Marc Esserman vs Cindy Tsai (2003) Every Girl Crazy ‘Bout a Sharp Esserman

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Marc Esserman vs Cindy Tsai
"Every Girl Crazy ‘Bout a Sharp Esserman" (game of the day Sep-21-2024)
United States Championship (2003), Seattle, WA USA, rd 7, Jan-16
Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation (B90) · 1-0

White to move.

ANALYSIS [x]

1-0

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1

FEN COPIED

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< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 2 OF 2 · Later Kibitzing>
Apr-10-14		kevin86: Sadly, for white, he is a victim of a Noah's Ark trap. More sadly (or sadlier) for black, he is a victim of a vicious king- side attack.

Apr-10-14		Penguincw: I was thinking first of 20.Bd5, interfering with the pin on the knight for some sacrifice on f6.

Apr-10-14		Memethecat: Some combination of Qxh5, Nf6, exf6,Rxf6 & Rg4/h4. This is just a couple of the possible lines Blacks responses seem to be Ne8, axb3, f5. 20.Qxh5 Ne8 21.Nf6+ Nxf6* (...gxf6 22.Rg5#) 22.exf6 Bxf6 23.Rxf6 Nd7 (...g6 24.Rxg6+ fxg6 25.Qxg6+ Kh8 26.Rh4#) 24.Rh6 gxh6 25.Qxh6 Nf6 26.Qg5+ Kh8 27.Qxf6+ Kg8 28.Rg4+ Kh7 29.Qh4# <* I think move 21...Bxf6 & 21...Nxf6 are interchangeable here. Plus ...axb3 can be played and ignored at many points. Also I'm unclear about Qxc2, it may be a fly in the ointment> 20.Qxh5 f5 21.exf6 Bxf6 22.Nxf6+ Rxf6 23.Rxf6 easy mate to follow, but Casino's starting, so that's me done.

Apr-10-14		PJs Studio: Tell me if I'm wrong mates.... This is an attractive mate.

Apr-10-14		PJs Studio: 19. Rd4!! I never make moves like this. Hard to find, imaginative, probably accurate and Balsy!

Apr-10-14		Cheapo by the Dozen: 20 ... axb3 is a ridiculous move. Black needed to defend at that point, and the bishop wasn't going anywhere. I didn't quite find a way for White to punch through after 20 ... f5, one point being that Black could slow White's attack by pinning the d4 rook.

Apr-10-14		FSR: <Cheapo by the Dozen: 20 ... axb3 is a ridiculous move. Black needed to defend at that point, and the bishop wasn't going anywhere. I didn't quite find a way for White to punch through after 20 ... f5, one point being that Black could slow White's attack by pinning the d4 rook.> After 20...f5, White wins trivially with 21.exf6 (threatening 22.fxe7, 22.f7+, 22.Ng5, and 22.fxg7): 21...gxf6 22.Qg6+ Kh8 23.Nxf6 Bxf6 (23...Rxf6 24.Rh4#) 24.Rh4+ Bxh4 25.Rxf8#; 21...Bxf6 22.Nxf6 Rxf6 (22...gxf6 23.Qg6+ Kh8 24.Rh4#) 23.Rxf6 gxf6 24.Qg6+ Kf8 (24...Kh8 25.Rh4#) 25.Bh6+ Ke7 26.Qg7+ Kf8 27.Qf8#; 21...Rxf6 22.Nxf6+ Bxf6 23.Rxf6 gxf6 24.Qg6+ transposes to the above line.

Apr-10-14		FSR: <SimonWebbsTiger: the shocking thing about this game is it isn't a Smith-Morra!> Not really. Esserman often plays 2.Nf3 and 3.d4 against the Sicilian: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches... Unlike Weaver Adams, Esserman sensibly doesn't like to guarantee his opponents that he'll play a particular line.

Apr-11-14		moronovich: <comes over c5 what else bind a b6 crum a bottler> Good idea <chrisowen> ! I have always wanted to crum a bottler :)

Feb-15-23		FSR: <moronovich: . . . Good idea <chrisowen> ! I have always wanted to crum a bottler :) > Haven't we all.

Mar-02-24		belgradegambit: Every girl crazy ‘bout a sharp Esserman.

Mar-29-24		chrisowen: I var its hut lo its y Qxh5 aca mat aof jufa its a fog pug its abbot lab v Qxh5 ed;

Mar-29-24		Allderdice83: < Skewbrow: On second thought: After 20. Qxh5 Ne8 looks like the manouver Rf1-f3-h3 could be decisive.> Actually, on 20 ... Ne8, I think 21. Nf6+ is decisive. 21 ... gxf6 22. Rg4 Nf7 23. Qh6 with 24. Qxg7# coming (Black can throw in a spite check with 23 ... Qxg2+), 21 ... Nxf6 22. exf6 g6 23. Qh6 Bxf6 24. Rxf6 with threats of 25. Rxg6+ and if 24 ... Qe8, Qc7, or Qb7, then 25. Rh4 with mate on h8, 21 ... Bxf6 22. exf6 g6 23. Rg4 and now, 23 .... Nxf6 24. Rxf6 and Rfxg6+ next (it doesn't really matter which rook takes on g6) 23 ... Ng7 24. Qh6 Nf5 25. Rxg6+ fxg6 26. Qxg6+ Kh8 27. Rxf5 etc. 23 ... Qb7 24. Rxg6+ fxg6 25. Bxe6+ looks crushing. If there's any defense, I can't find it.

Mar-29-24		Allderdice83: <Actually, on 20 ... Ne8, I think 21. Nf6+ is decisive.> Stockfish thinks so, too, but gives as Black's best 21 ... Bxf6 22. exf6 Qb6 23. Qg5 Nxf6 24. Rxf6 Qxd4 25. Bxd4 axb3 26. Rxe6! f6 27. Qd5 with mate in 16.

Mar-29-24		King.Arthur.Brazil: It seems natural the continuation: 20. Nf6+ A) B can't refuse since 20... Kh8?? 21. Qh5#. B) 20... gxf6? 21. Qg3+ Kh7 22. exf6 Rg8 23. Qh3 Rg6 24. Qxh5+ Kg8 25. Rg4 Qe8 26. Rxg6+ fxg6 27. Bxe6+ Kf8 28. Qh8#. After 25. Rg4 B situation is very bad. C) Therefore, the only plausible continuation is: 20... Bxf6. Now, if W captures B can reorganize with: 21. exf6 Qxf3 22. Rxf3 g6. or with 21. Qxh5 g6 22. Rg4 Bg7... W earned nothing, which tell that this line won't work. Therefore, let's make the threat of Nf6 with. 20. Qxh5 Now axb3 21. Nf6+ (gxf6 22. Rg4#) Bxf6 22. exf6 and now the R can go to h4 or g4 with devastating effect. E.g.: g6 23. Qh6 Ne8 24. Rh4 with mate ahead.

Mar-29-24		mel gibson: I saw the text ply but I wasn't sure. Stockfish 16 says that Black must sac its Queen: 20. Qxh5 (20. Qxh5 (1.Qxh5 Qxe4 2.Rxe4 axb3 3.Rg4 Ne8 4.axb3 Nd7 5.Rg3 f5 6.Qg6 Ra6 7.Bd4 Bc5 8.Bxc5 Nxc5 9.Rh3 Nd7 10.Qh7+ Kf7 11.g4 Nxe5 12.gxf5 Ke7 13.Qh4+ Nf6 14.Rg3 exf5 ) +6.83/45 379) score for White +6.83 depth 45 If I force SF to follow the game reply it's mate in 13: 20. .. axb3 21. Nf6+ (21. Nf6+ (1.Nf6+ Bxf6 2.exf6 Qc5 3.Qxc5 Nd7 4.Rxd7 Nd5 5.fxg7 Rfc8 6.Qd4 Ra4 7.Qe5 Rg4 8.Rfxf7 Rxg2+ 9.Kh1 Rg1+ 10.Kxg1 bxa2 11.Rf8+ Rxf8 12.gxf8Q+ Kxf8 13.Qb8+) +M13/75 45) White wins _ mate in 13.

Mar-29-24		King.Arthur.Brazil: Dear <Mel Gibson> After analysing the SF Line: <20. Qxh5 Qxe4 21. Rxe4 axb3 22. Rg4 Ne8 23.axb3 Nd7> the direct 24. Bh6 failed due to f5! and B can avoid the deadly attack winning several tempo, which suggests that W must change his immediate focus, thing that Computers cannot do, as they follow some algorithm. For ex: 22. Ref4 bxa2 23. Rxf7 A) a1=Q 24. Rxg7+! Kxg7 25. Bh6+ Kg8 26. Qg6+ Kh8 27. Qg7# or 25... Kh7 (Kh8) 26. Bxf8+ Kg8 27. Qg6+ Kh8 28. Qg7#. B) 23. Rxf7 Rxf7 24. Qxf7+ Kh8 25. Bh6 gxh6 (else Qxg7#) 26. Qxe7 a1=Q 27. Qd8+ Kg7 28. Qxc7+ Kg8 29. Rxa1 Rxa1+ 30. Kf2 Na6 31. Qc8+ Kf7 32. Qd7+ Kf8 33. Qxe6 and W has more chances. C) same till 26.Qxe7 then Nd7 27. Qxd7 a1=Q 28. Rxa1 Rxa1+ 29. Kf2 Ra7 30. Qc8+ Kg7 31. Qb8 or 29... Na6 Qxd6. Also, W has more perspectives than B, since the N has no safety place. Different from 22... bxa2, another case like 22... Nd7 23. Rxf7 Bc5 24. Bxc5 Nxc5 axb3 W best. On 23... Nd5 or bxa2 follows: 24. Rxg7+ Kxg7 25. Bh6+ and mate in sequence, as already show. B could avoid this mate line with: <20. Qxh5 Qxe4 21. Rxe4 axb3> 22. Ref4 Nd7 23. Rxf7 Bf6 24. Rxf6 gxf6 25. Qg6+ Kh8 26. Rf3 (mate next) or 24... Nxf6 25. exf6 bxa2 26. f7+ game over. I felt that SF line is much slow giving B more conditions to survive.

Mar-30-24		mel gibson: <thing that Computers cannot do, as they follow some algorithm. > A computer can analyse billions of board positions - something a human can't do. But - that doesn't make the computer right as humans are playing the actual game and must weigh up the odds with experience and intuition.

Sep-21-24		An Englishman: Good Evening: Hmmm...about today's title. A reference to the American trio ZZ Top and their hit "Sharp Dressed Man?"

Sep-21-24		FSR: 10...Bd7?? was an unfortunate TN. Tsai probably was unfamiliar with the 6.Bc4 line, was trying to keep e6 protected, and gave little or no consideration to 11.e5!, which is already winning.

Sep-21-24		HeMateMe: It's a streeeeeeeetch, but great pun! Very creative.

Sep-21-24		offramp: The song goes, "Every Girl Crazy ‘Bout a Sharp Esserman", then goes "Thing that Computers cannot do, as they follow some algorithm".

Sep-21-24		HeMateMe: I still have nightmares about the ZZ holding guitars between their legs the fur guitars were also disquieting, IMO. <https://www.bing.com/images/search?...>

Sep-21-24		Teyss: Before <goodevans> complains: I also thought CG had solved the special characters issue on the homepage, in this case a mere apostrophe, but apparently it's a manual fix every time. 20.White to play was a Thursday puzzle in 2014 and a Friday one in 2024. Will be back on a Saturday in 2034. Good comments above about the combination and the dubious TN 10...Bd7. Indeed it has never been played after this game: other moves are ...b4, Bb7 and Qc7. Decent pun considering Esserman's opponent was a 18 yo woman.

Sep-21-24		Allderdice83: Why 10 ... Bd7??? Black's actually doing better here with 10 ... Bb7, 10 ... b4, or 10 ... Qc7, all normal moves in this opening. (I'm not a fan of an early Bc4 in the Sicilian -- the bishop becomes a target for Black's advancing pawns). Stockfish has it -0.3 after 10 ... Bb7 (9. f4? is not good according to Stockfish; instead 9. Qf3 with the idea of Be3, Qg3, and then maybe f4. On 9 ... Bb7 in this line, White can attack with 10. Bxe6 fxe6 11. Nxe6 Qd7 12. Nxg7+ Kd8 13. Nf5). 10 ... Bd7?? on the other hand puts the bishop on an inferior square for the bishop and takes away d7 from the knights. 11. e5 and 13. Qf3 take advantage. 14 ... Qe8? worsens things for Black; two reasonable ideas are to defend with 14 ... Kh8 or counterattack with 14 ... a5. Black is supporting 15 ... Bc6, but that doesn't work out. 17. Qg4?! is not bad but 17. Bg5! is better with the idea of 17 ... Bxg5 18. Rd6! Qe8 19. Nxg5. 17 ... h5? looks like desperation (hoping for 18. Qxh5?? Qxe4). 18 ... a5 comes too late; maybe Black can hold out longer with 18 ... Ne8. 20 ... axb3?? loses quickly, but what else is Black to do? Anything loses at that point. Eg., 20 ... Nd7 21. Nf6+ Nxf6 22. exf6 Qc5 23. Qh3 axb3 24. fxg7 f5 25. gxf8=Q+ Rxf8 26. Rd7.

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