5.10.2011

Another Game From Alb A versus Alb B Match

Today we have a game from the recent CDCL match between the two Albany Area Chess Club teams, A and B. In previous post I mentioned these are two pretty evenly matched teams. The contest on board 2 saw Peter Henner of the B team win a short sharp affair from Tim Wright.

Henner, Peter - Wright, Tim [D05]

Alb A v Alb B CDCL Match Guilderland, NY, 04.05.2011

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Nbd2 Bd6 5.Bd3 0–0

A standard position from the Colle System with .., e6. This rather symmetrical approach has found little interest from masters or Grand masters. There is a fair number of games in my databases, but mostly the players are under 2200. There are few games available with strong players on both sides. The games below were all I found.

One example from the USSR Championship in 1933 is:

(15686) Yudovich, Mikhail M - Freiman, Sergey Nikolaevich [D05]
URS-ch08 Leningrad, 1933
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 Nbd7 5.0–0 Bd6 6.c4 dxc4 7.Bxc4 0–0 8.Nc3 e5 9.e4 exd4 10.Qxd4 Bc5 11.Qd3 Qe7 12.Bf4 c6 13.e5 Ng4 14.Rae1 Nb6 15.Bb3 Qd7 16.Qe4 Qf5 17.h3 Nh6 18.Bxh6 gxh6 19.Qh4 Be6 20.Re4 Nd5 21.Rg4+ Kh8 22.Nxd5 Bxd5 23.Qxh6 Rg8 24.Bc2 1–0

A game with a similar treatment by White from recent times is:

(1127771) Cramling, Pia (2528) - Paehtz, Elisabeth (2449) [D05]
EU-Cup (Women) 11th Feugen (4), 11.10.2006
1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 d5 4.Bd3 Nbd7 5.0–0 Bd6 6.c4 dxc4 7.Bxc4 a6 8.Qe2 b5 9.Bd3 c5 10.a4 cxd4 11.exd4 b4 12.Nbd2 Bb7 13.a5 Nd5 14.Nc4 Be7 15.Nfe5 N7f6 16.Bg5 h6 17.Bd2 Nc7 18.Nb6 Rb8 19.Rac1 0–0 20.Nc6 Bxc6 21.Rxc6 Ncd5 22.Nc4 Ra8 23.Rc1 Re8 24.h3 Bf8 25.Qf3 Ra7 26.Qg3 Ne7 27.Rd6 Qb8 28.Ne3 Qa8 29.Ng4 Nxg4 30.hxg4 Rc8 31.Rxc8 Qxc8 32.Rb6 Nd5 33.Rb8 Qc6 34.Rxf8+ 1–0

Black can transpose the game into a QID if he wants to change the dynamics. In the example below that works well for him:

(972614) Lputian, Smbat G (2640) - Mista, Aleksander (2497) [E14]
EU-ch 6th Warsaw (8), 26.06.2005
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 Nbd7 5.0–0 Bd6 6.Nbd2 0–0 7.c4 b6 8.b3 Bb7 9.Bb2 Qe7 10.Ne5 Rfd8 11.f4 Ne4 12.cxd5 exd5 13.Bxe4 dxe4 14.Qc2 Nf6 15.Nc6 Bxc6 16.Qxc6 Qe6 17.Nc4 Nd5 18.a4 a6 19.Nxd6 Qxd6 20.Qxd6 cxd6 21.Kf2 Rac8 22.Rfc1 Nb4 23.Rxc8 Rxc8 24.Ba3 Nd3+ 25.Kg3 Rc3 26.Bxd6 Rc6 27.Bb8 Rg6+ 28.Kh4 Rxg2 29.f5 Rf2 30.Kg4 Rf3 31.Bg3 Rxe3 32.b4 Rf3 33.b5 axb5 34.axb5 h5+ 35.Kg5 Kh7 36.Be5 e3 37.f6 gxf6+ 38.Bxf6 e2 0–1

6.e4,..

As is seen the cited examples, masters prefer to break with 6 c4.
6..., dxe4 7.Nxe4 Nxe4 8.Bxe4 f5

Somewhat risky is 8..., c5. Then White can roll the dice with 9 Bxh7+!? Kxh7 10 Ng5+ Kg6; not 10..., Kg8 because 11 Qh5, creates a ferocious attack. After 10..., Kg6; theoretically Black should survive, but White gets to have a lot of fun as the Black King is driven from pillar to post for awhile.

9.Bd3 Nd7!?

This move is a trifle slow. Quicker are 9..., c5; 9..., Nc6; or 9..., Na6. Avoiding the dangerous attack by White with 8..., f5; has brought with it some positional problems. Black wants to push .., e6-e5; to trade off the remaining center pawns. After that he will, however, be left with some weaknesses around his King. The f-pawn would be more useful on f7 than it is on f5.

10.0–0 e5!?

Probably better are the alternatives; 10..., Nf6; or 10..., c5. The text could make the e-pawn into a target White may exploit to effectively develop his pieces.

11.Bc4+!?,..

This move turns out well for White. Perhaps better is 11 Bg5. It gets the last minor piece out usefully, and it presents Black with a tough choice; if 11..., Qe8 12 Bc4+ Kh8 13 dxe5 Nxe5 14 Re1 Nxf3+ 15 Qxf3, and Black has to decide what to do. If now 15..., Qg6 16 Be7, at the very least weakening the Black pawns, and if 15..., Qd7; Black’s development looks cumbersome and tardy. Here best just may be 15..., Qa4; then 16 b3 Qa3 17 Bf4 Bd7; offering the b7-pawn to solve many problems.

11..., Kh8 12.Re1?,..

This normal looking move lets Black off the hook. Either 12 Ng5, or 12 Bg5, are better tries.

12..., Nb6?

And this move hands back the initiative. Best is 12..., e4 13 Ng5 Qe8 14 Qe2 Nb6 15 Bb3 h6 16 Nh3 a5 17 a4 Be6; and Black has completely equalized.

13.dxe5 Nxc4 14.exd6 Nxd6?

Better is 14..., Qxd6; solving the problem of where the Queen can go to find a bit of quiet. Mr. Wright may have been concerned that after 14..., Qxd6 15 Qxd6 Nxd6 16 Bf4, the endgame favored White. That is true, but there were good chances for Black to make a successful defense although it would be a long struggle. Tim was no doubt looking for some route that offered an opportunity to play for a win and thought keeping the Queens on was better for that hope.

15.Bg5 Qd7 16.Re7 Qa4

Giving up a pawn does not improve the situation, but it does keep the fight going for some more moves. If 16..., Qc6 17 Qd4 Ne8 18 Rae1, and Black is snuggly tied up with almost nothing to be done to get free.

17.Rxc7 Ne4 18.Bf4 Be6 19.Qd4,..

Now the Queens must come off.

19..., Qxd4 20.Nxd4 Bd5 21.Be5 Nf6 22.Nxf5,..

Equally good is 22 c4 Be4 23 f3

22..., Rfe8 23.Bc3 Rac8

23..., Rf7; is somewhat better, but it will make small difference in the long run. Black is down two pawns, one on each wing. Even the Bishops of opposite color will not present great technical difficulties. White must refrain from too quickly trading down pieces. If he makes use of the superior activity of his pieces, another pawn or two will comes his way, then the opposite color of the Bishops will insufficient to hold the draw.

24.Rxc8 Rxc8 25.Ne7,..

Aiming to get rid of the Bishop.

25..., Re8

A piece is lost no matter what. Still, playing to maybe trap the Knight with 25..., Rc7 26 Bxf6 Bf7; keeps thing interesting for awhile; 27 Bh4 h6 28 Nf5 Rxc2 29 b3 Bg6 30 Ne3 Re2 31 Bg3, intending Bg3-e5, and Rc1/c7, attacking pawns at g7 and b7. Somewhere along the line, White has to play h2-h3 to rid himself of worries about back rank mates.

26.Bxf6 Bxa2 27.Bh4 1–0

And now it is clear; 27..., h6 28 Rxa2 g4 29 f4 kills off all reasonable counter-play. Mr. Wright resigned. Good sharp fighting in an opening not seen very often.

More soon.


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