GM MARK PARAGUA'S BEST GAME AT THE MARSHALL CHESS CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS

(GM Mark Paragua. Photo from USCF website)


GMs Sergey Kudrin and Mark Paragua shared top honors with 7.5/9
at the Marshall Chess Club Championship held over two weekends,
October 29-31 and November 6-7, 2010. Another Pinoy, IM Renato
Naranja shared 9th to 12th place.

Along the way, Paragua defeated GM Aleksandr Lenderman (2537)
who placed 3rd and IM Justin Sarkar who tied for 4th to 8th
place. Below is GM Mark Paragua's best game of the tournament.


[Event "Marshall Open"]
[Site "Koszalin"]
[Date "2010.11.??"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Gm Paragua, Mark"]
[Black "IM Sarkar"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B19"]
[WhiteElo "2505"]
[BlackElo "2413"]


CARO-KANN DEFENSE

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6
6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7 8. h5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 e6
11. Bd2 Ngf6 12. O-O-O Be7





This is the tabia position of the Lobron line in the
Classical variation of the Caro-Kann Defense. German GM
Eric Lobron was mainly responsible for the development and
popularization of the kingside castling approach in the
Classical Caro-Kann thus the line now bears his name.

Eric Schiller, in his book " Complete Defense to King
Pawn Openings ", has this to say:

By placing the bishop at e7 Black will declare his intentions
of castling on the Kingside. White has already castled on the
queenside.When the kings sit at opposite sides of the board,
the general strategy is all-out attack. White'a attack is
usually based on kinghts in the center coordinating with an
advance of the g- pawn to g4 and eventually to g5. Black
operates on the c-file and a-file, , thrusting pawns forward
to open up lines.

13.Ne4 Nxe4 14.Qxe4 Nf6 15.Qd3 O-O?!

I think 15... Qd5 is a better alternative. The recent game of
GM Sadvakasov vs. GM Antonio, Asian Games, Guangzhou, China
11/21/2010 continued 16.c4 Qe4 17.Qb3 b5 18.Rhe1 Qh7 19.Ne5
Rc8 20.Nc6 Rc6 21.Qb5 Kd7 22.Bc3 a6 23.Qb7+ Rc7 24.Qa6 Rb8
25.Re3 Ne4?!(25...Kd8! with advantage ) 26.Qa4 Kc8 27.Qa6 Kd7
28.Qa4 Kc8 29.Qa6 1/2-1/2

16.g4!





GM Paragua is an excellent attacking player and it shows
in this game. At the expense of one pawn, White obtains a
dangerous attack against Black's castled King.


16...Nxg4 17.Rhg1 Nxf2!





According to the 2008 Mega Chess Base, this move is a novelty
and a good one if properly followed-up. Previously, Black tried
to support his knight with 17... f5. The silicon engine provides
the continuation 17. Qe2 Qc8 18. Ne5 Nxe5 19.dxe5 f4 20.Rg6
as favorable for White.


18.Qe2 Nxd1 19.Bxh6 Bf6!?


Best is 18...Qd5! 19.Bxg7 Rfd8


20.Bxg7 Bxg7 21.h6 Qf6 22.hxg7 Qh6+ 23.Kb1 Rfd8

24.Qxd1 Rd5 25.Ne5 Qe3?


Best is 25... Rad8 with the threat of Rxd4. However, White
can still maintain the initiative after 26.Qf1 threatening
27.Qxf7+


26.Ng4 Qf4 27.Qd2!





27...Rxd4


The White queen cannot be taken because of the obvious
27.Nf6+ checkmate.


28.Nh6+!





Kh7 29.Qxf4 Rxf4 30.g8=Q+ Rxg8 31.Nxg8 e5





The resulting end game is a clear win for White because Black's
king is trapped along the h- file and could not support the march
of his pawns. The rest is a matter of technique, as they say.


32.Kc1 Rf2 33.Ne7 e4 34.Rg3 f5 35.Ng8 Rf1+ 36.Kd2 e3+
37.Ke2 Rf2+ 38.Kd3 Rd2+ 39.Kxe3 Rxc2 40.Kf4 Rxb2
41.Kxf5 Rf2+ 42.Ke6 1-0




Final position.

Black resigns as the mate cannot be prevented. Nice attacking
game from GM Mark Paragua.

Replay the game below..