World Senior

All Things Chess
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Led by Alexander Ivanov, there are nine Americans at the World Senior Championship. 2/3 of them are in the Open 65+ section.

http://chess-results.com/tnr247124.aspx?lan=1&art=25&fedb=USA&flag=30&wi=821

Alex Relyea

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It is always enjoyable to replay the games of any first round or a large Swiss system event because “tourists” like me get to battle the higher rated players. It is nice to occasionally see one of us score an upset, even if it is only a draw. Then there is also the wide variety of openings chosen rather than the “usual suspect” openings called the “main line.” It is possible that Chess will survive only because players of the future will be forced to play openings chosen at random so that it will do no good to specialize in one specific opening. Imagine players having to study the whole game in lieu of spending so much time on preparing one, or a few, openings. Such is the case with the TCEC computer tournaments.

Here are a few notable games from the ongoing World Senior:

Bogdanov, Valentin (2385) - Blaushtain, Boris (1991)

World Seniors Championship Open 65+ 2016 round 01

  1. d4 g6 2. Nf3 Bg7 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 Ne7 5. Bf4 O-O 6. e3 a6 7. Rc1 d6 8. Be2 Nd7 9. Qb3 e5 10. Bg5 h6 11. Bxe7 Qxe7 12. dxe5 Nxe5 13. Nd5 Qd8 14. O-O Rb8 15. Rfd1 b6 16. Nxe5 Bxe5 17. Bf3 Bd7 18. Rd2 a5 19. Qd1 Kh7 20. g3 f5 21. b3 Rf7 22. h4 Be6 23. Nc3 Qf6 24. Ne2 g5 25. hxg5 hxg5 26. Nd4 Bd7 27. Bd5 Re7 28. Kg2 Kg7 29. Nc6 Bxc6 30. Bxc6 f4 31. Qg4 fxe3 32. fxe3 Rf7 33. Bd5 Qf5 34. Qe2 Rh8 35. Bxf7 Qh3+ 36. Kf3 Qf5+ 37. Kg2 Qh3+ 38. Kf3 ½-½

I urge you to replay games without program assistance, then go to the ChessBomb and learn what Stockfish has to say, as with this game. Blaushtain had his much higher rated opponent on the ropes…

Bruno, Fabio (2435)- Melkeraen, Terje (2011)

World Seniors Championship Open 50+ 2016 round 01

  1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bf4 b6 4. e3 Bb7 5. Nbd2 d5 6. Bd3 Be7 7. h3 Nbd7 8. O-O O-O 9. Qe2 Ne4 10. Rfd1 f5 11. Ne5 Nxe5 12. Bxe5 Nxd2 13. Rxd2 Bd6 14. f4 Bxe5 15. fxe5 Qe7 16. Rf1 c5 17. c3 Rf7 18. Rf4 Raf8 19. Qf1 Bc6 20. Rdf2 Be8 21. a3 Kh8 22. R4f3 g5 23. g3 Kg7 24. Qd1 h5 25. Rh2 Rh8 26. Rff2 Rff8 27. h4 g4 28. b3 b5 29. Rb2 c4 30. Bf1 Bc6 31. Qe1 Rf7 32. Rb1 Qxa3 33. b4 Qa6 34. Ra1 Qb7 35. Rha2 Ra8 36. Ra6 Qc8 37. Qf2 Rc7 38. R1a5 Qd7 39. Qa2 Qe7 40. Be2 Qd7 41. Bd1 Rb7 42. Bc2 Rc7 43. Qa1 Qe7 44. Kh2 Kh7 45. Qf1 Kg7 46. Qf4 Qd8 47. Kg2 Qe7 48. Kf2 Qd8 49. Ke2 Qe7 50. Kd2 Qd8 51. Ra1 Qe7 52. Qf1 Qd8 53. Ke2 Qe7 54. Kd2 Qd8 55. Qf4 Qe7 56. Bd1 Qd8 57. Be2 Qe7 58. Bf1 Qd8 59. Bg2 Qe7 60. R1a5 Rb8 61. Ke2 Rbb7 62. Kf2 Kh7 63. Kg1 Qg7 64. Kh2 Qh6 65. Qf2 Qg7 66. Ra2 Qe7 67. Qf4 Qg7 68. e4 fxe4 69. Bxe4+ Kg8 70. Bg2 Rf7 71. Qe3 Rbc7 72. Kg1 Qg6 73. Ra1 Kg7 74. Rc1 Kg8 75. Raa1 Kg7 76. Qd2 Rf8 77. Ra6 Rff7 78. Rca1 Kg8 79. R6a2 Kg7 80. Kh2 Kg8 81. Qc2 Qh6 82. Re1 Kg7 83. Raa1 Be8 84. Qc1 Qg6 85. Qd2 Rf8 86. Qe3 Rff7 87. Rf1 Rxf1 88. Bxf1 Qc2+ 89. Kg1 Bg6 90. Rc1 Qf5 91. Be2 Qe4 92. Qxe4 Bxe4 93. Ra1 Bf5 94. Ra5 Rb7 95. Kf2 Kg6 96. Ke3 Be4 97. Ra6 Bf5 98. Bf1 Be4 99. Rxe6+ 1-0

The lower rated player had an even game until a late blunder sealed his fate.

Here is one for the ladies:

Giulian, Rosemary A (1932) - IM Barle, Janez (2303)

World Seniors Championship Open 50+ 2016 round 01

  1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. d4 e6 5. Nf3 cxd4 6. cxd4 Nf6 7. Bd3 Nc6 8. O-O Be7 9. Nc3 Qd6 10. Be3 O-O 11. Rc1 Rd8 12. Bb1 Bd7 13. Qe2 Rac8 14. Rfd1 Nd5 15. Qd3 f5 16. Nxd5 Qxd5 17. a3 Na5 18. Bg5 Bxg5 19. Nxg5 h6 20. Nf3 Bb5 21. Qe3 Nc4 22. Qb3 Qd7 23. Re1 Ba4 24. Qa2 Na5 25. Rxc8 Rxc8 26. Bxf5 Bb3 27. Qxb3 Nxb3 28. Bxe6+ Qxe6 29. Rxe6 Nxd4 30. Re1 Nxf3+ 31. gxf3 Rc2 32. b4 Kf7 ½-½

IM Grigoryan, Karen (2332) - Valet, Richard (1943)

World Seniors Championship Open 50+ 2016 round 01

  1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 O-O 6. Nf3 e5 7. d5 a5 8. Bg5 Na6 9. Nd2 h6 10. Be3 Nc5 11. O-O Nh7 12. b3 f5 13. f3 b6 14. a3 f4 15. Bf2 g5 16. b4 axb4 17. axb4 Rxa1 18. Qxa1 Nd7 19. Na4 h5 20. c5 bxc5 21. bxc5 Rf7 22. cxd6 cxd6 23. Nc4 Bf8 24. Qc3 g4 25. Rc1 Qg5 26. Nxd6 Bxd6 27. Qxc8+ Nhf8 28. Kh1 Rg7 29. Bg1 Kh7 30. Nb6 Nf6 31. Qf5+ Qxf5 32. exf5 gxf3 33. gxf3 N8d7 34. Nxd7 Rxd7 35. Rd1 Rc7 36. Kg2 Rc2 37. Kf1 Kh6 38. Bf2 e4 39. Bh4 exf3 40. Bxf3 Ng4 41. Bxg4 hxg4 42. Re1 Kh5 43. Be7 Bxe7 44. Rxe7 Kg5 45. d6 Rd2 46. d7 Kxf5 47. Ke1 Rd4 48. Kf2 Rd2+ 49. Ke1 Rd4 50. Kf2 Rd2+ ½-½

IM Schroll, Gerhard (2314)- Galvan Sarmiento, Jose Luis (1993)

World Seniors Championship Open 50+ 2016 round 01

  1. b3 e5 2. Bb2 Nc6 3. c4 Nf6 4. e3 g6 5. a3 a5 6. Nf3 d6 7. Nc3 Bg7 8. Be2 O-O 9. Qc2 Bd7 10. O-O Ne8 11. Nd5 f5 12. d4 e4 13. Nd2 Ne7 14. Nxe7+ Qxe7 15. d5 Nf6 16. Bd4 b6 17. b4 a4 18. Rab1 Rab8 19. b5 g5 20. Rb4 Ra8 21. Re1 Be8 22. Rxa4 Bg6 23. Rxa8 Rxa8 24. Qc1 Bh6 25. Bf1 Ng4 26. f3 Ne5 27. fxe4 fxe4 28. Be2 Bg7 29. Ba1 h5 30. Nb3 g4 31. Nd4 Bh6 32. Ne6 Bf5 33. Nd4 Bg6 34. Nc6 Nxc6 35. bxc6 Qg5 36. Bd1 h4 37. Qc3 Kh7 38. Bc2 Rf8 39. Qd2 g3 40. h3 Qf5 41. Qd1 Bh5 42. Qb1 Bxe3+ 43. Kh1 Bf3 0-1

Spiess, Thomas (1999)- IM Berezjuk, Sergej (2431)

World Seniors Championship Open 50+ 2016 round 01

  1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. d4 cxd4 6. Qxd4 Nxc3 7. Qxc3 Nc6 8. e4 e6 9. Bb5 Qb6 10. Bxc6+ Qxc6 11. Qxc6+ bxc6 12. Bd2 Ba6 13. Ne5 Bd6 14. Bc3 Rc8 15. O-O-O Bxe5 16. Bxe5 f6 17. Bc3 Ke7 18. Ba5 c5 19. Rd2 Bb5 20. Rhd1 Rhe8 21. Rd6 Bc6 22. f3 f5 23. e5 Kf8 24. R1d3 Bd5 25. a3 Re7 26. Rc3 Ke8 27. b4 c4 28. b5 Rd7 29. Bb4 g5 30. Kb2 h5 31. a4 g4 32. fxg4 fxg4 33. Rxd7 Kxd7 34. Rc2 Be4 35. Rd2+ Bd3 36. Kc3 Kc7 37. Rf2 Kb6 38. Rf7 a6 39. bxa6 Kxa6 40. Rd7 Rc6 41. g3 Bf5 42. Rd6 Kb7 43. Rxc6 Kxc6 44. Kxc4 Kb6 45. a5+ Ka6 46. Kc5 Bd3 47. Bd2 Bf5 48. Be1 Bb1 49. Kd6 Bf5 50. Ke7 Kb5 51. Kf6 Ka6 52. Kg5 Kb5 53. Kxh5 Ka6 54. Kg5 Kb5 55. Bd2 Ka6 56. Bf4 Kxa5 57. h4 gxh3 58. g4 Bc2 59. Kf6 Kb5 60. Kxe6 Kc6 61. Kf6 Kd7 62. e6+ Ke8 63. Bd6 Bd3 64. g5 Bc2 65. g6 Bd3 66. g7 Bh7 67. Bh2 Bg8 68. Bg3 Bh7 69. Bd6 Bg8 70. Bc7 Bh7 71. Bh2 ½-½

IM Syrchikov, Alexander (2416) - Borovicka, Bohumil (1991)

World Seniors Championship Open 50+ 2016 round 01

  1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 c5 3. e3 e6 4. b3 Nf6 5. Bb2 Be7 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. O-O b6 8. Nbd2 Bb7 9. Ne5 Nxe5 10. dxe5 Nd7 11. f4 g6 12. Qe2 Qc7 13. a4 f5 14. exf6 Bxf6 15. Bxf6 Nxf6 16. e4 dxe4 17. Nxe4 Nxe4 18. Bxe4 Bxe4 19. Qxe4 Kf7 20. Rae1 Rhe8 21. Qc4 Kf6 22. Qc3+ Kf7 23. Qh3 h5 24. g4 Rg8 25. g5 Rge8 26. Qc3 Kg8 27. Re5 Qf7 28. Qc4 Rad8 29. c3 Rd5 30. Rfe1 Rxe5 31. Rxe5 Qd7 32. Qe2 Kf7 33. Kf2 Rd8 34. Qc4 Qd2+ 35. Re2 Qd5 36. Qxd5 exd5 37. Rd2 Ke6 38. Kf3 Rf8 ½-½

The man who was POTGCA, and Georgia Senior Champ (who was rated below 1800 and had chosen to play in the lower section until learning there was an odd number in the top section, who then decided to “play up” and won the event), Scott Parker, said something about “Class ‘A’ players not being able to compete against Masters.” I chuckle every time I see one of us score against one of them!

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A Class A player can certainly win against a Master in any given game, just as a gambler in Vegas can beat the house on any given day. Over the long haul the Master and the casino will come out on top.

“The race goes not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but that’s the way to bet.” - Damon Runyon