A tiebreaker judge was needed to settle things, but in the end the young GMs high quality effort against a very strong GM wound up netting the top prize for the Quarterfinals. Although the result wound up being in vain for his team, the Mechanics can look forward to a bright future with Naroditsky likely a fixture on the top board.
1st Place: GM Daniel Naroditsky (SF) vs GM Conrad Holt (DAL) 1-0
GM Naroditsky continued his very strong effort with 32. Ng4!, forcing a win of decisive material
FM Jason Doss (1st Place, 4 Points): Relentless pressure by Naroditsky in this game, very well played by White. Poking weaknesses around the Black King whilst clearing out the f-file, along with the doubling of the Rooks look so ridiculously strong and simple. There were some missed opportunities to ‘win more’, but the edge is always maintained.
IM Salvijus Bercys (1st Place, 4 Points): Most solid game of the week. Holt may not have played the best, but Naroditsky had a clear plan and followed through.
IM Greg Shahade (2nd Place, 3 Points): Naroditsky’s effort may have been in vain, as the Mechanics were eliminated from the playoffs, but he did all that he could for his team. Conrad Holt is a very tough player, especially in the USCL, and Naroditsky outplayed him from beginning to end. A very impressive performance from San Francisco’s rapidly rising young star.
WIM Iryna Zenyuk (2nd Place, 3 Points): It is a pity that Holt didn’t put much resistance in this Botvinnik-style, Naroditsky’s treatment (f4-f5 roll), in the hanging Pawns structure.
FM Mike Klein (3rd Place, 2 Points): I’m more partial to the IQP than most, but I feel like Holt’s 31… Nd7 allowed a quicker finish than White deserved. Still, White’s play was logical and menacing. Naroditsky may have been hurt in the voting by finishing in a slower, practical way, but he’s a pro and he drives for show but putts for dough.
Tiebreaker Judge, GM Parimarjan Negi: Kamsky’s game was definitely more visually appealing, but White put up very little resistance there after dubiously allowing Black that central grip. On the other hand, Naroditsky’s game involved a more prolonged strategic battle, and I couldn’t quite be sure exactly where Black went from seeming just ok to be lost. So it feels a more interesting game to examine for me.
Total score of Naroditsky vs Holt: 16 Points
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2nd Place: GM Anton Kovalyov (RIO) vs GM Gata Kamsky (NY) 0-1
In the midst of a series of tricky Knight maneuvers, GM Kamsky continued with 27… Nh4+!, 28… Nf5!, after which White’s defenses crumbled shortly
IM Greg Shahade (1st Place, 4 Points): This is the reason the Knights are so dangerous. Kamsky may not play in as many super tournaments as he used to, but when you’ve faced Kramnik, Anand, Karpov and Kasparov, no USCL opponent is going to scare you. Kamsky played an incredible game with the Black pieces against a very strong player, helping put New York into the Semifinals. Trust me that it is not easy to beat a 2700 USCF player with the Black pieces in the manner that Kamsky did.
FM Mike Klein (1st Place, 4 Points): Going with the chalk here. This week seemed like there were two lightning attacks and two slow burns. The cupcake goes to the quickest win of the quartet. When Kamsky attacks, his games are fun to watch, and those Knights were neat.
FM Jason Doss (2nd Place, 3 Points): Gata! A bit of a steamroller, but it’s fun to watch. Black followed basically every theme when attacking a Fianchetto structure that you learn as a novice. Control the center, trade off the Bishops of that color, put pieces on those weakened squares, push the h-pawn, and let the party commence. I think it’s kind of cool how Gata almost distracts White by ‘allowing’ his Pawns to get so advanced on the Queenside.
IM Salvijus Bercys (2nd Place, 3 Points): Give up a center and initiative and a strong center against Kamsky … do I have to say something else? This game White overestimated material that couldn’t even be converted easily. Kamsky is simply too good for such tricks.
WIM Iryna Zenyuk (3rd Place, 2 Points): White misplayed the opening badly, and there is not much hope after if you are playing an elite player such as Kamsky. Credit to Gata for finishing off the game in style.
Total score of Kovalyov vs Kamsky: 16 Points
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3rd Place: NM Karthik Ramachandran (DAL) vs NM Siddharth Banik (SF) 1-0
A crazy bout of complications began with 16. Bxg6!?, creating some great back and forth action
WIM Iryna Zenyuk (1st Place, 4 Points): It is not easy to assess the consequences of Bxg6 sacrifice and to evaluate the ‘quiet’ push e4-e5. The resulting position is rich in resources for both sides, which is what makes the game extremely interesting and fun.
FM Jason Doss (3rd Place, 2 Points): Ramachandran plays a pleasant piece sac this game for good compensation early. I was really liking where this game was heading up until he misses 23. Rf7! maintaining a very nice initiative. A couple slips, and Banik is right back into the game and probably better. After a wayward journey with the Black Queen down to a1, Black’s King realizes he is all alone and gets a beat-down.
IM Greg Shahade (3rd Place, 2 Points): A brutal attacking win from Ramchandran, which shows exactly why Dallas is so strong. Their third and fourth boards are very hungry and motivated players. Before the match it looked as if San Francisco’s Boards Three and Four were quite dangerous as well, but Dallas showed that they may have the best lower boards in the League. New York will have a tough test against them in the Semifinals.
IM Salvijus Bercys (4th Place, 1 Point): I was informed that I never leave positive comments on my USCL GOTW reviews. Newsflash - I’m a judge, not a babysitter.
This game started interesting with the sac, but White ran out of steam and Black then started playing funny.
FM Mike Klein (4th Place, 1 Point): No computers here - was 23. Rf7 Rg6 24. Bh6 some kind of brilliancy? Probably not, but I’m on a plane to Sochi, so I’ll ask Magnus. By allowing Black to drive back the White Queen, it either means the sac was unsound, or White didn’t follow up correctly. Who knows? I haven’t intuitively sacked a piece for two Pawns since before the war.
Total score of Ramachandran vs Banik: 16 Points
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4th Place: IM Farai Mandizha (MAN) vs GM Renier Gonzalez (MIA) 0-1
After a great deal of maneuvering and a delicate break through, GM Gonzalez nicely finished things off with 42… Ng3!, to which there was no answer
FM Mike Klein (2nd Place, 3 Points): You could downgrade this game for the lack of punch White showed, but I prefer to rank it second since it clearly shows how Black can play these systems. Gonzalez seemed to have the better understanding for minor piece trades and although the breakthrough was clearly coming, I still enjoyed the culmination.
IM Salvijus Bercys (3rd Place, 2 Points): White losing this game is a crime. Did this have anything to do with Manhattan losing, and Farai pushing for it? Either way, no loss is justifiable here.
FM Jason Doss (4th Place, 1 Point): This game is summed up for me with the move 8. Be2, in the sense that it seems like White is back peddling every time he has the chance at an advantage. Gonzalez does a neat job drumming up any chances at all with some enterprising Pawn breaks on the Kingside. It was basically equal throughout, but it’s easy to get the sense that it was only Black attempting to win and is rewarded for doing so.
IM Greg Shahade (4th Place, 1 Point): An impeccable positional display from Gonzalez. I enjoyed all four games this week so it’s a shame that I had to rank one of them in last place. Gonzalez is picking up right where he left off after a 3-0 run in the 2013 Playoffs. Next week he faces the stiffest test of them all though, as he will likely go against one of the top players in the world in St. Louis’s top heavy lineup.
WIM Iryna Zenyuk (4th Place, 1 Point): A clean game by Renier, but a bit too one-sided to be ranked higher. The light-squared Bishop ended up not seeing much light in this game.
Total score of Mandizha vs Gonzalez: 8 Points