I delayed until there are no other games to publish before putting this on the blog. It is a flawed game. Niether Mr. Wright nor I were particularly inspired in this outing . My opening line was certainly doubtful, but when Tim gave me a chance in the middle game to grab the advantage I did so. Unfortunately for me, I missed the best continuation, the logical way to exploit the edge. Later, I capped this less than sterling performance with an oversight in a won position making what should have been a win into a blitz draw.
Wright, Timothy - Little, Bill [C10]
Albany A v Geezers CDCL Match Schenectady, NY, 02.06.2011
Board 3
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bd7
The Fort Knox variation has been taken up by as diverse players as Kramnik and Karpov. If correctly played, Black will get rid of his poor light squared Bishop, and as the name implies, reach a safe position.
5.Nf3 Bc6 6.Bd3 Nd7 7.0–0 Ngf6 8.Nxf6+ Nxf6?!
An instructive error. The Knight needs to stay on d7 to oppose the White Knight when he jumps to e5. Correct is 8..., Qxf3; with full equality. As I said, correctly played Black can plan for safety, incorrectly played and problems loom.
9.c3 Be7 10.Ne5 0–0?
I could not quite bring myself to play 10..., Qd5; as the position demands. After that move, play could continue; 11 f3 Bb5 12 Re1 Bxd3 13 Qxd3 Rd8; and White has no more than the usual slight advantage expected from moving first. When considering my 10th move, .., Qd5; was noticed, but instead of buckling down to some concrete calculation, I put the idea aside and recklessly bet on accepting doubled c-pawns. My hope was the push ..,c6-c5; leads to a playable position.
11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Be3 Nd5 13.Bd2?!,..
The query is appended not because of any immediate tactical problem with the move, rather it passes on a logical continuation. White can just bring his Ra1 to e1 and look forward to a very comfortable game. Black, on the other hand, will have to be very, very careful. The c&a-pawns are weak, and if Black ever foolishly decides to give up the Nd5 for the Be3, White may be able to get a Rook involved in some kind of attack on the Black King.
13..., c5 14.Be4 Rb8 15.Qc2 Nf6 16.Bd3 Qd5?!
In my own turn I pass on the logical continuation. The tempo White gave me on move 13 permitted the .., c6-c5; operation to be carried out. Now logic says; dissolve the White center with 16..., cxd5; and net a pawn for my troubles with 17..., Qxd4. This is another case where concrete calculation was called for and I gave the challenge only superficial thought. If play had gone this way, Black is by no means winning. He does have the advantage however.
17.c4!?,..
It is unclear that this pawn sacrifice is worth the trouble. Acceptable is 17 Be3, and White keeps the two Bishops and the Black Q-side pawns will require care for a long time into the future after 17..., c4 18 Be2 Rb6 19 Bf3.
17..., Qxd4 18.Bc3 Qh4
Seduced by this opportunity to make threats eventually on the White King, I embark on an adventure. The appeal was making an attacking gesture and shoring up the defenses of h7 all in one move. In truth the only viable alternative is 18..., Qg4; and after 19 h3 Qh4; we are in a position similar to the game, but White has more resources.
19.g3 Qh3
Well I have what I wanted, but the danger to White is not that great if he keeps a cool head.
20.f4?!,..
A bit too much adventure on White’s part. Calm and safe is 20 Rfe1, with f2-f3 to follow when White can ask the Black Queen just what she is doing hanging out in dangerous territory? The text gives Black hope that his attacking notion will pay off.
20..., Rfd8 21.Rae1 Ng4 22.Be4?,..
Missing a neat tactical answer that I did not consider; 22 Bf5, eliminates any threats the Black Queen and Knight can conjure up. If Black goes for the exchange of all the minor pieces with 22..., Bf6 23 Bxg4 Qxg4 24 Bxf6 gxf6; White does have to take time to make a defensive gesture with 25 Rf2, but the Black Q-side pawns are ripe for picking via Qc2-a4. Playing this line out with Rybka seems to show Black is better in the heavy piece ending. On my own however, seeing thus is more than I can do. Over the board, I expect I’d be very fearful of the wholesale transformation of the position and not do a good job of calculating the many variations. If Black avoids the elimination of all the minor pieces with say 22..., Rd7; White can certainly try 23 Bxg4 Qxg4 24 Qa4 Rbd8 25 Qxa7 Qf5 26 a4, when some sharp play about the quick running a-pawn and Black trying to open things up around the White King with .., h5; and .., h4; will make for a nail biting finish.
22..., h5
Consistent, but a little better is 22..., Bf6. The idea then is to eliminate the Bc3 making d2 an even more sensitive point for White.
23.f5 e5?
This move spoils the previous good work. The proper way to exploit the advantage is 23..., Bg5; threatening .., Be3+.
24.f6?,..
White in his turn does not find 24 Rf3, rallying the guardians of the White King and making the Black Queen squirm in her rather tight quarters. White apparently does not see any utility in putting a Rook on f3 and does not take the opportunity to do so until later.
24..., Bxf6 25.Rf5?!,..
More useful is 25 Bf5, or 25 Rf3.
25...Rd6
I thought hard about 25..., g6; but 26 Rxf6 Nxf6 27 Bxg6, is too strong for White.
26.Qe2 Rbd8
The position seemed to me to be non-routine. A hard search did not come up with something extraordinary however, and I continued with normal doubling of the Rooks. Working with Rybka uncovered some other interesting possibilities, but none were more convincing than doubling the Rooks. With the White Queen and Bishop battery split up, 26..., g6; is possible. That line is complicated after 27 Rf3!? Bg5 28 Bd5 Rxd5!? 29 cxd5 e4 30 Rff1 f5. Black is pressing down on the White King violently, but a simple win it is not.
27.Rf3,..
Late arriving at the defensive post, the Rook may have been better off staying on f5. A reasonable idea here is 27 Qg2, forcing off the Queens. In any event Black has an edge.
27..., Bg5
My focus has been on making threats on e3 and d2. None of the threats are overwhelming, but if I keep the pressure on with these annoying little pin pricks something more substantial may pop up.
28.Bd5?,..
Presenting Black with an opportunity. Eliminating the Queens with 28 Qg2, may well be better.
28..., Rf6!?
The possible 28..., Rxd5; appeared to me to be very murky. If during the game I could have the calmness found in my study, perhaps uncovering; 28..., Rxd5 29 cxd5 e4; and a) 30 Rff1 Rxd5 31 Ba5 Rd3 32 Kh1 Rf3 33 Qg2 Rxf1+ 34 Rxf1 Qxg2+; and Black emerges two pawns ahead with every expectation of a win. If b) 30 Qxe4 Qxh2+ 31 Kf1 f6 32 Qe6+ Kh8 33 Qf5 g6 34 Qxg6? Qh1+ 35 Ke2 Qg2+, wins material. And what is probably the best try for White b1) 34 Qe4 c4 35 b3 Qh1+ 36 Ke2 Qg2+ 37 Kd1 cxb3 38 axb3 Nd5 39 Rff1 Qa2; when Rybka says Black is winning. Frankly, this line is beyond me especially over the board. Rybka and the Grandmasters can see their way through this stuff, not me. The text is as good as I can do.
29.Rxf6 gxf6 30.Qc2 Kg7?!
I used a good deal of my clock on this move. The text puts safety first. Confidence was lacking in my calculation of 30..., Be3+!; the correct way to finish up the game. If a) 31 Kh1 Bf2 32 Qg6+ Kh8; the Ng4 covers f6 and h6 so there is no perpetual check or mating attack by the White Queen. If b) 31 Rxe3 Qf1+!; wins the Exchange. Option a) I saw clearly. It was b) I in which could not find the details. After several minutes of fruitless worrying the position like a dog and his bone, I gave up and went for the move that met the threat 31 Qg6+. White now forces off the Queens leaving Black with a couple of extra pawns and much better piece placement. The game is winning for Black. I am unable to find anything better for White.
31.Qg2 Qxg2+ 32.Bxg2 Be3+ 33.Kf1 Bf2 34.Rb1 Bd4 35.Bxd4?,..
This just improves the position of the Black Rook, but with the h-pawn under threat White really is choosing which pawn will be lost.
35..., Rxd4 36.Bb7 Ne3+?
I believe taking the h-pawn is a better choice. I got lazy here and did not calculate the not to hard find sequence; 36..., Nxh2+ 37 Ke2 Rxc4 38 Bd5 Rc2+ 39 Kd3 Rf2 40 Rc1,.. (if 40 Ke3 Ng4+; is strong) 40..., Rxb2 41 Rxc5 Nf1; and if White continues ambitiously 42 Rxc7 Rd2+ wins decisive material. The horrible habit of thinking everything wins when the advantage is in hand has crept into my play in my declining years. The text does not throw away the win, it just makes things less clear than they could have been.
37.Ke2 Nxc4 38.Ba6 Nd6 39.a3 f5 40.b4 c4 41.Rc1 h4 42.Rg1 hxg3 43.Rxg3+ Rg4 44.Rc3 Rg2+ 45.Kf1 Rxh2 46.Bxc4,..
Black has taken off the last White K-side pawn. If silliness does not overtake me a full point should be my reward.
46..., Ne4 47.Re3 Nd2+ 48.Kg1 Nxc4??
And silliness smacks me in the back of the head, hard. Dropping the Exchange just because my attention wandered. Oddly enough Black is still in pretty good shape. The bunch of passed pawns on the K-side even leave me with some winning chances.
49.Rg3+ Kf6 50.Kxh2 e4 ½ - ½
The game now dissolved into a time scramble. I managed to lose almost all of my pawns, and Mr. Wright achieved a winning position. With less than a minute remaining on Wright’s clock I swindled my way to a draw. The remainder of the game was not recorded by either side. This cloaks mistakes by both parties in the universe of lost chess moves of a blitz finish, thankfully. All things considered, the drawn outcome is a just result, but I truly would have liked to win this one.
More soon.
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