Tuesday, July 17, 2007

A Very Good Year

It has been a very good year for FIDE master Tommy Bartell. Before the New Jersey Futurity International 2007, he had already beaten grandmasters Yudasin (USATE) and Shulman (World Open). Here he defeats one more grandmaster in round eight of the Parsippany event.

GM Magesh Panchanathan (FIDE 2486) - FM Tommy Bartell (FIDE 2398), NJ Futurity International 7/11/2007

1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 c5 4.0-0 Nc6 5.d4 Bf5 6.b3 e6 7.Bb2 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Be4!?


Usually Black plays 8...Nxd4.

9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Bxe4 Nxe4 11.Nd2 Nf6 12.c4 Be7 13.Qc2 0-0 14.Rfd1 Qb6 15.e3 a5 16.Bd4 Bc5 17.Bxf6


Although there is nothing wrong with this move, it seems ill-advised in light of what follows. White's knight keeps moving around aimlessly, trying to find a good square.

17...gxf6 18.Rab1 f5 19.Nf3 Be7 20.Ne5 Qc7 21.Nd3 Rfc8 22.Nb2 Bf6 23.Na4 Rab8 24.Rbc1 Qd8 25.Qe2 Qf8 26.Rc2 Rd8 27.Kg2 Rd7 28.Qf3 Rbd8 29.Rdc1 Qa3 30.g4 Bg5?! 31.gxf5 d4


Black should have pushed this pawn one move earlier.

32.Rg1 Kh8 33.Kh1?!

Instead, White could have obtained a huge advantage by 33.exd4 Rxd4 34.fxe6 fxe6 35.c5!

33...Qe7 34.fxe6 fxe6 35.exd4 Rxd4 36.Re2 Rh4 37.Rg4 Rf8 38.Qg3 Rxg4 39.Qxg4 Rf4 40.Qg3 Qf6 41.Nc3 Bh4 42.Qd3 Rf3 43.Re3 Rxf2 44.Nd1 Rd2, White resigns.