Saturday, July 28, 2007

West - Truong

Congratulations to newly-elected USCF Executive Board member Paul Truong! Recently I played this game against Truong in a game/30 quad at the Polgar Chess Center, run by grandmaster Susan Polgar who also was elected to the Executive Board.

Round Two: Sicilian Defense

Jim West (USCF 2223) - Paul Truong (USCF 2283), Polgar Chess Center 12/3/2006

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 b5 7.Bb3 Bb7

Usually Black plays ...e6 before bringing the bishop to b7.

8.f3 Nbd7 9.Be3 Nc5 10.Qd2 e6 11.O-O-O Rc8 12.Kb1 Be7 13.g4 Nxb3 14.axb3?! d5!


White should have captured with 14.Nxb3 to restrain this move. In the game, Black could have been slightly better by 16...b4.

15.g5 Nh5 16.exd5 Bxd5?! 17.Nxd5 Qxd5 18.Ne2 Qxd2 19.Rxd2 Bc5 20.Bxc5 Rxc5 21.Rhd1 O-O


22.h4 Rf5 23.Rd3 g6 24.Rh1 Rc8 25.c3 Rcc5 26.b4 Rc4 27.b3 Rc7 28.Kb2 Kg7 29.Ra1 Nf4 30.Nxf4 Rxf4, draw.

A likely conclusion might have been 31.Rxa6 Rxh4 32.Rb6 Rh2+ 33.Kb1 Ra7 34.Rxb5 Rh2+ 35.Kb1 Rh1+ with a repetition of position.