SAUL vs SOL CRUZ

Jun SAUL vs Junior Sol Cruz

TRANSCO, Quezon City
August 23, 2008

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1 e4 e5

Logical Chess, “A good way to begin is to release two pieces at one stroke, and this can be done by advancing one of the center pawns.”

2 Nf3 Nc6

Chess Fundamentals, “The beginner would do well to remember this, bring out knights before bringing out bishops.”

3 Bb5 d6

Manual of Chess, “The oldest defence is 3 … d6, which is the most direct one. Surely a sound and substantial one, though it may not appeal to the high-flown fancy.”

This is known as the STEINITZ DEFENCE of the Ruy Lopez Opening. The variation was popularized by Wilhelm Steinitz, the first World Champion.

Other popular continuations are 3 … a6 – Morphy’s Defence, 3 … Nf6 – Berlin Defence, and 3 … Bc5 – Classical Variation.

Modern Chess Openings, “The rarely played 3 … Bb4 is dubious, one reason is that 4 c3 Ba5 5 O-O Nge7 6 BxN NxB 7 b4 Bb6 8 b5 Na5 9 NxP wins a pawn for insufficient compensation.”

4 d4 Nf6?

Junior continued to develop his knights which is fundamentally sound. However, the best move in this position is 4 … Bd7; Chigorin vs Steinitz in 1889 World Championship, Gunsberg vs Steinitz in 1890 World Championship, Lasker vs Steinitz in 1894 World Championship, and Lasker vs Capablanca in 1921 World Championship.

5 d5

5 … a6!

The Ideas Behind the Chess Openings, “The whole defense, incidentally, is a classic illustration of the fundamental principle that a cramped position is freed by exchanges, but exploited by an attack.”

6 PxN PxB 7 PxP BxP

Better Chess, “Bishops are best deployed on the longest diagonals – the ones from corner to corner.”

8 Nc3 c6???

Attacking the knight with 8 … b4 will lead to the capture of White’s center pawn. Instead, Junior blocked his bishop’s diagonal that Capablanca cautioned in …

Chess Fundamentals, “When they are blocked by pawns their scope is shorter, and they are hence less effective.”

9 Bg5

d

Better is 9 … Be7 which is in accordance with …

Kasparov Teaches Chess, “It is of primary importance to adhere to the principle of rapid development of one’s pieces and to implement it in practice during the opening stage.”

10 PxP PxP 11 BxN QxB? 12 NxP

d

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12 … BxN???

Promising is 12 … Qd6! 13 Nc3 QxQ 14 RxQ BxKN; giving White the disadvantage of the doubled pawns.

Furthermore, exchanging a good bishop is against ...

Chess Fundamentals, “The advantage of having the bishop lies as much in its ability to command, at long range, both sides of the board from a central position as in its ability to move quickly from one side of the board to the other.”

13 QxB Rb8 14 Rd1 Be7? 15 Qd7+ Kf8 16 O-O g6 17 Qc7 Rd8? 18 RxR BxR 19 QxP QxQ 20 NxQ Kg7 21 Rd1 Bf6 22 Nc6? BxP 23 Rd7 Rc8 24 Nb4?

d

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24 … Ba3!!!

Junior laid down an ingenious bank rank mate via 25 c3 BxN 26 PxB Rc1+!

25 Rd4 BxN 26 RxB RxP 27 Kf1 RxP 28 RxP

28 … f5

Exposing the king is not consistent with …

Portable Chess Coach, “Pawns can form a shield to protect your king from enemy forces.

29 h4 Kf6 30 g3 h6 31 f4 g5? 32 Rb6+ Kg7 33 PxP PxP 34 PxP Ra5 35 Kg2 Re5 36 Kf3 Ra5 37 Kf4 Rc5 38 Rf6 Rc4+ 39 KxP Rc3 40 Kg4 Rc4+ 41 Kh5 Rc3 42 Kh4 Rc4+ 43 g4 Rc7 44 Rb6 Re7 45 Kh5 Re8 46 Rb7+ Kf8 47 g6 Kg8 48 Kh6 [1-0].

Coach Cardoso ruled that this is a book draw and all Junior has to do is to keep his king besides his pawns.