Author: J. Noomen
Date: 09:39:03 10/20/04
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On October 19, 2004 at 18:09:10, Theo van der Storm wrote: Time to post some real comments about this game, as I see that nobody can see through what was going on: [Event "24th DOCC"] [Site "Leiden NED"] [Date "2004.10.17"] [Round "05"] [White "Pro Deo"] [Black "Chess Tiger"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B33"] [Opening "Sicilian: Sveshnikov variation"] 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Nd5 f5 11.Bd3 Be6 12.O-O Bxd5 13.exd5 Ne7 14.Qh5 e4 15.Be2 Bg7 16.c3 O-O 17.Nc2 Qc8!? The main line in the Sveshnikov, very topical amongst the top GM's. Leko has had this position with White and Black and also Kramnik had to defend it as Black. The last move is my own novelty, played in a correspondence game this year. GM's tend to play Rc8!? or Re8!? 18.Ne3!? My correspondence game went 18.Rad1 f4 19.Nd4 Ng6 20.Nf5 Qc5! and Black had a comfortable position. So I put 18.Ne3!? in the book, which I had thoroughly analysed during my own game. 18... f4 19.Qg5 fxe3 20.Qxe7 b4! A very strong move, the only one to keep an even position. This was the last book move for both Pro Deo and Chess Tiger. 21.fxe3 bxc3 22.Rac1!? Qe8? A mistake by Tiger, much stronger was 22... Qc5! and Black has no problems. The ending appears to be better for White, somehow Tiger did not evaluate this correctly. 23.Qxe8 Rfxe8 24.bxc3 Bh6 25.Kf2 Re5 26.g4! Tiger did not consider this move, that is clearly strongest. White will win a pawn, but due to the opposite coloured bishops it should still be rather drawish. However, accurate play from Black is required. 26... Rxd5 27.Rfd1 Rxd1 28.Rxd1 Bf8 29.Rd4 a5 30.Rxe4 Bg7 31.Rc4 Rb8 32.Rc6 Rb2? Going for the a-pawn to create a passed Black a-pawn, but now White's advantage increases. 33.Rc8+ Bf8 34.a4 Ra2 35.Kf3 Rxa4 36.Bc4! This is the clue: White's pieces gain excellent positions, the pawn on f7 will be lost and Black is further pushed into the defensive. The main problem for Tiger is, that it thinks the passed a-pawn gives a lot of compensation for the pawn lost. This is incorrect. 36... h6 37.Rc7 Bg7 38.Bxf7+ Kf8? I believe this is the last mistake. The only move was 38... Kh7 to hold on. Now Black's king is cut off at the 7th rank and, more important: the black h-pawn is lost, giving White 2 passed pawns. From here on I regard Black's position lost. Note, however, that Pro Deo plays the whole game excellently! 39.Bd5 Be5 40.Rf7+ Ke8 41.Rh7 Ra3 42.Rxh6 Rxc3 Only here Tiger sensed the danger, but it's too late.... 43.g5 Rc5 44.Ke4 Rc1 45.Rh7 Rg1 46.Kf5 Rf1+ 47.Kg6 Rd1 48.e4 Rg1 49.h4 Kd8 50.Rf7 a4 51.h5 Rg2 52.h6 a3 53.Rf5 Bd4 54.e5 a2 55.h7 Rh2 56.Rf8+ Ke7 57.Rf7+ Kd8 58.Bxa2 Bxe5 59.Bd5 Ke8 60.Bc6+ 1-0 IMO this game is very important for theory, after 20 ... b4! the game is complicated with chances for both sides. It could go either way, draw, White wins or Black wins. Pro Deo made use of the chances Tiger gave and hence was the deserved winner. Regards, Jeroen Noomen
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