Exeter Chess Club: Meat and potatoes – three phases of a tough
game.
Peter Lane and Dave Regis
Introduction:
Dave thought this would be a good idea to do as a coaching
session because:
- we’re often looking at master games, not club
games - when we do look at a master game, we often play through it
pretty quickly and often use it to illustrate only one chess
point - when we see master annotations, they tend to give a
reassuring and definitive judgement about a position, instead of a
hesitant assessment about which there may be disagreement
A nice book on the 1972 Fischer-Spassky match is Both Sides
of the Chess Board, where Robert Byrne and Ivo Nei both
annotated the games, and you see their notes side by side. It’s
reassuring when they agree, and it’s interesting when they don’t!
So, with this as a model, here is one amateur chess game, annotated
in some depth by one of the players and one of the spectators, with
all the mess apparent. I also showed it to Fritz, and where
interesting I’ve included its annotations.
[The phrase ‘meat and potatoes’ I borrowed from Bobby
Fischer’s M60MG]
M.Beveridge (BCF174) – P.C.Lane (BCF174)
National Club Championship, Round 1
Hereford vs Exeter, 1996
Annotations: (PCL)
[DR/Fritz2&3]
Fritz gives annotations like [RR4…Bb4+ Fritz3 0.16
(8/29): (00:04:51)]
TODAY’S LESSON:It was said of Alekhin that to win a
game from him required you to win three games: once in the opening,
again in the middlegame, and another in the endgame. This is a good
goal to set yourself: make it as tough for your opponent as you
can, and seek counterplay at every stage. (DR)
1.e4
THE OPENING: White chooses an interesting variation, but
underplays his hand. (DR)
1…e6
“I have never played the French Defence, which is the
dullest of all openings” — STEINITZ (DR)
A caricature: White wants an open, attacking game,
and so plays e2-e4; Black prefers to play solidly and
conservatively, and so plays the French, …e7-e6. White groans,
forced to play a closed game… but wait! We find lurking in the
openings manuals a line which guarantees an open game, although
promises no advantage. White, much cheered up, plays: (DR)
2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.c4
One of White’s more dynamic tries in the Exchange French, and also
found after 4.Nf3 Bd6 5.c4, with transposition into a QGA (1.d4 d5
2.c4 dc 3.e3 e5 4.Nc3 ed 5.ed Nf6 6.Bxc4 Be7); similar structures
can also be found in the Petroff. Black can play as in the game, or
…Bb4+…Ne7 with …Bg4 as appropriate. (PCL)
What are the characteristics of this position? We
will probably soon see an isolated Queen’s Pawn position (White
having more space, outpost on e5, possible break with d4-d5,
attacking chances if he avoids exchanges, etc.). There are many of
these IQP lines, but this one has some distinctive features. In the
classical Queen’s Gambit, Black often has a Pawn on e6, obliging
the Bc8 to seek a home on the long diagonal.
Here, there is no such barrier, but a White Bishop on
c4 is also unimpeded; it may be the Bc8 is actually best placed on
b7, and Black may prefer not to have to restrain d4-d5 by …c7-c6.
(DR)
[1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 A) 3.e4
c5 (3…e5 4.Nf3 exd4 5.Bxc4) ; B) 3.e3
e5 4.Bxc4 exd4 5.exd4 Nf6 6.Qb3 Qe7+ 7.Be3 PLaskett-Lukin, Plovdiv
1984; C) 3.Nf3 3…Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5
6.0-0 a6 7.a4 cxd4 8.exd4 Nc6] (DR)
4…Nf6 [RR4…Bb4+ Fritz3 0.16
(8/29): (00:04:51)] 5.Nc3 [RR5.cxd5
Fritz3 0.22 (8/30): (00:10:22) 5…Nxd5 6.Be2 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Bxd2+
8.Nxd2 Nf4 9.g3 Ng2+; 5.Nf3] 5…Be7
[RR5…dxc4 Fritz3 0.13 (8/26): (00:03:04) 6.Bxc4 Be7 7.Nf3
Nbd7 8.0-0; 5…Bb4]
For educational reasons I like to head for this position
as often as possible – for both sides! (PCL)
This is commendable: taking on both sides of a
position in blitz and against computers is one of Karpov’s training
methods! (DR)
6.Bd3 ? (PCL)
attracted by the thought of 6:…O-O 7.Nxd5 with Bxh7+,
but this merely loses a tempo. It is normal in the QGD to delay
moving the king’s bishop as long as possible, thus: 6.Nf3 O-O 7.Be3
c6 8.Bd3 dc 9.Bxc4 Nbd7 10.O-O Nb6 11.Bb3 Bg4 or Nbd5 12.Ne5 Be6
with equality.
Because the Bishop must be moved sometime, White may
think to clarify the situation as early as possible & play Re1
(DR).
6…dxc4
Gaining a tempo, although conceding the centre. Both
sides must now develop, placing their pieces very carefully,
although there are probably several sound continuations for each
side. Pete actually puts his pieces on the most solid and least
ambitious squares available, which is not my style, but Black can
look to long-term chances if we can survive the early middlegame.
(DR)
7.Bxc4 Nbd7
8.Nge2 ?! (DR)
Presumably to avoid …Bg4, but the knight is passive on
this square, unable to move to (or defend) e5. A better avoidance
is simply 8.h3. (PCL)
I see no virtues in this move over Nf3. Many of the
themes of the IQP – outpost on e5, attacking the King’s-side – seem
suited to Nf3 much more than Ne2. The e-file is closed and the Bf8
committed to e7 over b4. (DR)
8…Nb6 9.Bb3 0-0 10.0-0 c6
Perhaps …Nbd5 first is more accurate, to prevent Bf4.
(PCL)
Restraint of the d-Pawn. The classic Steinitz plan
(seen in his Championship match with Zukertort) is to blockade the
d-Pawn by occupying d5, then seeking exhanges to expose the
weakness of the Pawn and defuse any attack. There is a lot of play
left, but broadly that is the Black approach.
11.Bf4
[11.Re1 Fritz3 – a reasonable try, seeing what Black
will do before placing the Bc1.] (DR)
11…Nbd5 12.Be5
Looks a good post for the Bishop, but a Knight would
benefit more from this support. In fact, the Bishop proves to be
exposed to exchange here – not a tragedy, but may lead to other
awkwardness. (DR)
[12.Nxd5 Nxd5 13.Bxd5 cxd5 Fritz3 is a typically
junky computer suggestion, which is all in Black’s favour:
exchanging pieces and giving up the Bishop pair is emphatically not
in White’s interests!] (DR)
12…Be6
THE EARLY MIDDLEGAME: White seeks a way to an advantage, but
drops a Pawn. (DR)
Both sides need to find some ideas. Black’s main concern
is the pair of White bishops, and I expected 13.h3 to prevent
…Ng4, though the game shows White hoped to utilise d6 for a
knight after the Nxe5 dxe5 exchange. Black may try …Qb6…Rad8 to
play …c5. (PCL)
13.Rc1
Nimzovitch in My System suggests Be3 Qe2
Rd1 Rc1 (and Nf3!) as White’s ideal set-up. (PCL)
[RR13.Re1 Fritz3: Fritz’s seems a more natural
choice. White has three basic alignments for the Rooks: c1/d1,
d1/e1, or c1/e1 (or maybe doubling, but that is unusual). Each is
appropriate in some position or another: what about here? I’d
suggest one on the open e-file, supporting the post on e5, and one
behind the d-Pawn – in fact, not one on c1 at all! ] (DR)
13…Ng4
Black is safely developed and is tempted by the
exposure of the Bishop. (DR)
14.Ne4 !? (DR)
This sort of move is normally a good idea, typical of IQP
positions, moving a piece nearer the King’s-side. It’s also the
sort of move you need to keep coming up with in tense, complex
positions if you are going to take on players in the 170+ class.
Here it looks particularly good, since after an exchange on e5 the
square d6 beckons, but… (DR)
14…Qb6
Getting the Queen out from under the central
battle-zone, but I might have gone for a Rook move. (DR)
[RR14…Nxe5!? Fritz3 0.72 (8/26): (00:02:57) …is a
typically robust Pawn-grabbing attempt by the computer. Computers
are great for finding (and making) moves like this; humans like
Pete may be more cautious! It’s actually not a move I’d think about
for long even if I spotted the …Qb8 idea, because White’s pieces
looked pretty active at the end of the analysis. 15.dxe5 Qb8 16.Nd4
(16.Qd4 Rd8; 16.f4 Ne3) 16…Qxe5 17.Re1; 14…Re8] (DR)
15.Bd6 ? (PCL) ? (DR)
White is looking at the dark squares d6 and c5, and
natural would be 15.N2c3-a4-c5, additionally activating that knight
on e2. I planned 15.N2c3 Nxe5 16.dxe5 Rad8 as if 17.Na4 Qc7 and e5
looks weak (the lack of the Nf3 is felt). Instead, White tries,
ambitiously, to win the dark squares by exchanging the relevant
Black bishop… (PCL)
Fails to a two-mover. Why, or how, was it overlooked?
Sometimes these questions cannot be answered, even by the
blunderer, but this one has a familar theme. (DR)
[RR15.Bg3 Fritz3 -0.34 (8/25): (00:03:14)Is certainly
safer, but also an admission that White’s opening play has come to
naught, and is psychologically difficult to play for that reason.]
(DR)
15…Bxd6 16.Nxd6
16…Qc7 ! (PCL) ! (DR)
A mischievous retreat. I’m going to guess that White
missed this, because it’s a retreat by a piece that is already
developed. (DR)
Very pleasant to play: pinning the knight to the h2-pawn
… (PCL)
17.h3 Qxd6
…and winning it. Note 17:…Ne3 18.fxe3 Nxe3 19.Qd3
Nxf1 20.Ne4 Qh2+ 21.Kxf1 Qh1+ 22.Ng1 and 20:…Nh2 21.Qg3 leaves
Black down two knights for a rook. (PCL)
[17…Nge3?! is an obscure punt but you can have at
least one point for noticing it. The main line “works” in that
Black gets a Rook for two Knights but there is an amazing spuddle
by sacrificing the Queen. Fritz3 ignored all this but Fritz2
fancied it! 18.fxe3!? (18.Nb5? Qb6 19.fxe3 Nxe3-+) 18…Nxe3
19.Nxf7!? Nxd1 20.Bxe6 Rae8 (20…Qe7! PCL)
21.Ng5+ Kh8 22.Rcxd1 (22.Rfxd1 h6; 22.Rxf8+ Rxf8 23.Rxd1 Qe7)
22…Rxf1+ 23.Rxf1 (23.Kxf1 Rxe6 24.Nxe6 Qf7+ 25.N2f4 g5 26.Nxg5
Qxf4+ 27.Nf3) 23…h6 24.Nf7+ Kh7 25.Nf4 g5 (25…Qb6) 26.Bf5+ Kg8
27.Nxh6+ Kg7] (DR)
18.hxg4 Bxg4
19.Qd2
“There exists a wide-spread and therefore dangerous
delusion that with an extra pawn the win is achieved
automatically.” BRONSTEIN (PCL)
So Black is a pawn up and the win is a matter of
technique? If you insist, but I am not a strong enough player to
lay claim to reliable technique, and it is worth detailing the
thinking processes.
Firstly, the extra pawn is a bonus, but it only matures
in the(distant) future, and must be disregarded for the present.
White should obviously make every effort to attack.
Secondly, the exchanges have removed a lot of the
potential in White’s position, and relieved the cramp in Black’s.
The plan must be an active one, and with dark-squared bishops I
would perhaps attack the d-pawn, placing my bishop on f6, and hence
defending g7 and e7. With light -squared bishops, doubling on the
e-file with a view to entry on e2 is more logical. (PCL)
The endgame where such a Pawn may be converted is
still some way off, and an extra h-Pawn is without doubt the most
useless type of extra Pawn you can have. (DR)
THE LATE MIDDLEGAME: Black seeks central posts for the major
pieces which prompts exchanges; White should have retained the
Queens. (DR)
19…Rae8
I don’t understand the Rook placements in this game.
I’d have gone for two other moves over this one! (DR)
P.S. Black cannot win a Pawn with 19…Bxe2 20. Qxe2
Nf4 21. Qf3 Qxd4? 22. Rc4, but if he considered the Ne2 to be a
more useful piece than the Bg4 he might have considered the
exchange in any event. I have often heard strong players say ‘this
sort of position is all about what pieces you want to keep on’, and
while I don’t think the Knight looks any better than the Bishop,
Mike van Wissen was convinced that the exchange was good for
Black!
20.Ng3 Re721.Rfe1 Rfe8 22.Rxe7
Rxe7 23.Re1
Black can go wrong with …Qb4 24.Qxb4 Nxb4 25.Rxe7 and
…Qf4 24.Rxe7 Qxd2 25.Re8 ‘mate (both ideas drifted through my
mind). (PCL)
23…Rxe1+ 24.Qxe1 Qe7
25.Qxe7 ? (PCL)
White’s toughest line of resistance is 25.Qa5 b6 26.Qa4
Qd7 with a long struggle in prospect. Although exchanging rooks was
necessary to remove the aggressive potential of the Black position,
exchanging queens was an unnecessary simplification. (PCL)
Here I think White can dodge, because the Black Queen
has no entry point; the complications produced by the presence of
Queens may produce some counterplay. I think this error is crucial,
and is one of the main instructional points of this game. [25.Qd2
idea Bxd5/Qa5; 25.Qa5!?] (DR)
25…Nxe7 26.Ne4
26…Nd5 [26…b6?! 27. Nd6 Bh5 28. f3!]
THE ENDGAME: after some difficult manoeuvres in which both
sides make mistakes, Black obtains a winning game.Over the next few
moves Fritz preferred alternatives at each step. We are entering a
phase where the machine is suggesting moves that are good-looking
but often unmotivated. (DR)
We now have a simplified ending where Black’s win should
be a matter of time. And accuracy I must add, as unfortunately
Black plays some poor moves, and White grabs (nearly) every chance
he is given! (PCL)
27.f3
[RR27.Nd6 Fritz3 -0.91 (9/18): (00:01:38)This is more
active and probably better; 27. Bxd5 is probably also critical,
tying White to the d5 Pawn at least for a while, but requires some
courage!] (DR)
27…Be6 28.Kf2
[28.Nc5 Again, no harm in trying to mess Black up
before either side activates the King. ] (DR)
28…h6 ? (PCL) ?! (DR)
Error number 1, the king must be brought into play as a
matter of urgency: 28:… Kf8 29.Nd6 b6 30.Nc4 Ke7 31.Ne5 Kd6 with
an ideal setup, and not fearing 29.Ng5 h6 30.Nxe6 fxe6. `Centralise
the king’ is a basic maxim for the endgame, and the present sin
must be justified – …h6 was played with the aim of restricting
the White knight’s options, admirable in itself but misconceived,
as the knight is only interested in the queen side – and another
lesson is learnt. (PCL)
[RR28…Kf8 Fritz3 1.03 (9/18): (00:03:25) 29.Ng5 Bf5
preserves the Bishop without loss of time.] (DR)
29.Nc5
[29.Nd6 b6 and Black will gain a tempo by attacking
the Knight with the King.] (DR)
29…b6 ? (PCL)
Error number 2, and now White has realistic drawing
chances! …Bc8 allows the king to centralise without any weakening
of the queen side. Note 29.Nd6 b6 (now forced) 30.Nc4 Nc7 (31.Ne5
Bd5) was possible, but in Black’s favour. (PCL)
Stephan Gerzadowicz says that if you have a choice
between a piece move and a Pawn move, and you can’t decide: then
move the piece, because you can’t undo a poor Pawn
move! (DR)
30.Nd3 Nc7
This is all but forced.30:…Kf8 31.Ne5 c5 32.dc bc
33.Nd3 regains the pawn, or if 31:… Ne7 32.Bxe6 fxe6 and the
knight on e5 is very strong, bearing down on the queen side.
30:…f6 31.Nb4 Nxb4 32.Bxe6+ also is not simple. (PCL)
31.Bxe6 Nxe6
A Knight ending has arisen, where Black still has his extra
h-Pawn and White’s d-Pawn is still isolated. Guess what type of
Pawn Knights find it most difficult to defend against? Right,
Rook’s Pawns! (DR)
32.Ke3 f6
stopping Ne5: if Nb4 Nxd4; Kxd4 c5+ (PCL)
33.Ke4 Kf7
34.d5 ! (PCL) ! (DR)
White’s king is almost enough for him to consider winning
the game by infiltrating the queen side: this is the punishment for
Black’s 28th and 29th moves – 34:… cxd5+ 35.Kxd5 and the king
walks over to a7. Black must blockade the centre to allow time to
sort his pieces out, even at the cost of a White passed pawn on d5.
(PCL)
34…Ng5+ 35.Kd4 c5+ ! (DR)
A grown-up winning attempt: a lesser player would
have feared giving White the passed d-Pawn. [35…cxd5 36.Kxd5 h5
37.Kc6 with better chances for White] (DR)
36.Kc4 Ke7
Along with his passed Pawn White has some goals (exchanging off
Pawns) and some choices (play with K+N on Q-side, or send K to
Q-side and N to K-side, or what?) (DR)
37.b4
Seeing 37.Kb5 Kd6 38.Nf4 Ke5! and Black takes the
advantage, White tries to lift the queen side blockade, and gain b4
for his knight. (PCL)
37…cxb4 38.Nxb4 Kd6? (PCL)
[38…Kd7]
Error number 3. A very poor move, and an instructive
error: d6 is a knight’s move from b5 which is a knight’s move from
a7, the destination of the White knight. The aim of the king move
is to take a step over to the queen side and potentially defend the
b6/a7 pawn. This could be accomplished without being a
tempo-gaining target with Kd7!
The game should now be drawn. (PCL)
39.Nc6 h5
40.Nd4 ? (PCL) ? (DR)
And White backs out of 40.Nxa7 Nxf3 41.gxf3 h4, though
with 42.Nb5+ he gets back in time. Black would have to play 40:…
Nf7-d6 (41.Kb5 Kc7 etc), when he is probably still better due to
the king-side majority.
Unfortunately for White, having made the most out of his
chances thus far, he flinches from the final realisation, and the
delay is critical. (PCL)
He who says ‘A’ must say ‘B’, advises Tarrasch.
Although Nxa7 is committal, it does offer counterplay.
(DR)
[RR40.Nxa7! 40…Nxf3!? (40…h4 41.f4; 40…Kd7)
41.gxf3 h4 42.Nb5+ Kd7 43.Nd4 (43.Nc3 h3 44.Ne2) 43…h3 44.Ne2 h2
45.Ng3 f5 46.f4 g5 47.fxg5 f4 48.Nh1 saves it: White had to
anticipate this save at move 40] (DR)
40…g6
against not only Nf5 but also f3-f4-f5, crippling the
majority.(DR)
The game should now be won (PCL)
41.f4 ? (PCL)
Natural enough, but weakens the pawns. (cf. Black’s error
on move 29). White cannot now take the a7-pawn: 41.Nb5+ Kd7 42.Nxa7
Nxf3 43.Kb5 h4 44.Kxb6 Ne1xg2 queens the h-pawn in time. White has
to defend against …a6…h4…h3:gxh3 Nxh3-f4xd5, which is not
easy, as creating a second chance on the queen side is time
consuming. White obviously wants to regain his pawn, without
allowing the line above. (PCL)
f4-f5 is no longer a threat, but …Nxf3 may be
(DR)
41…Ne4 42.Nb5+ Kd7 43.Nxa7
At this point White (audibly) asked his match captain
whether a draw would be sufficient, or should he be playing for a
win! Meanwhile Black, contemplating an attack on four weak pawns
with an active knight, can finally claim to be winning. (PCL)
White finally gets the courage to play this, but
Black is better than previously. (DR)
43…Ng3 !(!) (PCL) ?! (DR)
This is an interesting moment where our analysis and judgement
differed. After careful consideration of my ?! Pete gave his move
another exclamation mark! (DR)
The position we both reached is obviously critical. The
details of the analysis actually decide the point, but they
shouldn’t obscure some principles in the position:
- because White has a passed Pawn it must be blockaded,
preferably by the King because the King also attacks the Pawn - the Black Knight goes around hitting White Pawns weakened by
loosening moves
(PCL)
If now 44.Kb5 Ne2 45.Kxb6 Nxf4 46.a4 Nxg2 47.a5 Nf4 48.a6 Nxd5+- c7
or 48.Nb5 Nxd5+ 49.Kc5 Ne7-c8 and the King’s-side pawns win (though
this appears the line with most chances – the winning moves with
the knight, leaving the king alone, would have been hard to find).
Or 44.Nb5 Ne2+ 45.f5 g5 with …Nf4: g3 Ne2 to follow.
White instead gives up the least disastrous pawn…
(PCL)
[RR43…Nd6+!? Fritz3 0.25 (11/24): Going backwards
is not the idea in endgames usually, but it keeps the King out, and
comes at the King’s-side from what looked like a better angle,
although the two approaches converge. (DR)
A check is easier to respond to, so 43…Ng3 must be the
better move order! (PCL)
A) 44.Kd4 Nf5+ 45.Ke4 (45.Kc4 Ne3+
46.Kb5 Nxg2 47.f5 g5!) 45…Nh4 46.g3 Nf5 47.Kf3 (*) Kd6 (I
thought this won, but Pete found a draw for White by liquidating
Pawns after 48. Nc8+ Kc5 49. d6 Nxd6 50. Ne7 g5 51. Ng8 Ne8 52. Ke4
e.g. 52…Kb4 53. Kf5 h4 54. gxh4 gxh4 55. Kg4 Ka3 56. Ne7 Kxa2 57.
Nd5=; however Black can still win by 47…Nd4+! 48. Ke4 Ne2 or 48.
Kf2 Nc2 49. Nb5 Nb4 50. Nc3 Kd6-+ e.g. 51. Ne4+ Kxd5 52. Nxf6 Ke6
53. Ne4 Nxa2);
B) 44.Kd3 Nf5 45.Ke2 (45.Ke4 Nh4
46.g3 Nf5 47.Kf3 Kd6 is the same position (*) as in (A); 45. Kc4
Ne3+ 46. Kb5 Nxg2 47. Nxg2 47. f5 g5 -+) 45…Ne7-+(PCL);
43…h4-+] (DR)
44.Kd4 ?! (PCL)
Putting the King where is can be easily checked.
Knight endings are very tiresome, needing exact calculation more
than general plans. [RR44.Kd3! Fritz3 -0.50 (11/22): (00:02:00)
44…Nf5!] (DR)
45. Ke2 Ne7-+ or 45. Ke4 Nh4 46. g3 Nf5 47. Kf3 returns
us to the position (*) above. I saw 44. Nb5 Ne2 45. f5 g5 when
…Nf5-e2 wins. I also saw 44. Kb5!? Ne2 45. Kxb6 Nxf4 when I hoped
I was better! (outside passed Pawn); afterwards I found 46. a4 Nxg2
47. a5 Nf4 48. Nb5 (48. a6 Nxd5+ and …Nc7) 48…Nxd5+
49. Kc5 Ne7 and …Nc8-+ (PCL)
44…Ne2+! 45.Ke4 [45.Ke3 Nc3]
45…Nc3+ 46.Kd4 Nxa2 47.Nb5 Nc1
With the removal of the a-pawn, all Black’s problems are
over. The White King and Knight have no effective target, and it
remains for Black to coordinate his pieces, and move on to the king
side in earnest. First step is to return the knight to d6.
(PCL)
48.Nc3
48…Nb3+ ?! (DR)
Drives the King forward! [48…h4!?; 48…Kd6]
(49. d6+! (PCL)) (DR)
These alternatives look less constructive! (PCL)
49.Kc4 Nc5 50.Kb5 Kc7 51.Kc4
Note: 51.d6+ Kxd6 52.Kxb6 h4! 53:…Nd3-e1 wins a pawn.
(PCL)
The King was OK where it was, I thought.
(DR)
51…Nb7 52.Nb5+ Kd7 53.Kd4 Nd6 54.Nc3
Nf5+
and now back to the king side… (PCL)
55.Ke4 Kd6
White is running out of moves! (DR)
56.Kd3
loses contact with the d-Pawn, but there wasn’t much
else (DR)
56…Nh4 57.g3 Nf5 58.Ne4+ Kxd5 59.Nxf6+ Ke6
60.Ne4
White has lost the asset of the d-Pawn, and allowed Black to
exchange an extra near h-Pawn for a distant Passed b-Pawn.
(DR)
60…Nd6 61.Nf2
Of course the exchange must be declined.
(DR)
61…Kf5 62.Kd4 Nb5+ 63.Kd5
? (PCL)
makes it easy, but if 63. Kd3 Black has two winning
plans, …h4 …Kxf4-g3xh4 with two passed pawns, or …Nxf4 : gxf4
Kxf4 with three pawns vs one knight! (PCL)
[63.Kd3 h4 or maybe …Nc7-e6xf4] (DR)
63…Nc3+ 64.Kc6 Ne2
That’s how it works: while your opponent battles with
the Passed Pawn you eat the King’s-side. (DR)
65.Kxb6 Nxg3 66.Kc6 [66.Kc5]
66…Kxf4 [66…h4 67.Kd5 Ne2]
67.Kd5 Nf5 [67…g5 is probably better, but it
doesn’t matter]
0-1
A long and hard struggle, typical of some of the complexities
possible in endgame play. In particular note how a strong player
will find resources in any position, and how accuracy must be
maintained throughout.
The numerous errors are instructive: Black’s delay in
centralising his king, leading to queen side weaknesses. These
weaknesses gave White the initiative, but he backed out of
realising this to its optimum. (PCL).
This was a good game in many respects: exciting and
close-fought, with more good ideas found by both sides than errors
(no amateur game is really free of the latter.)
There are lots of instructional points here: the need
for counterplay (25. Qxe7? 40. Nd4?) and the need for the courage
of your convictions (35…c5+! 40. Nxa7! ) being two that we didn’t
spend a lot of time on in the notes.
Perhaps the most instructional point of all is: I
asked Peter if he would annotate this game for us, and discovered
that he had already put a lot of time and effort into it for his
own study.
Original analysis of our own games – not self-serving
but hard work, checked and worried about – is perhaps the most
valuable sort of study we can do. (DR)