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Jacek Stopa vs Joel Benjamin
"Stopa the Presses!" (game of the day Mar-22-2015)
37th World Open (2009), Philadelphia, PA USA, rd 7, Jul-04
Philidor Defense: Exchange Variation (C41)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jul-05-09  luzhin: Stopa's 14.Bg3, sacrificing a piece in order to open the h file, was inspired, although Benjamin missed the best defence 16...Qb6+ 17.Kc1 c5! 18.Qxg5+ Qg6 19.Rxd5 f5! after which it's not clear. Presumably Benjamin missed the crushing 20.Rxh7! and its devastating follow-up 21.Qf6!
Jul-05-09  whiteshark: It looks like a good Tuesday puzzle after <19...Bg6>:


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Jul-05-09  AnalyzeThis: This is a very interesting game, with a lot of twists and turns. It wasn't obvious to me, coming out of the opening, that Benjamin's concept had a problem with it.
Jul-06-09  hedgeh0g: I don't think it was obvious to most people either, considering the speed of victory. Credit to Stopa for a creative attack.
Jul-06-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  roberts partner: White was actually the Polish IM Jacek Stopa, not the much lower rated American with the same name.
Jul-06-09  Xeroxx: Nothing can stopa him.
Nov-30-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  alexrawlings: This game features in Leonard Barden's chess column in the London Evening Standard tonight. He shows the position with white to move at move 19 and invites the reader to guess the next move, albeit his diagram ommits the pawn at g5.

For any of you kitbitzers who live in London I'd recommend checking it out, it has a daily puzzle together with an anecdote to accompany it.

Mar-22-15  Moszkowski012273: Just watched Joel at a blitz tournament last week. He's still got it...
Mar-22-15  Cheapo by the Dozen: It looks like Benjamin initiated a combination on Move 9. and White trumped it with a winning reply numerous moves later.

I call Benjamin's idea a combination because until one sees the point, it seems like he's sacrificing material just to wind up with inferior development.

Mar-22-15  morfishine: Benjamin's long been know for his quirky openings or at the very least, getting out of book asap. Here, the clash of styles is striking as Stopa mobilizes "normally" and retains a firm grasp of the tactical options. As <luzhin> points out, Benjamin didn't find the best defense: 16...Qb6+ followed by 17...c5; Maybe this explains why he also didn't see White's final, crunching two-move combo: He just wasn't seeing the board very well this day

I think this game is highly instructive and an excellent GOTD

*****

Mar-22-15  lost in space: agreed
Mar-23-15  kevin86: Does anybody say: Stop the Presses! anymore. The just need to update their websites... lol

The heavy pieces win this one.

Mar-24-15  Howard: The 2009 World Open was the first time I ever met Benjamin, but I don't recall that game, offhand.
Jul-10-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  louispaulsen88888888: Benjamin should know better. The Philidor was refuted 200 years ago.

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