The strongest ever?

Chess Piece
by Bobby Ang

TTU hosted the 2013 Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship. This competition is open to any team comprising four players and up to two alternates from the same post-secondary school (university, college, community college) in North America, Central America, South America, or the Caribbean. 

The Pan-Am began as such in 1946 and is held annually, usually December 27-30. The winning team is considered to be the top college or university team in Pan-America. The top four US schools advance to the President’s Cup (informally known as the “Final Four of College Chess” and typically held in the first weekend of April), which determines the US National College or University Champion. 

Final Standings (we are using US ratings, not FIDE):

1. Webster University A 2730, 6/6

bd01 Le Quang Liem 2786 (5/6), bd02 GM Georg Meier 2709 (4.5/6), bd03 GM Wesley So 2743 (6/6), bd04 GM Ray Robson 2693 (6/6), bd05 Paul M. Truong

2. University of Maryland Baltimore County A 2481, 5/6

bd01 Niclas Huschenbeth 2586 (5/6), bd02 GM Akshayraj Kore 2519 (4.5/6), bd03 IM Levan Gregadze 2462 (3.5/6), bd04 IM Nazi Paikidze 2358 (2.5/5), bd05 WGM Sabina-Francesca Foisor 2305 (1/1)

3. University of Illinois 2227, 5/6

bd01 Eric Rosen 2379 (4.5/6), bd02 Michael Auger 2233 (3.5/6), bd03 Xin Luo 2202 (4.5/6), bd04 Akshay Indusekar 2094 (3.5/6)

4. Webster University B 2590, 4.5/6

bd01 GM Fidel Corrales 2629 (5/6), bd02 GM Anatoly Bykhovsky 2590 (5.5/6), bd03 GM Manuel Leon Hoyos 2595 (4/6), bd04 GM Denes Boros 2544 (4.5/6)

5. TTU A 2646, 4.5/6

bd01 GM Yaroslav Zherebukh 2692 (5/6), bd02 GM Hedinn Steingrimsson 2618 (3.5/6), bd03 GM Elshan Moradiabadi 2647 (5/6), bd04 IM Andrey Gorovets 2627 (3.5/6)

6. Webster University C 2385, 4/6

bd01 GM Andre Diamant 2528 (3.5/6), bd02 IM Vitaly Neimer 2435 (5/6), bd03 FM Joaquin Banawa 2359 (4.5/6), bd04 WIM Inna Agrest 22190 (4.5/6)

7. University of Texas at Dallas A 2648, 4/6

bd01 GM Leonid Kritz 2676 (1/3), bd02 GM George Margvelashvili 2626 (2.5/5), bd03 GM Julio Catalino Sadorra 2667 (3.5/5), bd04 GM Valentin Yotov 2617 (3.5/4), bd05 GM Conrad Holt (3/4), bd06 GM Ioan Cristian Chirila 2621 (2/3)

Total of 42 teams. TTU placed fifth, but will still advance to the Final Four of College Chess because only one team from each university can participate.

GM Susan Polgar was the one who set up the chess program in TTU, but she left for Webster University in 2012, bringing with her every member of Tech’s “A” team. It is nice to see that Texas Tech has already recovered and is once again among the top finishers of the event.

Webster University dominated the tournament — they fielded three teams and the “A” team took first, the “B” team took fourth, and the “C” team took sixth.

Webster “A” won all 6 matches without conceding a single game, scoring 21.5 points in 24 games via 19 wins and 5 draws). They won all three of the board prizes (Le Quang Liem board 1, Wesley So 3rd board, and Ray Robson board 4) and the one they did not win, the 2nd board, was captured by the Webster “B” team, GM Anatoly Bykhovsky.

And why not? Webster “A” is perhaps the strongest college team ever assembled in history. If you take the FIDE ratings of the top 4 boards (Le Quang 2703, Meier 2631, Wesley 2719, Robson 2617 they would average out to 2667.5. To put this astronomical number into perspective, in the 2012 Istanbul Chess Olympiad the 14th seeded team, Germany, had a slightly lower average rating of 2667. Wow.

Wesley So played in all 6 rounds and won all of his games, coming up with the highest performance rating in the tournament. He was just too strong for most of his opponents:

* * *

Rand, Steven J (2020) — So, Wesley (2719) [A20]
PanAm Intercollegiate 2013 Lubbock USA (1.1), 27.12.2013

1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Nc3 Nb6 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.a3 0-0 9.b4 Be6 10.Rb1 f6 11.d3 a5 12.b5 Nd4 13.Nd2 Qc8 14.e3 Nf5 15.Qc2 a4 16.Nce4 Rd8 17.Nc4 Qd7 18.Ned2 Qxd3 19.Qxd3 Rxd3 20.Bxb7 Rad8 21.Nxb6 cxb6 22.Ne4 Bxa3 23.Ra1 Bxc1 24.Rfxc1 a3 25.Kg2 a2 26.Rc2 Rxe3 27.Nc3 Nd4 28.Rcc1 Rd3 29.Nxa2 Nb3 0-1

Don’t think that all of his assignments were easy — he had to dispose of two International Masters (Levan Bregadze of Georgia and Max Cornejo of Peru) and two Grandmasters (USA’s Conrad Holt and Iran’s Elshan Moradiabadi). I especially liked the one against Holt. Let us take a look:

* * *

Holt, Conrad (2542) — So, Wesley (2719) [D43]
PanAm Intercollegiate 2013 Lubbock USA (5.1), 29.12.2013

Conrad Holt from Wichita is one of the newest GMs in the United States. He was born 1993 and is especially strong in blitz chess.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6

This is known as the Moscow Variation. White obtains an advantage in space and development which should not be under-estimated. Black however gets the two bishops and if White does not play actively enough and hesitates then the second player will get the upper hand. As a rule, Black should not be in a hurry and focus on development.

6…Qxf6 7.e3 Nd7 8.Bd3 dxc4

To Black players: don’t forget to exchange first on c4 before fianchettoing the bishop. If he forgets this then 8…g6 9.cxd5 exd5 10.0-0 Bg7 11.b4 allows White to fight for an opening advantage associated with b4-b5xc6, creating a weakness on c6.

9.Bxc4 g6

This is the so-called “Modern Variation” which has almost completely replaced 9…Bd6 as the move of choice. This line is hsarper and gives more chances for Black, as you will soon see. Wesley knows exactly how to handle it.

10.0-0 Bg7 11.Rc1 0-0 12.e4 Rd8

Black’s usual move by far is 12…e5 and after 13.d5 Rd8 14.h3 Nb6 15.Bb3 Be6 both sides have chances. Wesley wants to try out a new move.

13.e5 Qe7 14.Re1 b5 15.Bd3 Bb7 16.Ne4 c5!? 17.Nxc5

[17.Bxb5? Nxe5 18.Nxe5 Bxe5 wins the d4-pawn]

17…Nxc5 18.dxc5

[18.Rxc5? Rxd4 19.Nxd4 Qxc5 20.Nxb5 Bxe5 The two bishops now have full sway over the board]

18…Qc7!

It now becomes clear that White cannot hold on to the pawn.

19.Re3?

Holt should have settled for 19.Qe2 Bxf3 20.gxf3 (20.Qxf3 Bxe5 Black wins either the b2 or the h2 pawn) 20…Bxe5 21.Qxe5 Qxe5 22.Rxe5 Rxd3 Black’s pawns are better but White has a passed pawn on the c-file, so it should be equal.

19…Bxf3 20.Qxf3 Bxe5 21.Rc2

[21.h3 Bxb2 22.Rb1 (Otherwise, if 22.Rc2 then 22…Bd4 23.Re1 b4 Black will cut-off the support for the wayward c5-pawn and will win it sooner or later) 22…Bd4 23.Re2 Rab8 White is going to have a hard time holding this]

21…Bxh2+ 22.Kf1 Be5 23.Bxb5 Rab8 24.Qe2 Rd5 25.b4

Position after 25.b4

Now Wesley’s queen moves in for the kill.

25…Qd8! 26.Ke1

[26.Rxe5 Rd1+]

26…Qh4 27.Re4

[27.Rxe5 Qh1+ 28.Qf1 Rxe5+ 29.Kd2 Qh4 wins]

27…Qh1+ 28.Qf1 Qh5 29.g4 Qg5

With the idea 30…Bc3+ 31.Ke2 (31.Rxc3 Qd2 mate) 31…Rxb5.

30.Qe2 Qh4

Now the threat is …Qh1+ followed by …Qxe4+.

31.Bd3 Rbd8 32.g5 Bf4 33.Qf3 Rxd3 34.Rxf4 Qh2 0-

Holt resigns as Black has too many threats, not the least of which is …Qh2-g1+ then to d1 checkmate.

A powerful display by GM Wesley So.

By the way, Wesley was not the only one to score 6/6, his teammate, GM Roy Robson, accomplished the same feat on board 4 although with slightly weaker opponents. Robson was his usual virulent attacker self

* * *

Robson, R (2613) — Chirila, I (2514) [C92]
PanAm Intercollegiate 2013 Lubbock USA (5.1), 29.12.2013

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Bb7 10.d4 Nd7 11.Nbd2 exd4 12.cxd4 Bf6 13.Nf1 Na5 14.Bc2 Re8 15.Bf4 c5 16.e5 dxe5 17.dxe5 Bxf3 18.Qd3 Nxe5 19.Qxh7+ Kf8 20.Ng3 Ng6 21.Nf5 Re2 22.Rxe2 Bxe2 23.Re1 Bd3 24.Nh6 Ne5 25.Qg8+ Ke7 26.Qxf7+ Kd6 27.Bxd3 gxh6 28.Be4 Nac6 29.Rd1+ Nd4 30.Bxa8 1-0

Remember what I said — Webster University “A” Team is the strongest college team ever.

Source: http://www.bworldonline.com