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American Postal Chess Tournaments |
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(Sept-Oct 1999) Click to download all 1999 Games Jonathan Voth, Games Editor 507 N. Arthur St., Apt I-106 Kennewick, WA 99336 Email: jpvoth@earthlink.net (Sept-Oct 1999) A Few Games from the Musty Dusty Archives 93RS-8; 1995-97
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 Nc6 6 Bg5 e6 7 Qd2 a6 8 O-O-O h6 [GM Patrick Wolff did much to revive this variation, and prominent players include Kramnik, V. Salov, and A. Shirov.] 9 Be3 Be7 10 f3 [Instead of central control, white looks for a aggressive kingside attack.] 10 ... Nxd4 11 Bxd4 b5 12 Kb1 Qa5 13 a3 e5 14 Be3 Be6 15 h4 Rb8 [An idea of Valery Salov's which he introduced against V. Ivanchuk.] 16 Nd5 [I think this is a bailout as Black has not committed to the kingside, and is about to make things hot on the queenside with ... b4. Even so, he must be careful of Na2! in response to ... b4.] 16 ... Qxd2 17 Nxf6+ [17 Rxd2 and black must come to a decision whether to take on d5, allow Nxe7, or something else.] 17 ... gxf6 18 Rxd2 f5 [Striking quickly in the center to challenge control of d5, and also grab space with ... f4.] 19 exf5 Bxf5 20 Bd3 Bxd3 21 Rxd3
Position after 21. Rxd3 21 ... h5! [This was the move of the game. Black fixes White's h-pawn on a dark square for the ending.] 22 g3 Rg8 23 Bf2 Kd7! [Preparing to mobilize the central mass of pawns.] 24 Re1 Ke6 25 Rc3 Rbc8 26 Rxc8 Rxc8 27 c3 [White signals a defensive posture. However, the fault with this move is that most of White's pawns will match his bishop.] 27 ... f5 28 Kc2 Rg8 29 b4? [Another pawn is fixed on a dark square, and potential counterplay with b3-a4 or c4 is stunted.] 29 ... f4 30 Rg1 Kf5 31 Kd3 d5 [Prevents c4 and moves onto a light square. Black's main focus is to somehow get his king to the fourth rank, either at e4 or g4.] 32 gxf4 [Relieves the tension, but now white really has nothing for possible counterplay, and must play total defense. The Starfish and the Oyster: Black applies gradual pressure.] 32 ... Rxg1 33 Bxg1 Kxf4 34 Bh2+ Kf5 35 Bg3 [Time to evaluate the bishop of same color ending. Being an admirer of Petrosian and Karpov in large part because of their patient style and excellent endgame skill, I tried to identify what I needed to build upon to accumulate one small advantage after another. Black has the active king, the better piece, and his pawns are safe from attack, whereas White's pawns are vulnerable. White is clearly on the defensive, and his bishop is limited by his pawns. In terms of drawing or winning Black has control of his queening square on the queenside, and if this were to be a king and pawn ending, White is most likely lost as Black will set up the h-pawn as the outside passer. But what is the best way, if any, to invade White's fortress? White's most obvious weakness is the h-pawn. But he also controls the squares e4 and g4 with the f3-pawn, and f4 with his bishop. Thus, the black king has limited access. Since it is unlikely that White will willingly cooperate with a piece exchange, the objective therefore should be to find a way to undermine the f3-pawn. But just as importantly, not to allow White to occupy f3 with his king. Black will have to press with his center pawns, but how can he do it and oblige White to exchange? While devising the Normandy strategy, Black first optimizes his forces.] 35 ... Bd6?! [This looks attractive, but the threat is easily parried. Fortunately, the waste of time did not endanger black's winning chances.] 36 Ke2 Bf8 37 Bf2 Bg7 38 Be3 Bf6 [The bishop is optimally placed to either dart over to the queenside, or chop off the h-pawn. White is running out of useful moves, but unfortunately is not in danger of zugzwang .] 39 Bf2 d4 [Black can make no further progress without moving a center pawn. If White was obligated to exchange, 39 ... e4 40 fxe4+ Kxe4 would win, but instead White can sit, forcing Black to move.] 40 cxd4 [The continuation 40 c4!? bxc4 41 a4 creates a passed pawn, but I could not find a convincing line for White.] 40 ... exd4 [Now the queenside pawns are more exposed to a marauding bishop. By now, White was getting into severe time problems because of professional demands, but this ending was too instructive for me to submit for a routine time-forfeiture. It has been said that one of the most difficult scenarios of chess is "winning the won game " I opted to send obvious (but necessarily forced) "if" moves to speed things along.] 41 Bg3 Be5 42 Be1 [The king and pawn ending is lost for White if the bishops are exchanged.] 42 ... Kf4 43 Bd2+ Kg3 44 Bg5 [44 Be1+ Kg2! keeps the pressure on the f-pawn.] 44 ... d3+ [The objective is accomplished. The f3 strongpoint falls to Black. Now the h-pawn is meat, but black must still time its capture carefully. Winning the pawn is the easier part; advancing the pawn across h4 and h2 won't be.] 45 Ke3 [White declined 45 Kxd3 which was the main line. This sets the king back a tempo.] 45 ... d2! 46 Kxd2 [Forced, else the pawn will queen.] 46 ... Kxf3 -+
Position after 46. ... Kxf3 [Note that White's king cannot come to the aid of his h-pawn, or advance to the fourth rank. white's last hope to avoid the loss is to get his king over to the queenside and get Black's other pawns, and sac the bishop on the passed pawn h-pawn. One other delaying tactic for white is to put his king on h1, impeding the soon-to-be passed h-pawn. But Black can counter with advancing the pawn to h3 (better than h2 as it will cost tempi to move up to capture the pawn if Black's bishop releases control of h2) and sending his bishop or king to grab queenside pawns 47 Kd3 [I was expecting 47 Be7. Offering little hope is 47 Kc2 Bg3 48 Kb3 Kg4 49 a4 Bxh4.] 47 ... Kg4 48 Ke4 Bg3 49 Be3 [Or 49 Kd5 Bxh4 50 Be3 Bg5 51 Bf2 Bf4! and Black will continue with 52 ... Bg3 to protect the pawn across h4, and the king will clear the enemy bishop from g1.] 49 ... Bxh4 [At last! Another objective achieved. The h-pawn falls and a passed pawn is created. The bishop capture is correct as Black's king keeps White's king off of f3.] 50 Bc5 [A king move allows 50 ... Bg3.] 50 ... Bg5 [51 Bf2 Bf4 (or 51 ... Bc1 52 Kd5 (52 Kd3 Bxa3 53 Kc3 Bc1 ) Bxa3 53 Kc5 a5 54 Kxb5 axb4 (or 54 ... Bxb4 as the bishop matches the queening square ) and Black just exchanges the h-pawn for White's last unit, and then walks over to assist the advance of the b-pawn) 52 Kd5 Bg3 53 Bg1 h4 54 Kc6 h3 55 Kb7 Kf3 56 Kxa6 Kg2 and White has lost control of h2. Another line is 51 ... h4 52 Bxh4 Bxh4 53 Kd5 Kf4 54 Kc6 Ke4 55 Kb6 Kd4 56 Kxa6 Kc4 57 Ka5 Be7 58 a4 (58 Kb6 Bxb4! and the king and pawn ending is no contest) 58 ... Bd8+ 59 Ka6 bxa4 about wraps it up.] 0-1
(Morris)
EMN-A-3; 1996-97 97R-1; 1997-98
1 f4 [Lewis: In the newer editions of ECO you can find references to some of Keith Hayward's correspondence games using the Bird's Opening. That's not too encouraging for an opponent. My last encounter with Keith was in 80R-11. The game should have ended in a draw. However, Keith tried so hard to win he overextended and lost. Keith was very gracious in that game and praised my effort. When we started this game he let me know he would be out for revenge!] 1 ... d5 2 Nf3 Bg4 [Lewis: I am following a recommendation by Jon Edwards on how to play against the Bird. The opening is all Jon's and is a tribute to his wonderful teaching, writing, and chess skill. I am so impressed with Jon's articles that I bought a copy of his book The Chess Analyst and I recommend it very highly. It is a wonderful book in every respect.] 3 e3 Nd7 4 Be2 c6 5 Ne5 Bxe2 6 Qxe2 e6 7 O-O Bd6 8 d4 f5 [Lewis: Offering a pawn, and continuing to follow Jon's recommendations by setting up the double stonewall formation.] 9 Qh5+ [Hayward: Okay, I'll take the bait.] 9 ... g6 10 Nxg6 Ngf6 11 Qh6 Rg8 12 Ne5 [Lewis: I have to feel that black has gotten a pawn's worth here. He has obtained a half-open file directly in front of White's king and will gain several tempi to set up the rooks on the file. Every Black piece will participate in the assault.] 12 ... Qe7 13 c4 O-O-O 14 Nc3 Ne4 15 cxd5 cxd5 16 Nxe4 [Hayward: Trade, trade, trade.] 16 ... dxe4 17 Nxd7 Qxd7 18 Bd2 [Hayward: As of late (August 97), I've been playing 5 Ne5 in this line less. All too often I get positions like this and don't like them!] 18 ... Rg6 19 Qh5 Rdg8 20 Rf2 [Lewis: Well, now that Jon Edwards has played the opening for me I'll have to think on my own from here.] 20 ... Qg7?
[Lewis: Well, that didn't take me long! 21 Qe2 Be7 22 Kf1 Bh4 23 g3 Rxg3
Position after 23. ... Rxg3 [Lewis: Keith gave this a "!" However, looking back maybe there was something better.
The game is so complicated now that I am well over my head. 24 hxg3 Qxg3 25 Rg2 Qh3 26 Kg1 Bg3 27 Rc1+ Kb8 28 Rc2 Bh2+ 29 Kf1 Bxf4 30 Qf2 Bg3 31 Qg1 a6 32 a3 Ka8 33 Be1
[Hayward: I think your sac was unsound, although very tricky. It's up to me to prove
it. 33 ... f4 34 Bxg3 f3 35 Qh2 fxg2+ 36 Rxg2 Qg4 37 Be1
[Hayward: I had trouble thinking clearly about this position. I should have played
37 Bf4 the safe way, probably drawn, unless you played for more. When heading for
this position, I counted on 37 Ke1 Qf3 38 Kd2 Qf1 39 Re2 Rc8 40 Bc7, but only now do I see 40 ... Qb1! or even 39 ... Qb1! I want my revenge, so now I will play for the loss. For so simple a position, there's
a lot of options! 37 ... Qf3+ 38 Rf2 Qxe3 39 Re2 Qd3 40 Qh6 Qf3+ 41 Bf2 Rg3 42 Ke1 Rh3 43 Qg5 Qd3 44 Rd2 1/2
[Hayward: Great game! You were very resourceful in your attack. I suspect I missed
something. (Hayward, Lewis)
96R-3; 1996
1 g4 d5 2 Bg2 c6 3 h3 e5 4 d4 e4 5 c4 Bd6 6 Nc3 Ne7 7 Bg5 f6 8 Bd2 O-O? 9 Qb3 Kh8 10 cxd5 cxd5 11 Nxd5 [For a discussion of the moves to this point, see Rush-Cain, APCT News Bulletin , Jan-Feb 96, p29. My criticism of Black's entire line of play is still valid for the reasons cited. Black's pawn chain cannot be maintained.] 11 ... Be6 12 Bxe4 Nbc6? [Believe it or not, this move is given an exclamation point in The Big Book of Busts , p25, and is supposed to be a "bust" John Watson and Eric Schiller developed. In actuality, Black is now lost. As mentioned in the notes to Rush-Cain, Black's best is 12 ... Bc7, but White's game is preferable.]
Position after 12. ... Nbc6 13 Nf3 [This is White's best move in this position. The move 13 Qxb7 is unplayable, as Watson and Schiller indicate, due to 13 ... Rb8 14 Qa6 Bxd5 15 Bxd5 Nb4 winning. However, Watson and Schiller also criticize 13 e3, giving 13 ... Nxd5 14 Bxd5 Na5 with advantage. This is simply wrong, because White would then have the same response as in this game. I chose the text over 13 e3 because it develops a piece and does the same thing in protecting d4.] 13 ... Nxd5 14 Bxd5 Na5 15 Qb5 a6 16 Qxa5 1-0
[A bit premature perhaps. Black resigned because after 16 ... Qxa5 17 Bxa5 Bxd5 White will be up the two central pawns Black gave away with his eighth move.] (Quigley)
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