In the match of the Standard Chess League (season 2): Friends Around the World vs Tao the Watercourse Way, I had the opportunity to play two games against ngu, one of which ended with a draw, and the other I won. Given below is the analysis of move played in one of those games.
I chose to present this game, because of many hidden tactical lines in the course
of the game, that will, I hope, provide at least some entertainment to chess fans
reading this. Some parts of the game are more, and some less analysed, based upon
my own judgement conserning the relevance of possible deviations from the moves
in the game to its outcome. All comments concerning the given analysis are more
than welcome. The opening played was Ruy Lopez, Chigorin variation. Enjoy!
[Event "SchemingMind Chess League Season 2"]
[Site "www.schemingmind.com"]
[White "Nenad Tomasev"]
[Black "ngu"]
[Result "1-0"]
1.
e4
e5 2.
Nf3
Nc6 3.
Bb5
a6 4.
Ba4
Nf6 5.
O-O
Be7 6.
Re1
b5 7.
Bb3
d6 8.
c3
O-O 9.
h3
Na5
Chigorin variation of Ruy Lopez
black could've also played 9...
Be6, 9...
Nd7 (Breyer variation), 9...
Bb7 (Zaitsev variation), 9...
Nb8 and some other moves
10.
Bc2
c5 11.
d4
Qc7
or (11...
Nd7 12.
Nbd2
cxd4 13.
cxd4
Nc6 14.
Nb3
a5 15.
Bd3
Ba6) (11...
cxd4 12.
cxd4
Bb7 13.
Nc3 (13.
Nbd2
Qc7 transposes to what
was played in the game) 13...
Qc7 14.
Qe2
12.
Nbd2
cxd4 13.
cxd4
Bb7
13...
Rd8 was also possible here (there is a lot of tension in the center, black bishop
and knight are well placed, so white needs to relax that tension)
14.
d5
Rac8 15.
Bb1
15.
Bd3 was another possibility. Ivanchuk and Shirov played
Bb1 here, as well, so it can't be bad. The same position arised in a game
Mike Rosa (Chess Tiger) vs ngu and that game continued: 15.
Bd3
Nd7 16.
Nf1
f5 17.
exf5
Bxd5 18.
Ng5
Bxg5 19.
Bxg5
h6 20.
Bh4
Nc4 21.
Bxc4
Bxc4 22.
Ne3
Nb6 23.
Rc1
Qd7
24.
b3
Bf7 25.
Qd3
Kh8 26.
Bg3
Qe7 ... The game was won by Chess Tiger after 42nd move
15...
Nd7 16.
Nf1
f5 17.
exf5
Nc4
in games Alexei Shirov vs Diego Adla and Sofia Polgar vs M Slak 17...
Nf6 was played instead - white then has 18.
Ng5 (threatening 19.
Ne6) 18...
Bxd5 19.
Ne3
Qb7, and so on...
18.
Nd4
18...
exd4 is not good due to 19.
Rxe7
Nce5 20.
Bg5
Rf7 (20...
h6 21.
f6
Rf7 22.
Bf4
Qc5 23.
Rxf7
Nxf7 24.
fxg7
Qxd5 25.
f3
Nc5 26.
Qd2 Please note
that black king can't take on g7 because of 26...
Kxg7 27.
b4! and now if the knight moves, 28. Be4 wins the game for white) 21.
Qxd4
Re7 22.
Be7 and black would be in troubles
18...
Bxd5 19.
Ne6 black has to take the knight 19...
Bxe6 20.
fxe6
Nf6 21.
a4
b4
21...
d5 is also worth considering
22.
b3
Na5 23.
Bd3
Qb7 24.
Ng3
black was threatening to play 24...
e4
24...
Rc3 black is taking over the initiative 25.
Rb1
Qd5 26.
Bxa6
Qxe6 27.
Bd2
Nd5
a very nice move. white shouldn't take the rook now: 28.
Bxc3
Nxc3 29.
Qc2 (29.
Qd4! (this move actually leads to a rather equal position, but I
missed it during the game) 29...
Nxb1 30.
Qxb4
Nxb3 31.
Bc4
d5 32.
Qxb3
dxc4 33.
Qxb1
c3 34.
Qb5 ) 29...
d5 30.
Bb5
Nxb1 31.
Rb1
28.
Be2
Kh8 and now white wakes from sleep 29.
Ne4
Rc7 30.
Bg4
Qf7 31.
Be3 Threatening 32.
Bb6 31...
Rb8 32.
Ng5
black has to take it, otherwise: 32...
Qg8 (if the queen moves anywhere else, the knight on d5 will fall, and the knight
on a5 will also be in danger then) 33.
Be6
Nxe3 34.
fxe3
Qf8 35.
Nf7
Kg8 36.
Qh5 and it is all over for black)
32...
Bxg5 33.
Bxg5
Nb7
although tempting, 33...
Nc3 doesn't work, because of: 34.
Qxd6! and now if 34...
Nxb1 35.
Be6
Nb7 36.
Qb6
Qf8 37.
Qxc7 and if black tries to retreat the knight with
37...
Nc3 38.
Be7
Qe8 39.
Rxe5 and black is totally lost...
34.
Rb2
Nc3 35.
Qd3
Rf8 36.
Bh4 (defending f2) 36...
Nd5 37.
Qb5
Nf4 38.
Rd1
h5 39.
Bf3
Nxh3+ 40.
Kh2
Nf4 41.
Qxb4
Nc5
increasing the pressure on b3 pawn and threatening 42...
Nd3 42.
Rbd2
Nxb3 43.
Rxd6
Nd4
at this point, ngu offered me a draw, but I declined. The position is complicated,
but offers more attacking prospects to white. And the fireworks started. :)
44.
Be4
44.
R1xd4
exd4 45.
Rxd4
Ne6 46.
Rd6
Rfc8 47.
Bd5
Qf4 48.
Qxf4
Nxf4 49.
Bf3
Rc4 50.
g3 was also worth considering,
leading to a complicated position. 50...
Rf8 was probably the best here, followed by 51.
Be7
Rf7 52.
Bg5
Ne2 53.
Kg2
Nc3 54.
a5
Rf5 55.
Bd8
Ra4 56.
Bb6 and black could now give
one of his rooks for a pawn and a bishop, or try something else. However, this wasn't
played, so I won't analyze it any further
44...
Rc4 45.
Qb6
a very dangerous position for black. White is threatening (if he was to play now)
46.
Rh6
gh6 47.
Qh6
Kg8 48.
Bf6 and white would be winning
45...
Nfe6
45...
Nde6 46.
f3 if 46...
Rxa4 47.
Rd7
Qe8 48.
Be7
Rg8 (48...
Rf7 49.
Bc6
Ra2 50.
Rd8
Rxg2 51.
Kh1
Qxd8 52.
Rxd8
Kh7 (52...
Nxd8 53.
Qxd8
Kh7
54. Be4+
g6
(or 54.
Rg6) 55.
Bf6
Rxf6 56.
Qxf6 and white is clearly winning) 53.
Be4+
g6 54.
Re8 and white should have no trouble winning this)
(48...
Rd4 49.
R1xd4
Nxd4 50.
Qd6
Nb5 51.
Qxe5
Qxd7 52.
Bxf8
Ne6 53.
Qxh5+
Kg8 54.
Bb4
Nf8 55.
Qd5+
Qxd5 56.
Bxd5
Kh7 57.
Bxf8
and black is finished. It would make no difference if something else was played
on 54th move for black) 49.
g3
Ra2+ 50.
Kh1
Ra1 51.
Rxa1
Qxd7 52.
Qd6
Qxd6 53.
Bxd6
Nh3 54.
Bd5 and so on...
46.
f3
if 46...
Rxa4 47.
R1xd4!!
Nxd4 (47...
exd4 48.
Rxe6
d3 49.
Bg3
Re8 50.
Rxe8
Qxe8 51.
Bg6
Qf8 52.
Bxd3
Ra3 53.
Qg6
Rxd3 54.
Qxd3 and white
is winning) (47...
Rxd4 48.
Rxe6
Rc8 49.
Rxe5 and white should win easily, since black will be forced
to give away material to remove dangerous threats. It is even probably best 49...
Rxe4)
48.
Rh6+
Kg8 49.
Bh7+
Kh8 50.
Bg6+
gxh6 51.
Bxf7
Rxf7 52.
Qxh6+
Kg8 53.
Bf6
Rd7 54.
Qg6+
Kf8 55.
Bxe5
Ke7 (best option)
56. Qf6+
Ke8
57. Bd6
Rf7
58. Qg6
Nc6
59. Qe6+
Re7
60. Qc8+
and white is winning
46...
Re8 black plays well and doesn't take the bait 47.
Qa5
Rc5 48.
Qb4
Qf8 49.
Rd7
Qf4+ 50.
Bg3
Qf6 51.
Rd6
h4 for a few moves it seemed that black has regained control of the
game and that whites attack is made blunt 52.
Bf2
Rec8 53.
Be3 53.
Kh1 was also possible, but less active than the move in the game. The played
bishop move guards both c1 and g5, blocking blacks attacks 53...
h3
sharp. the best response. Now if 54.
Kh3
Ng5, and if 54.
gxh3
Qh4 and white king is too exposed
54.
Qb2
Rc3 55.
Bxd4
exd4 56.
g3!
Qe7?
probably the error that decided the outcome. Better was 56...
Qe5 57.
Rd5
Rc2 58.
Bxc2
Qxd5 59.
Be4
Qe5 or perhaps 56...
Qf7
57.
Qb6 a swift punishment 57...
Rc2+
hoping for 58.
Bxc2
Rxc2+ 59.
Kh1 (59.
Kg1
Ng5 60.
Qd8+
Kh7 61.
Qxe7
Nxf3 and white will either accept the draw or
be mated if he goes to h1) 59...
Qf8 60.
Rd3
Rc1+ 61.
Kh2
Rc2+ 62.
Kg1 (62.
Kxh3
Qf5+ 63.
g4
Qh7 64.
Kg3
Qh2#) 62...
Rc1+ 63.
Kf2?
h2 or 63.
Kh2 and a draw
by perpetual check
But what were the alternatives here? Black did have slightly better options, I think.
(57...
Re8 58.
R1xd4
Ng5 59.
a5
Rc2 60.
Rd2
Nxe4 61.
fxe4
Qxe4 62.
Qd4
Rxd2+ 63.
Qd2
Re5 64.
Rd4 Qe2+
65. Qxe2
Rxe2+
66. Kxh3
Ra2 67.
Rd5) (57...
Ng5 58.
Qxd4
Nxf3 59.
Bxf3
Rxf3 60.
Qg4!
Rff8 61.
Kxh3
Rc5 62.
R6d5) In both of these lines, black
is a pawn down, but probably has some chances for a draw
58.
Kh1
Ng5
if 58...
Rc1 59.
Rxc1
Rxc1 60.
Kh2
Nf8 61.
Qxd4
Kg8 62.
Qd5
Qf7 63.
Qg5
Qa2+ 64.
Rd2
Rc5 65.
Bd5+
Rxd5 66.
Qxd5+
Qxd5 67.
Rxd5 Ne6
68. Kxh3
and white is winning
59.
Bxc2
Rxc2 60.
Qd8+
Qxd8 61.
Rxd8+
Kh7 the queens are off the board now, with white having a rook for
a knight 62.
Rf1
Rc4 62...
Rd2 was also possible 63.
a5
Ra4 64.
Rd5
Kg6 65.
f4
Ne4 66.
Kh2
Nf6 67.
Rg5+
and the pawn on h3 falls. Black resigned 1-0
I hope that you enjoyed the game! I surely did enjoy playing it. I'd like to also
hear your opinion about the played moves, once (if) you find the time to take a
closer look at it. Regards,
Nenad
Thanks for contributing this article. It is good to see the players taking pride in their games and in the decisions they make on the board.
I wish more players would take the games from their mini-tournaments or their league games and add their commentary to the Journals--that is part of why it is here! Maybe a team could vote for their favorite game from a particular game or round and the best players from that team could comment on it....
I love the way you speculate on various lines and allow us a view into why you choose one over otheres. Well written.