9 c6.
10.Rb1
A quiet method was employed to good effect in Meyer, E. Winer, Eastern Open 1997: 10. b3 Nd7 11. Bb2 f5 12. a3 Kh8 13. Qc2 Ng8 14. b4 Bh6 15. Rad1, and here Winer invited complications with 15 Ngf6 16. exf5 gxf5 17. Qxf5 Nxd5 18. Qh5 Nxc3 19. Bxc3 Bf4 20. g3, and White retained the edge.
Bd7 11.b4?
The result of this move is that the rook ends up immobilized on b4. Assuming that White just wants to get going on the queenside (without regard for his own pawn structure), the way to do it is 11 a3 a4 12 b4 axb3 13 Nxb3, and in Kaufman Fedorowicz, Foxwoods 1999, White found a way to get the better chances after 13 b6 14 Ra1 Qe8 15 Be3 Kh8 16 Nd2 Nfg8 17 a4 f5 18 f3 Bh6 19 Bxh6 Nxh6 20 a5 Qb8 21 Kh1 Rxa5 22 Rxa5 bxa5 23 Qa1 Qa7 24 f4! However, standard theory still is the conservative 11 b3 (this tempo loss should just be considered a cost of doing business if Black plays 10 Bd7; on 10 Nd7 White uses 11 a3 immediately) Ne8 12 a3 f5 13 b4, and the queenside roller has been formed.
axb4 12.Rxb4 b6 13.Nb3
Sticking with the concept of a2-a4-a5, but what about the poor rook on b4? But the only other plan that I can see for White here is 13 Bb2 Ne8 14 f4, confronting Black on the kingside.
Ne8 14.Be3 f5 15.f3 f4 16.Bf2 g5 17.Qc2 h5
Black has a clear edge because of the relative speed of his attack.
18.a4 g4 19.Ra1
DIAGRAM
g3!
For a pawn, Bonin will be able to take his dark-square play live in the theater of White's king. Bonin rarely hesitates on such thematic decisions.
20.hxg3 fxg3 21.Bxg3 Ng6 22.a5 bxa5 23.Rxa5 Rxa5 24.Nxa5 h4 25.Bh2 Bh6
Black's pieces are starting to flow in.
26.Nd1 Ng7 27.Nc6 Qg5 28.Rb8 Nh5
Now the juicy theme of Nh5-g3 enabling Qg5-e3+ is present.
29.Rxf8+ Kxf8 30.Nb8 Bc8 31.c5 Ng3 32.Ba6 Nf4
Overwhelming. If 33 Bxc8 Nge2+ and g2 falls.
33.Bxg3 Qxg3 34.cxd6
Or 34 Bxc8 Qe1+ 35 Kh2 Ne2, similar to the game.
Bxa6 35.Nxa6 Qe1+ 36.Kh2 Ne2 37.Qxe2 Bf4+ 38.g3 Qxe2+ 0-1
Schneider - Lapshun [B15]
1.e4 c6 2.d4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Nf3 d5 5.h3
The recognized move, stopping Bc8-g4. Now Black must either release the
central tension or find an alternative development scheme, because 5 Nf6 6
e5 is good for White.
Nh6
After 5 dxe4 6 Nxe4, an interesting line is 6 Bf5 (also played are 6 Nd7 and 6 Nf6) 7 Ng3 Be6; then Am. Rodriguez Bologan, Moscow 1994 continued with the bizarre gambit 8 c4 b5?! (a pawn is pitched by Black for control of d5) 9 cxb5 Nf6 10 Be2 O-O 11 a4! (as in some lines of the Benko) and White was very comfortable. The twofold aim of the text 5 Nh6 is to use the f5 square in the event White releases the central tension by e4-e5 or e4xd5, or to recycle the knight back to f7, where it will support a central advance.
6.Bf4 f6
On 6 dxe4 7 Nxe4 Nf5 8 c3, Black has occupied f5, but at the cost of assisting White's development, and now White's knight on e4 is not marked by any Black counterpart and becomes a dangerous piece.
7.exd5 cxd5 8.Nb5
White was successful in Barlov Gaprindashvili, Palma de Mallorca 1989, with 8 Bxb8!? Rxb8 9 Bb5+ Kf7 (9 Bd7 was playable, but after 10 Qe2, White's strength on the e-file is evident) 10 Qe2 e6 11 g4 with some attacking chances.
Na6 9.c4
Since Black's plan to ultimately expand with Nh6-f7 and e7-e5 has left d5 without support, this is a natural way to put the center under pressure.
00 10.cxd5 Qxd5 11.Qd2
In Grunfeld Gaprindashvili, Palma 1989, White tried 11 Nc3 Qf7 12 Qb3 (better is 12 Be2), giving the chance for 12 Qxb3 13 axb3 e5! With approximate equality.
Nf7 12.Rc1 Bf5 13.Bc4 Qd7 14.00 g5
Lapshun wanted to make White commit his bishop, but the move g6-g5 has drawbacks as well. A tough decision overall in a position where no clear route to equality exists.
15.Bg3 Be4
To oppose White's strong bishop on c4. 15 Rfc8 is too loosening at this point, but 15 Rac8 was worth speculating about, as 16 Nxa7 is met by 16 Rxc4 17 Rxc4 b5.
16.Qe2 Bd5 17.Bxd5 Qxd5 18.Nc3
Played to regain control of d5.
Qd7 19.d5
Establishing seriously irritating pressure on the e-file. Schneider's calm handling of the opening in this decisive last round is commendable.
Rfc8 20.Rfe1 Bf8 21.Rcd1 Rc5
Lapshun is an enterprising tactical defender, and he decides to create counterplay potential both on the c-file and against White's d-pawn. In the process, he has left his king a little barren, and Schneider does not hesitate to move in that direction
22.h4! gxh4 23.Nxh4 Rac8 24.Rd4 b5 25.Qh5 Rc4
DIAGRAM
26.Nxb5!!
The introduction to a highly unique rook sacrifice.
Qxb5
Black's play was based on obtaining lateral pressure across the middle. On 26 Rxd4 27 Nxd4 he would be left with less than no compensation for the pawn minus. Thus, Schneider's idea was not a "passive sacrifice" and Lapshun felt obliged to accept or have no chances at all.
27.Rg4+
Forcing Black's hand, as 27 Rxg4 28 Qxg4+ wins, and 27 Kh8 28 Ng6+ is unthinkable.
Ng5 28.Rxg5+!
The second stage of the rook sacrifice.
fxg5 29.Qxg5+ Kf7
On 29 Bg7 30 Be5, Black is finished.
30.Qh5+ Kg8 31.Qg5+ Kf7 32.Nf5!
Spurning the draw, Schneider now focuses on destruction of e7.
Qd7
DIAGRAM
33.Rxe7+!! Qxe7
If 33...Bxe7 34.Qg7+ Ke8 35 Qg8+ Bf8 36 Nd6+ Ke7 37 Qf7+ Kd8 38 Qxf8+ and the shredding of Black's position continues with a discovered check next.
34.Nxe7 Bxe7 35.Qf5+ Ke8 36.d6
Although material is technically about even, Black's open king and scattered pieces spell doom.
R8c5 37.Qxh7 Bg5 38.f4 Bd8 39.d7+ Kf8 40.Qh8+ Ke7 41.Qe8+ Kd6 42.f5+
Everything goes.
Kc6 43.Qxd8 1-0