Today’s game is Dilip Aaron’s win from John Phillips in the SCC Finals. It was a workmanlike job the youthful Aaron carried out after Phillips made an early error.
Aaron, Dilip - Phillips, John [B34]
SCC Finals 2010–11 Schenectady, NY, 24.02.2011
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Qd2 0–0 8.0–0–0 d5?
After the game John commented this was where the mistake happened. He thought that ..,d7-d5; was an acceptable idea but not after White castles long. The comments were close to the mark for being made just after a hurtful loss.
I think John confused his recollection of some lines in the Accelerated Sicilian (an early fianchetto by Black) and the Hyper-Accelerated Sicilian where the fianchetto begins on move 2. In the Accelerated, the so called Classical Line, one variation goes; 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 g6 5 Nc3 Bg7 6 Be3 Nf6 7 Be2 0-0; when 8 Qd2?, is labeled a mistake because 8...,d5! 9 exd5 Nxd5 10 Nxd5 Nxd4 11 Bxd4 Qxd5 12 Bxg7 Qxg2 13 0-0-0 Kxg7 14 Qe3 Qc6; and Black has a clear advantage. At the critical moment after 7..., 0-0; in the game, the position is similar to the line from the Accelerated quoted above but quite the same. The small changes make all the difference.
Probably, Black should be satisfied with 8..., Ng4; the thematic try for Black in lines where g4 is not foreclosed to him, or 8..., d6; reverting to lines from the Classical Accelerated Sicilian. Either way White has only a small edge.
9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.exd5 cxd5 11.Nxd5 Be6?
During my first look at this game in my home lab, I did not immediately see this really was the mistake that put Black in serious trouble. Acceptable is 11..., Nxd5 12 Qxd5 Rb8 13 b3 Qe8 14 f3, and White is out of immediate danger true enough. Black has, however, kept enough material on the board to complicate things. Another path is 11..., Rb8 12 b3 Qd6; activating as many pieces as possible as quickly as possible to offset the material imbalance. After the text at least some simplification happens, and White gets to consolidate his advantage.
12.Nxf6+ Bxf6 13.Qxd8 Rfxd8 14.Rxd8+ Rxd8 15.b3 Bc3
Maybe Mr. Phillips thought there was a way to keep the White Q-side under wraps.
16.Bd3 a5?
Setting the stage for further forced simplification. The a-pawn’s looseness will require the exchange of the dark squared Bishops. As material come off the passed, and potential passed White pawns on the Q-side loom larger and larger regards the fate of the game. Either 16..., h5; or 16..., Kg7; are worthy alternatives.
17.Bd2!,..
Just before White’s 17th move, I made a bet with myself; if Dilip sees this, there is a real chance for him to take home the point, if not, he will be very disappointed. All the other choices, while not bad in themselves, would have given John a bit of a breather. Phillips is very resourceful, and given time, he just might come up with something to create difficulties. After Mr. Aaron plunked his dark cleric on d2, it seems to me that the best Black can hope for is a draw in some tricky Rook and pawn endgame.
17..., Bxd2+ 18.Kxd2 Bf5 19.Re1!?,..
Not quite the sharpest answer. A bit better is 19 Ke3, then 19..., Bxd3 20 Rd1, lets White keep a better pawn structure.
17..., Bxd3 20.cxd3 e6 21.Re5 a4 22.bxa4!?,..
Perhaps second best. A good move is 22 b4, and one way or another White will collect the a-pawn. Then the connected a and b-pawns are undamaged and so powerful with the Rook in front to convoy them towards Queening the game will not last long. Really this may be just a quibble. Dilip takes another path featuring the forward rush of the a-pawn that shows how far out of the critical sector the Black King is in fact.
22..., Rd4 23.Re4 Rd5 24.Kc3 Kf8 25.g3?,..
Too much caution.
25..., Ke7 26.Kc4 Rd8 27.Kc3!?,..
A small moment of indecision. 27 Re5, keeps control.
27..., f5 28.Rd4 Ra8 29.Rb4,..
Also good is 29 f4, having some say over e5 to stymie the Black King if he wants to enter on the K-side to gin up counter-play.
29..., h6 30.Kb3 g5 31.Rb5 Rc8 32.a5 Rd8 33.Kc4 Kd6 34.d4,..
Black has not found any way to muddy the position, and White has carefully advanced his passed a-pawn. I am certain John Phillips recognized the game was lost, and he is now looking for a slip by his less experienced opponent that offers some way back into the game for Black.
34..., Rc8+ 35.Rc5 Re8
Not a particularly good move, but the situation is bad and most moves are wanting. One trick that could be tried is; 35..., Ra8; 36 d5 exd5 37 Rxd5+ Ke6; the Black King has to go this way otherwise White just shifts his operation aim to the K-side pawns and they will fall. The game is still won for White, but the winning process is drawn out a bit more. The little poison in this line is if White shrinks from 36 d5, and thinks the correct way is an advance by his King by say 36 Kb5, then 36..., Rb8+; and Black just might slip his Rook to the second rank. Once there, and if enough pawns can be eaten, there is some hope of drawing even if the Rook has to be given up for the a-pawn. Dilip now demonstrates he knows how to win.
36.a6 Ra8 37.Kb5!,..
Exactly. Aaron understands keeping the Black King cut off with the Rook is correct.
37..., Rb8+ 38.Ka5 f4 39.gxf4 gxf4 40.a7 Rg8 41.Ka6 f3 42.Rb5 Kc7 43.Rb7+ 1–0
There is no stopping the pawn, and no time to grab any compensation. Quite a nice win for Dilip Aaron. He may not get the trophy this year, but all the competitors are on notice for next year.
More soon.
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