Alex Lenderman’s big year
Congratulations to New York Grandmaster Alex Lenderman, winner of the 198-player Southern California Open held this month in San Diego.
He prevailed over five straight opponents and achieving a last-round draw. The Open section in which he played contained 25 Masters of various kinds plus nine Experts. Trailing a full point behind were GM Varuzhan Akobian, GM Yaruslav Zherebukh, GM Melikset Khachiyan and International Master John Bryant.
Lenderman this year has completed 37 events, an average of one per week. Coming at or near the top of most of those contests, he has achieved some high-level titles.
Among the most impressive: World Open Champion, Atlantic Open Champ, and N.E. Open Champ, U.S. Open Game-15 Champ, and Northern Blitz Champ. In previous years, his accolades have included placing first in the World Youth Championship, National Open, U.S. Open, and the U.S. Grand Prix. Best games
In addition to placing second in the Open, Bryant, took the 2nd Best Game prize for the following short gem: [Bryant, John-Davidson, Kevin] 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 a6 3.g3 b5 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.d3 e6 6.Nf3 Nf6 7.0–0 b4 8.e5 bxc3 9.exf6 cxb2 10.Bxb2 gxf6 11.Rb1 Bc6 12.Ng5 Rg8 13.Nxh7 Be7 14.Bh3 c4 15.Qh5 cxd3 16.cxd3 Bd5 17.Rfe1 Bxa2 18.Ra1 Bd5 19.Ra4 Nc6 20.Rg4 Rh8 21.Bg2 Bb3 22.Rc1 Rc8 23.Rg7 (Threat: Qxf7 mate.) 23...e5 24.Rc4! Bxc4 25.dxc4 Qb6 26.Nxf6+ Bxf6 [If 26...Kd8 then 27.Qxh8+ Kc7 28.Nd5+ Kb7 29.Qxc8+ Kxc8 30.Nxb6+ Kb7 31.Rxf7 Kxb6 32.Bxc6 dxc6 33.Rxe7 winning.] 27.Qxf7+ 1–0. By the way, the other Best Game winners were Mike Casella (1st, Open Section) and Carlos Hernandez (3rd; non-Open).
Future champ
GM Mikhail Antipov of Russia is probably a player chess spectators should keep on their screens. He just won this year’s World Youth *Under-20” World Championship held in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.
Game of the week
Kiewra, Keaton-Lenderman, Alex Southern California Open
1.d4(A) Nf6 2.Bg5(B) d5(C) 3.Nd2(D) 3...c5(E) 4.dxc5 Na6 5.e3 Nxc5 6.Ngf3 e6 7.Bb5+?!(F) Bd7 8.Bxd7+ Qxd7(G) 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.0–0 Bg7 11.Nb3(H) Na4 12.Rb1 f5 13.Nfd4 0–0 14.h3 Rac8 15.Qh5 Kh8 16.Kh1 Rg8 17.f4?(I) Nb6(J) 18.Qe2 Nc4 19.c3 Nd6 20.Nd2 Qe7 21.Rf2 Ne4 22.Nxe4 dxe4 23.Nb3 Qh4 24.Nd2?!(K) Rcd8 25.Nf1?!(L) Rd3 26.Kh2 Rgd8 27.g3 Qf6 28.Rc1 e5(M) 29.fxe5(N) Qg6 30.g4? (O) Bxe5+ 31.Kg2 Rg8 32.Ng3 fxg4 33.h4 Bxg3 34.Kxg3 Qd6+ 35.Rf4 f5 36.Re1 Rd2 37.Qb5 Rf8 38.Re2 Rxe2 39.Qxe2 Kg7 40.Qb5 Rf7 41.Kg2 a6 42.Qe2 Qe6 43.Qf2 h5(P) 44.b3 Kg6 45.Qg3 Rd7 46.Rf2 Qd6 47.c4 Qxg3+ 48.Kxg3 Kf6 49.Kf4 Rd1 50.c5 Rh1 51.b4 Rh3(Q) 52.a4 Rf3+ 53.Rxf3 exf3 54.Kg3 Ke5 55.b5 a5 0–1
A) This game was Lenderman’s fifth consecutive win. Notes in quotes were generously contributed by him. B) Known as the Trompowsky Attack, this approach avoids an enormous amount of Q-pawn opening theory. It sets up the possibility for doubling Black’s pawns by Bxf6.
C) Some other major alternatives are: 2...Ne4, ...e6, and ...c5. D) “Keaton already played this ... with success.” E) Lenderman wanted to create “tension in the center right away.” F) “...helps get rid of my not best piece, ... .”
G) Allowing doubled pawns in order to stay aggressively placed. H) “Here he offered me a draw, but at this point I thought I was slightly better.” I) “I thought this was a mistake since it weakened the e4 square forever.”
J) The knight starts to relocate to e4. K) Heading for passive defense. Better would have been “24.Rd1 Rcd8 25.Rxd8 Rxd8 26.Kh2 ... it seems that worst is over for white... .” L) “Continuation of a bad plan.” M) Note how defensive White has become.
N) “I think missing my strong reply... .” 29. “Rc2 Qe6 30.c4 was a last chance to try to hold on.” O) Way too weakening. “Probably the decisive mistake.”
P) “Stopping any potential counterplay ... .” Q) “I had to calculate it, but I saw that white’s pawns are a tempo short.”