Hello Everyone,
Another annotated game below. This one has recently been reviewed as a result
of being demonstrated at Hanham Club last week. Two of the alternative
suggested moves held up under scruntiny on the night, so Deep Rybka was set the
task of checking out those alternatives. As a result some changes have been
made to the notes which were originally published in 2006.
This game is definitely in the tactical category. The main theme is attacking
the enemy King. There are mistakes by both players which adds to the flavour of
the game. I would encourage the reader to pay particular attention to the
sequence from move 25 onwards. Although Queens are exchanged this does not
lessen the danger that the Black King finds itself in, but there are several
subtle points just under the surface. Enjoy.
Regards,
Tyson
Text Begins
MORDUE AT – ROBINSON, D
[Event "4NCL"] [Round "7"]
[Site "WEST BROMWICH"]
[Date " 18-03-2006"]
1. e4 d5
2. exd5 Qxd5
The traditional way of playing the Centre-Counter or Scandinavian Defence. The
sharp 2... Nf6 3. d4 Bg4 has been in vogue recently.
3. Nc3 Qa5
4. d4 Nf6
5. Nf3 Bf5
6. Ne5 c6
7. Bd3 Bxd3
The most popular move according to the database. Only 7... Bg6 has more than
mention over other moves. Curiously Alastair had the same opening in his Sunday
game. Irving-Compston went 7... Bg6 8. O-O e6 9. Bf4 Qd8 and now 10. Nxg6
secures White an advantage. I feel 7... Bxd3 is the simplest move, even if it
brings White’s Queen out.
8. Qxd3 e6
9. O-O Nbd7
10. Nc4?!
Exchanging on d7 does not improve White’s game. Danish GM Bent Larsen even
risked recapturing with his King in a game against Medina at Las Palmas in
1974! The simplest move is 10. Bf4 and recapture on e5 with the Bishop.
10... Qc7
11. Qf3 Bd6!?
A decision with far-reaching consequences. Clearly White intended 12. Bf4 and
13. Nd6+ but 11... Nd5 was a better way of preventing this. White would reply
12. Ne4 with a small advantage.
After the text White can stop Black from castling on the Kingside and also take
strong control of the dark squares, but he must be prepared to give up one and
maybe two Pawns for this.
12. Nxd6+ Qxd6
13. Bf4
Gambiting a Pawn to prevent Black castling Kingside.
13... Qxd4
Bravely accepting the gambit. In the only other game on the database to reach
this position L Bronstein-Soppe, Argentine Champs, Buenos Aires 1988, continued
briefly with 13... Qe7 14. Ne4 Nxe4 15. Qxe4 and was agreed drawn!
14. Rfd1!
The right Rook. The Queen’s Rook is needed to support the advance of the Pawns
or to occupy the b-file if Black ventures …Qxb2 on the move after next. White
must go Bd6 before Black castles Kingside. After the game my opponent suggested
14... Qb4 so as to answer 15. Bd6 with 15... Qg4. However, after 16. Qe3 Nb6
17. b3! White retains the initiative.
14... Qb6
15. Bd6 O-O-O
Black has snatched one Pawn but has a solid position. Snatching a second is
very dangerous: 15... Qxb2 16. Rab1 Qxc2 17. Rxb7 Nd5 (17... Rc8 18. Rxa7 and
White’s position is clearly worth one Pawn) 18. Nxd5 (not 18. Rxd7? Kxd7 19.
Qxf7+ Kxd6 and the King lives! Nor 18. Ne4 f5 19. Ng5 O-O-O! with a complete
mess.) 18... cxd5 (not 18... exd5?? 19. Re1+ wins) and now the subtle 19. Rc7!
rules out Queenside castling and dislodges the Black Queen from its active post
on c2.
I’d seen most of the above lines, and I was fairly happy that I had a lot of
pressure for my Pawns. As we know the risk is really Black’s if he chooses to
grab b Pawns.
16. b4! Rhe8!
Good moves by both players. White has ruled out …Nc5 and Black has spotted an
opportunity to use his extra Pawn, currently on e6, to his advantage.
17. a4 e5
18. b5?
“ChessMaster 9000 prefers 18 a5 here. I disagree for several reasons. After the
obvious 18...Qa6 there is a danger of the Black Queen coming to c4, a crucial
square as we’ll see later. Secondly, time is all-important here. White must be
making effective contact with the Black King’s fortress as soon as possible.
Thirdly, White threatens 19. a5 trapping the Queen. The pressure is building
quickly, but it’s just as important to build it up in the mind of the opponent
as well as on the board. As a result Black soon makes an error.”
The above is the original note from 2006. With fresh analysis from Deep Rybka,
a more powerful engine, in 2020, this comment needs revision. Deep Rybka looks
at three different moves here, and none of them is the text!
A) 18. Nb5. At first the engine rated this quite highly but later dismissed it.
It analysed 18... cxb5 19. axb5 Qxb5 (not 19... Nb8? 20. Qc3+) 20. Rxa7 Nb8 21.
Ra5 Qb6 22. Qc3+ Qc6 23. Rc5 winning the Black Queen for Rook and Knight, but
then found after 23... Ne4 24. Rxc6+ Nxc6 25. Qh3+ Re6 26. b5 Ne7 that White
could be losing the d6 Bishop as well.
B) 18. Qe2 – assumedly to deter ...Qa6 and avoid the oncoming ...e4 in advance
– 18... Nb8 19. Qc4 Rd7 20. a5 Qd8 21. Nb5! b6 22. axb6 Qxb6 23. Nc3 Qb7 24.
Bc5 Rxd1+ 25. Nxd1 a6 26. Ne3± with a numerical evaluation of +0.66. White has
active pieces while Black has broken Pawns and weak squares. Nicely balanced
but I’m not certain it’s worth as much as 0.66. Noteworthy points are the White
Queen gets to c4 effectively as it does in the game, and one of the problems
White soon has to resolve is finding a better square for the c3 Knight. In this
variation e3 is good, possibly heading to d6 via f5.
C) 18. a5 – the move I turned down for reasons given above but upon
reassessment probably a better move. It was preferred by members of Hanham
Chess Club to whom I showed this game – 18... Qa6 19. b5 cxb5 20. Rab1 – a
strong move that I hadn’t considered- 20... e4 (If 20... Qxa5 21. Nxb5 Nb8 22.
Rd3±, while 20... b4 21. Rxb4 Nb8 22. Nb5 Rd7 23. Bc5 e4 24. Qf5 Re6 25. Nxa7+
Kd8 26. Rbb1±. Both variations by Deep Rybka.) 21. Qg3 Re6 22. Nxb5 Ne5 23.
Nxa7+ Qxa7 24. Bxe5 Rxd1+ 25. Rxd1 Qxa5 26. Bxf6 Rxf6 27. Qxg7± with a plus of
1.1 to White. Again a variation courtesy of Deep Rybka and this time I heartily
agree with the numeral assessment. Black’s Pawns are broken and weak, White’s
pieces are more active and his King is definitely safer.
I stand by my original comments. but it is now clear to me that Black can
generate good counterplay by the continuous advance of his e-Pawn. So my choice
of move was wrong although Deep Rybka’s assessment of the position as being
good for White endorses my own opinion.
18... e4
19. Qe2
My first intention had been 19. Qg3 but 19... e3! is too good. 20. f3 just
loses a Rook to the discovered check 20... e2+, while 20. bxc6 exf2+ 21. Qxf2+
Qxf2+ 22. Kxf2 bxc6 leaves White a Pawn down in an ending. White does have King
moves instead of 21. Qxf2 but Black stands better, and he can always exchange a
pair of Rooks on e1 with check if he needs to.
After the text Black should definitely go 19... e3! After 20. f3 Black’s
advanced Pawn is strength, and not a weakness as becomes apparent in the game.
My computer insists that …a7-a5 is playable on move 19 and 20. I don’t think
any human would voluntarily weaken his or her King’s position in this fashion,
and I don’t believe the judgement that this is a better move than 19...e3 (or
come to think of it, the move actually played!) is sound. Computers are not
always right and when it comes to matters of King safety can frequently
misjudge a position.
19... Qa5?
20. bxc6 bxc6
Of course 20... Qxc3 is answered by 21. c7 winning an Exchange with a
continuing attack. The dark square weaknesses now begin to bite.
ChessMaster 9000 wanted to vary with 20...Nb6. Clearly the control of b5 and d5
with a Pawn is important, but the machine feels that stopping the White Queen
going to c4 is even more so. Deep Rybka also gave consideration to 20...Nb6 but
the evaluation is nearly +1 to White. Black can't give back the Pawn in this
fashion. He must make White work harder.
21. Qc4 Kb7
Now I paused for a long think. White has clearly made progress. The Black
King’s position is seriously weakened, his Queen is apparently active only in
defence by, primarily, preventing a5 by White. Now I have the chance to regain
my Pawn if I want. Have a good look for yourself before deciding what you would
play.
Okay, story-time now. Please bear with me, we’ll be back to the board in a
moment.
One of the features I spotted in my play back in 1987 was the making of a
forcing move where the forced reply was ultimately of more value than the one
I’d played. This happened three times in my first event abroard, a Post Office
team tournament in Hungary. Having spotted this I made a mental note of it. The
key thing was to remember it when I needed to.
Shortly afterwards, I moved house in time to play in the Hanham Chess Congress
just a mile down the road. Here’s another bit of advice. Don’t mix playing
chess with moving house! They don’t go together. I scored a draw and a loss
from the two games I played before realising my head was still unpacking boxes
and not moving pieces, so I withdrew from the tournament.
What happened next was remarkable. I went 52 games undefeated and it was during
this time I learned how to survive poor and lost positions. Ironically this was
highlighted in a game against one of my own international Post Office
teammates. In a Centre-Counter, curiously enough, my opponent had just won a
Pawn with the move …Qxa2 and he had the better position to boot. I was
considering playing Ra1 to which the reply was …Qd5 when it struck me that I
was thinking about a decentralising move to force a centralising one. I changed
my mind, played something different, and crashed through his Kingside to win
ten moves later. Lesson learned.
Back to Mordue-Robinson. The obvious line is 22. Rab1+ Nb6 23. Qxf7+ Rd7. Now
what? The Knight on c3 is en prise. Play 24. Qb3 to defend it, then Black goes
24... Red8 hitting the Bishop. If 25. Bf4 or Bg3 then 25... Rxd1+ 26. Rxd1
Rxd1+ 27. Nxd1 Qe1~ mate! Whoops!! Okay, so 25. Bb4 is better but the point is
that I’ve just helped Black rearrange his pieces while grabbing a not so
important Pawn.
I looked around at the minor pieces. The Knight on c3 is doing little and I did
mull over 22. Nb5 to threaten 23. Bc7 and 22... cxb5 23. axb5 Qb6 24. Ra6
looked quite neat. 22... Nb6 ruins the fun though.
It occurred to me that Black might be threatening the manoeuvre …Nb6 followed
by doubling Rooks and the Bishop could be in trouble. Now if the Bishop is not
on d6 then the sequence Rab1+ Nb6; Qxf7+ is fine because …Rd7 is not viable.
After I play Rxd7 the recapture …Nbxd7 is not legal while …Nfxd7 leaves the
Rook on e8 en prise. Hence the decision to move the Bishop. Where to? Well, f4
rules out …e4-e3 and it might be able to strike at b6 from e3 or even at the
Queen from d2. So …
22. Bf4!
Imagine my joy when ChessMaster 9000, after an equivalent length of thinking
time, also chose this move. My opponent also praised it. Remember the lessons,
and don’t forget to carry them out.
Black now makes an error, although at first sight the move played looks like a
good idea. The toughest move is probably 22... Rc8 and this could also be
played on move 24.
The above is the original note from 2006. Since then several humans at Hanham
Chess Club and Deep Rybka have been looking at this position and come to a
different opinion.
There are three other viable Bishop moves:
A) The first is the remarkable 22. Be7.
A1) If Black takes with 22... Rxe7 then 23. Rab1+ Kc7 24. Nb5+ Kc8 (or 24...
Kb8 25. Qxc6 is crushing while 24... Kb7 25. Nd6+ Ka8 26. Qxc6~ is mate.) 25.
Nd6+ Kc7 26. Rb7~ mate. All this means that to avoid mate Black is obliged to
play 23... Qb6 giving up his Queen. Instead
A2) 22... Rc8 23. Bxf6 Nxf6 24. Rab1+ (or 24... Kc7 25. Qxf7+ mates.) 24... Ka8
25. Qxf7± leaves White with a clear advantage. Deep Rybka suggests 25... Qc7
26. Qxc7 Rxc7 but after 27. Rd6 White has a good ending.
B) There is also 22. Bb4, preferred by Chris Parker and Anthony Carver of
Hanham club. Variations go:
B1) 22... Nb6?? 23. Qxf7+ loses material.
B2) 22... Qa6 23. Qxf7 e3 24. fxe3 Qb6 25. Kh1 Qxe3 26. Rab1 Ka8 is an
interesting line which the engine claims is better for White. I agree with that
but I don’t like the next suggestion of 27. Qxg7 which merely opens the g-file
for Black. I prefer 27. a5 which, as usual, takes the b6 square away from the
Black Knights.
B3) 22... Ne5 23. Qb3 (if 23. Qxf7+ Nxf7 24. Bxa5 is a small plus for White.)
23... Rxd1+ 24. Rxd1 Qa6 25. Bd6+ Qb6 (Not 25... Ka8?? 26. Bxe5 wins a piece.)
26. Qa2!? Kc8 27. Rb1 Qd8 28. Bxe5 Rxe5 29. Qxf7 with a clear advantage to
White.
B4) 22... Qh5 – obviously to defend f7 - 23. Rdb1 Nb6 24. Bc5 e3 25. a5 and
this looks good for White. However, Deep Rybka then produced the amazing 25...
Rd1+! 26. Nxd1 (26. Rxd1 Nxc4) 26... e2 forcing 27. Rxb6+ axb6 28. Ne3 Qxc5 29.
Qxe2 bxa5 30. Qc4 with a small plus for White but this is probably drawn. There
is scope for investigation there though.
C) Finally the other move is 22. Bg3. The point is that if play continued as in
the game then a later ...Nd5 by Black wouldn’t be attacking the Bishop. Having
said that my choice between g3 and f4 was based on the latter giving me the
option to play Be3 and also stopping ...e4-e3 by Black.
Black now makes an error, although at first sight the move played looks like a
good idea. The toughest move is probably 22... Rc8.
22... Re6?
This screens f7 and defends the c6 Pawn laterally, but there are some
drawbacks. On the other hand if 22... Nb6 23. Qxf7+ Rd7 24. Rxd7+ Nbxd7 25.
Rb1+ Ka8 26. Qc4 Rc8 27. Nxe4 is clearly better for White who is now a Pawn up!
In this line 23... Ka8 is an improvement but White is still better.
23. Rab1+ Ka8
First problem. 23... Nb6 is no good because of the loose Rook on d8. Now
something odd happened. Again it’s worth a good look.
24. h3!?
Sensation! Tyson passes with a P-R3. Well, not really. I was getting concerned
about back rank mates in certain lines, and I also wanted Bh2 available if
Black played …Nh5, or if he chose …Qf5 then after Be3 the annoying …Ng4 is
ruled out.
Actually my priority here was still finding a more effective square for the
Knight. I was looking at Nc3-e2-d4 but the echo of that …Qa5-e1 mate was a
touch louder. Anyway, after 24 h3 perhaps Black might play a move that will let
me play the Knight to a better square.
Did I hear someone say I’ve missed a better move? Possibly, but please wait.
24... Rde8
In my original notes I mentioned 24 …Rc8 was playable here. In fact it’s not
good because it self-pins the c6 Pawn and allows a strong 25. Nb5! After 25...
Nb6? 26. Nc7+ simply wins material as 26... Rxc7 27. Bxc7 Nxc4?? 28. Rb8~ is
mate. Deep Rybka suggests firstly the odd 25... g5 which is best met by 26. Be3
threatening 27. Nxa7. It then turns to 25... e3, which is bad enough if Black
has to return the extra Pawn in this fashion, and continues 26. Bxe3 Re4 27.
Qxf7 cxb5 and now the simple 28. Rxd7! is crushing because 28... Nxd7 is met by
29. Qd5+ Kb8 30. Qxe4 with extra Pawns and the threat of 31. Rxb5+.
I also gave the text an ? but Deep Rybka fails to find a better move. Note how
the retreat of the Bishop from d6 made these lines possible.
Now a second chance for those who may have missed the tactic available to me
last move, and that includes myself!
25. Nxe4?!
So Black defended this Pawn a third time, and I still took it! Clearly 25
...Rxe4 allows 26. Qxc6~ mate while 25... Nxe4 26. Rxd7 isn’t very good. What
irony … until those patient people at the back of the room point out 24. Nxe4!
achieved the same object at a better time. After 24... Nxe4 25. Rxd7 Rxd7 26.
Rb8~ mate is the idea. So P-R3 (24. h3) was a mistake after all!
I originally gave the text a !? but there is also a simple improvement with 25.
Rd6! - threat 26 Qxc6+ - 25... Rxd6 26 .Bxd6 Rc8 (not 26... Nb8?? 27. Rxb8+
Rxb8 28. Qxc6+ Rb7 29. Qc8+ Rb8 30. Qxb8~ mate) and now 27. Nxe4 regains the
Pawn without fuss.
Unfortunately, playing Nxe4 right now allows Black a resource that wouldn’t
have been available had his Rook still been on d8. However, I had foreseen this
and judged that I would still have the initiative in the forthcoming endgame. I
knew Black’s pieces were coming to life but I thought mine were better placed
than his. I hadn't seen everything though!
The quality of the forthcoming moves is rather variable as we squabble over the
initiative.
25... Nb6!
Finally this important defensive resource closing the open b-file gets played.
White only has one decent reply which I made immediately so as to emphasise
that I can confidence in my calculations.
26. Qc5! Qxc5
27. Nxc5 Re2!
Black continues to find good moves, but it was all costing him valuable time.
Deep Rybka agrees with this move and says the position is completely equal.
The retreat 27... R6e7 just allows 28. Bd6 and White gains a tempo on the game
because his Bishop isn’t on f4 to be attacked by a Knight when one comes to d5.
See option C at the note to White's 22nd move.
To that end I should now play 28. c4! controlling d5, and if 28... Nxc4 29. Rb7
is strong. However, I continued with the line that I’d calculated upon playing
25. Nxe4.
28. a5
Only now did I notice that 28... Nbd5 not only attacks the Bishop but also
threatens 29... Nc3 forking my Rooks. Fortunately my opponent thought he needed
to prevent c4 and so didn’t connect his Knights.
Deep Rybka first suggested 28. Na6 but after 28... Kb7 White’s best is to
repeat with 29. Nc5+ Ka8. As my opponent was in serious time-trouble I wasn’t
going to give him the luxury of getting two moves nearer the time-control. The
engine then spent some time trying to decide between the text and my suggested
28. c4. It agrees that 28. c4 Nxc4 29. Rb7 is good for White, adding that 29...
Nd5 30. Rxf7 Nxf4 31. Rxf4 maintains a slight plus. This is probably because of
the Kingside Pawn majority, but engines tend to undervalue majorities so White
may well have more than just a small plus.
Instead after 28. c4 the engine tries 28... R2e7 29. Bd6 Re2 30. Bf4 but this
is just another repetition, then suggests the more sensible 28... Ne4. In view
of this I now think 28. a5, which I originally gave a ?! to, is the right move.
29... Nc4?
After 29... Nbd5 30. Bd2 – the only move to stop 30... Nc3 – 30... Ne4 Deep
Rybka again says the position is completely equal. The text, which I had
expected in my calculations on move 25, allows White’s initiative to flare up
again.
29. Na6
Still as planned but 29. Rb4! first is even better. It forces 29... Na3 and
means the Rook isn’t en prise at move 31 of the game and effectively forces the
win of the Exchange. Black can’t exchange Rooks on e1 because he is then left
facing mate on b8, his Knight c4 is en prise and the Pawn a5 prevents …Nb6.
The text isn’t bad though as it will also win material. Black thought he had a
tactical defence to the threat of Nc7 mate but it backfires.
29... Nd5
30. Rxd5!
This is why Black needed his Knights defending one another or, more
specifically, a Knight on d5 defended by another Knight. I’d seen 30. Rxd5 a
long time ago, but it was the 32nd move that was the subtle one. Now White is
winning, but this is just the start of a delightful unspoken conversation.
30... Re1+
“Oh, no you’re not winning!” says Black.” After the swap of Rooks I’ll be the
Exchange up.”
31. Kh2
“But I don’t need to exchange Rooks!” I say. Good job I’d played h3 earlier too!
31... Rxb1
“Very well!” replies Black. “After 32. Nc7+ Kb7 (avoiding 32... Kb8 33. Nxe8
with check!) 33. Nxe8 cxd5 I’m still the Exchange up.”
32. Rd4
“And now what do you do about the two threats of 33 Nc7+ and 33 Rxc4?” I ask.
“You could try 32... Re5 33 .Bxe5 Nxe5 but after 34. Rd8+ Kb7 35. Rb8+ Kxa6 36.
Rxb1 I’m the one who is the Exchange up!” That ending is easy to play because
the Rook will easily outgun the Knight and Black’s unmoved Kingside Pawns
present a great target.
At this point I had visions of playing a long ending to win with the two minor
pieces against the Rook, but once again luck favoured me.
32... Re2??
“You may have a point there.” says Black. “I’ll activate my Rook.” Oddly enough
Black’s best was to lose two whole tempi with 32... Kb7 33. Nc5+ Ka8 34 Rxc4
when we reach the aforementioned ending with two pieces for a Rook. With
Black’s King stuck in the corner White’s win is just a matter of time.
Deep Rybka completely misjudges the ending after the line starting 32... Re5
given in the last note and says that it is better than 32... Kb7. The engine
evaluates White as only +1 in a position where he's a whole Exchange up. I did
some investigations into that while waiting for the text move, and I was quite
happy that I was picking up Kingside Pawns faster than Black was doing anything
on the Queenside. Eventually the engine agrees with me but I'm not going to
labour the point with lots of variations. As I recall my opponent hadn't even
realised that 32... Re5 was a feasible move.
33. Rd8+
“Activating the Rook’s not a good idea. I don’t need to take the Knight now.”
After 33... Kb7 34. Nc5~ is a very pretty and almost pure checkmate with all
White’s contributing units occupying dark squares.
33... 1-0
Text ends
