Though it ended up being for naught for his team, FM Gulamali’s creative win over GM Kaufman netted him the top prize for Week 10 as he edged out New York’s GM Tamaz Gelashvili who was close to getting his unprecedented third Game of the Week prize in a row!
1st Place: FM Kazim Gulamali (BOS) vs GM Larry Kaufman (BAL) 1-0
After an already very interesting piece sac, FM Gulamali neatly finished the game with the nice tactical sequence 28. Rh8+! Bxh8 29. Qh7+ Kf8 30. Bb4+!
GM Alex Yermolinsky (1st Place, 3 Points)
IM Victor Shen (1st Place, 3 Points)
WGM Jennifer Shahade (1st Place, 3 Points): A wild and creative game where White sacked a piece, and Black seemed to be defending against immediate disaster until 26… Bg7 after which White had a pretty forced win.
IM John Bartholomew (2nd Place, 2 Points) FM Kazim Gulamali always plays with great courage, so backing down from the intuitive piece sacrifice 17. g4!!? probably didn’t even cross his radar! The Knight sacrifice is even difficult for the computer to comprehend. Very pretty concluding combination with 28. Rh8+!.
FM Elliot Liu (3rd Place, 1 Point):
Total score of Gulamali vs Kaufman: 12 Points
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2nd Place: GM Alex Stripunsky (NJ) vs GM Tamaz Gelashvili (NY) 0-1
GM Gelashvili broke through with the strong sequence 30… Rxc3! 31. bxc3 e4 32. Bd4 Nxh3+!, eventually a super critical game for his team and sending them to the playoffs
IM John Bartholomew (1st Place, 3 Points): A picture-perfect exchange sacrifice from GM Tamaz Gelashvili (20… Rxc3!) coupled with a brutal follow-up attack (22. Bd4? Nxh3+!). White fell on his sword with 25. Qxf3, but Black’s accurate concluding play (all the way through 31… f5!) totally slammed the door on all possible counterplay. New York has to be pleased with GM Gelashvili’s form heading into the playoffs.
GM Alex Yermolinsky (2nd Place, 2 Points)
IM Victor Shen (2nd Place, 2 Points)
FM Elliot Liu (2nd Place, 2 Points)
WGM Jennifer Shahade (2nd Place, 2 Points): I really liked the 30… Rxc3 idea to gain control of the e4 square and preparing the 32… Nxh3+ sack.
Total score of Stripunsky vs Gelashvili: 11 Points
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3rd Place: IM Mackenzie Molner (ARZ) vs IM Jonathan Schroer (CAR) 1-0
In a very interesting and creative game from both players, IM Molner uncorked another surprising move in 37. Nxg6?! and eventually got the best of the complications
FM Elliot Liu (1st Place, 3 Points)
GM Alex Yermolinsky (3rd Place, 1 Point)
IM John Bartholomew (3rd Place, 1 Point): Mac adds to his body count in the Evans Gambit. I found the play in this game to be thrilling but also quite speculative at several key junctures.
IM Victor Shen (3rd Place, 1 Point)
WGM Jennifer Shahade (3rd Place, 1 Point): Whether the compensation was sufficient or not, White kept up constant pressure in this Evans Gambit, and I liked the pretty breakthroughs with Ng5, Nxg6, and Qe7+.
Total score of Molner vs Schroer: 7 Points