PAYA R3 : XAVIER

John BACUYAG vs Rhal SOL CRUZ, JR.
Xavier vs La Salle
PAYA Chess Team Championship
Nov 16, 2008

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Nf6
This is known in opening theory as the TWO KNIGHTS DEFENSE. And from MODERN CHESS OPENINGS, "One of the oldest of openings, it dates back to 1580, when it was subjected to analysis by Polerio."

4 d3 Be7 5 O-O O-O
This series of moves were played by the Super-GMs (ELO 2600+) such as Yudasin vs Dreev in Lvov 1990, Yudasin vs Ivanchuk in Riga 1991, and Kramnik vs Kasparov in Novgorod 1995.

6 Nc3
The usual move here is 6 Bb3 as played by Kramnik et al including Filipino IM Adrian Pacis which was capped a a Q-sacrifice!

[Site "Manila (Philippines)"][Date "1991"]
[White "Adrian Pacis"]
[Black "Rogelio Barcenilla"]
[ECO "C55"]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Be7 5.Bb3 O-O 6.O-O d5 7.exd5
Nxd5 8.h3 Bf6 9.Nbd2 g6 10.Ne4 Bg7 11.Re1 Kh8 12.Bd2 b6 13.Nc3
Nxc3 14.Bxc3 Qd6 15.Ng5 Nd8 16.Qf3 Bb7 17.Qg3 f6 18.Ne4 Qc6
19.d4 f5 20.d5 Qd7 21.Ng5 e4 22.Rad1 Bxc3 23.bxc3 Qg7 24.Qh4
Bc8 25.f3 exf3 26.Nxf3 Nf7 27.Re7 g5 28.Qh5 g4 29.Ne5 gxh3
30.Rd2 Qxe5 31.Rxe5 Nxe5 32.Re2 Ng6 33.Qh6 Bd7 34.Qe3 Kg7
35.Qd4+ Kh6 36.gxh3 f4 37.Kf2 Rae8 38.Bc4 Rxe2+ 39.Bxe2 Bxh3
40.a4 Bf5 41.Qc4 Rd8 42.Bf3 Rd7 43.Qa6 Bxc2 44.Qxa7 Bd3 45.Qa8
Kg5 46.Qe8 Bf5 47.c4 h5 48.c5 bxc5 49.a5 Rd6 50.Qb8 Ne5
51.Qxc7 Nd3+ 52.Kf1 Rd7 53.Qb8 c4 54.a6 c3 55.Qc8 Nb4 56.Qxc3
Nxa6 57.Qh8 Bg6 58.Qe5+ Kh6 59.d6 Rf7 60.Qb5 Nc7 61.Qc4 Ne8
62.Qxf7 Bxf7 63.d7 Nf6 64.d8=Q Kg5 65.Qa5+ Kg6 66.Qe5 Bc4+
67.Kg2 Bd3 68.Qxf4 Bf5 69.Kg3 Bg4 70.Be4+ Kf7 71.Kh4 1-0

6 ... a6 7 Bg5 b5 8 Bb3 Nd4?
Junior was the first to commit a mistake. This leaves the e5 pawn en prise. And the knight move violates CHESS FUNDAMENTALS, "Before development has been completed, no piece should be moved more than once, unless it is essential in order to obtain a material advantage or to secure freedom of action."

9 Nxd4? exd4 10 Ne2 c5 11 e5! Ng5 12 Bxe7 Qxe7 13 Bd5 Rb8 14 Nf4 Nxe5 15 Re1 Qg5 16 g3 Bb7 17 Bxb7 Rxb7 18 Nh3 Qf6 19 Qh5?

D1
19 ... Nf3+ 20 Kf1 Nxe1 21 Rxe1
Junior's simple tactical threat gives him a quality advantage.

21 ... Rbb8 22 Re4 Rfe8
BETTER CHESS

23 Rh4 h6 24 Rg4

D2
24 ... Re6?
MY SYSTEM, "Simplification is desirable if we have superiority in material." I think this can be done by forcing exchanges though 24 ... Re5 or 24 ... Qf3.

25 Ng5??? hxg5!
THE TEN MOST COMMON CHESS MISTAKES, "You can't win unless your opponent errs; and you can't lose unless you err. Skill, in fact, might be defined as the ability to exploit the other guy's mistake."

26 Rxg5 g6? 27 Qh6 Qg7! 28 Qh4 Rbe8! 29 Kg2 f6?
The logical plan is to exchange pieces by either 29 ... Qh7 or 27 ... Re5.

30 Rc5 g5?

31 Qh5 Qh7! 32 Qg4 d6 33 Rf5 Qb7+!

D

Laying out a neat mating net; if 34 Kg1 Re1

34 Kh3! R8e7 35 Rf3 Rh7+ 36 Kg2

D

36 ... Rh6???


37 h4? Qg7???


38 Qxe6+! Kh7 39 Rf5 gxh4 40 Rf3

D

40 ... h3+


41 Kh2 Rh4

D1

Junior offers a R.


42 Rxf6! Rh6 43 Qf5+ Rg6??? 44 Rf7 [1-0]