2001 Montana Invitational

(1) Katzl, ,R - Duke,D [A20]
MT Invitational 2001,
[English Opening]

Everyone that plays chess in Montana knows that if they sit down to "duke it out" with Duke, and he's playing the white pieces, to expect an English Opening. Here we get a chance to see how Dave himself handles the defense against Rudy's version of 1.c4.

1.c4 e5 2.g3 Bc5 3.Bg2 d6 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.d3 0-0 6.a3 a6 7.Nf3 Ng4 8.0-0 f5 9.h3 Nf6 10.b4 Ba7 11.e3 Nc6 12.Bb2 f4 13.exf4 exf4 14.g4 Ne7 15.d4 Be6 16.d5 Bxg4 17.hxg4 Nxg4 18.Ne4 Nf5 19.c5 Qe8 20.Qd3 Qg6 21.Neg5 dxc5 22.Ne6 c4 23.Nxf8 Rxf8 24.Qe4 Nxf2?

(...Re8)

25.Qe6+?

(25.Rxf2! is the way.)

25...Qxe6 26.dxe6 Ng4+! 27.Bd4 Nxd4 28.Nxd4 Bxd4+ 29.Kh1 Bxa1 30.Rxa1 f3 31.Bh3 Nf2+! 32.Kh2 Nxh3 33.Kxh3 Re8 34.Kg3 Rxe6 35.Kxf3 b5 36.a4 c6 37.axb5 cxb5 38.Rd1 Rc6 39.Ke4 c3 40.Kd5 c2 41.Rc1 Rc4 42.Ke6 h6 43.Kf5 Kh7 44.Ke6 h5 45.Kf5 Kh6 46.Ke5 g5 47.Kf5 h4 48.Kf6 Kh5

And White has had enough. 0-1

(2) Shughart,D - Jensen,M [B22]
1st Montana Invitational 2001
[Sicilian Defense/Alapin's variation]

Jensen bypasses Shughart's Smith-Morra Gambit by playing 3...Nf6. Maybe because Mike used to play this gambit himself, and knows it's not a lot of fun for Black for a lot of moves.

1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 Nf6 4.e5 Nd5 5.Qxd4 e6 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Qd1 d6 8.Bb5 a6 9.Ba4 b5 10.c4! bxa4 11.cxd5 Nxe5 12.Nc3 Bd7 13.0-0 Be7 14.dxe6 Bxe6

Another way for Black to go is 14...Nxf3+ 15.Qxf3 fxe6 etc.

15.Qxa4+ Bd7

Black's drawbacks here are that he hasn't castled yet, and the d-pawn is weak. The good news is that it IS a passed pawn, and he has the two bishops. The game is level at this point.

16.Qd1 0-0 17.Re1 Bg4 18.Nd5

Interesting here is 18.Nxe5? Bxd1 19.Nc6 Qd7 20.Nxe7+ Kh8 21.Nxd1 Rfe8! winning.

18...Bf6 19.Re4 Bh5 20.Nxf6+ Qxf6 21.Rf4 Qe6 22.Be3 Nxf3+ 23.gxf3 Rfc8 24.Qd3?!

Not good, but Black will come in on c2 anyway, 'cause if White plays his queen rook over to c1 or d1, the a2 and b2 pawns both fall to his weak d-pawn.

24...Bg6 25.Qd4 Rc2 26.Re1 Rac8

Or 26...Qxa2 27.Qxd6 Rxb2 etc. Either way is good.

27.Bd2 Rxd2?

Taking the a-pawn would still keep it even. Now white gets the edge.

28.Qxd2 Qxa2 29.Qxd6 Qa5 30.Qe5 Qxe5 31.Rxe5 Rc1+?! 32.Kg2 h6 33.Re8+ Kh7 34.Ra8

Now if Black wants to keep the a-pawn with ...Bd3, he drops the f-pawn.

34...Bh5?

Black should try ...Rc6.

35.Rxa6

White has a clear win here.

35...Rb1 36.Rb6 g5 37.Rff6 Bg6 38.b4 Kg7 39.Rfd6 Rb3

It's in the bag on the queenside, but Black has one last trick up his sleeve.

40.Rb8 Bh5



41.Rd4??

White should've given his king a little more breathing room with 41.h3!

41...Bxf3+ 42.Kg3 Bh5+?

But this lets White come back to life with 43.f3! Black should play 42...Bc6! 43.Kg4 Rf3 (threatening mate with ...f5+ etc.) 44.Rb5! h5! 45.Kxh5 Bxb5 46.Kxg5 Rxf2 winning. In fairness to Mike, when you're that low on time, he did the right thing and took the easy half point.

43.Kg2 1/2-1/2











(3) Stubblefield,M - Katzl,R [A04]
1st Montana Invitational 2001
[Reti/Barcza]

Mike essays the Barcza System of the Reti opening, but aggressive play by Rudy gets the point.

1.Nf3 g6 2.d3 Bg7 3.g3 c5 4.Nbd2 Nc6 5.Bg2 d5!

If White lets you take the center, you should take it.

6.c4 d4

(6...dxc4 and 6...Nf6 are also good)

7.0-0 e5 8.Ne4 Qe7 9.Nh4?

This gives Black an automatic pawn storm.

9...f5 10.Bg5!? Qf8 11.Nd2 Qf7 12.Nb3 h6 13.Bd2 Bf8 14.Na5 Nxa5 15.Bxa5 g5

Back to work.

16.Nf3 Bd6 17.b4!

White must not wait for the end to come on the K-side.

17...Qe7! 18.bxc5 Bxc5 19.Nd2 Rb8 20.Nb3 Nf6! 21.Nxc5 Qxc5 22.Qd2 b6 23.Bb4 Qc7 24.e3!

This gives White the edge and shows that Black's attack was premature.

24...Kf7 25.exd4 exd4 26.f4 g4?

Too slow. Now the hunter becomes the hunted.

27.Rfe1 Re8 28.Qb2

Not as strong as 28.Rxe8 Nx8 (forced) 29.Bd5+ Kg6 30.Re1 and Black game is hard.

28...Qd8 29.Qa3! a5 30.Bd6 Rb7 31.Bxb7 Bxb7 32.Rab1 Re3 33.Be5! h5 34.Qd6 Qxd6 35.Bxd6 Rxd3 36.Red1?

36.Re7+ wins the bishop.

36...Rc3 37.Rxd4 Rc2 38.a3 Rg2+ 39.Kf1 Rxh2 40.Rbd1?

40.Rxb6!

40...Ne4 41.Kg1 Rh3 42.Be5 Rxg3+ 43.Kh2 Rh3+ 44.Kg1 Nc5 45.Rd6?

45.Rd7+ is better as Black cannot afford to capture.

45...Rh1+ 46.Kf2 Ne4+ 47.Ke3 Rh3+! 48.Ke2 Rxa3?

Score ends here. 48...Nxd6 was an easy win for Black, but Rudy was low on time here. Now Mike can crunch with 49.Rd7+ winning the bishop, but somehow missed it, and succumbed to Black's extra material.. 0-1











(4) Stuckey,R - Duke,D [A22]
MT Invitational 2001

Thanks to a second inaccuracy by Duke on move 11, Stuckey comes in with guns a blazin', but Dave proves the old saying that it only takes one shot, if it's a deadly one, to win the showdown.

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.e4 Bc5 4.Nf3 d6 5.d4 exd4 6.Nxd4 0-0 7.Nf3 Re8?

The right move is ...Ng4 8.Nd4 Nc6 9.Nxc6 Bxf2+ 10.Ke2 bxc6 11.h3 Qh4! and Black is looking good.

8.Bd3 Nxe4 9.Nxe4 f5 10.0-0 fxe4 11.Bxe4 Nc6?

Black should take the bishop where ...Rxe4 12.Qd5+ Re6 13.Ng5 Qf3 14.Nxe6 c6! 15.Qh5! Qxe6 gives Black a nice edge.

12.Ng5 Ne5 13.Bxh7+ Kf8 14.Qd5! Qf6 15.Ne4 Qe6 16.Ng5 Qxd5 17.cxd5 c6 18.dxc6 bxc6 19.Kh1?!

(19.Ne4!)

19...Ba6! 20.Re1 Bxf2 21.Re4 Bc5 22.Rf4+ Ke7 23.Bd2 Rf8 24.Re1 Rxf4 25.Bxf4 Rf8 26.g3?

(There's nothing wrong with 26.Bxe5 etc. here.)

26...Bf2 27.Rd1 c5 28.Rd2 Bb7+ 29.Be4 Bxe4+ 30.Nxe4 Bd4 31.Bg5+ Kd7 32.b4?

There is no good move.

32...Nf3 0-1











(5) Jensen,M - Stubblefield,M [A05]
MT Invitational 2001



1.Nf3

In this battle royale, both players approach each other on horseback rather cautiously. The players then unsheath their lances, but before drawing them out in full array, start attacking with mace and sword first.

1...Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.c4 d6 4.d4 Nbd7 5.Nc3 c5 6.d5 Bg7 7.Bg2

With deathlances drawn, both monarchs seek safety inside their castle.

7...0-0 8.0-0 Re8 9.e4 Ng4 10.Qe2 Nge5 11.Nxe5 Nxe5 12.h3 f5 13.f4 Nf7 14.Kh2 e5 15.dxe6 Rxe6 16.Qd3 Re8 17.Be3 Rb8 18.Rad1 fxe4 19.Bxe4?!

Not as good as retaking with the knight.

19...Qe7 20.Rfe1 Bxc3 21.Qxc3 Bxh3?!

Black should come out ahead with 21...Qxe4 and if 22.Bxc5 Qc6 holds.

22.Bd5 Qd7 23.Qf6 Be6 24.Bd2 Nh6?

(...Bxd5)

25.Bxe6+ Rxe6 26.Qxe6+

The queen offers to trade her life for certain victory.

26...Qxe6 27.Rxe6

And the rest is easy.

27...Ng4+ 28.Kg2 b5 29.cxb5 Rxb5 30.Bc3 Kf7 31.Rdxd6 a5 32.Re4 Nf6? 33.Rxf6+ 1-0

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