Cebu's Edilberto Velarde Sr. Tournament

Submitted by Aldwin Daculan
Edited by Guy Chessman

Two weeks ago, I was told that there would be a small tournament at Barangay Pajac in Lapu-Lapu, Cebu. The tournament would be in honor of someone from the Velarde family. The Velarde family is known to be the home of the chess kiddie wonder, Jerish Velarde. But this tournament was not about the kid... it was about the kid's grandfather who just turned 77 last month. Just two days ago, Aldwin Daculan submitted to me a list of the top 10 winners of the small tournament. Though the tournament was small, it included very strong Cebuano masters, with some of them who have already have a good reputation outside Cebu. The Negrense, Edsel Montoya, won this event ahead of tournament favorites Kim Yap and Eden Diano. 
Meanwhile, The blitz sensation NM Merben Roque, "only" managed to place fifth in the overall standings. Still a respectable position though.
The organizer of the tournament was Engr. Edilberto Jr (Jerish Velarde's father) while the arbiters were Rigil Amacna and Peterson Sia. FYI, Peterson Sia is Cebu's most famous "chess bookworm". Hehe.
 Here is the complete list of winners of the said event. 

1st- Montoya
 2nd-Diano 
3rd-IM Yap 
4th-Lepalam 
5th-NM Roque 
6th-Cablao 
7th-NM Cadiz 
8th-Sia 
9th-Pepito 
10-Uy 


"A Pest in The Budapest?"

Nowadays the 6.Bd2 variation of the Budapest Gambit rarely occurs in tournament at any level. A surprise weapon shall I say, I Black needed a win.

Berkovich (2350) - Peev (2320) [A52]

Pavekeni, 1992
[ IM Dmitry Berkovich]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Nf3 Bc5 5.e3 Nc6 6.Bd2!?

Not even considered in John Nunn's Chess Openings! Mostly 6. Nc3, 6.b3 and 6.Be2 had been played here, it was played first by the great Cuban Jose Capablanca at London,1919!

6...Ngxe5

6...0–0 would also transposed to our line.

7.Nxe5 Nxe5 8.Bc3 Qe7

Black should be careful here, 8...d6 9.b4 Bb6 10.c5; and 8...f6 9.Bxe5 fxe5 10.Qh5+ are bad for Black.

9.Nd2 0–0 10.Be2 a5 11.Qc2 Ra6

with the idea of transfering the rook to the kingside to gain some attack.

12.Nb3 Bb4 13.0–0–0!?

With this move, it neutrtalizes the idea of Black to transfer the rook on the kingside, and now it simply stands bad on a6.

13...Bxc3

13...a4 14.Nd4 intending to play 15. Nf5 Qc5 16. Rd5.; The simple  13...d6 is possible alternative intending to give Black's last piece into to enter the game, but the rook on a6 looks misplaced.

14.Qxc3 a4 15.Nd4 d6

White gains the initiative in the endgame by this temporary pawn sacrifice. 

16.c5! dxc5!

 If Black declines the offering by 16...Ra8 gives White an unpleasant pressure in the center and in the queenside with 17.cxd6 cxd6 18.Qa3 This prevents the possible ...a3 move.

17.Bxa6 cxd4 18.exd4

Not 18.Rxd4 bxa6 19.Re4 f6 20.f4 Bf5

18...Ng4 19.Bd3 Nxf2 20.Rhe1 Nxd1

20...Qh4 is also possible, for example: 21.Re2 Nxd3+ 22.Rxd3 Qxh2 23.d5 with roughly equal play.

21.Rxe7 Nxc3 22.bxc3

White here has a slight edge in the endgame, because White's pieces are more active and Black's queenside pawns are rather shaky, for they can easily be attacked by White's king.

22...c6 23.Kb2 g6 24.Ka3 Kg7

If 24...b5 , then 25.Be4 with a huge advantage for White.

 25.Kxa4 Be6 26.Kb4 Bxa2 27.c4!

 This is more accurate than 27.Rxb7?! Bd5 28.Kc5 Forced. 29... c5 is the threat. 28...Bxg2 29.Rb2 (29.Rc7 h5 30.Ra7 Rd8 31.c4) 29...Bh1 30.Rb1 with equal play.

27...b5

If 27...b6? 28.Ra7+-]

28.cxb5 cxb5 29.Bxb5

Now the smoke is cleared and White has a cental passed pawn, but with correct play, Black can hold this endgame, but I prefer to play with White here.

29...Rd8 30.Rd7

30.Re2 is also possible here, with the idea to place the rook behind the passed pawn.

 30...Rxd7?

This is already a bad idea by Black. Keeping the rook would be difficult for White to exploit his passed pawn. [30...Rc8 was far more better.

31.Bxd7 Kf6 32.Kc5 Ke7 33.Bb5 f5 34.d5 f4 35.d6+ Kd8 36.Bd3

36.Kd4 is better, going to the kingside and attack the pawns the idea.

 36...Bf7 37.Kd4 h6 38.Ke5 g5 39.Be4

39.Bb5 is another alternative.]

 39...Kd7 40.Bf3

40.g3 immediately is more direct.

 40...Bc4 41.Bg4+ Kd8 42.g3 fxg3 43.hxg3

 Zugzwang!

43...Bf7 44.Kf6 Be8 45.Be6 g4 46.Bxg4 h5 47.Be2

 1–0

This game gives me a good impression of playing 6.Bd2 line against the Budapest, though I must admit that in  this game, Black played excellently in the opening and in the middlegame but a couple of inaccurate moves in the endgame causes his fall.The 6.Bd2 line deserve futher practical test.


Here's the PGN DOWNLOAD if you guys wanna view this game on your Chessbase softwares:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-PXUPMH0sUhbTdXVzJMaEhtWjg/edit?usp=sharing

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