A John Phillips' Game

One of the strengths of the Geezers team that permitted it to make a serious run at the title this year was the play of John Phillips on the second board. Today’s game against the very strong Gary Farrell of Saratoga is an excellent illustration of John’s style.

Farrell, Gary - Phillips, John [A03]

Geezers v Saratoga A CDCL Match Schenectady, NY, 23.06.2011

Board 2

1.f4 Nf6 2.Nf3 c5 3.e3 Nc6 4.Be2 d5

For 150 years this opening named for Henry Bird, the nineteenth century English master, has been around. Such stars as Steinitz, Gunsberg and the American Jackson Showalter tried it out with success before the turn of the 20th century. Since then is has been a “rare bird” when equals from the elite faced each other. It is now seen most often in games at the local and club level. I don’t know exactly why this is so, there no published refutation to my knowledge. It has been a durable weapon for Mr. Farrell for several years.

5.d3 g6 6.0–0 Bg7 7.Nc3 0–0 8.Ne5 Qc7 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Rb1 e5 11.e4 Rd8 12.Qe1,..

This is all fairly standard Farrell practice. His intention is a direct attack with pieces on the Black King. Intimating for sure, but it can be met if the opponent is quite careful and tactically alert.

12..., d4 13.Na4,..

It is possible that 13 fxe5, is better. Then play can go; 13..., Nd7 14 e6 fxe6 15 Na4 Rf8 16 Rxf8+ Bxf8 17 a3 Nb6 18 Qa5, with a complicated fight in the offing. That of course foregoes the direct attack on the Black King, and Mr. Farrell is uncompromising at the board; mating the King is the objective, so why deviate seems to be his motto.

13..., c4 14.Qh4 cxd3 15.cxd3 Nd7 16.f5,..

White has achieved his aimed for position; the Bishops squint down their diagonals at the Black King, the f-pawn is prepared to give up its life to open lines, the Queen is posed to strike and the Rook on f1 would like nothing more than to come out in front of the troops to add his weight to the attack. Mr. Phillips shows his nerve here. It could not have been easy to face a such position. If the game was played by computers, White would probably win this position.

16..., Bf6 17.Bg5 Bxg5 18.Qxg5 f6 19.Qh6 gxf5?!

A slip in dangerous waters. Better is 19..., g5; but White will keep the upper hand with; 20 Rf3 Qd6 21 h4 gxh4 22 Qxh4.

20.exf5?!,..

Better 20 Rxf5, making for a smoother maneuver to bring the other Rook into the fray, then Black probably has seek what solace he can find by giving up material with ; 20..., Nf8 21 Rxf6 Qg7 22 Qxg7+ Kxg7+ 23 Rxc6 Bd7. Black gets some play but down two pawns in this ending is grim indeed. If Black tries another approach to hold on to some material; say 20..., Qd6?? 21 Rg5+, wins instantly. The other obvious alternative; 20..., Rf8; is equally unpromising after; 21 Bh5 Bb7 22 Bg6 Nb6 23 Nc5 hxg6 24 Qxg6+ Qg7 25 Qxg7+ Kxg7 26 Nxb7. While the game move does not surrender all advantage, it does give Black some hope as the attack has lost some momentum.

20..., Qd6 21.Bd1,..

White decides the Bishop can be useful on the h2-g8 diagonal. Time is precious when attacking. I am not at all convinced the two moves used to reposition the Bishop immediately is exactly correct. Another way towards the same goal is 21 Rf3, 22 Rh3, and 23 Rc1, and only then 24 Bd1, mustering more of White’s force for active duty. The threat of mate at h7 permits the Na4-c5 possibility. The White pieces seem to be better coordinated this way.

21..., Ba6 22.Rf3 Kh8 23.Bb3 Qf8 24.Qh4 Bb5 25.Rbf1?,..

It is tempting to bring the Rook from the Q-side into the fray, but this square is less useful than is e1. From e1 the Rook may go to e4 and possibly participate in the direct attack. Also, from e1 the Rook makes a little less dangerous the push e5-e4.

25..., Qb4?!

A feint to the Q-side. More to the point is 25..., c5. Black can then advance this pawn to c4 if required to either trade the Bb3 or obstruct its diagonal. Also reasonable is 25..., Rac8; to prepare the push of the c-pawn.

26.Rh3 Qe7

The feint is repulsed and White has gotten in a useful move.

27.Rff3,..

Refusing to retrace his steps, the Rook springs forward to the third rank. More useful is 27 Re1, aiming for e4 and a route through g4 and g6 to get in to the direct assault. From f3 the Rook can think about g3 and g6, but Black now has the time to get his own Rook from a1 into action, and the threat to push e5-e4 is becoming more dangerous. Making that fine judgment call reeks of difficulty; is it better to hold back the e5-e4 push from e1, or get the Rook into action via f3/g3/g6? All chess players would like to have computer-like accuracy of calculation when such a decision is taken. Alas, we humans do not have it. We must use what we have and intuition to find the way. These tools can sometimes fail us.

27..., Rab8 28.Rfg3,..

If Black did not have a counter-stroke in hand, the array of White forces on the K-side would be demanding resignation shortly.

28..., Bxa4 29.Bxa4 Rxb2

Oops! Two can play at the game of mate the King. Another feature of Mr. Phillips’ style is displayed; resourcefulness in very tense situations. Suddenly the one side attacking and the other defending changes dramatically.

30.Bb3?!,..

In this game Gary Farrell did not display his usual efficiency in handling his pieces. Probably better here is 30 Rg6, immediately raising the tension. Play could go; 30 Rg6 e4 31 dxe4 d3 32 Rxd3? (Better 32 Bd1, with the battle raging onward.) 32..., Rb4; and Black is close to a win.

30..., Nc5!

First the Rook from a1 came to life and now the Knight on defensive duty at d7 leaps into the fray. One more admirable characteristic of John’s chess; the ability to get a great deal out of his pieces. The great Grandmaster Rubinstein was an exemplar of this kind of play. It is what the Russian School of Chess labeled as dynamic. Pieces may be just standing there on the defense, but you should always being scheming for a way to bring them action. John does this chess task very well.

31.Rg6 Rb1+ 32.Kf2 e4!

Notice how the Nc5 supports this push and is ready to take off the Bb3 if the White attack gets up a head of steam. My guess is Gary did not quite pick up on the shift in roles from attacker to attacked as quickly as was necessary. There are mating combinations and sequences all around the White King now.

33.Qxf6+,..

If 33 Kg3 Nxb3 34 axb3 e3 35 Qxf6+ Qxf6 36 Rxf6 e2 37 Re6 e1(Q); nets a whole Rook and the point. By this moment in the game time was very short for Farrell and not much better off was John Phillips

33..., Qxf6 34.Rxf6 e3+ 35.Kf3 Re8 36.Rf7 Rf1+ 37.Ke2 Rf2+ 38.Ke1 Nxd3+ 39.Kd1 Rd2# 0–1

The last few moves were blitzed out to beat falling flags, it was a pretty finish nonetheless. The time or two I looked on this game led me to think John would be lucky to hang on to draw. The opportunities he found to bring to life his inactive Rook and the defensive Knight I did not see. Not picking up on those resources led me an incorrect conclusion about the state of his game, and the Geezers’ chances in the match.

More soon.