Antonio's sweetest win
By Kristianus Liem
JAKARTA (JP): Grandmaster Rogelio Antonio Jr. from the Philippines dominated the 8th Far East Bank Philippine Open which was held in Manila last March, scoring a record 10 points from eleven rounds of the Swiss system for his biggest win in nearly six years.
Giving up only two short draws, Antonio showed versatility and coolness under time pressure to post a one-point winning margin over Poland's GM Alex Wojtkiewicz and FM Luiz Chiong (the Philippines).
He clinched a tie for first in the penultimate 10th round, emerging victorious in a tactical melee against NM Eduardo Ortiz, who compounded woes by moving quickly in Antonio's time pressure.
Antonio, with nearly two minutes left for 15 moves before the first time control, gave up a piece to break open Ortiz's position and reached the time control with only seconds to spare, two pawns up in a Queen ending.
"I had to win this because it has been some time since my last title," said Antonio of his first victory since he shared the top honors with Wojtkiewicz in the 1991 edition of this event. "And this is the sweetest," added Antonio during his match against GM Edhi Handoko in Jakarta, last September.
Other scores: 4-7. IM Nadera, NM Ortiz, NM Bitoon and Cabe (all from the Philippines) 8.5 MP; 8-18. GM Stefan Djuric (Yugoslavia), IM Barcenilla, IM Bancod, IM De Guzman, IM Chito Garma, NM E. Garma, NM Nolte, NM Pialan, Paragua, Cunanan, and Romarate (all from the Philippines) 8 MP. The former best Grandmaster in Asia, Eugene Torre, only scored 7.5 MP together with other nine players. A total of 230 players took part.
Here is a game from the champion.
White: GM Rogelio Antonio Jr. Black: NM Eduardo Ortiz Sicilian Defense
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.f4
Grand Prix Attack Variation.
3...e6 4.Nf3 d5
Another choice is 4...Nge7.
5.Bb5
The position bears some resemblance to a Nimzo-Indian or Dutch Defense with colors reversed, and with extra tempo as the e-pawn has reached the center in a single leap. It is very dangerous for black to make any more pawn moves as he is already well behind in development.
5...dxe4?!
Theory suggests here 5...Nge7 or 5...Nf6.
6.Nxe4
Better here if white had broken Black's pawn structure with 6.Bxc6+ bxc6 7.Nxe4 Nf6 8.d3 Ba6 9.Qe2 Be7 10.b3! and white is much better off.
6...Bd7 7.Qe2 Nh6
The Knight is headed for f5 from which point it commands the strategic d4-square.
8.b3 Qa5 9.Bb2 0-0-0 10.0-0 Qb6
Threatening 11...c4 12.Kh1 Qxb5 black wins.
11.Kh1 Nf5 12.a4 f6 13.c3
Too passive. Better here 13.Rae1, centralizing the pieces.
13...h5 14.Ba3 h4 15.Qf2 Ng3+!
To be considered is 15...Qc7!?.
16.Nxg3 hxg3 17.Qxg3 a6 18.Bc4 Na5 19.d4 Nxc4 20.bxc4 Qc7 21.Bxc5 Bxc5 22.dxc5 g5 23.Nd4 gxf4 24.Qf3
Capturing the f-pawn loses a piece for white.
24...Qxc5!?
Much better is 24...e5! first and if 25.c6, the simple 25...bxc6 wins for black.
25.Rab1 Qa7
In light of what happens in the game, 25...Qc7!? which puts an additional defender for the c6-square is possibly better.
26.c5 e5
See diagram.
27.Rb6!
A difficult situation brings out the best in Antonio. Tempting is 27.c6? bxc6 28.Nxc6 but black has a nasty surprise for white in 28...Rxh2+! 29.Kxh2 Rh8+ and White lost his Queen. Also not help 27.Rxb7 Qxb7 28.c6 Bxc6 29.Qxc6+ Qxc6 30.Nxc6 Rd2.
27...exd4 28.Rfb1
If 28.cxd4 Black can make a perpetual check by 28...Rh4 29.Rfb1 Rdh8 30.Rxb7 Rxh2+ 31.Kg1 Rh1+ 32.Kf2 Rxb1 33.Rxa7 Rb2+ 34.Kg1 Rb1+ and draw.
28...Rde8
Of course 28...Bc6 walks right into white's plan: 29.Rxc6+! bxc6 30.Qxc6+ Qc7 31.Qe6+ Rd7 (leading to mate is 31...Qd7 32.Qxa6+ Kc7 33.Qb7#) 32.Qxa6+ Kd8 33.Qxf6+ Kc8 34.Qxh8+ Rd8 35.Qh3+ Qd7 36.Qh6! with a simple endgame win. If 28...dxc3 29.c6 (not 29.Qxc3 Bf5 30.Rc1 Rh4 31.Qxf6 Rh5 32.c6 Qxb6 33.cxb7+ Kxb7 black wins) 29...Qxb6 30.Rxb6 (if 30.cxd7+ Rxd7 31.Rxb6 c2 and black is winning) 30...c2 31.Qf1 f3 (31...Bxc6 32.Rxc6+ bxc6 33.Qxa6+ Kc7 34.Qa7+ Kd6 35.Qd4+ Kc7 36.Qa7+ balance) 32.Qc4 (32.cxd7+ Rxd7 33.Qc4+ Rc7 34.Qe6+ Kb8 35.Rxb7+ Rxb7 36.Qd6+ Rc7) 32...fxg2+ 33.Kxg2 Rdg8+ 34.Kf1 Bxc6 35.Qxc2 with the balance position.
29.cxd4 Bf5
It is better to take the a-pawn with 29...Bxa4 30.Rxb7 Re1+ 31.Rxe1 Qxb7 32.Qxf4 Rg8 33.c6! Qb5 (if 33...Bxc6 34.Rc1 Kd7 35.Qf5+ Ke7 36.Qc5+ with a probable draw) 34.Qxf6 Qd5 35.Qe6+ Qxe6 36.Rxe6 Rd8 37.Re4 Bxc6 38.Rf4 a5 and the distant passed pawn will decide the game.
30.Rxb7 Re1+ 31.Rxe1 Qxb7 32.Qxf4 Bd7 33.c6 Bxc6 34.Rc1 Qd7?
The final straw. Correct is 34...Kd7 35.Qxf6 Re8.
35.Qxf6 Kb7
If 35...Re8 36.Rxc6+ Kb8 37.Rb6+ Kc7 38.Rb1 and with three pawns up, easy for white to win.
36.Rb1+ Ka7 37.Qxh8 Bxg2+ 38.Kxg2 Qg4+ 39.Kf2 Qf5+ 40.Ke3 Qxb1 41.Qe5 Qb3+ 42.Kf4 Qxa4 43.h4 a5 44.h5 Qa2 45.h6 Qd2+ 46.Qe3 Qh2+ 47.Kg5 Qg2+ 48.Kf6 Qc6+ 49.Qe6 Qf3+ 50.Kg7 1-0
Black resigned here because his check will be finished.