MacGyver

From Wikipedia: "MacGyver is an American action-adventure television series... [S]ecret agent Angus MacGyver... is a resourceful agent with an encyclopedic knowledge of science, able to solve complex problems with everyday materials he finds at hand, along with his ever-present duct tape and Swiss Army knife."

Playing over the following game, I got to thinking about MacGyver.

Bill Wall's opponent had navigated the game into a tricky, but draw-able, Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame, where it seemed possible that Black might actually extract a half-point from White's Jerome Gambit (a rare event, to be sure).

What did Bill have to work with at the end?

Ah, but it is the "+" on White's last move that gives the win.

Wall,B - CKFM
FICS, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6

7.Qd5+ Ke7 8.Qg5+

Something new! There are no other examples in The Database.

Black has a chance to slip, but the game transposes to more "normal" lines.

8... Ke8 9.Qxc5 Qe7 10.Qe3 Nf6 11.Nc3 Kf7

Or 10...d6 11.0-0 Ng4 (11...Be6 12.f4 Ng4 13.Qg3 Qh4 14.Qxh4 Nxh4 15.g3 Nf5 16.exf5 Bxf5 17.Re1+ Kd7 18.d3 Rae8 19.Bd2 c6 20.h3 Black resigned, Wall,B - Hirami,Z, Chess.com, 2011) 12.Qg3 Qe5 13.Nd5 Qxg3 14.fxg3 Kd7 15.Rf7+ Black resigned, Wall,B -CKSP, FICS, 2010.

12.0-0 Re8 13.d3 d5

Giving a pawn back to be able to exchange Queens.

14.Nxd5 Nxd5 15.exd5 Qxe3 16.fxe3+ Kg8

White has three pawns for his sacrificed piece. Perhaps a super-GM like Magnus Carlsen would say that the game here is won for Black, and all that is left is a matter of (his) technique.

In the world of club players, however, it is not naive to see the game as balanced. The winner will be the one who handles his pawns/Knight better.

17.e4 Bg4 18.Be3 a6 19.Rf2 Rad8 20.h3 Bd7 21.Raf1 c6 22.Bb6 Rc8 23.d6

One "Jerome pawn" gets through. The game is still about even, but that's one more thing for Black to worry about, and one more thing for White to rely on.

23...Be6 24.d4 Nf8 25.g4 Bc4 26.Rxf8+

Possibly this Rook sacrifice was a surprise for Black.

26...Rxf8 27.Rxf8+ Rxf8 28.d7 Bxa2

Of course, White will get his Rook back when he promotes the d-pawn, so Black grabs some "compensation."

29.e5 Kf7 30.d8Q Rxd8 31.Bxd8 Ke6

The excellent placement of Black's King makes the Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame even, even though White has an extra pawn.

32.Kf2 Bb1 33.c3 Ba2 34.Kf3 Kd5 35.Kf4 Ke6 36.Kg5 Kf7 37.h4 Bb1

White looks to see what he can create on the Kingside. If he is able to advance his center two pawns, that will allow Black some counterplay with his remaining 2:1 pawn majority on the Queenside. Eventually White will have to exchange one of his center pawns for a Black wing pawn, and the other White center pawn will be safely blockaded.

38.h5 h6+ 39.Kh4 g6 40.hxg6+ Kxg6 41.e6 Ba2 42.e7 Bf7 43.c4

Things are looking a bit scary for Black right now. Suppose he loses a tempo with 43...Be8. White quickly advances in the center with 44.d5 cxd5 45.cxd5 and has those scary two passers.

But, what would happen next? After 45...Kf7 White can liquidate the Kingside with 46.g5 hxg5+ 47.Kxg5 but now Black starts rolling on the Queenside with 47...a5. Since swapping his Pe7 for the ambitious, but lowly, Pa5 is seriously draw-ish, White's King must persevere with 48.Kf5.

After 48...a4 49.Ke5 b5 50.d6 (50.Kd6 will face the same response) b4 51.Bb6 a3 52.b3 Bc6 53.Bc5 a2 54.Bd4 Bf3 

analysis diagram






Black's and White's advanced passers hold each other hostage and the point can be split, especially after 55.Bb2 Bd1 56.Kc5 Bxb3+.

That kind of pressure, though, searching for that kind of solution, can cause the defender to slip.

43...Kf6 44.e8Q+ Black resigned

The discovered check allows the pawn to Queen safely, and now White can force checkmate.

(Along with his Swiss army knife and duct tape, you had to figure that MacGyver had a discovered check on him, somewhere.)