A Mixed Bag of Pieces

     Older readers will remember the Lone Pine tournaments that were held annually from 1971 to 1981. Lone Pine, population about 2,000, is located in south central California and has a colorful history, but today it's main claim to fame is that it's between several major tourist destinations and so many motels line the main road through town. 

     The tournaments were sponsored by Louis D. Statham (1907–1983), a millionaire engineer and inventor. Hence, the formal title: the Louis D. Statham Masters. Statham lived in Lone Pine and his many patents laid the groundwork for his company, Statham Instruments, which he founded in 1943. 

     His inventions ranged from instruments to measure strain and pressure in oil exploration to devices used to keep the country's space shots on course. For medical use, he developed a blood-flow meter, patient monitoring systems and catheter instruments that are placed in the heart. 

     Statham died after a long illness and his failing health forced the cancellation of the tournaments after the 1981 event. 

     The tournaments were seven- to ten-round Swiss system tournaments, with entrance requirements that made them the strongest in the country in the 1980s. Isaac Kashdan served as the tournament director.

      

Beginning is 1971 the winners were: 

Larry Evans, Svetozar Gligoric, Arthur Bisguier, Walter Browne, Vladimir Liberzon, Tigran Petrosian. Then in 1977 the tournament was a between Yuri Balashov, Dragutin Sahovic, Oscar Panno and Nona Gaprindashvili. The following year Bent Larsen won and in 1979, Svetozar Gligoric, Florin Gheorghiu, Vladimir Liberzon and Vlastimil Hort tied for first. The 1980 was won by Roman Dzindzichashvili who was then playing for Israel. The final event in 1981 was won by Viktor Korchnoi. 

 

     The last game (Byrne-Stein) featured a position that had a material imbalance that lead to great complications. Here's another one from Lone Pine 1976. 

     For this sixth Statham Tournament, the rating requirements were slightly loosened, with the lower limit for adult USCF masters being dropped to 2300. A total 57 players participated, with an average rating of 2371. The 1976 event was seven-rounds which at the time meant it was not a FIDE-ratable tournament, but the results were submitted anyway and the tournament rated after all. In the future, the tournaments were nine-rounders to meet FIDE rules regarding ratings and title norms. 

 

Here are the leading scores: 

 

    In the following game the position after black's 19th move was very interesting because black sacrificed had the double exchange in order to get attacking chances against white's's King. 

     Silman wrote that during the game Petrosian showed great interest in the position, thinking black was doing well. After the game the two of them analyzed together and they played several blitz games from the position and Silman was able to demonstrate the superiority of his position much to Petrosian's amazement. 

     As expected, these days powerful engines like Stockfish and Komodo reveal hidden resources that change some of the evaluations, but that doesn't matter because Silman's instructions still have value because against humans they work.

[Event "Lone Pine"] [Site "Lone Pine, CA USA"] [Date "1976.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Jeremy Silman"] [Black "John Fedorowicz"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B77"] [Annotator "Stockfish 14.1"] [PlyCount "89"] [EventDate "1976.??.??"] {Sicilian Dragon: Yugoslav Attack} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. Bc4 Bd7 10. Bb3 {My database shows 13 different moves that black has tried in this position.} Rc8 11. O-O-O Ne5 12. Bg5 Nc4 13. Bxc4 Rxc4 14. Nb3 {Most often played is 14.e5} Rxc3 {This sacrifice is frequently seen in the Dragon, but in this position it does not get a stamp of approval from the engines.} (14... Be6 {This is the the preferred move.} 15. e5 Ne8 16. exd6 Nxd6 17. Nb5 Qc8 18. Nxd6 exd6 {Black has the advantage. Nino,J (2010)-Salazar,A (2184)/Medellin 2011}) 15. bxc3 Be6 { White's K is quite safe as black has not yet gotten his pieces into position to carry out an attack.} 16. e5 {Taking advantage of the pin.} Ne8 (16... dxe5 17. Qxd8 Rxd8 18. Rxd8+ Bf8 19. Bh6) 17. Bh6 (17. Rhe1 {is less precise.} Qc7 18. Nd4 Bxa2 19. Nb3 {Shutting out the B.} dxe5 20. Kb2 Nd6 21. Kxa2 Nb5 22. Re3) (17. exd6 {allows black to equalize.} Nxd6 18. Bxe7 Qxe7 19. Qxd6 Qg5+) 17... Bxe5 (17... Bxh6 18. Qxh6 Qc7 19. Rhe1 dxe5 20. Qe3 Nd6 21. Qxe5 { A difficult position, but white is considered better. In Shootouts white scored 4 wins and a draw.}) 18. Bxf8 Kxf8 19. Rhe1 Bf6 {Here is a most interesting position. Stockfish gives white a +/- advantage. Silman explains the position as follows. One advantage of having a material advantage is that you can return it (or part of it) to quell as attack. Here black's position has no weaknesses and with his next move Silman eliminates an important black piece, creates a weakness in black's camp and goes on the attack. In a Shootout white scored +2 -0 =3, so black does have some drawing chances.} 20. Rxe6 {After this both Stockfish and Komodo 14 evaluate the position as only slightly in white's favor (+/=).} (20. Qe3 {if Stockfish's preferred move with the following continuation.} Qc7 21. g4 Bxc3 22. Qxa7 Nf6 23. Re3 Nd5 24. Rxc3 Nxc3 25. Rd3 {with about a one Pawn advantage.}) 20... fxe6 21. Qe3 {Attacking the Ps on a7 and e6.} Qc8 {Black defends the more valuable center P and at the same time attacks the P on c3.} 22. Rd3 (22. Qxa7 {would not be a wise decision because after} Qxc3 23. Qxb7 d5 24. Qb8 Kf7 {Black is generating threats against white's K. The preferred line runs...} 25. Qf4 g5 26. Qg3 Nd6 27. Rd3 Qb2+ 28. Kd1 Qb1+ 29. Ke2 h5 {and white is on the run.}) 22... Nc7 23. Nd4 {This increases the pressure on e6.} a6 (23... e5 {This illogical looking move blocking the B keeps the chances even.} 24. Nb3 Ne6 {equals.}) 24. f4 { Part of his plan of attacking the e-Pawn.} Kg8 {Better was 24...Kf7 defending the e-Pawn.} 25. Qh3 {Here black has to either give up the e-Pawn or give up his nice B sitting on the long diagonal.} Nd5 {Fedorowicz makes the wrong choice.} (25... Bxd4 26. Rxd4 {White could eliminate his doubled Ps, then black's N take up a nice post on d5 where is also attacks the f-Pawn.} Nb5 27. Re4 Nc7 28. c4 {Black's position is very passive. In Shootouts he lost 5 out of 5 games.}) 26. Qxe6+ Qxe6 27. Nxe6 Nxc3 {As Silman pointed out, superficially black looks OK, but white proceeds to demonstrate this is not the case. Stockfish is already giving white a winning advantage of 4.5 Ps.} 28. Kd2 Nxa2 29. Rb3 b5 30. Nc7 b4 31. Nd5 {Even better was 31.Nxa6} a5 32. Nxf6+ exf6 33. Rd3 {Silman did not comment on this move, but Stockfish slapped two question marks on it and dropped its evaluation to not quite one P.} (33. Re3 Kf7 (33... Nc3 {confines black's K and white dominates the position.} 34. Re7) 34. Kd3 Nc3 35. Kc4 {Black's K is cut off.}) 33... Nc3 34. Ke3 {Silman gave himself a ! for this move claiming that the K takes up an active position. It gets a ? from Stockfish which recommends 33.Re3} d5 {Question mark!} (34... a4 35. Kf3 (35. Rxd6 b3 36. cxb3 axb3 37. Rd8+ (37. Rb6 Nd5+) 37... Kg7 38. Rb8 b2 39. g4 (39. Rxb2 Nd1+) 39... b1=Q 40. Rxb1 Nxb1 {wins.}) 35... Kf7 36. f5 a3 37. Rxd6 Ke7 38. Ra6 Kd7 39. fxg6 hxg6 {Neither side can make progress and 5 Shootouts were drawn.}) 35. Kd4 {Now white's active K is decisive.} Kf7 { Rather pointless.} (35... Ne2+ {offered better chances, but after} 36. Kc5 Nxf4 37. Rd2 Kf7 38. g3 Ne6+ 39. Kb5 Ke7 40. Kxa5 Kd6 41. Kxb4 Ke5 {In Shootouts from this position white scored 4 wins and a draw, but the wins were long and tedious.}) 36. Re3 {Cutting off black's K.} a4 37. Re1 {Quicker was 37.Kc5} a3 {This offers no resistance.} (37... h6 {Holds out longer in a tough ending. Here's a Shootout at 23 plies...} 38. Kc5 b3 39. cxb3 axb3 40. Kd4 Nb5+ 41. Kd3 Na3 42. Kc3 Nc2 43. Rb1 (43. Rg1 d4+ 44. Kxb3 Ne3 45. Kb4 Ke6 {with a likely draw.}) 43... g5 44. fxg5 hxg5 45. g3 Ke6 46. Rxb3 Ne3 47. Kd3 Nf5 48. Rb8 Ne7 49. Re8 Kd7 50. Ra8 Kd6 51. Ke3 Ke5 52. Kf3 Ke6 53. Re8 Kd7 54. Ra8 Ke6 55. h4 gxh4 56. gxh4 Kf5 57. Re8 Ng6 58. Kg3 Nf4 59. Rg8 Nh5+ 60. Kf3 Nf4 61. Rg4 Nh5 62. Rd4 Ke5 63. Rd1 f5 64. Rg1 Kf6 65. Rg8 d4 66. Rh8 Kg6 67. Rd8 d3 68. Rxd3 Kf6 69. Rd2 Kg7 70. Rg2+ Kf6 71. Rg8 Ng7 72. Rh8 Kg6 73. Kf4 Ne6+ 74. Ke5 Nc5 75. Rg8+ Kh5 76. Rc8 Ne4 77. Kf4 Kg6 78. Rg8+ Kh7 79. Rf8 Kg7 80. Rxf5) 38. Kc5 {The remainder of the game is technique, but it's worth observing how Silman concluded the game,} a2 39. Ra1 Ke6 40. Kxb4 Ne2 41. g3 Nd4 42. Rxa2 Nf3 43. c3 d4 44. Rf2 Ne1 45. Re2+ {Black resigned.} 1-0