(4) Renna,Joe (1319) - Moldovan,John (1822) [A40]
Kenilworth Summer Tournament Kenilworth, NJ (13.2), 26.08.2010
[Moldovan & Firebird 1.2]

G/55+5 (increment) A40 Modern Defense Torre Attack

1.d4 g6 2.Nf3 Bg7 3.Bg5!? Diagram

This is unusual with the N back on g8 but playable. The down-side is that b2 is weakened and the d4 P becomes pinned.

3...c5 4.c3 [Of course, if 4.dxc5? then 4...Bxb2 5.Nbd2 Bxa1 6.Qxa1 Nf6-/+ ]

4...Qb6 5.Qd2 [5.Qb3 was natural & best.]

5...Nf6 6.dxc5 [>=6.Bxf6 Bxf6 Heckler - Biegler : Germany 1994 7.d5 With the Bg5/Qd2 alignment, leaving the Nf6 on may lead to problems for White.]

6...Qxc5 7.Qe3N White belatedly offers to trade Qs. [However, 7.Be3 Qh5 8.Bd4 Nc6 9.Qg5 Qxg5 10.Nxg5 d5 was also to Black's advantage in Bedoya - Rausis : Andorra 1994.]

7...Na6 8.b4? He really wants that swap but this unnecessarily and seriously weakens c3. [8.Nbd2=/+ /\ Nb3 was right.]

8...Qxe3 9.Bxe3 d6 Diagram

[>=9...Ng4 10.Bd4 e5 but I didn't want to make d6 backward or reduce the Bg7's scope.]

10.Nbd2? Forgetting about the c-pawn, which will now fall. [>=10.a3 leaving a retreat for the d.s. B & reinforcing b4 /\10...Nd5 (10...Nc7-/+ is superior) 11.Bd2=/+ ]

10...Nd5 11.Bd4 Bxd4 [>=11...e5 12.Be3 Nxc3 ]

12.Nxd4 Nxc3 13.a3 Bd7 14.e3 [14.e4 is no improvement.]

14...0-0 15.Bd3 [Giving me doubled a-pawns with 15.Bxa6 wouldn't have helped.]

15...Rfc8 16.0-0 Rc7 Preparing to double on the c-line &, if need be, re-route the Na6 through b8.

17.Rac1 Rac8 18.Rc2?? This loses an Exchange & the game. [>=18.f4 e5 19.N4b3-/+ when White's c-Rook is sufficiently defended.]

18...e5 19.N4f3? Diagram

[19.b5 was a much better try.]

19...Ne2+ Deflection theme.

20.Bxe2[] Throwing the towel in was a good alternative.

20...Rxc2 21.Rd1 /\ Ne4 & a counter-attack against d6, I suppose, but it's not in the cards. [>=21.Bd1 ]

21...Ba4?! [>=21...Rc1 trading off the enemy R but activating my B isn't so bad.]

22.Ne1? [>=22.Re1 ]

22...Ra2 23.Bc4 [>=23.Rb1 ]

23...Rxa3? [23...Rxc4 24.Nxc4 Bxd1 would have won a piece.]

24.Rc1? Joe is threatening to recover some stuff with 25.Bxf7+ Kxf7 26.Rxc8 but he has walked into pin and will instead lose more material. [>=24.Rb1 ]

24...d5 25.Nb1? [>=25.b5 ]

25...Ra1 26.Nd3 Rxc4 27.Nd2? [>=27.Rf1 ]

27...Rcxc1+ 28.Nxc1 Rxc1+ 29.Nf1 Bb5 and White finally resigned, since he was about to be down a R, B, N & 2 Ps! Time left - Renna 15:03, Moldovan 22:59 Time used - Renna 42:22, Moldovan 34:26 With this win, I was able to finish clear 3rd (my 2nd-best KST result), at +10-7=1, and match last year's +3 score. 0-1