SUNDAY PUZZLER My Valentina (Level: Easy)
From Valentina Gunina vs. Marie Sebag, Cairns Cup, St. Louis, 2019.
Local note
*** Springtime in ABQ! *** Held March 2-3 at the Albuquerque Institute for Mathematics and Science (AIMS@UNM). Open (EF: $50), Reserve (EF: $40), Booster (EF:$40), and Scholastic (EF: $15) sections. $1,200 in cash prizes are guaranteed. Information: www. nmchess.org/events.
Memorial Senior
The Art Byers Memorial Senior was held Feb. 9-10 at the Meadowlark Senior Center in Rio Rancho; 73 players competed across four sections.
Congrats to the 2019 New Mexico Senior Champion and tourney co-winner, National Master Stephen Sandager! Also, congrats to co-winner Jonah Romero.
Following is Stephen Sandager (2206) vs. Robert Nolan (1924), where White manages to find a crack in Black’s Sicilian early:
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6
3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6
5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6
7.Bc4 0–0 8.Bb3 a5
9.a4 d6 10.h3 Bd7
11.0–0 Nb4 12.f4 Bc6
13.Qf3 Nd7 14.Rad1 Na6
15.Nxc6 bxc6 16.e5 d5 (D)
Position after 16 . ... d5 17.Nxd5! Rb8 18.Nc3 Qc8 19.Ne4 Nb4 20.e6 Nf6 21.exf7+ Kh8 22.Nxf6 Bxf6 23.Qf2 Qb7 24.f5 Nd5 25.fxg6 Nxe3 26.Qxe3 Qb6 27.Qxb6 Rxb6 28.gxh7 Bxb2 29.Rf5 Bf6 30.Rxa5 Rb4 31.Kh1 Re4 32.Rf1 Kxh7 33.Rc5 Kg7 34.Rxc6 e6 35.Bxe6 Rxa4 36.Bb3 Ra7 37.Rfxf6 Black resigns
SOLUTION
Puzzler: 1.Rf8+ Q(R)xf8 2.Qd7#.