CHESS BY VICTOR STRUGO

The 7th annual Kraaifontein Open takes place over the 16-18 December weekend at Monument Park High School. Schedule, other details and online registration at Kraaifontein Open 2022 – South African Chess Hub.

Last month’s 14-Grandmaster USA Championship was won by 2nd-seeded Fabiano Caruana, unbeaten with 8.5/13 points. He repeated his 2016 victory which had followed 4 previous Italian national titles.

Half a point behind was Ray Robson (28) also unbeaten but scoring one less win. Both former prodigies became GMs aged 14 years 11 months, Robson four days younger than Caruana. Here’s how he disposed of the top seed.

Ray Robson (2690) – Wesley So (2774), NimzoIndian Defence: 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e3 O-O 5 Nf3 Bxc3+ 6 bxc3 d6 7 Bd3 e5 8 e4

Re8 9 O-O exd4 10 cxd4 Nxe4 11 Re1 Nf6 12 Rxe8+ Qxe8 13 h3 Nbd7 14 Qc2 b6 15 Bb2 Bb7 16 d5 Qf8 17 g4 h6 18 Kh2 c6 (Black is doing fine. Better was 18 Re8! When 19 g5 hxg5 20 Nxg5 Qe7 21 Bh7+? achieves nothing) 19 g5 hxg5 20 Nxg5 cxd5? (20 … Qe7 was playable because 21 Re1 isn’t possible but then 21 Bf5! Ne5 22 f4 Ng6 23 Nxf7! keeps White on top. Instead, Black’s the impertinent d-Pawn remains ignored for the next 12 moves!) 21 Bh7+! 16 Kh8 22 Bf5 Ne5 23 f4 Ng6? (Loses but sacrificing a N with 23 … d4 24 fxe5 dxe5 25 Rg1 was unpromising) 24 Bxf6 gxf6 25 Nxf7+ Qxf7 26 Bxg6 Qe7 27 Qf2 f5 (Or 27 Kg7 28 Re1 Qd7 29 Rg1) 28 Rg1 Rg8 29 Rg5 Rg7 30 Qh4+ Kg8 31 Qh5 Bc8 32 cxd5 a5 33 Qh6 b5 (Black has no defence. 33 Qf6 34 Bh7+ Kf7 35 Bg8+! finds his K unable to defend both Q and R so Rxg8 36 Qxf6+ Kxf6 37 Rxg8) 34 Bh7+ Kf8 35 Rg2 Black resigned

The Iranian-born tail-ender lost this amusing gamelet to the Cuban-born 3rd prize-winner.

Leiner Dominguez (2737)- Elshan Moradiabadi (2534), Petrov Defence: 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Nxe5 d6 4 Nf3 Nxe4 5 d4 d5 6 Bd3 Bf5 7 0-0 Be7 8 c4 0-0? (He must play … c6 or… dxc4. (White is already much better) 9 cxd5 Qxd5?? (9 … Bf6) 10 Bxe4 (Wakey, wakey! A piece falls on the e-file) Black resigned. This trap reminded me of an even shorter loss in the same event in 1984.

Kamran Shirazi Jack Peters (Sicilian, Wing Gambit): 1 e4 c5 2 b4 cxb4 3 a3 d5 4 exd5 Qxd5 5 axb4?? Qe5+ White resigned.

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I welcome comments, games and news at victor.strugo@gmail. com. Find local news at www.chesshub.org.za and facebook.com/ SACHESSPLAYERS.