A nice sacrifice by NM Defibaugh, topped off by a strong attack netted him a respectable finish in the GOTY Contest.
This is the sixth part in a series of articles which will count down to revealing what game was voted as the 2012 USCL Game of the Year. For more information on exactly how this process works and the prize information, please refer to: Game of the Year Contest
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15th Place: NM Jared Defibaugh (BAL) vs NM Justus Williams (NY) 1-0
With 20. Bxg7!, NM Defibaugh took advantage of his excellently placed pieces, conducting a quickly decisive attack against NM Williams
IM David Pruess (5th Place, 16 Points): Here Black played principled moves, and White had to work hard to find the way in (the difficulty level bumped this one up the list a little). Defibaugh killed it! The game is instructive and beautiful.
GM Alejandro Ramirez (8th Place, 13 Points): A simple sacrifice leads Defibaugh to annihilate the weak defensive position of Williams. Nice and pretty but not spectacular, and Black’s game was atrociously bad.
FM Alisa Melekhina (11th Place, 10 Points): One of the few Board Three entries in this year’s group, but one that deserves to be ranked among the surrounding GM and IM battles. Defibaugh steered the game into a less common move order with 10. Qc2. White’s two Bishops and Queen are quickly harmonized to dominate the board, placing the burden on Black to demonstrate the virtues of his own position. Williams tried to keep up by rushing with 16… c6-c5, but White’s pieces were all optimally placed for an abrupt sacrificial attack.
It’s difficult to pinpoint where Black went wrong. At a critical point, the youngster tried to stubbornly hold onto the piece, but it is completely understandable why he wouldn’t want to acquiesce with the defensive 21… Qd6 or Qe6. The burden was back on White to justify the sacrifice. Nevertheless, White’s accelerated development aided him in a geometrical attack against Black’s King, with each piece playing a role. Impressive calculation from White, but I wish Black had been able to set a few more obstacles.
GM Alex Yermolinsky (15th Place, 6 Points): Defibaugh chose a quiet, but poisonous line of the Queens Indian, 10. Qc2 instead of 10. Ne5, which leads to a beaten path. Years ago it was briefly tried by Khalifman and some others. The young Williams mistimed his liberating move 16… c5 and landed in difficulties. Only tactical precision (21… Qe6, instead of 21… Qd8?) could have saved him. Defibaugh finished the game with a series of hammer blows to the head. Not very aesthetic, but effective.
GM-elect Robert Hungaski (15th Place, 6 Points): A typical structure that can come from a QGD or a French. Rule of thumb is that Black’s position is usually ok (by this I mean playable) if he can play c5 and cxd4. However it is usually not ok at all if White can respond with a move like 17. d5. In this case White finds a straightforward tactical justification to punish a common strategic blunder.
FM Ron Young (15th Place, 6 Points): The sac 20. Bxg7 reminded me of Kasparov-Portisch, Niksic 1983, but 1983 then reminds me of Hall & Oates, Joanie Loves Chachi, and Cabbage Patch Kids. A nice game still, but tougher resistance might have gained it a higher place.
Total Score of Defibaugh vs Williams: (15th Place, 57 Points)
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Stay tuned for fourteen more such articles as the field shrinks by one game almost every day to see which of the following games will be the 2012 Game of the Year!
Week 1: GM Vladimir Romanenko (MAN) vs GM Tamaz Gelashvili (NY) 1-0 Article
Week 3: SM Robert Perez (MIA) vs GM Julio Sadorra (DAL) 0-1 Article
Week 5: GM Vladimir Romanenko (MAN) vs GM Alex Stripunsky (NJ) 0-1 Article
Week 6: FM Eric Rodriguez (MIA) vs IM Justin Sarkar (CON) 1/2-1/2 Article
Week 8: GM Tamaz Gelashvili (NY) vs GM Sam Shankland (NE) 1-0 Article
Week 9: GM Tamaz Gelashvili (NY) vs SM William Fisher (PHI) 1/2-1/2 Article
Week 10: FM Kazim Gulamali (BOS) vs GM Larry Kaufman (BAL) 1-0 Article
Quarterfinals: SM Matt Herman (NY) vs IM Eli Vovsha (MAN) 1-0 Article
Wildcard #1: GM Mikheil Kekelidze (CON) vs FM Kassa Korley (CAR) 0-1 Article
Wildcard #2: GM Alex Stripunsky (NJ) vs GM Tamaz Gelashvili (NY) 0-1 Article
Wildcard #3: IM Mackenzie Molner (ARZ) vs IM Jonathan Schroer (CAR) 1-0 Article
Wildcard #4: IM Priyadharshan Kannappan (STL) vs FM Kassa Korley (CAR) 1-0 Article
Wildcard #5: IM Georgi Orlov (SEA) vs GM Conrad Holt (DAL) 1-0 Article
Wildcard #7: GM Alex Stripunsky (NJ) vs SM Jorge Sammour-Hasbun (BOS) 0-1 Article
Eliminated:
15th Place (57 Points): NM Jared Defibaugh (BAL) vs NM Justus Williams (NY) 1-0 Article Elimination Article
16th Place (48 Points): GM Ben Finegold (STL) vs GM Niclas Huschenbeth (BAL) 1-0 Article Elimination Article
17th Place (37 Points): NM Joshua Sinanan (SEA) vs IM Shahin Mohandesi (ARZ) 1-0 Article Elimination Article
18th Place (33 Points): SM Denys Shmelov (BOS) vs GM Conrad Holt (DAL) 1/2-1/2 Article Elimination Article
19th Place (30 Points): FM Ralph Zimmer (BAL) vs NM Joshua Colas (CON) 1-0 Article Elimination Article
20th Place (17 Points): IM Georgi Orlov (SEA) vs SM William Fisher (PHI) 1/2-1/2 Article Elimination Article