Alisher Sanetullaev 2010 Michigan Class Champion; New Expert Michael Chen Sweeps A Group
Michael Chen is all smiles as he mows down the A Group. His rating jumped to 2008 on the strength of his 5-0 sweep!
Here is Alisher's report:
I won my last round game against Dr. Tony Palmer. It was an interesting game, I have to look at it more closely. Like our last game, it was a Ruy Lopez open, but with colors reversed! I think I had a winning position in the middlegame, and missed a chance to get a decisive advantage. Instead I went to an endgame with an extra pawn and then blundered a pawn. My impression from the game was that I made pretty good decisions positionally and planning wise, but couldn't calculate clearly. It could've been a draw if not for Tony's severe time trouble. He defended very well, I almost fell for that theoretical draw with bishop and a pawn on the a file.
My game with Atulya looked like it was going to be special with interesting opening play, but he missed a simple tactic and the game was essentially over after about 20 moves, I had a queen against rook. I expected this game to be good fighting one. In the opening I implemented a slightly slow plan of development to put my pieces to most aggressive squares. And just when the battle was getting heated, Atulya blundered and the game ended soon, after some desperate attempt by Black to regain a piece. But if he had played the most logical move instead, there would have been a gorgeous sacrifice waiting to be uncovered. Who knows, maybe
I would have been able to find it ...
The game with the knight sac on d5 against Michael Bowersock was an exciting game. After playing good moves for several moves after the sac, I chose the wrong maneuver and was probably worse at some point, with some chances of perpetual. But he went for the seemingly best simplification with two rooks, bishop and knight against queen and bishop. Miraculously it turned out that my attack was still strong and I won the game.
Since I am going in backward chronological order, I will mention my first game with James Canty. I had heard he was a sharp, tactical player. So I went for a solid opening, if one can get a solid opening after moves 1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4. But he missed a simple tactic on move 7 or 8 and I got a bishop pair advantage and he got an isolated d pawn with his king stuck in the center. Afterwards he made a blunder and I went to an endgame with two extra pawns and an easy technical win. James then won three games in a row until he lost his final game to Atulya.
So I won the tournament and Atulya beat James Canty for second place. There was some winner's luck involved, but apparently the chess gods wanted me to win this tournament, nothing you can do about that...
Round 4 top boards. On board 2, Detroit master James Canty (front left) squares off against Matt Hassen. On board 1, Atulya Shetty (back left) battles Alisher Sanetullaev. Atulya's Dad is standing. Dr. Tony Palmer is on the far left.
Sugar Island Chess Club organizer Glen Schmiege
Photo Credit: Joe Meyer
Tournament Director Jeff Aldrich's USCF rating report can be found here.
Games report can be found here.