Wildcard Game #1

Wildcard #1: IM Dmitry Zilberstein (SF) vs IM John Bartholomew (DAL) 1-0


Jonathan Hilton: This game has many of the key features I would be looking for as a GOTY judge. Zilberstein’s victory was over well-respected leaguer John Bartholomew, and it was crisp, decisive, and well-played both from a positional and tactical standpoint. His maneuver Qe2-e4-g4 was particularly impressive, but every single move of Zilberstein’s attack was well-played just in general. Although the moves after move 34 may seem anticlimactic, Zilberstein was careful to add in a queen sack at the very end to keep what was a very easy win fresh and lively. ;) Without Zilberstein’s crushing victory, San Francisco could not have beaten Dallas in the match - and considering Dallas won the League, well, that’s got to mean something!