T78 Playoff highlights #2

Ajolote takes on the French using Chigorin (2. Qe2) variation. Solid play results in overwhelming advantage.

Ajolote (1935) - Portola (1736)

Result: 1-0

Site: Internet Chess Club

Date: 2018.11.11

[...] 1.e4 e6 2.£e2 Chigorin variation with Qe2! 2...¥e7 3.¤f3 ¤f6 4.d3 d5 5.e5 ¤fd7 6.g3 c5 7.¥g2 ¤c6 8.O-O h6 9.c3 £c7 10.¦e1 b6 11.a3 a5 12.h4 ¥b7 13.¥f4 b5 14.c4 bxc4 15.dxc4 d4 16.¤bd2 ¤b6 17.¤e4 ¤c8 18.¥h3 ¤d8 19.h5 ¥xe4 20.£xe4 ¦b8 21.¦ab1 £b7 Black bringing pressure on b2 pawn. 22.£e2 £a6 23.¤d2 ¤b6 24.b3 O-O 25.¤e4 ¤d7 26.g4 Leaping to the attack with Qg4 is another possibility, but Black can defend

26.£g4 ¢h8 27.¤d6 ¥xd6 28.exd6 a4 29.b4 cxb4 30.¥xh6 gxh6 31.£xd4 ¢g8 32.axb4 a3 33.c5 ¤c6 34.£f4 ¢g7 35.£g4 ¢h8 36.£f4 ¢g7 37.£g4

26...¦b6 27.g5 hxg5 28.¤xg5 f6 29.exf6 ¥xf6 White is ahead now - Rf6 is a little better for Black, but still not enough. (29...¦xf6 30.¥c7 ¤f8 31.¤e4 ¦h6 32.¥xb6 £xb6 33.f4 ¤f7 34.£g4 £c7) 30.¤xe6 ¦f7 31.¤xd8 ¥xd8 32.£e8 (32.¥xd7 ¦xf4 33.£e8 ¦f8 34.¥e6 ¦xe6 35.£xe6 £xe6 36.¦xe6) 32...¤f8 33.¥g3 ¥f6 34.¥g2 ¦e6 35.¦xe6 £xe6 36.£xe6 ¤xe6 37.¥d5 ¦e7 38.¦e1 ¢f7 39.f4 Black will lose a piece here... White has overwhelming advantage... 39...d3 40.f5 d2 41.fxe6 ¢e8 42.¦d1 ¥g5 43.¥e5 g6 44.hxg6 ¥h6 45.¥f6 ¦c7 46.e7 Threatening Bf7+ and e8=Q - Black must exchange R 46...¦xe7 47.¥xe7 ¢xe7 48.¦xd2 ¥xd2 White will Queen the pawn..... 49.g7 ¥e3 50.¢g2

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T78 Playoff highlights

leandromorg conquers the English! Early disruption of White's pawn structure coupled with an aggressive attack was key.

primerpaso (1760) - leandromorg (1776)

Result: 0-1

Site: Internet Chess Club

Date: 2018.11.11

[...] 1.c4 e6 2.¤c3 d5 3.cxd5 exd5 4.d4 f5 5.g3 ¤f6 6.¥g2 c6 7.¤h3 ¥d6 8.O-O O-O 9.¥f4 ¤a6 10.¦b1 ¤c7 11.b4 b4 moves give Black a slight advantage... 11...¤e4 12.£d3 ¥xf4 13.gxf4 ¤e6 14.b5 £h4 Black is taking an aggressive line to take advantage of white's disrupted pawn structure. 15.e3 ¦f6 16.¤e2 g5 17.fxg5 ¤6xg5 18.¤xg5 ¤xg5 Theoretically even here (by C) but Black has a strong attack going. 19.¤f4 ¦h6 20.h3 ¤e6 21.¤xe6 ¥xe6 22.f4 ¢h8 23.bxc6 bxc6 24.¦b2 ¦g8 Increasing pressure on White's K 25.¢h1 £g3

25...¦g3 26.¦b8 ¢g7 27.¦b7 ¢f6 28.¦b2 ¦xh3 29.¥xh3 £xh3 30.¢g1 ¦g6 31.¢f2 ¦g2

26.£e2? And it is over - no escape for White!

26.£d1 Essential move for White.... 26...¥f7 27.£e1 ¦e6 28.£xg3 ¦xg3

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