Forty-four years is a long time and I don’t remember the hotel’s name where the Eastern Open was played in Washington, D.C. in 1975, but my records show I scored +2 -2 =1. I do remember two things about the hotel. One was the grill where breakfast was served. It was run by a rough looking guy who, when you sat down at the counter, ignored you. What you had to do was direct a shout at him saying what you wanted and in a few minutes he set your order down in front of you. Weird.
I had planned to leave the hotel for home on Monday morning, but because my last round game finished early I decided to avoid a lot of traffic and leave Sunday evening. After checking out of the hotel I gave the claim check for my car to the doorman who informed me that the garage was closed and I couldn’t get my car until Monday morning. I explained that nowhere and at no time was I informed of this and there was no notice posted about any of that. Plus, I needed my car! After some haggling he called the parking lot owner who came down and retrieved my car. Until the owner got there I sat on my suitcase out on the sidewalk.
Once I got my car I was on my merry way...or so I thought. Getting out of Washington proved harder than I expected. I saw the sign for the route I wanted, but kept missing my turn because of the confusing array of one way streets.
After a few frustrating attempts to get to the on ramp of the route I wanted, the best solution was to simply take a street running north out of town thinking that sooner or later I’d hit an Interstate. The only problem was I eventually ended up in a residential neighborhood with a frustratingly slow 25 mph speed limit.
It was getting dark when I hit a river and the only way across was on a ferry, but the ferry was closed until Monday morning. From that point I started traveling west and eventually found a road which took me north to I-495. By that time it was late at night, but at least from there it was clear sailing.
This tournament was one of the few to which I have all my games scores and looking over the games they were all pretty exciting even if not especially well played. Apparently at that time I thought I was a mini-Tal because sacrifices abounded. I like to call them sacrifices, but in reality they were blunders that cost a piece, but at least the blunders were deliberate!
In the following game from the last round I needed a win to beak even, but there was a note after my 31st move that I offered a draw. I distinctly remember my opponent snorting and sneering, “Are you kidding me?” It wasn’t long after that he blundered and lost and that made me feel really good.
[Event "Eastern Open "]
[Site "Washington DC"]
[Date "1975.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tartajubow"]
[Black "Opponent"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteELO "?"]
[BlackELO "?"]
%Created by Caissa's Web PGN Editor
{Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O
Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3 d5 {I was happy to see the Marshall Attack
because at the time I myself had been playing it in a few correspondence
games. } 9. d4 {The main line is 9.exd5, but this move scores much better in
practice. Besides, it gives black, assuming he is a non-master, something to
think about. Actually, black can do OK with 9...dxe4, 9...Nxe4 ot 9...exd4.}
9... dxe4 10. Nxe5 { Taking with the P and exchanging Qs doesn't lead to
anything very promising.} 10... Qe8 {This is why it is a waste of time and
effort for amateurs to commit a lot of opening moves to memory. The Marshall
is heavily analyzed and yet on move 10 black has played a move that is not to
be found in any book. Book moves are 10...Bb7, 10...Nxe5 and 10...Na5} 11.
Bf4 {Somewhat better was 11.Nd2} 11... Bd6 { The threat is to win the P on
e5} 12. Nd2 {This defends the P on e5 because if 12...Nxe5?? 13.dxe5 Bxe5
14.Nxe4! Bxf4 15.Nf6+ would win the Q.} 12... Bf5 13. Bc2 Nxe5 14. dxe5 Bxe5
{Engines come up with a clever line that is supposed to be equal: 15.Bxe4 Nxe4
16.Nxe4 Bxf4 17.Nf6+ gxf6 18.Rxe8 Rfe8 19.Qf3 and white has a Q+R vs 2Rs+2Bs.
A truly crazy position and, humanly speaking, I think black has the better
chances.} 15. Bxe5 {This is wrong because now the P on e4 can't be taken.
Correct was 15.Bxe4} 15... Qxe5 16. Qe2 Rfe8 {White's position is not at all
promising. Not only does black have an extra P, but his pieces are well
placed. Engines can't really suggest a good plan for white. My next move was
played with the intention of getting the N into play but Komodo doesn't care
for it. The recommended move is just about any passive move.} 17. Nf3 { This
gets a question mark from the engines because black can play 17... exf3
18.Qxe5 Rxe5 19.Rxe5 Bxc2 20.gxf3 and white has 2Rs vs R+2Bs. I had to see it
to believe it, but black won five Shootouts from this position without great
difficulty.} 17... Qf4 {This can't be criticized because black is still a P
ahead with an active position.} 18. Nd4 Bg6 19. a4 c5 20. Nb3 c4 {The bid to
get the N into a better position has lead exactly nowhere because now it has
to retreat back to where it came from with 21.Nd2 and white is even worse off
than before because black has now advanced on the Q-side, too.} 21. Nd4 {The
problem with this move is that black can now play 21...b4! (The P can't be
taken because the N loses its support) 22.a5 b3 driving the B back to the first
rank where, except for the N on d4, all of white's pieces are confined.}
21... Rad8 { Two big question marks from Stockfish for throwing away the
advantage.} 22. axb5 axb5 {Obviously the b-Pawn can't be taken because of
...Rd2, but it is a target. The simplest was to equalize would now have been
23.g3.} 23. Ra5 b4 { More active would have been 23...Ng4 24.g3 Qc7 25.Rxb5
Ne5! with equal chances. } 24. Qe3 {I was thinking defensively and was anxious
to exchange Qs to ease the defense, but that was the wrong attitude. A good
line was 24.Ba4 Rf8 25. Rc5 bxc3 27.bxc3 White is still a P down, but his
pieces are very active.} 24... Qh4 {Black correctly avoids the exchange of Qs
but here the Q is out of play. 24.. .Qc7 was best.} 25. Qg3 {...but I insist
on exchanging Qs. Once again 25.Ba4 would have left me with active pieces.}
25... Qxg3 26. hxg3 {Black would have done better with the aggressive
26...bxc3! 27.bxc3 e3!} 26... Ng4 {This really doesn't accomplish anything and
the ...bxc3 and ...e3 idea was still possible.} 27. Ba4 {AT last...I saw this
move!} 27... Re5 28. Rxe5 {Still trying to ease the defense by exchanging
pieces. Better was 28.Ra7 with the threat of a fork with Nc6.} 28... Nxe5 29.
Nc6 Nxc6 30. Bxc6 b3 31. Bxe4 {At long last. I have won the P, but things
could still be tricky after 31...Bxe4 32.Rxe4 but with careful play it's a
draw. So, at this point I offered a draw and the offer was met with derision.
"Are you kidding me?" he asked.} 31... Re8 {Played with great force.
Apparently black thought this pin wins.} 32. f3 f5 {This loser was played
instantly. Simply 32...Kf8 (or just about anything else!) was good.} 33.
Bd5+ {Here I chuckled inwardly over my incredible good luck and resisted the
temptation to ask my opponent, "Are you kidding me?"} 33... Kf8 34. Rxe8+
Kxe8 35. Bxc4 {The win is simple.} 35... Bf7 36. Bxf7+ Kxf7 37. Kf2 Ke6 38.
Ke3 Kd5 39. Kd3 Kc5 40. c4 Kb4 41. Kd4 Ka5 42. c5 Ka6 43. Kc4 Ka5 44. Kd5 Ka6
45. c6 Ka7 46. Kd6 Kb8 47. Kd7 1-0
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