Sloan draws IM Bonin in Marshall Sunday Night Quick Chess

I was asked to play as a filler in the Marshall Chess Club Sunday Night Quick Chess Tournament because there were an odd number of players. I agreed but was surprised to find that my first round opponent was IM Jay Bonin. Worse yet, I did not realize that the pairings had already been made and, when I arrived at the board, Bonin had already started my clock and two minutes had elapsed.

My situation seemed hopeless. Worse than that, I got what seemed to be a horrible position in the opening. Nevertheless, I kept playing and suddenly to my great surprise I was winning.

This was game in ten minutes. I had started the game with two minutes lost on my clock, and now I had only thirty seconds left. I offered International Master Bonin a draw and he immediately accepted. I was thankful. I realized that I had a winning position, but I was fairly sure that I could not demonstrate a win with only thirty seconds left on the clock.

The game was exciting and after the game several spectators asked me to post it. Here it is, except that I cannot remember what happened after move 22. If anybody saw the game and can remember what happened next please let me know.

During the game, I could not understand why Bonin did not play 14. ..... hxg1=Q instead of 14. ... Rh6. I could not have played 15 Rdxg1 because of Rxh1, and I cannot take his queen because my rook is pinned.

However, now I realize that Bonin did not play that because I could have then played 15. Rxh8 and now Bonin would have had two queens but one of them is trapped and must sacrifice itself for a rook. Although this would leave Bonin a knight ahead, his king would have been in an insecure position. Bonin undoubtedly felt that the move he played was safer, since my knight was trapped anyway and could not escape.

I am sure that I had several wins in this game. Could somebody tell me what they were?

The game did not stop at the last move shown here. It went on for about ten more moves, but I cannot remember them.

The tournament was won by FM Asa Hoffmann. I tied for second with IM Bonin and NM Boris Privman.

Sam Sloan

An Empty Chess Board

[Event "Marshall Sunday Quick Chess"]
[Site "Marshall Chess Club"]
[Date "2002.03.24"]
[Round "01"]
[White "Sloan,Sam"]
[Black "Bonin,Jay"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A00"]
[WhiteElo "2000"]
[BlackElo "2420"]

1.g4 d5 2.Bg2 c6 3.h3 e5 4.e4 dxe4 5.Nc3 h5 6.Nxe4 hxg4 7.d3
gxh3 8.Bg5 f6 9.Be3 f5 10.Nc3 f4 11.Bd2 Qg5 12.Bf3 Nf6 13.Qe2
h2 14.O-O-O Rh6 15.d4 hxg1=Q 16.Rhxg1 Qf5 17.dxe5 Nfd7 18.Bg4
Qh7 19.Bxf4 Na6 20.e6 Nf6 21.Bxh6 Qxh6+ 22.Kb1 Nxg4 23. Qxg4
Be7 24. Qf5 Qf6 25. Qh3 Qh4 26. Qf3 Qf6 1/2-1/2

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