GM Kovalyov’s nice positional win over one of the top players in the League, GM Naroditsky, has him off to a flying start, both helping his team secure a solid draw in their inaugural match and giving him top honors for the week in his first league game.
1st Place: GM Anton Kovalyov (RIO) vs GM Daniel Naroditsky (SF) 1-0
With 25. Bxd6!, GM Kovalyov put together a nice positional win against a very strong player
IM Greg Shahade (1st Place, 5 Points): I liked this because White wasn’t greedy with 27. Nxd6 and instead went for the cool attacking idea of h4 and an eventual Qa1-d1 maneuver. Keeping the initiative seemed like a great practical choice compared to taking the Pawn.
IM Salvijus Bercys (1st Place, 5 Points): Interesting opening and White really took it to Black positionally. That light squared Bishop shutdown was hilarious. Overall, very sound game by White exploiting all of Black’s aggressive opening flaws.
WGM Tatev Abrahamyan (2nd Place, 4 Points): I really like how White played here and never allowed Black to solve the light squared Bishop problem, which as a French player, I can empathize with. After the opening the computer evaluates the position as roughly equal and even slightly better for Black, but I think with the long term problem of the b7 Bishop and the d5 pawn not falling tactically, White’s position was always preferable. I really like 25. Bd6! giving up the pair of Bishops but getting that excellent Knight on e4 and pretty much playing up a piece. I also like how White’s game switched from the Queenside to the Kingside and eventually to a won endgame. Great game to use to help improve one’s technique.
IM Jake Kleiman (3rd Place, 3 Points): Kovalyov takes a very principled approach against the newly 2600 FIDE, Naroditsky. His play against Black’s light squared Bishop is quite impressive.
FM Jason Doss (5th Place, 1 Point): This game confuses me. I really liked Naroditsky out of the opening. He got wonderful activity from all his pieces right out the gate. The game seemed to shift away after White got in 20. Be3 with the a5 follow, putting pressure on the Queenside. My silicon friend suggests some really cool 19… Rxf4 sacrifice lines with awesome compensation for the exchange.
Total score of Kovalyov vs Naroditsky: 18 Points
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2nd Place: IM David Vigorito (NE) vs IM Tom Bartell (PHI) 1-0
Capping off a nice build up, IM Vigorito struck with 35. Rg7+!, winning decisive material
FM Jason Doss (1st Place, 5 Points): A very unassuming and tame opening choice by Vigorito. Bartell was probably pretty happy early on with a pretty stable position. However, soon after I bet he was frowning quite a bit. Vigorito turns into a Boa-constrictor grips Black’s Kingside in a crushing attack. Very nicely done by Vigorito, loved that Pawn storm and Rooks on the e and g files.
IM Greg Shahade (2nd Place, 4 Points): This is a good example of the power of two Bishops, and while it’s not especially hard to find, 35. Rg7+ was a nice shot
IM Jake Kleiman (2nd Place, 4 Points): Dave plays a fine game. He first gets a space advantage. Then he converts space to initiative. Finally, he gets some cool tactics in to seal the deal.
IM Salvijus Bercys (3rd Place, 3 Points): Three games were a toss up. To be honest, I.d give all a tie for first … but I don’t think I can do that. This game seemed to have least resistance in a win. White just steamrolled. 35. Rg7 tactic was pretty neat though.
WGM Tatev Abrahamyan (4th Place, 2 Points): In this game too it seems like White got a nice position after the tricky 16. Nd5 and was able to simply improve his position, whereas Black never found any counter play, and it seemed like he was not sure where to look for it either. There were some fireworks towards the end, but White’s position was too strong for any of them to work.
Total score of Vigorito vs Bartell: 18 Points
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3rd Place: GM Conrad Holt (DAL) vs IM Andranik Matikozyan (LA) 1-0
Seeming to have a miserable position, IM Matikozyan struck with a great practical chance 32… N6xd5! after which some very exciting play eventually saw GM Holt nurse his extra material to victory
IM Jake Kleiman (1st Place, 5 Points): This game has to get the top spot. Holt demolishes Matikozyan in the opening. Just as it looks like it’s over, Andranik finds more and more ways to put fire on the board, forcing Holt to keep extinguishing until there aren’t enough pieces left to use.
IM Salvijus Bercys (2nd Place, 4 Points): Holt showcases why passive KID vs 6. h3 makes all KID players pull their hair out. Just watching this game made me not want to play the King’s Indian Defense ever again.
WGM Tatev Abrahamyan (3rd Place, 3 Points): I would give this a higher ranking if the reason behind White’s win wasn’t a blunder. After the opening, which was a miserable King’s Indian for Black, I assumed that Black was going to be suffocated but was reminded not to underestimate the KID structure and the hidden tricks. After the very natural and human 32. Kh2, Black’s 32… N6d5 was an excellent resource, one that a great KID player like Andranik won’t miss. After both sides decided to decline repetitions, there were several blunders in the game, which of course are understandable in a game like this. I just think that the result of the game is unfortunate. and I mainly like it because of Black’s creativity and energetic counterplay, and I would have ranked it higher if it had ended in a draw.
FM Jason Doss (3rd Place, 3 Points): Oh man, what a fun game. I really feel sorry for Matikozyan this game, he played so creatively. The result does not give justice to his sacrifices. It came with everything a King’s Indian promises to give … a Queenside attack by White, piece sacrifices by Black to open the King, and a King walk across the board. Holt played the opening beautifully, obtained a large advantage immediately. I thought after 25. Nc6 that the game was completely over. Matikozyan’s fighting back with 32… N6xd5 and then eventually Bxh3 was a wonderful comeback. It’s almost a shame this didn’t end in a draw.
IM Greg Shahade (4th Place, 2 Points): This game was nice, but it feels like both players deserve credit for this game and not just Holt, therefore I don’t really think he should win. Probably if the game was drawn, as it likely should have been at some point during Black’s attack, I would have been more enthusiastic.
Total score of Holt vs Matikozyan: 17 Points
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4th Place: IM Levan Bregadze (BAL) vs GM Varuzhan Akobian (STL) 0-1
GM Akobian got the slight upper hand in the tactics with 21… Nxb6! which eventually lead to a Pawn up ending that he skillfully converted
WGM Tatev Abrahamyan (1st Place, 5 Points): I had a hard time picking between this game and Kovalyov – Naroditsky, but I like this game slightly better because I really like Black’s play here. After a more or less equal opening, Black simply kept improving his position and putting his pieces on good squares and at some point White either got impatient or miscalculated, changing the nature of the position completely to a much unfavorable one. What I like about this game, is how after the critical moment Black always remained in control and kept putting pressure on White until White collapsed. Maybe with better defense the game would have ended in a draw, but it just shows how 2650’s are able to beat their lower rated opponents. It’s exactly the kind of game I would use to show how to build up a position and be patient.
IM Salvijus Bercys (4th Place, 2 Points): I reviewed this game one too many times trying to find out what I did not like about it. White’s plan was so confusing to me. Playing Blumenfeld with an extra move, I expected a firecracker of sorts. I was bored by everything that followed 9. Qa4.
FM Jason Doss (4th Place, 2 Points): I really enjoyed how Black played the opening this game. As a Nimzo Indian player for so many years I felt totally at home with the pressure on the c-file against the Pawn. Akobian has a super-solid performance with very few slip-ups from beginning to end. Not the most exciting game, but very clean. It might have been a different story if White had gotten in 21. c6 instead of 21. b6 though.
IM Greg Shahade (5th Place, 1 Point): I’m not strong enough to comment on this game.
IM Jake Kleiman (5th Place, 1 Point): This was a good endgame squeeze and a classic example of the N vs B battle.
Total score of Bregadze vs Akobian: 11 Points
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5th Place: NM Chris Williams (BOS) vs SM Nicolas Checa (NY) 1-0
Capping off a strong attack heralded by his two Bishops, NM Williams finished the game with 34. Rcxg7!
FM Jason Doss (2nd Place, 4 Points): Probably the biggest smash of this week’s GOTW finalists. One minor slip-up by Black with Rfc8 and the position seemed to quickly fall apart. White’s light squared Bishop played a fantastic role along-side his d-pawn friend to put this game away. Maybe Black made this a tad bit too easy, but I really enjoyed how efficiently Williams put this game in the win column.
IM Greg Shahade (3rd Place, 3 Points): This game is an even better example of the Bishop pair, as his Bishops wrecked havoc on Black’s position and 34. Rcxg7 was a nice finishing shot, although White had been completely winning for some time at that point.
IM Jake Kleiman (4th Place, 2 Points): What made this game interesting for me was how Williams was able to activate the light squared Bishop through the Bg4-d1-a4 idea. Once that happened, Black’s position collapsed.
IM Salvijus Bercys (5th Place, 1 Point): Give up two bishops, open up the game, lose the game. Not sure what to say about Black’s ideas this game - I am not good enough to follow them.
WGM Tatev Abrahamyan (5th Place, 1 Point): I am not too familiar with Grunfeld theory, but it just seems like that White got the pair of Bishops and space advantage out of the opening without Black ever creating any kind of counterplay. White’s play was convincing and dominating, but a little too one sided.
Total score of Williams vs Checa: 11 Points