Mark Khernighan and Benjamin Katz were co-winners of the Paul Aaroe Memorial Tournament held on October 17.

Click here for a link to the tournament crosstable.

Benjamin Katz was well rested with byes for the 1st two rounds but had to overcome draw odds to tie for 1st place. The game was a slugfest in a Petroff with opposite side castling.

Mark ponders his next move against Benjamin Katz.

Katz,Benjamin - Kernighan,Mark [C42]
Paul Aaroe Memorial

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4
5.Nc3 Nxc3 6.dxc3 Be7 7.Be3 0-0 8.Qd2 Nc6
9.0-0-0 Bf5 10.Bd3 Qd7 11.h4 Bf6 12.Bg5 Qe6
13.Kb1 Bxd3 14.cxd3 Rfe8 15.d4 h6?

(15...Qf5+ 16.Ka1 Ne7 17.Bxf6 Qxf6 18.Qd3 Qg6=)

16.Bxf6 Qxf6 17.Qd3 Re7 18.g4 Rae8 19.g5 Qf4 20.gxh6 Qxh6 21.Ng5 f6

May be the last to decisive mistake.
(21...Qh5 22.Rhg1 Nb8=)

22.f4 d5 23.Qf5 fxg5 24.hxg5 Qe6 25.Qh7+ Kf8 26.f5 Qg8 27.Qg6 Rf7 28.Rh7 Ne7

Mark believed that Black had the best chance with 28...Ke7
but 29.f6+ Kd8 30.Rdh1 Rd7 31.Rxg7 Rxg7 32.Re6 Qf5 33.Kd7 Qxd5+ is good for White.

29.Qh5 Rxf5 30.Rh8 Qxh8 31.Qxh8+ Kf7 32.Qh5+ Ng6 33.Rd2 Rh8
34.Qg4 Ne7 35.Re2 g6 36.Qg3 Rh1+ 37.Kc2 Rh8 38.Qxc7 Re8 39.Re5 Rf2+
40.Kb3 Kf8 41.c4 Rf3+ 42.Ka4 Rd3 43.Qd6 Rf3 44.Rxd5 Rc8 45.b3 Rf7
46.Re5 b6 47.d5 Re8 48.Re6 Rg7 49.Qe5 b5+ 50.cxb5 Rd8 51.d6 Ng8
52.Rf6+ Rf7 53.Rxf7+ Kxf7 54.Ka5

The King can safely go pawn grabbing as the Knight is trapped on the rim.
1-0
More photos from the Paul Aaroe Memorial