GMs gather yearly in Philly
Most tournament organizers are pleased when they can declare that their tournaments are attended by at least a few outstanding players, especially Grandmasters. Bill Goichberg, one of our nation’s premier organizers for decades, likely possesses the greatest bragging rights. His yearly World Open Chess Championship, held in Philadelphia around the Fourth of July, attracts GMs by the scores. It is now in its 44th year.
Many of our most famous national champions have participated and even finished first: six-time U.S. Champion Walter Browne (the first winner in 1973), Yasser Seirawan, Joel Benjamin, Arthur Bisguier, Nick de Firmian, Alexander Ivanov, Lev Alburt, Larry Christiansen, Gata Kamsky, Alexander Shabalov, and Hikaru Nakamura.
Goichberg discovered long ago that if you offered a lot of money, people would be attracted in considerable numbers, even if they had to pay large entry fees. Before him, more cautious organizers feared that that approach would leave them in the red. Proving Goichberg ’s point again this year, The World Open guaranteed a quarter of a million dollars to be distributed amongst top-performers in nine rating-defined sections. It drew 1,223 players.
Nearly three dozen GMs competed in the Open Section along with many other levels of masters. With such a powerhouse group, competition was so tight that seven tied for first. A tiebreak playoff victory gave the title to GM Gabor Papp of Hungry. Look at today’s featured game to appreciate his attacking prowess.
Game of the week Papp, Gabor-Kacheishvili, Giorgi 44th annual World Open Philadelphia
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2(A) Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4(B) c5 6.Ngf3?!(C) Be7(D) 7.c3 b6 8.Bb5 a6 9.Bd3 a5 10.a4 Ba6(E) 11.Bb5 Qc8(F) 12.0–0 Nc6 13.Qe2 0–0 14.Nb1(G) c4 15.Na3 Bxb5 16.Nxb5 Na7 17.Nxa7 Rxa7 18.g4(H) Re8 19.Be3 f5 20.h3 Rf8 21.Kh2 b5 22.axb5 a4 23.Rg1(I) Nb6 24.Bf2 Qd8 25.Rg2 Ra5(J) 26.Rag1 g6 27.h4 fxg4 28.Rxg4 Rf5 29.Nd2 Kf7 30.Nf1 Rh5 31.Ng3!(K) Rxh4+ 32.Rxh4 Bxh4 33.f5 Qg5?(L) 34.Be3 Qe7(M) 35.fxg6+ hxg6 36.Nh5(N) Nd7(O) 37.Qf3+ Ke8 38.Rxg6 Rxb5 39.Kh3(P) Be1 40.Bg5 Qf7 41.Ng7+(Q) 1–0 A) This Tarrasch variation has long been a popular alternative to the mainstay 3.Nc3. It is known to offer White some very aggressive play, especially if Black is not sufficiently clued in on how to handle it. B) Too forward? It is debatable, but White’s attacking intentions are immediately clear. The somewhat less adventurous 5.Bd3 and 5.c3 are usual. C) One idea of putting the knight on d2 in this opening is to allow the c-pawn to protect the d4 pawn, keeping a full pawn center. So, 6.c3 is the usually preferred move here. D) Allowing White to return to the main highway. 6...Nc6, 6...Qb6, or 6...cxd instead would have challenged White’s last move. French players specialize in targeting and undermining pawn centers. Black has chosen to delay doing that. E) Former U.S. Champ Robert Byrne practiced this way of trading off Black’s bad “French” Bishop. F) If Black trades now, his knights become immobilized: 11...Bxb5 12.axb5. G) Closed positions allow this kind of repositioning. The knight heads to a3 and b5. H) Black’s queenside action has been neutralized by the trades, so White turns to the natural kingside assault. I) All of White’s pieces flow to the kingside naturally. Black’s do not. J) The b-pawn could be useful if Black survives the King attack. K) Keeping the ball rolling with a pawn sac. L) A fatal slip. Instead, the struggle could have continued with 33...Rxb5 34.fxe6+ Kxe6 35.Qg4+ Kf7 36.Qf4+ Kg8. M) Nothing works here; for example 34...Bxg3+ 35.Rxg3 Qd8 36.fxg6+ hxg6 37.Qf3+ Kg7 38.Qh5 Qh8 39.Rxg6+ Kf7 40.Qxh8. N) This wins; but, 36.Qg4 is more incisive; e.g. 36...Bxg3+ 37.Rxg3 Ke8 38.Rf3 Qh7+ 39.Kg3 Kd7 40.Rf6 Qe7 41.Qxg6 Ra8 42.Rf7. O) 36...gxh5?? 37.Qxh5+ Kf8 38.Qh8+ Kf7 39.Qg8 mate. P) Check this out: 39.Rg8+ Nf8 40.Rg7 Rxb2+ 41.Kh3 a3 42.Rxe7+ Bxe7 43.Ng7+ Kd7 44.Qf7 Rb8 45.Bg5 a2 46.Qxe7+ Kc6 47.Ne8 a1Q 48.Qc7+ Kb5 49.Qxb8+ Kc6 50.Qc7+ Kb5 51.Qb7+ Ka5 52.Bd8+ Ka4 53.Qb4 mate. Q) Time to quit, otherwise: Kf8 42.Nxe6+ Ke8 43.Rg8+ Qxg8 44.Nc7 is mate.