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Saturday, December 19, 2009

Game of the Year

From all the tournament games I observed this year, the one below is the one that left the biggest impression on me. White's 18th move introduced a tactical thunderstorm. Both players negotiated their way through it wonderfully well, before Black eventually slipped up.

Gareth Annesley - John Cairns
Ulster Championship (Round 4), 30 August 2009

Download the annotated game

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.c3 Qe7 8.d4 Bb6 9.Bg5 d6 10.a4 Rb8 11.axb5 axb5 12.h3 h6 13.Bh4 g5 14.Bg3 g4 15.hxg4 Bxg4 16.Bh4 exd4 17.Bd5 Ne5

18.Nxe5!?

18.cxd4 runs into 18...Nxf3+ 19.gxf3 Bh3 20.Bc6+ Kf8 21.Re1 Rg8+ 22.Kh2 Bc8 (22...Ng4+ 23.Kxh3 Nxf2+ 24.Bxf2 Qe6+ 25.Kh4 (but not 25.Kh2 Qg6 and it's mate in two) 25...Qf6+ 26.Kh3 Qe6+ is only a perpetual check) 23.Rg1 Qe6 (threatening mate on h3) 24.Rg3 Nh5 25.Rg4 Rxg4 26.fxg4 Qxg4 27.Qxg4 Bxg4 28.d5 Bd4 and Black is a clear pawn up. 

(After 18.cxd4) 18...Bxd4 19.Qxd4 Bxf3 also looks dangerous but after 20.Qa7 (20.gxf3 Nxf3+ wins the White Queen) 20...Rc8 21.Qb7 0-0 22.Nd2 (22.gxf3? Nxf3+ 23.Kh1 Nxh4) 22...Bg4 23.Rfc1 White's queenside pressure provides reasonable compensation for the pawn.

18...Bxd1 

18...dxe5 19.Bxf6 Qxf6 20.Qxg4 and Black loses a piece.

19.Bc6+ 

The obvious follow-up 19.Bxf7+ seems to leave Black slightly better after 19...Qxf7 20.Nxf7 Kxf7 21.Rxd1 (21.Bxf6 Kxf6 22.Rxd1 Ke5 23.Nd2 dxc3 24.bxc3 with some advantage for Black) 21...Nxe4 22.cxd4.

Two other possibilities after 19.Bxf7 are:

a) 19...Kf8 20.Ng6+ Kxf7 21.Nxe7 Be2 22.Bxf6 (22.Re1 d3 23.Bxf6 Kxf6 24.Nd5+ Ke5 25.Nd2 Rhf8 26.Nxb6 Rxb6 looks fine for Black) 22...Kxf6 (22...Bxf1 23.Bxh8 Rxh8 24.Nd5 Bd3 25.Nxb6 cxb6 26.cxd4 Bxe4 27.Nc3 is a bit better for White) 23.Nd5+ Ke5 24.Nxb6 Rxb6 25.cxd4+ Kxd4 26.Re1 with an equal position;

b) 19...Kd8 20.Nc6+ Kd7 21.Nxe7 Kxe7 22.Rxd1 Kxf7 23.Bxf6 Kxf6 24.cxd4 and White emerges a pawn up;

Although 19.Nc6 allows Black to save his Queen by 19...Qd7 20.Nxb8 Qg4 this might give White the best chance of a win after 21.Bxf6 0-0 (the only move not to lose) (21...Rg8 22.Bc6+ Kf8 23.Nd7+ Ke8 24.Ra8#; 21...Rh7 22.Bc6+ Kf8 23.Nd7+ Kg8 24.Ra8#; 21...dxc3 22.Bc6+ Kf8 23.Nd7+ Kg8 24.Ra8+ Kh7 25.Rxh8+ Kg6 26.Bxc3) 22.Nd2 (22.Nc6 would however be a big blunder as then Black mates after 22...Bf3 23.g3 Qh3) 22...dxc3 23.Raxd1 cxd2 24.Nc6 Qe2 25.Bd4 Bc5 26.Bxc5 dxc5 27.Ne5 and White will get the d-pawn after Nf3.

Instead of 22…dxc3 in the 19.Nc6 line, Black could try:

a) 22...Be2 (perhaps the best move here) 23.Nc6 Qf4 (if Black takes the Rook with 23...Bxf1 24.Rxf1 dxc3 White has 25.Ne7+ Kh7 26.bxc3 Qf4 27.e5 and the threat of Be4+ wins back the exchange) 24.Ne7+ Kh7 25.e5 Bd3 26.Nf3 Bxf1 27.Rxf1 dxc3 28.bxc3 dxe5 29.Bxe5 Qa4 30.Re1 f6 31.Be4+ Kg7 32.Bd4 with an unbalanced position;

b) 22...Bc2 23.Nc6 Qf4 24.Bxd4 Qxd2 25.Bxb6 cxb6 and White is probably a little better here.

19...Kd8

Worse for Black would be 19...Kf8 20.Bxf6 Qe6 (20...Qxf6 21.Nd7+ Kg7 22.Nxf6) 21.Nd7+ Kg8 22.Rxd1 dxc3 (22...Rh7 23.Rd3) 23.Nxc3 Rc8 24.Bxh8 Kxh8 25.Nxb5 (25.Bxb5 Bxf2+ 26.Kxf2 c6 27.Bxc6 Rxc6 28.Ra7 is also good for White) 25...Qb3 26.Nxb6 cxb6 27.Nd4 Qxb2 28.Rab1 Qc3 29.Rxb6. 

20.Nd7 Nxd7 

20...Bg4 leads to a White win after 21.Nxb8 (but not 21.Bxf6 Bxd7 22.Bxe7+ Kxe7 23.Bxd7 Kxd7) 21...Qe5 22.Bb7 Bd7 (22...Qf4 23.g3 Qf3 24.Nd2 Qd3 25.Bxf6+ Ke8 26.Ra8 and mate is inevitable) 23.Ra8 Ke7 24.Nxd7 Kxd7 25.Rxh8.

20...dxc3 fails to 21.Nxb8 (also possible was 21.Bxf6 Qxf6 22.Nxf6 cxb2 23.Ra2 Be2 24.Nd7 Bxf1 25.Nxb8 Bc4 26.Rxb2) 21...Ba4 22.Nxc3 and Black will not be able to untangle himself, e.g. 22...Ba7 23.Nxa4 bxa4 24.Rxa4 Bxb8 25.Ra8 and the threat of mate forces a large material advantage.

Alternatives to 21…Bxa4 also do not work:
a) 21...c2 22.Nd7 Qe6 23.Bxf6+ Qxf6 24.Nxf6 c1Q 25.Ra8+ Ke7 26.Nd5+ Ke6 27.Rxh8 Qxc6 (27...Qxb1 28.Re8#) 28.Rxd1;

b) 21...cxb2 22.Ra8. 


21.Bxe7+ Kxe7 22.Rxd1

22...dxc3

Better is 22...Ne5 23.Bxb5 dxc3 24.Nxc3 c6 25.Be2 Bc5 when Black's pieces are more active and the b-pawn is weak.

Another good possibility for Black, with the advantage of a couple of little traps, was 22...d3 23.Bxd7 23...Kxd7 24.Rxd3 Ra8 25.Rxa8 Rxa8.

Here are the ways White could go wrong after 22...d3:
a) 23.Bxb5? Bxf2+ 24.Kxf2 Rxb5 25.b4 f5 26.exf5 Rxf5+ 27.Ke3 Ne5;
b) 23.Rxd3? Ne5 24.Bxb5 Nxd3 (24...Bc5 might be even better) 25.Bxd3. 

23.Nxc3 b4 24.Nd5+

White's greater activity compensates for the pawn minus.

24...Kd8 25.Nxb6 Rxb6 26.Bd5 Ke7 27.Ra7 Rc8 28.Rc1 c6?!

And Black finally cracks under the sustained pressure. 28...Nc5 was the correct move.

29.Bxf7 Kxf7 30.Rxd7+

White has regained his pawn and will now pick up either the e- or h-pawn as well. 

30...Ke6 31.Rh7 c5 32.f4 Rf8 33.Rxh6+


33...Rf6 34.Rh4 Ra6 35.e5 dxe5 36.fxe5 Kxe5 37.Rxc5+ Kd6 38.Rb5 

Not surprisingly the players were very short of time now and were no longer recording moves. Annesley succeeded in converting his advantage into a win. 1-0

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

QUB April blitz

After organising the QUB Rapidplay Open and a simul by German expert Chris Cohrs, Chris Millar returned to the blitz version of the game last night. The format was a 5-round Swiss with each player having 10 minutes for each game.

After his last three events had featured the organising team trapped in a lift, a last minute emergency change of venue and a final round fire alarm, Chris was convinced that another disaster (or series of disasters) lay in wait. In order to keep his blood pressure somewhere near normal levels, he had persuaded Eamonn Walls to go through the harrowing process of making the booking this time. "Nothing could have prepared me for this" was how the latter reportedly viewed the experience.

On the night Millar was obviously taking no chances. When I arrived at the venue there was a formidable presence of people in yellow livery with the legend “event staff”. Of course it’s possible they had something to do with the simultaneously run Maximo Park gig in the Mandela Hall, next door to the chess in Bar Sub. I was hoping I might get to hear a sneak preview of their new single ‘The Kids Are Sick Again’ out 4th May, but alas the soundproofing in the cavernous basement of the Students’ Union defeated me.

Still the evening still has the usual accompaniment of background music. I identified an Oasis track playing during the fourth round and no less than Prince closed out proceedings with ‘Purple Rain’.

That was not the only incidental entertainment Millar had laid on. Showing on the big screen was the Champions League encounter between Manchester United and Porto. I am reliably informed that those at Old Trafford were denied the opportunity of watching the chess on the big screen there, which may well explain the disappointed look on Sir Alex Ferguson’s face.

Of course with the music in the background, the football sound commentary was off but somebody had helpfully pressed ‘888’ to provide simultaneous sub-titling. This rather confused QUB B captain Damien Cunningham, who thought some maniac texter had hacked into the television signal.

All this for a fiver while it cost 20 quid to get into Maximo Park but now, in the words of the late, great Harry Golombek, I must turn my attention to the chess.

26 hopefuls turned out, with the usual sizeable contingent from the host club. They would be looking principally to Ulster champion Stephen Scannell and Walls to uphold the honour of the University club while Fisherwick’s John Cairns, joint winner this season of both the Ulster Rapidplay Championship and the Williamson Shield, was the best candidate for honours among the ‘blow-ins’.

The first couple of rounds saw a jockeying for position among the leading candidates for first prize and the first big surprise came in round 3 when Bombardier’s Mark Newman defeated number 1 seed Scannell. In round 4 Newman went on to draw with Walls while Cairns beat Cunningham. Going in to the final round Cairns was in the lead with a perfect 4 out of 4 with Newman and Walls half-a-point behind – only these three remained in contention for first prize.

In the top board game number 3 seed Walls defeated number 2 seed Cairns and Newman joined the University student on 4.5 by defeating Cunningham. Now there would have to be an Armageddon game to decide the overall winner. But before reporting on the outcome of that, here is a wrap-up of the other prize-winners. Karina Kruk took the ladies’ prize after an Armageddon decider against Ciara Pugh, with the latter having the consolation of winning the prize for the best unrated player. Winner of the best new-comer award was Jason Spence, a protégé of the legendary member of the 4 Horsemen, Martin Kelly – both master and pupil finishing in the group finishing equal 6th with 3 points. Immediately ahead of that group were three players finishing on 4 points – Scannell, Cairns and Shane Keers. The former Sullivan Upper player Keers, now in his second year at the University, was playing his first competitive chess in about 2 years, so hopefully this excellent comeback, which netted him the under 1800 grading prize, will encourage him back in to regular competition.

Finally to that Armageddon decider between Walls and Newman which would determine who would win first prize and who would have to be content with the runners-up prize. The rules were that White got 6 minutes on the clock and Black only 5, but White had to give draw odds. Walls won the toss for colour and chose White, but both players were happy because Newman had intended to take the Black pieces anyway. So Walls had to win to take first prize whereas Newman only needed a draw for overall victory. Walls seemed to have a positional advantage out of the opening but then made a curious blunder throwing away a piece for a pawn. However he still had a time advantage and kept himself in the game by creating a passed b-pawn while on the other side of the board he had a 2-pawn majority. So it was 5 pawns to 2 but with Newman also having a Knight, which however quickly became overloaded with work trying to prevent charging pawns on both wings. Just as Walls was about to promote one of them to a Queen, Newman’s flag fell and Millar declared Eamonn Walls winner of the QUB April blitz.