GM Becerra (MIA) vs GM Gelashvili (NY) 1-0 winds up 16th Place in the GOTY Contest

From the most important of matches, this crushing victory was praised for White’s brutal efficiency, but Black’s lack of resistance prevented it from finishing too highly.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

This is the fifth part in a series of articles which will count down to revealing what game was voted as the 2013 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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16th Place: GM Julio Becerra (MIA) vs GM Tamaz Gelashvili (NY) 1-0

 

In a critical Championship game, GM Becerra smashed through with 21. Rxh5!, scoring a brutal win enroute to Miami’s first USCL Championship

 
 

FM Ingvar Johannesson (5th Place, 16 Points): This is why I don’t play the Dragon. Nobody wants to be on the wrong side of stuff like this! Nice game to play through but seemed a little bit like Gelashvili walked straight into an overhead right. Probably 17… Bxe5 is just fine for Black.

 

FM Ron Young (13th Place, 8 Points): When you say “I’ve seen this movie before”, you’re bored. But when you say “I’ve seen this movie before about twenty five times”, then it must be a really good movie.

 

GM Alex Yermolinsky (15th Place, 6 Points): Is this how Black’s supposed to handle the Dragon?

 

GM Alejandro Ramirez (16th Place, 5 Points): Gelashvili comes up often in the GOTY candidates because of his uncompromising style, but in this case he just played badly, and you can’t afford to make opening mistakes in a Dragon. Becerra’s finish was clean.

 

IM Jake Kleiman (16th Place, 5 Points): This game was exciting, but it seems to have hinged on one moment. I remain puzzled by 17… Bxh6. It seems that keeping the Dragon Bishop on the board would have given Black a solid position.

 

FM Alisa Melekhina (18th Place, 3 Points): Becerra is back and exacted his revenge against Gelashvili. I don’t know too much about the Dragon, but I do know that Bobby Fischer once pointed out he had the Yugoslav attack down to a science: “pry open the h-file, sac, sac and mate!” That’s essentially what happened in this game. Black had nothing against White’s solid Queenside. 21. Rxh5 was fierce, but overall the game was a formulaic Pawn storm against the Dragon. It lacked the creativity of the other games.

 
 

Total Score of Becerra vs Gelashvili: (16th Place, 43 Points)

 

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Stay tuned for fifteen more such articles as the field shrinks by one game almost every day to see which of the following games will be the 2013 Game of the Year!

 

Week 2: GM Pascal Charbonneau (NY) vs GM Robert Hungaski (MAN) 1-0   Article

Week 3: IM Andranik Matikozyan (LA) vs GM Julio Becerra (MIA) 0-1   Article

Week 4: GM Emil Anka (SEA) vs FM Tom Bartell (PHI) 0-1   Article

Week 5: IM Dmitry Schneider (MAN) vs GM Joel Benjamin (NJ) 0-1   Article

Week 6: IM Marc Esserman (BOS) vs GM Tamaz Gelashvili (NY) 0-1   Article

Week 7: FM Eric Rodriguez (MIA) vs IM Irina Krush (NY) 1-0   Article

Week 8: GM Conrad Holt (DAL) vs IM Jonathan Schroer (CAR) 1-0   Article

Week 9: GM Giorgi Margvelashvili (DAL) vs GM Ben Finegold (STL) 1/2-1/2   Article

Quarterfinals: GM Conrad Holt (DAL) vs GM Julio Becerra (MIA) 0-1   Article

Semifinals: GM Sam Shankland (NE) vs GM Tamaz Gelashvili (NY) 1-0   Article

Wildcard #1: GM Pascal Charbonneau (NY) vs FM Steven Winer (NE) 1-0   Article

Wildcard #2: IM Vitaly Neimer (STL) vs FM Eric Rodriguez (MIA) 0-1   Article

Wildcard #3: IM Justin Sarkar (CON) vs IM Levon Altounian (ARZ) 0-1   Article

Wildcard #4: GM Zviad Izoria (MAN) vs GM Tamaz Gelashvili (NY) 1-0   Article

Wildcard #5: GM Alex Stripunsky (NJ) vs GM Melikset Khachiyan (LA) 1-0   Article

 
 

Eliminated:

 
 

16th Place (43 Points): GM Julio Becerra (MIA) vs GM Tamaz Gelashvili (NY) 1-0   Article       Elimination Article

17th Place (43 Points): GM Joel Benjamin (NJ) vs GM Pascal Charbonneau (NY) 1-0   Article       Elimination Article

18th Place (41 Points): John Michael Burke (NJ) vs NM Ryan Goldenberg (MAN) 0-1   Article       Elimination Article

19th Place (40 Points): GM Niclas Huschenbeth (BAL) vs IM Steven Zierk (BOS) 0-1   Article       Elimination Article

20th Place (40 Points): GM Tamaz Gelashvili (NY) vs GM Julio Becerra (MIA) 1-0   Article       Elimination Article