Watertown Chess Club

Robert Kratzat, left and Mr. Prieto, right record moves in game four

 Adolfo Prieto won game four of the 2016 Watertown Chess Club Championship Match to claim a hard fought 2.5-1.5 victory over Robert Kratzat on December 13^th. It was his first club championship since 2009. Mr. Prieto entered the four game match with draw odds based upon his 2016 season club record of +26-1=7, superior to Mr. Kratzat’s record of +17-9=8 Mr. Kratzat had surprised top seed Prieto with a first round win and used a stunning sacrifice in the 3^rd round to draw by perpetual check, allowing the match to remain tied.

With the match tied at 1.5 -1.5 each, Mr. Kratzat needed a win to claim the title. He attempted to surprise with the unusual flank opening 1. b4, the Sokolsky or Polish Opening. Mr. Prieto was prepared and guided the game towards the exchange variation with 1… e5 2.Bb2 Bxb4 3. Bxe5 Nf6 4. c4 O-O. Mr. Kratzat’s 5. a3, stepped out of the obscure opening lines and left both to their own over the board prowess. From this point on Black was able to develop with threats causing White to back pedal. By the time White castled on move eleven, Black was able to fully develop his pieces with 11… Bf5. White still had a Knight on his back rank. White, still feeling pressured ten moves later attempted 21. f4 to gain space and drive away Black’s Queen. He was left with a backward King pawn that became Black’s invasion target. The game follows:

Kratzat,Robert (1710) – Prieto,Adolfo (1906) [A00]
WCC 2016 Championship Match (game 4), Dec.13, 2016

[pgn][Event “WCC 2016 Championship Match”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “2016.12.13”]
[Round “2.4”]
[White “Kratzat, Robert”]
[Black “Prieto, Adolfo”]
[Result “0-1”]
[ECO “A00”]
[WhiteElo “1710”]
[BlackElo “1906”]
[PlyCount “114”]
[EventDate “2016.12.13”]
[EventType “match”]
[EventRounds “4”]

1. b4 e5 2. Bb2 Bxb4 3. Bxe5 Nf6 4. c4 O-O 5. a3 Ba5 6. Nf3 Re8 7. e3 d5 8.
cxd5 Nxd5 9. Be2 Nc6 10. Bb2 Qd6 11. O-O Bf5 12. Qb3 Bb6 13. Nc3 Be6 14. Nxd5
Bxd5 15. Qc3 Qh6 16. d4 Rad8 17. Qd2 Be4 (17… Bxf3 18. Bxf3 Nxd4 $1) 18. Bc3
Qg6 19. Nh4 Qg5 20. g3 Re6 21. f4 Qd5 22. Bf3 Rde8 23. Rae1 Na5 24. Bxe4 Rxe4
25. Ng2 Nc4 26. Qc1 c5 27. dxc5 Bxc5 28. Rd1 Qc6 29. Bd4 Bxa3 30. Qc3 f6 $2 (
30… Bb2 31. Qc2 Bxd4 32. Rxd4 Rxd4 33. exd4 b5) 31. Rfe1 a5 32. Rd3 $4 Bb4
33. Qa1 Bxe1 34. Qxe1 b5 35. Kf2 a4 36. Qa1 a3 37. g4 R4e7 38. Nh4 Qe4 39. Rc3
Rd7 40. Nf5 g6 (40… Rxd4 41. Nxd4 Nxe3 42. Nf3 Nxg4+ 43. Kg3 Ne3 44. Kf2 b4)
41. Ng3 Qe6 42. f5 Qd5 43. Qc1 Kf7 44. fxg6+ hxg6 45. Qc2 Nd6 46. h4 Ne4+ 47.
Nxe4 Qxe4 48. Qb3+ Kg7 49. Qxa3 Qxg4 50. Qa6 Rxd4 51. Rc7+ Kh6 52. Qa7 Qxh4+
53. Ke2 Qh2+ 54. Kf3 Qh3+ 55. Kf2 Qxe3+ 56. Kg2 Rd2+ 57. Kh1 Qh3+ 0-1

[/pgn]

Bob Kratzat forced a perpetual check in game three of the Club Championship Match on Tuesday by sacrificing his knight with 23…Nxe4 +. The match remains tied and game four will decide the 2016 club champion. Mr. Prieto requires only a draw to secure his third club title. Mr. Kratzat must win the game. Mr. Prieto entered the match with draw odds based upon his higher seed and a regular season club record of +25-1=7, superior to Mr. Kratzat’s record of +16-8=8. Mr. Prieto seemed passive in the Nimzo-Indian Defense. The move 5. Ne2, a Rubinstein Variation allowed Mr. Kratzat’s strategic 5… Ne4 invasion. The move restricted White’s movement and coordination while Black was snuggly castled and ready to either attack or develop his queenside. A flurry of trades left Mr. Kratzat with tempo to active his queen bishop. Mr. Prieto now seemed fixed on using his queenside pawns to restrict Black s queenside sector development, which left White’s kingside pieces on their home squares and eventually blocked from entering the fray. This writer is puzzled with Black’s choice of 11…dxc4 rather than 11…Bb7, a piece move that gains tempo. The continuing surprise is that White recaptured using the Queen rather than 12. Bxc4, which would develop the king bishop and allow castling. At this point Black easily continued his development while White continued his queenside pawn push. By the time Black’s queenside pieces were deployed, White was still struggling with his Kingside development. The time it took White to overcome his kingside paralysis allowed Black to start his attack.

[pgn]
[Event “WCC 2016 Championship Match”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “2016.12.07”]
[Round “2.3”]
[White “Prieto, Adolfo”]
[Black “Kratzat, Robert”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]
[ECO “E46”]
[WhiteElo “1906”]
[BlackElo “1710”]
[PlyCount “53”]
[EventDate “2016.12.07”]
[EventType “match”]
[EventRounds “4”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Nge2 Ne4 6. Qc2 d5 7. a3 Bxc3+ 8.
Nxc3 Nxc3 9. Qxc3 b6 10. b4 ({…developing a piece and opening the oportunity
to castle.} 10. Bd3 a5 11. O-O {gives White a better game.}) 10… a5 ({
…developing the Queen Bishop places pressure on White’s kingside.} 10… Bb7
11. cxd5 (11. c5) 11… Bxd5 12. f3) 11. b5 dxc4 {Diagram [#]} 12. Qxc4 $2 (12.
Bxc4 Bb7 13. O-O Nd7 14. a4 Nf6 15. Ba3 Nd5 16. Qd2 Nb4 17. Rfb1 Qg5 18. f4 Qg6
19. Bxb4 axb4 20. Rxb4 Ra7) 12… Bb7 {Whites kingside is now under serious
pressure} 13. a4 Nd7 14. f3 Rc8 {… is very defensive.} ({If instead} 14…
Qh4+ 15. g3 Qh5 16. Bd3 Bxf3 17. O-O e5 {Black has a serious attack kingside
attack underway.}) 15. e4 {…again, White keeps moving pawns.} (15. Be2) 15…
c5 16. Bb2 Nf6 ({this White position offers Black opportunity.} 16… Qg5 17.
Qb3 c4 18. Qc3 f5) 17. Rd1 Qc7 18. Ba3 (18. dxc5 bxc5 19. Be2 Nd7 20. O-O {
and White would have wriggled out of trouble.}) 18… Rfd8 19. dxc5 Rxd1+ 20.
Kxd1 Rd8+ 21. Ke1 Qd7 22. Be2 Qd2+ 23. Kf2 (23. Kf1 {It is surprising how one
square can change the course of a game.} bxc5 24. Bc1 Qd4 {, now White enjoys
the advantage. After the Queen trade White’s King travels to f2 and allows
access for the king rook to enter the fray.}) 23… Nxe4+ $3 {Diagram [#]} 24.
fxe4 Qf4+ 25. Ke1 Qd2+ 26. Kf2 Qf4+ 27. Ke1 1/2-1/2
[/pgn]