2022 US Chess Championship

[MartinCarpenter]

Regarding the 10 move game. It was played OTB in Hoogeveen in 2011.

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1643297

Black, winning two minor pieces for their lowly Queen, played on. Which is how you must look at it and actually rejoices in the fact you have a lost game. Dave Smerdon goes into this in detail in his 'Swindles.' Relax, enjoy yourself, think up silly two movers, you have nothing to lose because you are already losing. Then citing examples. (good book)

Oh, that's an amazing book So much fun.

[Geoff Chandler]

Just spotted the post from Lawrence. That game is not his page at chess.com https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=15777 I've submitted it as it predates the 2011 game.

[Roger de Coverly]

I thought it looked familiar:

[Event "Paignton Premier"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1990.09.04"]

I doubt that Paignton tournament made it to the big databases. Otherwise there's an American game in 1996 where Black may have spotted the problem and bailed out with .. Nd6. It was also played in the 2000 Olympiad where Black retook on e4 with the Queen and just gave up the piece on e7.

There was a German game from 1985 where White didn't spot the trick and played a normal Nc3.

[JustinHorton]

I've been under the impression for close to half a century that Black's third was essentially unplayable. When did that change?

[NickFaulks]

I've been under the impression for close to half a century that Black's third was essentially unplayable. When did that change?

I wondered that too. This appears to be a proper game played in 2019.

https://old.chesstempo.com/gamedb/game/4773124/ply/6

[Roger de Coverly]

I wondered that too. This appears to be a proper game played in 2019.

I've faced it a couple of times in recent years as well as in school games long long ago.

In 1996 I gave the pawn back and won
[Event "North Wales Open"] [Site "Llandudno"] [Date "2016.07.02"] [Round "3.8"] [White "de Coverly, RD"] [Black "McDonagh, M"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C42"] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nxe4 4.Qe2 Qe7 5.Qxe4 d6 6.d4 dxe5 7.dxe5 Nc6 8.Nc3 Qxe5 9.Qxe5+ Nxe5 10.Bf4 Bd6 11.Bg3 Bd7 12.Ne4 Bc6 13.Nxd6+ cxd6 14.O-O-O O-O-O 15.f4 Ng4 16.Rd2 Ne3 17.Bf2 Rhe8 18.Bxe3 Rxe3 19.Bd3 Be4 20.Bxe4 Rxe4 21.g3 Kc7 22.Rhd1 Kc6 23.b3 f5 24.c4 h5 25.Rd5 g6 26.R1d2 b6 27.Kc2 h4 28.R5d3 a5 29.Kc3 Kc5 30.a3 Kc6 31.b4 axb4+ 32.axb4 h3 33.b5+ Kc7 34.Kb4 d5 35.Rd4 Rxd4 36.Rxd4 Re8 37.Rxd5 Re2 38.Re5 Rxh2 39.Re7+ Kd6 40.Rg7 Rb2+ 41.Kc3 Rg2 42.Rxg6+ Ke7 43.Rxb6 Rxg3+ 44.Kd4 Rg4 45.Rh6 Rxf4+ 46.Kc5 Rf3 47.b6 Kd7 48.Rh7+ Ke6 49.Kc6 f4 50.b7 Rb3 51.Rxh3 Rb4 52.c5 Ke5 53.Kc7 1-0

In 2007 I tried to hold the pawn and could only draw.

[Event "Warwickshire Open"] [Site "Coventry"] [Date "2017.02.25"] [Round "5.8"] [White "de Coverly, RD"] [Black "Ireland, DJ"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C42"] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nxe4 4.Qe2 Qe7 5.Qxe4 d6 6.d4 dxe5 7.Qxe5 Qxe5+ 8.dxe5 Bf5 9.c3 Nd7 10.Bf4 O-O-O 11.Bc4 f6 12.exf6 Re8+ 13.Be3 Ne5 14.Bb5 c6 15.fxg7 Bxg7 16.Be2 Nd3+ 17.Bxd3 Bxd3 18.Na3 Bh6 19.O-O-O Rxe3 20.fxe3 Bxe3+ 21.Rd2 Rd8 22.Rhd1 Be4 23.g3 c5 24.Nc4 Bh6 25.Re1 Bxd2+ 26.Nxd2 Bg6 27.Re7 Rf8 28.Re2 Kc7 29.g4 Rf4 30.Rg2 b5 31.Kd1 Bd3 32.Ke1 Kd6 33.h3 b4 34.cxb4 cxb4 35.Rf2 Ke5 36.Rxf4 Kxf4 37.Kf2 a5 38.a3 bxa3 39.bxa3 h5 40.gxh5 Kg5 41.Kg3 Kxh5 42.Nf3 Be2 43.Nd4 Bd1 44.Nc6 a4 45.Nb4 Bb3 46.h4 Bd1 47.Nd5 Kg6 48.Nf4+ Kf5 49.Nd5 Kg6 50.Nc3 Bc2 51.Kg4 Bf5+ 52.Kf4 Bc2 53.Nd5 Kh5 54.Kg3 Bd1 55.Nf4+ Kh6 56.Kf2 Bb3 57.Ke3 Bd1 58.Kd4 Bc2 59.Kc3 Bd1 60.Kb4 Bb3 61.Ne2 Kh5 62.Nc3 Kxh4 63.Nxa4 Bc2 64.Nc5 Kg5 65.Kc3 Bd1 66.Kd2 Bf3 67.a4 Kf5 68.Kc3 Ke5 69.Kb4 Kd6 70.a5 Kc7 71.Ne6+ Kb8 72.Nd4 Bb7 73.Nb5 Ba6 74.Nd4 Bf1 75.Nc6+ Kb7 76.Kc5 Be2 77.Nb4 Bf1 78.a6+ 1/2-1/2

I think it's better than its reputation and that returning the pawn for a position with initiative is a preferred way to go, for my style anyway.

[LawrenceCooper]

A horrible game on my part, clearly 7 Qxe5 isn't best but I hoped to slow down my opponent who was blitzing out his moves.

[Event "Paignton Premier"] [Site "?"] [Date "1991.09.06"] [Round "6"] [White "Cooper, Lawrence"] [Black "Ivlev"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C42"] [PlyCount "63"] [EventDate "1991.??.??"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 Nxe4 4. Qe2 Qe7 5. Qxe4 d6 6. d4 dxe5 7. Qxe5 Qxe5+ 8. dxe5 Bf5 9. Be3 Bxc2 10. Nd2 Nd7 11. Rc1 Ba4 12. f4 Bc6 13. Kf2 g5 14. e6 fxe6 15. fxg5 Bg7 16. b3 Ne5 17. Be2 O-O+ 18. Kg3 a5 19. Rhd1 a4 20. b4 a3 21. b5 Bd5 22. Rxc7 Ra4 23. Rc2 Nf7 24. Bc4 Nd6 25. Bd3 Bb2 26. Nb3 Ne4+ 27. Kh3 Nc3 28. Rxc3 Bxc3 29. Bc2 Rc8 30. b6 Rb4 31. Bc5 Rxb3 32. Bxb3 0-1 [pgn]

[JustinHorton]

Hooper, unimpressed with your seventh in 1967

[Matt Mackenzie]

I've been under the impression for close to half a century that Black's third was essentially unplayable. When did that change?

"Essentially unplayable" was always overdoing it, and maybe influenced by the well known beginner's trap where Black loses his Q on move 5. It has been played as a "surprise weapon" by a few players down the years.

It isn't employed more because it *is* at the end of the day inferior to the usual 3...d6, but the difference maybe isn't a massive one.

[Geoff Chandler]

I met this in an OTB game skittles at the club few weeks back. I knew it was playable but got nothing from the opening. And during the game I kept thinking back to here...

rnb1kb1r/ppppqppp/8/4N3/4n3/8/PPPPQPPP/RNB1KB1R w KQkq - 0 5

..and wondered. If that was OK with White to move how about burning a tempo and play as though you were Black. But I could not think of a good waiting move. I figured 5.b3 was a blunder and had a wee chuckle at the board then 5.Kd1 with quick Re1 tricks in mind. but that is silly and I got on with the game and until now forgot all about it. 4.Nxf7 instead of 4.Qe2 would be OK if Black played 4...Kxf7 but 4...Qe7 and White is losing.

[NickFaulks]

It isn't employed more because it *is* at the end of the day inferior to the usual 3...d6

But the way your modern player sees things, if it's inferior but you can draw it, then it isn't really inferior.

[Mick Norris]

I've been under the impression for close to half a century that Black's third was essentially unplayable. When did that change?

FWIW, Forintos/Haag 1991 gives 3 .. Nxe4 (?) which is interesting notation

4 Qe2 Qe7
5 Qxe4 d6
6 d4 de
7 de (the capture Qxe5 only helps develop Black's counterplay after the exchange of an active queen for an inferior one. Moreover, the advanced e5 pawn will be weaker) Nc6
Now White faces a choice between 8 Bb5 and
8 Nc3 This line avoids many of the complications and leaves White a slight positional advantage

Obviously, lots of progress in the Petroff since that book came out

I've never tried it myself

[JustinHorton]

Chess24 report. I missed Lee's missed win against Krush (packed it in last night) which would really have stirred things up, but the women's championship is really very open anyway.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Fairly obvious who is coming last in the men's event isn't it. Always a bit sad when somebody really gets singled out like this.

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Matt,

Somebody always has to come last in any tournament and that is a pretty unforgiving field. At least he has notched up a win but his 10 move loss would have done the rounds. Hacks world wide would have used it for copy, even I stooped to use it as a space filler.

I've been trying to protect my readers from the nasty goings on in the real chess world so I have refrained from speculating and pointing fingers of shiftless blame on my bloggy thing and came up with the idea of using the three wise monkeys but with pawns.


And by pure chance I came across this;

Three players all doing the same.

If you said to Hans before the tournament started, 'After 10 round you will be on the same points as Wes So and ½ a point ahead of Lev Aronian." I think he would have been quite pleased."

https://www.chess.com/events/2022-us-ch ... ip/results