Author: Telmo Escobar
Date: 14:51:11 03/17/02
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On March 17, 2002 at 17:06:48, Mike S. wrote: > >I think the draw was agreed too early (I don't know which side offered it). I >watched the game live, and IIRC Junior avoided repetitions twice earlier. > >The end position is probably evaluated better for White by most programs, mainly >because white is a pawn up I assume, but White's queen is nearly caged. Also, >Gulko had much less time left on the clock. > >[D]6k1/6p1/5p1p/2q5/p2pB2P/Pb1P2P1/1Q2PP2/5K2 b - - 0 42 > >Shouldn't have been drawn already IMO. I didn't watch the game live. Generally speaking, whenever you watch chess live, it's sometimes difficult to forget about what you have seen and your expectations. So, a draw can be difficult to accept as the natural outcome. In the end position, I think it's an obvious positional draw. As you say, White's queen is nearly caged- then what active plan has Black? Nowhere to go with the pieces, nowhere to go with its not well protected king. Gulko has his queen constrained to defend the a3 pawn, and the king can't help: going to e1 will be replied by a check along the diagonal, and -as White queen covers the check- the Black queen return to attack the pawn from c5. So the only active plan for White could be abandoning the pawn in order to bring the queen to the attack, as Black king is so badly fortified. But this plan doesn't work either, as Black can capture the pawn and then cover any check putting its queen at f8. For these reasons, I think no side can possibly play to win. It's a wonderful end position.
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