Author: Kurt Utzinger
Date: 11:18:43 11/27/01
The following winning game is rather intersting:
[Event "Bestia 0.8 40'/40"]
[Site "Wetzikon"]
[Date "2001.11.27"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Utzinger, Kurt"]
[Black "Bestia 0.8"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A15"]
[WhiteElo "2004"]
[BlackElo "2250"]
[Annotator "2001-11-27"]
[PlyCount "109"]
{WinBoard 4.2.3, ponder=on, Athlon 1.4 GHz/256, 21 hash, 18 phash, time
control = 40'/40} 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. b3 Bg7 4. Bb2 d6 {Black last book move
} 5. e3 e5 6. d4 e4 7. Nfd2 O-O 8. Nc3 Bf5 9. Be2 h5 {
Not a bad move, but I had not expected this pawn advance.} 10. O-O Re8 11. Qc2
c6 {Preparing d6-d5 and at the same time protecting the squares b5/d5.} 12.
Rac1 Na6 {Another possibility was 12...Nbd7. The way Bestia 0.8 is developping
looks very sound.} 13. a3 Nc7 {The opening is over and White has not the
slightest advantage. On the contrary, it is Black to have the better
perspectives. It is not so easy to form a plan for White, whereas Black can
centralize his pieces and then prepare a king side attack.} 14. b4 {I simply saw
no other useful move. In certain variations White can try to open the c-file
with b4-b5 or d4-d5.} 14... d5 {In my opinion the waiting move 14...Qe7 is a
more accurate reply. If then 15.b5, Black can try 15...c5 which still avoids
that White can obtain open lines on the queens wing.} 15. cxd5 Ncxd5 16. b5 {
The first active move of White.} 16... Rb8 {A positional blunder allowing
White to exchange on c6 an leaving Black with a weak backward pawn. Correct
was 16...cxb5 17.Bxb5 Re7 with equal chances.} 17. bxc6 bxc6 18. Na4 Qe7 {
Too passive, Black should go for 18...Nf4 19.exf4 e3 attacking White's queen
20.Bd3 exd2 21.Qxd2 Bxd3 22.Qxd3 Nd5 23.g3 Qd7 with good counter chances due
to the more actively placed pieces. After 18...Qe7 White has a clear positional
advantage.} 19. Nc4 {Most probably, 19.Nc5 is the better solution. It is not
yet clear where White's d2-knight should be placed.} 19... Rec8 {
Why not 19...Nd7. It was clear that White wanted to go to e5 with his knight.}
20. Ne5 Qe8 {Black had here the alternatives 20...Ng4 or 20...Nb6 at his
disposal. It is difficult to say which of these moves - including 20...Qe8 -
is best.} 21. Ba6 Rc7 22. Nc5 {I had the feeling to have an overwhelming
positional advantage, but things are not so easy.} 22... Bf8 {A nice defence
that came as a surprise to me. Despite a thinking time of 2 min 35 sec, I was
unable to find a good plan. And as it often happens, if one cannot find a good
response, one makes a bad move.} 23. Nb3 {
A terrible decision after which it is Black to get the advantage.} 23... Rb6 {
Of course} 24. Bc4 Rcb7 25. Rb1 Qb8 {The situation has completely turned.
Black has strong pressure along the open b-file and White can nothing do.} 26.
Bc1 {Chess Tiger 14 and Fritz 7a suggest 26.Ba1 Bxa3 27.Qa2 Bd6 28.Nd2 with
slight advantage for Black. The idea to give up a pawn did not come to me.}
26... a5 {For me a surprising move. I was still calculating things like 26...
Bd6 27.Bd2 Bxe5 28.dxe5 Qxe5 29.Ba5 Ng4 30.g3 Sgxe3 which looks very dangerous
for White, but the reply 26...a5 relieved me.} 27. a4 {
White cannot allow a5-a4.} 27... Be6 {
Again an unexpected move. I began to feel more and more uncomfortable.} 28. Bd2
{More or less forced, because I could see no other useful move.} 28... Ne7 {
This looks very strong and during the game I had the feeling to be lost. But
then I could move by move find a satisfactory reply.} 29. Bxa5 Rxb3 30. Rxb3
Rxb3 31. Bxe6 {Also playable may be 31.Qxb3 Qxb3 32.Bxb3 Bxb3 33.Ra1, but this
continuation seemed to be too passive.} 31... fxe6 32. Qc4 {I had already
written down the move 32.Nxc6? on my notation sheet and then hesitated to
again look more deeply in this position. Then I saw at once 32...Nx6 33.Qxc6
Qe8 and Black should win.} 32... Nfd5 {A nice surprise and a bad move on the
part of Bestia 0.8 Why not 32...Ned5, when I had gone for a draw with 33.Nxc6
Qb7 34.Nd8 Qb8 35.Nc6 Qb7 36.Nd8 with repetition of moves. I had too less time
left to analyze 35.Nxe6 Bd6 with complications.} 33. Nd7 Qa7 34. Qxb3 Qxd7 35.
Qc2 {And now, White has the clear better position and it is doubtful if Black
can hold the game.} 35... Nf6 36. Rc1 Qd6 37. Bb6 Ng4 38. g3 {
My feeling told me not to play 38.h3 although I did not like the whole f3.}
38... Qd5 39. h3 {With this unnecessary pawn advance, White weakens his
position and allows Black a nice sacrifice. Correct was 39.Bc5+-} 39... Nf6 {
Bestia 0.8 misses the opportunity to play 39...Nxe3 40.fxe3 Bh6 with a
dangerous counter attack. I think that the sacrifice of the knigtht on e3
would have saved the game for Black.} 40. Bc5 Qf5 41. h4 Nfd5 42. a5 Nc8 {
Makes things easy for White. I would have made a last trial with 42...Qf3
threatening Nxe3.} 43. Bxf8 Kxf8 44. Qxc6 {Now, the game is over, Black has no
defence against the promotion of White's a pawn.} 44... Nde7 45. Qa6 e5 46.
dxe5 Qxe5 47. Rxc8+ Kg7 {
After 47...Nxc8 48.Qxc8 Kg7 49.Qb7 Kh6 50.a6 Black is helpless.} 48. Qb7 Kh6
49. Rc7 Qa1+ 50. Kg2 Qd1 51. Rxe7 Qf3+ 52. Kg1 Qd1+ 53. Kh2 Qd7 54. Qxd7 g5 55.
Re6# {Bestia mated} 1-0
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