the a and c pawns.
19.exd4 f5
27.b3 Qc3! 28.Re3?
Black has long term pressure
on the d-pawn.
28.Qe1 would have been
better. The text move drops a
pawn.
28...Qxc2 29.Qa3 Rec7
30.h3?! Qd2! 31.Rg3?
20.Nc5! Qe7 21.Rfe1 Qf7
22.Nb3 Rxe1+ 23.Rxe1
Re8 24.Rxe8+ Qxe8
25.Qe3!? Qe4! 26.Nc5
better was 31.b4.
32.Bxf6! 1–0
White will mate quickly after
32…h5 33.Bxg7+ Kh7 34.Qf6!
31...Qf4 32.b4 Qxe4
33.Rd1 Rc2 34.b5 axb5
35.Qxd6? (diagram)
In the next game, NM Banik
steadily improves his position
and eventually crashes
through in this 4th round game.
26...Bxd4! 27.Nxe4 Bxe3
28.Nf6+ Kf7 29.Nxd5 Bc1
30.a4 Ke6 31.Nc7+ Kd7!
32.b5!? f4!? 33.Nxa6!
bxa6 34.bxc6+ Kxc6
35.Bh4 Kc5∓
White: Chris Pan (1969)
Black: NM S. Banik (2230)
B92 Sicilian Defense
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4
4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6
6.Be2 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.Be3
Be6 9.0–0 0–0 10.f3 Nbd7
11.a4 Nb6 12.a5 Nc4
13.Bxc4 Bxc4
The position is roughly even.
Black has the two bishops in
exchange for the backwards dpawn and hole on d5.
14.Re1 Rc8N 15.Nd2 Be6
16.Bb6 Qd7 17.Nf1! Qc6
18.Ne3 Bd8 19.Bxd8
Rfxd8 20.Ned5!? Nxd5
21.exd5 Qc5+ 22.Kh1 Bf5
23.Qc1 Re8 24.Re2 h6
25.Ne4!? Bxe4 26.fxe4
Re7
Black has more options as
White is tied down protecting
Page 24
35...R8c3! 36.Rxc3 Qxg2#
0–1
FM Cameron Wheeler secured
is perfect score with this nice
win in the final round.
White:NM
Panchanatham(2328)
Black: FM Wheeler (2395)
D13 Slav Defense
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.cxd5
cxd5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bf4 Nc6
6.e3 Bf5 7.Nf3 a6 8.Rc1 g6
9.h3N Bg7 10.Bd3 Bxd3
11.Qxd3 0–0 12.0–0 Re8
13.a3 Rc8 14.Na4 Ne4
15.b4 f6 16.Nd2 Nxd2
17.Qxd2 e5 18.Bg3 exd4!
White has maintained
material equality, but the
Black King is far better than
Whites.
36.Bd8 Kb4 37.a5 Kb5
38.h4!?
38.f3 would keep Black's
f-pawn as a potential target.
38...Bd2 39.Bc7 f3!
40.gxf3 Bxa5–+ 41.Be5
Kc4 42.Kf1 Bc3 43.Bd6
Bb4 44.Be5 Kd3 45.Bc7 a5
46.Bxa5
If the a-pawn isn't taken now,
White might not get another
chance.
46...Bxa5 47.Kg2 h5!
CalChess Journal
Summer 2014