A Thriller From the 1945 Mexican Championship

     In 1945 the Mexican Championship was held in Mexico City starting in December of 1944 and didn't until February 3rd, 1945. 

     The tournament started with two preliminary groups with four players qualifying for the finals. The eight finalist then played a double round robin for the title. 

     It was a difficult struggle, but many time champion Major Jose J. Araiza (1900-1971) of the Mexican Army emerged as the winner and thereby confirmed his status as the Number 1 player in Mexico. 

     Araiza began playing chess at the age of 14 and won the Mexico City Championship for the first time in1920. In 1928, he tied for twelfth place in The Hague in the Amateur World Championship which was won by Max Euwe. In the 1930s he competed in several international tournaments outside of Mexico and had draws against such well-known players as Spielmann, Vidmar, Maroczy, Colle and Kmoch. 

     The runner-up was Joaquin Camarena (born 1920-died ?) who had one of the best records in local tournaments of all Mexican players although he competed in very few events outside of Mexico. 

     Camarena learned the game from his father in 1931 and all eight of his siblings played chess. At the time of this tournament he claimed that he had never read a chess book, hut had just acquired a first grade English primer and was studying it so that he would be able to read the notes in English chess books.

     Third prize-winner Abel Perez is an unknown. An article on the tournament described him as a serious student of the game who owned a library of some fifty chess books and had a knowledge of several languages. 

     In their individual game Camarena escaped by the skin of his teeth when he managed to ward off a dangerous, if unsound, attack and launch his own winning counterattack. 

 

[Event "Mexican Championship, Mexico City"] [Site "?"] [Date "1945.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Abel Perez"] [Black "Joaquin Camarena"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO ""] [Annotator "Stockfish 15"] [PlyCount "72"] [EventDate "1945.??.??"] [Source "Chess Review"] {French Defense Tarrasch Variation} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 {The Tarrasch became particularly popular during the 1970s and early 1980s when Karpov began using it. While less aggressive than 3.Nc3, it does not block the c-Pawn which means white can play c3 at some point to support the P on d4. It also avoids the Winawer (3...Bb4). The disadvantage is that the N is less active and it blocks the B. This means that white will usually have to spend an extra tempo to get the B developed.} Nf6 {Although rarely seen, both this and 3...dxe4 are good alternatives to the far more common 3...c5. In recent years the Morozevich Variation (3...Be7) has become fashionable.} 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Bd3 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. Ne2 cxd4 8. cxd4 Qb6 9. Nf3 Qb4+ {This works out to white's advantage. Best is 9.Bb4+} 10. Kf1 {While this is quite satisfactory, baiting black with 10.Bd2 is also good.} (10. Bd2 Qxb2 11. O-O Qb6 12. Rb1 Qd8 13. Qc2 h6 14. Nf4 Be7 15. Nh5 {and white has sufficient play for the P. Zelbel,P (2418)-Vallejo Pons,F (2716) Eppingen GER 2015}) 10... Be7 {Here black is best advised to begin immediate play against white's center with 10...f6} (10... f6 {After this things get really tactical!} 11. Nf4 Ndxe5 12. dxe5 fxe5 13. a3 (13. Nh5 e4 { favors black.}) 13... Qd6 14. Ng6 hxg6 15. Bxg6+ Kd7 (15... Kd8 16. Ng5 { wins for white}) 16. Ng5 Nd8 {White can claim no more than a very slight advantage.}) 11. a3 (11. h4 {Resulted in a quick debacle for black in this game...} O-O 12. Nf4 Kh8 (12... Nxd4 13. Nxd4 Nxe5 14. Bc2 {White is better, but this was black's best hope.}) 13. Ng5 Kg8 14. Qh5 Bxg5 15. hxg5 f6 16. g6 { Black resigned. Kochetkova,J (2342)-Ivanov,V (1871) Salekhard 2006}) 11... Qb6 12. b4 O-O 13. h4 f6 {[%mdl 32] This position is quite complicated and tactical opportunities for white abound.} 14. Nf4 {With this seemingly logical move attacking the e-Pawn white is also intending an unsound tactical trick, but correct is 14.Be3 which maintains the advantage.} (14. Be3 {This move is a prerequisite to the idea of Nf4 and Bxh7+} fxe5 15. dxe5 d4 (15... Qc7 16. Nf4 Ndxe5 17. Bxh7+ Kxh7 18. Ng5+ Bxg5 19. hxg5+ Kg8 20. Qh5 {and white has a winning attack.}) 16. Nexd4 (16. Nfxd4 Ncxe5 17. Nf4 Nxd3 18. Qxd3 Ne5 19. Qe2 Qd6 {and black has managed to emerge from the complications unscathed.}) 16... Ncxe5 17. Ng5 {with an overwhelming attack.}) (14. Be3 h6 {This move is an attempt to quash white's tactical shenanigans on the K-side, but it still leaves him with a huge advantage.} 15. b5 Na5 16. Nf4 {Black has two main tries: 16...Nc4 and 16...fxe6, but neither is satisfactory.} fxe5 17. Ng6 e4 18. Nxe7+ Kf7 19. Ne5+ Kxe7 20. Ng6+ Ke8 21. Nxf8 Kxf8 22. Be2 {White's material advantage (R vs N+P) should be sufficient.}) 14... fxe5 15. Bxh7+ { Dangerous, but unsound.} (15. dxe5 {White's omission of Be3 results in the loss of an important center P.} Ndxe5 16. Nxe5 Nxe5) 15... Kxh7 16. Ng5+ Kg8 17. Nfxe6 Nf6 18. Nxf8 {Even stronger than 18...Bxf8} Bg4 19. f3 Rxf8 (19... Bxf3 20. gxf3 Rxf8 21. dxe5 Nxe5 22. Kg2 {White is up the exchange.}) 20. dxe5 Nxe5 21. Bb2 {The complications are still enormous! Black had to play 21...Bd7 after which he would have had a winning position. After the text the position is equal.} Ned7 (21... Bd7 $19 22. Bd4 (22. Bxe5 {This is tempting, but it loses to} Bb5+ 23. Qe2 {Black could win the Q, but there is a mate in 10!} (23. Ke1 Qe3+ {mate next move}) {Stockfish 15:} 23... Ng4 24. Bg3 Bd6 25. Ne6 Bxe2+ 26. Kxe2 Qe3+ 27. Kd1 Qd3+ 28. Kc1 Rc8+ 29. Nc5 Bxc5 30. Bc7 Rxc7 31. bxc5 Rxc5+ 32. Kb2 Qc2#) 22... Qa6+ 23. Kg1 Nd3 24. Qd2 Qc4 25. Qc3 Rc8 26. Qxc4 dxc4 {materially white is not too badly off, he has a R+P vd B+N, but his position is lost. In Shootouts black won 5 out of 5 games, but they were long and scoring the point would require patience and precise play.}) 22. Bd4 Qa6+ 23. Qe2 Qxe2+ {After this black's advantage has evaporated.} (23... Nh5 { would have kept a slight edge.} 24. Qxa6 Ng3+ 25. Ke1 bxa6 26. Rg1 Bh5 { with just a minimal advantage.}) 24. Kxe2 Bf5 25. Rac1 {Taking the open file, but t the same time allowing black an opportunity to gain the initiative.} (25. g4 {remains equal.} Bc2 26. Ne6 Rc8 27. Rhc1 Rc4 28. Kd2 {etc.}) 25... Bd6 26. g4 Re8+ 27. Kf2 Bd3 {Threatening ...Re2+} 28. Rhe1 Rf8 {This lets white off the hook.} (28... Ne5 {Keeps up the pressure.} 29. Kg2 (29. Bxa7 Bc4 30. Kg2 Ra8 31. Bc5 Bxc5 32. bxc5 Nd3 {wins}) 29... a6 30. Rcd1 Bb5 31. h5 {With a materially unbalanced position: white has a R+P vs B+N. Engines favor black, but in reality the game could go either way.}) 29. Kg2 {Also worth considering was 29.Ne6} a5 30. Re6 Bf4 {[%mdl 2048] Black is more active.} 31. Be3 Be5 32. bxa5 d4 33. Bd2 (33. Rxe5 {is, perhaps, more complicated than necessary.} Nxe5 34. Bxd4 Nc6 35. Bxf6 Rxf6 36. Rc5 {with an unclear position.}) 33... Nd5 { In a game that has ups and downs for both sides, white now makes a fatal slip. His best chance was to temporarily sacrifice the exchange.} 34. Ne4 {[%mdl 8192]} (34. Rxe5 Nxe5 35. Ne6 Rxf3 36. Rc8+ Kf7 37. Ng5+ Ke7 38. Nxf3 Be4 39. Kg3 Nxf3 {with an absolutely crazy position where white has a R+P vs two Ns. In Shootouts white scored +0 - 3 =2, but the games were long, tedious and involved the use od endgame tablebases. OTB the outcome could be anything!}) 34... Bf4 35. Kf2 Bxe4 36. Bxf4 Nxf4 {It's possible white could play on, but it would be a losing proposition so he resigned.} (36... Nxf4 37. Rxe4 Nd3+ 38. Kg2 Nxc1 39. Rxd4 {Black is winning.}) 0-1