Here is the game. What do you think?

Sam Sloan


[Event "41st American Open"]
[Site "Los Angeles"]
[Date "2005.11.27"]
[Round "08"]
[White "De Guzman, Ricardo"]
[Black "Kreiman, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D02"]

1.d4 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.O-O O-O 6.Nbd2 c6 7.c3 Na6
8.e3 Bf5 9.Re1 Qc8 10.Qe2 Re8 11.Nb3 Bg4 12.Bd2 Ne4 13.Rec1 Qf5
14.h3 Bxh3 15.Bxh3 Qxh3 16.Qf1 Qf5 17.Kg2 Bf6 18.Qh1 h5 19.Be1 c5
20.Qh3 Qxh3+ 21.Kxh3 c4 22.Nbd2 Nd6 23.b3 b5 24.Kg2 Nc7 25.bxc4
bxc4 26.Kf1 e6 27.Rab1 Rab8 28.Ng1 g5 29.f3 g4 30.f4 Be7 31.Ne2
Kg7 32.Rxb8 Rxb8 0-1

I hate to admit it but it does look a little phony. Why is Kreiman
playing passively? Whether the game is fixed or not I couldn't care
less. If Kreiman doesn't belong in the US Championship, then it will
clearly show that in the tournament he will be totally in over his
head. His result will show.

EZoto

wrote:
Taylor Kingston wrote:
a DeGuzman has a history of playing the opening poorly, usually
against untitled players (not against GMs). However, he wins most of
those games anyways with his tremendous fighting spirit and strong
middle- and endgame play. The game presented doesn't show much
fighting spirit. White loses a pawn and merely goes down without a
fight.

Every player once in a while has a bad day. After the opening did go so
wrong I can imagine White lost interest. There may have been other
reasons for the poor show (little sleep, whatever). The burden of proof
is on the accusant.

b There has been testimony from witnesses that neither player was at
the board much during this game. It certainly seems strange that
black, needing a win to qualify for the US Championship, apparently did
not sit much at the board. After all, he was playing a formidable
opponent (at least on paper) with the black pieces!

Doesn't prove a thing. Many players are wandering around during a
tournament while still thinking on the game. During the Kasparov-Karpov
matches both players often were only at the board while making their
moves, thinking about the game in another room. After 13...Qf5, Black
probably went on autopilot and could afford not beeing at the board.

From what is presented here I am not convinced.

Claus-Juergen

EZoto wrote:
Here is the game. What do you think?

Sam Sloan


[Event "41st American Open"]
[Site "Los Angeles"]
[Date "2005.11.27"]
[Round "08"]
[White "De Guzman, Ricardo"]
[Black "Kreiman, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D02"]

1.d4 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.O-O O-O 6.Nbd2 c6 7.c3 Na6
8.e3 Bf5 9.Re1 Qc8 10.Qe2 Re8 11.Nb3 Bg4 12.Bd2 Ne4 13.Rec1 Qf5
14.h3 Bxh3 15.Bxh3 Qxh3 16.Qf1 Qf5 17.Kg2 Bf6 18.Qh1 h5 19.Be1 c5
20.Qh3 Qxh3+ 21.Kxh3 c4 22.Nbd2 Nd6 23.b3 b5 24.Kg2 Nc7 25.bxc4
bxc4 26.Kf1 e6 27.Rab1 Rab8 28.Ng1 g5 29.f3 g4 30.f4 Be7 31.Ne2
Kg7 32.Rxb8 Rxb8 0-1

I hate to admit it but it does look a little phony. Why is Kreiman
playing passively? Whether the game is fixed or not I couldn't care
less. If Kreiman doesn't belong in the US Championship, then it will
clearly show that in the tournament he will be totally in over his
head. His result will show.

EZoto

That is not the point. Kreiman is a Grandmaster and he DOES belong in
the US Championship.

But so do many other top players.

The last time Kreiman played in the US Championship he scored a number
of upsets and was in contention for first prize almost until the end.

This time he will probably do well again, but so would the next player
down, Jesse Kraai, if he had had this chance to play in the US
Championship (unlike Kreiman, he played last year.)

Sam Sloan

Sam Sloan is still a member of the USCF %!#*!%*#!(!@