The Saint Louis Open was held on April 26-27, 2008 in Sunset Hills at the Days Inn on South Lindbergh. Highest rating honors went to Jim McLaughlin at 2121. Being from the old school I remember all of the current strong experts had master level ratings, across the USCF as a whole. Due to the restructuring of the USCF rating system, everyone has lost at least 200 points on their legacy ratings. The tournament however was quite a success as we were able to boast seven experts and eleven Class A players. Listing the strongest players present were Bob Jacobs, Jim Voelker, Bob Holliman (who traveled all the way from Kansas City, MO), Waldo Odak, Kevin Dale Johnson, Josh Frank, Todd Plagemann, Steve Bange, and Nick Karlow - who is always trouble at the board for anyone! A total of 57 players turned out to battle for the title of the 2008 Saint Louis Open Champion.
 Ed Baur and Thomas Rehmeier did a first class job running the tournament and ensuring that any perceived problems were resolved before they became issues. Prior to the start of the tournament Bill Wright provided information regarding the new Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (CCSCSL). The facility is located in the Central West End at the intersection of Euclid and Maryland Ave. across from Starbucks and is slated to open this summer. Everyone in anxious to see the new facility. To have a stable environment to enjoy our pastime is truly a great benefit of being a member. From a TD’s perspective, no more setting up or tearing down tables and chairs. Great! Bill Wright also informed me that Charles Lawton, the highest rated player in the Saint Louis area (2365) joined the CCSCSL during the tournament.
At the Days Inn, the heat generated in the playing room was really something to experience. A giant fan was placed in the entrance to the playing room to remove the hot air. Why we even had loud music (noise) coming from the room next door as a party was scheduled on the same evening as the third round of the tournament.
As usual, it was very fun to talk, play, spectate and interact with the players. I find it quite interesting to see the fireworks across the boards when various personalities are pitted against each other. Energy levels and attitude all play a very important role especially in the third round of the first day!
The title of the Saint Louis Open was split 3-ways with the Open/Expert prizes combined with James McLaughlin, Jim Voelker and Waldo Odak taking home $150 each and top honors. A link to the USCF page is here.
Here are some of the epic battles that took place:
Jacob Amann (1228)
Joe Hoffman (1516)
4/27/2008
Saint Louis Open Rd 3, G/2
Sicilian Defense
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. Nc3 a6 4. Bc4? Placing the bishop on a bad square with nothing to help it fend off the enemy queen side pawns only invites trouble. 4... b5 5. Be2 Bb7 6. d3 Nc6 7. Be3 Qc7 8. Qd2 Nf6 9. Bf4 d6 10. 0-0 Be7 11. Re1 0-0 12. Bg5 h6 13. Bxh6 A true sacrifice that may have some promise if Black does not defend adequately 13... gxh6 14. Qxh6 Nh7 15. h4 Ne5 16. Ng5 Nxg5 17. hxg5 Bd8 18. Bh5 f6 19. f4 Nc6 20. Re3 Qg7 21. Rg3 Qxh6 22. gxh6+ Kh8 23. Kf2 b4 24. h7 Bc8 25. Rh1 Ra7 26. White resigns 0-1
This next game was quite entertaining and provides a lesson learned with opposite colored Bishops.
Thomas Rehmeier (1769)
Bradley Herbst(1556)
4/27/2008
Saint Louis Open Rd 4, G/2
Irregular Opening
1. d4 g6 2. Nf3 Bg7 3. c3 d5 4. e3 Nd7 5. Bd3 e5 6. dxe5 Nxe5 7. Nxe5 Bxe5 8. Nd2 Bd7 9. e4 Qe7 10. Qe2 dxe4 11. Bxe4 0-0-0 12. Nc4 Bb5 And the fireworks are starting if 13. Nb6+, axb6; 14. Qxb5, Bxc3+; 15. bxc3 and f5 pins the bishop in Black’s favor. 13. 0-0 Qc5 14. Qg4+ f5 15. Bxf5+ gxf5 16. Qxf5+ Kb8 17. Nxe5 Rd5 If 17… Bxf1? 18. Nd7+ wins the black queen. 18. Re1 Ne7 19. Qf6 Re8 20. Be3 Ng8 (diagram)
B. Herbst
T. Rehmeier
White to move
21. Bxc5 Nxf6 22. Bd4 c5 23. Nd7+ 23. c4 looks interesting but just loses a pawn to 23... Bxc4 24. Nxc4 Rxd4. White’s Nd7+ offers the best chance of throwing his opponent off balance. 23... Bxd7 24. Bxf6 Rf8 25. Be5+ Kc8 26. Rad1 Bc6 27. c4 Rxd1 28. Rxd1 Rd8 29. Rxd8+ Kxd8 30. Bb8 a6 After the dust has cleared, it seems like an easy win but the ghost of Bishops of opposite color continue to haunt us. 31. Ba7 Be4 32. Bxc5 Bb1 33. a4? The little trick here is to use the intermezzo check with 33. Bb6+ followed by a3 and c5 and an eventual b4. This plan would afford an extra pawn on the Queen’s side and two extra pawns on the King side. The 33. a4 doesn’t allow White to remove all his pawns off the White square complex. 33... Ba2 34. a5 Bxc4 35. f4 Kd7 36. Kf2 Ke6 37. Kf3 Bd5+ 38. Kg3 Kf5 39. Bd6 h5 40. Kh3 Bc6 41. Kg3 It’s all about the endgame. The plan here should follow 41. g3, then Kh4, h3 and a slow and eventual g4. Patience is the key. 41... Bd5 42. Kf2 Bc6 43. h3 Bd5 44. Kg3 Bc6 45. h4 Bd5 46. Kh3 Bc6 47. g4+ hxg4+ 48. Kg3 Be8 49. Draw Agreed 1/2-1/2
Jialin Ding (1476)
Thomas Gaul (1801)
4/27/2008
Saint Louis Open Rd 4, G/2
French/Winawer Variation
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. exd5 exd5 5. Bd3 Nf6 6. Ne2 0-0 7. 0-0 Bg4 8. f3 Bh5 9. Nf4 Bg6 10. Nxg6 fxg6 11. Bg5 c6 12. Ne2 Na6 13. c3 Bd6 14. f4 Nc7 15. f5 Giving away a pawn and exposing the Kings on both sides to danger. 15... Bxh2+ 16. Kh1 Bd6 17. fxg6 h6 18. Bh4 Ne6 19. Bf5 Nc7 Wasting more time. Getting out of the f6 pin is probably better with Qe8. 20. Qd3 Qe8 21. Rae1 Ne4 22. Ng3 Bxg3 23. Bxg3 Rxf5 24. Rxf5 Qxg6 25. Rf3 Ne6 26. R1f1 N6g5 27. Re3 Qe6 This move only allows his Queen to get pinned by the freshly moved Rook on e3. 28. Bf4 Re8 29. Bxg5 hxg5 30. Kg1 g4 31. g3 g5 32. R1e1 Re7 33. Qc2 Kg7 34. Qh2 Kg6 35. a4 Rh7 36. Qg2 Re7 37. b4 Rf7 38. a5 Qe8 39. Rf1 Re7 40. R1e1 Rf7 41. c4 Qf8 This Queen move permits more material to be exchanged. 42. b5 Rf2 43. Qh1 a6 44. bxa6 bxa6 45. cxd5 cxd5 46. Rb1 Rd2 47. Rb6+ Nf6 48. Qxd5 Qc8 49. Rc6 Qf5 50. Qxf5+ Kxf5 51. Re5+ Black must lose the Knight after R5e6. Black resigns 1-0
The curious thing about this game is that Black did not use a single check to win.
Charles Ward (1307)
Cesareo Rodriguez (1811)
Saint Louis Open Rd 3, G/2
French/Tarrasch Variation
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4.Ngf3 Nc6 5. exd5 exd5 6. Bb5 a6 7. Bxc6 bxc6
8. 0-0 Be7
9. Re1 Be6
10. dxc5 Bxc5
11. Nb3 Bb4
12. c3 Be7
13. Nbd4 Bd7
14. Ne5 c5
15. Ndf3 Be6
16. Nc6 Qd6
17. Nxe7 Nxe7
18. Ng5 0-0
19. Nxe6 fxe6
20. Qe2 Rf6
21. Bg5 Rg6
22. Bh4 Nf5
23. Bg3 Nxg3
24. hxg3 c4
25. b3 Rc8
26. b4 Re8
27. Qe5 Qb6
28. Rad1 h6
29. Qd4 Qxd4
30. Rxd4 Kf7
31. Rf4+ Ke7
32. Re3 a5
33. a3 axb4
34. axb4 Ra8
35. Rd4 Kd6
36. f4 Ra2
37. Kh2 Rf6
38. g4 g5
39. Rf3 Rc2
40. Rd1 Rxf4
41. Rdf1 Rxg4
42. R1f2 Rxf2
43. Rxf2 Rf4
44. Ra2 Rf1
45. Ra6+ Ke5
46. Ra2 Rc1
47. Re2+ Kd6
48. Re3 e5
49. Rh3 d4
50. cxd4 exd4
51. Rxh6+ Kc7
52. Rg6 d3
53. Rxg5 d2
54. Rg7+ Kc6
55. White resigns (0-1)
This was the last round of the tournament for me and tension was high, this being the last game of the tournament. For the most part, I just wanted to get out of there on such a lovely weekend but I wanted to win the last round as well.
Cesareo Rodriguez (1811)
Eric Olsen (1394)
Saint Louis Open Rd 5, Board 110, G/2,
Sicilian
1. e4 c5
2. Nf3 d6
3. Nc3 Nf6
4. d4 cxd4
5. Nxd4 a6
6. Be2 e5
7. Nb3 Be7
8. Be3 Be6
9. Nd5 Bxe5
10. exd5 Nbd7
11. 0-0 0-0
12. f4 Rc8
13. c4 Ne4
14. Bd3 Ndc5
15. Nxc5 Nxc5
16. Bf5 Nd7
17. Qd3 g6
18. Bxd7 Qxd7
19. f5 Bf6
20. Bh6 e4
21. Qh3 Rfe8
22. b3 Bxa1
23. fxg6 Bd4+
24. Kh1 Qxh3
25. gxf7+ Kh8
26. fxe8/Q+ Rxe8
27. gxh3 e3
28. Rc1 e2
29. Bd2 Rg8
30. Re1
E. Olsen
C. Rodriguez
Black to move
30... Bf2???
31. Bc3+ Rg7
32. Bxg7+ Kxg7
33. Rxe2 Black resigns 1-0
Notes and comments to the following game by Jim Voelker
Voelker,Jim (2110)
Trimble,Selden (1928)
St. Louis Open (4), 27.04.2008
Sicilian Alapin
1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 d5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.cxd4 Nc6 6.Nf3
Bg4 7.Be2 e6 8.Nc3 Qd8?! Somewhat passive. Black
usually plays 8...Qa5 or Kasparov's 8...Bb4 9.0-0 Qa5
9.Be3 Nf6 10.h3 Bh5 11.0-0 Be7 12.Qb3 If Black's Q
were at a5 he could just play 12...Qb4 now 12...Rb8?!
Misplaces the R. 12...Qd7 is probably better,
although then Black is basically down a tempo since he
could have played 8...Qd7 13.d5! Breaking it open
before Black can blockade the d5 square
S. Trimble
J. Voelker
Black to move
12...exd5 14.Rad1 0-0 15.Nxd5 Qc8? 16.Nxe7+ Even better was
16.Bxa7 Ra8 17.Nb6 winning the Exchange 16...Nxe7
17.Bxa7 Ra8 18.Rc1 Nc6 19.Be3 Re8 20.a3 Ra5 21.Rfd1
Rf5 22.Qc4 Re4 23.Rd4 Rxd4 24.Nxd4 Bxe2 25.Qxe2 Re5
26.Qc4 h6 27.Nxc6 bxc6 28.Qxc6 Qf5 29.Qc8+ Kh7
30.Qxf5+ Rxf5 31.Rc5 Kg6 32.Rxf5 Kxf5 33.Kf1 Ke4
34.Ke2 Kd5 35.Kd3 Nd7 36.b4 f5 37.f4 Nf6 38.a4 Ne4
39.b5 g5 40.fxg5 hxg5 41.a5 f4 42.a6 1-0
As usual, Saint Louis Chess tournaments are quite enjoyable. A good time was had by all and I am sure the best times still lie ahead.
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