IM Levan Bregadze (2469) - IM David Vigorito (2532) 1-0 View Game
IM Tegshsuren Enkhbat (2492) - SM Steven Winer (2409) 0-1 View Game
NM Jared Defibaugh (2297) - FM Charles Riordan (2386) 0.5-0.5 View Game
NM Ben Krause (2323) - NM Andrew Liu (2296) 0-1 View Game
Note: Players in italic have the white pieces.
The New England Nor'easters edge the Baltimore Kingfishers with a 2.5-1.5 game score. The match saw 3 wins for white and a draw on Board 3. Baltimore is now 0.0-2.0 in matches on the season. However, there are still 8 weeks in the Regular Season to go in the USCL and as we have seen in previous years, anything can happen right up until the last minute/match.
Board 1: IM Levan Bregadze vs. IM David Vigorito. The opening of this game transposed into an English Opening: Symmetrical Defense that saw an unusual line with 8. Ne3 leaving the c3-pawn hanging with check. However, the pawn must have been poisoned as it was not captured until 26 moves later. White made some play on the queenside with a Rook on the b-file, but black seemed solid in the middle game. After a series of trades that left both sides with a Queen, a Bishop, and a handful of pawns, it was white who emerged as the aggressor with the outside passed a-pawn. In a slightly worse position, black (mouse?)slips up with 37... Qd2 and allows a clear win, which white pounced on here:
Board 2: SM Steven Winer vs. IM Tegshsuren Enkhbat. They began with a Semi-Slav Defense where white seemed to take control from in the middle game due to his control of the half-open c-file and black's passive light-squared bishop. SM Winer held off taking black's c-pawn in order to slowly improve his position while denying any chances at counterplay. This led to winning the h-pawn and a-pawn and eventually the game.
Board 3: NM Jared Defibaugh vs. FM Charles Riordan. NM Defibaugh played an unusual Sicilian with 3. b3. The players traded queens early on move 9 and the rest of the game was characterized by slow positional maneuvering. The game never strayed far from an equal evaluation and the players agreed to a draw with a rook and 2 unconnected pawns for each side.
Board 4: NM Andrew Liu vs. NM Ben Krause. These two started with a Grunfeld Defense with 5. Bg5 dxc4. It became a unique position by move 10, and soon, black allowed white to capture a pawn on b7 and knight on c7 for play against white's center and uncastled king. Black missed some opportunities to seize the advantage, especially with 20... d3! 21. Bxd3 Rfd8 22. Nc1 Rac8 -/+. In the ensuing complex middlegame, white was able to consolidate his position while keeping his piece advantage. Black resigned down a bishop in the endgame.
Reposted at: Chess.com blogs
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