Almost an Upset

An interesting battle illustrating that, in the struggles between higher and lower rated contestants at the local level, the road to a victory is littered with missed opportunities.

Connors, David - Phillips, John [A87]
SCC Prelim B Schenectady, NY, 15.12.2011

1.Nf3 f5

Could this be a mistake right out of the box? Connors has been a member of the Saratoga Club for some years. Gary Farrell and Alan Le Cours of Saratoga have the reputation of liking the Dutch. I am certain David had seen many Dutch Defenses at their hands over the course of time. Considerable practice against strong players such as these must give some insight about how to play against it. Combined that with the fact that every so often David has been known to stage a big upset, and I would be reluctant to try the Dutch against him. Of course, from the higher rated player’s perspective in this case, it has to be understood Phillips was assured of qualifying to Finals going in, so taking a chance that Connors might be well prepared really is not so great a risk. Then there is the matter of what can be called “higher rated pride”. The litany goes on in the higher rated player’s head; “I am a couple classes above this guy and should be able to play any opening and still win the game.” A common notion that is not always true!

2.d4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 Nf6 5.c4 0–0 6.Nc3 d6 7.0–0 Qe8 8.Qc2,..

Most usual here is 8 Qb3, it is more active than is the text. But an upstate boy made good, GM Jon Tisdall, tried out the game move when he was actively hunting the GM title:

(209105) Tisdall, Jonathan D (2460) - Valkesalmi, Kimmo (2355) [A87]
Thessaloniki ol (Men) Thessaloniki (14), 29.11.1988
1.d4 f5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.0–0 0–0 6.c4 d6 7.Nc3 Qe8 8.Qc2 e5 9.dxe5 dxe5 10.Rd1 Nc6 11.Nd5 Rf7 12.Be3 h6 13.h3 Be6 14.Nd2 Rd8 15.Nb3 Kh7 16.Nxf6+ Bxf6 17.Nc5 Bc8 18.Rxd8 Nxd8 19.Nd3 Nc6 20.Rd1 Nd4 21.Bxd4 exd4 22.b4 Re7 23.Re1 c6 24.a4 Be6 25.Nf4 Bf7 26.b5 Be5 27.Nd3 Bc7 28.Bf3 Ba5 29.Rb1 Bc3 30.bxc6 bxc6 31.c5 Qd7 32.h4 Kg7 33.Nb4 Re6 34.Na6 Rf6 35.Rb8 Bc4 36.Nb4 Qc7 37.Nxc6 Rxc6 38.Qb1 Ba6 39.Qb3 Bc8 40.Bxc6 Qxc6 41.Qb5 Qc7 42.Ra8 Kf7 43.c6 Ke6 44.Qc5 1–0

The less active 8 Qc2, worked out well for “Tis” in that game, but it can’t be said it was because the opening went particularly well for him. The full point came his way when Valkesalmi lost his way in the later middle game when he was tempted to play 36..., Qc7; to threaten the White Rook. Much better was 36..., f4; and Black’s attacking chances on the K-side balance the White pressure on the Q-side.

Most of the few GM games found in this the Leningrad Dutch line see the move 8 Qb3, played here. Here is an example from the practice of the then just dethroned World Champion Anatoly Karpov in 1991:

(267538) Karpov,Anatoly (2725) - Gurevich,Mikhail (2650) [A87]
Euwe mem Amsterdam (4), 1991
1.d4 f5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 d6 4.Nf3 g6 5.0–0 Bg7 6.c4 0–0 7.Nc3 Qe8 8.Qb3 c6 9.d5 Na6 10.Be3 Ng4 11.Bf4 Nc5 12.Qc2 h6 13.h3 e5 14.dxe6 Ne5 15.Rad1 Nxe6 16.Rxd6 Nxc4 17.Rd3 Nxf4 18.gxf4 Be6 19.Rfd1 Qe7 20.b3 Nb6 21.Qd2 Kh7 22.Ne5 Bf6 23.Qe3 Rae8 24.Na4 Nd5 25.Bxd5 Bxd5 26.Nc3 g5 27.Nxd5 cxd5 28.Rxd5 gxf4 29.Qd3 Bg7 30.Kf1 Qg5 31.Nf3 Qh5 32.Kg2 Qg6+ 33.Kh2 Qe6 34.Rd2 Rf7 35.Qc4 Qb6 36.Qc5 Qxc5 37.Rxc5 Rfe7 38.Rcc2 b5 39.Nh4 Re5 40.Kg2 Bf6 41.Nf3 R5e6 42.Ne1 a5 43.Kf3 a4 44.Rd7+ R8e7 45.Rxe7+ Rxe7 46.Nd3 axb3 47.axb3 1–0

Returning to the game.

8..., e5!?

Some part of the troubles Mr. Phillips soon suffers arise from this ambitious move. In the last game commented on in this blog; Magat - Henner, we saw a diagonal threats made by Black on the White Rook on a1 play an important role in the progress of that game. Here similar diagonal threats, this time against the Black Rook at f8 influence play. It isn”t often White gets to develop the Bc1 through e3 to c5, but it does happen every once in awhile and it is worth knowing of the possibility. More cautious is 8..., e6.

9.dxe5 dxe5 10.Rd1 Nc6 11.Be3 Kh8?!

Black now realizes things are not so easy. He does have a commanding presence in the center, but gaining it left behind some holes; the White Bishop going to c5 in concert with the Knight jumping to g5 threaten the Rf8 and crosses up the possibility of Black creating an attack on the White King based on a push of the f-pawn. Realizing this, Black considers shifting the Rf8 to the g-file to support the g-pawn advance perhaps. He could have bravely continued in a thematic fashion with 11..., e4; if then 12 Ng4!? h6 13 Nh3 Ng4; with a complex battle in which Black is not worse. White can vary with 12 Nh4, 12 Ne1, or 12 Nd2, but none of these moves prevent Black from continuing his build up of forces aimed at a frontal assault on the White King. The momentary hesitation here by Black permits White to gain some edge.

12.Bc5 Rf7 13.Ng5 Rd7 14.Rxd7 Nxd7

This move and the natural alternative, 14..., Bxd7; are equally valued by Deep Rybka. The net result of the White operation is the contemplated frontal attack on the White King is defused, and Black has to react to threatened invasions of the White Knights; Nc3/d5.c7, and Ng5/f7. When the Rook comes to d1 White will have all his forces mobilized. Black still has his Q-side Rook and Bishop sitting at home. The central control Black counted on has been hollowed out somewhat by a lack of piece development to take advantage of the space, and the possible use of d5 by the White pieces.

15.Be3 h6?!

Mr. Phillips did not care for the awkward looking result of; 15..., Nf8 16 Nd5 Qd7; but that may have been the best chance here.

16.Nd5 hxg5?!

A difficult decision that leads to a won game for White. However, the simplifying continuation; 16..., Nb4; concedes a pawn after 17 Nxb4 hxg5 18 Bxg5 c6; without solving the development lag Black is experiencing.

17.Nxc7 Qd8 18.Nxa8 Nf8

Black is playing to capture the Na8 from here on out. If the Na8 is lost without compensation, White still has a Rook and a pawn for two Knights which is not so bad for White. Therefore White should keep in mind a couple of things; giving up the Knight for a pawn is no bad thing - two pawns and a Rook for two Knights is adequate compensation. How adequate depends on a number of factors outlined by Andy Soltis in his book Rethinking the Chess Pieces, Batsford Chess, London 2004. The factors Soltis enumerated are: the initiative, the presence of Queens, total material - what’s left, not what is gone, and how close is the game to an ending. Queens on help the pieces. More material on the board increases tactical chances for the pieces. Rooks get stronger in the ending and the pieces lose a little bit of strength there. Having the initiative most often determines Queen exchanges and the opportunities for trading down to endings.

19.Bxc6!,..

A very good move and one too many of us would not make. Owners of fianchettoed Bishops too often refuse to consider giving them up to move the game along logically. Here White acts to trade down towards the ending, the correct formula according to Soltis

19..., bxc6 20.Qd2 Qxd2

Trying to keep the Queens on with 20..., Qe7; allows 21 Rd1, and then 21..., Ne6 22 Qa5 Nd4 23 Qc7 Bd7 24 Qxa7 Nxe2+ 25 Kg2 Nd4 26 Nb6, completing the rescue of the Knight and piling up on the Black weaknesses. A textbook example of exploiting the initiative in a Rook and pawns versus two minor pieces situation.

21.Bxd2 Ne6 22.Ba5 e4 23.Bc3?!,..

After playing strongly for many moves, Mr. Connors shows a little uncertainty. The b-pawn is not important. If Black takes it, one more line opens for the White Rook to use, and once the Rook gets to the 7th the Black position collapses.

23..., Bb7?

A more stubborn, but nonetheless frail, defense of the Black position is 23..., Bxc3 24 bxc3 Kg7 25 Rb1 Kf6 26 Rb8 Ba6 27 Rb4 Nc5 28 Ra5 Kd6. Black will probably run out of useful moves before White does, and the Rook will break into the rear of the Black position. The text lets this happen sooner than necessary.

24.Bxg7+ Kxg7 25.Rd1 Kf6

If the Na8 is taken the Bishop is lost to 26 Rd8, 27 Rd7+.

26.Rd7?!,..

Much better is 26 Nc7, then if 26..., Nxc7 27 Rd7, recovers the piece simplifying to a won ending. David Connors had played the several preceding moves quickly and confidently. His advantage was large, and even this little bobble on here does not significantly change the evaluation of the position.

26..., Nc5 27.Rd8 Na6 28.Rd7 Nc5

Of course not 28..., Bxa8 29 Rxa7, recovering the material and then some.

29.Rxb7??,..

It is infrequently appropriate to slap the dreaded double query on a move. This time it has to be done. There is no time trouble to explain this decision. Every indication; body language, consistency in following a plan, etc. was that David understood the position and had an idea of how it should finish. Then this!? The Na8 is well defended by the Rook going to h7. If 29 Rh7 Bxa8 30 Rxa7 Bb7 31 b4!, recovers the material. After the game, Mr. Phillips said he would have taken a draw had Mr. Connors played 29 Rd8 Na6 30 Rd7, and offered such. So, in one fell move White shot by the draw that would have given him a chance at qualifying for the Finals in a position still strong enough to take the whole point and positively qualify for the Finals. We have all had those moments in chess; what we can see easily in analysis is utterly impossible to find in the heat of the moment. As Boris Spassky famous said; chess is a negative game, our losses stick with us forever and our wins are quickly forgotten. This is one loss that Mr. Connors will not soon forget. The return of the Exchange levels up the game, but there is no reason in the position for White to lose this contest.

29..., Nxb7 30.Nc7 Ke5 31.e3 Kd6 32.Na6?!,..

Quite natural but not the best. Knight and pawn endgames are very like pure pawn endgames because relative King positions, weak pawns and potential passed pawns are crucial to evaluation. The presence of the Knights add resources for both sides. If one side gets a pawn plus, the defender can scheme to trade matching pawns planning to sacrifice his Knight for the extra “button” leaving insufficient material for victory.

The side that obtains an extra pawn counters by playing to prevent the opposing Knight from getting to a place where it can be given up successfully. But before that situation develops, there are tricks and tries to win or weaken pawns. This is where the game is now. White has two things to do; find something to loosen up the bind Black has on the K-side, and get his King over where it can help in the defense of the Q-side. To those ends 32 Ne8 Kd7 33 Nf6+, heading for h7 attacking g5. The White Knight will go to g5 and be supported by h2-h4 if necessary. Any break he gets while carrying out this maneuver is to be used to shift the White King leftwards. Giving up the a-pawn may be required to get the White King well placed. This is a dynamic way to treat the ending.

The major effect of the Rook going off for the Black Bishop is the Black King is freer to run to the Q-side, and since he is closer to that area, White has a problem needing a solution. Threats to the Black K-side pawn mass is one way to address the disparity of King positions. The text move intends defending the Q-side with the Knight. This less dynamic choice may well work. It requires accuracy to have a chance to do so.

32..., c5 33.a3?,..

A small move that is inaccurate and fatally weakens the White Q-side pawns. The Black Knight and King now fall upon these as the Assyrians in the Bible, like a wolf upon the fold.

33..., Na5 34.b4 cxb4 35.Nxb4 Nxc4 36.Nc2 Kc5 37.Kf1,..

The King march starts late and there is no counter-play on the K-side to restrain the Black King. Admirably Black goes very directly towards his goal of creating a distant passed pawn.

37..., Kb5 38.Nd4+ Ka4 39.Ne6 Kxa3 40.Ke2 a5 41.Kd1 Kb2

This move seals the deal. The White King is shut out of the Queening square. Soon the White Knight will have to be lost to prevent a Queen from appearing right away. After that the win up a Knight is simple and clear.

42.Nc5 Nb6 0–1

A sad result that elicits sympathy for Mr. Connors. He played a big chunk of the game like a Class A player then fell upon hard times just as he neared the finish line. As a player I have had my share of such losses. The beauty of chess is the lessons can be learned and there is always the hope for improvement. On the other hand, Mr. Phillips has to be grateful to the chess goddess for the leveling injustice of our game; sometimes we play in a way that earns a loss but we are rewarded if we don’t lose heart in the game.

More soon.