Nakamura and Krush Captured U.S. Titles | Chess News

Nakamura and Krush Captured U.S. Titles | Chess News



 1.d4 f6 2.c4 g6 3.c3 d5 4.f4 g7 5.e3 0-0 Garry Kasparov, having just turned 52, advocated 5...c5 6.dxc5 a5 during his playing days. 6.c1 c5 7.dxc5 a5 8.cxd5 d8 When
the position appeared in the game Capablanca - Reshevsky, AVRO 1938,
the American grandmaster spent 58 to Capa's two minutes. The game was
drawn in 42 moves, allowing Reshevsky to celebrate his 27th birthday. 9.c4 In the game Tolush-Botvinnik, Leningrad 1939, White tried to trick his opponent with 9.d2?! xd5 10.c7?! A virtual fork! xc7 11.xd5 xd5! The exchange sacrifice refutes the diabolical trap. 12.xd5 e6 13.d2 c6 14.d1 d8 15.c1 a5+ 16.d2 d5 and Black won the c-pawn with decisive advantage. 9...e6 9...xc5 10.b3 favors White. The black Queen is uncomfortable. 10.e4 Arturo Pomar's idea, giving up the e-pawn and keeping the strong d-pawn. Nearly
75 years ago, it was fashionable to deflect the black queen with 10.b4,
until a cure in the form of the exchange sacrifice was found: 10.b4 xb4 11.b3 xb3 12.xb3 xd5!? 13.xd5 xd5! A different version of the same exchange sacrifice. 13...xd5? loses to 14.d1 . 14.xd5 xd5 15.f3 c6 16.0-0 xa2 with a compensation for the exchange, Podgorny-Prucha, Prague 1943 10...xe4 11.ge2 xf2 The best of many inadequate choices. The inaugurate game went: 11...xc5 12.0-0 d7 13.g5 b5 14.d3 b4 15.e4 xd3 16.xd3 b5 17.f3 f6 18.d6 xe2 19.xe2 fxg5 20.dxe7 e8 21.d6 1-0 (21) Pomar Salamanca,A-Tatai,S Malaga 1969 12.a4! Not 12.xf2? xc5+ 13.e3 xc4 12...xc5 After 12...xa4 13.xa4 xh1 14.dxe6 f5 15.f1 c6 16.g1 and White picks up the knight on h1 with an edge. 13.dxe6 xh1 14.exf7+ f8 All White needs is to land one of his knights on the square e6. 15.e4 b6 16.c7!? This Tolush-like move should win. 16.a3! is even stronger threatening to bring one of the knights to e6 ( Ne4-c5-e6 or 17.Be3 and 18.Nf4. For example a6 17.e3 xb2 17...b4+ 18.xb4 xb4 19.f4 18.g5! wins. 16...e3 Finally, Troff plays a novelty, but it should still lose. Accepting the bishop did not turn out to be good: 16...xc7 17.g5 xh2 18.e6+ xf7 19.xd8+ f6 19...f8 20.e6+ f7 21.g5+ f8 22.b5 h4+ 23.g3 xg3 24.e6+ f7 25.c7+ and White mates soon. 20.e8 h4+ 21.g3 xg3 22.f7+ g5 23.e6+ h5 24.f3+ h6 25.xg3 c6 26.e2 h2+ 27.f2 d4+ 28.d3 1-0 (28) Estevez Morales,G (2345)-Beggi,P (2200) Reggio Emilia 1974 17.xd8 c6 18.xe7+ xe7 19.e6? This runs into an unpleasant deflection, losing the big advantage. 19.c2 keeps the pressure on. Black's knight on h1 has problems. 19...b5! This deflection equalizes the game. 20.c2 20.xb5 xe4-+ 20...f2 21.c5 d8 21...d4= was another good choice. 22.b3 22.b3 d6 23.d7+ xd7 24.c8+ xc8 25.xc8+ e7 26.e8+ f6 27.xe3 d3+ 28.f1 c5= 22...d3+?! A slight slip. The fireworks after 22...d4 23.d7+ xd7 24.xe3 24.xd7? d3+ 25.d1 xe2+ 26.xe2 xc1+ 27.f3 xb3+- 24...xe3 25.xd7 d3+ 26.d1 xc1= lead to equal chances. 23.xd3 xd3?! 23...xd3 24.xd3 xd3 25.c7 xb2 26.xa7 c6 was a better alternative. 24.xb5± It is more difficult for Black now. d2+ 25.f1 d8 26.b3 xb2 27.a5 f6+ 28.e1 28.g1 b6+ 29.xb6 axb6 30.f4± 28...b8 This move leaves White with two pawns up. 28...b6 29.xb6 axb6 30.f4 b8 is a complicated way to stay in the game, but it had to be tried. 29.xa7 White should be winning. d6 30.g3 e5 31.c5 f6 32.d1 c8 33.b4 g7 34.d7 f8 35.d2 f5 36.f4 xf4 37.xf4 b6 38.f2 38.g4! Not only does White attack the knight, but he also protects the pawn on h2. The checks are meaningless: g1+ 39.e2 g2+ 40.d3 h3+ 41.e4 g2+ 42.f3 forces the Queen exchange. 38...a5+ 38...c1+ 39.e2 b5+ 40.d2 c8 41.d3 c6 42.f3 39.d2 b6 40.f1 b5+ 41.g1 b6+ 42.g2 e3+ 43.h3? A shocking turnabout! White now loses. 43.f3! was sufficient to win. 43...g5! Threatening 44...Qh6 mate. 44.d6 44.d6+ xd6 45.xd6 g4+ 46.h4 f5+ wins. 44...g4+ 45.h4 f5+ 46.g5 xd6 47.b2 d4 48.xg4 c5 0–1