Arizona team wins West regional

Feb. 24, 2008

Position No. 5991: White to play and win. From the game John Daniel Bryant-Romeo Ignacio, San Diego 2008.

Solution to Position No. 5990: White wins with 1 Re6 Rf8 2 Rxd6! hxg5 (White gains a piece from 2 … cxd6 3 Ne6+ Kf7 4 Nxf8) 3 Rxa6, intending Rc2-e2-e6. If 1 … hxg5 2 Bxf6+ Kf7, then 3 Rxd6 wins.

The 25th U.S. Amateur Team Championship West attracted 49 teams and 217 players last weekend in Los Angeles.

The good turnout produced a substantial profit for the U.S. Chess Federation and the Southern California Chess Federation, a rare occurrence in these times of slumping attendance.

An Arizona team consisting of masters Robby Adamson and Landon Brownell and experts Jonathan Cox and Benjamin Marmont won all six matches and qualified for the playoff against the East, South and North regional winners. Cox and Marmont also earned individual honors as best scorers (5 1/2 - 1/2 each) on third and fourth boards.

Five teams scored 4 1/2 -1 1/2 . On tiebreak, Sunil! Where’s Hikaru? (Jouaquin Banawa, Joel Banawa, Takashi Kurosaki and Sunil Deolalikar) took second prize. The Dream Team (IM Enrico Sevillano, John Daniel Bryant, Michael Yee and Santy Wong) finished third.

Grandmaster Sergey Kudrin (5-1 on first board), IM Andranik Matikozian (5 1/2 - 1/2 on second board) and Stewart Yanez (4-0 as alternate) won board prizes. For a complete list of winners, see www.scchess.com.

The accompanying Scholastic Amateur Team set a record with 40 teams and 162 players. Beyond Qh5 (Daniel Lin, David H. Yang, Kyle Huang and Yusheng Xia) won with a 4-0 match score.

International news

The traditional tournament in Linares, Spain, has become a two-continent affair. Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria took the early lead in Morelia, Mexico, with two wins and a draw. World champion Viswanathan Anand of India was close behind, with two wins and a loss. After the first half of the double round robin, the tournament shifts to Linares, resuming Thursday.

Local news

The Super States tournament, a state championship for high school, junior high and elementary students, will be Saturday and Sunday at Orange Lutheran High School in Orange. See chess4children.com for complete details.

The Exposition Park Chess Club, which meets at 1 p.m. every Sunday in the public library, 3665 S. Vermont Ave. in Los Angeles, will host its free monthly tournament Sunday. See chess.expoparkla.com for news and photos.

Craig Faber scored 5 1/2 - 1/2 to win the 57-player Winter Open at the Arcadia Chess Club. Ike Miller was second at 5-1, followed by top Class A Jesse Victoria and top Class B David King, both at 4 1/2 -1 1/2 .

The club runs tournaments Monday evenings in the Senior Citizens building, 405 S. Santa Anita Ave. in Arcadia. Call Fred Brock at (626) 331-1638 for information.

Today’s games

Graham Free-Elliott Liu, USAT West, Los Angeles 2008: 1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 Nc6 3 g3 The Closed Sicilian. g6 4 Bg2 Bg7 5 d3 Rb8 6 Be3 b5!? 7 Bxc5?! Correct is 7 Qd2, meeting 7 … b4 smoothly by 8 Nd1. b4 8 Na4 Yielding the exchange obtains some compensation, as does 8 Nd5 Qa5 9 Be3 Bxb2 10 Rb1 Qxa2 11 Ne2. Qa5 9 b3 d6 10 Be3 Keeping equal material by 10 e5 Nxe5 11 Bd4 Bb7 does not solve White’s problems. Bxa1 11 Qxa1 Nf6 12 d4 Probably 12 f4 0-0 13 Nf3 improves. Bd7 13 d5? Weak, but the punishment seems too harsh for the crime. Ne5 14 Nb2 Rc8 15 Kd1 Bg4+16 f3 Allowing a torrent of sacrifices. However,16 Kc1 Qc7 17 Qb1 runs into 17 … Nxd5! 18 exd5 Bf5. Rc3! 17 Bd2 Similar is 17 Bd4 Nxe4! 18 fxg4 Qxd5, when 19 Ne2 loses to 19 … Nf2+ 20 Kc1 Qxg2. Nxe4! 18 fxg4 Black refutes 18 Bxc3 by 18 … bxc3! 19 Nd3 Nxd3, seeing 20 cxd3 c2+! 21 Kxc2 Qd2+. Qxd5 19 Nd3 Rxd3 20 Bxe4 Or 20 cxd3 Nf2+, gaining a Rook. Rxd2+ 21 Kc1?! Rd1+, White Resigns.

IM Kong Liang Deng-IM Jack Peters, USAT West, Los Angeles 2008: 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 c3 A sideline against the Sicilian Defense. Nf6 4 Be2 Nc6 Before the game, I told my teammates that White’s gambit was unsound. Black often declines with 4 … Nbd7. 5 d4 cxd4 6 cxd4 Nxe4 7 d5 Qa5+ Else 8 Qa4+ wins a Knight. 8 Nc3 Nxc3 9 bxc3 Nb8 Another idea is 9 … Ne5 10 Nxe5 dxe5, but 10 … Qxc3+ 11 Bd2 Qxe5 12 0-0 Qxd5 is suicidally greedy. 10 0-0 g6 The next optimist should test 10 … Nd7. 11 Qd4 Rg8?! I have more respect for the gambit now, as I did not manage to develop my Kingside. Black must resort to 11 … f6 12 Re1 Bg7 13 Qe3 Kf7, although 14 Nd4 gives White enough compensation. 12 Re1 Nd7 After 12 … Bg7 13 Qe4, White threatens e7 by 14 Bb5+. 13 Bf1 Qc5 I rejected 13 … Nb6 14 c4 e5. Later, Deng suggested 15 Rxe5+ dxe5 16 Qxe5+ Kd7 17 Qf6, with a terrific attack. 14 Qa4! Ruining my dream of castling Queenside. I expected 14 Qh4 Qxd5 (possibly 14 … h6 survives) 15 Bg5. Qxd5 15 Ba3 Every White piece contributes. If 15 Bc4 Qc6 (not 15 … Qh5? 16 Ng5 Rg7 because of 17 Be2) 16 Qb3 Rg7 17 Bh6 Nc5, Black may drop only the exchange. Kd8 16 Rad1 Qf5 Not 16 … Nb6 17 Qh4, as d6 falls. 17 Nd4 Nb6 18 Qb3 Qf6 19 c4! Files must open! Black is lost. Bd7 20 Nb5 Not so clear is 20 c5?! Ba4. Bg7 A little tougher is 20 … Bc6 21 c5 (or 21 Nxa7 Nd7) Nd7 22 cxd6 e6. I feared 23 Nc7 Rc8 24 Nxe6+, but the computer prefers 23 Bb2 Qh4 24 Nd4 Bd5 25 Nxe6+! fxe6 26 Rxd5, breaking through. 21 c5 Be6 22 cxd6! Welcoming 22 … Bxb3 23 dxe7+ Ke8 24 Nc7 mate. exd6 23 Rxd6+ Nd7 24 Rexe6! Quickest. fxe6 25 Rxd7+ Kxd7 26 Qd3+ Kc8 Or 26 … Ke8 27 Nc7+ Kf7 28 Qd7+. 27 Qc4+, Black Resigns.