Manhattan Applesauce: Week 2 Results: The Pioneers draw Baltimore

The team looks closely at Dmitry's game.

After playing in my second USCL game last week and contributing to our team's opening loss, I couldn't wait for our team to get back out there and win our first match of the new season. However, when all the dust settled we were left with a draw- a better result than most predicted, but not quite what I expected as the match progressed. In either case we now have only .5/2 and have our work cut out for us since almost every team in the league is capable of winning against any other team.

As already mentioned in previous posts, our team plays at the main office of Chess-in-the-Schools where I work. Since I was not playing I acted as the team's site manager and host. I was worried when we were minutes from the start of the match and we did not have two of our players - Dmitry and Andrei. It turned out there was nothing to worry about as Dmitry and Andrei showed up at exactly 7:15 PM with Pizza and Iced Coffee respectively--the latter I believe to be Zaremba's secret weapon.

Match Breakdown

Board 1: IM Dmitry Schneider (QNS) vs. GM Sergey Erenburg (BAL)

In my match predictions I said with the white pieces Dmitry should be able to easily draw the game ---which he did despite creative play from Erenburg.

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Nf3 Bb4 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.Qc2 Nc6 9.a3 Be7 10.Bd3 h6 11.0–0 0–0 12.Rd1 Re8 13.Bh7+ Kh8 14.Ne5 Nxe5 15.dxe5 Qa5 16.Bd2 Qc7 17.Nxd5 Qxc2 18.Bxc2 exd5 19.Ba4 Rd8 20.Rac1 Bd7 21.Bb3 Bc6 22.f4 a5 23.Be3 a4 24.Ba2 Rd7 25.Bd4 Bd8 26.Bb1 Bb5 27.Bf2 Bc6 28.Bf5 Re7 29.Bc5 Re8 30.Bg4 Ra5 31.Bd4 Rb5 32.Be2 Rb3

33.Rc3 Rxc3 34.Bxc3 Bb6+ 35.Bd4 Bxd4+ 36.Rxd4 g5 37.g3 f6 38.Bh5 fxe5 39.Rxd5 Rf8 40.Rxe5 gxf4 41.gxf4 Rxf4 42.Be8 Rg4+ 43.Kf1 Rf4+ 44.Kg1 Rg4+ 45.Kf1 Bh1 46.Ra5 Rg2 47.Rxa4 Rxb2 48.h4 Kg7 49.Rf4 Bg2+ 50.Kg1 Bd5 51.Rd4 Be6 52.Bd7 Bf7 53.a4 Kf6 54.Rf4+ Ke7 55.Bb5 Be6 56.Rd4 Bh3 57.Rc4 Kd6 58.Rf4 Ke5 59.Rf8 Bf5 60.Rh8 Kf4 61.Rxh6 Kg3 62.Bf1 Rh2 63.Rh8 Rxh4 64.Rxh4 Kxh4 and we reach the following position. 1/2-1/2. Full Game

Final Position

Board 2: IM Tegshsuren Enkhbat (BAL) vs. IM Yury Lapshun (QNS)

I predicted a small advantage for Lapshun prior to the match thinking he would play a more off beat opening like the Budapest Gambit. Instead when he arrived to the match he told me he had prepared a line and in fact reached his desired position with ease. However, I am not so sure he was comfortable with the position he created for himself and the draw turned out to be a good result depsite some late game winning chances for Lapshun which require further analysis.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Nf3 Be7 5.Bg2 0–0 6.0–0 c6 7.Qc2 b6 8.b3 Bb7 9.Rd1 Nbd7 10.Nc3 c5

11.cxd5 exd5 12.Bb2 Rc8 13.Qf5 g6 14.Qf4 Re8 15.Nb5 a6 16.Nc3 b5 17.dxc5 Bxc5 18.Ng5 Ba3 19.Bxa3 Rxc3 20.e3 h6 21.Nf3 Kh7 22.Qd4 Rc8 23.Ne1 Qb6 24.Bb2 Qxd4 25.Bxd4 Ne4 26.Rac1 f5 27.f3 Ng5 28.Nd3 Ne6 29.Kf2 Kg8 30.h4 Kf7 31.a3 Rxc1 32.Rxc1 Rc8 33.Rxc8 Bxc8 34.Nf4 Nxf4 35.gxf4 Nb8 36.Ke2 Nc6 37.Kd3 Bd7 38.Kc3 Be8 39.Bf1 Ke7 40.Bc5+ Ke6 41.a4

Nb8 (what about bxa and then a5?) 42.axb5 axb5 43.Bf8 h5 44.Kb4

Nc6+ 45.Kc5 Na5 46.Kb4

Nc6+ 47.Kxb5 Nd4+ 48.Kb4 Nxf3 49.Kc3 Nxh4 50.Kd2

...g5 (instead of g5, maybe Nf3 right away with an advantage, any thoughts)

51.fxg5 Nf3+ 52.Ke2 Nxg5 53.Bg2 h4 54.Kf2 Bb5 55.Bh6 Ne4+ 56.Bxe4 fxe4 57.Bg7 Kf5 58.Kg2 Kg4 59.Bd4 Bd7 60.b4 h3+ 61.Kh2 Kf3 1/2-1/2. Full Game

Board 3: FM Andrei Zaremba (QNS) vs. FM Shinsaku Uesugi (BAL)

Another great game by Andrei. When he and Dima showed up just on time I was worried...until I saw Andrei with his usual X-L Iced Coffee from DD. Here is the game:

1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 f5 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Be7 5.0–0 0–0 6.c4 d5 7.b3 c6 8.Ba3 Nbd7 9.Bxe7 Qxe7 10.Nbd2 b6 11.Qc2 Bb7 12.Qb2 c5 13.Ne5 Rfd8 14.e3 Ne4 15.Ndf3 Ng5 16.Nxg5 Qxg5 17.Nd3 Qe7 18.Rfd1 Nf6 19.Ne5 Rac8 20.Rac1 Ne4 21.Qa3 a6 22.Rc2 Qe8 23.f4 h5 24.Bxe4 dxe4 25.Rcd2 cxd4 26.Rxd4 Rxd4 27.Rxd4 Rd8 28.Qb2 Qe7 29.Qd2 Rxd4 30.Qxd4 Qb4 31.Kf2 b5 32.Qd7 bxc4 33.Qxe6+ Kh8 34.Nf7+ and mate is unstoppable. Full Game

Board 4: WIM Tsagaan Battsetseg (BAL) vs. WFM Elizabeth Vicary (QNS)

I payed more attention to Elizabeth's game than any other since it was more exciting at a point than the other three. Elizabeth was clearly prepared for this game and in my opinion had a great position towards the end of the game. However, in the end something went wrong. I am not going to make any comments on this game since Elizabeth already provided a detailed analysis of her game on her blog.

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.Nf3 Nd7 7.h4 h6 8.h5 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 Qc7 11.Bd2 e6 12.0–0–0 0–0–0 13.Ne4 Ngf6 14.Nxf6 Nxf6 15.Qc4 Rd5 16.Qa4 Kb8 17.c4 Rxh5 18.Rxh5 Nxh5 19.g3 Ka8 20.Be3 b5 21.Qc2 bxc4 22.Qxc4 Bd6 23.Rd3 Nf6 24.Ne5 Rc8 25.Qa6 Nd5 26.Bd2 Bb4 27.Qc4 c5 28.Kd1 f6 29.Nf3 Qb7 30.Rb3 cxd4 31.Qxd4 e5 32.Qg4 a5 33.a3 Qc6 34.axb4 Qc2+ 35.Ke1 f5 36.Qg6 Qxb3 37.Qa6+ Kb8 38.Qb5+ Ka7 39.Qxa5+ Kb7 40.Qb5+ Ka8 41.Qa6+ Kb8 42.Qb5+ Ka7 43.Nxe5 Nxb4 44.Be3+ Ka8 45.Qa5+ Kb8 46.Qb6+ Ka8 47.Qa7# 1-0 Full Game

Overall, we cannot be upset with the result of this match, as Baltimore is a very strong team and a draw is a good result. With that said we must step up in the next couple matches and bring home the full point. Expect a monster performance next week against NY. Also, in the future I will try to get our players to analyze their own games and I will post them.

More Pictures