To Play On, or Not

The Schenectady Consolation Tournament is a round robin this year as opposed to the typical Swiss System used for this contest. With only eight participants there is enough time in the season to have an all-play-all event. The round robin is obviously a fairer test to determine a winner than is the Swiss System winner-play-winner format. In today’s game the very active Cory Northrup makes a determined effort against the event’s highest rated player.

This game brings up an issue: When is it appropriate to resign the game? That can be a touchy issue not often openly discussed in the chess community. Some players are notorious for playing on until the last pawn has fallen or mate is delivered. Others seem to give up too early. What is correct? Harking back to my earliest days and lessons Frank Valvo, the dominant champion of the Schenectady club in the 1940s and 1950s, tried to teach the kids playing there then, commons sense and courtesy should govern the decision. Frank believed we are not playing professional chess locally, and he saw social relationships within the local chess community as important as the scores achieved. In his view when you are convinced your opponent knows how to win the position, and you can no longer see a way to carry on the fight, then resignation is appropriate. Deliberately playing on to annoy the opponent, was in Frank Valvo’s opinion was bad form.

The Aaron - Northrup game illustrates someone making a stern fight in a bad position and coming very near to rescuing a result. As bad as his game became, Cory was able to find ideas around which he could hope to keep the game going. That is to me the key to answering the resignation question. If you can conceive of a possible defense, then you have to try it out. To do otherwise, resigning prematurely, is just not the way to play chess and enjoy the game.

Aaron, Dilip - Northrup, Cory [B28]
SCC Consolation RR Schenectady, NY, 03.02.2012

1.e4 e6 2.d4 a6 3.Nf3 b5

This is not an opening that gets much recommendation from the top flight players. Whatever they might say or write about it, finding examples of them actually taking the Black side is a rare occurrence. When faced with this line here is how a 2610 player dealt with it;

(531627) Lutz, Christopher (2610) - Laveryd, Peter (2420) [B28]
Katrineholm (5), 15.05.1999
1.e4 e6 2.d4 a6 3.Nf3 b5 4.Bd3 c5 5.c3 Bb7 6.0–0 Nf6 7.Re1 Qb6 8.Bg5 cxd4 9.cxd4 Nc6 10.Bf1 Na5 11.Nc3 Bb4 12.d5 0–0 13.Ne5 Qc7 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Ng4 Qf4 16.e5 f5 17.Nf6+ Kh8 18.Qh5 h6 19.Re3 Qg5 20.Qh3 f4 21.Nce4 Qg6 22.Rf3 Bxd5 23.Rxf4 Bxe4 24.Rxe4 Bd2 25.Rg4 Qf5 26.Qg3 Nc4 27.Bd3 1–0
In the cited game, White did not quite manage to keep the promising edge he had from the first few moves, but a slightly better development turned into some concessions in the Black King’s field. The weak Black King soon had to call on his Queen to shore up defenses, and the Lady was not long later surrounded and doomed.

Finding a game by a player as Black in this line with a respectable rating is not easy. One of the few is;

(455784) Koscielski, Janusch (2185) - Straeter, Timo (2330) [B28]
BL2-W 9697 Germany, 1996
1.e4 e6 2.d4 a6 3.Nf3 b5 4.Bd3 Bb7 5.0–0 Nf6 6.Re1 c5 7.c3 cxd4 8.cxd4 Be7 9.Nbd2 Nc6 10.d5 exd5 11.e5 Nh5 12.Nb3 g6 13.Bh6 Bf8 14.Bg5 Be7 15.Bh6 Bf8 16.Bd2 Ng7 17.Ng5 Ne6 18.Qg4 Bg7 19.Qg3 0–0 20.Rad1 f5 21.exf6 Qxf6 22.Nxe6 dxe6 23.Nc5 Bc8 24.Bc3 d4 25.Be4 dxc3 26.Bxc6 Ra7 27.bxc3 Qxc3 28.Qd6 Qf6 29.Bf3 e5 30.Qd5+ Kh8 31.Ne4 Qf7 32.Qc5 Rc7 33.Qe3 Qxa2 34.Nd6 Qe6 35.h3 Bd7 36.Ne4 Bc6 37.Rd6 Qe8 38.Red1 Bb7 39.Ng5 Bxf3 40.Nxf3 e4 41.Ng5 Rc3 42.Qe2 Rd3 43.R6xd3 exd3 44.Qxd3 Qe5 45.h4 a5 46.Qb3 Qf5 47.Qa2 b4 48.Nf3 Qb5 49.Rd5 b3 50.Qd2 Qb6 51.Qxa5 Qxa5 52.Rxa5 Rb8 53.Nd2 b2 54.Nb1 Rc8 55.Kh2 Bf6 56.Rb5 Rc1 57.Na3 Ra1 58.Rb3 Rxa3 0–1

Black’s opening play was not very successful. White obtained the solid advantage by move 15. He then was unable to find the handle on the position, swam a bit and was out played by a stronger opponent.

To sum up; Mr. Northrup’s opening choice is at best doubtful. It requires a high level of tactical and positional alertness to take advantage of any slip be White.

4.c3 c5 5.Be3 d6?

Either this is an oversight or a mistaken idea. White now can just about force the Queen trade leaving the Black King misplaced. Capturing on d4 as in the quoted games is better. Black then is not too badly off.

6.dxc5 dxc5 7.Qxd8+ Kxd8 8.Be2 Bb7 9.e5!?,..

More solid is 9 Nbd2. White may have been worried about his e-pawn. Advancing it to e5 crowds Black, but also gives Black some opportunities to work in the space vacated. A logical way forward is; 9 Nbd2 Nf6 10 a4 Nxe4 11 Nxe4 Bxe4 12 axb5 axb5 13 Rxa8 Bxa8 14 Ne5!, demonstrating that the Black pawns at b5, c5 and f7 are very weak. Played this way White is close to winning.

9..., Nd7 10.0–0 Ne7 11.Rd1 Kc7 12.Ng5 Nxe5 13.Bxc5 N7g6 14.Bd4 h6 15.Nh3 Rd8?

When you play tricky risky lines, trying to switch to safe and sane methods is very often the wrong choice. Creating a tense and dangerous position carries with it the need to see things through to the end. Here worrying about the possible loss of the g-pawn does not let Black get the maximum out of the gamble taken. Here is a suggestion; 15..., Bd6!?; and if White goes directly for the g-pawn, 16 f4?! Nd7 17 Bxg7 Rhg8 18 Bxh6 Bxg2! 19 Kcg2 Nxf4+; the piece is recovered and Black is nicely ahead in development. White can play more carefully with 15..., Bd6 16 Nd2, but then 16..., Nh4 17 f3 Nf5; looks fine for Black. Making the delicate judgment of when to switch from building tension and taking risks to positional play and normal methods requires the honing of that judgment skill. That is best done in serious games; the experience argument.

16.Nf4!?,..

A tempting move that foregoes a possible material advantage. Maybe better 16 Bb6+, collecting the Exchange. Could it be that Dilip was not certain winning the Exchange was best? Some general criteria about winning or giving up the Exchange are; pawn structure damages, are there a Bishop pair involved and the total number of minor pieces left on the board. In this case; the pawns are undamaged on both sides, Black has the two Bishops and all the Black minor pieces remain. Under these circumstances the Exchange looms not so large as it might first appear. Theory tells us the side giving a Rook for a minor piece needs one and a fraction pawns to balance the books. Here there are no pawns falling, but by Black having all his minors still alive and kicking makes for plenty of complications. Dilip may have thought trying another approach could improve his chances.

16..., Rd7?

Continuing to think normal methods are called for, Black passes on a chance to get the edge with 16..., Nxf4 17 Bxe5+ Bd6! 18 Bxf4 Bxf4. If White tries for complications with 18 Rxd6, simply 18..., Nxe2+ 19 Kf1 Rxd6 20 Kxe2 Bxg2; secures a pawn plus.

17.Nxg6 Nxg6 18.a4 e5?

A routine move again not quite grasping the dangers in the position. The text opens the h3-c8 diagonal for use by the White Bishop and the trade on g6 has removed the guard of the Rd7. These are ingredients for a stew that costs the Exchange.

19.Bb6+!,..

Winning the Exchange here seems better than earlier; one pair of minor pieces is off, and White seems to be able to keep some initiative while gaining material. That is another of the criteria cited about winning, or sacrificing, the Exchange; retaining the initiative is important for success.

19..., Kxb6 20.Rxd7 f6 21.axb5 axb5 22.Na3 Bc6 23.Rd2,..

If 23 Rd8 Kc7; the game gets to some esoteric jockeying about can White build pressure on the Black b-pawn. White wants to proceed in a standard positional manner; control the open files and tamp down counter-play.

23..., Be7 24.Nc2 Nh4 25.Ne3 Bc5 26.Nd5+ Kb7 27.b4 Ba7?

Black’s game has been poor for some time. This move makes it a bit worse. Worth consideration is; 27..., Rd8. It is true the line; 28 bxc5 Rxd5 29 Rxd5 Bxd5 30 Bxb5 Bxg2; is none too palatable, but after 31 Ra4 e4; Black is making some threats; .., Bg2-h6; and .., Nf3+; etc. White has the resources to counter these and the Rook and Bishop supporting the c-pawns will win. To do so will require White to put out some effort however.

28.g3?!,..

Winning the won game is a fine art. It takes a certain level of skill and, importantly, the ability to enjoy the process. This evening Carl Adamec and Michael Mockler were at the club to watch the games and to play skittles. While discussing Richard Chu’s win from Carlos Varela with my friends, Matt Katrine’s name was raised. After Frank Valvo’s reign as the best around here, Matt rook over the mantle. One of his memorable characteristics was the joy he took in winning won games. We recalled he’d encourage opponents to play on in desperate straits because he enjoyed in the winning process so much. If you enjoy the process, you will take the time to find the right ideas to finish the contest. If the process is a burden to you or you become casual about the finish, slippage can occur.

Dilip Aaron has not quite found the knack yet of closing out a game efficiently. Here he chases the Knight from a remote posting rather than to test his opponent with 28 Ne7! Black dare not capture on g2, 28..., Bxg2 29 Rd7+, picking off the Ba7. And, if 28..., Bb6 29 Nxc6, eliminating the Bishop pair leaving White in complete control. I suspect Mr. Aaron didn’t calculate much. He just took a cursory look and decided to fix a problem. So Cory gets a glimmer of a chance.

28..., Nf5 29.Bg4 g6 30.Bxf5 gxf5 31.Ne7 Be8 32.Nxf5 Bc6

Black’s hopes are pinned on keeping the Bishops around. Maybe, just maybe a combination of the h1-h8 diagonal control and potential back rank weakness will work to his advantage.

33.Nd6+ Kb8 34.Rda2 Bb6 35.Nxb5 Rd8

It is not so much that the Bishop pair can not make some kind of defense after 35..., Bxb5 36 Ra8+ Kb7 37 Rxh8, it is that the loss of two pawns on the K-side is unavoidable making the win for White easy to see.

36.c4 Rd3 37.Na7?!,..

Slippage. The steady workmanlike sequence; 37 Ra6 Kb7 38 c5 Bd8 39 Nd6+ Kc7 40 Ra7+ Kb8 41 b5 Bf3 42 c6, winds up resistance quickly.

37..., Be4 38.c5 Bd8 39.b5 Bd5 40.Ra3 Rd2 41.Rc3 f5 42.c6 Bc7 43.Kf1,..

Another housekeeping kind of move when a forcing finish is available. His opponent has been holding on in a bad position. That may have lulled Dilip into believing any road will get him home and dry. With 43 b6 Bb6 44 c7+ Bxc7 45 Rb1+, the technical difficulties will be gone and the victory assured. For example; 45..., Kxa7? 46 Ra3+, is mate in one, and 45..., Ka8 46 Rxc7 Ra2 47 Rd1 Kb8 48 Nb5, means Black must concede more material or be mated.

43..., Bb6

Black is still lost, but his efforts combined with the less than sharp play by White have resulted in not quite clear situation.

44.c7+ Bxc7 45.Nc6+ Kb7 46.Ke1 Rb2 47.Rc5 Bf3 48.Rc3 e4 49.Nd4 Be5 50.Ra4?,..

A move that might rate the double query. This Rook had to stay on the first rank to prevent the coming tactics. Good enough is 50 Rc4, and then 50..., Bxd4 51 Rxd4 Rxb5; is in White’s favor, but the Black Bishop is securely anchored on f3 where it can guard the Black pawns. White will have to look into endgames where a Rook captures on f3 and the King gets to take the pawn that ends up there and so on. With pawns all on one side, and if a Rook must be surrendered for even a Bishop and a pawn, draws are always possible. These then are the wages of not bearing down and calculating in a won position. The game is now even.

50..., Rb1+ 51.Kd2 Rd1+ 52.Ke3 Re1+ 53.Kd2 Rd1+ 54.Kc2?,..

Dilip just couldn’t believe the win he had in hand for so long was gone I guess. Agreeing to the draw with 54 Ke3, is best.

54..., Bxd4?

Another candidate for the double query. There is nothing wrong with 54..., Rxd4 55 Rxd4 Bxd4; and the two Bishops have decent chances to win the game. They certainly should not lose it. Cory may have miscalculated something here thinking he wins enough pawns on the K-side to make a difference.

55.Rxf3 exf3 56.Kxd1 Bxf2 57.Rf4 Bg1 58.Rxf5 Bxh2 59.Rxf3 1–0

The game went on for a move or two more, but the win is now trivial. The Rook defends both pawns freeing the White King to go where he will. Soon or late White will sacrifice the Rook for the Bishop and a pawn and then Queen his last “button”.

The lesson; do not be casual about winning a won game. General principles are fine posts by which to guide thinking, but calculation has to be done to win the won game. Mr. Aaron was lucky a valuable half point, or more, was not lost. Mr. Northrup made a good and reasonable effort to make the best out of a bad situation. There were points where many would have resigned. He, however, found ideas to make his opponent work for the win and was rewarded with a chance for a draw and more. The Russian saying about dizziness coming with success can be applied to Cory’s play. A momentary lapse and all that hard work was for naught. It was an entertaining battle.

More soon.