Dilip Aaron versus Richard Chu

The decisive game of the Schenectady A - Geezers match was Dilip Aaron versus Richard Chu. They battled long and hard. Watching the game I thought Dilip was doing pretty well through much of the game. Putting the game under the microscope did not support that opinion entirely.

Aaron, Dilip - Chu, Richard [B08]

SCC A v Geezers CDCL Match Schenectady, NY, 28.04.2011

Board 4

1.e4 d6 2.d4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.Be3 Nd7 5.Nc3 Ngf6 6.Qd2 0–0 7.h3 e5

All theory, it is just not a terribly popular line in the Classical variation of the Pirc Defense. The internationalists tend to play 7..., c5; here, but there is no firm reason to say that is a better choice.

8.d5 b6

A different, simpler track is 8..., Nc5 9 Bd3 Nxd3 10 Qxd3.

9.g4 Nc5 10.Bxc5 bxc5 11.g5 Nh5

The operation undertaken by White has not given him any advantage. Black has more than enough resources on the K-side to meet a direct attack there.

12.0–0–0 a5 13.Be2 Ba6 14.Bxa6 Rxa6 15.Qe2 Rb6 16.a4 f5 17.gxf6?,..

This move loses material. Better is 17 h4, then 17..., Nf4 18 Qf1 Rb4 19 Nd2 fxe4 20 Ndxe4 Qd7; leaves Black with a solid advantage but maintains the material balance. I would not fault White’s choice if it gave him something; say piece activity for a pawn in this unpromising position. The pawn lost just simplifies the game, and the Black pieces have the activity.

17..., Qxf6 18.Nd2 Qxf2 19.Qxf2 Rxf2 20.Nc4 Ra6?

Here Black hands back the initiative. The White Knights now get free to damage the Black central pawn mass. Mr. Chu had to find the difficult to calculate line; 20..., Rb4 21 Nxa5 Bh6+ 22 Kb1 Bd2! It then is a question if White will see his best chance; 23 Rxd2 Rxd2 24 Nc8 Rb7 25 a5 Rf2! 26 a6 Rb6 27 a7 Rf8 28 Nb8 Rfxb8; returning the Exchange and remaining a sound extra pawn ahead. This is not an easy bit of chess work. There are several places where Black might abandon the pursuit saying; “Well that is just too risky to follow.” The game shows us that “playing it safe” as an alternative has its own difficulties.

21.Rdf1 Rxf1+ 22.Rxf1 Nf4 23.Nb5 c6

The penalties are coming due. It must be said however, Black is not in as much trouble as I thought while watching the game. As I wandered back and forth between the games, my encounter with John Barnes having ended early, my opinion was Richard had serious difficulties to solve.

24.dxc6 Rxc6 25.Nbxd6?!,..

When this move was played it seemed to me be the right thing to do. Looking at the position with Deep Rybka that does not appear to be true. The Knight on d6 is under attack and just is not very active. Taking on d6 ties up the Knights when they need to be making threats. Better may be 25 h4, getting the fragile h-pawn out of danger for the moment.

25..., Bh6?

A logical looking mistake. Putting both minor pieces on the h-file make the capture of the h-pawn impossible to do safely. Better 25..., Nxh3; pocketing the pawn on offer. Black has much better chances than does White; his pawns are cleared to run. This ending is a classic example of dynamics in chess. The important issues are; whose pawns can be activated most quickly, and are there tactical opportunities that can be used to improve piece positions? Here is a sample line of play; 25..., Nxh3 26 Rf7? Ng5 27 Ra7 Bf8 28 Ra8 Nf3 29 Nb7 h5 30 Nbxa5 Rf3; and it is clear the Black h-pawn is going to be a problem for White. Improving play for White helps but the Black pawns still become a concern after 25..., Nxh3 26 Kd2 h5 27 Ke3 Ra6 28 Nf7 Re6 29 Nd8 Bh6+ 30 Ke2 Ra6 31 Nxe5 Nf4+ 32 Kf2 Bg7 33 Nc4 Rf6 34 Ke1 g5 35 e5 Rf8; and position favors Black according to Rybka. The connected passed pawns Black has are certainly worrisome. After the text that possibility is foreclosed, and the balance swings towards White.

26.Kb1 Bg5 27.Rh1!?,..

It is more effective to defend h3 by playing 27 Rf3. That move allows for the possibility of bringing the White Rook into the game via Rf3-b3-b8. Even after the text White is better.

27..., Bd81!?

Another try is 27..., Ra6; guarding the pawn. White has the advantage but Black may be able to create a trick or two.

28.Nb7 Bf6 29.Nbxa5 Ra6 30.b3,..

The upshot of the last operation is White has the passed pawn and it is well secured. He needs to get his Knights better coordinated to prepare to advance the passer. This is the factor that permits Black to stay in the game.

30..., Kf7?

A natural reaction to rush the King towards an advancing passed pawn. The idea trips up on tactics. Better 30..., Ne2; looking for a chance to bring the Knight around to help hold up the a-pawn.

31.Nb7 Ne6 32.Rf1,..

Also good is 32 Rd1.

32..., Ke7 33.Nbd6 Rc6

Black has forfeited the initiative entirely and is holding on waiting for White to undertake some definitive action. That is never a good place in which to be in a chess game.

34.Nf7!?,..

Going for material gain directly can’t be faulted. More masterly may be 34 a5, increasing the tension. The idea White has is; 34 a5 Ng5 35 Rd1 h6 36 Rd3 Bg7 37 Nb6 Ke6 38 Ndc8, and the a-pawn has powerful escorts for the run to the 8th rank.

34..., Ng5 35.Nxg5 Bxg5 36.Nxe5 Re6 37.Nd3 c4

Black has small choice, he must try to mix things up. White has a solid outside passed pawn and a extra pawn to boot.

38.Nc5 Rb6 39.Rd1 cxb3 40.Nxb3 Rb4 41.Re1?,..

This is strange. Up to here, while moves can be criticized, none were glaring errors. This is. Dilip must have thought that 41 Rd4 Rxd4 42 Nxd4, did not favor White. He was very wrong in that judgment. White wins after 42..., Kd6 43 e5+! Kxe5 44 Nf3+ Kf5 45 Nxg5 Kxg5 46 a5, when the pawn can not be caught. Black can of course vary and keep the Rooks on the board, but after 41 Rd4 Rb8 42 Rd5 Be3 43 Rb5 Ra8 44 a5 Kf6 45 c4, the White pawns are well advanced. Black will be hard pressed to find effective counter-play.

After the game move, Black is nearly equal. The long range of his Bishop and the widely separated White pawns give the Black side opportunities to hold the draw.

41..., Rxa4 42.Kb2 Rc4 43.c3 Bf4 44.Re2 Be5 45.Re3 g5 46.Kc2 h5

Black is proceeding in a generally correct manner. He is preparing to make his own passer on the K-side while putting roadblocks in the way of White advancing the c-pawn.

47.Nd2 Ra4?!

Straightaway falling back to c8 with the Rook is probably better. Mr. Chu has ideas of getting his Rook behind the White pawns and grabbing one if White is not careful. This approach means the Bishop and King are tasked with delaying the White c-pawn and e-pawn.

48.Kb3 Ra1 49.Rd3 Rc1 50.Nf3 Bf4 51.Rd5 g4 52.hxg4 hxg4 53.Nh4 Ke6 54.Nf5,..

Rybka likes 54 Ng6, but as the line plays out the draw is more and more likely.

54..., Be5 55.Rd3 Rg1 56.Kc4 g3 57.Nxg3,..

Losing patience, or reacting to the overall match score White eliminates the last Black pawn. Dilip may have been worried about 57 Nd4+ Bxd4 58 cxd4? Rc1+; and the pawn Queens. He could improve with 58 Kxd4, getting the King in a better position then 58..., g2 59 Rd2, keeps some winning chances in hand for White. Playing as in the game removes all shadow of doubt from Black’s mind. The drawn outcome is clear; Black just needs to assign the Bishop the task of capturing the c-pawn when it becomes dangerous, and to maneuver his King to be in front of the e-pawn while shouldering the White away to reach the draw. By this point in the match the team’s scores were level. Surprisingly, Philip Sells had been unable to convert a sizeable material advantage with little time remaining on his clock against John Phillips. I concluded the Geezers had a decent result; a draw with the A team.

57..., Bxg3 58.Rd8 Be1 59.Rd1 Ke5 60.Rd4 Bf2 61.Rd2 Bb6 62.Re2 Rg8 63.Kb5 Rb8 64.c4 Bd4+ 65.Kc6 Ke6 66.Rd2 Rb6+

I did not ask Richard just why he decided to play in so complicated fashion. With 66..., Rc8+ and 67..., Ke5; the draw is firmly in hand. A possibility is he wanted to give his youthful opponent every chance to err.

67.Kc7 Bc5 68.Rd5 Be3 69.c5 Rb3 70.c6?,..

And he does so. Fortunately for Dilip Aaron the mistake is not quite fatal. Asok Aaron and I were watching the game, and I wagered him Richard would not catch this opportunity. Time was getting short for both parties.

70..., Bf4+!

I was wrong. Mr. Chu was at his best and alert to any chance. Now Black will win material, a lot of material, but..

71.e5,..

If 71 Kc1 Rb8; is mate.

71... Bxe5+ 72.Rxe5+ Kxe5 73.Kd8,..

Maintaining his composure, Dilip realizes the far advanced c-pawn is a trump that just may hold the draw.

73..., Rd3+ 74.Ke7 Rh3 75.c7 Rh7+ 76.Kd8 76...Kd6 77.c8N+,..

Just so! The Knight versus Rook ending is very often drawn. It is lost for the weaker side when according to Dvoretsky, Fine and others when; the Knight is separated from his King and can be trapped, or when the knight is in the corner and lost through zugzwang. There are some problematic positions when the Knight is on g2/g7/b2/b7, but they are specific to the placement of the other pieces. Otherwise, the draw is not difficult to demonstrate.

77..., Kc6 78.Ne7+ Kd6 79.Nc8+ Ke6 80.Nb6 Rb7 81.Nc4?,..

Creating a dangerous separation. Safe enough for the draw is 81 Nc8.

81..., Rb5 82.Kc7?,..

Dropping the piece right away. Black would have to execute the maneuver called Tesuji. FM Gordon Taylor coined the term in Inside Chess, 1989. It describes a sophisticated restriction maneuver executed against Knight by a King and a piece, usually a Rook. In this situation here, if White had played the better 82 Ne3, then Black proceeds 82..., Rb8+ 83 Kc7 Rb3 84 Ng2 Kf5 85 Kd7 Rd3+ 86 Kc7 Kg4 89 Kb6 Kg3 90 Ne1 Rd2; and the Knight falls. I did not note the time remaining for the players, and really can not comment if there was enough time left for Richard to search out this idea. Dilip’s own time troubles led to the error that bypassed the question.

82..., Rc5+ 0–1

And finally, the Geezers won a match from the A team! The result was delivered thanks to two rather raw errors - mistakes by Aaron and Barnes that were not typical of how they play - but such is the case often in club level League matches. The Geezers were happy to get the win and a little rueful about how it came about. Now that the ice is broken perhaps the next time we meet, the Geezers can win in a more deserving manner.

More soon.