My main mission was to ensure my faculty will get the gold medal in this annual tournament. It is a team event. However, the matches were done individually using Swiss format in 5 rounds. After 5 rounds, the top four players from each faculty or department will be accumulated to become the team points.
Round 1
---------- Table 11
Black: PHB/Muhammad Arif Abdul Aziz
1. e4 g6
2. d4 Nf6
3. Nc3 Bg7
4. f4 0-0
5. Nf3 c6 Actual Austrian attack in a Pirc Defense is Bishop is located at c4 while Black pawn at c7 and d6. But, with Black's c6, White needed to modify the strategy.
6. Bd3 d5
7. e5 Ng4? clueless target and a huge mistake.
8. h3 Nh6
9. Be3 Nf5?
10. Bf2 b6 Black wasted two moves while White has improved his Bishop position.
11. Qd2 Ba6 It is too late to exchange the King's Bishop.
12. Bxf5 gxf5 White is breaking Black's pawn structure while misplacing Black Queen Bishop.
What is White next best move?
13. g4! e6
14. 0-0-0 Qe7 Now, white can focus on his King's side target while misplacing Black Queen Bishop.
15. Rhg1 f6?? Unnecessarily, Black is weakening further his King's side.
16. gxf5 exf5 Double pawn is bad for endgame while exposed g file is a huge problem.
17. Bh4 Qe6 Black realized he cannot defend the f pawn.
18. exf6 Rxf6
19. Rde1! Qd7 White conquers both open files. While Black last move is not the best defense.
20. Bxf6 c5
21. Rg7+ Qxg7 It is over.
22. Bxg7 Kxg7
23. Qg2+ Kf6
24. Nxd5+ Kf7
25. Re7+ Kf8
26. Qg7++
1-0
Black's Queen Rook and Knight failed to participate in the battle. Black also failed to formulate a better strategy to counter White's central attack.
Round 2
---------- Table 2
White: CAN/Baharudin Mastari
I was nervous in the first round since I have not play any tournament for quite some time. Now, I am more comfortable in this round.
1. d4 Nf6
2. Nc3 d5 It is a weird opening to combine d4 with Nc3. So, I have to play d5 to prevent e4.
3. g3 g6
4. Nf3 Bg7
5. Bg5 Ne4 A weird opening needs a weird or rare response. Hence, I played this move to disrupt any White's normal plan.
6. Nxe4?? dxe4 It is already a blunder by White.
7. Nh4 Bxd4 Free pawn!
8. Be3 Bxb2 Another free pawn with the risk where the opponent has more active Bishop.
How White can give a better fight?
White can give a better fight with 9. Qxd8+ Kxd8 10. Rd1+ Ke8
9. Rb1 Bc3+ If the Bishop goes back to g7, Black may lost a tempo. So, it is better to disrupt White's flow with possibility to trade the opponent more active Bishop.
10. Bd2 Bxd2 This exchange does not introduce any weakness to a1 to h8 diagonal since the Queens will be also traded.
11. Qxd2 Qxd2+
12. Kxd2
What is the best plan for Black to improve his position?
13. Ng2 0-0! Still needed to quickly activate the Rook
14. Rb4? f5 White must activated his remaining pieces first. Black used White flawed strategy to conquer the middle squares while supporting g5 and e4 pawns.
15. e3 Nc6 It is important to activate all the pieces.
16. Rc4? Be6
17. Ra4 Ne5 Two more Black pieces participating in the battle, while White still depend on the same pieces.
18. Ne1
18. ___ c5! Black successfully conquering all the central squares while the only active White piece is the Queen Rook which is also restricted!
19. Be2 Rfd8+ Now conquering the open file.
20. Kc3 a6! Preparing to attack the misplaced Rook while activating the Queen Rook.
21. a3?? b5 A blunder. Anyway, White position is hopeless. 4 active pieces versus 1, and strong central control by Black pawns give no chance at all to White to escape from defeat!
22. Ra5 Nc6!
23. Rxb5 axb5
24. Bxb5? Ra3+
25. Kb2 Ra2+
26. Kc1 Nb4
27. Kb1? Rd1++ White one last mistake is punished by the checkmate...in an endgame!
0-1
Conclusion, White battle plan was disrupted in the early opening. As a result, two pawns were easily lost. White was also clueless what was going on and failed to identify the endgame phase. Black can easily win the endgame since all his pieces participated in the battle while White depended on one or two active pieces at a time.
Round 3
---------- Table 3
Black: FKE/Hj Muhammad Arif Abd Rahim
I was relief to meet my colleague from the same department. I can relax a bit since my objective is to win gold medal for the department team.
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 d6
3. d4 exd4
4. Nd4 Be7
5. Bc4 Nf6
6. Nc3 Bg4? Why? It will only loose a tempo.
7. f3 Bh5
8. Be3 0-0
9. Qd2 a6
10. 0-0-0 c5?? My friend looked tired from the previous round intense game.
11. Nf5 Nc6
12. Nd6 It is a free pawn with a strategic Knight located at the center. Now it is time to offer a draw!
A win or lost is neither good or bad for us since both of us are from the same faculty. The best is a draw!
1/2 - 1/2
Round 4
---------- Table 3
White: CIC/Nazeri Sharif
This guy is one of the members of UTM staff chess team. During this round, all four players from my faculty is at top four tables. I only needed a draw to help my faculty to secure a gold.
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bc4 Bc5
4. d3 h6
5. Nc3 Nf6
6. Be3 Bxe3 This is a positional error since it gave White a solid center. Bb6 is better.
7. fxe3 d6
8. Qd2 0-0
9. 0-0 Qe7? Played without sufficient thinking.
10. Nd5 Qd8
11. Qe1 Be6
12. Nxf6+? Qxf6 This reduced the tension at the center and freed Black for a counter play.
13. Nh4 Qg5
14. Nf3 Qe7
15. Qg3? Bxc4! Black did not miss the chance to weaken the White central control.
16. dxc4 Qe6!
17. b3 Ne7
18. Nh4 f5! Finally, the pressure is neutralized!
19. exf5 Nxf5
20. Nxf5 Rxf5
Rooks from both players cannot penetrate their opponent's rank. So, the only logical conclusion is to offer a draw.1/2 - 1/2
Round 5
---------- Table 3
Black: FSS/Kiflan Jimpi
I had almost no pressure in this round. All top three tables were dominated by my faculty colleagues. But, if I can win this round, I can help reduce the pressure to my team members.
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 a6
4. Ba4 h6? How to capitalize this weakness?
5. c3 b5
6. Bb3 Nf6
7. 0-0 d6
8. Re1 Rb8
9. d4 exd4
10. cxd4 Be7
11. Nc3 0-0 White has a strong central control.
12. e5!? dxe5 I decided to break the center since Black is still disorganized. While White has a very strong central pressure by King's Bishop. Thus, Black King's Rook cannot contest the e-file. I had also considered the possibility to enter the endgame.
13. dxe5 Qxd1
14. Rxd1 Nh5 White is better organized in the endgame. And, the e5 pawn is menacing the central board and disconnected the Black pieces. Black should consider to retreat the Knight.
15. Nd5 Bd8
16. h3 g5?
17. g4! Ng7
18. Be3 Kh8 With every move, White has successfully maximize the activity of his pieces while reducing Black pieces to passivity.
19. Rac1 Bb7
How the attack should proceed?
20. Nf6! Bxf6 Forced.
21. exf6 Ne8 White's active Knight is traded with the Black's passive Bishop. But now, the pawn at f6 can strangle the King. While the pawn at g4 can support the pawn at f6!
22. Bc5! Nd6 The pressure is too strong and Black is willing to loose a pawn in order to trade active Bishop with a passive Knight.
23. Bxd6 cxd6
24. Rxd6 Na5
25. Bd1! Nc6 White realized the Black's King side is totally paralyzed. The Bishop is needed to attack the Queen side.
26. a4 Nd8 If Ne6 26. Rd7 will follow.
27. Ne5 Ne6
How White should finish off the attack?
28. Bb3! Bc8 The Bishop is back to exert pressure on the King side.
29. Bxe6! fxe6? axb5 first should be better. But Black took the Bishop almost without thinking. The moment he touched the pawn, he realized his blunder. But, it is too late. Now, Black position is totally collapsed. Anyway, 29. __ Bxe6 30. Rc7 Kg8 31. Rxe6 fxe6 32. Rg7+ Kh8 33. Ng6++.
30. Ng6+ Kg8
31. Nxf8 Kxf8
32. Rd8+ Kf7
33. Rdc8 Rxc8
34. Rxc8 Kf6
1-0
Black failed to find useful purpose of his Queen's Rook at all!
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The result was FKE maintain her dominant in Chess in UTM for another year. No. 1 to 4 and 6 were won by my faculty members.The women team from FKE also maintain her dominant in Chess in UTM for another year after successfully defend the title.
Questions:
1. How can we use chess playing skills and knowledge to invest in a property?
2. What is the similar psychological values in both fields which can be harnessed for property investment?
3. Do you prefer to play as an individual or a team? Why?
Note:
1. Official UTM chess club website is at http://kecas.fke.utm.my/
2. For board display, I used http://www.chess.com/analysis-board-editor
