1995 North Island Championship
annotations by Anthony Ker
The 1995 North Island Championship held in Hamilton attracted 42 entries. NZ Champion Anthony Ker of Civic and titleholder Bob Smith of Waitemata each won 5 games and conceded 3 draws, to share the title. Scott Wastney of Rotorua, was also unbeaten but conceded one more draw to finish third.
The North Island Rapid Championship attracted more top players from Auckland and Wellington, and there were 52 entrants. In the final round Martin Dreyer, Leonard McLaren, Bob Smith and Anthony Ker all agreed short draws among themselves and shared the title.
The full report and games selection will appear in the next issue of NZ Chess. In the meantime, here are two of Bob Smith's games annotated by his co-winner.
Smith, Robert - Mastilovich, R
North Island Championship 1995
An excellent technical display against a worthy opponent. 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 The usual move is 3.d4, but many players prefer to avoid the extensively analysed and double-edged main line variations of the Sicilian. 3.Bb5 is a perfectly sound sideline. 3...Qb6?! It looks a little suspect to be bringing the queen out at such an early stage. 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bxc6 bxc6 (5...Qxc6 avoids the doubled pawns, but after 6.d4 the queen becomes a target. ) 6.d3 d5 7.O-O Be7 8.Re1 Nf6 9.b3 Ba6 10.Na4! Black is trying to play ...c4 to liquidate his doubled pawns. This move and the next one clamp down on the pawns, turning them into a permanent weakness. 10...Qc7 11.c4 d4 12.e5! If Black were allowed to play ...e5 himself the position could become too blocked. This move frees up e4 for White's pieces and gains time and space. 12...Nd7 13.Bg5 Nb6 14.Bxe7 Qxe7 Black's dark-squared bishop, defender of the weak c-pawn, is gone and he is left with an ineffective light-squared bishop hemmed in by pawns. 15.Nb2 (15.Nxb6 would be a strategic blunder, giving Black the a-file and the chance to play ...b5. The knight may not be doing much on b2, but its time will come. ) 15...O-O 16.Qe2 Rae8 17.Nd2 f6 18.exf6 Rxf6 (18...gxf6 was worth consideration. By playing 18...Rxf6 Black accepts another pawn weakness in return for some counterplay on the f-file. ) 19.Ne4 Rf5 20.Qd2 Bc8 21.Ng3 Rf6 22.Re2 Ref8 23.Rae1 Qf7 24.Nd1 The knight rejoins the action. 24...Rh6 25.f3 Qe7 26.Nf2
Moves are clickable
26...e5? White is gradually improving his position, while Black is unable to do much. 26...e5? is a move born of desperation. Black does not wish to defend grimly and hope to hang on, instead he sacrifices a pawn to try and generate some attacking chances. 27.Rxe5 Qh4 28.Nf1 White's position is as solid as a rock, and he now has an extra pawn to boot. 28...Rg6 29.Re8 Bd7 30.Rxf8+ Kxf8 31.Re4 Qg5 Black does not willingly exchange queens, but neither can he allow 32.Qf4+. 32.Qxg5 Rxg5 33.Ng3 Be8 34.f4 Rg6 35.f5 Rd6 36.Rh4 With two threats: 37.Rh7 and 37.Nfe4. Black must lose another pawn. 36...Nd7 37.Rxh7 Kg8 38.Rh4 Rf6 39.Re4 Kf8 40.Ng4 Rd6 41.Re1 A pretty and profitable manoeuvre. White again threatens 42.Ne4. 41...Nf6 42.Nxf6 Rxf6 43.Re5 43...g6 44.Ne4 Rxf5 45.Rxe8+! White finds a nice way to simplify and finish off the game. 45...Kxe8 46.Nd6+ Ke7 47.Nxf5+ gxf5 Black has recouped one of the two pawns but he is still a pawn down, and in a king and pawn ending that is usually fatal. 48.Kf2 Kf6 49.Kf3 Kg5 50.g3 Kf6 51.Kf4 Kg6 52.h4 1-0
Craig, R - Smith, Robert
North Island Championship 1995
1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 This is the Smith Morra Gambit, named after two players who popularised it. White sacrifices a pawn for a free and easy development. The gambit is not without its dangers and Black can easily get into trouble. 3...dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6 5.Nf3 d6 6.Bc4 a6 7.a4 Unnecessary. Black played ...a6 as a defensive move - he wasn't planning b5 just yet. White should concentrate on finishing his development. A pawn down, he can't afford to waste moves. 7...Nf6 8.O-O 8.h3, to prevent an annoying pin, may have been wiser. Here is a moment where a "slow" move [h3] is a good thing. Every rule has an exception! It's knowing what the exceptions are that separates the good players from the bad. 8...Bg4 9.h3 Bxf3 10.gxf3?! Not an attractive move. White clearly disliked the alternative 10.Qxf3 Ne5 11. Qe2 Nxc4 12.Qxc4 Rc8 and Black has the initiative. 10...e6 11.Be3 Be7 12.Qe2 O-O 13.Rad1 Qa5 14.Kh2 Qh5! Starting to ask some serious questions about the safety of White's king and the weakness of the f-pawns. 15.Rg1 Ne5 16.Rg3 Rac8 17.Bb3?
Moves are clickable
White would surely have played 17.Bd3 if he had realised what Black was up to. 17...Rxc3!! An exchange sacrifice to blast away White's defences. 18.bxc3 Nxe4 19.Rf1 White hopes Black will be satisfied simply to regain the exchange. 19...Bh4! Increasing the pressure. 20.Bd4 Bxg3+ 21.fxg3 Ng5 White Resigns ( If 21...Ng5 22.Bxe5 Qxh3+ and Black has a comfortable two pawn advantage without a care in the world. ) ( Another possibility 21...Ng5 22.h4 Ngxf3+ 23.Kh1 Qg4 24.Bxe5 Qh3+ ) 0-1