Catching up on Some Games

I was wrong when I wrote in my last post that there would be a round played at Saratoga this past Sunday, the Sunday after Christmas. Alan LeCours had quite correctly not scheduled a round so as to not interfere with the tournament planned for Saratoga this past weekend. I regret the error. There will be a make-up round played on the Sunday following New Year’s and for several Sunday's after that.

The hiatus with both Saratoga and Schenectady dark for the Christmas holiday allows me to catch up on games I wanted to write about. Today’s game was a painful loss for me to Glen Gausewitz. Losses are less pleasant to analyze than victories or draws saved from a bad position. I have two on my plate at this moment, this one and a loss to Alan LeCours from the Schenectady Championship. Following Botvinnik’s dictum about analyzing everything if you want to improve, unpleasant or not, I will make a start with the Gausewitz game.

[Event "Saratoga Championship"]
[Site "Saratoga Springs, NY"]
[Date "12/06/2009"]
[White "Little, B"]
[Black "Gausewitz, G"]

1. e4 e6
2. c4 d5
3. exd5 exd5
The two games Glen and I played preceding this one were in the same line, and I won both. At this point I was feeling pretty good about things here.

4. d4 Bb4+
5. Nc3 Nf6
6. Bd3 …..
A couple of middling good IGM’s, N. Meizis of Latvia and our own Maurice Ashley have played this way for White. My actual motivation for using this approach was Glen had not found the correct formula for meeting the Exchange French in the previous games. I thought why not try it again?

6.… O-O
White does pretty well from this position. In twenty games White won six, lost four and drew ten. Not overwhelming statistics but a trifle better than average.

7. Ne2 dxc4
8. Bxc4 Bf5
We are now getting away from the practice of even the middle-range IGM’s. The only example I found with this position was; Gdansk - Manor, World Junior Championship, Adelaide, 1988.

9. O-O Nc6
Manor played 9..., Nbd7; and the game was drawn on move 30.

10. Bg5 …
More in line with master play is 10 a3. This Bishop may be needed to guard the c-pawn if Black trades on c3.

10.… h6
11. Bh4!? ….
In positions similar coming out of the same opening line, the database indicates e3 is the post good players like for this Bishop. From e3 it adds support for the d-pawn, and should Black decide to take it off, the f-pawn takes its place opening the f-file.

11.… Be7
12. a3 Qd7
13. Bg3 Bd6
14. d5 Ne5
15. Bb5 Qd8
A possible alternative is 15..., Qc8. Black does not want to help me dissolve my IQP and worsen his own pawn formation with 15..., c6. White obtains some initiative now, but I failed to make anything out of the slight pull.

16. Nd4 Bg6
17. Re1 Ned7
18. Bxd6 cxd6
19. Bd3 Bxd3
20. Qxd3 Ne5
21. Qb5 ….
Making very slight threats without having worked some deeper idea is a bad way to play against someone like Gausewitz. Glen has patience. He stays tactically alert and will be plotting his own tricks. The alternative I considered was 21 Qg3, to be followed by Nf5 and f2-f4. That did appear to lead anywhere. I settled on the Q-side foray absent any more creative idea. Even now with all the time needed, I haven’t found an idea that promises much.

21.… Rb8
22. Nf5 a6
23. Qe2 Re8
24. Ne3 ….
The game has been approximately equal for several moves. Whatever initiative I have is so slight as to be negligible. Maybe when I review the game with GM Har-Zvi the light will dawn for me. To this point I felt my game was OK, but certainly nothing to write home about. The one niggling long term worry is my d-pawn. It is advanced and causes Black some concern - White has a bit of extra space - but it will require some careful tending, and that makes finding active squares that are dangerous to Black harder to do. This is particularly so if my Knights are doing no more than guarding a single pawn.

24.… Neg4
25. Qd3? ….
An error that should land me in hot water right away. Better is 25 Qd2, keeping watch over b2 and f2.

25.…. Qb6
26. Rab1 …..
The first penalty for misplacing my Queen, a tempo wasted. There is more to follow.

26.… Nxe3?
Black misses a shot that picks up a full pawn. With the superior 26..., Nxf2; White will find little compensation after 27 Kxf2, Ng5+; and a great deal of material comes off leaving me a pawn down.

27. Rxe3 Rxe3
28. Qxe3 Qxe3
29. fxe3 Re8
30. Re1 Ng4
31. e4 f5
32. h3? ….
What was I thinking? The answer, I wasn’t thinking at all. The move 32 Re2, holds things together although the initiative has certainly passed to Black. The wages of my sin on move 25 are now there to be seen. Had I properly placed my Queen on d2 and saved the tempo used to defend b2 these dangers would have not cropped up. Now a pawn goes and I have to fight for some counter-play. The best try I could find was a quick concentration on the Black e-pawn. My pieces rush to surround the e-pawn while Glen hurries his reserves to the scene in the next phase of the game.

32.… Nf6
33. Kf2 fxe4
34. Ke3 Re5
35. Rd1 Kf7
36. Rd4 Kg6
37. b4 ….
I had believed when heading for this position it might be possible to create some chances with 37 Nxe4?! When we arrived here it was clear that 37 Nxe4?!, is effectively answered by 37..., Kf7!; then after 38 Kd3, Nxe4; 39 Rxe4, Rxd5+; the square e7 is covered and I have no entry point for my Rook. The upshot is the position is simplified, the Black Rook is not too badly placed and all I have to look forward to is an unpromising defensive task. Taking the path outlined in this note is likely better than the text. The game move does not help matters.

37.… b5
Not the best. Black could have clamped down with 37..., h5; with the idea of later …, h4; and things are beginning to get difficult for me. That is not to say the situation is pleasant as it is. The pawn minus seems an intractable problem, and my only hope is for some error on Glen’s part. Alas, this was not to be.

38. Rd2 Re7
39. Rd4 Kf5
40. g4+ Ke5
Now the d-pawn is in danger. Resignation is proper here. I could not quite admit the game was over and so played a few more moves.

41. Nxe4 Nxd5+
Trading the d-pawn for the e-pawn helps my cause not at all. As the central space opens up Black is winning in every way. The rest of the game needs no comment.

42. Kd3 Rf7
43. Nd2 Nf4+
44. Ke3 Ng2+
45. Kd3 Ne1+
46. Ke3 Nc2+
Resigns.
It was disappointing to have a reasonably level game slip out of control because of a lack of concentrated effort at critical points. Glen did a nice job of taking advantage of my mistakes and playing logically to bring home the full point.

More tomorrow.