OK to a point then panic set in

Here is a short sharp contest with some interesting ideas, connections to theory and to things past.

Little, Bill - Taylor, Steven [B51]

Saratoga Championship Saratoga Springs, NY, 10.10.2010

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6 4.0–0 Bd7

Steve said after the game he took this approach because it was more common for Black to fianchetto immediately, or to play .., e7-e6; and he wanted to get away from theory I might have studied. He is correct that those moves are more common, but this position as also been explored by the really good players. We are following Har-Zvi, R(!) - Geland, B; Tel Aviv, 1999. My databases show Rublevsky, Adams, Ponoariov, Anand, Sutovski, etc. playing White against such as Topalov, Movsesian, Ivanchuk, Tiviakov, etc. in this line. The games cited were all from the latter half of the 1990’s. Apparently at that moment in time this was a very pertinent theoretical line. It would have been helpful if GM Har-Zvi had gone over this line in one of our many Saturday morning group sessions. If he did, I was absent on that day.

5.Re1 a6 6.Bxc6 Bxc6 7.d4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 g6 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Qd4,..

This move departs from Har-Zvi - Gelfand. Ronen played 10 c4. We are now following some lesser lights; Minasian, A (2485) - De Sousa, J (2280) Ubeda Open, 2000. When the game was played I did not have knowledge of the foregoing and was figuring it out as I went along. I remember thinking this a familiar position but not quite something I have seen before.

10..., Nf6 11.e5 dxe5 12.Qxe5 Bg7 13.Nc3?!..,

This very natural looking developmental move is doubtful. Minasian played the tricky 13 Qc5, continuing the policy of “little threats” and De sousa defended with 13..., Qc7?. This allowed 14 Bf4!, possible because of the mate threat at e7, then 14..., Qb7 15 Rxe7+ Qxe7 16 Qxc6+, recovering the piece with a winning advantage. De Sousa could have played similarly to Taylor in our game; 13..., 0-0; although after 14 Qxc6, White is better.

13...,0–0 14.Qc5!?,..

Probably best here for White is to take the pawn with 14.Qxe7 Qa5 15.Bh6 Rae8 16.Qd6 Bxh6 17.Qxf6 Bg7 18.Qxc6 Rc8 19.Qe4 Rxc3 20.bxc3 Bxc3 21.Red1 Bxa1 22.Rxa1, when a peaceful splitting of the point is near

14...Ng4

Taylor took a long think for this move. I did not follow that good piece of chess wisdom: When your opponent makes a move and you don’t immediately know its point, it is time for serious work. As I said to Steven afterwards: “It was as if I had forgotten the diagonal b8-h2 had the squares c7 and b8 in it.”

15.Be3?,..

The only move to keep the game going is 15 Qxc6, after which things do get complicated. Play probably continues 15..., Bd4 16 Nd1 Qb8 17 g3 Qa7 18 Qf3, and Black has a lot of pressure for the pawn invested. After the text Black is much better.

15..., Qb8 16.h3?,..

When the Black Queen went to b8 it was a shock. Rather than taking enough time to recover whatever poise I could the hasty text move was pplayed quickly and the roof caved in on me. One more terrible example of what happens when you panic. It is still possible to make a reasoned defense with 16 g3, Black does have a superior game but White can fight on.

16..., Nxe3?!

In the postmortem Steve thought 16..., Qh2+ might give me some chances because the Queens would most likely have to be exchanged after 17 Kf1 Nxe3 18 Qxe3 Qh1 + 19 Ke2 Qxg2 20 Rg1 Qh2 21 Qg3. Black has the extra pawn, a superior pawn formation, a better minor piece and good lines for his Rooks, certainly enough positional pluses to make a win in the long run. He read my attitude correctly and keeping the Queens on was right psychologically.

17.Qxe3?..,

And it pays immediate dividends. Better 17 Rxe3, at least getting some activity for my pieces.

17..., Qxb2 18.Na4?

Losing the Exchange at the very least. A little better is 18 Ne2, but then the Q-side pawns all fall and nothing is accomplished but stringing out the game for some moves; 18 Ne2 Qxc2 19 Rac1 Qxa2 20 Rxc6, and the passed a-pawn well supported by the Bg7 and the Ra8 is impossible to stop.

18...,Qb4 19 Resigns for now the Knight is lost.

The final moves of this game remind me of my last post and how David Connors played his last few moves there against Fineberg. Both he and I fell apart against higher rated players when things took a turn we did anticipate. Of all the reasons why some are highly rated and others fall farther down the rating list, one of the most important is the ability to not lose one’s head in a crisis. These last two posts are examples of how not to play.

More soon.