2016 GAYP World Title Match | Michele Borghetti (Italy) vs Sergio Scarpetta (Italy) | July 8-15^th in Rome, Italy

1st Day - Game 1
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[Event "2016 GAYP WTM"]
[Date "2016-07-09"]
[Black "Borghetti"]
[White "Scarpetta"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
1. 11-15 22-17 2. 15-19 (A) 24x15 3. 10x19 23x16 4. 12x19 25-22 5. 8-11 27-23 6. 9-14 17x10 7.
6x15 23x16 8. 11x20 21-17 9. 5-9 26-23 10. 7-10 29-25 11. 9-14 25-21 12. 4-8 31-27 13. 8-11
17-13 14. 2-6 0(B) 28-24 15. 1-5 30-25 16. 3-8 23-18 17. 14x23 27x18 18. 20x27 32x23 19. 8-12
21-17 20. 12-16 18-14 21. 15-19 14x7 22. 19x26 25-21 23. 6-10 7-3 24. 26-30 22-18 25. 10-15 1/2-1/2

(A) The (black) Dyke, one of the oldest and most renown openings there is. Most ideas of the opening is explained in the old classic book
by Louis Ginsberg which is available online: Ginsberg Principles of Strategy in the Game of Checkers
(B) More usual and probably an easier draw is 14.1-6.

Game 2
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[Event "2016 GAYP WTM"]
[Date "2016-07-09"]
[Black "Scarpetta"]
[White "Borghetti"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
1. 11-15 23-19 2. 8-11 22-17 3. 9-13 17-14 4. 10x17 21x14 5. 15-18 26-23 6. 13-17 19-15 7.
4-8 24-19 8. 17-21 28-24 9. 6-9 24-20 10. 2-6 32-28 11. 9-13 28-24 12. 6-10 15x6 13. 1x17
23x14 14. 11-15 19x10 15. 17-22 25x18 16. 5-9 14x5 17. 7x32 31-27 18. 32x23 24-19 19.
23x16 20x4 20. 12-16 5-1 21. 16-19 29-25 22. 19-23 25-22 23. 23-27 1-6 24. 27-31 6-10 25.
31-27 22-18 26. 27-23 18-14 27. 23-18 14-9 28. 13-17 10-14 29. 18-23 9-6 30. 17-22 14-17
31. 22-26 17-22 32. 26-31 6-2 33. 31-27 2-6 34. 27-24 6-10 35. 24-19 10-14 36. 19-15 22-17
37. 15-10 14x7 38. 3x10 17-22 39. 10-15 22-26 40. 15-19 26-22 (B) 1/2-1/2

(A) The famous classic Laird and Lady opening, a very complicated opening that is renown for its possibility of shots and tactical surprises, all pp until the end.

(B) The game was played correctly and for a very long time followed old "published play" (ie theoretical bookplay), then both sides played the
resulting ending without any mistake.

Game 3
----------------

[Event "2016 GAYP WTM"]
[Date "2016-07-09"]
[Black "Scarpetta"]
[White "Borghetti"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
1. 11-15 23-19 2. 8-11 22-17 3. 11-16 (A) 24-20 4. 16x23 27x11 5. 7x16 20x11 6. 3-7 28-24 7.
7x16 24-20 8. 16-19 25-22 9. 4-8 29-25 10. 19-24 17-14 11. 9x18 22x15 12. 10x19 32-28 13.
6-10 25-22 14. 8-11 22-18 15. 10-14 18x9 16. 5x14 26-23 17. 19x26 28x19 18. 2-6 30x23 19.
11-15 19x10 20. 6x15 31-26 21. 15-18 23-19 22. 18-23 26-22 23. 23-26 (B) 1/2-1/2

(A) The Glasgow, all pp. The most popular opening in GAYP, and ppl. the best known.
(B) The whole game can be found in Databases. Both player stuck to published play and the result was a draw.

Game 4
---------------

[Event "2016 GAYP WTM"]
[Date "2016-07-09"]
[Black "Borghetti"]
[White "Scarpetta"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
1. 11-15 22-17 2. 15-19 (A) 24x15 3. 10x19 23x16 4. 12x19 25-22 5. 8-11 27-23 6. 9-14 17x10 7.
6x15 23x16 8. 11x20 21-17 9. 5-9 26-23 10. 4-8 (B) 32-27 11. 8-11 30-26 12. 7-10 23-18 13.
10-14 17x10 14. 2-7 18-14 15. 9x25 29x22 16. 7x14 27-23 17. 14-17 22x13 18. 11-16 23-18
19. 15x22 26x17 20. 16-19 17-14 21. 3-7 31-26 22. 20-24 26-22 23. 24-27 22-18 24. 27-31
18-15 25. 31-27 15-10 26. 7-11 10-7 27. 19-23 7-3 28. 23-26 3-7 1/2-1/2

(A) the Dyke again
(B) Miki deviates from game one, but again Sergio is not caught by surprise. He even secures a slight plus in the ending, but Miki defends well to a hard-fought draw.

Score after day one: GM Scarpetta 0 wins, GM Borghetti 0 wins, Drawn 4 games, 20 games to go.

2nd Day - Game 5
--------------

[Event "2016 GAYP WTM"]
[Date "2016-07-10"]
[Black "Scarpetta"]
[White "Borghetti"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
1. 11-15 23-19 2. 8-11 22-17 3. 4-8 (A) 17-13 4. 15-18 24-20 5. 9-14 26-23 6. 11-15 28-24 7.
8-11 31-26 8. 6-9 13x6 9. 2x9 26-22 10. 3-8 22-17 11. 18-22 25x18 12. 15x22 17-13 13. 1-6
23-18 14. 14x23 27x18 15. 10-14 30-25 16. 14x23 25x18 17. 23-26 29-25 18. 26-30 32-28 19.
7-10 19-15 20. 10x19 24x15 21. 12-16 25-22 22. 30-26 15-10 23. 6x15 13x6 24. 26x17 21x14
25. 15x22 6-2 26. 16-19 2-7 27. 11-15 7-11 1/2-1/2

(A) The "Old Fourteenth", a line that goes back to the very first English written book published by Payne in 1756 about Checkers. The move was shown in that book in game 14, and so the name came very easy to it.... it is regarded as a solid opening for black, but maybe too tame to score more then a draw, and indeed, at no time the balance was disturbed even slightly and the thus logically ended in a draw.

Game 6
------------

[Event "2016 GAYP WTM"]
[Date "2016-07-10"]
[Black "Scarpetta"]
[White "Borghetti"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
1. 11-15 22-17 2. 8-11 17-14 (A) 3. 9x18 23x14 4. 10x17 21x14 5. 4-8 (B) 26-23 6. 6-9 24-19 7.
15x24 28x19 8. 9x18 23x14 9. 11-16 27-23 10. 16-20 32-27 11. 8-11 25-22 12. 1-6 29-25 13.
6-10 30-26 14. 10x17 22x13 15. 7-10 19-16 16. 12x19 23x7 17. 2x11 26-22 18. 10-15 27-24
19. 20x27 31x24 20. 11-16 24-20 21. 16-19 22-17 22. 19-23 1/2-1/2

(A) As black refused to "dyke" by playing 2.8-11 instead of 2.15-19, white in turn takes the opportunity to go to the "dyke square" on 14.
The opening, as you probably guessed, is called "White Dyke", and like the Black Dyke is regarded as solid.
(B) Here 5.12-16 is the old main line and 5.6-9 was fashionable not long ago, but the World Champion tries a sideline. However, it does not lead to any advantage, and as both players made no mistakes, the game ended peacefully.

Game 7
----------------

[Event "2016 GAYP WTM"]
[Date "2016-07-10"]
[Black "Borghetti"]
[White "Scarpetta"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
1. 11-15 22-17 2. 15-19 (A) 24x15 3. 10x19 23x16 4. 12x19 25-22 5. 8-11 27-23 6. 9-14 17x10 7.
6x15 23x16 8. 11x20 21-17 9. 5-9 26-23 10. 7-10 29-25 11. 4-8 23-18 12. 8-11 25-21 13. 1-5
17-13 14. 3-8 13x6 15. 2x9 30-26 16. 8-12 32-27 (B) 17. 9-14 18x9 18. 5x14 26-23 19. 11-16
27-24 20. 20x27 31x24 21. 16-19 23x16 22. 12x19 21-17 23. 14x21 1/2-1/2

(A) The Challenger on the other hand takes the first opportunity to Dyke himself.

(B) Sergio missed a win, here GM Alex Moiseyev (USA) pointed out that 26-23 or 31-27 wins:

26-23 (C), 9-13 (D), 31-27, 5-9, 28-24, 10-14, 23-19, 14x23, 27x18, 20x27, 19x10, 27-31, 10-6 etc White Win

(C) 31-27 also wins.

(D) 12-16, 31-27, 16-19, 21-17, 19x26, 17-14 etc White Win


Game 8
---------------

[Event "2016 GAYP WTM"]
[Date "2016-07-10"]
[Black "Scarpetta"]
[White "Borghetti"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
1. 11-15 23-19 2. 8-11 22-17 3. 9-14 25-22 4. 11-16 24-20 5. 16x23 27x11 6. 7x16 20x11 7.
3-7 11-8 (A) 8. 4x11 17-13 9. 11-16 29-25 10. 7-11 22-17 11. 16-19 32-27 12. 11-15 27-24 13.
5-9 26-23 14. 19x26 30x23 15. 15-19 23x16 16. 12x19 24x15 17. 10x19 17x10 18. 6x15 13x6
19. 2x9 21-17 20. 19-23 17-13 21. 9-14 13-9 1/2-1/2

(A) The opening, as we pointed out in an earlier game, is the Glasgow, and 28-24 here is the main line. However, the line with 11-8, for a long time simply regarded as inferior, has been used with very great success in his 2007 debut by GM Lubabalo Kondlo of South Africa, who won the US Nationals and then the Qualifier both held in Las Vegas in 2007 by playing this line regularly. He also played it in his 2008 match as challenger against Ron King and since then it is almost as popular as the old main line. In honor of the South African Champion the 11-8 line is now called the "African Glasgow"

In this game, both players show that they know this line very well, and they don't fall for the may pitfalls it contains. The game thus ends peacefully in a draw.

Score so far: GM Scarpetta 0 wins, GM Borghetti 0 wins, Drawn 8 games, 16 games to go.

3rd Day - Game 9
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[Event "2016 GAYP WTM'"]
[Date "2016-07-11"]
[Black "Borgetti"]
[White "Scarpetta"]
[Result "1-0"]
1. 11-15 22-17 2. 15-19 24x15 3. 10x19 23x16 4. 12x19 25-22 5. 8-11 27-23 6. 6-10 23x16 7. 
11x20 22-18 8. 1-6 17-13 9. 4-8 29-25 10. 7-11 25-22 11. 8-12 32-27 12. 12-16 27-23 13. 3-8 
28-24 14. 20x27 31x24 15. 16-20 22-17 (A) 16. 20x27 18-14 17. 9x18 23x7 18. 11-15 7-3 19. 
27-31 3x12 20. 31x22 12-16 21. 15-18 16-20 22. 18-23 20-24 23. 22-18 17-14 24. 18x9 21-17 
25. 2-7 24-19 26. 23-27 30-25 27. 7-10 1-0

(A) Here 24-19 was 100% OK, move keeping game in control and even, but Sergio played 22-17?, 20x27, 18-14, 9x18, 23x7, 11-15, 7-3, 27-31 and lost.

Game 10
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[Event "2016 GAYP WTM"]
[Date "2016-07-11"]
[Black "Scarpetta"]
[White "Borghetti"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
1. 11-15 22-17 2. 8-11 17-14 3. 9x18 23x14 4. 10x17 21x14 5. 12-16 26-23 6. 16-19 23x16 7. 
11x20 24-19 8. 15x24 28x19 9. 4-8 25-22 10. 8-11 29-25 11. 6-10 30-26 12. 10x17 22x13 13. 
7-10 26-23 14. 11-15 32-28 15. 15x24 28x19 16. 10-14 25-21 17. 2-6 19-16 18. 5-9 31-26 19. 
3-7 16-12 20. 6-10 13x6 21. 14-18 23x14 22. 10x17 21x14 23. 1x17 12-8 24. 7-10 8-3 25. 
10-14 3-7 26. 14-18 26-23 27. 18-22 23-18 28. 22-26 18-14 1/2-1/2

Game 11
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[Event "2016 GAYP WTM"]
[Date "2016-07-11"]
[Black "Scarpetta"]
[White "Borghetti"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
1. 11-15 22-17 2. 15-19 24x15 3. 10x19 23x16 4. 12x19 25-22 5. 8-11 27-23 6. 11-16 29-25 
7. 4-8 31-27 8. 9-13 17-14 9. 6-9 22-18 10. 8-11 27-24 11. 11-15 18x11 12. 9x27 32x23 13. 
16-20 24x15 14. 7x16 25-22 15. 5-9 15-11 16. 1-5 21-17 17. 2-6 30-25 18. 6-10 25-21 19. 
10-15 23-18 20. 16-19 17-14 21. 13-17 22x6 22. 15x31 14-10 23. 31-26 6-1 24. 26-22 1-6 25. 
19-23 11-7 26. 23-26 7-2 27. 26-31 2-7 28. 3-8 6-1 29. 8-12 7-11 30. 31-26 10-7 31. 12-16 
28-24 32. 20x27 11x20 1/2-1/2

Game 12
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[Event "2016 GAYP WTM"]
[Date "2016-07-11"]
[Black "Borghetti"]
[White "Scarpetta"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
1. 11-15 23-19 2. 8-11 22-17 3. 9-14 25-22 4. 6-9 17-13 5. 2-6 29-25 6. 4-8 26-23 7. 14-17 
21x14 8. 9x18 23x14 9. 10x26 30x23 10. 15-18 23x14 11. 6-9 13x6 12. 1x17 25-22 13. 17x26 
31x22 14. 11-15 19x10 15. 7x14 24-19 16. 5-9 22-18 17. 14x23 27x18 18. 8-11 28-24 19. 
11-16 19-15 20. 16-19 24-20 21. 3-7 1/2-1/2

Score so far: GM Borghetti 1 win, GM Scarpetta 0 wins, Drawn 11 games, 12 games to go.

4th Day - Game 13
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[Event "2016 GAYP WTM"]
[Date "2016-07-12"]
[Black "Scarpetta"]
[White "Borghetti"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
1. 11-15 22-17 2. 15-19 24x15 3. 10x19 23x16 4. 12x19 25-22 5. 8-11 27-23 6. 4-8 23x16 7.
11x20 22-18 8. 9-14 18x9 9. 6x22 26x17 10. 8-11 29-25 11. 11-15 25-22 12. 5-9 30-26 13.
7-10 32-27 14. 9-14 26-23 15. 2-7 23-19 16. 15x24 28x19 17. 7-11 17-13 18. 11-15 27-24 19.
20x27 31x24 20. 14-18 22-17 21. 18-23 17-14 22. 10x17 21x14 1/2-1/2

Game 14
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[Event "2016 GAYP WTM"]
[Date "2016-07-12"]
[Black "Borghetti"]
[White "Scarpetta"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
1. 11-15 23-19 2. 9-14 27-23 3. 8-11 22-18 4. 15x22 25x9 5. 5x14 29-25 6. 11-15 25-22 7.
7-11 1/2-1/2

5th Day - Game 15
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[Event "2016 GAYP WTM"]
[Date "2016-07-13"]
[Black "Borgetti"]
[White "Scarpetta"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
1. 11-15 22-18 2. 15x22 25x18 3. 12-16 29-25 4. 16-20 24-19 5. 10-14 28-24 6. 6-10 25-22
7. 8-11 19-16 8. 9-13 18x9 9. 5x14 24-19 10. 11-15 32-28 11. 15x24 28x19 12. 4-8 22-18 13.
8-11 18x9 14. 11-15 27-24 15. 20x27 31x24 16. 15-18 23x14 17. 10x17 21x14 18. 7-10 14x7
19. 2x27 26-22 20. 27-31 19-15 21. 31-27 15-10 22. 27-23 9-6 23. 3-7 10x3 24. 1x10 3-7 25.
10-15 7-10 26. 15-19 30-25 27. 19-24 1/2-1/2

Game 16
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[Event "2016 GAYP WTM"]
[Date "2016-07-13"]
[Black "Scarpetta"]
[White "Borghetti"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
1. 11-15 22-17 2. 9-13 17-14 3. 10x17 21x14 4. 6-10 25-21 5. 10x17 21x14 6. 2-6 29-25 7.
6-10 25-21 8. 10x17 21x14 9. 15-18 26-22 10. 18x25 30x21 11. 1-6 23-18 12. 12-16 27-23 13.
6-9 24-19 14. 16-20 19-15 15. 8-11 15x8 16. 4x11 32-27 17. 13-17 28-24 18. 17-22 24-19 19.
22-25 19-15 20. 25-30 15x8 21. 3x12 18-15 22. 9x18 23x14 23. 30-25 21-17 24. 25-21 15-10
25. 7-11 10-7 26. 5-9 14x5 27. 21x14 7-3 28. 14-10 3-8 29. 10-15 5-1 30. 11-16 1-6 31.
16-19 6-2 32. 15-10 8-3 33. 19-24 2-7 34. 10-15 3-8 35. 24-28 27-23 36. 28-32 7-11 37.
15-10 23-19 38. 32-28 8-3 39. 10-14 11-15 40. 28-24 3-7 41. 14-18 15x22 42. 24x15 31-27
43. 15-11 7x16 44. 12x19 22-26 1/2-1/2

5th Day - Game 17
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[Event "2016 GAYP WTM"]
[Date "2016-07-13"]
[Black "Scarpetta"]
[White "Borghetti"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
1. 11-15 22-17 2. 15-19 24x15 3. 10x19 23x16 4. 12x19 25-22 5. 9-13 17-14 6. 6-9 29-25 7.
9x18 22x15 8. 5-9 (A) 25-22 9. 9-14 22-18 10. 14x23 27x18 11. 8-12 31-27 12. 4-8 26-22 13. 7-11
21-17 14. 12-16 17-14 15. 2-7 (B) 14-9 16. 1-5 9-6 17. 7-10 27-24 18. 10-14 18x9 19. 11x25
30x21 20. 5x14 24x15 21. 14-18 6-2 22. 18-23 2-6 23. 8-11 15x8 24. 3x12 6-10 25. 23-26
28-24 26. 16-20 24-19 27. 26-31 10-15 28. 31-26 15-18 29. 20-24 32-28 30. 24-27 18-23 31.
12-16 23x30 32. 16x23 30-25 1/2-1/2

(A) Now transposition from 9-13, 21-17, 5-9, 29-25, 16-19, x, x, 17-14, x, x, 6-9 same position.

(B) According to analyses by the Danish Champion Sune Thrane, here 15. 19-23 wins, as pointed out by IM Liam Stephens (IRL) during the live stream. Sergio missed a very tough, pretty, & extremely technical "computer" win.

Game 18
------------

[Event "2016 GAYP WTM"]
[Date "2016-07-13"]
[Black "Borghetti"]
[White "Scarpetta"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
1. 11-15 23-19 2. 9-14 27-23 3. 8-11 22-18 4. 15x22 25x9 5. 5x14 29-25 6. 11-15 25-22 7.
7-11 22-18 8. 15x22 26x17 9. 11-15 24-20 10. 15x24 28x19 11. 4-8 30-26 12. 8-11 19-16 13.
12x19 23x7 14. 2x11 26-23 15. 6-9 17-13 16. 3-7 13x6 17. 14-18 23x14 18. 10x17 21x14 19.
1x17 1/2-1/2

Score: GM Michele Borghetti 1 win, GM Sergio Scarpetta 0 wins, DRAWN 17 games, 6 games to go.