Chess: This Cherry Blossom Classic was a pip

There are two ways of celebrating Washington’s magnificent spring show of cherry blossoms.

You can brave the heat, the crowds, the traffic and the pollen to take in the display at the Tidal Basin.

Or … you can hole up in air-conditioned comfort at the Executive Conference and Training Center close by Dulles International Airport, where you can appreciate the spectacular fireworks of a sacrificial combination or meditate on the serene beauty of a well-played rook ending.

I know which one works for me.

The annual Cherry Blossom Classic last month attracted perhaps the strongest field in its seven-year history. The 62-player Open section featured a dozen grandmasters and numerous titled players, with Chinese GM Zhou Jianchao and Armenian GM Karen Grigoryan sharing top honors with undefeated 7-2 scores.

Those cherry trees are nice, but for real excitement, check out the game between Indian GM Subramanian Arun Prasad and GM Alex Fishbein in Round 4 of the Dulles event. A Classical King’s Indian taken a wild turn when Black decides to risk all for a sacrificial attack on White’s king. The boldness deserved a better reward, but the spectators certainly got their money’s worth.

The fireworks show starts on 17. Qa2 Bh6 18. Bb2 (White has built up an impressive queenside array, but his king is noticeably short of retainers on the other flank) Nc2!? 19. Rac1 Ne3!?, introducing some intense complications.

White gets a piece but his king must walk a tightrope with Black’s queen joining the attack via h4: 20. fxe3 Bxe3+ 21. Kf1 Ng4 22. Ke2 (Nf3 Bxc1 23. Bxc1 Qc7! is good for Black) Qh4 23. Kd3 Qf2, when continuing the trek with 24. Kc2?! allows 24…Rxc4 25. Qxc4 Bxd2 26. Rxd2 Ne3+ 27. Kb3 Qxd2.

Arun Prasad counters with 24. Bd5, when Fishbein appears to have at least a draw in hand with 24…Bxd2 25. Rxd2 Qd4+ 26. Ke2 (Kc2? Ne3+ 27. Kb1 Qxd2) Qf2+, with a perpetual check as White can’t vary with 27. Kd1?? because of 27…Ne3 mate.

But Black comes to grief looking for more on 24…Bh6?! 25. Bc6! (the threat was 25…Qd4+ 26. Kc2 [Ke2 Qe3+ 27. Kf1 Qf2 mate] Bxd5 27. exd5 Ne3+ 28. Kb1 Nxd1, and Black is winning) Bb7? (it’s hard to know what Black saw here, but this just loses) 29. Bxb7 (the bishop now threatens the rook on c8, spoiling all mating ideas) Qd4+, and Black gave up as White escapes in lines such as 27. Kc2 Bxd2 28. Bxc8 Rxc8 28. Kb3 Qc4+ 30. Ka4 Bxc1 31. Qxc4 Rxc4 32. Rxc1, with a decisive material edge.

—-

The tournament was dramatically decided in the final round on Board 1 as Grigoryan overtook first-place GM John Burke in a seesaw battle. Burke as White had much of the early play in a Najdorf Sicilian, but Black’s dogged defense eventually allows Grigoryan to turn the tables.

We pick it up from today’s diagram after 37. Rf1-f2, where’s White’s dominance of the half-open f-file has hit a dead end and his rook on f5, in particular, is left with nothing to do.

There followed: 37…Rd8 38. Kxc4 Rc7+! (White’s king finds itself boxed in the middle of the board, with his rooks next to useless to save him) 39. Kd3 Rxd5+ 40. Ke4 Rd1 41. b3 (the threat was 41…Rc4+ 42. Bd4 Rdxd4+ 43. Ke3 Re4+ 44. Kd3 Rcd4+ 45. Kc3 Re3 mate) Rc3 42. Bb6 Bd8! 43. Ba7 (Bxd8?? Rd4 mate) Re1+ 44. Kd5 Rc7 45. Bb6 Rd1+ 46. Ke4 (Ke6 Rc6 mate) Rcd7 47. Ba5 (Be3 Re1 48. c3 a5 49. g3 Rd6 50. a4 Bb6 and wins) R1d4+ 48. Ke3 Bxa5 49. Rxf6+(desperation) Kg7 50. R6f5 Bd2+, and White resigned as after 51. Ke2 Re4+, either king retreat allows 52…Re1 mate.

Arun Prasad-Fishbein, 7th Cherry Blossom Classic, Sterling, Va., May 2019

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. d5 Na6 8. Nd2 c6 9. a3 Bd7 10. b4 Rc8 11. Qb3 Nc7 12. O-O b5 13. dxc6 Bxc6 14. cxb5 Ba8 15. Rd1 Ne6 16. Bc4 Nd4 17. Qa2 Bh6 18. Bb2 Nc2 19. Rac1 Ne3 20. fxe3 Bxe3+ 21. Kf1 Ng4 22. Ke2 Qh4 23. Kd3 Qf2 24. Bd5 Bh6 25. Bc6 Bb7 26. Bxb7 Qd4+ and Black resigns.

• David R. Sands can be reached at 202/636-3178 or by email dsands@washingtontimes.com.