Schwarzman wins Barnsteen 2009

Alexander Schwarzman

World champion Alexander Schwarzman has won the Barnsteen tournament. He finished with 11 points, one more than Bennie Provoost and Dutch champion Alexander Baljakin who ended second and third. Let's have a look at some of his games.

Harder,de,B. - Schwarzman,A. 0-2 27-04-2009

1.32-28 18-23 2.38-32 12-18 3.43-38 7-12 4.31-27 20-24 5.49-43 14-20 6.37-31 10-14 7.41-37 5-10 8.34-29 23x34 9.40x29 20-25 10.29x20 15x24 11.46-41 10-15 12.31-26 1-7 13.37-31 14-20 14.41-37 18-23 15.45-40 9-14 16.47-41 3-9 17.27-21 16x27 18.31x22 13-18 19.22x13 9x18 20.28-22 18x27 21.32x21 4-9 22.37-31 9-13 23.41-37 23-28 24.33x22 17x28 25.21-16 11-17 26.39-33 28x39 27.44x33 24-29 28.33x24 19x30 29.35x24 20x29 30.37-32 15-20 31.43-39 20-24 32.40-35 14-19 33.48-43 12-18 34.31-27 8-12 35.50-44 19-23 36.39-33 24-30 37.33x24 30x19 38.38-33 19-24 39.42-38 2-8 40.36-31 13-19 41.27-21 8-13

diagram 1

Schwarzman has outplayed his opponent. White has many inactive pieces on his left wing, and his right wing is powerless.

42.31-27 17-22 43.44-40 22x31 44.26x37

diagram 2

6-11?

But this is a mistake. Here black could win elegantly using 18-22! Now white can not play 45.37-31? due to the combination 12-17! 46.21x1 23-29 47. 1x34 24-30 48.35x24 19x26 . But the alternative 45.43-39 12-18 46.40-34 22-28 47.33x22 18x27 48.21-17 or? 13-18 49.32x21 18-22 50.17x28 23x41 is losing too.

45.37-31 11-17 46.31-26 23-29 47.43-39?

Now everything is alright again for Schwarzman. After 47.32-27! black would still have some advantage, but not enough for a win. 18-22! Fixates the weak formation 16/21/26. 48.40-34 29x40 49.35x44 19-23 50.44-40 23-29 51.40-35 25-30 52.32-27 22x31 53.26x37 17x26 54.33-28 12-17 55.38-32 29-33 56.28-22 17x28 57.32x23 33x44 58.23-19 44-50 59.19x8 7-12 60. 8x17 50x6

Schwarzman,A. - Nijmeijer,A. 2-0 28-04-2009

1.33-29 19-23 2.35-30 20-25 3.40-35 14-19 4.30-24 19x30 5.35x24 10-14 6.24-19 13x33 7.39x10 5x14 8.38-33 14-19 9.44-39 8-13 10.50-44 2-8 11.42-38 9-14 12.47-42 14-20 13.44-40 17-21 14.49-44 21-26 15.31-27 4-9 16.40-35 18-22 17.27x18 13x22 18.32-27 22x31 19.36x27 8-13 20.37-32

diagram 3

12-17? This piece goes in the wrong direction. During the rest of the game black will have problems to develop the pieces on his right wing. 21.34-30 25x34 22.39x30 7-12 23.30-25 9-14 24.43-39 1-7 25.41-37 3-9 26.33-28 Of course white does not allow the exchange of piece 27. 17-21 27.38-33 12-18? Again the piece on 12 should have gone in the other direction. After 12-17! it isn't even clear that white has still the better position. 28.28-22!

diagram 4

With a strong Ghestem attack Schwarzman keeps the battle going. Black is now severely hampered by the hanging piece on 7, and by the white piece on 25 that limits the development of the black left wing.

18-23 29.33-28 7-12 30.44-40 20-24 31.42-38 12-18 32.48-42 11-17 33.22x11 6x17 34.40-34 17-22? A mistake that leads to a quick loss for black. But after 24-29 35.39-33 29x40 36.35x44!! the classical position would have been hopeless for black as well. 35.28x17 21x12 36.27-22! Schwarzman secures the victory using an elementary combination. 18x27 37.32x21 16x27 38.35-30 24x35 39.45-40 35x33 40.38x7

Schwarzman,A. - Tjon A Ong,A. 2-0 28-04-2009

1.33-29 19-23 2.35-30 14-19 3.40-35 10-14 4.30-25 5-10 5.34-30(!) Schwarzman neutralizes the exchange 20-24 29x20 15x24. 23x34 6.39-33 16-21(?) Black develops the weak piece on 16 at the cost of a hanging piece on 10. With maximum precision Schwarzman will take advantage of this weakness. 7.30x39 21-26 8.39-34! 19-23 9.34-30 13-19 10.44-39 20-24 11.50-44 8-13 12.32-28 23x32 13.37x28 26x37 14.41x32 18-23 15.44-40 2-8 16.46-41 13-18 17.39-34

diagram 5

15-20(?) Only with the active plan 18-22! 18.42-37 22-27 19.32x21 17x26 black could relieve the pressure on his right wing. 18.42-37 10-15 19.47-42 9-13 20.34-29 23x34 21.40x29 4-9 22.43-39 18-23 23.29x18 12x23 24.28-22! Schwarzman evacuates the pieces on 28 and 33, leaving black with a locked right wing. The resulting position is difficult to assess, but it puts a very high demand on the technical skills of the black player. 17x28 25.33x22 7-12 26.49-43 11-17 27.22x11 6x17 28.45-40 13-18 29.32-28 23x32 30.37x28 1-7 31.40-34

diagram 6

17-22? The black player fails to find a suitable plan. After this move Schwarzman entangles the black right wing, which brings him a convincing victory. Perhaps 8-13 would have been better here, despite the forced play after 32.39-33! 24-29 33.34x23 18x29 34.33x24 20x29 35.43-39! 12-18 36.39-33 18-23 37.33x24 23x43 38.48x39 7-12 39.39-33 12-18 40.33-28 and now the sacrifice 15-20 41.24x15 18-22 should be enough for a draw. 32.28x17 12x21 33.39-33 18-22 34.34-29 8-12 35.41-37 7-11 36.38-32 12-17 37.32-28 11-16 38.37-31 21-27 39.31-26 17-21 40.26x17 22x11 41.43-39 16-21 42.28-23 19x28 43.30x10 15x4 44.33x31

Provoost,B. - Schwarzman,A. 1-1 29-04-2009

1.32-28 16-21 2.31-26 11-16 3.37-32 7-11 4.36-31 1-7 5.42-37 18-22 6.41-36 13-18 7.46-41 9-13 8.48-42 4-9 9.34-30 20-25 10.30-24 19x30 11.35x24 14-20 12.33-29 22x33 13.39x28 18-22 14.43-39 22x33 15.39x28 9-14 16.31-27 14-19 17.40-35 19x30 18.35x24 10-14 19.45-40 14-19 20.40-35 19x30 21.35x24 25-30 22.24x35 17-22 23.27x9 3x14 24.26x17 11x24 25.32-27 14-19 26.38-33 19-23 27.42-38 5-10 28.47-42 10-14 29.36-31 6-11 30.31-26 11-17 31.49-43 12-18 32.44-39 7-12 33.50-44 23-29 34.37-32 20-25 35.44-40 25-30 36.42-37 17-21 37.26x17 12x21 38.37-31 8-12 39.41-36 14-19 40.27-22 18x27 41.31x22 15-20 42.40-34 29x40 43.35x44 20-25 44.44-40 30-35 45.22-17 35x44 46.39x50 21-27 47.17x8 2x13 48.32x21 16x27 49.33-28 24-29 50.28-22 27x18 51.38-32 19-23 52.32-27

Schwarzman,A. - Marle,van,R. 2-0 01-05-2009

1.33-29 17-21 2.39-33 21-26 3.44-39 11-17 4.32-28 6-11 5.38-32 17-21 6.50-44 20-24 7.29x20 15x24 8.31-27 10-15 9.43-38 18-23 10.49-43 5-10 11.37-31 26x37 12.42x31 1-6 13.47-42 21-26 14.41-37 12-18 15.27-22 18x27 16.31x22 15-20 17.37-31 26x37 18.42x31 10-15 19.34-29 23x34 20.40x29 7-12 21.46-41 20-25 22.29x20 15x24 23.41-37 12-17 24.44-40 24-30 25.35x24 19x30 26.40-34 14-19 27.34-29 30-35 28.45-40 35x44 29.39x50 19-24 30.29x20 25x14 31.43-39 14-19 32.50-44 19-24 33.39-34 9-14 34.44-40 3-9 35.48-43 4-10 36.43-39 14-20 37.34-29 10-15 38.31-27 17-21 39.36-31 11-17 40.22x11 6x17 41.29-23 2-7 42.27-22 7-11 43.31-26 24-30 44.22-18 13x22 45.23-18 22x13 46.28-22 17x28 47.26x6 20-24 48.32x23 8-12 49.40-35 15-20 50.37-32 20-25 51.23-19

Heusdens,R. - Schwarzman,A. 1-1 01-05-2009

1.32-28 20-25 2.38-32 15-20 3.43-38 10-15 4.49-43 5-10 5.31-26 18-22 6.37-31 12-18 7.31-27 22x31 8.26x37 16-21 9.37-31 21-26 10.32-27 26x37 11.41x32 7-12 12.46-41 1-7 13.41-37 19-23 14.28x19 14x23 15.33-28 9-14 16.28x19 14x23 17.39-33 10-14 18.44-39 13-19 19.33-28 17-22 20.28x17 11x31 21.36x27 8-13 22.38-33 7-11 23.33-28 2-7 24.47-41 4-9 25.41-36 20-24 26.34-30 25x34 27.40x20 15x24 28.43-38 11-17 29.37-31 7-11 30.39-34 23-29 31.34x23 18x29 32.45-40 14-20 33.40-34 29x40 34.35x44 13-18 35.42-37 18-23 36.31-26 9-13 37.37-31 24-29 38.27-21 20-24 39.48-43 13-18 40.21-16 24-30 41.16x7 12x1 42.31-27 18-22 43.27x18 23x12

Schwarzman,A. - Baljakin,A. 1-1 02-05-2009

1.34-29 19-23 2.40-34 14-19 3.45-40 10-14 4.50-45 5-10 5.29-24 20x29 6.33x24 19x30 7.34x25 13-19 8.38-33 8-13 9.42-38 15-20 10.39-34 10-15 11.44-39 2-8 12.47-42 17-21 13.34-29 23x34 14.39x30 11-17 15.40-34 7-11 16.32-28 21-26 17.34-29 17-22 18.28x17 11x22 19.31-27 22x31 20.36x27 20-24 21.29x20 15x24 22.45-40 18-23 23.40-34 23-28 24.33x22 24-29 25.34x23 19x17 26.38-33 1-7 27.43-38 17-22 28.27x18 13x22 29.37-31 26x37 30.41x32 12-18 31.46-41 7-11 32.42-37 22-27 33.32x21 16x27 34.33-29 11-17 35.38-33 6-11 36.49-43 11-16 37.41-36 17-21 38.30-24 8-12 39.33-28 27-32 40.28-23 32x41 41.36x47 12-17 42.23x12 17x8