Regardless of how strong you are, playing a single game is taxing enough, let alone over 36 at the same time. We are thankful for GM Ben Finegold for putting on quite a display. After the simul, Ben mentioned how exhausted he was and how much concentration it took to play. Chess is hard.
Ben went 22-2-1 last year, and added 10 games to his duties this year. Impressively, Ben went 32-2-1, infamously boasting how he did not drop a game to a single game to a man…however…Andra Marinescu enters the chat
GM Finegold clearly had no respect for Andra’s Phony Benoni and managed a solid opening edge lasting into the middle game, landing a passed pawn on e6 hinting at checkmate threats. Ben Poppa thought he could lay on his coattails and let the position win itself. Not so fast…the minute he started to coast and poke Andra’s Queen, to seeming gain time on the board as most of us lesser mortals would, Andra uses this as a moment to gain equality, as she should. (note to self, NEVER EVER upset a queen, on or off the board♕♕♕) After a challenge to the patriarch, Ben’s King and rook are now a bit exposed, and with one final folly, Andra finishes off Ben, with all the glory and the spoils. Game below.
The three draws were from Dan Yates, Rafael Palathingal, and Aaron Green, pictured below. Thank you to Grandmaster Ben Finegold for being our host for the simul another year. It is incredibly taxing to play 36 games let alone 36 moves with this accuracy. Ben has a great sport in all this and we thank you for your time. Follow him on the following socials:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GMBenjaminFinegold
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/itsbenandkaren
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ben_finegold
@MNchess
