Dilip Aaron played quite an interesting game with Alan Le Cours last Thursday. It happened to be in a line Alan has been spending some time upon. The youngster demonstrated mature judgment by avoiding the morass of complications Alan invited him to visit, obtained the better game and came close to winning. The suspicion grows that we may see the name Aaron on the Weininger Trophy again in the not far distant future.
Aaron, Dilip - Le Cours, Alan [C57]
SCC Finals 2010–11 Schenectady, NY, 17.02.2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5!?
The Two Knights, Wilks-Barre/Traxler Variation. Alan showed me several lines one evening he has examined in this opening one evening earlier this season. All highly complex with tactics spilling over the board from every direction. Just the sort of thing one might try to bowl over a less experienced opponent.
5.Bxf7+?!,..
Perhaps Alan was hoping for 5 Nxf7, then 5..., Bxf2+!?; and we have as Ronen Har-Zvi is fond of calling “a big mess” on the board. The line is unsound for Black, but White either has to have a terrific positional sense and excellent tactical sight, or a lot of book knowledge, to wander around this difficult position.
Older opening books say 5 d4, is the best way forward for White. Faced with what must have been a surprise in the opening, Dilip maintains composure, takes a little bit of an advantage in hopes of avoiding something nasty and plans to trade off material to reduce the attacking forces.
5..., Ke7 6.Bd5
Thinking no doubt that trading the Bishop for the Knight gets rid of one of the possible attacking units. Very likely either 6 Bc4, or 6 Bb3, is better.
6..., Qe8
Worth consideration is 6..., Rf8; but likely it is nothing more than a transposition of moves.
7.d3?!,..
Better is 7 c3, preparing d2-d4, controlling d4 and making a haven for the light squared Bishop if Black does not trade it off on d5. Even after the text White retains a solid advantage.
7..., Rf8 8.Nf3?,..
This move hands Black a sorely needed tempo. Better to first castle waiting for Black to use a move to kick the Ng5 with .., h7-h6.
8..., d6?
Too routine. Black has invested a pawn and gotten his King to an awkward post so to create a difficult position for both sides. He should not shy away from ratcheting up the tension. Doing so with 8..., Nd4; when after 9 Nxd4 Bxd4 10 0-0 Qg6; Black has his pieces posted for a well for an assault on the K-side is reasonable.
9.Bg5?,..
The transaction contemplated just helps Black along with his K-side activities. Getting rid of a potential attacking piece, the Nf6, is not worth the loss of his better Bishop, and it clears the way for the Black Rook to take part in operations quickly.
9..., h6 10.Bxf6+ Rxf6 11.h3 Nd4 12.Nbd2 c6 13.Bb3 Qf8 14.c3,..
The results of the misguided trade on f6 are Black has pressure down the f-file and White is reluctant to castle short for fear of a trade of Knights on f3 may be followed by the capture of the pawn on h3 when the recapture by the g-pawn leaves the remaining Nf3 is under defended.
14..., Ne6!?
Le Cours wants apparently to keep stirring the pot. The pawn given has not come back yet with any significant return. Here he threatens 15..., Nf4; working on weakening the White K-side. If 15 g3 Ng5; begins hand-to-hand fighting that is dangerous for White. The alternative 14..., Nxb3; is answered by 15 Nxb3, hitting the Bc5, or 15 axb3, opening a line for the Ra1, and White is prepared to advance the d-pawn relieving some pressure on the f-file. White now concedes the two Bishop versus two Knights imbalance. From here on the game revolves around whether Black can break open the position for the Bishops, or let us say it should.
15.Bxe6 Bxe6 16.Nb3 Bb6 17.d4 Bc4 18.Qd2? Rxf3!
Much safer was 18 Nbd2, reinforcing f3. In the spirit of the Wilks-Barre, Le Cours sacrifices the Exchange. It is the best way forward. Everything else lets White off the hook.
19.gxf3 Qxf3 20.Rg1 Qxe4+ 21.Qe3 Qxe3+ 22.fxe3 g5 23.0–0–0?,..
Another example of routine thinking. Castling is good, right? Not always, especially after the Queens are gone. Both 23 Rg3, and 23 Nd2, are probably better options.
23..., Rf8
It is hard to be critical of this natural move, but better may be is 23..., Be6; hitting h3, then if 24 h4 g4; establishing the passed g-pawn as a strong positional counter. And if, 24 Rg3 Rf8 25 Rh1 Bc7; lining up the Bishops to support the g-pawn and attack the h-pawn over the long term. Black has some advantage but how to increase it is uncertain.
Dilip had played quickly to this point and had left one hour and eleven minutes of one hour and forty minutes with which he began. Alan had fifty minutes. Time trouble did not appear to be going to play a role in this game.
24.Nd2 Be2
Of course not 24..., Bxa2? 25 b3, wins material.
25.Rde1 Bd3?!
Less good than 25..., Rf2. Black needs to clear away the pawn chains blocking the center of the board, and he wants to hang on to the g-pawn. Further, he probably really does not desire to see a trade of pawns on the K-side anytime soon. If he can establish pawns on g4 and h5 with the White h-pawn on h4, White would have negligible chances of winning. By removing the Bishop from the d1-h5 diagonal Black allows clarification on the K-side that does not help his cause.
26.h4 Rg8 27.hxg5 hxg5 28.Rg3 e4?
The antithesis of the correct goal for Black. Diagonals are blocked devaluing the Bishops. In most cases of two Bishops fighting against a Knight and a Bishop, opening the center favors the Bishops.
29.Rh1 Rg7 30.Rg4 d5 31.Rh6 Be2 32.Rg1 Bc7 33.Nf1 Bxf1?
Aaron still had one hour on his clock. Le Cours had run his time down to just about one half-hour searching for a workable plan with which to take the full point. The capture on f1 spells the end of striving for victory by Black I think. Keeping the struggle going with 33..., Bf3; and later .., g5-g4; maintains chances for a win. With best play by both sides the game is likely drawn, but there is much fight left in the position. Worse than giving up the fight for the point is there exists a tactical flaw in the idea motivating Black; advance the g-pawn. What Alan did not consider deeply enough are the circumstances in which White can force the Rook exchange and then get his King over to relieve the other Rook of blockading the g-pawn. Once the Rook is free the game swings in White’s favor strongly.
34.Rxf1 g4 35.Rff6?,..
Much better is 35 Kd1 beginning to bring the King into the fight to block the g-pawn. If when Alan captured on f1 he gave up trying for a win, this leap forward of the Rook that is needed to cover g1 does much the same for Dilip. A win is possible after 35 Kd1 g3 36 Rfh1 Kf8 37 Ke2 a6 38 Rh8+ Kf7 39 R8h7 Kg8 40 Rxg7+ Kxg7; and White will prepare with b2-b3 and c3-c4 to weaken the Black pawn barrier enough so the Rook can swing over and claim a pawn or two. After that it is a matter of technique, as the chess writers are fond of saying. With an extra pawn in the bag, White brings the Rook back to attack the g-pawn and captures it even at cost of retuning the Exchange. Then it is a straight forward pawn ending with an extra pawn when a modicum of care will give White the full point. If Black drives the g-pawn forward to g2 on say move 36, White will first block the pawn with the Rook going to g1, and then find the idea of bringing the forward Rook back to h3 preventing any entry of a Black piece on g6 that does not lose the g-pawn, or more. Finally, the White King comes to f2 and the pawn falls.
35...g3 36.Rhg6 Rh7 37.Rh6?,..
Good play up to these last few moves tells us Dilip needs a bit more seasoning. He has fixed in his mind that all was well and repeating a couple of moves would split the point. Sadly wrong. White had to play 37 Rf1. He is now lost.
37..., Rg7?
Alan must have reached the same conclusion as did Dilip. Disappointing for him is he did not find the not so obvious 37..., g2!; when 38 Rxh7+ Kxf6; and the pawn will Queen. Playing on with 38 Re6+ Kd8 39 Reg6 Rxh6; is hopeless, as is 39 Rhg6 Rh1+ and the pawn Queens the next move gaining a Rook.
38.Rhg6 Rh7 ½–½
Neither player spotted the little trick at the end so I suppose the drawn result is a fair outcome. Aaron had 57 minutes on his clock at the end, and Le Cours had just over eighteen minutes. Time trouble was not the villain this time. I think the tension in the situation was the root cause. This is Dilip’s first chance in the SCC Finals, and he was anxious to do well. Mr. Le Cours had undertaken the burden of the Wilks-Barre/Traxler Variation and had used a lot of energy early on. Those things combined led to the mutual errors at the finish.
More soon.
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