Sunday, June 1, 2014
Friday, May 30, 2014
Monday, March 31, 2014
11th David Mote Memorial
This past weekend, I played in the 11th David Mote Memorial in Springfield, IL. The turnout was actually quite good for a local downstate event as 40 participants showed up to compete.
Unfortunately, there were four undefeated scores headed into the final round and so I was unable to play the only other player above 2000, but I did have an interesting position in round 3 against Shawn Rhoney:
Karagianis-Rhoney, Rd. 3 11th David Mote Memorial. Position after 18. Rc7
Here, I saw that black could safely play
18. ...Nf6! leaving the queen en prise...
...which he did! The point is that after 19. Rxe7 Rxd1+ 20. Bf1 Bh3 Black's attack looks extremely scary. However, I correctly calculated during the game that I could in fact take the queen, for example after 20. ...Bh3 the game can go on: 21. Qe2! (the only defense, and white is playing for a better endgame). 21. ...Rxf1+ 22. Qxf1 Bxf1 23. Kxf1 and white's active rook should give an edge.
However, I felt I had a solid position and didn't want to simplify. Instead I played:
19. Rxd8
19. Rdc1 happened to be best.
19. ...Qxd8 20. Qc2
And after a short tactical sequence, the game soon found itself into a better endgame for white, which I was able to convert in time pressure.
My next tournament will be the 50th Anniversary of the Greater Peoria Open (http://www.peoriaopen.org/)
Unfortunately, there were four undefeated scores headed into the final round and so I was unable to play the only other player above 2000, but I did have an interesting position in round 3 against Shawn Rhoney:
Karagianis-Rhoney, Rd. 3 11th David Mote Memorial. Position after 18. Rc7
Here, I saw that black could safely play
18. ...Nf6! leaving the queen en prise...
...which he did! The point is that after 19. Rxe7 Rxd1+ 20. Bf1 Bh3 Black's attack looks extremely scary. However, I correctly calculated during the game that I could in fact take the queen, for example after 20. ...Bh3 the game can go on: 21. Qe2! (the only defense, and white is playing for a better endgame). 21. ...Rxf1+ 22. Qxf1 Bxf1 23. Kxf1 and white's active rook should give an edge.
However, I felt I had a solid position and didn't want to simplify. Instead I played:
19. Rxd8
19. Rdc1 happened to be best.
19. ...Qxd8 20. Qc2
And after a short tactical sequence, the game soon found itself into a better endgame for white, which I was able to convert in time pressure.
My next tournament will be the 50th Anniversary of the Greater Peoria Open (http://www.peoriaopen.org/)
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Blitz Pawn Sacrifices
In this game, I face off against Women's International Master Gulmira Dauletova. In the middle-game, I notice a chance for an interesting pawn sacrifice to open up my bishop (and play) and can't resist. The game ends in a quick tactical flash. I have left the time used with the notation just for fun.
White: NM Karagianis Black: WIM Dauletova
1. d4 (0:01) Nf6 (0:02)
2. c4 (0:01) e6 (0:00)
3. Nf3 (0:02) Bb4+ (0:00)
4. Bd2 (0:01) a5 (0:01)
5. g3 (0:02) d6 (0:03)
6. Bg2 (0:01) Nbd7 (0:00)
7. O-O (0:02) e5 (0:01)
8. Nc3 (0:04) exd4 (0:01)
9. Nxd4 (0:02) O-O (0:00)
10. e4 (0:07) Re8 (0:02)
11. Qc2 (0:04) c6 (0:01)
12. Rad1 (0:06) Nc5 (0:02)
13. Rfe1 (0:03) h6 (0:10)
14. a3 (0:02) Bxc3 (0:02)
It was probably a mistake to play 12. ...Nc5 and then allow me to trade off her dark square bishop. The d-pawn, on a half-open file, is particularly weak.
15. Bxc3 (0:00) a4 (0:06)
For the past few moves I had been imagining how wonderful it would be to have a knight on f5. Here I played a complicated move which causes black serious problems...
16. e5! (0:18)
The idea is that if 16. ...dxe5 then 17. Nxc6!
16. ... Ng4 (0:13)
17. e6?! (0:16)
Not best. I probably should have just won a pawn with 17. exd6 Qxd6 18. Nxc6, for example. But I was enthralled with the idea of opening the bishop on the long diagonal and reaching f5 with my knight.
17. ...Nxe6 (0:05)
17. ...Bxe6 was necessary to keep the knight out of f5.
18. Nf5 (0:13) Qb6 (0:50)
19. Nxd6 (0:15) Rd8 (0:05)
20. Qf5 (0:25)
A nice finishing touch. No knight discovery is useful, and most are met simply by Nxc8 and Qxg4.
20. ...Nf6 (0:39)
21. Bxf6 (0:03) gxf6 (0:00)
22. Qxf6 (0:02) Rf8 (0:02)
23. Nf5 (0:02) Qc5 (0:08)
24. Ne7+ (0:02) Kh7 (0:02)
25. Be4+ (0:01)
1-0 (Black Resigns)
White: NM Karagianis Black: WIM Dauletova
1. d4 (0:01) Nf6 (0:02)
2. c4 (0:01) e6 (0:00)
3. Nf3 (0:02) Bb4+ (0:00)
4. Bd2 (0:01) a5 (0:01)
5. g3 (0:02) d6 (0:03)
6. Bg2 (0:01) Nbd7 (0:00)
7. O-O (0:02) e5 (0:01)
8. Nc3 (0:04) exd4 (0:01)
9. Nxd4 (0:02) O-O (0:00)
10. e4 (0:07) Re8 (0:02)
11. Qc2 (0:04) c6 (0:01)
12. Rad1 (0:06) Nc5 (0:02)
13. Rfe1 (0:03) h6 (0:10)
14. a3 (0:02) Bxc3 (0:02)
It was probably a mistake to play 12. ...Nc5 and then allow me to trade off her dark square bishop. The d-pawn, on a half-open file, is particularly weak.
15. Bxc3 (0:00) a4 (0:06)
For the past few moves I had been imagining how wonderful it would be to have a knight on f5. Here I played a complicated move which causes black serious problems...
16. e5! (0:18)
The idea is that if 16. ...dxe5 then 17. Nxc6!
16. ... Ng4 (0:13)
17. e6?! (0:16)
Not best. I probably should have just won a pawn with 17. exd6 Qxd6 18. Nxc6, for example. But I was enthralled with the idea of opening the bishop on the long diagonal and reaching f5 with my knight.
17. ...Nxe6 (0:05)
17. ...Bxe6 was necessary to keep the knight out of f5.
18. Nf5 (0:13) Qb6 (0:50)
19. Nxd6 (0:15) Rd8 (0:05)
20. Qf5 (0:25)
A nice finishing touch. No knight discovery is useful, and most are met simply by Nxc8 and Qxg4.
20. ...Nf6 (0:39)
21. Bxf6 (0:03) gxf6 (0:00)
22. Qxf6 (0:02) Rf8 (0:02)
23. Nf5 (0:02) Qc5 (0:08)
24. Ne7+ (0:02) Kh7 (0:02)
25. Be4+ (0:01)
1-0 (Black Resigns)
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Peoria January Tornado
I recently played in the Peoria January Tornado and faced off against two of my stronger students - Advaith and Jason. Both played very well and, in fact, I could have been in trouble against Advaith in the second round if he had found the best continuation.
In the final round, I had an interesting Benoni which entered fairly unique territory rather early.
The following position occurred after 11. ...0-0:
(From game: Krishnamurthy-Karagianis)
Here white tried the ambitious 12. g4?!
After which I played 12. ...h6 intending if 13. g5 hxg5 14. fxg5 Ne5! with an advantage. The game continued:
13. h4 h5
locking up the kingside
14. g5 Ng4
15. Rg1
white is thinking of sacrificing the exchange on g4 to open an attack on the king (maybe via the h-file) but he doesn't have enough pieces in the neighborhood to make it work. This move is too optimistic. He should have tried perhaps 15. Bd2.
15. ...Re8
16. Bd2 c4!
A pawn sacrifice with the idea of opening lines to attack, for example Qb6 (hitting b2 and g1) or even Rc8 (lining up on the c-file in case white decides to castle queenside).
17. Bc2 b5
The main idea of my pawn pushes is to make 0-0-0 look scary for white, but now he blunders...
18. Nxb5?? Qb6!
The rook on g1 is hanging. White loses the knight, and soon after lost the game.
----
My next tournament will be the USAT, where again I am playing with three students as my teammates. Our average team rating is 1916.
In the final round, I had an interesting Benoni which entered fairly unique territory rather early.
The following position occurred after 11. ...0-0:
(From game: Krishnamurthy-Karagianis)
Here white tried the ambitious 12. g4?!
After which I played 12. ...h6 intending if 13. g5 hxg5 14. fxg5 Ne5! with an advantage. The game continued:
13. h4 h5
locking up the kingside
14. g5 Ng4
15. Rg1
white is thinking of sacrificing the exchange on g4 to open an attack on the king (maybe via the h-file) but he doesn't have enough pieces in the neighborhood to make it work. This move is too optimistic. He should have tried perhaps 15. Bd2.
15. ...Re8
16. Bd2 c4!
A pawn sacrifice with the idea of opening lines to attack, for example Qb6 (hitting b2 and g1) or even Rc8 (lining up on the c-file in case white decides to castle queenside).
17. Bc2 b5
The main idea of my pawn pushes is to make 0-0-0 look scary for white, but now he blunders...
18. Nxb5?? Qb6!
The rook on g1 is hanging. White loses the knight, and soon after lost the game.
----
My next tournament will be the USAT, where again I am playing with three students as my teammates. Our average team rating is 1916.
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