A week ago I played David Connors once again. Mr. Connors conducted his side of the game pretty well up to a point in the late middle game. There he seemed to lose the thread. When the ending approached, he jumped at a chance for a Bishops of opposite color ending. That choice was not entirely wrong if it had been followed up correctly by opting for active counter-play. Unfortunately for David he did not do so and the game ended in my favor.
Connors, David - Little, Bill [A07]
Saratoga Championship Saratoga Springs, NY, 07.11.2010
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 c6 4.d3 Bg4 5.Nbd2 Nbd7 6.0–0,..
All mainline theory. Vaganian and Movsesian are two Grandmasters who have championed the White side in recent years. Interestingly, both played the Black side in a similar fashion to my choice in this game. I did not know that going into the position. It is comforting to this find out because my opening preparation has always been a weak point for me.
6..., e5 7.e4 dxe4 8.dxe4 Qc7 9.Qe1 Bb4
Played with the notion of luring some of the White pawns onto dark squares. This move and the earlier .., Bg3; seemed to have similar motivations; get White to push pawns in hopes of exploiting weaken squares that show up after advances such as h2-h3 and g2-g4 against a Bg4.
10.a3 Be7 11.Nc4 Bxf3?!
Better is 11..., Be6. I was dead lazy here. Rather than buckling down and calculating if there was anything in the pressure White is trying to exert on e5, I simply eliminate the Nf3. So far as simple chess goes, this is alright, but some consideration should have been given to the fact that the text gives up the Bishop pair. Best is 11..., Be6; then if 12 b3 Bxc4; with a very slight edge for Black, or 12 Qe2 b5 13 Ncd2, when Black has a small lead in development and an entirely equal game.
12.Bxf3 0–0 13.Bg2 Rfe8 14.Kh1 b5 15.Ne3 Bf8 16.Nf5 g6 17.Nh6+ Kg7 18.Bh3 Ng8 19.Nxg8 Kxg8 20.Qe2 Rad8 21.Be3 Nc5 22.Bg2 Ne6 23.c3 a6 24.Rfd1 Nc5 25.Rxd8 Rxd8 26.Rd1 Nb3 27.Rxd8 Qxd8 28.h4,..
The play for the last several moves was not very exciting. Black has posted his pawns on the light squares to offset the light squared Bishop that White has in hand. White has traded off material hoping to get some advantage. If the Queens are traded and the position opens up the two Bishops could be enough to win.
28.., h5?!
Not the best way of meeting the advance of the h-pawn. This is another example of lazy thinking. A careful examination of the position would have told me my Bf8 makes the attack created by pushing the h-pawn to h6 and putting the Queen on f3 a non-starter and the time used by White to go down that road would have doomed his Q-side pawns. The real problem with the game move is not that it passes on a better idea, rather more important is that my pawn on h5 can become a target.
29.Qc2 Nc5 30.Bf1 Qd7 31.Kg2 Ne6 32.Qd2!?,..
White pursues his policy of trading material and gets the Queens off. Somewhat better is 32 Qd3 keeping the dark squared Bishop on an active square.
32...Qxd2 33.Bxd2 c5 34.b4 c4 35.Be3 Bd6 36.f3 Kf8 37.g4,..
White is exploiting the weakness of my move 28. I am reluctant to capture on g4 for that would leave White with the potential outside passed pawn. Correct though the move played is, there is also a flaw in understanding by White.
37..., Nf4+ 38.Bxf4?,..
After the game David said he thought he had to take the Knight. Not true. There is nothing wrong with ignoring the adventurous “horse” by just moving his King to f2 leaving the game entirely even.
38..., exf4 39.Kf2,..
Here it became apparent to me that Connors had not quite understood what was happening in this position.
38..., Be5?
And I promptly make a mistake. Much better is 38..., hxg4; slowing down the light squared White Bishop from circling behind my Q-side via Bh3/Bc8 creating some counter-play. With my Bishop on the long diagonal a passed h-pawn is less of a worry. After White recaptures on g4, the Bishop goes to e5 with the same effect as in the game, but White must use one more move to make the Bishop tour to c8.
40.Ke2,..
Missing a chance to obtain activity for the Bf1 with 40 gxh5! My erroneous 38..., Be5; threatens the complete destruction of the White Q-side. The threat looms so large in David’s mind he does not find the better alternative.
40..., hxg4
Belatedly recognizing the danger to my Q-side.
41.fxg4 Bxc3 42.Kf3 Bb2 43.a4 Bc3?
The position is still won, but this is certainly the sloppiest way to go about it. Neat and thematic is 43..., c3 44 Bd3 bxa4 and either the a-pawn or the c-pawn will reach the first rank and make a Queen.
44.axb5 axb5 45.Kxf4 Bxb4 46.Ke3 Bc5+ 47.Kd2 Bd4
This was the sequence I had worked out back around move 41. My centralized Bishop covers h8 so the White h-pawn is never going to Queen successfully. When my King marches up to support the connected passed pawns there is no defense. Botvinnik and his great rival Keres long ago made the point that I forgot; even when you see a clear winning line, if possible check for ways to improve.
48.Kc2?,..
By sacrificing the e-pawn with 48 e5, White could have created technical difficulties. Black should still be able to win but it is by no means a trivial endgame exercise because of the Bishops of opposite color.
48..., Ke7 49.h5 g5 50.Bg2 Kd6
All danger is now gone for Black. The King is close enough to protect the passed pawns, and with Bishop and King in close convoy they will march to the first rank.
51.h6 b4 52.Bf1 Kc5 53.h7 b3+ 54.Kb1 Be5 55.Be2 Kd4 56.Bf1 c3 57.Bg2 c2+
And the game ended shortly With Connors resigning.
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