Round 3: Cherniack-Slive 1-0

A game which evokes the image of a boa constrictor. Black never seems to get anything going though he doesn’t appear to be at a significant disadvantage until he drops the exchange on move 26. From then on White slowly but surely improves his position; Black squirms and wriggles but inevitably capitulates.

[Event "BCC Championship"]
[Site "Somerville, MA USA"]
[Date "2004.09.22"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Cherniack, Alex"]
[Black "Slive, Alex”]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteUSCF "2228"]
[BlackUSCF "2039"]
[ECO "A18"]
[Opening "English"]
[Variation "Flohr-Mikenas System"]

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.e4 d5 4.e5 Nfd7 5.cxd5 Nxe5 6.d4 Ng6 7.Bb5+ c6 8.dxc6 bxc6 9.Bc4 Be7 10.Nf3 0-0 11.h4 Bf6 12.Ne4 Ba6 13.Bxa6 Nxa6 14.h5 Ne7 15.Nxf6+ gxf6 16.Kf1 Kh8 17.Qe2 Nb4 18.Bh6 Rg8 19.Ne5 Qe8 20.Ng4 Nbd5 21.Ne3 Qd7 22.Qf3 Rgd8 23.Nxd5 Nxd5 24.Rc1 Rab8?

[Fritz prefers 24...Rg8 stopping White's next]

25.Qg3

25...Rg8 26.Bg7+ Rxg7 27.Qxb8+ Rg8 28.Qb3 h6 29.Qf3 Qd6 30.a3 Rg5 31.g3 Rf5 32.Qd3 Kg7 33.Rh4 Ne7 34.Qe4 Rd5 35.Qf4 Qxf4 36.Rxf4 Rxh5 37.Rc5 Rh1+ 38.Ke2 Rb1 39.b4 Ra1 40.Ra5 Nd5 41.Rg4+

[sealed move]

41...Kf8 42.Rxa7 f5 43.Ra8+ Ke7 44.Rgg8 Ra2+ 45.Kf1 Rd2 46.Rgb8 Rxd4 47.a4 Rd1+ 48.Kg2 f4 49.a5 fxg3 50.Kxg3 Nc7 51.Ra7 Rd7 52.Rab7 f6 53.Rb6 Rd3+ 54.f3 Kd7 55.Rh8 Rb3 56.Rb7 1-0