Trusts Best Games
As always the 43rd Trusts Open bought together most of New Zealand's top players, and some high quality encounters are the inevitable result. Australian IM Brodie McClymont was in the mix this year, and not only did he win the event with an outstanding score of 6/6, he also wins the best game prize, as chosen by GM Murray Chandler, for the following effort.
McClymont, Brodie - McLaren, Leonard J - 43rd Trusts Open A-Grade 2021
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6 3.c4 d6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 e6 6.Nc3 Be7 7.Be2 Qc7 8.Be3 b6 9.Rc1 Bb7 10.f3 Nf6
Moves are clickable
11.Kd2! "White's remarkable concept - castling queenside by hand beginning 11 Kd2 - pays off." - Chandler 11...Nbd7 12.Kc2 O-O 13.Kb1 Rfc8 14.g4 Qb8 15.g5 Ne8 16.h4 Ne5 17.Qb3 Nc7 18.Ka1 Nd7 19.h5 d5 20.exd5 exd5 21.Nf5 Bf8 22.g6 dxc4 23.Bxc4 Bxf3 24.Bxf7+ Kh8 25.h6 Bxh1 26.Rxh1 Nf6 27.Bd4 Qb7 28.hxg7+ Bxg7 29.Rxh7+ "The subsequent whirlwind pawn storm against the black kingside results ends prettily - after 29 Rxh7+ McLaren resigns facing checkmate next move" - Chandler (29.Rxh7+ Nxh7 30.Bxg7# ) 1-0
The next game received an honorable mention runners up award from Murray.
Metge, J Nigel - Gong, Daniel Hanwen - 43rd Trusts Open A-Grade 2021
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 O-O 6.Be3 c5 7.d5 e6 8.Qd2 exd5 9.cxd5 Na6 10.Bd3 Nc7 11.Nge2 Rb8 12.a4 a6 13.a5 b5 14.axb6 Rxb6 15.O-O Re8 16.Bg5 Bd7 17.Qf4 Re5 18.Ra5 h6 19.Bxh6 Ncxd5 20.Qd2 Nxc3 21.bxc3 c4 22.Rxe5 Bxh6 23.Qxh6 cxd3 24.Rg5 dxe2 25.Re1
Moves are clickable
25...Rb1 26.Rxg6+ "Neat tactics from Black are continued through to the end with 25...Rb1, a flashy rook sacrifice. If (26.Rxb1 Qb6+! 27.Rxb6 e1=Q# mate" - Chandler ) 26...fxg6 27.Qxg6+ Kf8 28.Qh6+ Kf7 0-1
Waitakere Organiser and Founder FM Bob Smith picked out a few other games that are worthy of attention.
Li, Allen - Wells, Clinton A - 43rd Trusts Open B-Grade 2021
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Bd6 5.Nc3 Ne7 6.Bg5 f6 7.Bh4 Bg4 8.Bg3 Nbc6 9.Be2 Qd7 10.Nb5 Bxg3 11.hxg3 O-O-O 12.Qd2 Rde8 13.O-O-O Kb8 14.Nc3 Nd8 15.Bb5 c6 16.Be2 Ka8 17.Na4 Qc7 18.Qb4 Nc8 19.Bd3 g6 20.Rde1 Nd6 21.Nc5 Bf5 22.Bxf5 Nxf5 23.g4 Nd6 24.g5 Ne4 25.gxf6 Qf4+ 26.Kb1 Qxf6 27.a3 Re7 28.Qa5 b6 29.Qa6 Kb8 30.Nd3 Ne6 31.Nfe5 Nc7 32.Qa4 Kb7 33.Nb4 b5 34.Qa5 Nd2+ 35.Ka1 Nc4 36.Nxc4 dxc4 37.Rxe7 Qxe7
Moves are clickable
38.Qxa7+ Kc8 39.Nxc6 Qf6 40.Qb6 Qg7 41.Na7+ Kd7 42.Qc6+ Kd8 43.Qd6+ Qd7 44.Qf6+ 1-0
Garbett, Paul A - Fan, Allen Chi Zhou - 43rd Trusts Open A-Grade 2021
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Qc7 4.O-O g6 5.c3 a6 6.Ba4 b5 7.Bc2 Bg7 8.d4 cxd4 9.cxd4 d6 10.h3 Nf6 11.Nc3 O-O 12.Bg5 b4
Moves are clickable
13.Bxf6 bxc3 14.Bxg7 cxb2 15.Bxf8 bxa1=Q 16.Qxa1 Kxf8 17.Qc1 Nd8 18.Qh6+ Ke8 19.Bb3 e6 20.Rc1 Qa5 21.Ng5 Bb7 22.Nxh7 Kd7 23.Qf8 Bc6 24.d5 1-0
Xie, Felix - McLaren, Leonard J - 43rd Trusts Open A-Grade 2021
1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 e6 3.e4 h6 4.Bxf6 Qxf6 5.c3 d6 6.Bd3 Nd7 7.Ne2 a6 8.O-O Qd8 9.f4 Be7 10.Nd2 b5 11.a4 Rb8 12.e5 dxe5 13.fxe5 Nxe5 14.Bxb5+ axb5 15.dxe5 bxa4 16.Qxa4+ Qd7 17.Qc2 O-O 18.Ne4 Bb7 19.Rad1 Qb5 20.Nd4 Qxe5 21.Rde1 Qd5 22.Nf3 f5 23.c4 Qc6 24.Ne5 Qb6+ 25.Nf2 Rbd8 26.Qe2 Bb4 27.Rd1 Bc5 28.b4 Rxd1 29.Rxd1 Qxb4 30.Nd7 Bxf2+ 31.Kxf2 Re8 32.Qh5
Moves are clickable
32...Qe7 33.Qg6 Bc6 34.Qg3 Bxd7 35.Qxc7 Ba4 36.Qxe7 Rxe7 37.Ra1 Bc6 38.g3 e5 0-1
Finally, Allen Fan is soon to represent New Zealand in the World Cup in Moscow. This effort caught the attention of editor Bill Forster;
Fan, Allen Chi Zhou - Zhang, Jasmine Haomo - 43rd Trusts Open A-Grade 2021
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.Rb1 a5 6.a3 Nge7 7.e3 d6 8.b4 axb4 9.axb4 f5 10.b5 Na5 11.d3 c6 12.Nge2 Be6 13.O-O O-O 14.Bb2 e4 15.Nd4 Bf7 16.bxc6 bxc6 17.dxe4 Bxc4 18.Re1 Qd7 19.Na4 Rab8 20.Bc3 Qa7 21.Rxb8 Rxb8 22.exf5 gxf5 23.Qh5 Nb3 24.Nxc6 Nxc6 25.Bxc6 Bxc3 26.Nxc3 Qa5 27.Qg5+ Kf7 28.Qh5+ Kg8 29.Qg5+ Kf7 30.Bd5+ Bxd5 31.Qxf5+ Ke8
Moves are clickable
32.Nxd5!? Sacrificing a whole Rook for attack. Strictly speaking, this is a mistake as Black can now hold the balance (but no more) with hyper-accurate play, but a brave practical decision 32...Qxe1+ 33.Kg2 Nd4? ( The inevitable 0.00 computer variation begins with 33...Nc5 34.Qxh7 Rb7 35.Nc7+ Rxc7 36.Qxc7 Qe2 37.Qxd6 Nd3 38.Qe6+ Kd8 39.Qf6+ Kc7 40.h4 Ne1+ 41.Kh3 Nd3 ) 34.Qxh7! Nc6 35.Qg8+ Kd7 36.Qf7+ Ne7 37.Qxe7+ Kc6 38.Qc7+ Kxd5 39.Qxb8 Qe2 40.Qa8+ Ke5 41.Qf3 Qc2 42.h4 1-0