It’s here!!  Are you going to play?!  Are you going to train and study.  For the 1st time in the, “Chess Scholarship Era” the City of Richmond is the leader in accessible rated tournament chess!  There has been rated tournament chess in the Richmond area for decades.  On Saturday May 2 it became in the City of Richmond instead of in the Richmond area.  Every free training is at a bus stop!  Every nationally rated tournament is at a bus stop.  This is what being a major city is all about.  We now have the frequency and proximity our metropolitan community needs to get in on the fun, scholarships and opportunities that up to now required a car.  This is just the beginning!  We need advertisers, donations, tournament directors, coaches, and volunteers.  Let’s work together to show the, “Richmond area”, Virginia, the country, and the world what they have been missing by not being, “In Richmond!!”.  For those in attendance, thank you for showing your support at this history making event!

Jason Morefield took 1st place with a 4-0 score!  He turned 12 last month and has a new rating high of 1946.  Robert Penn and Hunter Beasley tied for 2nd with scores of 3-1.

Here is the game between the 2 top rated players!  Watch for more games from RMGP 1

(416) Robert Penn (2003) – Jason Morefield (1920) [E94]

RMGP1 (3), 02.05.2015

[RCI]

The easiest thing to say is wow! This round 3 battle between number 1 and number 2 is a barn burner! The lead changes hands, then it’s equal, then there’s time pressure. Hope your enjoy this! 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 0–0 5.e4 d6 6.Be2 e5 7.0–0 exd4 8.Nxd4 Re8 9.f3

Typical King’s Indian position.

c6 10.Bg5 [10.Be3 Nbd7 11.Qd2 Ne5 12.Rfd1 a5² Would be the standard development scheme.] 10…Qb6 11.Na4 Qc7 12.Qd2 a6 13.Rac1 c5 Which retreat would you pick? Robert picks the stongest. Up to this point both players are coming in very high on the engine choices. Most every move has been either 1,2, or 3! 14.Nc2! Bd7 15.Nc3 Bc6 16.Rfd1

Position after 16. Rfd1

Nbd7?! This is going to cause the game to start slipping away! Black had to play Re6. [16…Re6 17.b4! b6 18.bxc5 bxc5 19.Nd5 Bxd5 20.cxd5 Re7 21.Nb4± White has a lasting advantage!] 17.Qxd6 Qb6 18.Rb1 h6? 19.Be3 Rad8 20.Qg3 Nf8?! Mistakes come in pairs! White is winning. 21.Qf2?? [21.Nd5 It is now that we see the big difference between 14.Nb3 and 14.Nc2! The knight sopports the advance of the queenside pawns in a way that gains space effortlessly! 21…Qa5 22.a3 Nxd5 23.exd5 Bd7 24.Bd3 Rc8 25.b4 cxb4 26.axb4 Qd8+-] 21…Ne6?! 22.Nd5 Qa5? This really isn’t an option anymore! [22…Qa7™ 23.Bxh6! Nxd5 24.Bxg7 Ndf4 25.Bf6 Rxd1+ 26.Rxd1+-] 23.a3 Rd7 24.b4 Qd8??

Position after 24…Qd8??

25.Bxc5?? The complications are really hard here but the pawn capture is right because a capture on d5 is unavoidable and that will fix the pawns because until the e6 knight moves, any recapture on d5 is with tempo! [25.bxc5! Ba4 26.Rd2 Bxc2 27.Rxc2 Qa5 28.Rcb2 Nxd5 29.cxd5 Bxb2 30.dxe6 Rxe6 31.Rxb2 Qxa3+-] 25…Nxc5 26.Qxc5?? Whites 2nd rank is completely vulnerable to black’s rooks! [26.bxc5™ Even when you are winning, there are forced moves! 26…Ba4 27.Bf1 Bf8 28.Rb4 Nxd5 29.cxd5 Qa5 30.d6+-] 26…Bxd5 27.cxd5

Position after 27. cxd5

Nxd5?? [27…Rc7™ 28.Qe3 Rxc2 29.Rbc1 Rxc1 30.Qxc1 Qb6+ 31.Kf1 Rd8 32.Qc5 Nd7 33.Qxb6 Nxb6µ] 28.Rxd5 [28.Bb5!! axb5 29.Rxd5 Rxd5 30.exd5 Re2 31.Re1 Bf8 32.Qc3 Rxe1+ 33.Qxe1³; 28.exd5 Rxe2 29.Kf1 Bf8 30.Qc4 Re5 31.Rbc1 Bg7³ With an edge and the initiative!] 28…Rxd5 29.Qxd5 Qxd5 30.exd5 Rxe2 31.Ne1 [31.Na1! Rd2 32.Nb3 Rxd5 33.Nc5 b6 34.Nxa6 Rd3 35.Nc7 Bd4+ 36.Kf1 Rd2 37.Nd5=] 31…Rd2 White is in time trouble! 32.Rc1 [32.f4 Rxd5 33.Kf2 Rd2+ 34.Kf3 Bd4 35.Rc1³] 32…Rxd5 33.Rc8+ Kh7 34.Rc7 Rd2

Position after 34…Rd2

35.Nc2? [35.Kf1! Bd4 (35…Kg8 36.f4=) 36.Nc2=]  I had mentioned 35. Rf7 as a way out, but that would have been a total disaster.  35…Kg8 36.a4 Be5 37.Rc8+ Kg7 38.g3 h5 39.f4 Bd6 40.Rc4 Kf6 41.b5 axb5 42.axb5 Ke6 43.Ne1 Kd5 44.Rc8 Bc5+ 45.Kh1 Rb2 46.Rxc5+ Kxc5 0–1

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