After 18. Qf5
18. Qg5 should be played, denying Black a tempo to control g4.
18.... Bc8! 19. Qg5 Ng4! 20. Nd4
20. Kf1 was forced, but White is in deep trouble.
20.... Qa7 21. Be2 Be7 22. Qh5 g6 23. Qh3 Nf2 24. Qc3 Nxd1 25. Bxd1 b4 26. Qd3 Bc5 27. Be3 Rd8, White resigned.
A crisp win by James; a sharp pawn sacrifice in the opening, a strongly developed initiative, and a precise finish.
ISAAC
On almost any middle school team in the country, expert-rated Isaac Barayev would be the star. When he was in seventh grade, 318 assistant coach and alumnus Pobo Efekoro referred to Justus, James, and Isaac as the“ big 3,” placing Barayev in the company of the school’ s greatest ever players. The Forest Hills native gained 100 rating points in December of 2011, cracking 2100 for the first time. In his final year at 318, Isaac had become irreplaceable, a predictor of the team’ s fortunes. During grade school nationals in Dallas, with Justus and James representing the United States at the World Youth, Isaac led the charge with 5 / 7 as 318 captured the eighth grade championship. At the city championships, Isaac’ s dominant 5-0 led his team to a convincing victory in the junior high school division. The only time he slipped, at the high school state tournament in Saratoga, 318 was upset by a team of its own alumni, representing Edward Murrow. After the final round, Justus grinned at Isaac.“ Don’ t worry. We’ ll get them back at high school( nationals).”
Isaac recently began a new training regimen, taking Spiegel’ s recommendation to study with GM Alexander Stripunsky. Among other things, they study thematic positions for topics Stripunsky selects. Examples include rook versus pawns, the Bxh7 sacrifice, or mating nets. Isaac is often asked to evaluate a certain idea or continuation within 15 minutes before further study. He also works hard at home, memorizing opening theory and solving problems. Isaac credits his new 1. d4 repertoire, learned from his coach, for“ lots of good wins with white.”
Isaac started the tournament well, reaching 4 / 5. His draws were mutually well played, and one of the wins featured a characteristically dynamic Exchange sacrifice against Tin Phan( shown below). In the penultimate round, he faced NM Sam Schmakel, the lynchpin of Chicago’ s Whitney Young school. We were able to predict the opening variation, and Isaac developed a serious initiative. Alas, the master slipped away with a full point, and Isaac returned shaking his head. With 4 / 6, it was time to regroup for the last round— a key game as black.
French Defense( C18) Tin Phan( 1688) Isaac Barayev( 2124) National High School Championship( 3), 04.14.2012
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. a3 Bxc3 + 5. bxc3 Ne7
Taking on e4 is more popular, but the text has been played by Petrosian and Vaganian, among others.
6. Qg4 0-0 7. e5 c5 8. Bd3 rwq- +-trk + + l +- + pzpp p +-vl-sn- + + p +- + Q +-- +- + PzP- + +- + L +- +- PzP- + N + PzP tR-vLR +-mKrsnlwq-trk + zpp +-snpzpp- +- + p +- + +-zppzP- +-- +-zP- + Q + zP-zPL +- +-- + P +-zPPzP tR-vL-mK-sNR
After 8. Bd3
From an unusual move order, we have arrived at an important theoretical position.
8.... c4
This move is not so common and seems to have suffered a fair bit in practice; 8.... Nbc6 would be normal.
9. Be2 f6 10. f4 Nbc6
The first completely new move; the only master game to reach this position saw 11.... fxe5.
11. Nf3 Qb6
11.... Qa5 followed by... Qa4 looks more concrete.
12. 0-0 Ng6 13. Kh1 Bd7 14. h4 Rf7 15. h5 Nge7 16. Bd2 Raf8!
- +- +-trk + zpp + lsnrzpp-wqn + pzp- + +- + pzP- + P- + pzP-zPQ + zP-zP- + N +-- + PvLL + P + tR- +- + R + K
After 16.... Raf8
17. Rfb1 Qc7 18. a4 Qc8 19. Bc1 Be8 20. Ba3
By moving the bishop, White loses the option of recapturing on e5 with the d- pawn. The next ten moves from Isaac are a tour de force.
20.... fxe5 21. fxe5 Rf5 22. Rb2 Qd7 23. Rab1 b6 24. Kg1 Bxh5!?
- +- +-trk + zp- + qsn-zpp-zpn + p +- + +- + pzPr + l P + pzP- + Q + vL-zP- + N +--tRP + L + P + + R +- +-mK-
After 24.... Bxh5
The computer prefers taking with the rook, but Isaac has a very specific idea based on pressuring f3.
25. Qh3 Ng6 26. Bd1 Nf4 27. Qh4 Nxg2! There it is!
28. Kxg2 Bxf3 + 29. Bxf3 Rxf3 30. Bxf8 Rxf8 31. Rh1 h6 32. Rh3 Qf7 33. Rb1 Qg6 + 34. Kh1 Qe4 +
34.... Qf7 improves, followed by the eventual transfer of the knight to a better square.
35. Qxe4 dxe4 36. Kg2
For tactical reasons, not the best square for the king; imagine a knight on f4!
36.... Ne7 37. Re1 Rf4 37.... Nd5!
38. Kg3
38. Rhe3 should be played, with very reasonable drawing chances.
38.... Nd5 39. a5 b5
39.... bxa5 is simplest, with ideas of advancing both the a- and e-pawns.
40. a6 Rf3 + 41. Kg4 Rxh3 42. Kxh3 Nxc3 43. Kh4 g6 44. Rf1 Nd5 45. c3 e3 46. Re1
uschess. org Chess Life— July 2012 23