#631 My USATE Games

Over the weekend, I reluctantly played in the 40th U.S. Amateur Team East tourney at Parsippany & scored 3.5/6.

Here's the day by day rundown:

Saturday

I blundered a piece to FIDE Master/opera singer Nathan Resika on move 12 but beat a 1400 in 17 moves.

Sunday

I defeated a 1300-rated octogenarian in 14 moves & lost an exciting game to 11-year-old expert Justus Williams, of the famous I.S. 318 in Brooklyn :

J. Williams 2066 - J. Moldovan 1824

A13 English Opening
Dutch Defense

1. Nf3 e6 2. c4 f5 3. g3 b6 4. Bg2 Bb7 5. O-O Nf6 6. d3 Be7 7. Nc3 O-O 8. Qc2 Bb4!? (N) 9. a3 Bxc3 10. Qxc3 Qe7 11. b4 d6 12. Bb2 Nbd7 13. h3 e5 14. Rae1 a5 15. Kh2 axb4 16. axb4 Ra7 17. Rg1 Qe8 18. Nh4 Bxg2 19. Rxg2 Qh5 20. e4 fxe4 21. dxe4 Raa8 22. Nf5?

22...Nxe4! 23. Ne7+ Kf7 24. Rxe4 Kxe7 25. f4 Nf6 26. Re1 Ng4+ 27. Kg1 Qxh3 28. c5 Rac8 29. Rge2

29...Kd8?? (29...Rf5! =+) 30. fxe5 Nxe5 31. Rxe5 dxe5 32. Qxe5 Qd7 33. Qg5+ 1-0

Yesterday

I dispatched a fellow 1800 in 17 moves & drew U.S. Correspondence Champion Paul Fielding!!

J. Moldovan 1824 - P. Fielding 2209

D23 Queen's Gambit
Mannheim Variation

1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 dxc4 4. Qa4+ c6 5. Qxc4 Bf5 6. g3 Nbd7 7. Bg2 Nb6 8. Qb3 e6 9. O-O Be7 10. Nc3 O-O 11. Bg5 Ne4 (N) 12. Bxe7 Qxe7 13. Rfd1 Rac8 14. Nh4 Nxc3 15. bxc3 Bg4 16. Rd2 c5 17. Rad1 cxd4 18. cxd4 Rc7 19. Bf3 Bh3 20. Ng2 Bxg2 21. Kxg2 Rfc8 22. e4 Rc3 23. Qb1 Qa3 24. Rd3 g6 25. d5 Qd6 26. dxe6 Qxe6??

White is winning here but I only saw 7 moves of a very long sequence, not the 3 subtle follow-ups required by the Q & R.

27. Rxc3 Rxc3 28. Rd8+ Kg7 29. Qb4!! Rc8 30. Qf8+ Kf6 31. Qh8+ Ke7 32. Qf8+ Kf6 33. Qh8+ Ke7 34. Rxc8 Nxc8 35. Qxh7 Nd6 36. Qh4+ Ke8 37. Qh8+ Ke7 38. Qh4+ Ke8 39. Qh8+ (+-) 1/2-1/2

Of course, the Q+B & 5 should overcome Q, N & 4 but I didn't feel like grinding for another 2 hours.


The Williams & Fielding games will likely be re-visited at a future date but, for now, here is the complete set of 6, with light notes, in java-replay & zipped PGN.