Harvard-Yale 1994

Harvard-Yale 1994 Harvard-Yale Match 1994

The annual Harvard-Yale match, held the morning of the Game, ended in a crushing victory for the Harvard side by a score of 8-0. The team of GM Patrick Wolff, Alex Sidelnikov, Matt Bengtson and Jeremy Martin was unstoppable en route to a rare shutout. Admittedly, Harvard was a heavy favorite on paper, with an average rating above 2300, while Yale's average was closer to 1800; nevertheless, this is a fine result, if not as miraculous as last year's 6.5-1.5 upset victory. Harvard has now won three straight matches in this traditional rivalry.

Board 2, Round 1
White: Alexander Marchione (Yale, 1863)
Black: Alex Sidelnikov (Harvard, 2375)

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nd7 3. Nf3 e5 4. Bc4 Ne7 5. c3 Nb6 6. Bb3 Nf6 7. O-O O-O 8. h3 Nxe4 9. Re1 d5 10. Nxe5 c6 11. Nd2 Nxd2 12. Bxd2 Bg5 13. Bxg5 Qxg5 14. Qf3 Be6 15. Bc2 Rae8 16. b3 f6
and eventually 0-1

Board 2, Round 2
White: Alex Sidelnikov (Harvard, 2350)
Black: Alexander Marchione (Yale, 1863)

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. O-O O-O 5. c4 d6 6. d4 c6 7. Nc3 Qa5 8. h3 Be6 9. Nd2 Na6 10. e4 c5 11. d5 Bd7 12. a3 b5 13. Nxb5 Bxb5 14. cxb5 Qxb5 15. Re1 Nd7 16. Bf1 Qb7 17. Nc4 Ne5 18. Rb1 Nc7 19. Na5 Qb6 20. Bd2 Nb5 21. f4 Nd7 22. Nc4
and eventually 1-0

Board 3, Round 1
White: Matt Bengtson (Harvard, 2310)
Black: Paul Feldman (Yale, 1800)
Annotations by Bengtson

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 c5 5. dxc5 Na6 7. a3 Bxc3+ 8. Qxc3 Nxc5 9. b4 Nce4 9. Qc2 b6? 10. f3 Nd6 11. e4 e5 12. Bb2 Qe7 13. Qc3 O-O 14. Qxe5 Re8 15. Qxe7 Rxe7 16. O-O-O Ndxe4!? 17. fxe4 Nxe4 18. Re1?! Bb7 19. Bd3? Nf2! 20. Rxe7 Nxd3+! 21. Kc2 Nxb2! 22. Nf3 Nxc4 23. Rhe1 g6? 24. Rxd7 Bxf3 25. gxf3 Nxa3+ 26. Kb3 Nb5 27. R1e7 Rf8 28. Rd5 a6 29. R5d7 h5 30. h4 Rc8 31. Rxf7 Rc3+ 32. Kb2 Re3 33. Rg7+ Kf8 34. Rh7 Kg8 35. Rdg7+ Kf8 36. Rb7 Kg8 37. Rhg7+ Kf8 38. Rxg6 Re2+ 39. Kc1 Re1+ 40. Kd2 Rb1
0-1 [time]

Board 3, Round 2
White: Paul Feldman (Yale, 1800)
Black: Matt Bengtson (Harvard, 2310)
Annotations by Bengtson

1. f4 d5 2. b3 Nf6 3. Bb2 g6 4. e3 Bg7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 c5 7. O-O Nc6 8. d3 Ng4 9. Bxg7 Kxg7 10. Qd2 d4 11. exd4 cxd4 12. Re1 Qd6 13. c3 Ne3 14. cxd4 Nf5 15. Nc3 Nfxd4 16. Ne4 Nxf3+ 17. Bxf3 Qd4+ 18. Qe3 Rd8 19. Qxd4+ Nxd4 20. Rad1 Nxf3+ 21. gxf3 Bf5 22. Re2 Rac8 23. Red2 Rd4 24. Kf2 b6 25. Ke3 Rcd8 26. Ke2 a5 27. Ke3 Be6 28. Nc3 Bc8 29. Na4 R4d6 30. Nc3 Ba6 31. Ne4 Rd4 32. Nc3 Kf6 33. Na4 R4d6 34. d4 Re6+ 35. Kf2 Kf5 36. d5 Red6 37. Kg3 e6 38. Nc3 Bb7 39. Ne4 Rxd5 40. Rxd5 exd5 41. Ng5 Rd7? 42. Re1 f6? 43. Nh3? d4 44. Nf2 d3 45. Rd1 d2 46. Ne4 Kxe4 47. Kf2 Kd3 48. h4 Kc2 49. Ke2 Re7+
0-1

Board 4, Round 1
White: Dan Finger (Yale, 1600)
Black: Jeremy Martin (Harvard, 2200)
Annotations by Martin

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nf3 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nf3
More testing is 5. Nb5, whereupon I was going to play the gambit 5... d5!? 6. exd5 Bc5.
5... Nc6 6. Nc3 Bc5 7. Bg5? Qb6!
Now White is already busted-- necessary was the quieter 7. e3 with an equal game.
8. e3 Qxb2 9. Rc1 Bb4 10. Qc2?
Ending the game for all practical purposes. Forced was 10. Qd2 Qxd2 11. Nxd2, avoiding serious material loss.
10... Qxc2 11. Rxc2 Ne4 (-+) 12. Nd2? Bxc3 13. Rxc3 Nxc3 14. Bd3 d6 15. O-O f6 16. Bh4 Be6 17. f4 O-O-O 18. fxe5? dxe5 19. Rxf6? gxf6 20. Bxf6 Rxd3 21. Bxh8 Rxd2 22. c5 Ne4 23. h3 h5 24. Bg7 h4 25. Bh8 Rd1+ 26. Kh2 Ng3 27. Bxe5 Rh1# 0-1

Board 4, Round 2
White: Jeremy Martin (Harvard, 2200)
Black: Dan Finger (Yale, 1600)
Annotations by Martin

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. d4 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 c6 6. e3 Bd6 7. Bd3 h6?!
(Precluding a future ...Ng6 by Black, which means that the Bishop will be hard to drive out of h4.)
8. Bh4 Nbd7 9. Nge2 O-O 10. O-O? Qc7?
Black could have played 10... Bxh2+! here; the ensuing lines are very messy but they aren't anything that White wants to be involved in. I saw the Bishop sack as soon as I moved and spent a very nervous next five minutes.)
11. Bg3 Bxg3 12. Nxg3 Re8 13. b4 b5!?
This would be better if Black could avoid the immediate dismantling of his Queenside stonewall, but of course he can't.
14. a4!
This must be played immediately, while Black cannot guard b5 with the a-pawn because of the a-file pin.
14... bxa4 15. Rxa4 Nb6 16. Ra5 Qd6 17. Qb3 Be6 18. Rfa1 Re7 19. Ra6 Rb7 20. Qa3 Nc4 21. Bxc4 dxc4 22. Rb1 Qc7 23. Rb2 Nd7 24. h3
White's Queenside bind is strong enough that he can slowly strengthen his position and prepare a breakthrough. This is a very unpleasant position for Black because it's hard to do anything constructive.
24... Rb6 25. Ra5 a6 26. b5! cxb5 27. d5 Bxh3 28. gxh3 Rg6 29. Nce2 Ne5
Black's flag fell here, but anyway White is winning after 30. Rbxb5 or even the calmer 30. Qc3.
1-0

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