Round 7: Cherniack-Williams 1-0

So far, the theme for Round 7 seems to be unsound sacrifices leading to short wins. Chris sacs a piece for insufficient compensation and goes down quickly.

[Event "BCC Championship"]
[Site "Somerville, MA USA"]
[Date "2004.11.03"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Cherniack, Alex"]
[Black "Williams, Chris”]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteUSCF "2228"]
[BlackUSCF "2053"]
[ECO "D35"]
[Opening "Queen’s Gambit Declined"]
[Variation "Exchange"]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Be7 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bf4 Nf6 6.e3 0-0 7.Bd3 Nbd7 8.Nf3 c6 9.h3 Re8 10.0-0 Nf8 11.Qc2 Ng6 12.Bg5 Ne4 13.Bxe4

[13.Bxe7 Qxe7 14.Rfe1 Nh4 15.Nxh4 Qxh4 16.f3 Bergeron-Courval, Quebec 1997 1-0 (38) and Halasz-Mrvova, Slovakia 1999 1/2 (20)]

13...dxe4 14.Bxe7 Qxe7 15.Nd2 Bf5

[15...f5 16.f4 exf3 17.Rxf3 Nh4 18.Rg3 f4 19.exf4 Nf5 with an advantage to Black, Birens-San Marco, Nantes 1993 0-1 (45)]

16.f4

16…exf3?

[Unsound and unnecessary. Several moves would have been sufficient to maintain a playable game, e.g., 16...Rad8, 16...Rac8, 16...Qh4]

17.Qxf5 Qxe3+ 18.Rf2 Nh4?

[18...fxg2 19.Qxf7+ Kh8 20.Qf3 Qxd4 21.Qxg2 is better but insufficient]

19.Qg4 Rad8

[19...Ng6 20.Nxf3 +-]

20.Qxh4 1-0