Philly Open

The weekend before Easter I played and comfortably won the RI State Scholastic tournament, 5 years after my first win in the event, and for the first time have the honor of being the state representative for this summer’s annual tournament of state scholastic champions, named for the late Arnold Denker. I am still hoping that the date for the Pan Americans in Brazil will be changed so I can play in both these events.
Less than 4 days later we had to dodge the flood waters to go down to the Easter weekend Philadelphia Open, one of the strongest tournaments I will play in all year. Although I started with some good results and games, I didn’t perform as well as I wanted to, eventually scoring 3.5/9. In the first round, I played WIM Alisa Melekhina, a well-known and strong player who I’ve played a couple times in the past. During the game, I mixed up two systems, but after some inaccuracies made by her, I got a slightly favorable position. The game kept going back and forth, eventually winding up in a slightly worse bishop ending for me, but I managed to hold a draw, playing until about 1 AM in the morning. Seems I’m getting good at these first round long games!
Melekhina,Alisa (2271) - Finney,Stuart (2024) [B22]
Philadelphia Open (1), 31.03.2010
[Stuart Finney]
1.e4 c5 2.c3 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5 4.Nf3 e6 5.Bc4 d6 6.d4 cxd4 7.cxd4 Bd7 8.0–0 Nc6 [8...Bc6] 9.Bxd5 [9.Re1 Nb6] 9...exd5 10.Re1 [10.Nc3 Be6 11.Re1 Be7 12.exd6 Qxd6 13.Nb5 Qd7 14.Bf4 Rc8 Probably about equal. Black has the two bishops in return for White's initiative.] 10...Be6 11.exd6 [11.Ng5 dxe5 (11...Be7 12.Nxe6 fxe6 13.Qg4) 12.dxe5 Bc5 (12...Be7 13.Nxe6 fxe6 14.Qg4) 13.Nc3 This is probably White's best course of action. She retains a slightly better position, but Black seems to be doing OK.(13.Nxe6 fxe6 14.Qg4 Qe7 15.Bg5 Qf7) ; 11.Nc3 would transpose to the above note] 11...Bxd6 12.Ng5 [12.Nc3 0–0 Black seems to be doing fine here.] 12...0–0 13.Nxe6 [13.Qh5 Bf5 This seems to hold Black's position intact. After Bg6, Black's king seems quite safe.(13...h6 14.Nxe6 fxe6 15.Bxh6 (15.Rxe6 Nxd4 16.Rg6 Nf5 I think Black can stop White's attack. (16...Rf5 17.Qxh6) 17.Bxh6 Bc5 18.Qg4 Qe7 (18...Bxf2+ 19.Kh1 Nxh6 20.Rxg7+ Kh8 21.Qg6) 19.Nc3 Nxh6 20.Rxh6 Rxf2) 15...gxh6 16.Qg6+ White will have 3 pawns and a very strong attack for the piece 16...Kh8 17.Qxh6+ Kg8 18.Rxe6 Be7 19.Qg6+ Kh8 20.Qh5+ Kg7 21.Rg6+ Kf7 22.Rh6+ Kg7 23.Qg6#) ; 13.Qd3 g6 I think Black can hold this as well; White will probably take on e6, but after that her attack is pretty much neutralized.] 13...fxe6 14.Qg4 [14.Rxe6 Bxh2+ 15.Kxh2 Qh4+ 16.Kg1 Qxf2+ is at least a draw for Black, maybe he has even more.] 14...Qf6 15.Be3 [15.Qxe6+ Qxe6 16.Rxe6 Bxh2+ (16...Rae8 17.Rxe8 Rxe8 Gives Black a lot of play and a guarantee of getting the pawn back. 18.Be3 Bf4 or(18...Nxd4 anyway because White can't take) ) 17.Kxh2 Nxd4 is very good for Black] 15...Nb4 [15...e5 16.dxe5 (16.Nc3 This is what I was annoyed by during the game, because I overlooked 17...Qe5 16...exd4 17.Nxd5 Qe5) 16...Nxe5 This is a better option for White, but I still like Black's position here] 16.Qe2 e5 17.Qd2 Rae8 [17...e4 This gives Black a better position; 17...Qf5 18.dxe5] 18.Nc3 Qf5 [18...e4 The last chance to play this move, a better option 19.a3 Nd3 20.Nxd5 Qf5] 19.dxe5 Qxe5 [19...Bxe5 20.Bc5] 20.g3 Qf5 21.Nb5 Be7 22.Red1 [22.Nd4 White's position is better here, her knight is on a good square and Black has an isolated queen pawn; 22.Bxa7 This may be good too; White grabs a pawn and I don't think Black can do anything about it 22...Nc2 23.Rxe7 Rxe7 24.Rc1] 22...a6 23.Nd4 Qg6 [23...Qg4 The queen on g6 falls to the knight fork on f4] 24.a3 Nc6 25.Ne2 Rd8 26.Nf4 Qf7 27.Bb6 [27.Nxd5 I think this is better 27...Bd6 (27...Ne5 28.Nxe7+ Qxe7 29.Qc2 (29.Qe2 Nf3+ 30.Kg2 Qe4) 29...Nf3+ 30.Kg2) 28.f4 Stopping Ne5; White has a good position(28.Qe2 Bxg3 29.hxg3 Rxd5) ] 27...Rd7 28.Qe2 [28.Nxd5 Bd8 29.Bc5 Re8 Black gets compensation for the pawn] 28...Bf6 29.Rab1 Re8 30.Qf1 d4 The tables seemed to have turned. Black's isolated pawn is a strength now. [30...Ne5 However, this may be even better.] 31.Nd3 Qd5 32.Bc5 Ne5 33.Nxe5 Bxe5 34.Bb4 a5 35.Bd2 d3 36.Be3 a4 [36...Rc8 37.Rd2 Rc2] 37.Rd2 Bc7 [37...Qb3 38.Rc1 (38.Qd1 Qxd1+ 39.Rbxd1 Red8) 38...Bf6 (38...Bxb2 39.Rb1) 39.Qd1 Red8 40.Qxb3+ axb3 Double-edged position. White is more cramped, but if she can win the d3 pawn, she's better.] 38.Rc1 [38.Rbd1 is better, there is not way for Black to defend the d3 pawn 38...Red8 39.Rxd3 Qxd3 40.Rxd3 Rxd3 Complicated endgame, but I think White should be better] 38...b6 [38...Ba5 39.Rc5 I was scared of this during the game, because I didn't see my next move 39...Qxc5 40.Bxc5 Bxd2 and Black is better] 39.Qd1 [39.Rc3 Again, this looks better; White gets rid of the d3 pawn] 39...Qe4 40.Rc3 Red8 41.Bg5 [41.Rxc7 Rxc7 42.Bxb6 Rcd7 43.Bxd8 Rxd8 White is still cramped and Black should be able to hold this position even though he's a pawn down.] 41...Be5 42.Rcxd3 Rxd3 43.Bxd8 Rxd2 44.Qxd2 Qd4 45.Qe1 [45.Qg5 Qxb2 46.Bxb6 This may be a better option for White(46.Qf5 Qc1+ 47.Kg2 Qc6+ 48.f3 Bd4 Black is doing fine here.) ] 45...Qxb2 46.Bc7 [46.Bxb6 Playing this straight away is better. 46...Qa1 This is probably best. (46...Qxa3 47.Qxe5 Qc1+ 48.Kg2 Qc6+ 49.f3 Qc2+ (49...Qxb6 50.Qe8#) 50.Kh3) 47.Qxa1 Bxa1 48.Kf1 Kf7 49.Ke2 Ke6 This is a tempo better version of the game ending, though it is probably still drawn.] 46...Qa1 47.Qxa1 Bxa1 48.Bxb6 Kf7 49.Kf1 Ke6 50.Bc5 Kd5 51.Bf8 Kc4 52.Ke2 h5 [52...Kb3 53.Kd3 Bb2 54.f4 Bxa3 55.Bxa3 Kxa3 56.Kc3 Ka2 57.g4 (57.Kc2 Ka3 58.g4 Kb4 59.f5 Kc4 60.g5 Kd5) 57...a3 (57...Kb1 58.Kb4) 58.Kc2 Ka1 59.f5 h5 (59...a2 60.g5 h5 61.f6 h4 62.f7 h3 63.f8Q g6 64.Qf6#; 59...g5 60.f6 h5 61.f7 h4 62.f8Q h3 63.Qf1+ Ka2 64.Qb1#) 60.f6 hxg4 (60...gxf6 61.gxh5 f5 62.h6 f4 63.h7 f3 64.h8Q+ Ka2 65.Qb8 f2 66.Qb1#) 61.fxg7 g3 62.g8Q gxh2 63.Qg7+ Ka2 64.Qf7+ Ka1 65.Qf1+ Ka2 66.Qb1#] 53.f4 g6 54.Ke3 Kd5 55.f5 gxf5 56.Kf4 Ke6 57.Kg5 Bd4 58.Kxh5 Bg1 59.h3 Bf2 60.g4 fxg4 61.hxg4 Be3 White has the wrong color bishop for the a-pawn so Black can just sacrifice his bishop for the g-pawn and bring his king to a8 for an easy draw. 62.Bh6 Bc5 63.Bc1 Be7 64.Kg6 Ke5 65.Kf7 Bxa3 66.Bxa3 Kf4 67.g5 Kxg5 ½–½



In the second round, I was the player who got a good position out of the opening after I side-stepped my opponent, FM Ali Morshedi’s, plan to play the Marshall Gambit. However, I pushed too hard and found myself in slightly the worse position, but after 6 hrs of play, managed to hold this game too. After a quick lunch/dinner, I had to play my next game against the very well known IM, Emory Tate. I misplayed the Black side of the Grand Prix Attack, and thought that my position was worse while playing. However, upon analysis, I’ve realized that it probably was at least equal for me as his massive center could be undermined. The game was brought to a short end however by a blunder I made blocking the 7th rank and allowing Tate to sacrifice a piece to mate me.
The next morning brought a better result for me. I played FM Zakhar Fayvinov and after playing through about 20 moves, we found ourselves in a complicated rook and queen endgame, in which I had compensation for the pawn. Fayvinov gave the pawn back a couple moves later to create an attack on my king, but I managed to escape by bringing my king to a4 and after trading off queens, I reached a won rook ending. However, that night brought me face to face with FM Michael Langer, someone who had seemed to be winning against Kamsky in the 2nd round. After misplaying a sharp line in the Najdorf-Scheveningen, I had to play 12…Ke7, a very bad omen indeed. I duly got killed in 26 moves, probably my worst game of the entire tournament.
In round 6, I played Jeff Kelleher, rated FIDE 2090. We played the first 15 or so moves all Sveshnikov theory, before I played an interesting idea I’d seen before in some of these lines with h4 and g4. Although it seemed very aggressive, my main idea was to block his f5 push, which I would have had to deal with if I’d castled. I found an interesting rook lift idea, but I played it too soon, and allowed his knight to get to f4. After complicated play, I sacrificed the exchange in order to try to advance my queenside pawns, but my king was too vulnerable and I lost.
Finney,Stuart (2024) - Kelleher,Jeff (2090) [B33]
Philadelphia Open (6), 03.04.2010
[Stuart Finney]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5 9.Nd5 Be7 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.c3 0–0 12.Nc2 Bg5 13.a4 bxa4 14.Rxa4 a5 15.Bc4 Rb8 16.b3 [16.Ra2] 16...Kh8 17.h4 [17.Nce3] 17...Bf4 18.g3 Bh6 19.g4 Bf4 20.Nce3 Bxe3 21.Nxe3 Be6 22.Nd5 Ne7 [22...Bxd5 23.Qxd5²] 23.Rh3 I think this idea is good, but I played it too soon. Letting the black knight get to f4 unchallenged is not a good idea. [23.Nxe7 Qxe7 24.Bd5 I looked at this line during the game, but was worried about (24.Rxa5 Bxc4 25.bxc4 Rfc8 I think Black is fine here; he almost certainly gets the pawn back and his pieces are active) 24...Qc7 However, now my previous idea 25.Rh3 seems to be good] 23...Bxd5 24.Bxd5 Ng6 25.h5 [25.g5 Nf4 26.Rg3 f5 Playing 25.g5 allows Black to play f5 and with White's king in the center, it is probably quite good for Black.] 25...Nf4 26.Rg3 Rb5 27.Bc4 [27.c4 Maybe this is better to make sure Black can't play d5 27...Rc5 28.Kf1 g6 (28...Qh4 29.Kg1) 29.hxg6 fxg6 Black still seems to be doing well here; his knight is much stronger than the White bishop.] 27...Rc5 28.Ra2 [28.h6 seems to be an idea worth looking at 28...gxh6 29.Qf3 and try to create some kingside attack, though I'm not sure it works] 28...Qa8 29.f3 Rd8 30.Rg1 [30.Kf2 d5 31.Rd2 a4 32.exd5 Nxd5 This is what I was most afraid of (32...a3 33.Qa1 Nxd5 34.Bxd5 Rcxd5 35.Rxd5 Rxd5 36.Rg1 (36.Kg1 a2) 36...Rd2+ 37.Kg3 e4) 33.Bxd5 Rcxd5 34.Rxd5 Rxd5 35.Qa1 Rd2+ 36.Kg1 (36.Ke3 Qd5) 36...Qa7+ 37.Kh1 Qf2 38.Qg1 axb3 All of these variations look good for Black] 30...d5 31.Rd2 [31.exd5 Maybe better just to take straight away and not let the a-pawn move forward. 31...Nxd5 32.Bxd5 Rcxd5 33.Qe2 Rd3 I would prefer Black's position, but maybe White is OK] 31...a4 32.exd5 a3 I hadn't considered this move, only looking at Nxd5 [32...Nxd5 33.Bxd5 Rcxd5 34.Rxd5 Rxd5 35.Qa1 Rd3 36.Qxa4 This is a much better version for White with the rook on g1 instead of the king on f2. I think White is doing fine here.] 33.Kf2 I thought sacrificing the exchange was my best chance. [33.Ra2 Nxd5 34.Bxd5 Rcxd5 35.Qe2 This is an even better version for Black than the variation above.; 33.Qa1 Nxd5 34.Bxd5 Rcxd5 35.Rxd5 Qxd5 36.Kf2 (36.Qxa3 Qd1+ 37.Kf2 Rd2+ 38.Ke3 Qe2#) 36...Qxb3 Black's position is dominating; 33.Qc2 Nxd5 34.Bxd5 Rcxd5 35.Rxd5 Qxd5 36.Kf2 White may be able to hold this, though Black's position is certainly superior] 33...Nh3+ 34.Kg3 Nxg1 35.Qxg1 Rc7 [35...a2 36.Rxa2 Qxa2 37.Qxc5 is good for White I think.] 36.Qa1 Ra7 37.b4 Qc8 38.Bb3 Qc7 39.Kh3 [39.Ra2 e4+ 40.f4 g5 41.c4+ Kg8 42.Qf6 gxf4+ 43.Qxf4 This is a better option for White I think.] 39...e4 40.fxe4 Qf4 41.Rd4 [41.Rd3 Qxe4 42.Rg3 a tempo up from the game; 41.Qe1 Qf3+ 42.Qg3 Qxe4 43.h6 is probably the best option in order to create counterplay; however, the position is better for Black] 41...Ra6 I didn't realize how strong Black's attack was going to be. 42.Rd3 [42.Ba2 Qe3+ 43.Kg2 (43.Kh4 g5+ 44.hxg6 Rxg6 No way to stop mate.) 43...Rf6 Black's attack crashes through 44.Qg1 Qe2+; 42.Qa2 Qf3+ 43.Kh2 Qxc3; 42.Bc4 Rf6 43.Qe1 Qf3+ 44.Kh2 (44.Kh4 g5+ (44...Rf4 45.Qg3 Qh1+ 46.Qh3 (46.Kg5 Rf6) 46...Qe1+ 47.Qg3 Rf2 Also winning) 45.hxg6 (45.Kxg5 Rg8+) 45...Rxg6 46.e5 Rh6+ 47.Kg5 Rg8+ 48.Kxh6 Qh3+ 49.Qh4 Qxh4#) 44...Qxg4 Black is clearly better; 42.c4 Qf3+ 43.Kh4 Qxb3] 42...Qxe4 43.Rg3 Rf6 I think by now, White's position is already hopeless 44.c4 Rf3 45.Qd1 [45.h6 Probably White's best chance to try and create counterplay 45...Rg8 However, this easily defends everything and White is clearly worse 46.Qxa3 Qf4 47.Rxf3 Qxf3+ 48.Kh2 Re8] 45...Rxg3+ 46.Kxg3 Qe5+ 47.Kf3 [47.Kf2 Qb2+ 48.Kf3 a2; 47.Kh4 Qh2+ 48.Kg5 f6+ 49.Kf5 Qe5#; 47.Kh3 Qc3+] 47...Qc3+ 48.Kf4 Re8 My king is getting mated as well as Black just having a very good position. 0–1

That night I played against Vadim Kudryavtsev, rated FIDE 2215. In the old main line of the Caro-Kann, I changed my move order around from the way I had played against David Plotkin at Liberty Bell and so was able to play another interesting idea involving advancing my queen-side pawns, which I hadn’t been able to do in the earlier game. Although I thought I should have got a better position, my opponent was able to hold and I only won after he blundered on the 36th move.
The final morning, I played Jarod Pamatmat, a pairing I had ironically predicted about 2 days beforehand. I knew what he played from the World Youth, and did some preparation before the game. He deviated on move 11 from most of my preparation, but I still knew some of the ideas in the line. However, on move 18, the queens were traded off and although the ending was slightly better for Jarod, I was able to hold relatively easy and we agreed a draw on move 28. We analyzed the game and played some blitz for a while before Jarod had to leave to fly back to Texas. For the last round, several of my friends had taken byes, something it seems I should be doing with my record of last round results. This time, I managed to get a very strong position after the opening, but miscalculated a line when I played a move too fast and after struggling for 5 hrs in a worse endgame, I finished off losing my last round once again.
I therefore finished by gaining a very hard earned 6 USCF rating points, and hopefully about 15-20 FIDE, but I feel I could’ve/should’ve done much better. Even counting the games where I got somewhat lucky after bad moves by my opponent, I think I should have scored at least 1 pt more if I hadn’t messed up some good/equal positions. I’m probably going to be playing in the Hartford Open in 2 weeks and hopefully I do better there!