Author: Joe Pechie
Date: 06:53:33 10/09/02
Go up one level in this thread
[Event "ICC 2 120 u"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2002.9.29"]
[Round ""]
[White "CM9000"]
[Black "LarryC"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Eco "A28"]
[Annotator ""]
[Source ""]
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bb4 6.Bg5 {
This opening line was a favorite of former World Champion, Mikhail Botvinnik.
White gains the two Bishops in turn for a compromised pawn structure.}
h6 7.Bh4 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 Ne5 9.e3 d6 10.Be2 Ng6 11.Bxf6 {
White gives back the two Bishops, leaving himself with a compromised pawn
structure. As compensation however, White has a freer game, but, should Black
stabilize the piece activity, he will be better in the long term.}
Qxf6 12.O-O O-O 13.Qc2 Re8 14.Rfd1 Nf8 {!} {Black's g6-Knight heads for the more
active c5-outpost.}
15.Bd3 Ne6 16.Nb3 Rb8 17.a4 Qe7 18.a5 Bd7 19.a6 {?!} {A potentially serious
strategic error as White forfeits the opportunity of a frontal attack down the
b-file.}
b6 20.Nd4 Nc5 21.Nb5 Bxb5 22.cxb5 Qf6 {!} 23.Bc4 {!} Re5 24.Bd5
Rbe8 25.Rd4 Ne6 26.Rd2 g6 27.Ra4 Kg7 28.Rd1 Re7 {
While the position is approximately even, now that White has straightened out
his Queenside structure, I still have a slight preference for Black's
rock-solid position. There is the long-term chance of generating a Kingside
attack without having to face a Queenside attack, because the Queenside is all
locked up.}
29.Rb4 g5 {!} 30.Bc6 Qg6 31.Qb2 f5 {!} 32.Qb1 {?!} Qf6 33.Bd5
f4 {!} 34.e4 {?!} {
While Black has been making purposeful moves, advancing his pawns on the
Kingside, the Chessmaster has drifted, falling into a passive position.
White's last move however, gives Black a free ride on the Kingside. It may
have been time to jettison a pawn by, 34.Bxe6 R5xe6 35.e4 (35.exf4? Qxc3)
35...Qxc3, winning a pawn. Knowing Larry, he would have played, 35...f3,
pressing on the Kingside.}
Nf8 {It is unfair to criticize this move. Black wants to have his cake and eat
it
too. He has a splendid position and is dreaming of repositioning the Knight to
the e5-square with a winning strategic position. On the other hand such
extravagance isn't necessary. Black has a strong attack with the direct,
34...f3, going after White's King.}
35.f3 h5 36.Qc2 Ng6 37.Qa2 Kh6 38.Qd2 Rg7 39.Qd4 g4 40.fxg4 Nh4
{Going for a tactical knockout victory. I would play, 40...hxg4, without
hesitation as Black has a won position. Black would follow up by doubling on
the h-file or play for ...g4-g3 and after a forced h2-h3, play ...Ng6-h4 and
...f4-f3 winning.}
41.Rb2 Rxg4 {Again, 41...hxg4, would be my choice. Larry must have felt that he
had the game in the bag at this point.}
42.Kh1 Ng6 {
A bit baffling. It would seem more natural to play, 42...Qg6, followed by
...Kh6-h7 and ...Re5-g5, blasting away against the g2-pawn.}
43.Rf2 Qe7 44.Qd2 Reg5 45.Ra1 {
This appears to be despair. While White may not have many active
possibilities, 45.Rdf1, holding up Black's Kingside progress seems better.}
h4 46.c4 {!} {A good move anticipating the ...h4-h3 advance, as 46...h3 47.gxh3
Rh4 48.Ra3, is a fair defense.}
Qe5 47.Rc1 Kg7 48.Bc6 Qe7 49.Rcf1 Re5 50.Qc3 Kh6 51.Bd5 Reg5
52.Qb3 Qe5 53.Rd1 {Larry has built up a dominating position and enchanted with
its possibilities, he now embarks on a faulty combination.}
Rg3 {?} 54.hxg3 hxg3 55.Ra2 Rg4 {?} {
A strange follow-up to the Rook sacrifice, which is difficult to fathom. Black
is probably going to miss the mark with the standard attack, 55'with the
idea'Rh5+ 56.Kg1 Rh2 57.Qf3! (White has to stop ...Qe5-h5, for instance: 57.Kf1
Qh5 58.Ke1 Ne5, gives Black his ideal setup, not necessarily good for him, but
the best he can achieve following his Rook sacrifice.) 57...Qg5 58.Be6! Ne5
59.Qb3 f3 60.Bh3, with a position likely to favor White. Still, this was a
superior choice.}
56.Kg1 Qh5 57.Kf1 f3 58.Ke1 {!} {Chessmaster skips its King to safety, emerging
a Rook ahead.}
f2+ {While the position is lost for Black, 58'with the idea'Qh1+ 59.Kd2 Qxg2+
60.Kc1
f2 61.e5, probably explains why Larry didn't grab the g2-pawn. As I'm from the
pawn grubbing school of chess, this would have been my desperate choice.}
59.Kd2 Rh4 60.Qe3+ Kg7 61.Rf1 Qe5 62.Kc2 Rh2 63.Qf3 Qf4 64.e5
{!} {A finishing stroke, as the hitherto passive d5-Bishop becomes a key
defender of the Kingside pawns.}
Qxf3 65.Bxf3 Nxe5 66.Bd5 Rh5 67.Ra3 Rg5 68.Kd2 Ng6 69.Re3 Ne5
70.Ke2 Kf6 71.Rh1 Ng6 72.Rh7 {Black resigns} 1-0
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