James Regan Week: French Defence Sawyer

Today's game features James Regan playing an original move against my own BDG style French Defence Sawyer Variation after 1.d4 Nf6 2.f3 e6 3.e4 d5 4.Bg5. This is a classic battle of chess opening strategies. White wants to open lines for attack using a space advantage and active pieces. Black wants to close everything off.

In this game Black gets carried away and closes off too much with 9...c4?!, a typical mistake in strategy. Black has a little short term activity on the queenside, but the long term advantage would be with White in a potential kingside attack.

Sawyer-Regan, corr USCF 1989 begins 1.d4 Nf6 2.f3 e6 3.e4 d5 4.Bg5 [Sawyer Variation] 4...c6 [This is the only time I have ever seen this solid but passive move. If 4...Be7 then 5.e5 (or 5.Nc3 are reasonable.) ] 5.e5 h6 6.Be3 [6.Bh4=] 6...Nfd7 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qc1 c5 9.c3 c4?! [Closing this position does not generally lead to much unless Black is ready to make a pawn break on the queenside. 9...Nc6= ] 10.Nf3 Qc7 11.Be2 b5 12.a3 Nc6 13.Nbd2 Be7 14.0-0 Rb8 15.g4 Nb6 16.b4 a5 17.Bd1 0-0 18.Bc2 axb4 19.axb4 Ra8 20.Rxa8 Nxa8 21.Rf2 Bd8 [21...Nb6 22.Bb1=] 22.Nf1 [22.Bb1+/=] 22...f5 [This gives White a huge advantage. Black might try 22...Nb6 23.Ng3+/-] 23.exf6+- 1-0


Copyright by Tim Sawyer 2013. Send your games for this blog to: sawyerte@yahoo.com

James Regan Week: BDG Bogoljubow 8.Qe1

Why play offhand games that are not rated? Because you can learn something. Here in a Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Bogoljubow 8.Qe1 Bf5 game where James Regan playing Black uncorked the creative 9.Qh4 g5!? Pushing the g-pawn again in the BDG Bogo is very rare, but it does help defend against White's mating attack.

Combined with 8...Bf5, the advance of the g-pawn allows the Black bishop to cover h7 while still attacking c2. I missed chances to get a bigger advantage. Then I misplayed a winning combination. Eventually I was rewarded when Black blundered away his queen.

Sawyer-Regan, corr, 1989 begins 1.d4 d5 2.e4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Nxf3 g6 6.Bc4 Bg7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Qe1 Bf5 9.Qh4 g5!? [An original concept. If 9...Nc6 reaches a very common position. 10.h3!] 10.Bxg5 Bxc2 11.Ne5 Bg6 12.Rad1 Nc6 13.Nxg6 [13.Rf3+/-] 13...hxg6 14.Ne4 [Again 14.Rf3+/- ] 14...Na5? [14...Nxe4 15.Qxe4 Qd6=] 15.Rxf6?! [Right idea. Inexact timing. The better winning move order is 15.Bxf6! exf6 16.Rxf6!] 15...Nxc4 16.Kh1 Nxb2 17.Rd2 Nc4 18.Rd3 Ne3 19.Rxe3 Qxd4 20.Re1 [20.Rf1+/-] 20...exf6 21.Bxf6 Qb4 22.Be7 Qxe1+? [Big blunder. 22...Qa5 23.Ng5 Bh6 24.Ne4 Bg7= repeats moves.] 23.Qxe1 1-0


Copyright by Tim Sawyer 2013. Send your games for this blog to: sawyerte@yahoo.com

James Regan Week: Pirc Defence 4.f3 / 5.Be3

James Regan played in multiple section of USCF correspondence events in 1989-90. Usually I recorded carefully in my records the exact section number, but sometimes I would just list it was "USCF corr". Here is a draw from one of those unknown sections.

I use the opening designation Pirc Defence 4.f3 when play does not transpose to the 5.Be3 c6 or 5.Be3 0-0 6.Qd2 variations. Here played an early 5...Nc6. I experimented with what turned out to be a flawed strategy in playing my bishop to Bb5 and doubling Black's pawn with 8.Bxc6. The problem was by 8...bxc6 I gave Black an open file to attack me?!

Sawyer-Regan, corr USCF 1989 begins 1.d4 Nf6 2.f3 d6 3.e4 g6 4.Be3 Bg7 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Qd2 e5 7.Bb5?! [This move does not lose, but it is the wrong idea. Better are either 7.d5 or 7.Nge2] 7...0-0 8.Bxc6?! [Consistent but bad. White is going to castle queenside. Opening up the b-file gives Black good attacking chances. 8.Nge2] 8...bxc6 9.0-0-0 [9.dxe5 dxe5=] 9...Qe8 10.Nge2 Nd7 11.g4 [11.Bh6=] 11...exd4 12.Nxd4 Ne5 13.Rdf1? [13.Bh6] 13...Ba6 14.Rf2 c5 15.Nde2 Nc4 16.Qd3 Qc6 17.b3 Nxe3 18.Qxe3 Rfe8 19.Qd2?! [19.Rd1 Bxe2 20.Rxe2 Qa6=/+] 19...Rab8 [A great way to continue the attack is 19...c4!-+] 20.Qd5?! 1/2-1/2 [Draw agreed]


Copyright by Tim Sawyer 2013. Send your games for this blog to: sawyerte@yahoo.com