Golden Knights Alumni Invitational 2016

Submitted by eugen on Sat, 03/19/2016 - 17:18
Life keeps us busy day after day like a perpetuum mobile as time flies implacable into the past. It feels like yesterday our alumni were learning their chess ABC and in no time our current students will be in their shoes. Getting together with Alex and Stefan is always both nostalgic and fun; it makes us (Andrei, Radu and I) proud of how far they have come and the opportunities awaiting for them! We hope to find the time to play such tournaments more often and have other alumni join. The bond between us all has remained as strong as always and in the end this is what really connects us like a life line from past, to present and future. The results are not as important when you have fun; for the record here is the final standings for our double round robin with Andrei serving as TD.


GOLDEN KNIGHTS ALUMNI 2016
1. WFM Alexandra Botez 4.5
2. CM Valer Eugen Demian 4.0
3. NM Radu Laurentiu Roua 2.0
4. Stefan Trandafir 1.5

The most spectacular game was produced by the young generation; click on the title (or "Read more") to reach it. Hope you will enjoy it as much as we did!

[Event "Golden Knights Alumni Invitational"][Site "Port Moody, BC"][Date "2016.03.12"][Round "2"][White "WFM Botez, Alexandra"][Black "Trandafir, Stefan"][Result "1-0"][SetUp "1"][FEN "1rbq1rk1/6bp/3p2p1/1N1P4/P1B1pp2/1Q6/1P3PPP/R4RK1 w - - 0 21"][ECO "B33"]21.Qa3 {the battlegrounds have been drawn: white dominates the Queen side and black wants to storm the King side} Be5 22.Ra2 f3 (22...Qh4 {might be a more precise move}) 23.g3 Rf4 {the idea is to cutoff the lines for the Queen side pieces from reaching white's castle} 24.b4 (24.Qe3) 24...Rh4! {the attack continues fast and furious} 25.Rd1 Rxh2?? {the third move in a row black sacs its Rook. White is now forced to take it and this time it is the right thing to do} (25...Bh3! {the correct move to continue the attack} 26.Bf1 Bxf1 27.Kxf1 Rxh2 28.Ke1 Qg5 {wins it for black}) 26.Kxh2 Qh4+ 27.Kg1 Bxg3 28.fxg3 Qxg3+ 29.Kh1 {black is throwing everything at white and the kitchen sink. Alex however was not even blinking} 29...Bh3 30.Rg1 Qh4 31.Rh2 {the white Rooks provide a very nice protection exactly when it is needed} 31...e3 {hoping to have time to play Qh4-e4} 32.Qxe3 Bg2+ 33.Rxg2 fxg2+ 34.Kxg2 Qxc4 35.Qe6+ {the attack is gone and white should win with ease}