2021 Club Champion, Bob Kratzat (Left)
Bob Kratzat won the 2021 WCC Championship with a 2-1 Match victory against Don Klug on December 21st. Mr. Kratzat won games two and three to overcome an early one game deficit in the four- game championship match. In game 3, Mr. Klug had a slight early advantage until move 34. Nxe5, winning a pawn, however this left White’s ‘e’ pawn exposed to recapture. A better move for White was a Queen trade, 34. Qxe6 followed by 35. Nxe5, when the black ‘e’ pawn prevents the capture of the white king pawn. Mr. Klug’s attempt to equalize the king pawn loss by attacking and capturing the black rook pawn at a7 resulted in an immediate change of fortune and a Kratzat victory. Klug’s choice at moves 38. Nxa7?? was driven by a huge deficit of nearly 30 minutes on their respective clocks. A better choice for White was the alternative moves 37. Rd3 Nxe4 38. Rd7 Kf6 39. Nc6 a6, and this position seems to be balanced.
Congratulations to Bob Kratzat on his second club championship in 3 years.
Here is the game 3 score:
(Game 3) Klug, Don (1638) – Kratzat, Robert (1651) [B00]
WCC 2021 Championship (Rd. 2.3), 21 December 2021
1.e4 b6 2.d4 e6 3.Bd3 Bb7 4.Nf3 d6 5.0–0 g6 6.c3 Bg7 7.Re1 Ne7 8.Bg5 0–0 9.Nbd2 Nd7 10.Nf1 (these light-colored alternative moves 10.h3 h6 11.Bh4 Re8 12.Qc2 are suggested by Fritz 16)
10…Re8 11.Bc2 h6 12.Bf4 [12.Be3 Kh7 13.Qe2]
12…e5 13.dxe5 dxe5 14.Bg3 c5? [14…Nc8 15.Ne3 Nd6 16.Nd5]
15.Qd3 Qc7 16.Rad1 Rad8 17.Qe2 [17.Ne3 a6 18.a4 Nf8 19.Qc4 Ne6]
17…Nc6 18.Ne3 Qc8 19.Nd5 [19.Nc4 Ba6 20.Bd3 Nf6]
19…Ba6 20.Bd3 Bxd3 21.Qxd3 Nf6 22.Qc4 [22.h3 Qe6 23.b3 Nh5 24.Bh2 Nf4 25.Bxf4 exf4 26.Qc2 Be5 27.b4 Bb8]
22…Nh5 23.Nh4 [23.Bh4 Na5 24.Qa4 g5 25.Bg3 Qb7 26.Qb5 Re6 27.Qe2 Nc6]
23…Kh7 24.Rf1 [24.h3 Re6 25.Bh2 Red6 26.Nf3 Nf4 27.Bxf4 exf4 28.Rd2]
24…Na5 25.Qe2 Nxg3 26.fxg3 Rf8 27.Nf6+?! [27.Nf3 c4 28.h3 Nb7 29.b4 Nd6]
27…Bxf6 28.Rxf6 Rxd1+ 29.Qxd1 Kg7 30.Qd6 Qe8 31.Rf2 Nb7? [31…f6 32.Qd1 Qc8 33.Rd2 Nb7]
32.Qf6+ Kg8 33.Nf3 Qe6
XABCDEFGHY
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34.Nxe5? [34.Qxe6 fxe6 35.Nxe5 g5 36.Rxf8+ Kxf8 37.Kf2 (+1.80) 37…Ke7 38.Nc6+ Kd7 39.Nxa7 Nd6 40.Kf3 e5 41.a4 Nc4 42.b4 Nd2+ 43.Ke3 Nc4+ 44.Kd3 Nb2+ 45.Kc2 Nc4 (45…Nxa4?? 46.Kb3 b5 47.Nxb5 Nb6 48.bxc5 Nc8 49.Kc4) 46.b5 h5 47.Nc6 Kd6]
34…Qxf6 [(+0.43)]
35.Rxf6 Kg7 36.Rf3 Nd6 37.Nc6? [37.Re3 Re8 38.Nc6 Nxe4 39.Nxa7 f5 40.Nb5 Ra8 41.a3] 37…Nxe4 [
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38.Nxa7?? [38.Re3 f5 39.g4 Kf6 40.gxf5 gxf5 41.Rd3=]
38…Ra8 39.Nc6 Rxa2 40.b4 Ra1+ 41.Rf1 Rxf1+ 42.Kxf1 Nxc3 43.bxc5 bxc5 44.Ke1 Ne4 45.Ke2 f5 46.Ke3 h5 47.Ne5 Kf6 48.Nd7+ Kg7 49.Ne5 g5 50.g4 hxg4 51.Nxg4 c4 52.Ne5? [52.Kd4 c3 53.Ne3 Kg6 54.g4 Kf6 55.gxf5 c2 56.Nxc2 Kxf5=]
52…c3 53.Kd3 Kf6 54.Nc4 [54.Nf3 g4 55.Nd4 Ke5 56.Ne2 c2 57.Kxc2 Nc5 58.Kd2=]
54…g4 55.Ne3 Kg5 56.Nd1?? (Here White has one last chanceto hold the position: 56.Nd5 c2 57.Kxc2 g3 58.hxg3 Kg4 59.Kd3 Kxg3 60.Ne3 Kf4 61.Kd4. Unfortunately, Whites earlier clock management comes into play by forcing him to move before his clock expires. (61.g4 Nc5+ 62.Ke2 fxg4 63.Nxg4 Kxg4 drawn) ]
56…Kf4 57.Ne3 Nc5+ 58.Ke2?? [58.Kd4 Ne6+ 59.Kd3 Nc7 60.Kd4 g3 61.hxg3+ Kxg3 62.Nxf5+ Kg4 63.Ne3+ Kf4 64.Kd3 Kg3 65.Kxc3=]
58…Ke4 59.Nd1 Kd4 60.h4 gxh3 61.gxh3 c2 62.Kd2 cxd1Q+ 63.Kxd1 Ke5 64.Ke2 f4 65.h4 Ne6 66.Kf3 Kf5 [White resigns with just 11 seconds left on his clock to Blacks 25 minutes]
0–1
Watertown Chess ClubAdmin