The AACC Playoff Participants Decided

Two of the contenders for the title met in a delayed game last Wednesday at AACC. After the game both wondered what games I might find in the databases to shed light on the opening. Neither were completely sure about the theory as the game developed. Up to the 8th move there is some theory.

Henner, Peter - Howard, Dean [A07]
AACC Championship Guilderland, NY, 25.01.2012

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.d3 Nbd7 4.Bg2 e5 5.0–0 c6 6.Nbd2 Bd6 7.e4!?,..

At least equally common is 7 c4. Here are a couple of GM examples;

(243307) Hodgson, Julian M (2555) - Kotronias, Vasilios (2510) [A53]
New York WFW New York, 1990
1.g3 d5 2.Bg2 Nf6 3.d3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.0–0 c6 6.c4 dxc4 7.dxc4 Bc5 8.Nc3 0–0 9.Qc2 Re8 10.Ng5 Bf8 11.Rd1 Qc7 12.Rb1 a5 13.a3 h6 14.Nge4 Nxe4 15.Nxe4 f5 16.Nc3 Nf6 17.Na4 Be6 18.Be3 Qf7 19.Nb6 f4 20.gxf4 exf4 21.Bxf4 Ra6 22.c5 Bb3 23.Qc3 Bxd1 24.Rxd1 Qh5 25.Nd7 Nd5 26.Qb3 Qg4 27.Nxf8 Qxf4 28.Nd7 Rxe2 29.Bf3 Re8 30.Nb6 Kh8 31.Bxd5 cxd5 32.Qxd5 a4 33.h3 Ra5 34.Kg2 Qc7 35.Nd7 Rd8 36.Qh5 Ra6 37.Qf7 Qc6+ 38.Kh2 Qe6 39.Nf6 0–1

(420798) Movsziszian, Karen (2440) - Dizdar, Goran (2535) [A53]
Berliner Sommer 13th Berlin (6), 1995
1.g3 d5 2.Bg2 e5 3.d3 Nf6 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.0–0 c6 6.c4 dxc4 7.dxc4 Bc5 8.Nc3 0–0 9.Qc2 Re8 10.e3 Bf8 11.h3 a5 12.b3 Nc5 13.Rd1 Qc7 14.Rb1 g6 15.Ne1 Bf5 16.e4 Be6 17.Bb2 Nfd7 18.Nd5 Qb8 19.Ne3 Rd8 20.Rd2 f6 21.Rbd1 Qc7 22.h4 Be7 23.Nd5 cxd5 24.cxd5 Nf8 25.dxe6 Ncxe6 26.Qxc7 Nxc7 27.Nc2 Nfe6 28.Ne3 Rxd2 29.Rxd2 Rd8 30.Rc2 Kf7 31.Bf1 Bc5 32.Nc4 b6 33.Kg2 Ke7 34.Ba3 Bxa3 35.Nxa3 Rd6 36.Nc4 Rc6 37.Rd2 Ne8 38.Ne3 Nd6 39.Nd5+ Kf7 40.f3 Nd4 41.Bd3 Ke6 42.b4 axb4 43.Nxb4 Rc1 44.a4 Ra1 45.Ra2 Rxa2+ ½–½

7..., dxe4

The opening book Rybka uses says 7..., 0-0; is the normal move. After the text White is certainly OK, but he doesn’t have any serious advantage.

Here’s how White can play if Black castles;

(89841) Savon, Vladimir A (2570) - Petrosian, Tigran V (2640) [B10]
Alekhine mem Moscow (7), 03.12.1971
1.e4 c6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.g3 e5 5.Ngf3 Nbd7 6.Bg2 Bd6 7.0–0 0–0 8.exd5 cxd5 9.c4 d4 10.Ng5 a5 11.Nde4 Nxe4 12.Nxe4 Be7 13.g4 Ra6 14.f4 exf4 15.Bxf4 Nc5 16.Nxc5 Bxc5 17.Qf3 Re6 18.Rae1 b6 19.Rxe6 Bxe6 20.h3 Qd7 21.b3 h6 22.Qg3 Re8 23.Be4 f6 24.Qf3 Re7 25.Bc6 Qd8 26.Re1 Kh8 27.Re2 Bg8 28.Rxe7 Qxe7 29.Qe4 Qd8 30.Bd5 Bh7 31.Qe2 Bg6 32.Be4 Bf7 33.Qh2 Qd7 34.Qg3 Be6 35.Kg2 Qa7 36.Bb8 Qd7 37.Qc7 Kg8 38.Qxd7 Bxd7 39.Bc7 Kf7 40.a3 g6 41.b4 axb4 42.axb4 Bxb4 43.Bxb6 Bc3 44.Kf3 f5 45.gxf5 gxf5 46.Ba8 Ke6 47.Ke2 Ba4 48.h4 Kd6 49.Bf3 Ke6 50.Bc5 Bb2 51.Bd5+ Kf6 52.Bb6 Ke7 53.Ba7 Bd7 54.Bc5+ Kf6 55.Kf2 Ba4 56.Bb6 Ke7 57.Ke2 Kd6 58.h5 Be8 59.Bf3 Ba4 60.Kf2 Ke6 61.Bc5 Bc2 62.Ke2 Ba4 63.Bf8 Bc1 64.Bg7 Be3 65.c5 Bb5 66.Bf8 Kd7 67.Bd5 Ba4 68.Bg7 Bb5 69.Be5 Ba4 70.Kf3 Bb5 71.Ke2 Ba4 72.Bg3 Bb5 73.Bb7 Ba4 ½–½




8.dxe4!?,..

Cautious and not ambitious. Comfortably equality is had with 8 Nxe4 Nxe4; White will then have easier development than in the game. This move takes us out of theory. Both players understood well where they stood regards qualifying. Glen Perry had worked out the tie breaks and the various possible outcomes; a draw puts them both in, a win for Henner would have put him in and Howard out, and a win for Howard would put him in while the second chair would have been undecided. The importance of the result for both players added tension to the game.

8..., 0–0 9.Nc4 Bc7 10.Qd3!?,..

This move puts the Queen where she may be attacked. Somewhat better is 10 Qe2.

10..., b5 11.Ncd2 Qe7 12.Nb3 Rd8

Another try worth consideration is 12..., a5; to try an take advantage of the not quite harmonious placement of the White pieces. Black is slightly ahead according to Deep Rybka.

13.Be3 Bb6?!

A slip motivated by a wish to win the game. Attempting to obtain the Bishop pair with 13..., Ng4; is probably better. Another possibility is; 13..., Nb6!? 14 Bc5 Qe6 15 Qe2 Na4 16 Ba3, and the position is certainly difficult for both sides.

14.Bxb6!?,..

Getting on with development by playing 14 Rad1, makes reasonable impression with game tending towards equality. The text creates an unbalanced position with both sides willing to take risks in hopes of winning.

14..., axb6 15.Qc3 c5 16.Rfe1,..

White seems to be worried about the possibility of .., b5-b4; and .., Ba6; at some point in the future.

16..., Bb7?!

Black is reluctant to change the basic nature of the position with a logical space grab on the Q-side. Making that sort of decision is tough in a tense game. The line suggested is; 16..., b4 17 Qd2 c4 18 Nc1 Bb7 19 Nh4 Nf8 20 Qe3 Qc7; gives Black a measurable edge.

17.Nbd2 Nb8 18.a3 Nc6 19.Bf1 Ba6 20.Rad1 Rac8 21.Qe3,..

White could have tried; 21 Qb3, but after 21..., c4 22 Qe3 Rd6; Black is getting a hold on the d-file.

21...Rd7?

An error?! When the move was played my first reaction was it was a blunder. Then thinking about it while waiting for the reply, the notion crept in to my mind that maybe there is more going on than just winning the Exchange. The line is; 22 Bh3 Nd4 23 Bxd7 Nxd7 24 Qd3 Bb7 25 c3!? c4 26 Qb1 Nxf3+ 27 Nxf3 Nc5; and Black has a glimmering of pressure on the light squares around the White King. Objectively it is not enough to offset the material. Making a choice like this would have been hard in a so meaningful game. It turned out neither player was thinking along these lines.

22.a4?!,..

Mr. Henner has been focused on this idea and did not see the move 22 Bh3, and Mr. Howard just overlooked it.

22..., Nd4 23.axb5?,..

The c2 square needed defense. The line beginning 23 Rc1 Rcd8 24 axb5 Ng4 25 Qg5 Qxg5 26 Nxg5 Bxb5 27 c3 Bxf1 28 cxd4 Bb5 29 d5, and even with the protected passed pawn White does not have much of an advantage, but he is not worse. Now there is a complicated trade of material.

23..., Nxc2 24.Qb3 Nxe1 25.Rxe1 Bb7 26.Bh3,..

With an Exchange gone White found this move. A material deficit very much focuses the mind.

26..., Rcd8 27.Bxd7 Rxd7 28.Qc3 h6

Making air hole for the King. A timely decision supporting what he has in mind.

29.Nxe5,..

Leading to more trading of material. It may be both players began to think about a draw. The alternative is 29 Nc4, and it is perhaps a more secure path to a draw. Time trouble for both parties is about to begin. At this point Henner had 10 minutes and Howard about 8 minutes. Both sides were focused on their mutual attacks on the e-pawns. When you are down to under ten minutes to finish a game, rethinking your fundamental notion of how the position will develop is very hard to do. Shrinking time more or less forces the player to concentrate on specific tactics within whatever general plan earlier adopted. That seems to be the case here. Black is willing to give up his e-pawn to obtain the unbalanced material with a Bishop and a Knight versus a Rook and a pawn.

GM Andy Soltis wrote: “Giving up pieces creates a sharp situation that offer greater winning chances for both sides than other imbalances. It can be the pragmatic choice for a player who otherwise be slightly inferior.” that statement appears to apply here.

29..., Rxd2 30.Qxd2 Qxe5 31.Qd8+!?,..

White is faced with a crucial decision at this point. He could play 31 f3, securing his extra pawn or play the text. In the quiet of my study, with the electronic wizard humming away at my side, it easy to see 31 f3, is likely the better choice. Either way Black is somewhat better. Defending the pawn is more promising for White because it would make Black have to work to exploit the natural edge the pieces have. To quantify the advantage of the pieces, I quote again from Soltis: “If it is a one pawn difference, the numerical advantage of the pieces comes into play. When the pieces cooperate against a target defended by a Rook, they can reverse the imbalance. The principle of two versus one.”

Adding further complexity to the decisions to be made is the presence of the Queens. Soltis offered the further insight that the player with the pieces wants to retain the Queens. There many more opportunities for the pieces to cooperate with their Queen effectively than will be the case for the Rook and Queen.

With the text, White pins his hopes on making an outside passed pawn believing it will offset the building threats to his King’s safety. That is a false hope, mate is ever so much more forcing than the relatively long march of a Queening pawn, there is just not enough time in the game position for the pawn to succeed.

31..., Kh7 32.Qxb6 Bxe4 33.Qa6 Qf5

Good enough, but stronger is 33..., Qxb2; if then White tries the idea of a Rook sacrifice to speed his pawn along, the Queen and Knight easily threaten to mate the White King forcing something like: 33..., Qxb2 34 b6 Qb3 (threatening 35..., Qf3;) 35 Rxe4? Nxe4 36 b7 Qb1+ 37 Kg2 Qb2 38 b8(Q) Qxb8 39 Qd3 Qb7 40 f3 f5; leading to a winning endgame for Black, albeit not one easily handled with little time on the clock. At this moment the time remaining was; Henner 4:30, Howard 3:29.

34.Qa3 Ng4 35.f4 Nxh2?

The clocks had moved some; Henner 3:24 and Howard 3:29 remaining. The text is an error. With 35..., c4!; Black would have been very close to winning. The move 35..., c4 is subtle resource to prevent a lateral attack on the Bishop by the White Queen. This line illustrates how play could continue; 35..., c4 36 Qb4 Qd5 37 Rxe4 Qxe4 38 b6 Qe3+ 39 Kg2 Qe2+ 40 Kh3 Ne3; with mate soon. One more example of the Queen and Knight hunting down a King sans defenders.

36.Rxe4?

A reciprocal error. The move 36 Kxh2 equalizes although Black does obtain a strong initiative. Play could go; 36 Kxg2 Qh5+ 37 Kg1 Qh1+ 38 Kf2 Qg2+ 39 Ke3 f5 40 Qxc5 Qxg3+ 41 Kd2, and so on. The mighty Rybka says White can survive. For a human being to enter such a long forcing kind of line of this length with virtually no time to calculate would take a tremendous self-confidence. It is entirely understandable why Peter tried the text. The final moves were quickly played.

36...Qxe4 37.Kxh2 Qe2+ 38.Kh3 Qxb5 39.Qc3 Qb4 40.Qc2+ g6 41.f5 Qd4 42.fxg6+ fxg6 43.Qe2 Qd5 44.Qe7+ Kg8 45.Qe8+ ½–½

And the players agreed to the draw. Black still has some slight advantage but there is no time to make an effort. Although imperfect, the game showed the contestants making serious attempts to win the game, and that is exciting chess. This promises the playoff match will be interesting.

More soon.